Connect with us

Lion Links

Lion Links: 1/4/21

Published

5 years ago

on

Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers! It’s the first Monday of the new year and hopefully it won’t be too bad. Despite being four days in, today is actually the last day of the month/year for me in the car business, so hopefully it will be a busy one for me.

I don’t know if you, dear reader, are the New Year’s resolution type, but if so what are you planning for 2021? I’m looking at doing several things, including interacting with you more than in the past. So if I’m not answering your comments here on the site, please call me out on Twitter. Let’s get to the links!

Zack Steffen Makes His English Premier League Debut

Like many clubs, Manchester City is dealing with COVID-19 related issues. With six players unavailable, Pep Guardiola gave United States Men’s National Team goalkeeper Zack Steffen his first English Premier League start. Steffen had a bit of jitters, and picked up a back pass from Rodri resulting in a free kick for Chelsea, but nothing came of it. Fortunately for Steffen, goals from Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden, and Kevin De Bruyne gave City a 3-1 win despite a late goal from Callum Hudson-Odoi in the 92nd minute. Steffen made history in another respect, as well.

More Americans Move Abroad

Brenden Aaronson will officially make his move to Austrian Bundesliga leaders Red Bull Salzburg this month. The good news for Orlando City supporters is that Aaronson will no longer be helping the Philadelphia Union in MLS. Aaronson thinks that Salzburg will be a good fit.

“I can see myself being part of the philosophy of football here. Salzburg play fast, direct and attacking football. That’s what I like to do, and I think that this just fits my profile really well.”

Aaronson is fortunate to be playing for Jesse Marsch, an American coach who is also making waves abroad.

Elsewhere, FC Dallas Homegrown midfielder Tanner Tessmann will train with Bayern Munich as part of the two clubs’ Elite Player Development Partnership. This is a good opportunity for Tessmann and other clubs may come calling, depending on how he does.

Florida Tropics Win Twice in MASL Opening Weekend

The Florida Tropics started their Major Arena Soccer League season with two wins over the St. Louis Ambush. Saturday night, the Tropics won 4-1 to open the season and then won 7-5 over the Ambush on Sunday. After a quiet opener, Ian Bennett scored a hat trick in the second half of the Sunday game to lift the Tropics over the Ambush in Lakeland. Next, the Tropics will host the Kansas City Comets on Jan. 9.

COVID and Brexit Impacts English Football

As mentioned above, Zack Steffen got a start in part because Manchester City had six players out on positive COVID tests. Fulham’s match against Burnley was postponed due to positive tests. Unfortunately, there have been players at various clubs not taking the protocols seriously and putting themselves and their clubs in danger. Benjamin Mendy, Luka Milivojevic, and Aleksandar Mitrovic are some of the latest examples.

On top of that, English Premier League clubs are also dealing with Brexit ramifications. Sam Allardyce shared that West Bromwich Albion had to pull out of three transfers in January due to new work permit rules post Brexit. This won’t be the last we will hear about these types of difficulties.

New Year, Same Issues

I’ve had to write about racism in soccer far too many times during my tenure with The Mane Land. Unfortunately, 2021 hasn’t changed that despite clubs around the world trying to bring awareness to the issue. Saturday night, Junior Stanislas scored a match-winning goal in Bournemouth’s 1-0 win over Stoke. Later that night, he was subjected to racial slurs about his family on Twitter. The club is doing everything it can to identify the offender and to take the “strongest possible action” in regards to the incident. To be clear, this type of thing has no place in soccer, nor society in general.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion Cam Lindley is following Chris Mueller’s cue and has gotten engaged to start off the new year. Congratulations, Cam!

  • Congratulations to Christine Sinclair on being named Canadian Press Female Athlete of the Year. Sinclair became the world’s all-time leading international scorer in 2020.
  • Manchester United blocked Atalanta’s attempt to keep Amad Diallo at the Serie A club. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking to bring the winger back to Old Trafford this season.
  • Give it up to Austin FC for doing a good job sticking with the “verde” theme in its new stadium.

  • Holy mackerel, what a golazo from Leon Flach. The American scored for St Pauli in Bundesliga 2.

I hate to end on a sad note, but I must out of respect. Gerry Marsden, lead singer of the 1960s British group Gerry and the Pacemakers has passed away at the age of 78. The band had many hits, but none so lasting as “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” which is the anthem of a few soccer clubs including, most notably, Liverpool. Rest in peace, Gerry.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/22/26

Orlando City prepares for FC Cincinnati, Angelina receives an additional suspension, Orlando City B signs Albright Chikamso, and more.

Published

3 days ago

on

May 22, 2026

By

Image of Angelina launching a long pass.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! There’s a smorgasbord of Orlando soccer waiting for us this weekend and I’m looking forward to it. Along with enjoying the games, I plan on spending the weekend tearing my way through the rest of Kristen Perrin’s murder mystery series after devouring “How to Solve Your Own Murder.” I highly recommend it if you’re a fan of whodunits. Now, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Prepares for FC Cincinnati

The Lions are back in action on Saturday with a road match against FC Cincinnati in the last match for both clubs before the World Cup break. Orlando enters this match with plenty of momentum after beating Atlanta United 4-1 in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, but the team has struggled playing away this year and Cincinnati is a tough opponent. Both offenses are flying high as of late, and the only team in the league that has conceded more goals this season than Cincinnati is Orlando, so a high-scoring affair might be in the cards for us before the break.

Angelina Suspended for an Additional Game

The NWSL Disciplinary Committee handed Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina an additional one-game suspension for a violation of “Major Game Misconduct.” Angelina received a red card following video review in Orlando’s 3-1 loss to the Denver Summit after she pulled Delanie Sheehan’s hair. The Pride will now be without her for both Sunday’s game against the San Diego Wave and the game on May 29 against Bay FC, meaning she won’t be available for selection until after the summer break.

Orlando City B Signs Albright Chikamso

Defender Albright Chikamso has signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B that will last through 2028. The academy product has made four appearances with OCB already and scored in his first start with the team on Oct. 10 of last year. It’s nice to see the club’s youth program continue to develop players so that they can move up the pipeline. Hopefully Chikamso can continue to impress with the Young Lions this season.

Chris Richards Injury Update Before World Cup

American defender Chris Richards tore ligaments in his ankle according to Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who confirmed that he won’t be available for the team’s season finale on Sunday. There’s notably still a chance that he plays in the UEFA Conference League final on Wednesday. However, the World Cup is only a few weeks away and United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino will announce the team’s roster on Monday. Richards has been a critical part of the U.S. defense under Pochettino and we wish him a speedy and smooth recovery.

Free Kicks

  • MLS players will wear personalized jerseys this weekend in recognition of the upcoming World Cup, with an auction to follow.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/21/26

Orlando City will face the Columbus Crew in U.S. Open Cup semis, USMNT roster predictions, Casemiro linked with Inter Miami, and more.

Published

4 days ago

on

May 21, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’m still riding high from Orlando City’s big win over Atlanta United and am hoping to keep carrying that momentum through these next couple of days before a busy weekend. It will be the last time all three of Orlando’s soccer teams are in action during the same weekend for a while due to the World Cup, so savor every minute of it. For now though, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Will Face Columbus Crew in U.S. Open Cup

We now know Orlando City’s opponent for the U.S. Open Cup semifinals, with the Columbus Crew advancing after a 1-0 win over New York City FC. After a scoreless first half, Max Arfsten scored the game’s only goal and the Crew held on for a big win at home just a few days after Henrik Rydstrom was fired as head coach. The Lions will be on the road for the semifinal against the Crew in September. Should Orlando win, it will host the final no matter which team from the other side of the bracket advances.

Predicting the USMNT World Cup Roster

We’re less than a week away from United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino announcing the 26-player roster for this year’s World Cup. Most of the team seems fairly locked in, but midfielders Giovanni Reyna, Aidan Morris, and Diego Luna are all on the bubble, with Tanner Tessmann possibly still in the mix despite an injury. SBI Soccer projects Aidan Morris making the cut, while former USMNT player Alejandro Bedoya has Luna and Jack McGlynn on his projected roster. As for the defense, we’ll see if the center back group is too crowded for Miles Robinson or Noahkai Banks to be included. I don’t expect any big surprises from Pochettino on May 26, but forwards Zavier Gozo and Julian Hall are young players who could bring a spark off the bench in a tournament setting.

Casemiro Linked With Inter Miami

Inter Miami is reportedly close to signing Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, who announced he is leaving Manchester United once his contract expires this summer. One of the interesting wrinkles in this reported move is that the LA Galaxy hold Casemiro’s discovery rights and that issue is not yet resolved. Miami also does not have an open Designated Player slot, so I expect some more “creative” roster structuring to take place in order to fit him in if this comes to pass. The 34-year-old has scored nine goals for United this season and was named to Brazil’s World Cup roster.

Aston Villa Wins UEFA Europa League

Aston Villa beat SC Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final to win silverware for the first time since 1996. Emiliano Buendia had a goal and an assist in the match, with Villa scoring twice late in the first half and the defense doing its part for a shutout victory. This was Unai Emery’s fifth time winning the Europa League as a manager, lifting the trophy three years in a row with Sevilla and once with Villarreal before doing it again now with Villa. It’s wild that all three clubs have “villa” as part of their names.

Free Kicks

  • ESPN ranked the top 50 American men’s soccer players and former Orlando City defender Alex Freeman placed 15th on the list.
  • After playing in the USL Super League for two seasons, Spokane Zephyr FC announced that it will not be continuing operations.
  • MLS has spoken with the International Football Association Board to trial stopping the clock during matches for injuries, substitutions, and set pieces. I already get annoyed when the broadcast shrinks the game on the screen to try selling me cars and beer, so I don’t know if I could handle an actual commercial break.
  • Sporting Kansas City’s Stephen Afrifa won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his curling winner to lift his team to a 2-1 win over Austin FC.
  • Wyland, the artist whose mural was painted over for a World Cup display in Dallas, is taking legal action over the act.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

Continue Reading

Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/20/26

Orlando City defeats Atlanta United, Anna Moorhouse called up, Arsenal wins EPL championship, and more.

Published

5 days ago

on

May 20, 2026

By

Image of Griffin Dorsey preparing to shoot on a breakaway against Atlanta.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Justin Glatt

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I love the U.S. Open Cup. I love the history, the cupsets, and the magical moments. I especially love it when my team wins and wins big like Orlando City did Tuesday night. It was unexpected result but a very welcome one. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Advances to USOC Semifinals

Orlando City defeated rival Atlanta United 4-1 in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday to advance to the semifinals of the tournament. The Lions unleashed an offensive firestorm in the first half against Atlanta United, scoring four goals before halftime. Frankly, it could have been more. The Lions were unable to add to the lead in the second half and conceded one goal to Atlanta, but it was more than enough to secure the victory.

Moorhouse Called Up

Anna Moorhouse has once again been called up by England for Women’s World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Ukraine. It is always an honor for a player to represent their country. We are happy that Moorhouse will have the opportunity.

World Cup News

We are only weeks away from the start of the World Cup and we know who most of the players representing their countries will be. For example, Granit Xhaka will captain Switzerland in the tournament. Most of us are primarily concerned with the USMNT and which players are in form for club and, hopefully, country.

Premier League News

The 23-year wait is over as Arsenal won the English Premier League championship following a 1-1 draw between Bournemouth and Manchester City on Tuesday. It is all but certain that Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City this summer. It’s not the ending that Guardiola wanted for his time at Manchester City, but he leaves the club in a good position. While the Gunners celebrate, Tottenham Hostpur is fighting relegation.

Free Kicks

That will do it for today. Check back later this week as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

Continue Reading

Trending