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Lion Links: 3/17/21

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5 years ago

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Mane Landers! Don’t forget to wear your green today. I’ll be out shooting live standups for a project at UCF and enjoying the nice weather. We have plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Brandon Austin is Settling in at Orlando City

Orlando goalkeeper Brandon Austin is finding his footing with the Lions during the preseason. Austin has been with Tottenham Hotspur’s youth development system since he was 14. While there, Austin was mentored by French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and learned how to play out from the back in a way similar to Orlando’s system under Head Coach Oscar Pareja. The 22-year-old’s physicality caught Pareja’s eye and Austin will compete with Mason Stajduhar for time in goal when Pedro Gallese is on international duty. Although new to the team, Austin was with the Lions during all of the preseason camp in Bradenton and is fitting in well with the Lions.

“The culture here is really strong” Austin said. “This is a very supportive, very collective, very collective culture as a team.”

MLS Players Have Opportunity During Olympic Qualifying

Concacaf Olympic qualifying begins tomorrow when the U-23 United States Men’s National Team takes on Costa Rica in Mexico. Both teams will aim to be one of the two to punch their ticket to Tokyo this summer. Orlando’s Benji Michel is one of many players with a chance to make a splash during the tournament. Michel is likely to fill in at the right wing position for the U.S. during this tournament. The 23-year-old has been a super sub coming off the bench to score goals in clutch moments for Orlando City. This will be a big opportunity for Michel to show what he can do on the international stage.

Sam Vines of the Colorado Rapids is another player to keep an eye on. Many young players on this team are in roles where they need to establish their game, but that’s not the case for Vines. He’s already established as the starting left back for the U.S. U-23 team and can put some pressure on Sergino Dest in the future if he has a strong tournament.

Americans Abroad and At Home

Orlando’s Daryl Dike is in action today as Barnsley FC takes on Wycombe Wanderers FC at 3 p.m. Dike isn’t the only American playing in Europe today as Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tim Weah should all see some playing time in exciting games.

As for the Americans playing in the U.S., plenty of players have been on the move recently as we approach the 2021 MLS season. Midfielder Wil Trapp is with Minnesota United after a year with Inter Miami, while Djordje Mihailovic was traded from the Chicago Fire to CF Montreal. Nick Lima brings experience to the new expansion team Austin FC and you should also keep an eye on Sebastian Berhalter, USMNT Head Coach Gregg Berhalter’s son. The 19-year-old was loaned by the Columbus Crew to Austin FC for more playing time and development.

USWNT Will Take On France in Friendly

On April 13, the United States Women’s National Team will take on France for the first time since the two sides clashed in the 2019 FIFA World Cup. The match will take place in Le Havre, France and is the USWNT’s second match in Europe next month as the U.S. plays Sweden on April 10. Given the talent on both sides, it should be a good match for the USWNT as Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski gets the team ready for the Olympics. For the Orlando Pride, Alex Morgan will likely make the trip to Europe and only time will tell if Ali Krieger or Ashlyn Harris will be called up.

Fort Lauderdale CF Names Darren Powell as Head Coach

Former Orlando City Academy Director Darren Powell was named head coach of USL League One side Fort Lauderdale CF. Powell will replace former Orlando City head coach Jason Kreis, who recently became an assistant coach with Inter Miami. Powell was an assistant coach with Fort Lauderdale last season and was also Inter Miami’s Director of Player Development. Powell’s assistants also have Orlando ties (naturally). Original MLS Lion Martin Paterson will assist Powell and former OCB assistant and OCSC academy coach Chris Barocas will be Fort Lauderdale’s goalkeeping coach.

Free Kicks

  • The Orlando Pride’s Marta showed why she is still the greatest.

  • Two European Leagues are looking into joining forces.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Wednesday, stay safe, and I’ll see you next time.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 8/21/26

Orlando Pride prepare for the Washington Spirit, MLS playoff changes reportedly coming, Hall of Fame finalists unveiled, and more.

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2 days ago

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August 21, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! It’s been a bit of a rough month for all three of Orlando’s soccer teams, but hopefully they can turn things around this weekend. Things haven’t been great, but surely that just means things can only go up from here, right? Let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Prepare for the Washington Spirit

The Orlando Pride are on the road this weekend for a match against the Washington Spirit on Sunday. It’s been a cruel summer for the Pride, as they’ve lost four of their past five games and are currently 13th in the league standings. Despite being on a three-game winless streak, the Spirit are second in the standings and will be a tough opponent for the Pride to face on the road. Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on where the team needs to improve in order to get a result away from home against one of the league’s top teams.

Changes Reportedly Coming to MLS Playoff Format

For the umpteenth time, MLS is reportedly planning on overhauling its playoff format. The changes would go into effect when the league changes its calendar and they include allowing 20 teams to qualify for the playoffs, with the overall league standings being used to determine those top 20 teams. After a play-in round, the remaining 16 teams will play in a double elimination format that also features reseeding between rounds. If these changes do come to pass, hopefully the league decides to stick with it rather than constantly fiddling it with it.

National Soccer Hall of Fame Finalists Announced

The finalists for the National Soccer Hall of Fame’s class of 2027 were announced, with nine candidates making the list in their first year of eligibility. Former Orlando Pride player Ali Krieger is one of those nine, along with Megan Rapinoe, Michael Bradley, and Jozy Altidore. Central Florida native Graham Zusi was also named as a finalist. The two players who receive the most votes and are on at least half the ballots will make the Hall of Fame, with a third player able to make it if they’re on 75% of ballots.

Storylines Ahead of English Premier League Season

The English Premier League season begins today with Arsenal starting its title defense at home against Coventry City. Arsenal has a talented team once again, but it will be interesting to see how much of a challenge Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City can pose with new managers at the helm. Managers seem to be a focal point this season, as other storylines include whether or not Michael Carrick and Unai Emery can keep succeeding at Manchester United and Aston Villa, respectively. I’m just hoping we have an exciting title race by the time spring rolls around.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City’s Antoine Griezmann tied with Robert Lewandowski for the second-highest rating of all MLS players in EA Sports FC 27.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 8/20/26

Orlando City defeated at home, Simone Jackson loaned to FC Rosengard, U.S. U-20 Women’s World Cup roster unveiled, and more.

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3 days ago

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August 20, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

I think we can confidently say Orlando City’s Wednesday night excellence has come to an end after last night’s loss. I’m not going to claim the new kits are cursed after just two games, but I’ve bought some sage just in case. Before we get to that match and more in today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman.

Orlando City Falls at Home

The Lions hosted the Chicago Fire and got burned in a 2-1 loss that included a lengthy weather delay that paused things right before halftime. The Fire struck first with an early goal, but Orlando leveled things after the lightning storm passed. However, Robert Lewandowski converted a penalty kick from a needless foul in the box for the winner, with the Lions failing to claw their way back a second time. It’s a disappointing result at home and Orlando will need to figure things out before hosting Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Simone Jackson Heads to Sweden on Loan

The Orlando Pride loaned forward Simone Jackson to FC Rosengard in Sweden through June of 2027. Jackson was signed by the Pride in 2025 after four years playing collegiately at the University of Southern California and she has since made 20 appearances for the club. Hopefully this move gives her some more minutes to develop her game abroad so that she can make an impact with the Pride when she returns next summer.

U.S. U-20 Women’s World Cup Roster Announced

United States U-20 Women’s National Team Head Coach Vicky Jepson called up 21 players for the U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland next month, including eight from NWSL clubs. Goalkeeper Evan O’Steen, midfielders Kennedy Fuller and Nyanya Touray, and forward Emeri Adames are a few of the U.S. players to keep an eye out for this tournament.

The team will be without notable eligible players like Lily Yohannes, Claire Hutton, and Jordyn Bugg though, as youth tournaments take place outside of official FIFA windows when teams are required to release players. United States Women’s National Team Head Coach Emma Hayes also spoke on the importance of tournaments like this one to develop talent while uncertainty looms over the event due to UEFA’s boycott of FIFA competitions. The U.S. is set to start its campaign on Sept. 6 against Italy.

Americans to Watch in the English Premier League

The English Premier League season kicks off this weekend and there are a number of Americans to root for across the league. Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams, Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards, and Fulham defender Antonee Robinson are all still in the league but have new managers at the helm of their respective teams. Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United avoided relegation last season and will look to build on that, while Haji Wright and Coventry City will fight to stay after earning promotion last season. Unfortunately, Wright will miss multiple weeks at the start of the season due to a quad injury.

Free Kicks

  • Alhassan Yusuf scored a hat trick in the New England Revolution’s 3-0 win over D.C. United, with Jack Harrison recording three assists.
  • Americans Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty both played every minute of Celtic’s 3-0 win over LASK in the first leg of its matchup against the Austrian club in UEFA Champions League qualifying
  • Bay FC announced that the club and midfielder Tess Boade mutually agreed to terminate her contract, which was set to end after this season. Boade had been with the club since being selected in the 2024 NWSL Expansion Draft and was the captain last season.
  • Aston Villa signed goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma for a reported $40 million transfer fee. Suzuki played for Japan at the recent World Cup and it will be interesting to see what this move means for Emiliano Martinez’s future at the club.
  • Brighton is covering the cost of tickets for its fans who will be making the trip to the Arctic Circle for its UEFA Conference League playoff match against Tromso in Norway.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 8/19/26

Orlando City match day, Colin Guske reportedly being loaned to RSL, Banda is an MVP candidate, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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August 19, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. Orlando City plays in a midweek match that thankfully isn’t a Leagues Cup match. There are those who will say they’re sad the Lions are out of Don Garber’s cash grab competition, but I’m not one of them. The U.S. Open Cup and the MLS regular season provide plenty of fixtures for now. The schedule congestion is real, as we can see this week. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Match Day

Orlando City hosts Robert Lewandowski and the Chicago Fire tonight in an Eastern Conference clash. Defending against Lewandowski and Philip Zinckernagel will be a tough task for the Lions’ defense. Orlando City will need its offense to keep pace with the Fire if the Lions are going to take any points from the match. It will be interesting to see both Antoine Griezmann and Lewandowski on the pitch at the same time. Here is your official match guide from the club. Our match preview will drop later this morning at 11 a.m. You can also listen to our thoughts on the match on The Mane Land PawedCast.

Go West, Young Guske

It appears that Orlando City is loaning midfielder/defender Colin Guske to Real Salt Lake, according to Tom Bogert. This is not entirely surprising given how crowded Orlando City’s defensive midfield is with Joran Gerbet and Wilder Cartagena healthy and Luis Otavio rounding into form, not to mention Eduard Atuesta and Braian Ojeda once they return. It’s a good opportunity for Guske to get some minutes, given he’s a bit down on the depth chart with the senior team — far enough down to see more minutes recently at center back with the first team than in the midfield.

MVP Candidate Banda

Despite being away for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and not scoring in her first game back, Barbra Banda maintains her slim lead in the Golden Boot competition and is still a League MVP candidate. If she hopes to win either of those accolades, she will need to resume scoring. The upcoming match against the Washington Spirit this Sunday is the perfect opportunity to extend that lead.

U.S. National Team News

USMNT defender Mark McKenzie is reportedly returning to the Philadelphia Union and will occupy a Designated Player spot. Real Salt Lake’s 19-year-old forward Zavier Gozo has been signed by Premier League club Crystal Palace. Of course, there are other USMNT players already playing in Europe, and some are making a quick return to form following the World Cup. USWNT players are also experiencing ups and downs in the NWSL.

Free Kicks

  • Former Lion Nicholas Gioacchini is headed to CE Sabadell FC of the Segunda División in Spain.

That will do it for today. You can follow The Mane Land on Bluesky for match updates and we will also have a recap of the match. Vamos Orlando!

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