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Lion Links: 4/1/21

Published

5 years ago

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Greetings, Mane Landers. I hope you’re all doing well this April Fools’ Day. Buckle up and prepare for those unfunny people who are sure to pull some sort of gag today. While you’re waiting to see what kind of pranks your friends, family, and/or coworkers have in store today, let’s get right into the links.

Orlando vs. Cincinnati Scrimmage Washed Out

The Lions were poised to improve upon an already solid 3-1-0 preseason record last night against FC Cincinnati when Mother Nature stepped in and made a mess of everything. With Orlando City leading 1-0 on a goal by Homegrown fullback Michael Halliday, the weather turned nasty and the game was called. The Orlando City Academy U-23 team met the same fate, as the Young Lions had their game halted around the 13-minute mark with no score. It may be preseason, but the Florida weather is in mid-season form.

Orlando City, Pride Players to Receive COVID-19 Vaccines 

Orlando City and Orlando Pride players and staff are set to receive their first doses of the Coronavirus vaccine on Monday at Exploria Stadium. 

“Orlando City partner Orlando Health will assist in the distribution of the vaccine for the club. Once employees receive their shots, eligible family members of players and staff will be provided with vaccinations at the stadium Tuesday.”

“This means — dependent upon which version of the vaccine they receive — club employees could be fully inoculated against coronavirus by mid-May.”

If the players are not given the Johnson & Johnson shot, they may get their second shot during the early part of the NWSL Challenge Cup and MLS season. Most people report some type of side effects from the second round, so that could prove problematic. Time will tell what happens, but at least things seem to be improving in regard to the pandemic. Hopefully the players will get through this without any major side effects.

Orlando Pride Release Ad Astra Kit

The Orlando Pride have released an absolutely beautiful kit for the coming season. The heartthrob of a jersey, called their “Ad Astra” kit, will be the side’s primary one for the 2021 and 2022 NWSL campaigns. Additionally, the new shirt and a ball set to be used in a match were shot up into space to symbolize the ambition of the women’s game reaching new heights. The space ball will be used in a match.

Orlando City SC and Orlando Pride CEO Alex Leitao lauded the jersey itself, but above all, what it signifies more than anything.

“While this jersey itself is special, all that it represents is truly extraordinary, inspired by our very own Space Coast and some of history’s iconic women. As a Club that strives to break barriers each and everyday, we are proud to celebrate the women, both on our Orlando Pride squad and beyond, who do the same,” Orlando City SC and Orlando Pride CEO Alex Leitão said. “Thanks to the dedication of our team and support of our partners at Orlando Health, we are thrilled to really ‘shoot for the stars’ in our unveil of this kit and to continue investing in the women’s game, including the launch of this jersey. We hope our fans love it as much as we do.” 

Former Lion Recommended to Besiktas by Canadian Teammate

Former Orlando City midfielder-turned-Toronto-fullback Richie Laryea has been recommended to Besiktas by Canadian teammate Atiba Hutchinson. The 26-year-old impressed the veteran in the Canada camp so much the latter believes the Turkish club should try to sign him. 

“According to Turkish news outlet A Spor, the 38-year-old Hutchinson has recommended the fullback to his club Besiktas, although no offer has been formally extended to Toronto FC. Laryea is apparently being pushed as the replacement to right-back Valentin Rosier, who is currently on loan from Sporting CP.”

Laryea has been fantastic with Toronto since joining from Orlando and changing positions under former Reds coach Greg Vanney. It will be fascinating to see if the Canadian side considers selling the fan favorite.

Paul Arriola Ends Loan Spell with Swansea City Early 

A quadriceps injury has ended Paul Arriola’s loan spell with Swansea City early. The injury will have him out four to six weeks, which is the remainder of Swansea’s season. Given the severity of the issue, the only way the player would take part for the Welsh side again would be if if the club made a deep playoff run. 

“Arriola’s loan began on February 1, and he made his debut in a 3-1 FA Cup loss to Manchester City, playing 26 minutes and getting involved on Swansea’s lone goal. From there, though, he played just two more times, totaling 18 minutes in league play. Swansea initially were said to be in need of more competition and depth for their wingbacks — Arriola’s natural position — but the 26-year-old USMNT regular appears to have played most of his minutes there as part of a forward pairing.”

The defender’s time in the Championship did not go nearly as well as he would have hoped. The USMNT player could be eligible to play against Orlando City on May 16 if all goes to plan in his recovery. 

Free Kicks

  • Jozy Altidore fired shots at Taylor Twellman after his comments on the USMNT Olympic qualifying failure. 

That’s all for this Thursday’s set of links, folks. Thanks for reading. Have a good second half of your week.

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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.

Published

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.

Published

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

By

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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