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Lion Links: 2/28/22

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Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers! What a way to start the season and end the month of February. I’d say things couldn’t have gone better, but Orlando City will be without Robin Jansson in the next match. That being said, I’ll take a win every week without exception. Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Wins Home Opener

For only the second time in Orlando City’s MLS history, the club has won its home opener after beating CF Montreal 2-0 at Exploria Stadium. The last time was the 2017 match against New York City FC, which the Lions defeated 1-0. The first half was more of a back-and-forth affair, but Óscar Pareja brought on Júnior Urso to start the second half and Orlando started to create better opportunities. Second-half goals from Alexandre Pato and Benji Michel gave the Lions a solid lead. When Romell Quioto was sent off for punching Jansson in the chest, the defender also received a yellow card during the altercation. That came back to bite the center back when he picked up a second yellow in the 81st minute. Fortunately, Orlando City was able to see out the rest of the match.

Michael Citro has your match recap.

Check back later today for Sean Rollins’ player grades and Man of the Match, as well as Michael’s five takeaways from Orlando City’s win.

MLS Opening Weekend Wraps Up

Orlando City wasn’t the only club in action as Major League Soccer’s opening weekend continued yesterday. Defending champs NYCFC traveled to California to take on the LA Galaxy. Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez scored the game-winning goal in the 90th minute to give the home team a 1-0 victory. Nashville went on the road to take on the Seattle Sounders and walked away with all three points in a 1-0 win. The Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 draw, with both clubs getting chances on goal but neither converting.

Lastly, Atlanta United beat Sporting KC 3-1 at home with former Lion Dom Dwyer getting his first goal with his new club. I’m okay with Dom scoring for Atlanta, as long as he doesn’t score any against the Lions.

Carabao Cup Craziness

Liverpool won the Carabao Cup, but it took a lot longer than it may have hoped. Liverpool and Chelsea traded chance after chance through 90 minutes and all of extra time without either club being able to score a goal. The cup came down to penalty kicks, and both teams went 10 for the first 10, resulting in both goalkeepers having to take kicks. Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher made it 11 for the Reds, but Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga sent his attempt sky high over the bar and Liverpool celebrated winning another trophy. It might not be the English Premier League or Champions League title, but hardware is hardware.

FIFA Decides Russia Must Play at Neutral Venue

Following the decisions from Poland, Sweden, and the Czech Republic to not play Russia in World Cup qualifying, FIFA has announced that Russia will not be allowed to host any games and will have to play home games at neutral sites without fans. The Russian team cannot fly a flag or perform its national anthem as well. FIFA warns that if the invasion of Ukraine continues, it may completely ban Russia from competition.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City’s academy teams kept the winning going over the weekend.

  • The Houston Dynamo signed 18-year-old goalkeeper Xavier Valdez to a Homegrown contract. The club had to pay both the New York Red Bulls and NYCFC for the exclusive rights to Valdez.
  • Leeds United fired Marcelo Bielsa and it is rumored that former United States midfielder Jesse Marsch is a top candidate for the position.
  • We end our links today with Pato making sure his Man of the Match award gets home safely.


That will do it for today. Check back for coverage of Orlando City’s upcoming match against the Chicago Fire this Saturday. Vamos Orlando!

Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/17/25

Orlando City falls apart at home, Orlando Pride players in action abroad, Charlotte will host 2026 MLS All-Star Game, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Sometimes the Cardiac Cats are fun to watch, and other times they really do just stomp your heart into pieces. We’re unfortunately in the aftermath of the latter after Orlando City’s rough defeat last night. The good news is that the Lions can’t lose today as well. Let’s jump right into today’s links.

Orlando City Beaten by New York City FC

The Lions’ summer struggles continued with a disappointing 2-1 loss at home to New York City FC. Robin Jansson scored his first goal of the season, but Orlando collapsed late at home yet again, suffering from an own goal and a winner from Alonso Martinez in stoppage time. Orlando City is now winless in its past four games and has not won at home since May 24. There’s not much time to shake off this loss, as the Lions are back in action on Saturday for a tough road match against the New England Revolution.

Keeping Up With the Pride Players Abroad

Marta came off the bench and provided a pair of assists in Brazil’s dominant 6-0 win over Bolivia in the Copa America Femenina’s group stage. Kerolin had a hat trick and the result keeps Brazil at the top of its group for the time being. The Brazilians will be back in action on Tuesday to face Paraguay.

The CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals kick off on Friday with a great matchup between Zambia and Nigeria. Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji have each scored three goals this tournament and both were named to the Best XI of the group stage. Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse likely won’t play, but England takes on Sweden today in the Women’s European Championship quarterfinals.

Charlotte Will Host 2026 MLS All-Star Game

MLS announced that Charlotte will serve as the host of the 2026 MLS All-Star Game, the 30th in the league’s history. Charlotte FC joined the league in 2022 and this will be the first time the event is held in Charlotte. It’s always nice to see a smaller market receive its day in the sun, and Charlotte has really embraced soccer over the years. But if Sir Minty doesn’t take part in the skills challenge next year, then what are we even doing?

D.C. United Hires Rene Weiler

Rene Weiler is officially the next head coach of D.C. United and will take over once he receives a U.S. work permit. The 51-year-old brings plenty of European experience to the nation’s capital and won the Swiss Cup with Servette FC last year. He replaces Troy Lesesne, who was fired by the club after its exit from the U.S. Open Cup earlier this month. It’s a new era for one of the league’s older clubs, and it will be interesting to see how aggressive D.C. will be to bring in talent during the upcoming transfer window.

Free Kicks

  • Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul has reportedly agreed to terms with Inter Miami and could be with the club in time for the Leagues Cup. He also reportedly won’t need to take up a Designated Player spot this year, because of course.

That’s all I have for you this time around, Mane Landers. Stay hydrated and have a great Thursday!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/16/25

Orlando City faces NYCFC, Marco Pasalic is an All-Star, OCB’s Jhon Solis transfers out, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s matchday in the City Beautiful as Orlando City hosts New York City FC in a crucial Eastern Conference bout. I know I’m in the minority, but I love Wednesday matches since I’m off work on Thursdays. That being said, if you have the opportunity, you should definitely head down to the match tonight. For now, let’s get to the links.

Lions Host the Pigeons

Orlando City welcomes New York City FC to Inter&Co Stadium tonight. The midweek match comes after a short turnaround following Saturday’s draw against CF Montreal. The Lions will need to get the offense back in gear to take all three points from NYCFC. Our own Ben Miller joined Hudson River Blue to answer questions for the opposition. Check back later today for our detailed preview of the match.

Pasalic is an All-Star

Marco Pasalic was named to the MLS All-Star squad by coach Nico Estévez. Pasalic joins Alex Freeman as the second Lion to represent Orlando City in the match. The MLS All-Stars will play a team of All-Stars from Liga MX. Pasalic is tied with Martin Ojeda for the team’s goal-scoring lead with 10. He also has four assists for the Lions. Pasalic is a worthy addition to the MLS All-Star Team, but it does beg the question why Ojeda didn’t also get an invitation.

So Long, Solis

Orlando City B has transferred midfielder Jhon Solis to Fortaleza C.E.I.F. of Liga BetPlay Dimayor — Colombia’s top tier. Solis made 70 appearances for the Young Lions since joining prior to the 2023 season. As a native of Medellín, Colombia, the 26-year-old is returning to his home country to continue his career. Solis wasn’t able to make the jump to Orlando City’s first team, but he was a consistent starter for OCB.

U.S. National Team News

Fresh off his appearances in the Concacaf Gold Cup, Patrick Agyemang has been transferred from Charlotte FC to Derby County in the English Championship. In sadder news, Aaron Long is out for the season after having surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles.

On the women’s side, USWNT coach Emma Hayes has great praise for Sam Coffey and her presence in the U.S. midfield.

Free Kicks


That will do it for today. Check back later as we prepare you for tonight’s match, and don’t forget to follow The Mane Land on Bluesky to get match updates. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 7/15/25

Lions earn weekly recognition, United States Men’s National Team announces friendlies, talking points about the women’s Euros, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Good morning, everyone. I write to you all from the great state of South Carolina, as I continue my summer of frequent and widespread traveling. We have a lot to talk through this morning, so let’s wish a happy birthday to Orlando City B’s Tristan Himes and get into today’s links!

Lions Earn Weekly Recognition

A pair of Orlando City players have earned some recognition for their contributions during the Lions’ 1-1 draw with CF Montreal on Saturday. First up is Martin Ojeda, who garnered a nomination for the MLS Goal of the Matchday for this pinpoint, low free kick he scored which gave Orlando a lead in the first half.

We also can’t forget about Alex Freeman, who got a shoutout as a well-performing young player due to another solid performance at right back. Here’s hoping both men keep up the good work!

USMNT Announces October Friendlies

The United States Men’s National Team has announced that it will play friendlies against Ecuador and Australia during the October international window. The USMNT will face Ecuador on Oct. 10 at Q2 Stadium in Austin, TX, before playing Australia at Dick’s Sporting Good Park in Commerce City, CO. Both opponents are ranked in the top 25 in the world, and have already secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup. The games are exactly the sort of contests that the U.S. should be scheduling in the buildup to the tournament, and it’ll be interesting to see the performances of whatever roster Mauricio Pochettino chooses to deploy.

Women’s Euro Talking Points

The group stage of the women’s European Championship has come to an end, and there are plenty of things to talk about while we wait for the knockout stages to start later this week. Teams like Italy and Sweden have exceeded the expectations that many people had for them ahead of the tournament starting, while others like the Netherlands and Denmark had poor showings compared to what was expected of them. Alexia Putellas has unsurprisingly shone, and the quarterfinal matchup between France and Germany is the one that many people will have circled on their calendars.

Club World Cup Takeaways

Now that the Club World Cup has come to a conclusion, what did we learn from the tournament? For one, the quality of play was mostly good, as teams certainly took the competition seriously. Lessons need to be learned when it comes to pricing tickets appropriately and not kicking games off in the middle of the day during the heat of summer, but if the right adjustments are made, it could grow into a really fun competition to look forward to. Brazilian fans were one of the highlights of the tournament, while extremely low attendance numbers for some games were more of a blemish. Overall, the tournament is probably a net positive, but there are absolutely things that can and must be improved upon if it’s going to continue in this form.

Free Kicks

  • Martin Ojeda has now gone seven straight matches with a goal contribution, which is a new club record!

That does it for me this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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