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Lion Links: 1/14/23

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4 years ago

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Happy Saturday, Mane Landers! I hope you all are happy and healthy. Unfortunately, I have succumbed to a sinus infection lately but am on the mend with some much-needed antibiotics. Thankfully, there are some great early morning matches to catch today as I rest up. Personally, I’m looking forward to the clash between Manchester City and Manchester United. For the afternoon matches around the world, Milan traveling to Lecce in Serie A is what I will be tuned into.

Before we dive right into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to newly acquired Orlando Pride third-round draft pick, Tori Hansen!

Andrés Colorado to Orlando?

Diego Saviola from Colombian outlet Deportes Sin Tapujos reported via social media on Friday that a deal was close between Orlando City and defensive midfielder Andrés Colorado. The Colombian midfielder was most recently on loan from Cortuluá in his country to Brazilian side Sao Paulo.

The 24-year-old is 6-foot-4 and has played primarily central midfield, but according to Transfermarkt, he can also play center back. He scored two goals in 24 appearances with Cortuluá from 2017 to 2019, before going on loan to Deportivo Cali, where he scored eight goals in 102 matches from 2019-2021. He played in eight matches in the Brazilian Serie A with Sao Paulo last year but did not score. Colorado got his first cap with Colombia in 2022, playing in a 2-1 win over Honduras in Fort Lauderdale, and he scored on his debut in the 67th minute. It’s just a rumor at the moment, but if signed, he would add depth to the Lions’ defensive midfield and could fill in at center back in an emergency with his versatility.

Orlando Pride Draft Graded Success

The 2023 NWSL Draft is officially over and league experts are weighing in on their opinions of how successful each club fared in making additions. Sports Illustrated has given the Pride a grade of “A” for the shrewd business dealings and work finding value late in the draft. For the Pride, Orlando participated in a multi-team deal ahead of draft day and acquired a bunch of allocation money in the process. While the club ultimately lost out on the free agency race for Brazilian international Debinha, it made good selections with the draft picks available. Orlando also got an A- grade from CBSSports.com.

Defender Emily Madril was the most highly rated defender coming into the draft and the Pride needed to target the back line. The Pride also potentially found the steals of the draft, selecting Messiah Bright as the No. 21 pick after the TCU forward surprisingly fell to the second round. Bright is a top-rated forward out of TCU who scored 49 goals in her collegiate career. Orlando followed the pick up later with more firepower, as attacking midfielder Summer Yates slipped down the board into the fourth round.

Adams Named 2022 U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year

Tyler Adams has been voted the 2022 United States Soccer Male Player of the Year after captaining the USMNT at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. At 23 years old, the New York Red Bulls youth product led the USMNT to a Round-of-16 appearance in Qatar before the Yanks fell to the Netherlands. He also won the DFB-Pokal with RB Leipzig prior to securing a reported $24 million summer move to English Premier League club Leeds United.

Of the five finalists, Adams earned 71.6% of the overall votes. Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic was next in line with 14.7%, followed by Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner at 8.2%. A collection of fans, coaches, players, executives, media members and more were among the those making the vote.

MLS Expands Content Requirements

As part of the new MLS deal with Apple TV, each club will be required by the league to put out a large quantity of video content surrounding the team for the MLS Season Pass. This content includes player profiles, historic moments, community involvement, and more. The project is called “club rooms,” offering a backstage view at each of the teams both before and during the campaign. Some of the required content is what you would expect from a team, such as postgame press conferences, weekly training updates, injury updates, match previews, and other news.

MLS also requires that clubs put together content that is both historical and present. For example, clubs must create five pieces that focus on memorable players or coaches. Additionally, there are iconic moments that clubs immortalize that will be highlighted. The five-part series looks back at each club’s most memorable scenes.

Finally, some things are fairly new. MLS has created one concept named “The Ritual.” This series focuses on the community aspect of MLS clubs and their fan involvement and various traditions. Similarly, MLS wants clubs to provide a monthly community report to highlight the efforts made to improve the surrounding community.

Al Hilal May Open Pocketbook for Messi

Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal is reportedly set to offer Lionel Messi a ludicrous deal of up to $350 million a year. Messi is currently a Paris Saint-Germain player, but his contract expires in the summer, making him a free agent in less than six months. This deal comes on the heels of another massive move in the league as Ronaldo joined Al Hilal’s rival club, Al Nassr, at the turn of 2023 and will reportedly receive $210 million a year.

As Saudi Arabia prepares a bid to host the 2030 World Cup alongside Greece and Egypt, the country having two of the greatest footballers of all time starring in its domestic league could be helpful. It should also be noted that Messi is no stranger to Saudi Arabia after becoming an ambassador for the “Visit Saudi” tourism campaign in 2022. Regardless of whether he suits up for Al Hilal or not, we should get to see him take on Ronaldo later this month as PSG travels to play against Al Nassr in a friendly.

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That’s all I have for you today. I hope you have a restful weekend and stay healthy. Vamos Orlando!

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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.

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  • 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: 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.

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  • 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: 8/19/26

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

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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.

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  • 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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