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Lion Links: 3/23/23

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3 years ago

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How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this week has been treating you well as we look forward to a weekend filled to the brim with Orlando soccer. I don’t have many plans over the next few days beyond working, but I have been enjoying some walks in the afternoons now that it doesn’t get dark so early. For now though, let’s dive into today’s links.

Orlando Pride Reveal Highway Woman Kit

Ahead of their season opener this weekend, the Orlando Pride unveiled their primary kit for the upcoming 2023 season. The Highway Woman Kit has both the top and shorts in a deep purple color, with a lighter purple sweeping across the top as if applied by a paintbrush. It honors Mary Ann Carroll, who was the only woman in a group of Black artists known as the Highwaymen. Operating in the 1950s, the Highwaymen had to sell paintings out of their car trunks as galleries wouldn’t allow works from Black artists. I love the new kit, particularly the tag in the bottom right that features a Royal Poinciana tree in the Pride’s colors and Carroll’s signature.

Mason Stajduhar Ready to Step Up

With Pedro Gallese on international duty with Peru, Mason Stajduhar will serve as Orlando City’s goalkeeper Saturday night against the Philadelphia Union. It will be the Homegrown Player’s first appearance of the season. The 25-year-old has been with the club for the past eight years, learning the tricks of the trade from many different Orlando goalkeepers over the years. Stajduhar spoke on the importance of preparation ahead of this weekend’s match.

“You always have to be ready no matter what, whether you don’t think you’re gonna play, you think you’re gonna play, you always got to be ready, always being prepared and treating every game like you’re going to be the one playing,” Stajduhar said. “I think it’s also taught me patience. No situation is permanent and things can change like that. So, I’d say patience and preparedness for sure.”

USMNT Faces Grenada Tomorrow

In its first competitive match of 2023, the United States Men’s National Team will take on Grenada tomorrow at 8 p.m. in the Concacaf Nations League. The U.S. has won all four of its previous meetings with Grenada and has more than enough talent on the roster to do so again. Grenada’s offense will likely revolve around Regan Charles-Cook and Jacob Berkeley-Agyepong creating chances for striker Jamal Charles to put away. As for the USMNT’s offense, there will be plenty of focus on which player will spearhead the attack. These games are a great opportunity for Ricardo Pepi or former Lion Daryl Dike to make a statement after missing the World Cup.

The Power of Meat in MLS

Orlando City Assistant Coach Josema Bazan discussed the importance of asado, which brings people together to enjoy good company and great grilled meats. A fixture in South American culture, particularly in Argentina, asado has become a part of MLS clubs all over the country. Former San Jose Earthquakes head coach Matias Almeyda used it to rally his team in 2019 and FC Cincinnati midfielder Luciano Acosta worked with a local chef to introduce his teammates to it during the off-season. Even after Bazan left FC Dallas with Oscar Pareja, the club continues the practice. Now in Orlando, Bazan helps unify a team of players from many different backgrounds.

“You try the meat, and you keep having conversations that are maybe a bit more intimate,” Bazan said. “They’re not superficial: they’re deeper than you’d have at a restaurant or just have normally. You leave your comfort zone, but go into an even more comfortable zone.”

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City defender Thomas Williams started in the U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team’s 4-0 loss to France’s U-20 side. Michael Halliday came on as a substitute in the 59th minute.

  • The Orlando Pride’s Ally Watt was highlighted as one of several NWSL players to watch this season.
  • Lake Nona FC’s goal in the second minute by former OCB player William Eyang was enough to beat Club de Lyon in the U.S. Open Cup’s first round. The team will take on the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the next round.

  • Minnesota United signed South Korean forward Sang Bin Jeong from Wolverhampton. The 20-year-old will be an MLS U22 Initiative player and signed a contract through the 2025 season.
  • Mesut Ozil is retiring after nearly 17 years of playing professional soccer. The 34-year-old won the World Cup with Germany in 2014 and excelled at the club level with Arsenal and Real Madrid.
  • Columbus Crew forward Cucho Hernandez could be out for three to five weeks according to Head Coach Wilfried Nancy.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/16/26

Orlando City’s Open Cup match day, the Summer of Maxime Crepeau, USMNT news, and more.

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8 hours ago

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September 16, 2026

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Image of Maxime Crepeau taking a goal kick against Atlanta.
Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s match day as Orlando City looks to advance to the final of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. If the Lions are able to win tonight, they will host the final at Inter.co Stadium. That is something I’d greatly like to see again. Hopefully, Orlando City can continue the good run of form for at least another match. For now, let’s get to the links.

Orlando’s Open Cup Continues

Antione Griezmann got a whole 25 minutes or so of rest in the match against Toronto FC. As such, I know he will be fully rested for the U.S. Open Cup match against the Columbus Crew. Orlando City is one victory away from playing for a second Open Cup trophy. St. Louis City and the Colorado Rapids play in the other semifinal match. Orlando City and the Columbus Crew are both looking for a second title in the competition.

Summer of Crepeau

Maxime Crepeau has professionally had a great summer since the World Cup began. He was the starting goalkeeper for Canada and acquitted himself well. Upon returning to Orlando City, he has been one of the best players on the team. He did, sadly, lose his father earlier this month, and as such, he wasn’t called up for Canada’s fall friendlies. As tough a time as it must be for Crepeau, he has performed admirably for Orlando City.

Orlando Pride News

The Orlando Pride maintained their 11th place in the standings and in the Goal.com NWSL power rankings. Of course, the future is brighter thank to the Pride signing Barbra Banda through 2029. On the back of that good news, season ticket memberships for 2027 are now on sale. Marta made an appearance in the latest match, and she and former Pride striker Alex Morgan, along with Crystal Dunn, sent an open letter to FIFA asking the organization to line up the U-20 Women’s World Cup with the international calendar.

USMNT News

U.S. Soccer has selected TQL Stadium in Cincinnati to host the home leg of the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal round in November. The opponent will be determined following the conclusion of the Concacaf Nations League group stage League A matches. Unfortunately, Diego Luna won’t be available for selection, as he will be out for months due to a knee injury that may require surgery. Over in Europe, other USMNT players are getting ready for the Europa League competition.

Free Kicks

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/15/26

Recognition for two Lions, Pride players earn props, lessons from MLS matchday 26, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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September 15, 2026

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Image of Ivan Angulo controlling the ball between two Atlanta defenders.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Good morning, everyone. It was another solid weekend of action for Orlando’s soccer teams, as Orlando City and Orlando City B picked up victories over Toronto FC and Toronto FC II, respectively, while the Orlando Pride battled to a 2-2 draw with the Kansas City Current on the road. We’ve got another busy week ahead of us, as the Lions have a U.S. Open Cup semifinal match with the Columbus Crew Wednesday night, before all three teams are in action over the weekend. There’s lots to talk about today, so let’s get into the links.

Lions Earn Recognition for Performances vs. Toronto

Orlando City turned in another winning performance on Saturday night, and a couple of Lions are getting some love for their part in securing the three points. Ivan Angulo turned in a Man of the Match performance from left back and left wing, and he would have had an assist to add to his goal if not for a bad miss by Daryl Dike. He’s been rewarded with a starting spot in the MLS Team of the Matchday, and it’s a well-deserved inclusion. Meanwhile, Antoine Griezmann scored in a fifth game running, and his diving effort has earned him a nomination for the MLS Goal of the Matchday. Congrats to both men, and keep up the good work!

Praise for Pride Players

Not to be outdone, the Orlando Pride have not one, not two, but three players who are getting some just recognition for their efforts over the weekend. We start with Cosette Morche, who is up for the NWSL Save of the Week thanks to the diving, fingertip save she made in the 29th minute to deny Vanessa DiBernardo.

Then, there’s Ally Lemos, who is up for the NWSL Assist of the Week thanks to the long ball over the top that she played on Barbra Banda’s first goal.

Finally, there’s Banda herself, who is up for both the NWSL Goal of the Week, thanks to the spectacular first goal she scored, as well as the NWSL Player of the Week. Make sure you go vote for all three players!

Lessons from Matchday 26

Major League Soccer’s 26th matchday is done and dusted, and there are plenty of things to take away from the weekend’s action. For one thing, Nashville’s draw with Inter Miami kept the ‘Yotes eight points clear in the Supporters’ Shield race, although the Vancouver Whitecaps’ victory allowed them to make up some ground. Out west, the Colorado Rapids had a busy summer transfer window, and some of their new additions came good in the team’s 1-0 win over CF Montreal. Finally, much closer to home, Griezmann scored his third straight game-winning goal on Saturday, and OCSC is now 6-2-2 since the Frenchman’s arrival.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are plenty of Americans set to take part in games during the working week, so make sure you have some of these highlighted on the calendar. Things get started later today when Antonee Robinson and Fulham face West Ham in the Carabao Cup. The action continues tomorrow when Johnny Cardoso and Atletico Madrid take on Osasuna in La Liga, while Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan host Benfica to start their Europa League campaign. The latter part of the week has Alex Freeman and Villarreal playing Malaga in La Liga, with Folarin Balogun and Monaco taking on Lens in Ligue 1 play on Friday.

Free Kicks

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/14/26

Lions shut out Toronto FC, Pride draws at Kansas City Current, OCB wins, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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September 14, 2026

By

Image of Harvey Sarajian working past a Toronto FC II defender.
Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been very busy at work, but I tried to catch some soccer games to watch over the weekend. Let’s wish a happy birthday to Orlando City forward Marco Pasalic, who turns 27 today. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Shut Out Toronto FC

Orlando City defeated Toronto FC 3-0 on Saturday at Inter.co Stadium, keeping a clean sheet and earning three vital points. Antoine Griezmann scored the opener just before halftime. Late in the second half, Harvey Sarajian and Ivan Angulo each scored for Orlando to close out the match. The Lions extended their unbeaten streak to five matches (4-0-1) and won their third straight. Next for Orlando City is a road match against the Columbus Crew in the semifinals of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, followed by a trip to Foxborough to face the New England Revolution on Saturday.

Daryl Dike Shares Insight on Soccer Journey and U.S Open Cup

Orlando City forward Daryl Dike was interviewed on the U.S. Soccer Podcast, where he shared insight into his soccer journey and the Lions’ upcoming U.S. Open Cup matchup against Columbus. Dike also discussed what it meant to represent Oklahoma, where he excelled with the OKC Energy FC youth program and was named the 2017-2018 Gatorade Oklahoma Boys Soccer Player of the Year. The 26-year-old also discussed his on-field success, his time at West Bromwich Albion dealing with multiple injuries, and why he decided to return to Orlando City. Dike concludes the interview by sharing what the Open Cup tournament means to him and more, as he looks forward to making his first appearance for the Lions in the competition on Wednesday.

Pride Blow Two-Goal Lead in Draw at Kansas City Current

The Orlando Pride could not hold onto a two-goal lead on the road and had to settle for a 2-2 draw against the Kansas City Current on Friday. Barbra Banda scored twice to give Orlando a 2-0 lead. However, Kansas City responded with goals from Temwa Chawinga and Elizabeth Ball in the second half to level the match, and both teams walked away with one point. That result means Orlando remains the only NWSL team to be undefeated at CPKC Stadium. The Pride will face the Portland Thorns at home on Saturday.

OCB Takes Step Toward Playoffs with Win vs. Toronto FC II

Orlando City B defeated Toronto FC II 3-1 on Sunday night at Osceola County Stadium. The Young Lions got off to a great start as Ignacio Gomez scored to give OCB the lead. Gustavo Caraballo doubled the Young Lions’ lead just before halftime. In the second half, Sarajian scored for the second straight night to extend OCB’s lead to 3-0. Toronto pulled one back late in the match from the penalty spot, but the Young Lions picked up a crucial three points and extended their winning streak to three consecutive matches. Issah Haruna had two assists in the game. The win improves OCB sits eighth in MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference with 44 points. The Young Lions will host Atlanta United 2 on Decision Day on Sunday.

Americans Abroad

Let’s catch up on Americans in action in Europe. Christian Pulisic made his first appearance of the season for AC Milan and recorded an assist in a 2-2 draw against Lazio on Saturday. Antonee Robinson played a full 90 minutes for Fulham in a scoreless draw against Liverpool. Sebastian Berhalter played a full 90 minutes and scored twice for Middlesbrough in a 4-3 win against Norwich City. Jack McGlynn scored his first goal in the EFL Championship for Stoke City in a 2-1 win against Watford.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City forward Yutaro Tsukada, who is on loan at Rhode Island FC in the USL Championship, scored a stellar bicycle kick in a 3-0 win against Sporting Club Jacksonville on Saturday. If you missed it, check it out below.
  • The Houston Dash have reportedly parted ways with head coach Fabrice Gautrat and technical director Twila Kilgore.

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

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