Lion Links
Lion Links: 6/30/18
Happy double match day, everyone. Both of our purple teams are in action today with the Orlando Pride hosting the North Carolina Courage and Orlando City visiting Atlanta in what should be the final game of the second Bobby Murphy era (more on that below). Hopefully the lads can get Bobby a win before he turns over the team to the new gaffer.
Let’s get today’s party started.
James O’Connor Returns to Orlando City as Head Coach
It’s probably hard for many MLS-only Orlando City fans to fathom but it shouldn’t be a huge surprise to the original Lion faithful that James O’Connor is coming back to the team as the new head coach. O’Connor was a successful player/coach with the USL version of the Lions, helping the team win hardware under Adrian Heath. He then went off to take over Louisville City FC in 2015 and was immediately successful, leading LCFC deep into the playoffs for two seasons before finally breaking through and winning the whole damn thing last year. He also took this year’s Louisville squad into the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals. Those of us who have never stopped paying attention to the USL after the Lions made the jump have seen how well his teams have played over the years and this is not a case of the club “settling” by any means.
You don’t have to take my word for it. Here are the words of someone who played against O’Connor’s teams.
Hey Now, Yoshi’s an All-Star
Get your game on, go play, Mr. Yotún, because you’re an MLS All-Star. Yoshimar was named as a member of the 2018 MLS All-Star Team by Atlanta boss Tata Martino yesterday and he’ll get to return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to face Italian giant Juventus on Aug. 1. This is an excellent decision by Martino, because Yotún has had an excellent season so far for Orlando City. If not for helping his country reach the World Cup, perhaps the Lions would have grabbed a few more points over the last two months. Yoshi should be back this weekend and will hopefully be part of the starting lineup against LAFC on July 7.
Meram Given Time Off for Personal Reasons
Justin Meram’s transition from Columbus to Orlando hasn’t been as smooth as anyone would have liked. However, I really don’t get how much abuse the guy has taken. He was hired to come in and take on defenders, which he’s done. That’s who he is and what he does. It hasn’t turned into a lot of goals (just two in all competitions), but he’s among the club’s assist leaders (3) and I think he’ll get it turned around. The Lions gave Meram three days off for personal reasons, so he won’t start that turnaround tonight. I’m not reading too much into this because it’s not that uncommon for players to be given some personal time on occasion for various reasons. (Marta went to Brazil just last week, for example and Dani Weatherholt had an excused absence from the Washington game.)
Hopefully O’Connor will get Meram back to his old form, which an unfortunate number of Orlando fans have yet to see.
Ali Krieger Available vs. North Carolina
The Pride’s back line is getting a boost now that Ali Krieger is fit to play. Krieger injured her knee in Orlando’s 5-2 win at Chicago back in late May and Tom Sermanni says she’s good to go.
“She’s fit, healthy and ready to be selected,” Sermanni said after training Friday.
Camila has been on the bench for the last two matches but has yet to play. Is this the day we finally get all of the Pride’s biggest stars on the field? Maybe. The only player on the team’s injury report is Monica (hip contusion) who is listed as questionable.
Minnesota’s Collin Martin Comes Out on Pride Night
Minnesota United midfielder Collin Martin came out as an openly gay MLS player yesterday, announcing it as the Loons were preparing for their Pride Night match at home against FC Dallas (ultimately a 1-0 Dallas win). Martin is the league’s first openly gay player since Robbie Rogers, who retired after the 2017 season. He made the announcement on Twitter, saying that his friends, family, and teammates had already known.
Tonight my team, @MNUFC , is having their Pride night. It's an important night for me — I'll be announcing that I am an openly gay player in Major League Soccer. #soccerforall pic.twitter.com/cOJQXfrBiv
— Collin Martin (@martcw12) June 29, 2018
It may be 2018, but there is still a lot of hate, fear, and intolerance in our world, so I applaud Collin for having the courage to be himself and I applaud his teammates for accepting him for who he is.
Free Kicks
- Sure, this is the kind of things teams always say, but the players and coach of Atlanta United say they aren’t taking Orlando City lightly.
- Vancouver’s Cristian Techera has been suspended three games for abusive language. You may recall that the same thing happened to Pierre Da Silva for an incident in a preseason friendly.
- Seattle has signed striker Raul Ruidiaz, Yoshi’s teammate with the Peruvian national team. The new DP may be exactly what the Sounders’ anemic offense needs.
- What Wakanda’s World Cup uniforms might look like. #WakandaForever
- Those born on this date include Full Metal Jacket and (Neflix’s) Daredevil actor Vincent D’Onofrio (1959), Pendragon and Arena keyboardist Clive Nolan (1961), guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen (1963), Mike Tyson (1966), and swimming legend Michael Phelps (1985).
That’s all from me today. Keep it right here at The Mane Land for full coverage of today’s Orlando Pride and Orlando City games. Vamos!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 1/13/25
Orlando City preseason training starts today, Jaedyn Shaw reportedly set to join the North Carolina Courage, MLS transfer news, and more.
Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. It’s just been another busy week for me working at Under Armour, and I covered some high school basketball. Later this week, I’ll be working at the Chicago Cubs Convention. Let’s all wish Orlando City goalkeeper coach Cesar Baena a happy birthday, and also a happy belated birthday to Orlando City forward Jack Lynn, who turned 25 on Sunday. There’s plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Orlando City Preseason Training Camp Starts Today
Orlando City players completed their medicals over the weekend to get ready to kick off their 2025 preseason camp.
Robin Jansson and Ramiro Enrique discussed the benefit of working with Orlando Health and the team’s athletic trainers and medical staff to ensure the players are fit and ready to play. The Lions also had their sports science and performance testing on Sunday.
Jaedyn Shaw Will Reportedly Join the North Carolina Courage
The San Diego Wave are reportedly trading forward Jaedyn Shaw to the North Carolina Courage for an undisclosed amount of Allocation Money. Shaw had reportedly been seeking a trade from the Wave for the past year. For the Courage, this move would bolster their attack after they only scored 34 goals last season. Shaw spent three seasons in San Diego, recording 14 goals in 61 appearances across all competitions. She has also made 21 appearances for the United States Women’s National Team, scoring eight goals, and was part of the squad that won a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
MLS Transfer Roundup
Major League Soccer had another busy weekend with some notable transfer moves. The San Jose Earthquakes acquired forward Cristian Arango from Real Salt Lake in exchange for $700,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM), $700,000 in 2026 GAM, and a 2026 international roster slot. Arango will be a Designated Player in San Jose. The Quakes appear not to be done yet, as the club is reportedly close to a deal to add forward Josef Martinez.
The Seattle Sounders have re-signed midfielder Joao Paulo through 2025, with an option for the 2026 season. Lastly, Atlanta United has reportedly submitted a bid to EFL Championship side Middlesbrough for forward Emmanuel Latte Lath.
English FA Cup Weekend Recap
The third round of the FA Cup continued over the weekend in England with some notable results and plenty of drama. On Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur needed to go to extra time to defeat National League side Tamworth 3-0. Despite playing the second half with 10 men, Manchester United defeated Arsenal 5-3 on penalties following a thrilling 1-1 draw. Manchester United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir stopped a penalty in the second half and made a clutch save on Arsenal’s Kai Havertz in the penalty shootout, while Joshua Zirkzee scored the winning penalty for Manchester United to advance.
On Saturday, Liverpool shut out Accrington Stanley 4-0, Manchester City defeated Salford City 8-0, and Wolverhampton edged Bristol City 2-1. We did get one upset, as Plymouth Argyle defeated Brentford 1-0.
The draw results for the fourth round were announced and there are some intriguing matchups. Manchester United faces Leicester City, Plymouth Argyle hosts Liverpool, and Aston Villa takes on Tottenham.
Free Kicks
- Former Orlando Pride defender Ali Riley lost her home in the Los Angeles wildfires. We here at The Mane Land extend our thoughts and best wishes to all those affected by the wildfires in Southern California.
- Former Orlando Pride goalkeeper Carly Nelson spoke up about her experience dealing with physical and emotional abuse with the Utah Royals on social media .
- The USWNT’s January training camp has been moved to Florida due to the Los Angeles wildfires. The USWNT will train at Inter Miami’s Florida Blue Training Center in Ft. Lauderdale.
- Forward Matthew Hoppe and Middlesbrough have reached a mutual agreement to terminate his contract, and he will leave the club as a free agent.
- Toronto FC named Robin Fraser as its next head coach. Fraser was previously the head coach for the Colorado Rapids and returns to Toronto after serving as an assistant coach under Greg Vanney from 2015 through 2019.
- After informing the club he wants to leave, Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has reportedly been linked to a move to Italy as AC Milan has expressed interest.
- Everton named David Moyes as its new manager over the weekend. Moyes returns to his former club for a second stint as manager. Everton is 16th in the Premier League, just one point above the relegation zone.
- Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 5-2 to win the Spanish Super Cup.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 1/10/25
Orlando City reportedly nears signing Nicolas Rodriguez, Orlando Pride re-sign Marta, Americans abroad this weekend, and more.
Happy Friday! I’m already pretty much over this cold weather. While it was a nice change of pace, I’ve never been a huge fan of shivering in my car while waiting for the heat to get going. Thankfully, it looks like some warmer weather is coming this weekend before temperatures dip again next week. But enough about the weather, let’s get to today’s links!
Orlando City Linked With Nicolas Rodriguez
According to Fabrizio Romano, Orlando City is close to signing Colombian winger Nicolas Rodriguez from Fortaleza in Colombia’s top flight.
The 20-year-old would bring the club some needed attacking power and Orlando has open U22 Initiative slots to make it happen. The Lions have yet to make much noise this off-season beyond transferring Facundo Torres to Palmeiras, so hopefully signing Rodriguez kicks off the excitement ahead of the 2025 season. Another report has the transfer fee coming in around $2 million, with Fortaleza keeping a 30% sell-on fee if he’s sold in the future.
Marta Re-Signs With the Orlando Pride
The Orlando Pride have re-signed Marta to a new contract that will keep her in the City Beautiful through 2026. Whether or not Marta would return was the biggest question mark surrounding the club after her contract expired following a historic season that included winning both the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship. Marta is one of the best attacking midfielders in the league and was a finalist for both the NWSL MVP and NWSL Midfielder of the Year awards last year. Enjoy how Marta revealed the big news through the club’s social media. She definitely had me in the first half.
Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad
Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath had a stellar game in Cardiff City’s 1-0 win over Sheffield United in the FA Cup, making seven saves in the shutout. It was his first start for the club since August and he could get the nod in Cardiff’s next FA Cup match in February. Lindsey Horan had an assist in Lyon’s 2-0 road win over Dijon, while Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty started in Celtic’s 2-0 win against Dundee United.
As for upcoming action, Joe Scally will have a chance to impress when Borussia Mönchengladbach hosts Bayern Munich on Saturday. Elsewhere in the Bundesliga, Giovanni Reyna and Borussia Dortmund will take on Bayer Leverkusen today. Serie A should feature the usual suspects on Saturday, with Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan playing Cagliari and Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, and Juventus facing off against Torino. We also might get to see Matt Turner in goal when Crystal Palace plays Stockport County in the FA Cup.
FA Cup Third Round Storylines
There’s plenty of more FA Cup soccer all over England this weekend to check out. While we were robbed from seeing Ashley Young and his son Tyler Young play against each other in Everton’s 2-0 win against Peterborough United, there are still many storylines in the third round. The heavyweight matchup is between Arsenal and Manchester United on Sunday. While it may be too much to say some of the English Premier League’s bigger clubs are on upset alert this weekend, Tottenham’s road game against Tamworth and Liverpool’s match with Accrington Stanley could prove interesting. Manchester City is set to take on a Salford City side owned by several former Manchester United players as well.
Free Kicks
- Former Orlando City Academy player Charles Ahl was signed by the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. He was named 2024 Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year after a fantastic season with Stetson University.
- The Columbus Crew signed goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen to a contract extension. He started in the club’s 3-1 win over LAFC in the Leagues Cup final and will remain part of an impressive Crew goalkeeping unit that also includes Patrick Schulte and Evan Bush.
- Nashville SC waived midfielder Randall Leal and also goalkeeper Elliot Panicco as the team prepares for its first season with B.J. Callaghan as head coach.
- Minnesota United re-signed midfielder Wil Trapp to a one-year deal with an option for 2026 as well.
- FC Dallas added a whopping six Homegrown Players to its roster and the club leads the league with 43 Homegrown signings in its history.
- Liga MX informed Toluca that Hector Herrera must serve the three-game ban he received for spitting at a referee in the MLS playoffs.
- MLS apologized for falsely confirming that Atlanta United signed Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi as a Designated Player.
- Kathryn Nesbitt and Guido Gonzales Jr. were voted 2024 U.S. Soccer Female and Male Referees of the Year.
- Jesse Marsch spoke on how Canada could not hold a January camp this year due to its financial situation. I guess they weren’t able to sell all of those drones in a yard sale.
- Everton fired Sean Dyche before its FA Cup win and David Moyes is reportedly set to replace him.
That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 1/9/25
Orlando City B signs Tristan Himes, young trialist linked with Orlando City, 2025 Futures Camp roster announced, and more.
How’s it going, Mane Landers? Hopefully this cold weather hasn’t made it too difficult to enjoy the new year. I’ve at least been able to get some use out of a new jacket I was gifted over the holidays. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City defender Kyle Smith!
Goalkeeper Tristan Himes Joins Orlando City B
Orlando City signed goalkeeper Tristan Himes to an MLS NEXT Pro contract for him to play with Orlando City B. Himes came up through Orlando’s academy before playing collegiate soccer for the University of South Carolina and Coastal Carolina University. He was eligible for selection in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft but wasn’t selected. He’ll help fill the void left by Carlos Mercado, whose contract option was declined by the club following the 2024 season. How much time he spends in the net may depend on how much Javier Otero is needed with the first team while Mason Stajduhar recovers from injury.
Trialist Aboubou Haimakoye Linked With Orlando City
You’ll need a translation tool for the details, but 17-year-old attacking midfielder Aboubou Haimakoye will reportedly join Orlando City as a trialist over the next few weeks. Haimakoye is a fast attacker with good ball control according to Africa Foot, so it makes sense why the Lions would be interested in seeing what he can do in the City Beautiful. Should he become a Lion in an official capacity, he would join a growing list of young players from Mali to play for an MLS club.
Emma Hayes Names Roster for 2025 Futures Camp
As part of her efforts to develop the next generation of players for the United States Women’s National Team, Head Coach Emma Hayes named the 24 players who will take part in the 2025 Futures Camp. The training camp will take place alongside the USWNT’s camp in California and includes 14 professional players. A few of the interesting players called up are 17-year-old midfielder Ainsley McCammon, 2024 MAC Hermann Trophy winner Kate Faasse, and Brooklyn FC goalkeeper Neeku Purcell. I’m a bit surprised not to see Orlando Pride midfielder Ally Lemos called up for this camp, as she’s just 20 years old, earned a solid amount of playing time in her rookie season, and represented the United States at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
MLS Transfer News Roundup
While we wait for Orlando City to make some moves this off-season, the rest of the league is wasting no time getting ready for the 2025 season. The Seattle Sounders officially acquired American forward Jesus Ferreira in a trade with FC Dallas, sending $2.3 million in general allocation money, an international roster spot, and winger Leo Chu in exchange. That’s reportedly not the only deal brewing between the two clubs, as Paul Arriola is set to join Seattle as well in a deal that is reportedly done but not yet official.
Atlanta United added some firepower to its attack by signing Japanese forward Cayman Togashi to a contract through 2025. Lassi Lappalainen is now with the Columbus Crew after six years with CF Montreal, reuniting with Wilfried Nancy after signing a contract through 2025. The New England Revolution signed 17-year-old midfielder Allan Oyirwoth. Nashville SC signed midfielder Bryan Acosta and is also reportedly finalizing a deal to sign Andy Najar from Honduran club CD Olimpia.
As for outgoing players, Alan Pulido is no longer with Sporting Kansas City after being transferred to Chivas Guadalajara in Mexico. The move notably opens up a Designated Player spot for Kansas City. A club in Liga MX is also reportedly negotiating with the Houston Dynamo for midfielder Coco Carrasquilla.
Free Kicks
- It looks like we’ll be getting an update today on whether or not Marta will be with the Orlando Pride for the 2025 NWSL season.
- The Dynamo announced Pat Onstad as its president of soccer and Asher Mendelsohn as its technical director, extending the contracts of both for turning the club around after joining in 2022.
- The Portland Thorns have signed forward Pietra Tordin, who had four goals for the U.S. in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup last year. She was also named 2024 Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year after a great season playing for Princeton.
- Midfielder Hannah Bebar has joined the USWNT’s training camp to replace Lynn Williams. The 23-year-old may be uncapped with the senior team, but she has plenty of experience playing at the youth levels for the U.S.
- Didier Deschamps announced that he will step down as France’s head coach following the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- West Ham United fired Julen Lopetegui as its manager, with Graham Potter reportedly set to replace him. The club is 14th in the English Premier League standings, with just 23 points from 20 matches.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!
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