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Lion Links: 12/31/17

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9 years ago

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Good morning, Mane Landers. Today is the final day of 2017 before we ring in the new year and all that jazz. It’s certainly been a roller coaster of a year for Orlando soccer fans with the new stadium, Orlando City’s summer collapse, Orlando City B’s unbeaten run, Kaká’s retirement, and the Orlando Pride making the NWSL playoffs.

We said hello to new faces like Marta, Dom Dwyer, and Yoshimar Yotun while bidding farewell to a few faces as well. It was an eventful year and I think we are all better for it. I’m excited for the new year and even more excited about what we here at The Mane Land have prepared for you in 2018. But before we can put up new calendars, let’s get to the links for the last time this year!

Larin to Gladbach?

The silly season moves fast and after the recent rumor of Cyle Larin moving to Besiktas, which was refuted on Twitter by Alex Leitao, the hot gossip has the Canadian striker headed to Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach. The Sun says Cyle is set to snub both Besiktas and Leeds for Gladbach. Germany would probably be a better setting for Larin than Turkey, so maybe it’s not really fair to say it’s a snub. But, once again, rumors are only rumors until they’re not. We’ll keep scouring the interwebs for the latest.

Best of 2017 “Megalink”

In the spirit of New Year’s, every blog and its mother seems to be cranking out “Best of 2017” lists or recaps of this year in soccer. Below, you’ll find some of the best of the “best of” lists I could find.

  • In mlssoccer.com’s top five controversies, you’ll find Jermaine Jones in some rather inappropriate clothing and possible future Lion Sacha Kljestan earning a two-game suspension in a tunnel.
  • The final installment of this list is the top stories from The Toe Poke, a soccer blog devoted to the unusual and light-hearted side of the sport. Ronaldo’s ridiculous bust, knockoff Messi, Zlatan’s Photoshop skills, and the worst open goal miss of the year all land a spot in the 2017 top ten list.

Academy Standout Becomes a Pilot

Sorry for the misleading title. Cutting down on bad jokes is on my resolution list, I promise. Orlando City academy Alejandro Pereira verbally committed to the University of Portland, taking his soccer talents to the other side of the country to become a Portland Pilot. The Florida native may experience a culture shock up in the Pacific Northwest but at least he’ll remain in purple.

2017 Retired XI

In honor of the large number of big-name retirees this year, a whole team of those now former players can be formed. And it’d be quite the force if the players were to decide to come together and go full Avengers. The team includes German legend Philipp Lahm and a trio of Italians in Andrea Pirlo, Francesco Totti, and Antonio Cassano. And of course Kaká, who gets a nice anecdote about his first day in Milan where he impressed coach Carlo Ancelotti in training fresh off the plane from Brazil. It’s a nice look at his beginning after a year of endings for our captain.

U.S. Best 50 Players List Concludes

FourFourTwo’s list of the best USMNT players reaches the top ten, with a mixture of the old guard and the new. Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, and Michael Bradley all made the top five but it should come as no surprise that Christian Pulisic finished on top after a breakout year. Rounding out the top 10 are promising players like Bobby Woods, John Brooks, and Sacha Kljestan, who will hopefully be spending 2018 in Orlando.

MLS Rumors and Dealing

Apparently the new fad in Major League Soccer is to brave the cold and head to Scandinavia for talent. Minnesota FC started the trend last off-season, but I’d like to think Orlando City perfected it by snagging Yoshimar Yotun from Malmo this summer. Now it looks like yet another Malmo player could be headed to MLS.

Elsewhere in the league, the rumors that Iker Casillas could head to Chicago got stronger after a report that the goalkeeper has asked fellow Spaniard and NYCFC forward David Villa about the league and the U.S.

Free Kicks

  • There’s been some rumblings that the Kljestan move could be in doubt and that youngster Pierre Da Silva could be a deal breaker for some reason. Well, we can probably go ahead and blow those doubts out of the water.

  • USSF presidential candidate Paul Caligiuri sent a second open letter to the USSF after breaking down some potential unfairness in the voting structure which would devalue the NWSL’s voting power.

  • Let’s end our links on a fun note. After the USMNT’s collapse and Orlando City missing the playoffs, disappointment has been a running theme in 2017. But chin up, readers! Don’t get caught up in the doom and gloom when this sport remains insanely fun. In Scotland, a heavy snowfall threatened to postpone a soccer match at halftime. But the fans found fun on their own and had a snowball fight between themselves. There was no clear winner of the brawl, but sometimes the results just don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things

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That’s all I’ve got for you guys. I know I’m probably not the most recognizable contributor (heck, my identity in the masthead is just the default image and my name with an underscore), but I’ve really had a great time being a part of this site for my first full season. Stay safe tonight, please. Call an Uber if you need to and dance the night away. See you next year!

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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

3 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: 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

4 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: 8/19/26

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

Published

5 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.

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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