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Lion Links: 12/10/22

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4 years ago

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Happy Saturday, Mane Landers. I hope you all are starting off a great weekend. I was lucky enough to celebrate my 30th birthday yesterday and will catch some beach time with friends today and enjoy the weather. Who says you can’t watch World Cup matches while sitting next to the ocean? No one and for good reason. A little rest and relaxation is just what the doctor ordered. Now, enough about my weekend plans — lets get to the links!

National Soccer Writer Grant Wahl Dies

Sorry to start your Saturday with some sad news, but the shocking reports broke Friday evening that national soccer writer Grant Wahl collapsed and died while covering the Argentina-Netherlands quarterfinal match at the World Cup. Wahl, who was just 48 years old, had worked for such outlets as CBS Sports, FOX Sports, and Sports Illustrated throughout his illustrious career. By his own admission, he had been suffering from an illness while in Qatar that got bad enough for him to have visited a hospital on Monday, per the linked story above from the Associated Press. Wahl’s passion for the game and for writing about it is something we here at The Mane Land certainly could relate to and his family and friends will be in our thoughts and prayers.

Erika Tymrak Renews Contract

On Friday, the Orlando Pride announced the club has re-signed midfielder Erika Tymrak to a two-year deal. She spent the last two seasons with the Pride but became a free agent following the 2022 NWSL season. With her new contract, she will be with the club through 2024. Tymrak initially joined Orlando ahead of the 2021 season after spending 2020 in retirement. The 31-year-old midfielder has made 42 appearances in all competitions with Orlando, with 19 starts. Across two years, Tymrak has scored two goals and added three assists for the Pride.

“I am absolutely thrilled to continue my career with the Pride as we promote this beautiful game and solidify our identity in this league,” Tymrak said about the signing. “I’m excited to get back on the pitch and work towards bringing a championship to Orlando.”

Exploria Stadium Will Again Host SheBelieves Cup

Exploria Stadium is set to host a pair of matches for the eighth annual SheBelieves Cup on Thursday, Feb. 16 Japan will face Brazil in the afternoon match, with a marquee match-up between the United States and Canada at 7 p.m. The tournament is set to run from Feb. 16-22, with the matches in downtown Orlando serving as the first of the competition. The 2023 edition of SheBelieves will mark the fourth time the competition will be played in the downtown Orlando venue. Due to COVID-19 protocols, the entirety of 2021 SheBelieves Cup was held at Exploria Stadium. The tournament made previous stops in 2018 and 2020 at the stadium as well. For its 2023 edition, the tournament will return to its traditional three-venue format with matches played at Exploria Stadium, GEODIS Park in Nashville, and Toyota Stadium in Frisco.

All four nations participating in this upcoming year’s tournament are set to take part in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup next summer, and all four are ranked in the top 11 in the world, with the USWNT at No. 1, Canada at No. 6, Brazil at No. 9 and Japan at No. 11.

Orlando City’s MLS Off-Season So Far

MLSsoccer.com has ranked all MLS clubs and their moves for the off-season to date. The rankings come across five distinct tiers such as: “Somebody Do Something,” “Welcome To The Party,” “Yeah That Was A Move,” “This Move Has My Attention,” and finally “Well These Are Some Developments.” With the rankings, Orlando City has been given a third-tier off-season grade so far and find themselves in “Yeah That Was A Move.”

Following the mutual termination of Junior Urso’s contract, the club has now traded Andres Perea also out of the midfield. Tesho Akindele is no longer a depth player for the club in a forward or late pressing role. Joao Moutinho has also moved on to the the Serie A, leaving a gaping hole at left back despite bringing in Luca Petrasso from Toronto. While Petrasso is a young player with upside, he will have big shoes to fill from Moutinho’s absence. Additionally, Felipe Martins has joined the midfield most recently from Austin FC.

While all of these additions are minor moves, it does make it feel like Orlando City is moving toward something bigger, especially after re-signing Mauricio Pereyra to a TAM-level deal. With plenty of time still left in the off-season, only time will tell if we see the club step up and make a big tier-one signing.

World Cup Quarterfinals

Both 2022 World Cup quarterfinals matches found their way to penalty shootouts on Friday. After a scoreless 90 minutes, both Brazil and Croatia scored goals in extra time to finish the match 1-1. Neymar moved into a tie with Pele as Brazil’s all-time leading men’s scorer with 77 goals thanks to a goal that looked to have put his team on course for the semifinals. However, Croatia came out on top with a 4-2 edge in the penalty shootout. Afterwards, Neymar said he wasn’t sure if he’d play for Brazil again.

The USMNT fell to Netherlands, but it was Netherlands who then fell to Argentina in an epic match for the ages. Argentina led by two goals before Wout Weghorst scored in the 83rd minute. He then scored again in the 11th minute of stoppage time to draw the Dutch level. While no goals were scored in extra time, the Netherlands saw Denzel Dumfries sent off with a red card in the 128th minute. Argentina then went on to claim its place in the semifinals with a 4-3 penalty shootout after the first two Dutch shooters both failed to score.

Today, Morocco and Portugal will play at 10 a.m. France and England will be the game everyone has their eyes on at 2 p.m. to round out the quarterfinals. Let us know in the comments who you think will be the final two teams to make the semifinals.

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That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a great Saturday and rest of your weekend!

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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.

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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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