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Lion Links: 11/22/20

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6 years ago

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Happy Sunday, everyone. Several weeks ago I told you about the liquid diet I was on in preparation for a colonoscopy. That got canceled on me about half an hour before I was scheduled to take the prep solution, so at least I didn’t have to go through that part, but guess what? I’m back on a liquid diet in expectation of having the procedure tomorrow.

At least I can sip my liquids secure in the knowledge that Orlando City is in the second round of the playoffs after an incredible turn of events in yesterday’s penalty shootout against New York City FC.

Before we get into the news of the day, let’s all wish Orlando Pride midfielder Taylor Kornieck a happy birthday.

Lions Squeak Past Pigeons on Penalties

I probably don’t have to rehash the details of yesterday’s match to you here, but it’s fun, so why not do it anyway? Nani put the Lions up early with a goal on a penalty kick after he headed a shot off the outstretched arm of Anton Tinnerholm. Orlando then gave the goal right back on a corner kick on which Maxime Chanot moved pesky Junior Urso out of his way with an illegal, but uncalled, two-handed push, then headed home. Then no goals happened for a long time and the game went to kicks from the spot and wackiness ensued and now Rodrigo Schlegel is our new president. That’s the law.

Christopher Adams has your five takeaways from the match later and I’ll have a fresh batch of player grades — hot out of the oven! — and Man of the Match later this morning. We’ll have a photo gallery from Dan MacDonald, too.

Also, you can buy a Schlegel goalkeeper kit in the team shop.

Pareja Consoled Ruan in Locker Room While Winning Save was Reviewed

Oscar Pareja thought the match was over and ran down the tunnel to the locker room, where he found Ruan in tears. After assuring his fullback that Pedro Gallese had bailed him out in penalties, Pareja was informed that the save was under review and he had to return to the pitch. Luckily, it all worked out in the end.

OCSC Supporters Rock the Playoff Tifo

Let’s give a big tip of the cap to the Ruckus and Iron Lion Firm for Saturday’s playoff tifo, which referenced the Clint Eastwood classic, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The tifo paid homage to Luiz Muzzi, Pareja, and Nani. The tag line under the main tifo said “For some, the season was hell. For us, it was practice.” The movie’s tag line includes the line “For three men, the Civil War wasn’t hell. It was practice.” Great job by all involved and very creative idea.

PRO Stands by Referee Allen Chapman’s Decisions

A lot of ire from fans was directed toward the confusion on the pitch during the penalty shootout when Pedro Gallese was sent off with a second yellow card. Allen Chapman didn’t seem to know the rules and nearly allowed Brian Rowe to substitute on for Rodrigo Schlegel. After lengthy consultation with the video assistant referee and the rest of his crew, Chapman sent Rowe back to the bench, paving the way for Schlegel’s heroics. The Professional Referee Organization said that Chapman ultimately made the right decisions.

Of course, it was Chapman’s own inconsistency throughout the match that created the issue to begin with. As tempers escalated throughout the match, Gary Mackay-Steven baited Ruan into retaliating for a garbage move of jamming his hands into the Brazilian’s abdomen and putting all his weight on Ruan to push himself to his feet. Ruan took exception and lashed out, which he shouldn’t have done. It was a selfish and foolish play. But that red card and being down a man no doubt contributed to Gallese’s 103rd-minute yellow card for time wasting, and subsequently to the madness in the shootout. PRO, as we often say, gonna PRO.

Marta Tests Positive for COVID-19

In less fun news, Orlando Pride star Marta has tested positive for COVID-19 while in her native Brazil. As such, she will miss Brazil’s upcoming friendlies against Ecuador. Obviously we hope Marta gets through this quickly and without any difficulties. Meanwhile, Brazil manager Pia Sundhage has replaced Marta on the squad with her Pride teammate, Camila.

U.S. Players Abroad

It was a big day for Americans playing overseas, even if they didn’t score. Josh Sargent set up Werder Bremen’s goal with this nice assist in a 1-1 draw vs. Bayern Munich.

Niko Gioacchini, fresh off his two-goal effort for the USMNT, drew a penalty to set up the winning goal for his team, Caen. John Brooks helped his team keep a clean sheet in a 2-0 win. Gio Reyna not only had some good contributions to Borussia Dortmund’s 5-2 win over Hertha Berlin, but he also signed a contract extension.

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  • Erling Haaland won the 2020 Golden Boy award as the best European player under 21 years old. USMNT fullback Sergino Dest finished 13th in the voting.
  • In Saturday’s later first-round Eastern Conference playoff match, the Columbus Crew held off the New York Red Bulls, 3-2.
  • In really icky soccer-related news, Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, has been banned for life for sexual abuse of young players.
  • Those born on this date include Rodney Dangerfield (1921), Robert Vaughn (1932), Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam (1940), Billie Jean King (1943), E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt (1950), Talking Heads bassist Tina Weymouth (1950), Jamie Lee Curtis (1958), The Wire and Lovecraft Country star Michael K. Williams (1966), Boris Becker (1967), Mark Ruffalo (1967), Scarlett Johansson (1984), and England/Roma center back Chris Smalling (1989).

That’s my time for today. Enjoy the rest of our coverage of yesterday’s match as we prepare for whoever is next on the schedule.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 8/25/26

Antoine Griezmann earns MLS Player of the Matchday, Pride players up for weekly honors, lessons from MLS matchday 22, and more.

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1 hour ago

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August 25, 2026

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Image of Antoine Griezmann playing the ball.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Good morning, everyone. It was an improved, but not perfect weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, as the three sides combined to take six of the nine points on offer. The midweek games have finally ceased for the time being, but Orlando City and the Orlando Pride will both be back in action on Saturday, while Orlando City B will try to get things back on track on Sunday. We’ve got a whole host of things to cover this morning, so let’s get into the links. But before we do, we want to give a big shout out and thank you to Barry, our latest TAM-level subscriber at The Mane Land’s subscription service at Buy Me a Coffee. If you’d like to check out what’s on offer to see if it’s for you, click here (you can also just make a donation if you want to support us and subscribing isn’t for you).

Antoine Griezmann Named MLS Player of the Matchday

Designated Player Antoine Griezmann played a starring role in Orlando City’s win over Real Salt Lake, as the Frenchman bagged a second-half brace to complete the Lions’ comeback and secure a vital three points. He’s been rewarded for his efforts with not just a starting spot in the MLS Team of the Matchday, but with his first MLS Player of the Matchday nod as well. Griezmann’s double makes it three goals and two assists in six league games since joining the team following the World Cup break, and while the team’s form hasn’t been flawless, it certainly looks a lot better with him in the fold. Here’s hoping his good form continues!

Pride Players Up for Weekly Honors

Sticking with the topic of weekly awards, Barbra Banda has been nominated for the NWSL Assist of the Week. The striker is most known for her prolific goal scoring, but she turned provider in the Orlando Pride’s 1-0 win over the Washington Spirit. Banda drove at the defense in the opening moments of the game before playing a beautiful ball across the face of the box, where it found an onrushing Haley McCutcheon, who put her effort into the back of the net. It was a great all-around effort from Banda, as she made a tackle and won the ball on the halfway line before leading the break up the field and playing the key pass.

Speaking of McCutcheon, the Pride’s goal scorer has been nominated for the NWSL Player of the Week. McCutcheon took her goal well, and had a chance to tack on a late insurance goal, but her effort was saved by Spirit goalkeeper Sandy MacIver. Make sure you go vote for both players to win their respective awards!

Lessons from MLS Matchday 22

Matchday 22 is in the books for Major League Soccer, and there were plenty of things to be gleaned from the weekend’s action. Griezmann did a little bit of everything for Orlando City once again, but he wasn’t the only MLS newcomer that made a difference. Josh Sargent scored his first goal for Toronto FC since May as he helped the Reds knock off Inter Miami on the road, and Jack Harrison marked his first game against former team New York City FC with a gorgeous secondary assist on the game’s opening goal. He’s got five assists in four games since joining during the summer window and so far looks like a Designated Player spot smartly used by the New England Revolution.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be playing matches during the working week, so make sure you get everything marked down on your calendars. Sebastian Berhalter, Max Arfsten, and Aidan Morris get things going later today when their Middlesborough side travels to face Doncaster in the Carabao Cup. Things continue on Wednesday when Tanner Tesssmann and Lyon play Fenerbahce in the second leg of a UEFA Champions League qualifying tie, with the matchup finely balanced at 1-1 after the first leg. Thursday will see Folarin Balogun and Monaco try to hold onto a 3-2 lead over Gornik Zabrze in the second leg of UEFA Conference League qualifying, before Yunus Musah (and possibly Christian Pulisic, if he’s recovered from injury) and AC Milan face Gianluca Busio and Venezia in Serie A play.

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

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Lion Links: 8/24/26

Lions and Pride win, OCB falls to Atlanta United 2, latest MLS transfer roundup, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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August 24, 2026

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Image of Antoine Griezmann dribbling the ball past Hany Mukhtar of Nashville.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work, but I tried to watch a few soccer games over the weekend. Our Lions and Pride both won, while OCB’s winless skid continues. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Griezmann’s Late Winner Lifts Lions Past Real Salt Lake

Orlando City defeated Real Salt Lake 2-1 on Saturday at Inter.co Stadium on Antoine Griezmann’s second-half brace. The Lions trailed 1-0 at halftime, but Griezmann scored twice after the break to win it for Orlando, which snapped its four-match winless streak across all competitions. That result pulled the Lions just over the playoff line, moving them up to ninth in the Eastern Conference table with 24 points. Orlando City’s next match is on the road Saturday at Minnesota United.

Pride Beat Washington Spirit on the Road

The Orlando Pride beat the Washington Spirit 1-0 at Audi Field Sunday, snapping their three-match losing streak. Haley McCutcheon scored the lone goal early in the first half off an assist by Barbra Banda and Orlando held on for dear life for the win despite a dominating performance by the Spirit, who just couldn’t put any of their shots into the net. Pride goalkeeper Cosette Morche got the start over Anna Moorhouse and made a clutch save deep in stoppage time on Washington forward Paige Metayer’s free header to preserve the shutout. The Pride will play their next match at home against the Utah Royals on Saturday.

OCB Crushed 5-1 by Atlanta United 2

Orlando City traded first-half stoppage-time goals to enter halftime even at 1-1 on the road, but a terrible second half saw the Young Lions get blasted 5-1 by Atlanta United 2 on the road at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground in Marietta, GA, on Saturday. Atlanta struck first before Issah Haruna equalized for the Young Lions just before halftime. Cameron Dunbar scored his second goal of the match for Atlanta to start the second-half onslaught, and Arif Kovac scored a second-half brace. Atlanta won its second straight, while the Young Lions have lost five straight matches. OCB will be home for its next match on Sunday, taking on Crown Legacy FC at Osceola County Stadium.

Latest MLS Transfer Roundup

Forward Breel Embolo traveled to the United States on Friday to complete his transfer to Atlanta United, and the club unveiled him to fans during Sunday’s match against Sporting Kansas City.

The San Jose Earthquakes have reportedly reached an agreement with St. Louis City to sign midfielder Eduard Lowen.

The Seattle Sounders have reportedly reached an agreement with Sporting Kansas City to acquire forward Dejan Joveljic in exchange for $6 million in cash.

Lastly, D.C. United has transferred forward Jacob Murrell to Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership.

UEFA and Concacaf Reportedly Discussed Combined Nations League Tournament

UEFA and Concacaf have reportedly held talks on a combined Nations League tournament that could feature all 96 European, North and Central American, and Caribbean countries, directly challenging FIFA. The planned competition would be a biennial tournament and could start as soon as 2028. The proposed format would replace, rather than add to, existing international fixtures, and games would be played in geographical blocks to reduce travel. Both confederations are still seeking FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s removal and are reportedly working together to propose an alternative candidate to stand against him in the presidential election next March.

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  • Orlando City forward Yutaro Tsukada, who is on loan at Rhode Island FC, recorded an assist on Saturday in a 3-1 win against Monterey Bay FC.

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

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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.

Published

4 days ago

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August 21, 2026

By

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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