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Lion Links: 2/24/26

A major Orlando City transfer rumor, recognition for Maxime Crepeau, Americans in midweek action, and more.

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6 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Good morning, everyone. It wasn’t the start to the 2026 season that we were hoping for over the weekend, as the Lions dropped their first match of the season for the second year in a row. Luckily, there were some positives to take from the second half, but much of the game still made for unpleasant viewing. On the bright side, that simply means there’s a lot of room for improvement. We’ve got a lot to talk about today and I think our first topic will help get your day started on the right note, so let’s jump right into the links.

Lions Linked With Antoine Griezmann

In a piece of news I really didn’t expect to come across, the good folks over at The Athletic have reported that Orlando City is in advanced talks with Atletico Madrid to sign Antoine Griezmann as its third and final Designated Player (paywall). While he is said to be the team’s primary focus, no deal is in place yet and the Lions are also still speaking with other targets. OCSC is also said to have Griezmann’s discovery rights, and is hopeful that the player can be convinced to join the team during the European season before the current MLS transfer window closes, but several sources have said he won’t leave before the summer window. This is obviously a developing story, so rest assured we’ll update you if/when more information becomes available.

Maxime Crepeau Earns Recognition

While the Lions didn’t come out on the right side of the scoresheet, it was a good night and a good Orlando debut for new goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau. He tied the club record for most saves in a match as he totaled 11 of them on the night, and he’s been rewarded with a spot on the bench of the MLS Team of the Matchday. The man who beat him out for the starting place, Kristijan Kahlina, made 10 saves of his own in Charlotte FC’s 1-1 draw with St. Louis City SC, and the point his team picked up was probably enough to give Kahlina the edge. Still, Crepeau is worthy of all the praise that comes his way, because the score would have been significantly uglier had he not turned in a great shot-stopping performance. Here’s hoping for many more!

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a lot of American players who will be taking part in games during the working week, and the second leg of continental cup competitions (say that five times fast) are the overarching theme. Things get going later today when Johnny Cardoso and Atletico Madrid take on Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League, while Malik Tillman and Bayer Leverkusen try to protect a 2-0 aggregate lead against Olympiacos. Wednesday sees Weston McKennie and Juventus trying to climb out of a 5-2 hole against Galatasaray, while Folarin Balogun and Monaco have a mathematically better chance of overturning a 3-2 deficit against Paris Saint-Germain. Thursday has Chris Richards and Crystal Palace tied 1-1 on aggregate with Zrinjski Mostar heading into the second leg of their Europa Conference League matchup, and things finish on Friday with Noahkai Banks and Augsburg hosting Kristoffer Lund and Koln in Bundesliga play.

Dead Ball Countdowns Could Come to World Cup

This summer’s World Cup may see five-second countdowns implemented for goal kicks and throw-ins as a way to speed up play and keep the ball on the field. Similar to the eight-second rule that awards a corner kick to the opposing team if a goalkeeper holds onto the ball for longer than eight seconds, a referee will be able to signal the start of a five second countdown if they think a goal kick or throw-in is taking too long to occur. Taking longer than the five second countdown would result in the throw-in being reversed to the other team, and a corner kick given instead of a goal kick. The International Football Association Board has been pleased with the implementation of the eight-second rule, and is set to vote on the five-second version on Saturday, as well as a 10-second limit to substitutions and other various measures.

Free Kicks

  • The Orlando Pride have announced an additional preseason game.
  • Toronto FC is putting the finishing touches on the signing of Josh Sargent, and Tom Bogert had some additional details about how the deal has been progressing.

St. Louis City will receive $500k GAM + $200k GAM add-ons for the right of first refusal as part of Toronto’s deal to sign Josh Sargent.1 of 1 situation. Not just discovery rights. MLS eliminated Allocation Order when STL came into league and allowed them to select one player to have rights for.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-02-23T15:34:29.363Z

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

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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

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.

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

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

3 days ago

on

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

Lion Links: 8/19/26

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

Published

4 days ago

on

August 19, 2026

By

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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