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Lion Links: 9/9/15

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11 years ago

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Who else saw Willian knifing through the USMNT midfield and defense in their dreams last night?

Hopefully it wasn't just me.

We're a day closer to match day as Sporting Kansas City visits Orlando on Sunday, though.

Meet an Orlando City Player

If you have any grocery shopping to do today, hit a local Publix. Even if you just want to meet an Orlando City player today, hit a local Publix.

Four Orlando City players — Luke Boden, Harrison Heath, Tyler Turner and Lewis Neal — will be making appearances at four different Publix locations in the Orlando area.

No word on what the players will be doing at each location, but I personally would love to see Luke Boden bagging my groceries, or Lewis Neal walk a 90-year-old lady to her car and load the bags in. It will be a fun opportunity to see players out of their element in an atmosphere we so rarely see professional athletes in.

City Clueless on Cerén Diagnosis

Needless to say, fans weren’t thrilled to see Darwin Cerén go down with a knee injury and be carried off the field last Friday in El Salvador’s World Cup qualifying match.

Matters have progressively gotten worse, as it seems Orlando City is being left in the dark in regards to what is wrong with Cerén's knee.

"We are still uncertain as to Darwin’s status," (Orlando City coach Adrian) Heath said. "We have called several times but have not been able to get any clear information as yet. At this stage he wants to remain with his [international] teammates for their second game, so we probably won’t find out the full ramifications of his injury until we get him back and our doctors can look at him."

This is the very definition of something that is not awesome. Cerén has been one of the best and most consistent players for Orlando City this season, and has a terrific personal story to boot. The playoffs are appearing less and less likely each day, and if Cerén is out for any period of time, City fans can essentially scrap any hopes.

Tally on MLS Team of the Week

Orlando City has an innate proclivity at making average teams look good and good teams look great. As was such this past weekend, when Orlando City fell 3-0 to New England in a match that resulted in four Revs players making the MLS Team of the Week.

But hey, City fans can take solace in the fact that keeper Tally Hall made the team as well. Hall turned in a phenomenal performance and was the only thing that kept the match from being a six or seven-goal blowout.

Bloviating Columnist Thinks Kaká is Disloyal to Orlando City

In today's laugh of the day, an Orlando Sentinel reporter who, you know, doesn't cover soccer, decided to write about soccer and question Orlando City's Kaká and his loyalty to the club.

The best columnists in the country all have one common thread between them: they report for their columns. There was no reporting in this column from Schmitz. It has all the same merit as a man sitting in his mom's basement in his underwear drumming up controversial thoughts that would get page views, rather than hitting the pavement and doing any real reporting to help provide a column about Kaká and his busy schedule that people who truly know the game would appreciate.

Does Kaká have a busy schedule? Absolutely. He’s a bona fide superstar. They all do. Does he miss team events and games for PR events or international games? Absolutely. Many superstars also do that. In effect, Kaká is not being disloyal to Orlando City in doing so, but I would argue he is actually being more loyal. He misses events with the team to raise awareness for MLS and build that brand, which in return boosts Orlando City’s brand.

When it comes to Schmitz’s argument about Kaká missing games for international duty, he fails to raise the question to any other Lions players. He didn’t question Cyle Larin’s loyalty? Or Darwin Cerén’s, who got injured and may miss significant time? He didn’t question Michael Bradley, or Jermaine Jones, who left their MLS clubs to get beat up by Brazil.

The fact is, Schmitz is a basketball reporter, and basketball players don't have to miss regular season games to represent their country. All world basketball events are in the NBA off-season. This is not the case with soccer. Soccer players often are left with a choice of club or country — especially in MLS where there are not recognized international breaks — and often times they choose to represent their country. The fact that Kaká is doing so in what may be his last chance does not warrant such a column by a man who does not understand the inner workings of the game.

Brazil Takes the USMNT to the Woodshed

The U.S. Men's National Team took to the field at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday night and looked very much like Orlando City did a few days earlier playing on the same field. Brazil, despite bringing Neymar off the bench and not playing Kaká, the Seleção made it look easy in a 4-1 romp.

Jürgen Klinsmann rolled out a 4-2-3-1 with a center back pairing that had not played together previously and Alejandro Bedoya in the central midfield, and the U.S. was overrun from the start. Willian ran through the midfield like a hot knife through butter to set up Hulk's opening goal, before Neymar finished a penalty past Brad Guzan after entering at half time. The Brazilians were just having a kick around at that point, and Rafinha and Neymar were seemingly toying with U.S. defenders before scoring goals three and four.

Danny Williams salvaged a little pride with a right-footed rip into the top of goal just before the final whistle, but it was a bad night from start to finish. Time to boycott Gillette Stadium for good.

Have a great Wednesday, Lions.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/4/26

Martin Ojeda details his recovery from injury, Anna Moorhouse loaned to Manchester City, Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup journey, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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September 4, 2026

By

Image of Martin Ojeda celebrating a goal against New England.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Three straight days of Orlando soccer starts tonight with Orlando City B’s road match against Inter Miami II at 7 p.m. Hopefully, Orlando’s teams do well over the next few days as crunch time is upon us when it comes to making the playoffs, especially for MLS NEXT Pro. For now though, let’s jump right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Prepares for San Diego FC

Orlando City will take on San Diego FC on Saturday in the first-ever game between the two clubs, and one of the storylines to keep an eye on is how much Martin Ojeda plays as he works his way back from injury. The Designated Player came off the bench late in Orlando’s 3-3 draw against Minnesota United in his first appearance since May 23. Not often injured, Ojeda spoke on how being off the field for over a month has shifted his perspective while training to return.

“You learn to value the moment much more. You learn to value every training session because, when you’re training on your own and you’re not available to your teammates, you feel uncomfortable,” Ojeda said. “You value being healthy more. It’s like everything in life. When you feel good, you live life almost on autopilot, so to speak. You go to work, you go home, you come back, you sleep. However, when you or someone close to you goes through an illness or something like that, you value the moment much more and become more conscious of what you’re experiencing.”

Pride Loan Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City

The Orlando Pride loaned goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City through January of 2027. Moorhouse joined the Pride prior to the 2022 season and helped the club win both the NWSL Championship and Shield in 2024. However, she has struggled this year alongside the rest of the Pride’s defense. Moorhouse hasn’t played in the past two games for the Pride, with Cosette Morche starting in her place. Her current contract with the Pride lasts through the 2027 NWSL season, so we’ll have to wait and see what her future with the club is when the loan ends.

Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup Journey

Between the World Cup, regular season, and Leagues Cup this summer, it can be easy to forget that Orlando City is still in contention to win this year’s U.S. Open Cup. The Lions are in the semifinals of the tournament after crushing Atlanta United 4-1 in the quarterfinals back on May 19. The Lions won much tighter affairs prior to that win, with Javier Otero coming up with seven saves in a 1-0 win over FC Naples and Zakaria Taifi scoring in stoppage time to beat the New England Revolution 4-3 in the following match. Orlando will be on the road for its semifinal match against the Columbus Crew on Sept. 16, but the offense has received a boost due to the arrivals of Antoine Griezmann and Daryl Dike this summer.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

MLS signings continue to pour in as teams look to improve their squads for the rest of this season and beyond. The Colorado Rapids signed Ghanaian winger Ibrahim Sadiq from AZ Alkmaar, where he recorded 18 goals and seven assists in 85 appearances across three seasons with the Dutch club. San Diego also added an attacker by signing forward Cedric Bakambu, who joins as a free agent after playing at Real Betis. As for other notable moves from across the league, Real Salt Lake signed winger Dusan Zagar as an MLS U22 Initiative player, forward Lyle Foster joined the Houston Dynamo on loan, and the Columbus Crew continued to improve on offense by signing Moroccan winger Anass Zaroury on loan from Panathinaikos.

Free Kicks

  • Former Orlando Pride player Christina Burkenroad is retiring from professional soccer and Monterrey will have Saturday’s game against Toluca be a send-off match for her.

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: 9/3/26

Orlando Pride prepare for home game, Gary Lewis named Orlando City SC academy director, 2027 U.S. Open Cup format unveiled, and more.

Published

3 days ago

on

September 3, 2026

By

Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a fairly hectic week for me so far, but things are starting to wind down as we get ready for the weekend. I was at least able to catch “Coyote vs. Acme” in theaters and highly recommend it if needing a laugh or even just some motivation to keep on keeping on. Let’s get to the links!

Orlando Pride Prepare for Home Game Amidst Changes

The Orlando Pride will play their first game since Seb Hines’s departure on Sunday when they host the Houston Dash. Following their 2-1 loss to the Utah Royals, the Pride have fallen to 12th in the NWSL standings with eight games remaining this season. Sunday’s match will be interim head coach Yolanda Thomas’s first game at the helm and she spoke on how she and the team have been navigating the changes this week while still preparing to take all three points.

Gary Lewis Named Orlando City Academy Director

Orlando City named Gary Lewis as its new academy director to oversee the club’s development pathway for young players. He joins Orlando from the Chicago Fire organization, where he served as the technical director of that club’s academy. Before coming to the U.S. for stints with the Philadelphia Union, Seattle Sounders, and New York Red Bulls, he was Liverpool’s head of youth development and coached one of Everton’s youth teams as well. Hopefully he’ll be able to take Orlando’s academy to another level.

All U.S. MLS Clubs Will Participate in 2027 U.S. Open Cup

After a couple of years of only partial participation, it was announced that the 2027 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will feature all 27 MLS teams that are based in the U.S. The MLS teams will join the fray in the round of 64, which will take place in July against regional opponents from the first round. While the MLS NEXT Pro teams like Orlando City B that are affiliated with an MLS club can’t compete, the players will be able to play for their senior team in the tournament. With the shift in the MLS calendar starting next year, this tournament should be a nice way to showcase soccer across the country as the 2027-2028 MLS season gets rolling.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The MLS secondary transfer window came to a close and several teams not named Orlando City made big moves as they prepare for the home stretch of the season. The Columbus Crew have a new Designated Player, signing midfielder Santiago Rodriguez from Botafogo in Brazil. St. Louis City also added some firepower, bringing in American forward Damion Downs on loan from Southampton through the 2027 Sprint Season with an option to buy. As for other players coming to the league, midfielder Giuliano Galoppo joined Atlanta United on loan from River Plate, FC Cincinnati signed midfielder David Doudera from Slavia Prague, and Inter Miami added 19-year-old forward Riquelme Fillipi from Palmeiras.

There were also notable moves between MLS clubs, with the Colorado Rapids receiving a club-record $12 million from St. Louis in exchange for Designated Player forward Rafael Navarro. Toronto FC acquired winger Lewis Morgan from San Diego FC for an international roster slot. San Diego also sent Sam Vines out on loan to the Houston Dynamo.

Free Kicks

  • Enjoy Ivan Angulo and David Brekalo trading goals against each other in training.

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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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/2/26

Orlando Pride’s new direction, Orlando City power rankings, MLS NEXT Pro playoff changes, and more.

Published

4 days ago

on

September 2, 2026

By

Image of Wilder Cartagena playing the ball as Robin Jansson looks on.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s a little odd not having a midweek match this week, but given how congested the schedule is the rest of the month, we should probably enjoy it. Speaking of enjoying things, some have said that season 4 of Ted Lasso hasn’t been as good, but I think that each episode is better than the last. It can be tough to recapture the magic of a beloved show, but I think they’re doing it. Rant over. Let’s get to the links.

Thomas’ Tenure Begins

With the Orlando Pride parting ways with Seb Hines on Monday, Yolanda Thomas begins her stint as interim head coach. Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations & General Manager Caitlin Carducci said that the club believes the pieces are in place to win matches and make the playoffs, and that hopefully Thomas will be able to make that happen. As we said on SkoPurp Soccer: An Orlando Pride PawedCast, that might be a pretty tall order. In the latest ESPN NWSL power rankings, the Pride have fallen to the 12th spot. To be fair, Hines started as an interim head coach as well, so Thomas should be given the opportunity to earn the permanent position. Her first opportunity to prove she has the right stuff comes Sunday against the Houston Dash in Orlando.

Orlando City Falls

Orlando City is on the edge of the playoffs sitting in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, but dropped to 19th in the MLSSoccer.com power rankings after dropping two points to Minnesota United FC in a match that almost saw them drop all three points. I think my feelings on power rankings are well known, but I think they may have gotten it correct this go-around.

MLS NEXT Pro Playoff Changes

With only three matches left until the playoffs begin, MLS NEXT Pro has updated the league’s playoff format for 2026 by adding a play-in round. The top seven teams from each conference on Decision Day will still make the playoffs. The 8th and 9th seeded teams will play for the final spot in the respective conference. The top four teams in each conference will still get to pick their opponent. As of today, the rule change puts Orlando City B one point out of the play-in round.

USWNT Soccer News

The 2027 Women’s World Cup is less than a year away, and while it’s likely that the USWNT will qualify, one shouldn’t take that for granted. Here is what Emma Hayes’ team will need to do to make it. The USWNT lost last time around but are the Yanks once again considered the favorite heading into 2027? We can also take a look at which players Hayes may call up for the World Cup are doing well and which are not. Speaking of call-ups, we now know which players U-17 Women’s National Team Head Coach Katie Schoepfer has chosen for the September training camp.

Free Kicks

  • Gotham has reportedly re-signed Rose Lavelle through 2029 using the High Impact Player rule that allows a team to spend up to $1 million in additional funds outside of the salary cap on a player.
  • The Portland Timbers are reportedly acquiring veteran center back Joel Waterman. Wait a minute. teams can add experienced center backs? Has anyone told Orlando City?

That will do it for today. Check back with The Mane Land as we get you ready for the Orlando City and Orlando Pride matches this weekend. Vamos Orlando!

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