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Lion Links: 2/2/18

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9 years ago

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Welcome to another Friday adventure in internet land, Mane Landers. I hope you have survived this monstrous week filled with loads of Orlando City and Orlando Pride transfers. Personally, I am still trying to catch my breath and rest my fingers. I don’t think the front office is done yet, but we may have to wait. In the meantime, let’s dig right in to the best of the best links from around the web.

Mohamed has Landed

The long awaited day has finally come. After signing the left back from Serbian side FK Partizan Belgrade back in December, Orlando City has just been waiting for everything to clear for Mohamed El-Munir. Well, it definitely appears as though the paperwork concerns are over and everything is great.

Welcome to Orlando, Mohamed. Now please grab your things and get to Jacksonville as quickly as you can, good sir! Preseason training is already underway.

Kreis Discusses Team on Extra Time Radio

This has been the most heart-wrenching and agonizing off-season I can remember, and these are good things. I also believe that there is more to come. While we continue to wait with baited breath for the next hint or crumb of who the next Lion will be, I guess we will be forced to snack on the nuggets of information sneaking out of training camp. One such nugget comes straight from Head Coach Jason Kreis himself as he recently sat down with Extra Time Radio to discuss Orlando City’s apparent all-or-nothing roster shake-up, where Sacha Kljestan may play, and other items I will not spoil. Listen for yourself.

In Regards to Those Additional Transfers

Dusan Cvetinovic, the Serbian center back rumored for a few weeks now to be in talks with Orlando, may not be coming after all, at least not yet. According to some European papers, Orlando City’s offer was short of the requested amount to secure the transfer of Cvetinovic. Does this mean that the deal is completely dead? You can never count any transfer dead. We here at The Mane Land are watching intently and will keep you updated as this progresses, if it progresses.

USSF Now and Tomorrow

Sunil Gulati, the current president of USSF, recently spoke at the U.S. Youth Soccer Hall of Fame ceremony in Philadelphia. Part of his speech was spent defending himself and the choices made from the barrage of accusations from the current batch of presidential candidates.

Speaking of the candidates, half of them have been asked to speak with the Athlete Council. As a quick refresh and primer, the Athlete Council is made up of 20 current and former national team players and collectively holds 20% of the vote because of their status as a voting bloc.

Kathy Carter, Carlos Cordeiro, Kyle Martino and Michael Winograd were all asked to take part in calls today, although a representative for the Council warns that these four do not necessarily represent the top four candidates for the Council at this time.

Geoff Cameron Lets it all Out

USMNT center back Geoff Cameron, one of the most experienced and athletic center backs currently logging caps for the team, has come forward to give some of his thoughts on how the USMNT missed punching its ticket to Russia. According to Cameron, who was left out of the starting XI for both of the final qualifying matches against Panama (a 4-0 win for the U.S.) and Trinidad and Tobago (a 2-1 loss for the U.S.). A lot comes out in the interview and it is very interesting to see a player’s perspective on the entire story. I highly recommend taking a few minutes to see Geoff’s side, love him or hate him.

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  • Are you a fan of #RichieCam yet? Do you even know about #RichieCam? Hop on board with Dom Dwyer and Scott Sutter to learn all about it.

  • Get to know Eddie Hawkins, the first African-American to earn a cap for the USMNT. The year was 1984. Let that sink in for a few minutes. I was a 9-year-old.
  • Want to know how Orlando’s whirlwind off-season compares to that other team that joined MLS almost four seasons ago? Here you go.
  • When you play for Swansea and score a brace against Arsenal in a comeback victory at home, you should be careful how you celebrate the goals.
  • Toronto FC has signed Gregory van der Wiel, a defender with World Cup experience. Van der Wiel now becomes the 13th player in MLS history to have played in a World Cup final.
  • Stuart Holden in a dress for his daughter’s birthday party might be the best thing ever. I have done the same thing and rocked the hell out of the princess dress too, Stuart.

That is it for today folks, except for this little nugget of fun. You know I can’t help but drop a little music in that is somehow tied to the week’s events. Welcome to Black History Month, and let me please introduce you to Zeal & Ardor. They’re what happens when the internet dares a composer to create an album mashing up traditional slave hymnals and black metal. This album was one of my favorites of 2017, as it is one of the most creative albums I have heard in some time.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 8/18/26

Americans in midweek action, WAFCON takeaways, senior FIFA official fired, and more.

Published

12 hours ago

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August 18, 2026

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Image of Barbra Banda holding off a Washington Spirit defender.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Good morning, everyone. It wasn’t a great weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, as the three outfits combined to take just one point from the nine on offer. Fortunately, Orlando City gets an immediate opportunity to bounce back against the Chicago Fire Wednesday night, before all three teams are back in action over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to talk about today, so let’s have a look at the links.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans playing games during the working week, so get some of the highlights marked down on your calendar. Things get started later today when Tanner Tessmann and Lyon face Fenerbahce in UEFA Champions League qualifying. Wednesday features Johnny Cardoso and Atletico Madrid kicking off their La Liga season against Malaga, before Folarin Balogun and Monaco face Gornik Zabrze in UEFA Conference League qualification play. The week then wraps up on Friday when Haji Wright and Coventry City open the Premier League season against Arsenal.

Takeaways from WAFCON

WAFCON 2026 is officially in the books, so what did we learn from this year’s tournament? For one thing, expanding from 12 teams to 16 was largely successful, as Cameroon won the trophy after getting into the tournament on the strength of its world ranking after being eliminated during qualifying. We also saw a competitive tournament that had some upsets, with first-time participants Malawi making a run all the way to the final, and Zambia failing to get out of the group stage despite racking up six points. That said, attendance was non-existent for matches not involving host Morocco, and the video review process wasn’t exactly speedy for the most part. Still, it was mostly a great tournament and a great showcase for African women’s soccer.

Kevin Lamour Leaves Position as FIFA Executive

Kevin Lamour has been fired from his position as FIFA’s chief operating officer just several weeks after strongly condemning Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors. Lamour said that FIFA’s leadership had been “deceived” when it came to the plan and that losing his job over his opposition to it would be worth it since he would at least be able to sleep well at night. Before his two years at FIFA, Lamour had previously worked alongside Infantino when the two men were at UEFA. FIFA confirmed his departure with a brief statement on Monday afternoon.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

Most summer transfer windows will be closing soon, but we’ve still got plenty of rumors to discuss. We begin with a piece close to home, as Breel Embolo has reportedly rejected the personal terms offered to him by Atlanta United and is said to be negotiating with Ipswich Town. Speaking of the Premier League, Manchester City is reportedly still in pursuit of a deal for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez despite missing the Blues’ stated deadline of Aug. 14 to get a deal done. Moving to Spain, Real Madrid is reportedly interested in signing Martin Zubimendi from Arsenal and has already had contact with his representatives. Finally, Inter Milan is said to be interested in signing Liverpool’s Curtis Jones.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 8/17/26

Lions draw FC Cincinnati, Pride and OCB lose, Americans abroad, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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August 17, 2026

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Image of Orlando City's starters pose for a pregame photo wearing their Archive Collection third kits.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’m back to covering high school sports again for the fall season, with golf, soccer, and football this week. Our beloved Lions, Pride, and OCB were all in action over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw FC Cincinnati at Home

Orlando City drew FC Cincinnati 1-1 on Saturday at Inter.co Stadium. The Lions trailed 1-0 at halftime, but Tyrese Spicer’s early goal in the second half was enough for Orlando to secure a point at home. Orlando City hasn’t won in its last three matches across all competitions and will need to pick up wins down the stretch, with the club sitting outside the MLS playoff spots in the Eastern Conference standings with 21 points. Before the match, Orlando City announced it had signed OCB midfielder Issah Haruna to a short-term contract. Haruna was on the bench but did not play against FC Cincinnati. The Lions have a quick turnaround, with two home matches this week. Orlando City will face the Chicago Fire on Wednesday and Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Pride’s Winless Run Continues with Loss at Portland Thorns

The Orlando Pride fell 2-1 to the Portland Thorns at Providence Park on Saturday. After a scoreless first half, Portland struck first to take a 1-0 lead in the second half. Jacquie Ovalle scored the equalizer for Orlando, but in stoppage time, Caiya Hanks scored a late winner for Portland. Orlando has lost three consecutive matches. The Pride will be on the road for their next match on Sunday against the Washington Spirit.

OCB Falls at Chicago Fire II

Orlando City B fell 2-0 to Chicago Fire II at SeatGeek Stadium on Saturday. Robert Turdean scored the opening goal for Chicago in the first half, and the Fire took a 1-0 lead into halftime. In the second half, Damyan Villanueva added the insurance goal for Chicago, which won its third in four matches. The Young Lions have lost four consecutive matches. OCB will be on the road to take on Atlanta United 2 on Saturday.

Americans Abroad

Let’s catch up on Americans in action abroad in Europe. Sebastian Berhalter and Max Arfsten were both in action for Middlesbrough in a 2-1 win against Lincoln City on Saturday in the EFL Championship. Ricardo Pepi scored, and Sergino Dest notched an assist for PSV Eindhoven in a 2-1 win over Excelsior in the Eredivisie. Gianluca Busio played a full 90 minutes for Venezia as his side defeated Modena 3-2 in the Round of 64 in the Coppa Italia. Austin Trusty scored for Celtic, and Cameron Carter-Vickers was also in action in a 4-0 win against Dundee United, as the Scottish Premiership leaders advanced to the quarterfinals in the Scottish League Cup. On Sunday, former Lion Alex Freeman came off the bench late in the second half for Villarreal in a 2-2 draw against Racing Santander in La Liga.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride forward Seven Castain, who is on loan at Dallas Trinity, scored her first goal for the club in a 1-1 draw against the Tampa Bay Sun on Saturday in the USL Super League.
  • Former Lion Cyle Larin scored for Southampton, but his side fell 2-1 to Watford on Sunday in the EFL Championship.
  • Atlanta United is reportedly close to signing forward Breel Embolo from Stade Rennes for an $18 million transfer fee.

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

Lion Links: 8/14/26

Tahir Reid-Brown traded to St. Louis City, Orlando City unveils new kit, Lions host FC Cincinnati Saturday night, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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August 14, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! It’s been a hectic week, but we’ve thankfully reached the tail end of it and there’s plenty of Orlando soccer awaiting us tomorrow. Beyond working and keeping every finger crossed for Orlando’s teams on Saturday, I plan on catching up on the new season of Ted Lasso. But for now, let’s get to the links!

Tahir Reid-Brown Traded to St. Louis City

Orlando City traded defender Tahir Reid-Brown to St. Louis City in exchange for $150,000 in 2027 General Allocation Money, with another $300,000 in GAM heading Orlando’s way if conditions are met. The 20-year-old climbed the ranks of Orlando’s academy over the years and was signed as the club’s 15th Homegrown Player in January of 2024. Bernardo Rhein’s rise to the first team limited Reid-Brown’s playing time, so hopefully he’ll be able to get more minutes and continue to improve in St. Louis.

Orlando City Reveals New Third Kit

Orlando City unveiled its new “Orlando Original” kit, which is the club’s first third kit since joining MLS. The design is a nice mix of elements from Orlando’s USL days and the city’s hosting of 1994 FIFA World Cup games, while paying tribute to the original Orlando Lions. I didn’t expect it to be quite as red as it is, but I like it, along with the soccer ball pattern that mirrors the match ball from that World Cup. The logo is a bit odd and the sponsor being on the lower back of the kit even odder, but I’m excited to see what it looks like when the Lions wear them on Saturday. Speaking of which…

Orlando City Hosts FC Cincinnati on Saturday

The Lions are back in action on Saturday with a home game against FC Cincinnati in one of the more enticing MLS matchups this weekend. Both teams have conceded goals like a sieve this season, setting up a potential shootout given the talented attacking players expected to take the field. Antoine Griezmann has improved the Lions since joining this summer and hopefully forwards like Marco Pasalic, Justin Ellis, and Daryl Dike can step up and give Orlando an edge against a Cincinnati offense that boasts Evander, Kevin Denkey, and Pavel Bucha.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The Houston Dynamo are reportedly set to transfer Ezequiel Ponce to Elche in La Liga. Houston signed Ponce for a club-record transfer fee in 2024 and he led Houston with 10 goals last season. However, he has yet to score this season despite starting in 17 games. His departure should open the door even wider for former Lion Duncan McGuire to make an impact.

🟠 Sources: Elche finalizing a deal to acquire forward Ezequiel Ponce from the Houston Dynamo.Dynamo acquired Duncan McGuire earlier this summer, the current starter at center forward.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-08-13T17:21:04.138Z

Elsewhere in the league, the New England Revolution bolstered their defense by adding Tylon Smith on loan from Queens Park Rangers, LAFC signed 23-year-old forward Armando Sieb from Bayern Munich, and midfielder Aziel Jackson is already back in MLS on loan with Minnesota United from Jagiellonia Bialystok. Rangers reportedly made a $10 million bid for Portland Timbers forward Kevin Kelsy, who has scored nine goals so far this season.

🇻🇪 Sources: Rangers submit a bid in the region of $10m for Portland Timbers forward Kevin Kelsy.Timbers aren't looking to sell and Kelsy isn't pushing to leave. The 22-year-old Venezuela int'l has 9g/2a in 994 mins this season.Rangers not the only club tracking him.

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert.bsky.social) 2026-08-13T22:41:05.904Z

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That’s all I have for you this time. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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