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Lion Links: 5/3/19

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7 years ago

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What’s up, Mane Landers? It’s another exciting weekend with all three of Orlando’s teams in action. Unlike last Saturday’s triple-header, this weekend’s games are spread out, with Orlando City B playing tonight, Orlando City tomorrow, and the Pride on Sunday. But before we can get to the action, we have to get through one last day of the work week. Luckily, I have some links to make the start of your day a little bit better.

Tesho Akindele Doing Well Off the Bench

Named as “probably the underrated player in MLS” by Orlando City Head Coach James O’Connor, forward Tesho Akindele is performing well for the Lions so far. Whether it be as a starter or off the bench, the former MLS Rookie of the Year has a good understanding of the different attacking weapons the Lions have at their disposal. Akindele thrives in keeping opponents guessing and a strong work ethic and desire to improve make him a good fit for whatever plans O’Connor has for him in any given match.

Lions Look to Beat the Heat

It’s no secret that Orlando City struggles once May comes around. It was in May of last year that the Lions had an utter collapse, but O’Connor is focusing on his team and not the past.

“No interest in what’s happened here previously in May,” O’Connor said Wednesday morning. “Literally hasn’t even come into my mindset. We’re focused on Toronto. We feel as if the training this week has been really good. We had a great day yesterday. Great intensity. Yeah, my focus is getting ready for Toronto.”

It will be the first time O’Connor has coached this team in May and he praised his sports science and fitness staff as they prepare the team for the rising temperatures that are sure to come.

Pride Trio Make USWNT World Cup Roster

Three Orlando Pride players were called up to the United States Women’s National Team’s World Cup roster for this summer’s tournament. Alex Morgan, Ashlyn Harris, and Ali Krieger will all be making the trip to France in June. While Morgan and Harris’ inclusion was to be expected, Krieger was a bit of a surprise although she had been called up to the team in recent months for friendlies. We will have to wait and see if Krieger earns her 100th cap, but for now we can be excited for her, Morgan, and Harris as they head to represent their country on the biggest stage.

MLS All-Star Opponent Confirmed

Atletico Madrid will be this year’s opponent for the MLS All-Star game on July 31 at Orlando City Stadium. It will be the first time that the 10-time La Liga champions will be in the the All-Star Game and they should prove a tough opponent for the best in MLS. It won’t be until later this summer that we learn who will represent MLS, but Andrew Wiebe of mlssoccer.com released who he believes will play in the mid-season classic. I don’t know about you, but the idea of Nani and Zlatan playing together already has me excited.

Orlando City B Returns Home Still Winless

The drought continues for Orlando City B as the Young Lions returned from Texas with no more points than when they left. Still without a win, OCB enters its sixth game of the season. Although the team has shown improvement throughout the course of the season, OCB has rarely looked like a team capable of dominating a match. The Young Lions look to change that tonight when they host Chattanooga Red Wolves SC at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Free Kicks

  • While some argue that Krieger’s World Cup inclusion is a testament to USWNT Head Coach Jill Ellis mismanaging her fullbacks, Pride forward Sydney Leroux wasted no time in praising Krieger for toughing it out during the journey to this moment.

  • Speaking of the USWNT roster, a ranking was done for how important each player is to the U.S. winning it all this summer. On a hot streak that has lasted over a year, Morgan is set to be one of the veteran players who will be counted on when the team faces adversity.
  • American defender Omar Gonzalez may be returning to MLS, with Toronto FC as a reported destination. Toronto’s defense has been leaky this season and the 30-year-old would start soon, although surely not in time in for Toronto’s game with Orlando tomorrow at 4 p.m.
  • Portland Timbers defender Bill Tuiloma won MLS Goal of the Week honors for his volley off of a corner in the the Timbers’ road win against Toronto.

  • Former OCB goalkeeper Mark Ridgers has signed a new contract with Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC of Scotland.

That’s all from me. I hope all of you have a fantastic Friday and a great weekend. Make sure to stay hydrated as things heat up and temperatures climb.

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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

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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.

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

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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.

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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