The Mane Land: for Orlando City SC fans

Orlando City got smoked in Montreal like the meat they sell at the delis there. The Lions were never really in the 4-1 road loss, even when they cut the 2-0 deficit in half on Joao Moutinho’s goal. The side was missing much more than center back Robin Jansson. It was lacking any kind of connectivity from back to front. As a result, the Lions attempted only two shots in the match — an even more dismal offensive output than in the ho...

Orlando City met expansion Charlotte FC for the first time ever and came away with all three points, washing the terrible taste of the Red Bulls match out of our mouths — much like cleansing the palate from the awful taste of actual Red Bull. The Lions were far from perfect but a standout performance from Ruan — his best of the season so far — helped Orlando City get back in the win column. We break down the match and some of the c...

Orlando City waited exactly one week after Easter to lay an egg. The Lions played easily their worst game of the year so far when the New York Red Bulls visited Exploria Stadium on Sunday, mustering only three lousy shot attempts and getting none of them on target. Orlando City was lethargic, lacked any kind of passing precision, and couldn’t find a way past, through, or over New York.

But it wasn’t an entirely bad week for the Lion...

Orlando City kept up its solid road form this past weekend with a 2-0 win over the Crew in Columbus. It was a standout performance for the Lions, particularly Rodrigo Schlegel — who opened his MLS account — and Facundo Torres, who was influential on both Orlando goals. We broke down the match and ranted a bit about Schlegel getting snubbed for MLS Team of the Week. We also selected our Man of the Match, which was unanimous.

Orlando ...

Orlando City got back in the win column at home on Saturday afternoon with a victory over the Chicago Fire. The Lions should have scored more goals, and we all would have enjoyed it more if they had, but in the end, the team is creating scoring opportunities and it seems only a matter of time before they start putting crooked numbers on the board more often — provided Orlando can continue to create those chances. Dave Rohe and I br...

Orlando City has probably not looked as fluid and dangerous in a game and still lost as it did on Saturday night when LAFC handed the Lions a 4-2 loss at home. Things didn’t go as planned and that included a chalked off opening goal by Alexandre Pato, a serious-looking injury to Antonio Carlos, some defensive lapses that allowed the visitors to score on their scarce opportunities, and some big saves down the stretch from the opposi...

Orlando City was so close to making it back-to-back wins out west, but a foolish foul in the box allowed the Portland Timbers to fire up Timber Joey’s saw and equalize in an eventual 1-1 draw. The Lions still did well to gain four of six points on two of the longest road trips they have in MLS. We break down the draw, discuss Mauricio Pereyra’s injury, and select our Man of the Match.

We’re then joined by Jonathan Reimer, host of th...

Orlando City followed a crazy home loss to FC Cincinnati with almost a mirror image game in a 1-0 win on the road against the LA Galaxy. Both games saw the team with fewer chances, fewer shots, and much less possession find a way to win the game. We break down the win over Chicharito and company, with the Lions getting their first dub in the state of California and only their second in the Pacific time zone. We also selected our Ma...

Orlando City suffered its first loss of the season and one would never have guessed that would come at the hands of an FC Cincinnati side riding 14 straight losses and which had yet to score a goal in 2022. But soccer is a funny game and sometimes the joke is on you. So it was on Saturday as the Lions dominated every statistical category but the one that matters most in a 2-1 home loss. In the first absence of co-host David Rohe in...

Orlando City is only two games into the season but already the Lions have had points stolen from their season-ending total. The 0-0 draw away against the Chicago Fire was an ugly match that perhaps deserved to finish scoreless but Junior Urso’s strike was called good on the field and there was nothing on the replays to show any reason to chalk it off. That didn’t stop Ismir Pekmic, however, as he spent four minutes looking for his ...

Orlando City liked its 2-0 win over CF Montreal on Decision Day 2021 so much that the Lions duplicated it to start the 2022 season. Montreal came to town and had a frustrating day, while Alexandre Pato ended some of his frustrations and the Lions remained unbeaten on opening day while winning for just the second time in eight tries in the opener.

We break down Sunday’s match and select our Man of the Match. We also discuss the relie...

Orlando City put the 2022 preseason to bed with a pair of results — a 2-2 draw vs. FC Cincinnati and a 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Lions are in full preparation mode for Sunday’s season opener against CF Montreal at Exploria Stadium. Before we get to that preview, we look back at the week’s worth of news, including which draft picks were signed and which were released. We also close the book on the preseason slate and d...

Orlando City still hasn’t won in preseason play but the Lions got a result on Friday night with a 1-1 draw against a stubborn Colorado Rapids team. Robin Jansson’s goal was canceled out by Diego Rubio in a bit of a defensive struggle that was mostly played between the penalty areas. Young Designated Player Facundo Torres made his Orlando City debut and played well, showing flashes of what Lions fans can expect from the 21-year-old.

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Orlando City got its 2022 preseason underway with a pair of matches within the past week and neither the results nor the injury news was what Lions fans were looking for. The club dropped its opener to Minnesota United — or was it the Chicago Fire? Nah, we’re pretty sure it was the Loons — last Thursday and then fell 1-0 to FC Dallas on Saturday. The latter match had the added angst of seeing new Designated Player striker Ercan Kar...

Orlando City officially signed Austrian striker Ercan Kara to a Designated Player contract. The new DP center forward will wear the No. 9 and fill that role for the Orlando attack after arriving on a three-year deal with two club option years. We’re excited to welcome him to the fold and to have a replacement for Daryl Dike, and can’t wait to see how he fits in with the group as the preseason progresses.

The Lions also reversed thei...

Orlando City had a busy week off the pitch even as the Lions were getting down to business in preseason training. The long-awaited signing of winger Facundo Torres became official this week but fans will need to wait a little longer for him to arrive after the international window. Torres signed as a Young Designated Player and will be expected to make a big impact in 2022. The wing position also got a departure this week as news b...

Orlando City still has yet to replace three key departures in the attack — Daryl Dike, Nani, and Chris Mueller — but the Lions did retain Alexandre Pato. The Duck returns for 2022 and can hopefully stay healthy long enough to display some of his considerable talent as the club vies for a third consecutive playoff appearance. That might not happen without offensive reinforcements and the news has been light on that front. There have...

Orlando City is in the midst of its off-season roster makeover that feels more like a rebuild after losing so much offense in the forms of Daryl Dike, Nani, and Chris Mueller. There haven’t been any additions to the attack as far as transfers, but the Lions did add a couple of attacking players via Tuesday’s 2022 MLS SuperDraft. We’ll tell you what little we know about Orlando’s three draftees.

Dike said goodbye but it’s good to hav...

The Orlando Pride had a busy week with an Expansion Draft, a regular draft, and multiple trades, including the long-awaited details on Alex Morgan’s move to San Diego. We break down the former Pride players selected by expansion Angel City, the trades related to the NWSL Expansion Draft, the details of the Morgan deal, and we go pick by pick through the draft day happenings. Pride GM Ian Fleming and new Orlando Head Coach Amanda Cr...