The Orlando Lions was an American soccer team from Orlando, Florida

Orlando, Florida

Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...

 which existed from 1985 to 1996. Over the years, the Lions competed at both the amateur and professional levels including some seasons as an independent team.

The Lions is a nickname that has persisted in the area in connection with later efforts to bring pro soccer to the area. It is used as a nickname for the current Orlando City S.C. team, which will play in the third-tier USL Pro

USL Pro

The USL Professional Division, commonly known as USL Pro , is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011....

 league beginning in 2011.

ASL/APSL

Founded in 1985, the Orlando Lions joined the third incarnation of the American Soccer League

American Soccer League

The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional soccer leagues in the United States. The first American Soccer League was established in 1921 by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For...

 in 1988. The team joined the American Professional Soccer League

American Professional Soccer League

The American Professional Soccer League is a former professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. It was the first outdoor soccer league to feature teams from throughout the United States since the demise of the original North American Soccer League...

 in 1990 when the ASL merged with the Western Alliance. They merged with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers after the 1990 season. The club played in Orlando

Orlando, Florida

Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...

, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

.

Former Players

Tom Elias (1985)http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1989.html Frank Arlasky (1989)http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1989.html Greg Brick (1990-1993) Justin Bryant

Justin Bryant

Justin Bryant is an American writer and former U.S. minor league soccer goalkeeper.-Youth and college:...

 (1988) Rod Castro (1989) http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1989.html Paul Dougherty

Paul Dougherty

Paul Dougherty is an English former professional footballer and football coach who began his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers in England...

 (1990) Oscar Draguicevich

Oscar Draguicevich

Oscar Draguicevich is a retired American soccer player who spent three seasons in Major League Soccer. He also played in the American Professional Soccer League, Continental Indoor Soccer League, National Professional Soccer League and the German third division...

 (1990) Mark Francis

Mark Francis

Mark Francis was an English-American soccer midfielder who played in the American Soccer League, American Indoor Soccer Association, SISL and USISL. He has also coached at the high school, college and professional levels...

 (1988-89) Brian Haynes

Brian Haynes

Bryan Haynes is a retired Trinidad soccer midfielder who earned twenty-one caps with the Trinidad and Tobago national football team. He spent his entire professional career in the United States where he played for numerous indoor and outdoor league...

 (1990) 20 Apps 9 Goals Sebastian Janikowski

Sebastian Janikowski

Sebastian Janikowski is a left-footed Polish placekicker who plays for the National Football League's Oakland Raiders. He is nicknamed The Polish Cannon because he is considered to have one of the strongest kicking legs in the league, and leads the NFL in kickoffs for touchbacks. He lives in...

 at U-19 level, NFL placekicker Lou Karbiener

Lou Karbiener

Lou Karbiener is a retired American soccer defender who played professionally in the American Soccer League and USISL.Karbiener played collegiate soccer at Penn State University from . He was a 1982 First Team All American. In December 1982, the Tulsa Roughnecks selected Karbiener in the second...

 (1988) http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1988.html Mark Lamb (1988) http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1988.html Bob Lilley

Bob Lilley

Robert "Bob" Lilley is an American former soccer player and head coach. He has managed the Hershey Wildcats, Montreal Impact, Vancouver Whitecaps, Detroit Ignition, and Rochester Rhinos....

 (1989-90) Franklin McIntosh (1989) http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1989.html Alan Rough

Alan Rough

Alan Roderick Rough is a former Scottish international goalkeeper, who won over 50 caps and played in two FIFA World Cups...

 (1988) Tom Silvas

Tom Silvas

Thomas “Tom” Silvas is a former U.S. soccer forward who played three seasons in the Western Soccer Alliance, one in the American Professional Soccer League and at least two in the USISL. He earned two caps with the U.S. national team in 1986 and currently coaches youth soccer.-High school and...

 (1990) Mark Simpson

Mark Simpson (soccer)

Mark Simpson is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who spent six seasons with D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He backstopped the team to the MLS Cup 1996. He also spent one season in the American Professional Soccer League, two in the USISL and six in the National Professional Soccer...

 (1990) Christopher Sullivan

Christopher Sullivan (soccer)

Christopher Sullivan is a retired U.S. soccer midfielder/forward and current soccer trainer and sports broadcaster.-Youth and college:...

 (1989) Tom Wurdack John Mailander (1989-90) Ajit Korgaokar (1985-89)

Year-by-year

Year	Division	League	Reg. Season	Playoffs	Open Cup
1988	N/A	ASL	4th, Southern	Did not qualify	Did not enter
1989	N/A	ASL	4th, Southern	Did not qualify	Did not enter
1990	N/A	APSL	3rd, ASL South	Did not qualify	Did not enter

USISL

The second Orlando Lions were a soccer club based in Orlando, Florida

Orlando, Florida

Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...

. The team began in the USISL and, in 1995, moved to the USISL Premier League.

Year-by-year

Year	Division	League	Reg. Season	Playoffs	Open Cup
1992	N/A	USISL	1st, Southeast	Sizzling Six	Did not enter
1993	N/A	USISL	1st, Southeast	Final	Did not enter
1993/94	N/A	USISL Indoor	4th, Southeast	Did not qualify	N/A
1994	3	USISL	4th, Southeast	Divisional Semifinals	Did not enter
1994/95	N/A	USISL Indoor	3rd, North/South	Did not qualify	N/A
1995	"4"	USISL Premier League	8th, Eastern	Did not qualify	Did not enter
1995/96	N/A	USISL Indoor	2nd, Southeast	Did not qualify	N/A
1995	"4"	USISL Premier League	2nd, Southern	Did not qualify	Did not enter
1996	4	USISL Premier League	2nd EC Southern	unknown	Did not enter

Coaches

Mark Dillon (1985-1988) John Higgins

John Higgins

John Higgins MBE is a Scottish professional snooker player and the reigning World Champion. With four world titles in all he is fourth overall in the modern era, behind Stephen Hendry , Steve Davis and Ray Reardon...

 (1988-1989) Gary Hindley

Gary Hindley

Gary Hindley is an American soccer coach. He has coached youth soccer, high school, college and professional teams. He won Coach of the Year honors in 1984 in the United Soccer League, 1991 American Professional Soccer League and 1998...

 (1989-1990) Mark Dillon (1992-1993) Steve Lions (1995-96) Indoor

Players

Sheldon Lee (soccer) (1992-93) 29 Apps 32 Goals

• Greg Brick 1990-1993 Warren Russ (1993) Joseph Duarte (1995-96) Indoor GAA 2.5 Michael "Mugs" Mugavero (1992-93) 25 Apps 7 goals 15 assists

Yearly Awards

USISL MVP

• 1992: Sheldon Lee

USISL Top Scorer

• 1993: Sheldon Lee

USISL All-Star

• 1992: *Robin Chan
  Robin Chan (soccer)
  Robin Chan is a retired Malaysian-American football player who coaches the Florida Institute of Technology men's soccer team. He played professionally in the USISL.-Player:Although born in Malaysia, Chan grew up in Walton-on-Thames in England...
  
  
• 1993 - Sheldon Lee, David Mackey

USISL Coach of the Year

• 1993: Mark Dillon