The Orlando Lions was an American soccer team from Orlando, Florida 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 SC team, which played in the third-tier USL Pro league between 2010 and 2014, and now plays in Major League Soccer.
Founded in 1985, the Orlando Lions joined the third incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1988. The team joined the American Professional 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, Florida.
The second Orlando Lions were a soccer club based in Orlando, Florida. The team began in the USISL and, in 1995, moved to the USISL Premier League.
USISL MVP
USISL Top Scorer
USISL All-Star
USISL Coach of the Year