Lion Links: 9/29/16

Happy Thursday y’all. Well, the good news is the Lions didn’t concede four goals and also didn’t lose. The bad news is that Orlando City also didn’t win despite being up a man for the final 20 minutes.

Oh well, playoffs are stupid anyway.

So, let’s distract ourselves from that widening playoff gap by diving into some Lion Links.

Orlando City 0, Toronto FC 0

The Lions went north of the border last night to a place they’d been outscored 9-1 in two previous trips. This was on the heels of three consecutive games in which they’d conceded four goals in each match. So, Toronto won 12-0, right? Wrong, pessimist! Orlando kept a clean sheet and, while it didn’t win the game, took a step in the right direction heading into the final three games of the year. Here’s all the info you need:

• Michael Citro has your match recap.
• Wade Williams doled out the player grades and Man of the Match.
• Our friends at Waking the Red have the enemy’s perspective.

Be sure to check back later this morning for more coverage.

Create a Mural for Orlando City’s New Stadium

Do you have a knack for art and a passion for your local soccer club? Orlando City is calling on local artists to create murals for the new downtown soccer-specific stadium. The club will give four local artists the chance to paint a scaled-down version of their artwork at the annual Creative City Project in Orlando on Oct. 15. Then, two artists will be voted on by fans to be featured in the stadium. If you’re interested in displaying your artwork in the stadium, which will rotate as the season goes, you can apply here.

So, uh, yeah. Good luck if you’re an artist. If you’re like me and can’t paint or draw or do anything worth a damn, keep scrolling to the next link.

Can Orlando City B Knock Off the Top Dogs?

Orlando City B, the final team to get into the USL playoffs, is set to take on New York Red Bulls II Sunday in the first round of the USL playoffs. OCB has its work cut out, after finishing the regular season 24 points behind its playoff counterparts.

The preview marks midfielder Pierre Da Silva as OCB’s key player for the match. That’s probably true, given that he’s probably been the best player on the team this year.

Mauro Manotas wins SBN’s MLS POTW Award

Mauro Manotas’ hat trick for the Houston Dynamo over the Portland Timbers earned him MLS Player of the Week honors, as voted on by SB Nation’s MLS sites. Manotas earned 19 points for PotW, two more than Seattle’s Jordan Morris, who had a two-goal performance in the Sounders’ win over the LA Galaxy. The hat trick gave Manotas four goals this season, which is tied for second most on a team that has struggled all years.

Well, there you have it folks. Enjoy your Thursday.