Lion Links: 7/19/18

Hey, Mane Landers. Hope you are all enjoying a wonderful Thursday. As the Lions come off of the 1-0 loss to the Philadelphia Union last night, they look ahead to the Columbus Crew this Saturday to try to bounce back. Among other things, Atlanta United and Orlando City agreed on something for once and a young Lion was loaned. With that said, lets get into today’s links.

Lions Fall 1-0 to Union in U.S. Open Quarterfinals

Alejandro Bedoya’s fourth-minute goal was the lone goal of the match as the Union advanced past the Lions, 1-0 in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals. For City, the chance at its deepest run in Open Cup history ended Wednesday night as the Lions were ousted from the quarterfinals of the tournament for the third time.

The loss now allows Orlando to put all of its attention to MLS as the club picked up its first victory in 10 games after the 2-1 win over Toronto FC this past Saturday. Plenty of negatives come with Wednesday’s loss, one being the very strong lineup that Head Coach James O’Connor placed on the pitch, which included Dom Dwyer, Sacha Kljestan, and Chris Mueller.

Orlando and Atlanta Supporter Groups’ Gain Back Privileges

As many of you remember, the match against Atlanta United on May 13 did not end in a healthy, professional way. Objects were thrown on the field as time expired when Atlanta left Orlando City Stadium with three points.

Atlanta United has identified and banned numerous fans who partook in the actions of throwing bottles and other objects on the field in Orlando. Atlanta has also reinstated the rights for Orlando City supporters in Mercedes-Benz Stadium as well.

These efforts from both clubs are being made to keep the rivalry between the clubs healthy and make each environment in their respective stadiums safe and exciting. The clubs meet again on Aug. 24 at Orlando City Stadium.

Pierre Da Silva Loaned To Saint Louis FC

Pierre Da Silva is on the move again as he was loaned to USL side Saint Louis FC on Wednesday. The 19-year-old midfielder has been loaned to Saint Louis FC before, as his previous loan ended in May. He is again with the USL side for a short time as his loan ends on July 29. Da Silva will be available for Saint Louis FC when they host Orange County FC on July 21 as well as when the club travels to face Reno 1868 FC a week later.

Cristiano Ronaldo Not Participating in U.S. Tour

In honestly unsurprising fashion, Cristiano Ronaldo is unlikely to travel with Juventus for its American summer tour. Juventus confirmed that even though Ronaldo will be available prior to the actual tour, he will stay in Italy and train with the staff and other players. This news ends pipe dreams for American soccer fans who were hoping Ronaldo would make an appearance in the MLS All-Star Game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Aug. 1. This also shuts down the idea of Ronaldo facing Real Madrid in the International Champions Cup on Aug. 5 in Washington. This news isn’t exactly surprising as its unlikely most of Juve’s first team will travel on this tour either, so sadly Ronaldo won’t be in America playing soccer just yet.

Miami Stadium Proposal Up For Public Vote

As David Beckham and his new Miami MLS team continue progression, the city commission of Miami has stated that voters will decide whether to allow Miami to lease land to the club’s ownership group, headed by David Beckham and the Mas brothers. The group has planned to build a complex on land that is currently owned by a golf club open to the public, so some problems have risen about the possibility of the stadium being built on the land. The project is said to include a 25,000-seat stadium along with entertainment options as well.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City posted a video of James O’Connor’s pregame speech Saturday night prior to the Lions’ 2-1 win over Toronto FC and it’s something to see.
• Korean side Ulsan Hyundai acquired American midfielder Mix Diskerud from EPL champions Manchester City.
• D.C. United officially announced a new USL affiliate, Loudoun United FC.
• Mike Petke was informed that received a two-game suspension and a fine for his outburst against Minnesota United FC.

I leave you today with something I hope everyone saw. As sports fans, everyone should know by now about Jim Kelly’s story and his successful fight with cancer. Last night at the ESPYs, Kelly gave a very emotional and impactful speech as he was awarded the Jimmy V Award. The entire speech is below and its a great watch for anyone that has followed his story.

Everyone have a great rest of their week and root for the Lions on Saturday against the Crew and the Pride against the Reign.