Lion Links: 8/18/18

Happy match day, everyone! It’s time for the Orlando Pride to shock the world and find a way to beat the North Carolina Courage on the road. That match will take place tonight at 7 p.m. and it’s kind of a big deal because Orlando’s tenuous hold on the final NWSL playoff spot is slipping like Sarah at the beginning of the Sylvester Stallone movie, Cliffhanger.

Hopefully Sydney Leroux’s return will spark the Pride on to victory tonight, but while we wait, let’s get some linking done.

Cristian Higuita’s Red Card Appeal Denied

Wait, what? Orlando City actually tried to appeal a red card where the referee used video review to assign intent when no intent was clear? We’ve seen repeatedly that calls don’t go Orlando’s way, even when common sense and the rules specifically are easy to follow, so it’s not a surprise that the MLS Independent Panel (should I put Independent in quotation marks?) has denied the Lions’ appeal to overturn Higuita’s red card, which came in the 54th minute of last weekend’s absurd loss at D.C. United.

Higuita was also fined for failure to leave the field in a timely manner. Because there’s no such thing as too much salt in Orlando City’s wounds.

Orlando City Loans Grinwis to Real Monarchs

The Lions sent backup goalkeeper Adam Grinwis to Salt Lake City yesterday on a two-game loan to Real Monarchs of the USL. If both teams agree, the 26-year-old’s loan can be extended for the remainder of the 2018 season. This is a good move for Grinwis, who has made the 18 this season but hasn’t seen any action in competitive matches since joining Orlando City in January. Hopefully Adam can see the field against the Tulsa Roughnecks and/or La Galaxy II and show what he can do.

Yoshi Tabbed for Upcoming Peru Friendlies

Orlando City midfielder Yoshimar Yotún may not be allowed to play next week against Atlanta, but the Peruvian international can rep his country in some upcoming friendlies against Germany and the Netherlands.

Yoshi and company will visit the Netherlands on Sept. 6 and Germany on Sept. 9. That would take him out of the country for Orlando City’s match on Sept. 8 at Sporting Kansas City. Oh well.

Luke Boden Takes Assistant Coaching Gig at Rollins College

Longtime Orlando City MLS and USL player Luke Boden has a new gig. In addition to plans to play with the Orlando SeaWolves this upcoming season, Bodz will assist Keith Buckley in leading the Rollins College men’s soccer team.

“Luke has a great soccer pedigree and a very strong affinity to the area,” says Buckley. “We are very fortunate that Luke has decided to be a part of our program and I am looking forward to him developing our players and attracting very strong well educated players to Rollins.”

Good luck to Luke in his new job with the Tars.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City would like you to get to know Jenny Chiu.

• Brazil has named its squad ahead of the September 7 friendly against the USMNT at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. There are plenty of big names on it, like Neymar, Willian, and Alisson.
• No real details yet, but La Liga is poised to become the first major European soccer league to stage a regular-season match in the United States. That should be pretty cool.
• Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne will miss three months of the season with a knee injury but won’t require surgery.
• The Portland Timbers have claimed former D.C. United goalkeeper Steve Clark on waivers.
• Those born on this date in history include baseball legend Roberto Clemente (1934), Robert Redford (1936), actor/comedian Martin Mull (1943), Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze (1952), Denis Leary (1957), Edward Norton (1969), Christian Slater (1969), Malcolm-Jamal Warner (1970), Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Andy Samberg (1978 – “Nine-Nine!”), football’s Bart Scott and Jeremy Shockey (both in 1980), and Costa Rican international Bryan Ruiz (1985).

That’s all the time I have today. Check back with The Mane Land later on for full coverage of the Orlando Pride at the North Carolina Courage and enjoy your weekend.