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Lion Links: 9/19/18

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What’s up, Mane Landers? It’s sure to be another hot day in September as both the work week and perhaps the most grueling Orlando City season ever wear on. A few days ago I suggested that we try enjoying watching the Lions while we still can, but after this past loss, I’m relishing the days between matches as a chance to recharge and relax. Regardless of how the Lions have been doing, there is still plenty of soccer out there to be excited about. Now, let’s get to the links!

Lions Haven’t Thrown In the Towel

Despite being trounced 4-0 Sunday night by the Chicago Fire in one of the worst Orlando City performances in some time, midfielder Yoshimar Yotún doesn’t believe that the Lions have given up on this season. The 28-year-old agrees that it was a poor performance by Orlando, but doesn’t agree with comments regarding the effort the players put in Sunday night.

“It was our worse game in the league, for sure,” Yotún said through a translator. “When you feel that a team has beaten you like that, there’s not much that you can do. But we believe that we have quality players. That we always go after the game, try to get points, no matter what situation we’re in, whether we’re home or away.”

MLS Strength of Schedule Results

With the final stretch of the 2018 MLS season upon us, the folks at MLSsoccer.com have compiled a listing of each team’s remaining strength of schedule. Toronto FC was determined to have the toughest road ahead, while the Lions sit at the eighth-hardest. Although not much remains for Orlando’s postseason aspirations, there is still plenty on the line for the players. James O’Connor is constantly evaluating players and there is plenty of pride worth fighting for as the club is on pace to set the league record in conceded goals.

NWSL Championship Rematch Set

In the second NWSL semifinal, the North Carolina Courage dispatched the Chicago Red Stars with a 2-0 victory in Portland, OR. The Courage will now face the Portland Thorns in the NWSL Championship in a rematch of last year’s final that saw the Thorns beat the Courage, 1-0. Since then, the Courage have only improved and the Thorns will face possibly the best team in NWSL history. It’s a tough task, but the Thorns will have their home crowd backing them up in what is sure to be an amazing championship game this Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Christian Pulisic’s Birthday Present

United States and Borussia Dortmund superstar Christian Pulisic turned 20 yesterday and celebrated in the best way possible. In his 100th match with Dortmund, the forward came on as a substitute and was able to score the game-winning goal in BVB’s Champions League match against Club Brugge, although it wasn’t the most beautiful of strikes.

Champions League Recap

Pulisic and Dortmund’s 1-0 win over the Belgian Club Brugge was just one of many matches in the first UEFA Champions League group stage matches yesterday. Lionel Messi’s hat trick helped FC Barcelona take care of business against PSV Eindhoven, while Tottenham suffered an upset at the hands of Inter Milan. But it was the heavyweight match between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain that grabbed headlines as Roberto Firmino scored in extra time to give Liverpool the 3-2 win.

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  • The inaugural Campeones Cup is tonight, with the reigning MLS Cup champions facing off against the winner of the Campeón de Campeones from Liga MX. Toronto FC will face off against Tigres in an intercontinental match that could come at the perfect time for the Canadian club to gain momentum.
  • In case you missed it, there was a little bit of beef between Toronto midfielder Michael Bradley and LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic. In his usual form, Zlatan brought out his quick wit and snark by calling Bradley a “philosopher” and noting that Zlatan has scored more goals than Bradley has played games. The American took the words in stride though, and got the last laugh as Toronto walked out with all three points.
  • As Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus gear up for a Champions League showdown with Benfica this afternoon, they will have to do so without winger Douglas Costa after he was served a four-game suspension for spitting.
  • We end our links with this fun game where you try matching each soccer icon with the animal metaphor they used. Good luck!

That’s it from me, folks! You can expect Michael to serve up your links this Friday instead of me. Make sure to check back with us throughout the day for more Orlando City coverage and our PawedCast! Have a great day.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/20/24

Facundo Torres named to Team of the Matchday, Orlando Pride face Bay FC tonight, USMNT’s World Cup goals, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Happy Friday! I don’t know about you, but September has been flying by for me. I’m working throughout most of the weekend, but I am looking forward to catching a few games from a packed slate of soccer over the next few days. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando Pride rookie Cori Dyke!

Facundo Torres Makes Team of the Matchday

Orlando City forward Facundo Torres was named to the MLS Team of the Matchday for his role in the team’s 2-0 win over Charlotte FC. The 24-year-old scored on the volley to give the Lions the lead and also had three key passes to keep Orlando’s offense cooking. He’s been on fire as of late, scoring four goals over the past three games. I’m a bit surprised not to see other Lions at least make the bench of this Team of the Matchday, particularly with Martin Ojeda and Robin Jansson providing strong performances.

Orlando Pride Take On Bay FC Tonight

I hope you all got plenty of rest last night, because the Orlando Pride have a 10:30 p.m. match on the road tonight against Bay FC. It’s the second match between the two teams this season, with Orlando winning 1-0 at home on May 11. Bay FC turned a corner in the time since that match, climbing up to eighth in the standings. This will also be the Pride’s first trip to Paypal Park to take on the expansion team. Pride forward Julie Doyle, who was born in California and played four seasons at Santa Clara University, spoke on how she’s excited to play in the Bay area again. She also weighed in on how the Pride’s defense has extended beyond the back line during this impressive season.

USMNT Goals for 2026 World Cup Revealed

United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino stated that the aim is for the U.S. to make the quarterfinals when it hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“The truth is the quarterfinal is the target,” the head coach said on an episode of the It’s Called Soccer podcast. “They were very clear and I am very honest to you and I think that was the idea, the challenge. They know that it is going to be difficult but I am a person and we are people that really, really believe that we can. We all think that the talented group can perform better and we accept the challenge.”

With the expanded format that includes 48 teams, the U.S. would need to advance out of the group stage and win twice in the knockout stage to reach the quarterfinals. Pochettino has plenty to do to get the team firing on all cylinders before then. Copa America exposed some of the USMNT’s struggles in the midfield, and the new head coach will need to figure out who will spearhead the attack as well.

Champions League Opening Round Wraps Up

The first round of Champions League matches in this new format concluded on Thursday. AS Monaco had a big 2-1 win over Barcelona, with 18-year-old striker George Ilenikhena scoring the winner in his Champions League debut. Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal scored his first Champions League goal as well, but the Spanish club couldn’t overcome a red card to Eric Garcia just 10 minutes into the match.

Jose Gimenez scored a late winner to give Atletico Madrid a 2-1 win against RB Leipzig in Spain. Bayer Leverkusen cruised to a 4-0 win over Feyenoord, with 21-year-old striker Florian Wirtz scoring twice in the first half. Benfica also kicked off its Champions League campaign with a win, beating Red Star Belgrade 2-1 in Serbia. French club Brest got its first European competition win by winning 2-1 against Austria’s Sturm Graz. Arsenal and Atalanta fought to a scoreless draw in Italy, with Arsenal’s David Raya making a showstopping pair of saves to deny Mateo Retegui from the spot.

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  • Former Orlando Pride player Thais Reiss has torn her ACL and MCL in training with Spokane Zephyr FC in the USL Super League. It’s unfortunate news, and hopefully she’s able to make a smooth recovery.
  • Neither of Orlando City’s goals against Charlotte FC on Wednesday were nominated for MLS Goal of the Matchday, but that’s a testament to just how many great goals were scored in the midweek. Anderson Julio’s goal from downtown for Real Salt Lake is definitely worth checking out if you haven’t already.

That’s all I have for you today, Mane Landers. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/19/24

Lions beat Charlotte FC, Pareja on Orlando City’s success, U-20 USWNT falls, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

It may be a Thursday, but Orlando City’s win Wednesday night makes it feel a little bit more like a Friday. It’s been pretty great seeing all three of Orlando’s soccer teams performing well over the past few weeks. Let’s dive right into Orlando City’s win and more in today’s links!

Orlando City Beats Charlotte FC at Home

The Lions hosted Charlotte FC in a midweek matchup and took all three points in a 2-0 victory. Orlando’s attacking stars showed up when needed, resulting in a nice pair of goals in the second half. The defense also took care of business to secure the team’s third consecutive clean sheet. With another win under their belt, the Lions are now fourth in the Eastern Conference standings with 43 points and a tiebreaker (wins) over the New York Red Bulls. The result was also Head Coach Oscar Pareja’s 171st regular-season win in MLS, putting him in sole possession of fifth on the all-time list.

Oscar Pareja Discusses Late Season Surge

After a sluggish start to the season, Orlando City is parlaying another strong summer into a great run to close out the season. The Lions have won seven of their last nine league games and are on a nine-game unbeaten streak at home across all competitions. Head Coach Oscar Pareja is no stranger to getting an MLS team performing at its best this time of year.

“I do feel that urgency to start heating up better for us to win games. It is a part of the season where you start feeling kind of the smell of autumn,” the Colombian said in a recent one-on-one conversation with MLSsoccer.com. “And that is related to competition, with not much mistakes, and winning the games that you must win. So that is really what we feel now.”

He also spoke on the reasons behind Orlando’s slow start, improvements by Martin Ojeda and Luis Muriel, and how the team is juggling multiple options at forward. It’s a great interview from Pareja that details some of the team’s decisions this season.

Breaking Down the NWSL Awards Contenders

With only six games left for each team in the NWSL season, it’s becoming clearer which players are contenders to win an award at the end of the season. The MVP race looks to be between Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda and the Kansas City Current’s Temwa Chawinga, and it may just come down to if Banda can close the gap some in the Golden Boot race. Pride center back Emily Sams is the frontrunner for Defender of the Year for her role in an Orlando defense that’s only allowed 12 goals in 20 games this season. That defense is partly why Anna Moorhouse isn’t the favorite for Goalkeeper of the Year, despite 11 clean sheets this season. Seb Hines is nearly a lock to win Coach of the Year, although Kansas City’s Vlatko Andonovski has a shot depending on how the rest of the season shakes out.

U.S. Falls in U-20 World Cup Semifinals

The United States U-20 Women’s National Team wasn’t able to pull off a comeback in the U-20 Women’s World Cup semifinals, losing 1-0 to Korea DPR. Pride midfielder Ally Lemos started for the U.S. and played every minute of the game. Choe Il Son scored the only goal of the game in the first half , and the U.S. wasn’t able to find an equalizer despite some decent chances. The U.S. will miss out on Sunday’s final, but will take on the Netherlands to close out its tournament in the third-place match on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando City B duo Justin Ellis and Colin Guske both scored in the United States U-18 National Team’s 2-0 win over Peru in a youth tournament in Japan. Ellis also scored in a 4-3 loss to Japan as the U.S. went 1-1-1 in its three matches.
  • Lionel Messi won MLS Goal of the Matchday, beating out Orlando’s Rafael Santos and LA Galaxy pair Edwin Cerrillo and Riqui Puig. Santos’ impressive strike from distance deserved more than the 7.6% share of the vote it received.
  • Toyota Stadium, home of FC Dallas, is set to undergo major renovations that include adding a roof to provide more shade to fans and increasing seating capacity.
  • In Champions League action, Manchester City and Inter Milan played to a scoreless draw in England while Paris Saint-Germain needed an own goal to win 1-0 over Girona. Borussia Dortmund and Celtic also enjoyed wins to start their campaigns.
  • AS Roma sacked Daniele De Rossi just four games into the Serie A season and hired Ivan Juric.
  • French striker Anthony Martial landed in Greece to sign with AEK Athens on a free transfer.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/18/24

Duncan McGuire likes scoring goals, the Pride are impressive, Champions League results, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Jeremy Reper

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s match day, so I hope you are hyped for a midweek showdown with Charlotte FC. So, put on your purple, and tell you boss you don’t care about the dress code. If you haven’t done so yet, there’s still time to listen to the latest episode of The Mane Land PawedCast to help get you ready after you check out today’s links. Let’s get to it.

McGuire Happy to Score

Duncan McGuire’s goal against the New England Revolution Saturday night was his first MLS strike since June. That kind of drought isn’t something he’s used to, and he was away at the Olympics for part of that time, but he said he’s just happy to contribute to the team winning. McGuire will look to continue his scoring in tonight’s match against Charlotte FC. The Lions will need McGuire and others to contribute in this crucial Eastern Conference match. If you’re unsure whether to attend in person, take a look at all the cool stuff the club is doing tonight. Check back later today for our match preview.

The Pride are Scary Good

The still undefeated Orlando Pride are very, very good. This is obvious to anyone that looks at the standings or the records being broken on a weekly basis. Still, it’s one thing to know it and another to see it. SBNation’s Southern Sylvs got a firsthand look at the team and the experience watching the Pride at the last match against the Kansas City Current at Inter&Co Stadium. Sylvs was impressed with the atmosphere and the club, despite what I thought wasn’t their best outing.

Banda Still in Contention

The Orlando Pride’s Barbra Banda hasn’t scored as many goals as the Current’s Temwa Chawinga but that doesn’t mean she’s out of the NWSL MVP race. She has contributed quite a bit in her time with the club, and I expect that she will start putting in goals and providing assists again soon. How well the Pride do in the regular season will also likely impact the MVP selection.

Americans in the Champions League

Liverpool may have defeated AC Milan 3-1 in the first of eight UEFA Champions League matches for each club, but Christian Pulisic did score the first goal of the match.

Why pass the ball when it’s so much easier to simply score the goal yourself? That was pretty much it for AC Milan as Liverpool scored three unanswered goals to secure the victory.

Earlier in the day, Weston McKennie scored in Juventus’ 3-1 win over PSV. It was very much a right place, right time goal for the American.

lt was a good day for the Americans, and plenty of other USMNT players will be in action this week across different leagues and competitions.

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That will do it for today. We will have your match recap after the game tonight. Vamos Orlando!

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