Lion Links: 10/7/19

Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers! I know you might be wondering why it’s a merry morning. Well it’s the end of the season, and that means there won’t be anymore Orlando City losses this calendar year. Yes, I’m looking on the bright side, but what else are we supposed to do? Let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Falls in Finale

The only thing decided for Orlando City on “Decision Day” was its final position way below the playoff line. Orlando City lost 5-2 in the season finale against the Chicago Fire. The Lions got on the board early with a goal from Tesho Akindele in the fifth minute, but Chicago equalized almost as quickly off an own goal from Kyle Smith in the 17th. Unfortunately for Orlando City, Robin Jansson was taken off on a stretcher in the 37th minute. In the second half it got much worse with Chicago scoring three straight goals before Benji Michel pulled one back in the 74th minute. Chicago added a fifth, and frankly I don’t have the heart to write much more about that match. Let’s just say that this team will look a lot different next season.

• Michael Citro has your match recap.
• The view from the other side comes from Hot Time in Old Town.

Check back later today for the player grades and Man of the Match from Scott Carnevale, as well as the five takeaways of the match from Sean Rollins.

USWNT Draws South Korea

Jill Ellis finished her career as the United States Women’s National Team head coach yesterday as the Yanks came back from 1-0 down to draw South Korea 1-1. Carli Lloyd scored the equalizer for the U.S. and almost scored the winner if not for a questionable offside call in stoppage time. Regardless, Ellis finishes her tenure as the head coach with the most wins in USWNT history at 106-7-19. We send our sincerest gratitude for a great career.

MLS Decision Day

We know that Orlando City finished near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, but what about the rest of the league? If nothing else, you need to know who to root against during the playoffs. New York City FC finished on top of the Eastern Conference with a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union. Over in the Western Conference, LAFC finished its dominating season with Carlos Vela getting a hat trick in a 3-1 win over the Colorado Rapids. Make sure to check out the playoff bracket for the postseason as well.

English Premier League Roundup

It was an interesting weekend for the EPL. Top of the table Liverpool pulled out a 2-1 win over Leicester City thanks to a stoppage time penalty that James Milner put away. Liverpool maintained its eight-point lead over Manchester City, as Wolverhampton Wolves stunned the defending champs 2-0 with a brace from Adama Traoré. Manchester United also fell to 12th in the standings, losing 1-0 to Newcastle United.

Free Kicks

• There are a bunch of great matches scheduled for FIFA’s next international break this month and next, including Germany vs. Argentina.
• He might not be starting, or even getting much playing time for Chelsea, but Christian Pulisic did have one heck of an assist this weekend.

• Finally, don’t mess with Allie Long, Security Professional.

Just remember, OCSC can’t hurt us anymore this year. Time to enjoy the off-season!