Lion Links: 9/6/20

Happy Sunday, everyone. Although a point isn’t what we wanted last night, it’s encouraging to root for a team that can be disappointed with a draw and have fans up in arms on social media during a four-game unbeaten streak. I’ll take that over the last five years any day.

Orlando City fans aren’t any more frustrated with last night’s draw than the Lions themselves, based on postgame comments from Kyle Smith and Daryl Dike, but taking a point on a night when the final product isn’t there is still a step up.

Lions Drop Two Points Late in 1-1 Atlanta Draw

Benji Michel scored a goal that basically ricocheted off of him from a Dike shot in first-half stoppage time to push the Lions into the lead after a good first half but a turnover by Kamal Miller handed Atlanta possession in second-half stoppage and Adam Jahn capitalized by beating Miller in the air to make it 1-1.

• Here’s my recap of the match.
• The view from the other side comes from Dirty South Soccer.

Stay tuned later today for Dave Rohe’s five takeaways, my player grades and Man of the Match, and a photo gallery from our Carlos Romero.

Red Bulls Name an Interim Coach

Stepping in for Chris Armas will be Bradley Carnell, an assistant coach with the New York Red Bulls since 2017. Carnell has an Orlando connection — sort of. He is a former assistant with the Orlando Pirates in South Africa. The former Bundesliga defender will be thrown into the fire immediately, leading the Red Bulls against the Philadelphia Union tonight.

Sky Blue FC Claims First Points of NWSL Fall Series

Mallory Pugh set up a Midge Purce goal in the 92nd minute to lift Sky Blue to a 2-1 win over the Washington Spirit in the first match of the NWSL Fall Series. Pugh punished her former team with the assist which broke a deadlock that had stood for only three minutes. Paige Nielsen’s 89th-minute goal must have seemed like a sure point-winner when it canceled out an 18th-minute strike by Ifeoma Onumonu, but it was merely a tease for the Spirit and their fans. The next match will take place Sept. 11 when North Carolina hosts Houston.

Free Kicks

• Kay Rawlins and the Orlando City Foundation are always out there doing good work.

• Good story here about how the San Jose Earthquakes are taking care of their capo, who is battling cancer during a pandemic.
• Your obligatory Christian Pulisic story for today.
• Those born on this date include Pink Floyd bassist/vocalist Roger Waters (1943), actress Swoosie Kurtz (1944), Saturday Night Live legend Jane Curtin (1947), “blue collar” comic Jeff Foxworthy (1958), Police Academy series actor Michael Winslow (1958), Judas Priest drummer Scott Travis (1961), actress Rosie Perez (1964), singer Macy Gray (1967), late Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan (1971), actor Idris Elba (1972), and basketball’s John Wall (1990).

That’s all my time for today. Stick around our site for more coverage from last night’s game as well as tonight’s OCB game against Union Omaha.