Lion Links: 9/11/20

How’s it going, Mane Landers? We made it to Friday and have a weekend full of soccer to look forward to. Orlando City and Orlando City B are both in action tomorrow and we also have the NWSL Fall Series and English Premier League to watch as well. But before we can enjoy all of that, let’s get into today’s links!

Orlando City Prepares for Inter Miami

Tomorrow will be the third meeting between Orlando and Miami, with the Lions hosting their Floridian foes for the first time in Exploria Stadium. The Lions fell 3-2 in the previous road game against Miami and this game should be a good rematch as Orlando has yet to lose since. Orlando boasts a strong offense which leads the Eastern Conference in goals and has had no trouble creating chances.

French midfielder Blaise Matuidi will be available for Miami this time while midfielder Lee Nguyen was traded to the New England Revolution. Miami has struggled scoring this season, but is coming off a strong 2-1 win against Atlanta United and is starting to find its form. Juventus forward Gonzalo Higuain’s move to Miami is reportedly done as well to bring some firepower to the roster, but he will be in immediate quarantine and not available for selection tomorrow. There haven’t been enough games between the two sides to really call this a rivalry just yet, but the future looks bright for both sides.

Lions Making Most of Their Rest

For the first time since returning to play after the MLS is Back Tournament, Orlando has a week of rest before a game. Head Coach Oscar Pareja has gotten results by rotating players in and out of the roster, but now the team can finally rest up for its match against Inter Miami tomorrow night. Left back João Moutinho is still sidelined due to injury but is progressing through his recovery. Meanwhile, striker Matheus Aiás is still waiting on his paperwork over in Spain to go through before making the trip to Orlando. So it may take some time before the Lions are officially all together, but they are able to at least relax and get needed rest after a busy month.

Exploria Stadium Will Host Orchestra

The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra will perform at Exploria Stadium on Sept. 26, becoming the first professional orchestra to hold a full concert in a U.S. soccer stadium. It will be interesting to see how The Wall plays into the acoustics, but the Philharmonic is used to playing in outdoor venues throughout the area. There will be safety precautions and it’s nice seeing more events held in Exploria Stadium.

Predicting the English Premier League’s Return

The English Premier League returns this weekend with Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham all in action. Liverpool ran away with the title last year and the other clubs will have to be at the top of their game to usurp them. There are pressing questions for all 20 clubs and Leeds United will have to answer if it is for real when it makes the trip to Anfield tomorrow afternoon in its first game in the top flight since 2004.

Free Kicks

• The Lions’ game Saturday is the only one left on the schedule for Phase 1 and the next set of games for the schedule may come out shortly.

• Orlando City Life President Phil Rawlins invested in Scottish club Falkirk, giving the club a nice injection of cash.
• Former Lion Luke Boden welcomed his new daughter into the world.

• As if you didn’t already have enough to watch, a new Netflix original will showcase five of the greatest coaching minds on the planet, including former United States Women’s National Team head coach Jill Ellis.

That’s going to be it for today, Mane Landers. Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend.