Lion Links: 9/12/20

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope everyone is having a great week as it’s another Orlando City game day. Tonight’s match will be at Exploria Stadium against Inter Miami CF. There’s plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Hosts Inter Miami Tonight

It’s another Saturday match-up as the Lions face Inter Miami for the third time. However, this will be the first time Inter Miami comes to Exploria Stadium, with kickoff time set for 7:30 p.m. Blaise Matuidi has played two games for Inter Miami since moving from Europe and he’s had an immediate impact. Inter Miami snapped a three-game winless streak earlier this week with a 2-1 win against Atlanta United. Orlando City SC has done very well with 17 goals in regular season games this year. The Lions are unbeaten in their last four games and haven’t lost a match so far at Exploria Stadium. Evan Weston and Miguel Gallardo have a preview to get you all set for tonight’s rubber match between the two clubs.

Alex Morgan is Heading to England

Orlando Pride and United States Women’s National Team forward Alex Morgan will reportedly join Tottenham Hotspur on a short-term loan. Morgan will be with the FA Women’s Super League club until the end of the year and will join her fellow Pride teammates Shelina Zadorsky and Alanna Kennedy there. Morgan’s latest move continues a trend of USWNT World Cup players leaving the U.S. to play overseas rather than in the NWSL Fall Series. Sam Mewis and Rose Lavelle joined Manchester City in August and Christen Press and Tobin Heath signed with Manchester United this past Wednesday. For the Orlando Pride, they will continue to prepare for their NWSL Fall Series opener against the North Carolina Courage on Sept. 19.

MLS Reveals Next Slate of Games and Playoff Format

Major League Soccer unveiled its regular season match schedule through the end of September. Each MLS team will play three regular season matches from Sept. 18 through Sept. 27. Orlando City will host the Chicago Fire on Sept. 19 before travelling on the road for games against Sporting Kansas City on Sept. 23 and then FC Dallas on Sept. 27. The three Canadian teams, who are playing each other in a series of nine matches in Canada due to travel restrictions, will play upcoming matches in the U.S. with each team hosting one home game in a U.S. city.

MLS also confirmed the format for the 2020 Audi MLS Cup playoffs. In all, 18 teams will qualify, with 10 coming from the Eastern Conference and eight from the Western Conference. The top six teams in the Eastern conference will clinch a spot in the playoffs, while the other four play for the last two remaining spots. It will be a single-elimination tournament hosted by the higher seed and the MLS Cup final is set for Dec. 12.

Orlando City B Travels to Fort Lauderdale

While Orlando’s MLS side hosts Inter Miami, OCB takes on Fort Lauderdale CF tonight at 8 p.m. The two teams played to a 1-1 draw on Aug. 14 at Osceola Heritage Park, but OCB won’t have the advantage of playing at home this time around. OCB is near the bottom of the USL League One table, but a win would lift the team over Fort Lauderdale in the standings. Attention may be on the senior squads battling it out, but this should still be a great match to keep an eye on.

Free Kicks

• The NWSL and NWSL Players Association partnered with Parkside Collectibles and trading cards for the NWSL Challenge Cup will be the first ones made.
• Gonzalo Higuan arrived in Miami to sign with Inter Miami.
• The Chicago Red Stars announced their roster for the upcoming NWSL Fall Series. Julie Ertz opted out of the Fall Series.
• FC Cincinnati midfielder Adrien Regattin parted ways with the club to return home to France due to being homesick.
• Manchester United star Paul Pogba was cleared for training after recovering from the coronavirus but he might still miss the Red Devils’ season opener.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Stay safe, enjoy your weekend, and go Lions!