Lion Links: 7/28/21

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope everyone is staying dry down in Florida while also having some fun. Before we get started with today’s links, lets all wish a happy birthday to Orlando Pride defender Ali Krieger!

Hibernian Reportedly Wants Mueller Sooner

Orlando City’s Chris Mueller signed a pre-contract with the Scottish Premiership’s Hibernian FC last week and is expected to join his new club in January. However, Hibernian is reportedly negotiating for Mueller to join during this transfer window and is willing to pay a fee to do so. However, there’s nothing imminent on that front.

Only time will tell if Mueller will be in Orlando for the entirety of the season and we will see if he plays for the Lions in their match on Friday against Atlanta United.

USMNT Takes on Qatar For the First Time Tomorrow

Orlando’s Daryl Dike and the United States Men’s National Team will be in action tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. for its Concacaf Gold Cup semifinal against Qatar. This will be a very interesting match-up as it will be the first time these nations play against each other and will feature the USMNT’s defense against Qatar’s offense. The USMNT only conceded once in four matches while Qatar leads the tournament with 12 goals. Qatar’s roster features players from only four different clubs and that has certainly benefited the team’s cohesion while playing as an invited country in the Gold Cup.

USWNT Prepares for Olympic Quarterfinals

The United States Women’s National Team will take on the Netherlands in the quarterfinals this Friday at 7 a.m. This match will be a rematch of the 2019 FIFA World Cup final that the USWNT won 2-0. The USWNT finished the group stage with a lackluster 0-0 draw with Australia, but Pride forward Alex Morgan weighed in on how the USWNT’s Olympic campaign is just getting started.

“This [knockout stage] is when the tournament starts,” Morgan said at a news conference after the game. “It was a tactical decision by [coach Vlatko Andonovski] to shift defensively, a little more conservatively, and really allow them to get impatient, play along and give it back to us.”

The group stage belonged to the European teams as the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Sweden all won their groups. All of the USWNT’s six goals came against New Zealand while the Netherlands scored 21 goals across three games, so it should be an interesting game. The winner of that match will take on the winner of the game between Marta’s Brazil and Erin McLeod’s Canada.

Mark-Anthony Kaye Traded to Colorado

LAFC traded midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye to the Colorado Rapids in exchange for $1 million in General Allocation Money, a 2022 international roster slot, and further incentives based off of his performance. The Rapids also received LAFC’s 2022 MLS SuperDraft pick as part of the deal. Kaye has been a key member for LAFC since its inaugural season and will join a solid midfield core in Colorado that includes Kellyn Acosta, Jack Price, and Cole Bassett. The 26-year-old is currently at the Gold Cup and has played in every game of Canada’s campaign, with a semifinal match against Mexico tomorrow night.

Free Kicks

• Orlando midfielder Andres Perea received some praise for his performance last week against the Philadelphia Union.
• Orlando City dropped to seventh in the MLS power rankings after a mixed week of results. Meanwhile, the New England Revolution and Sporting Kansas City moved up to the top two spots to dethrone the Seattle Sounders.
• Former USMNT and Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard visited the Pulse memorial.
• Derby County manager Wayne Rooney injured one of his own players during training.

• Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes officially joined Sporting Kansas City‘s ownership group.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Wednesday, take care of yourselves, and I’ll see you next time.