Lion Links
Lion Links: 9/2/21
Good morning, friends! With the international “break,” the new cycle in our Orlando City sphere is relatively quiet. But in a sport that’s 24/7, 365 days a year, we’ve got plenty of news to share with you, so let’s jump into it.
Jordan Bender Recalled from USL Loan
Orlando City Homegrown Player Jordan Bender was recalled from his loan with USL Championship side Charlotte Independence after less than four months. The young winger played 15 times in the USL, tripling his career professional appearances, but only two of them were starts. In total, Bender played just 355 minutes — fewer than 25 minutes per game — during his time away. With that limited playing time, he scored no goals and registered no assists, and only had two total shots, with both on target. This move is probably not to strengthen Orlando City in the short term, though he is back in training and Orlando has dealt with injury issues everywhere.
Concacaf World Cup Qualifying Starts Tonight
It’s been 1,484 days since the United States Men’s National Team suffered a legendarily embarrassing defeat to Trinidad & Tobago that kept the U.S. out of the 2018 World Cup. A lot has changed since that fateful night, but now is the time to make amends for that failure. The USMNT begins its Concacaf World Cup qualification campaign tonight in El Salvador. Star playmakers Christian Pulisic did not make the trip to Central America with the rest of the team and will not play tonight, but he could still be available for the final two games this window. Goalkeeper Zach Steffen also didn’t make the trip due to back spasms. making New England’s Matt Turner the starter for tonight.
Matt Turner on how he found out he would start #SLVvUSA:
"I found out this morning. I was very excited, motivated and it’s going to be a great experience.
I’m looking forward to the challenge this game presents and that World Cup qualifying presents."#OnlyForward 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/yvINojtKg6
— U.S. Soccer MNT (@USMNT) September 1, 2021
Outside of the USMNT’s trip to El Salvador, the other six teams in the Concacaf “Ocho” also open up their campaigns, with Jamaica traveling to play Mexico, Panama hosting Costa Rica, and Honduras facing Canada in Canada.
Rochester Rhinos now Rochester New York FC (ugh)
One of the most storied brands in American professional soccer took a step in a “meh” direction yesterday, with the club formerly known as the Rochester Rhinos being rebranded to Rochester New York FC. The club, partially owned by star Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, hasn’t played a match in four years, but in the late 90s was a force. Playing in the USL, the Rhinos dominated their division and are still the only non-MLS side to win a U.S. Open Cup in the MLS era, defeating the Colorado Rapids in 1999.
The new branding, aside from being a clunky mouthful, has drawn heaps of criticism from the American soccer world, with many commentators calling it yet another attempt to destroy actual history in exchange for a “global brand.” While RNYFC (ugh) is on nowhere the scale of an MLS side, it’s yet another example of the bland, corporate nothingness of modern rebrands in the sport.
World Cup Qualifying Begins in Earnest
While Concacaf and AFC might kick off qualifying tonight, the first round of qualifiers in Europe and Africa were played last night. Among the highlights were a 2-1 victory for Portugal over Ireland, where Cristiano Ronaldo scored at the death to lift his side over the Irish. Elsewhere, France played Bosnia & Herzegovina to a somewhat surprising 1-1 draw in France.
In Africa, Liverpool winger Sadio Mane started and scored in a 2-0 win for Senegal over Togo, while Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Gabon side fell 2-1 to Libya on the road.
Free Kicks
- Some Orlando City injury updates, including the return of Andres Perea to training. Mauricio Pereyra is still out, though.
From Orlando City training this morning — Andrés Perea, Uri Rosell and Joey DeZart were training with the full team, which is a good sign for the DM position. Nani was also training normally.
It sounds like Mauricio Pereyra might be out still. Haven't seen him in training yet.
— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) September 1, 2021
- Alexandre Pato says via Twitter he’s almost back, but whether that’s actually the case remains to be seen.
happy to be close… almost fully back with my teammates. 🙏🏻 @OrlandoCitySC pic.twitter.com/QnuzLNpZiY
— PATO (@Pato) September 1, 2021
- A feature from the Orlando Sentinel about Darly Dike, where he talks about being back to fitness and finding his goal-scoring form.
- Canada is accused of spying on the Honduran National Team? Only in Concacaf.
That’s all for this Thursday morning. Thank you all for joining me. Have a fantastic rest of your day.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 5/20/24
Lions and Pride win, MLS weekend recap, Manchester City wins Premier League title, and more.
Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. It was another good weekend for our teams, as Orlando City and the Pride both won their respective matches. I’ve been busy covering high school playoff action with soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, and softball. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Lions Pull Out Late Win on the Road
Orlando City pulled out a late 1-0 win on the road against the San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park on Saturday. Jack Lynn came off the bench and scored the lone goal in this match for Orlando to grab the three points. Duncan McGuire started the match but had to be substituted out early in the first half due to injury and was replaced by Lynn. The Lions are on a three-match unbeaten streak after a scoreless draw at home against Inter Miami on Wednesday. Orlando City moves up to 10th in the Eastern Conference with 16 points. The Lions return to action on Saturday to face the Columbus Crew at Inter&Co Stadium.
Orlando Pride Win Against Seattle Reign FC
The Orlando Pride won their seventh straight match after a 3-2 win against the Seattle Reign at Lumen Field on Sunday. There were plenty of goals in this one, with Barbra Banda lifting the Pride to their first ever win in Washington against the Reign. Orlando remains undefeated in league play after 10 matches and the Pride sit atop the NWSL table with 24 points. The Pride return home for a Friday night matchup against the Portland Thorns at Inter&Co Stadium.
MLS Weekend Recap
It was another busy weekend in MLS, with four rivalry matches taking place. Let’s start with the Hudson River Derby, as New York City FC edged past the New York Red Bulls 2-1. Real Salt Lake got a thrilling 5-3 win against the Colorado Rapids in the Rocky Mountain Cup. In Canada, Toronto FC cruised past CF Montreal with a 5-1 victory. The Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas battled to a 1-1 draw down in Texas. FC Cincinnati defeated St. Louis City SC 3-1, while the Columbus Crew beat the Chicago Fire 3-1 as well.
The Philadelphia Union shut out the New England Revolution 3-0 to snap its six-match winless streak. Austin FC won 3-2 over Sporting Kansas City, Minnesota United handed the Portland Timbers a 2-1 defeat, and Inter Miami got a late goal from Leonardo Campana for a 1-0 win over D.C. United.
Manchester City Wins English Premier League
Manchester City defeated West Ham 3-1 to win a historic fourth consecutive Premier League title on Sunday with 91 points on the final day of the season. Phil Foden scored twice in this match as Manchester City became the first club to win four straight Premier League trophies. Arsenal defeated Everton 2-1 but ended up short of the title, finishing second with 89 points. Liverpool won in Jurgen Klopp’s final match as manager, beating Wolves 2-0 to finish third. Aston Villa finished fourth despite a 5-0 loss to Crystal Palace, Tottenham finished fifth, and Chelsea finished sixth in the table. Luton Town lost 4-2 at home to Fulham to finish 18th, officially joining Burnley and Sheffield United in being relegated to the EFL Championship next season.
Free Kicks
- Former Pride Head Coach Marc Skinner has agreed to a one-year contract extension with Manchester United, with an option for another year. Manchester United won its first major trophy earlier this month, winning the Women’s FA Cup.
- Former USMNT player Jonathan Bornstein has agreed to play for NPSL side Tallahassee SC in their summer season. He made his debut on Saturday as the Battle Lions won their opener 2-0 against the Miami Dutch Lions FC.
- According to Tom Bogert, new MLS expansion side San Diego FC is reportedly closer to sealing a move to sign Chucky Lozano over from PSV Eindhoven.
- Charlotte FC has reportedly been negotiating to sign Borussia Dortmund attacker Marco Reus as his contract is set to expire this summer.
- Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi announced he will leave the club after its Premier League season ended in a 2-0 loss to Manchester United on Sunday.
- Bayer Leverkusen completed its Bundesliga season unbeaten with a 2-1 win over FC Augsburg. The club also made history as the first team in the history of the Bundesliga to complete a full season without a loss.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 5/17/24
MLSPA releases player salaries, Duncan McGuire discusses move to Blackburn, Orlando Pride prepare for the Seattle Reign, and more.
Happy Friday! The weekend is nearly here, with plenty of soccer both here in the domestic leagues and abroad. I have a pretty packed weekend but am looking forward to watching Orlando City and the Orlando Pride in action. It should be a nice next few days, so let’s get it started with today’s links!
MLSPA Releases Player Salaries
The Major League Soccer Players Association unveiled the base salary and guaranteed compensation information for every player under contract with the league as of April 25 — except Wilder Cartagena, apparently. Luis Muriel is the highest-paid Orlando City player, and his $4.3 million in guaranteed compensation is the 12th most in the league, while his base salary is just over $2.83. As for other Orlando newcomers, Nico Lodeiro’s compensation is $800,000 and David Brekalo’s is $683,000.
Lionel Messi predictably tops the list of all players with $20.4 million guaranteed for playing with Inter Miami. To put that number into perspective, it’s more than the compensation of every team in the league except his own team (Miami), Toronto FC, Nashville SC, and the Chicago Fire. Orlando City is 22nd in the league in compensation, clocking in at $15.07 million.
Duncan McGuire Weighs In on Moving to Blackburn
Orlando City forward Duncan McGuire had a hurricane of an off-season due to a transfer saga that nearly saw him join Blackburn Rovers in England. An administration error by Blackburn prevented the move from going through, and McGuire ultimately returned to Orlando. In the time since, there have been reports that Orlando offered him a new contract and that Blackburn still wants him to join in the summer. McGuire spoke about whether he is still interested in a move to Blackburn after the difficult experience.
“It’s tough to say,” McGuire told GOAL.”That was a pretty bad mistake, a pretty bad mistake by them. I’d be open to maybe having a conversation but it would have to be a lot to get me to go back there. On the plane ride back, I just felt like my tail was between my legs. I asked my agent how often this happens and he was like ‘This doesn’t happen’.
“I didn’t burn bridges with my teammates or have it be like ‘Oh you wanted to leave and now you’re back’. When I got back, it was like I never left.”
Orlando Pride Prepare for the Seattle Reign
The Orlando Pride will take their six-game win streak on the road for a match against the Seattle Reign Sunday night. The Reign are coming off of a 4-0 loss to the Portland Thorns in their sixth defeat of the season, but Pride Head Coach Seb Hines discussed how the Reign played better in that match than the score suggests. The Pride have also never won in Washington, and the turf and atmosphere of Lumen Field could give Orlando some trouble after a long trip. Injuries, particularly to the midfield, have made things difficult for the Pride, but midfielder Morgan Gautrat detailed how the team’s chemistry has helped them get results despite the adversity.
Nashville SC Fires Gary Smith
Nashville SC has parted ways with Gary Smith, who had been the club’s only head coach while in MLS. Smith joined Nashville back in 2018, coaching the team for two seasons in the USL Championship before. With a defensive style, Smith led the team to MLS playoff appearances in all four years but couldn’t put together a deep run. Nashville is currently 10th in the Eastern Conference and Rumba Munthali will serve as the club’s interim head coach while the club searches for a new permanent coach.
Charlotte FC Transfers Enzo Copetti Out
Another Designated Player is leaving Charlotte FC, as the club transferred Enzo Copetti to Rosario Central in Argentina’s top flight. The forward recorded eight goals and three assists across all competitions while with Charlotte, and has played less than 500 minutes this season. Copetti is the latest Designated Player transferred out since Dean Smith took over as Charlotte’s head coach, with Kamil Jozwiak sent to Granada and Karol Swiderski loaned to Hellas Verona. Despite the turnover, Charlotte sits fifth in the Eastern Conference and could make some noise this season if it brings in the right players in the summer transfer window.
Free Kicks
- Former Lion Miguel Gallardo spoke with the folks over at The Blazing Musket about the New England Revolution and the art of goalkeeping.
- Our condolences go out to the friends and family of Derek Sanderson, who played for many teams across many leagues back in the 1980s, including the American Soccer League’s Orlando Lions.
- Hugo Lloris, Walker Zimmerman, and Sebastian Driussi were a few of the notable names on the MLS Team of the Matchday for Wednesday’s matches. No Orlando City or Inter Miami players made the cut after a scoreless draw in the City Beautiful.
- Detroit City FC acquired land to build a soccer-specific stadium, with plans for it to open by the club’s 2027 season.
- Josh Sargent and Norwich City’s bid for promotion came to an end after a 4-0 loss to Leeds United.
- It didn’t take long for American midfielder Johnny Cardoso to settle in with Real Betis, and it will be interesting to see where he fits in the United States Men’s National Team’s plans this summer.
- CONMEBOL confirmed that rosters for the upcoming Copa America have been increased from 23 players to 26.
- Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson will miss out on the final game of the Premier League season this Sunday and the FA Cup final on May 25 due to an eye injury.
That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 5/16/24
Orlando City draws with Inter Miami, Orlando City B loses in Ohio, Austin awarded 2025 MLS All-Star Game, and more.
I hope you’re all having a nice and easy start to your Thursday morning. Orlando City’s match Wednesday night could’ve gone worse, but could’ve gone better as well. As far as rivalry games go, it probably won’t be all too memorable, but I still hope you enjoyed yourself if you went to the game. Let’s dive into today’s links!
Orlando City Draws Inter Miami at Home
The Lions hosted rival Inter Miami and had to settle for a scoreless draw that featured solid chances for both sides. Orlando remains shorthanded defensively, but Pedro Gallese and the back line of Rodrigo Schlegel, Wilder Cartagena, and David Brekalo did well to get a clean sheet against a Miami side that leads the league in goals by a wide margin. Familiar attacking struggles plagued the Lions though with many chances going unfinished. The Lions will now turn their attention to a trip across the country for a match with the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.
Orlando City B Falls On the Road
After earning its first home win last week, Orlando City B was handed its first road defeat of the season in a 4-3 loss against Columbus Crew 2. OCB was without Yutaro Tsukada, who made his debut with the first team, but the team still did well generating chances on offense. The Young Lions took the lead on two different occasions in the match, but they ultimately couldn’t hold on for a result in a rollercoaster of a match. There’s plenty of time for Head Coach Manuel Goldberg to get his team ready for its next match, which is set to take place at Osceola County Stadium on May 26 against Huntsville City FC.
Orlando City Fined After Match in Philadelphia
Following Orlando City’s win over the Philadelphia Union, the club and Head Coach Oscar Pareja have been issued fines by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for the team violating the mass confrontation policy for the second time this season. The violation took place in the 86th minute at Philadelphia, when the Union were awarded their second penalty of the game. Gallese, Nicolas Lodeiro, Ivan Angulo, and Duncan McGuire were issued fines for their role in things as well.
Luis Muriel was also fined an undisclosed amount for embellishment during an incident with Damion Lowe in the 81st minute of the match. You can judge for yourself if the MLS Disciplinary Committee got it right, but what’s not up for debate is that the Lions got the job done on the road and survived an obscene amount of stoppage time.
Austin Will Host 2025 MLS All-Star Game
MLS announced that next year’s MLS All-Star Game will take place at Q2 Stadium in Austin. It will be the first time the event is held there and the first time Texas has hosted it since Houston had it back in 2010. The official date, along with what team the MLS All-Stars will play against, will be announced at a later time. Austin FC entered the league in 2021 and every game played at Q2 Stadium has sold out. There is a strong soccer community there, and I’m glad it will get a chance to show the league what it is all about. I also really like the graphic promoting the event and feel it captures Austin fairly well.
Free Kicks
- It’s been proposed that the first Women’s Club World Cup be held during January and February of 2026. Not many other details are known at this time, but I’m pretty excited regardless, especially with how the Orlando Pride have been playing.
- Juventus beat Atalanta 1-0 to lift the Italian Cup with Dusan Vlahovic scoring the game’s only goal. American midfielder Weston McKennie played every minute of the match, while Timothy Weah came off the bench late.
- American defender Cameron Carter-Vickers also helped his club secure some silverware with Celtic beating Kilmarnock 5-0 to clinch the Scottish Premiership title.
- Former New York City FC head coach Dome Torrent was appointed as the new head coach of San Luis in Liga MX. Orlando City is set to host San Luis on Aug. 4 as part of the Leagues Cup group stage.
- Everett Palache was named as the head coach of the U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team and he will prepare the team for the 2024 Deaf Pan American Games in Brazil this November.
- A hat trick by Antoine Griezmann gave Atletico Madrid a 3-0 win over Getafe and a spot in next year’s Champions League.
- Pep Lijnders, who has been an assistant coach with Liverpool since 2018, will be RB Salzburg’s manager after signing a three-year contract with the Austrian club.
- We end our links with a special guest at the match between the Union and NYCFC, as a raccoon was the latest visitor to run rampant at Subaru Park.
That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!
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