Lion Links: 4/26/22

Happy Tuesday, everyone. It wasn’t the best weekend for Orlando soccer, as the three teams recorded two draws and a loss. Obviously not the results that we were hoping for at the beginning of the weekend, but the only way out is through. Before we get to it, let’s wish Sebas Mendez a happy 25th birthday.

With that being said, there’s a lot to discuss today, so let’s get to it.

Alexandre Pato & Facundo Torres Are Creating Danger

Sunday’s game went about as bad as it possibly could have for Orlando City, especially as far as the attack is concerned. However, in the grand scheme of things there’s plenty to be encouraged about for the Lions’ attack. Facundo Torres is tied for second in assists with four, and has created 10 chances in total, including those four assists. Alexandre Pato is tied for second when it comes to big chances created, and has a pair of assists to boot. It feels odd to talk about after Sunday’s woeful offensive showing, but hopefully that loss proves to be an aberration and the offensive numbers continue to trend in the right direction for Facu and Pato.

Dest Sidelined By Hamstring

FC Barcelona has confirmed that Sergino Dest has been sidelined with a hamstring injury. The United States Men’s National Team right back started Barca’s 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano, but came out of the game at halftime. The team subsequently released a statement that Dest injured his semitendinosus muscle and did not provide a timetable for his return. With the nature of hamstring injuries though, it’s entirely feasible that Dest will miss Barca’s last five games of the season as the team attempts to confirm a top four finish and secure Champions League football next season.

U-17 USWNT Hammers Puerto Rico

The U-17 U.S. Women’s National Team comprehensively took care of business against Puerto Rico in its second game of the Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship, with a 13-0 win. The Yanks got things started early with a sixth-minute goal from Lauren Martinho and never looked back. Claire Hutton and Amalia Villarreal both scored hat tricks, and the game was out of sight at halftime when the score was 5-0. The win sends the team into the Round of 16 of the tournament, which also doubles as qualifying for the U-17 Women’s World Cup. The U-17 USWNT closes out group stage play on Thursday against Costa Rica.

Middle Clubs Fear UCL Monster

A number of middle-ranking European clubs are growing increasingly concerned that upcoming changes to the UEFA Champions League will create a “monster” that allows the already elite clubs to become even richer. Eintracht Frankfurt CEO Alex Hallman is working with other mid-tier European clubs to try to stop UEFA’s plan of giving two teams UCL berths based on historic record in Europe over five years if a club fails to qualify based on its domestic performance. Haller wants to help give other middle-class clubs more of a voice at the table and ensure that prize money and television revenue are fairly distributed.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City dropped two spots to the 10th spot in ESPN.com’s MLS Power Rankings.
• Jamie Carragher and Robbie Keane had some high praise for the job Jesse Marsch has done with Leeds United.

• Real Madrid have reportedly reached a preliminary agreement with Antonio Rudiger for the Chelsea FC defender to move to Madrid on a free transfer in the summer.
• Pep Guardiola has told Manchester City players to seize the chance to knock Real Madrid out of the Champions League semifinals.

That does it for me today. Y’all stay safe out there.