Lion Links: 5/10/22

Happy Tuesday, everyone. It was a weekend to forget for Orlando City, but the Lions have a chance to bounce back quickly when they take on the Philadelphia Union tonight in the U.S. Open Cup. There’s lots to discuss today, so let’s dive right in.

Miles Robinson Ruptures Achilles

Atlanta United announced Monday that Miles Robinson ruptured the Achilles Tendon in his left leg during the team’s game on Saturday. Robinson went down shortly after the quarter-hour mark and seemed to immediately know something was badly wrong, pounding the turf in frustration and grabbing his lower calf in pain. The defender had surgery to repair the tendon on Monday. With recovery from Achilles Tendon injuries taking anywhere from nine months to a year, Robinson will not be available to join the United States Men’s National Team in Qatar for the 2026 World Cup.

Manchester City Reportedly Signs Erling Haaland

According to a report from Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City will complete the signing of Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland later this week. Romano reports that Haaland has completed his medical with City and that the club will make the deal official later this week. The signing would fill Man City’s need for a top striker after the club was unable to sign Harry Kane last summer, and would bring one of the most sought-after young players to the Etihad Stadium. It ends months of speculation over where Haaland would land, with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea and others all rumored at one point or another.

Brazil and Argentina Must Replay Qualifier

FIFA has ordered Brazil and Argentina to replay the September World Cup qualifier that was initially abandoned amid surreal scenes just after kickoff. Last September’s game between the two nations was called off after just several minutes when Brazilian health officials took to the field to stop Argentina’s England-based players from competing, saying they had breached Brazil’s COVID-19 quarantine rules. FIFA ruled in February that the game needed to be replayed and completed, and just upheld that ruling after an appeal. The February ruling made sense with World Cup qualifying not yet complete, but now that both teams have qualified to Qatar and groups have been set, playing the game makes very little sense.

Haji Wright Stays Hot

Haji Wright has been on a blistering run of form lately, and that continued over the weekend as he scored yet again for Antalyaspor. It was Wright’s sixth straight game scoring, and his penalty kick gave Antalyaspor a 3-2 win over Konyaspor. His excellent form couldn’t come at a better time, and it will reportedly earn him a call-up to the United States Men’s National Team for its upcoming run of games in June. With precious few opportunities left to impress Gregg Berhalter with the national team before the plane leaves for Qatar, it’s an opportunity Wright will need to make the most of, especially considering how nebulous the striker situation is for the USMNT.

Free Kicks

• If you need any convincing to get to Exploria Stadium for tonight’s game, here are five reasons why you should attend.
• Orlando City dropped a spot to number 11 in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
• The U.S. Para Men’s National Team is through to the semifinals of the IFCPF World Cup.

• Schalke is back in the Bundesliga after a year outside the German top flight.

That does it for me today. Go get your butts in seats for tonight’s U.S. Open Cup game against the Philadelphia Union. Vamos Orlando!