Lion Links: 5/25/22

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all of you are doing well and are excited for tonight’s Round of 16 U.S. Open Cup match-up against Inter Miami CF. We have plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando City Faces Inter Miami CF Tonight in U.S. Open Cup

The Round of 16 of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup begins tonight as the Lions host fellow Floridian club Inter Miami CF at Exploria Stadium. The match starts at 7 p.m. and you can watch the match on ESPN+. Orlando City will look to punch its ticket to the quarterfinals for the third consecutive time in the tournament. The Lions reached the Round of 16 by winning against their I-4 Derby rivals, the Tampa Bay Rowdies, and then defeating the Philadelphia Union in the Round of 32.

The Lions have four different scorers in this tournament run, with goals from Alexandre Pato, Júnior Urso, Ercan Kara and Andrés Perea. Inter Miami’s journey to this match included wins against Miami FC and South Georgia Tormenta FC. Tonight’s mid-week match-up will be the first time these two sides have played against each other this year. The clubs faced off three times last season, with the Lions getting a win and two draws against Miami.

Orlando Pride Drop One Spot in NWSL Power Rankings

After losing 4-2 against the Chicago Red Stars this past weekend, the Orlando Pride fell one spot to 10th in the latest NWSL power rankings. The loss was the Pride’s third game within nine days and the club sits in fifth in the NWSL standings and has scored seven goals this season. Forward Leah Pruitt scored her first goal for the club in that loss to Chicago and could continue being impactful for Orlando’s offense moving forward.

Meanwhile, expansion side San Diego Wave FC sits at the top of the power rankings and bounced back with a win against the North Carolina Courage. Former Pride forward Alex Morgan scored her sixth goal of the season in that match, with former Pride player Taylor Kornieck assisting on that goal. Racing Louisville FC moved up five spots in the rankings and is undefeated in its last four matches after beating NJ/NY Gotham FC this past weekend.

Americans in Action this Week

If you’re looking for some matches to watch before the international window opens, there are plenty of Americans to keep an eye on here and abroad. Joel Soñora had an assist in Vélez Sarsfield’s 4-0 win over Estudiantes in the Copa Libertadores group stage. His brother, Alan Soñora, will look to help Independiente win in its Copa Sudamericana group stage match against Ceará today.

New York City FC’s Keaton Parks and the New England Revolution’s DeJuan Jones will face off in the U.S. Open Cup tonight at 7:30 p.m. Another U.S. Open Cup match to watch later tonight at 10:30 p.m. will feature Cade Cowell as the San Jose Earthquakes go on the road to take on USL Championship side Sacramento Republic FC. Tomorrow, we have the Danish Cup final as Emmanuel Sabbi aims to help Odense BK upset Midtjylland.

Europa Conference League Final is Today

AS Roma and Feyenoord face off in Albania today at 3 p.m. in the Europa Conference League final. If Roma wins, Jose Mourinho will become the first coach to win the Champions League, Europa League, and the Europa Conference League. Forward Tammy Abraham highlights a talented group of Roma players and the Italian club may also see the return of midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan from injury. Meanwhile, Dutch club Feyenoord reached the final without losing a single game over the course of the tournament. It should be an exciting match to finish the inaugural Europa Conference League competition.

Free Kicks

• Although the deal hasn’t been finalized yet, the English Premier League has given its approval of the proposed takeover of Chelsea FC led by Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly.
• Check out this article from Sportscasting.com ranking the top highest-paid players in 2022. Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Cristiano Ronaldo are the top three earners on the list.
• Chelsea midfielder Marcos Alonso is reportedly close to an agreement to join FC Barcelona this summer.

• Take a look at the match ball for this Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final in Paris between Liverpool and Real Madrid.

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