Lion Links: 8/14/22

Good morning, Mane Landers. I hope you are waking up in a good mood after the Orlando City and Orlando Pride wins last night. It was great to see the Lions back in the win column and the Pride extend their unbeaten streak with a huge victory. Let’s get into all that and more in today’s links.

Lions Beat Red Bulls 1-0 on the Road

Orlando City traveled to Harrison, NJ to take on the New York Red Bulls and the Lions did not disappoint on the road. A first-half goal from Facundo Torres gave the Lions the lead and the team never gave it up, earning all three points at Red Bull Arena — which was much needed after the recent run of form. Hopefully this result will boost the confidence for the team as it progresses towards the back half of the season and with the U.S. Open Cup final on the horizon. Keep it here with The Mane Land for all of our postgame coverage, including our match recap of the Lions’ victory.

Pride Win First-Ever Meeting against San Diego Wave FC

The Orlando Pride were also in action late Saturday night as they traveled to California to battle against the San Diego Wave. In their first-ever visit to San Diego, just as the Lions did, the Pride got on the scoreboard first and then held their opponents the rest of the way for a 1-0 victory. The Pride goal came by way of a converted penalty kick by Meggie Dougherty Howard. With the victory, the Pride kept their unbeaten streak alive — now at six games (2-0-4). Seb Hines continues to show he was the right choice to guide the team after Amanda Cromwell’s suspension by getting the most out of the squad. The players were delighted after the match as they earned all three points and will be able to travel back to Orlando happy.

Results Around MLS

It was another busy Saturday in MLS. FC Cincinnati and Atlanta United played to a 2-2 draw. The New England Revolution took the lead early and held on for a 1-0 win over D.C. United. The Philadelphia Union faced off against the Chicago Fire and took care of business with a 4-1 victory. In Canada, Toronto FC defended its home turf against the Portland Timbers with a 3-1 win. Two of the Lions’ rivals — Inter Miami and NYCFC — clashed, ending in a 3-2 win for Miami. Both Los Angeles clubs scored five goals, with LAFC winning 5-0 over Charlotte FC and the LA Galaxy victorious 5-2 over the Vancouver Whitecaps. Austin FC picked up a 4-3 win over Sporting Kansas City after trailnig 3-1 at the half. The Colorado Rapids and Columbus Crew played to a 1-1 draw. FC Dallas earned a big win at home, defeating the San Jose Earthquakes, 4-1. And lastly, CF Montreal defeated the Houston Dynamo, 3-2.

Notable Results Around Europe

The Leagues over in Europe are now in full swing with their seasons in the beginning stages. In the Premier League, Arsenal defeated Leicester City 4-2 with Gabriel Jesus adjusting nicely to his new club. Manchester City squared off against AFC Bournemouth and took a 4-0 victory. The unfortunate start to Erik ten Hag’s tenure with Manchester United continues as the Reds fell to Brentford in a shocking 4-0 loss. In La Liga, Barcelona opened the season against Rayo Vallecano, ending in a 0-0 draw, while also losing a player to a red card late. Over in the German Bundesliga, FC Augsburg defeated Bayern Leverkusen 2-1. RB Leipzig and FC Köln played to a 2-2 draw and Schalke 04 and Borussia Monchengladbach played to the same score. In Italy’s Serie A, Both Milan clubs earned victories, with Inter Milan victorious over Lecce, 2-1, and AC Milan won 4-1 over Udinese. And finally, in France’s Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain earned a huge 5-2 victory against Montpellier.

Free Kicks

• In light of Austin FC’s recent form, the club has received praise from USMNT Head Coach Gregg Berhalter.
• Barcelona head coach Xavi says more players are needed to strengthen the roster after the team’s opening draw.
• Transfer news is still heating up as clubs are looking to make the last push to bring in players before the window closes and that includes Manchester United. All that and more in the latest Transfer Talk.
• Third kits are nothing new for many clubs, but how do this season’s new third kits compare to each other?

That will do it for me. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and I will see you guys next time.