Lion Links: 8/22/22

Good morning, Mane Landers. The work week is starting off strong and it was a little easier to wake up on a Monday, as Orlando City brought home all three points from Charlotte. The Orlando Pride also won and Orlando City B was able to walk away with a point this weekend. Hopefully, all three clubs can roll that momentum into their next matches. It sure is nice having back-to-back weekends where none of the three teams lost. For now, let’s get into the links.

Lions Victorious in Charlotte

Over 30,000 fans left Bank of America Stadium disappointed last night as the Lions defeated Charlotte FC, 2-1. Ercan Kara extended his team-leading scoring campaign as he returned to the starting lineup and gave the Lions the lead. Despite Charlotte answering back with a goal of their own, Orlando found a late winner to take all three points. The win propelled the team into fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Orlando City returns to action at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday at Exploria Stadium when New York City FC comes to town.

Pato Will Have Surgery in Brazil

Orlando City has officially announced that forward Alexandre Pato will undergo exploratory knee surgery following an injury suffered last weekend. Pato has returned to his home country of Brazil for the procedure. There is not a time table available just yet for his return. Pato has endured many injuries throughout his career and his contract with Orlando ends at the end of this season.

“Pato is an incredible competitor and we’re sad to see him suffer this injury. But we know he will work to get back on the field even stronger,” Orlando City Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “We’re ready to support and help him in every way necessary through his recovery.”

Former MLS Players Shine In Premier League

USMNT attacker Brenden Aaronson has taken his talents from the Philadelphia Union across the globe to Leeds United in the Premier League. He has quickly become a fan favorite and was able to score his first goal in the league against Chelsea in a 3-0 win. A darting run forward to take the ball off the opposing goalkeeper’s foot for an easy tap-in will surely be a goal Aaronson will never forget.

The Union product joined Leeds from RB Salzburg this summer, reuniting with American head coach Jesse Marsch after their time together in Austria. Fellow American and MLS product Tyler Adams also left his stamp all over the midfield for Leeds in the win. While he did not add to the scoring, his defensive work rate and tenacity stood out. Former NYCFC winger Jack Harrison had a strong game for Leeds too. Harrison assisted on his team’s second goal and then scored the third to seal the victory. It will be interesting to see how these former MLS players fare throughout the rest of the season in one of the world’s most competitive leagues.

MLS Results From Around the League

While we enjoyed watching the Lions win on the road, there were a few matches happening elsewhere around the league yesterday. NYCFC defeated the Chicago Fire 2-0 thanks in part to a stunner from Gabriel Pereria. Atlanta United and the Columbus Crew split the points in a 2-2 draw in Ohio. Sporting Kansas City almost kept a clean sheet at home against the Portland Timbers but gave up a consolation goal in a 4-1 drubbing. Hany Mukhtar continued to showcase his lethal attack at Geodis Park in Nashville SC’s 4-0 win against FC Dallas.

Free Kicks

• LAFC became the first team to book a spot in the MLS Cup playoffs, mathematically securing its place despite a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes.
• CF Montréal’s Kei Kamara is now in sole ownership of third place in the league’s all-time scoring list after his 135th goal.
• Manchester United fans are planning to protest against the Glazer family’s ownership ahead of the game at Old Trafford on Monday night and Liverpool Head Coach Jurgen Klopp wants the points should the match become unplayable rather than rescheduling.
• Former Manchester United captain and D.C. United Head Coach Wayne Rooney has urged Erik ten Hag to drop Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcus Rashford for today’s match against Liverpool.
• Manchester City produced a second-half comeback to draw 3-3 with Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Sunday.
• Kylian Mbappe scored the first goal of his hat trick within eight seconds — the fastest Ligue 1 goal in 30 years — for Paris Saint-Germain in its 7-1 victory at Lille.
• Sadio Mane scored twice as Bayern Munich demolished VfL Bochum 7-0 on Sunday.
• Real Madrid is keen to sign 19-year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham following Casemiro’s imminent move to Manchester United.
• Barcelona failed to register Jules Kounde in time for yesterday’s 4-1 win against Real Sociedad.

Well, that is all I have for you today. I hope your week gets off to a great start and things go as smooth as a Monday morning can. Vamos Orlando!