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Lion Links: 10/24/22

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Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers! We might not have any Orlando City or Orlando Pride soccer to enjoy, but there are still many matches worth watching. That is the beauty of soccer. Between all the leagues, international play, and local clubs, there is always some soccer to watch. Let’s get to the links.

MLS Playoff Picture Comes into Focus

The Pigeons were able to do what Orlando City could not by defeating CF Montréal 3-1 on Sunday. Maxi Moralez got things started early, and Héber doubled NYCFC’s total in first-half stoppage time. Talles Magno added the third before Djordje Mihailovic earned Montréal a consolation goal. The win sets up a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference final as NYCFC will meet the Philadelphia Union again. This time, the Union are unlikely to have a large part of their squad miss the match due to COVID-19 protocols. It will be a much more interesting match.

In the Western Conference, Austin FC defeated FC Dallas 2-1 with goals from Moussa Djitté and Sebastián Driussi to advance to the Western Conference final against LAFC. Austin’s goals came in a three-minute period in the first half, and Dallas spoiled the clean sheet, thanks to Alan Velasco’s goal in the 65th minute.

Thorns and Current Reach the NWSL Championship

Crystal Dunn picked the perfect time for her first goal since returning from maternity leave, sending the Portland Thorns to the NWSL championship thanks to a goal in stoppage time in a 2-1 win over the San Diego Wave. The Wave took an early lead thanks to two former Pride players. Alex Morgan provided an assist for Taylor Kornieck to open the scoring with a header. Raquel Rodriguez then gave the Thorns an equalizer later in the first half.

Portland’s opponent in the championship match will be the Kansas City Current, which defeated OL Reign 2-0 in the late match. The Current went from last in the league last season to the championship match. It should give Pride fans something to be hopeful for going into next season as the club rebuilds.

USWNT Head Coach Weighs in on World Cup Draw

The United States Women’s National Team will face the Netherlands, Vietnam, and a playoff winner in Group E of the Women’s World Cup next summer. According to USWNT Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski, it is the hardest group in the tournament.

Others have an even more positive spin on the draw given the U.S. avoids England, Germany, France, Canada, and Brazil until the final, so long as they make it that far. The USWNT will also not travel much, playing every game in the group stage in New Zealand.

Pepi Keeps Scoring in Europe

Ricardo Pepi scored the first goal for FC Groningen in its 4-2 rout of PSV Eindhoven. It was Pepi’s fourth goal in four appearances and his sixth across all competitions since joining the Dutch club on loan. That is pretty good form for someone hoping to make the USMNT World Cup roster. Of course, the best thing for FC Groningen is that the win puts them above the relegation line.

As for how other Americans did in Europe this weekend, Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson helped Fulham win 3-2 against Brenden Aaronson’s Leeds United. Tyler Adams didn’t play for Leeds due to a muscle injury, which raises some worries with the World Cup next month. Giovanni Reyna scored his first goal for Borussia Dortmund since August of last year in his club’s 5-0 win against VfB Stuttgart.

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  • Liverpool’s loss to Nottingham Forest, Erling Haaland’s hot streak, and Newcastle’s statement win over Tottenham were a few of the storylines from this weekend’s English Premier League action.
  • Elsewhere in Europe, Ousmane Dembele had a hat trick in Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Athletic Club, Napoli remained undefeated in Serie A, and Union Berlin’s title aspirations were dealt a setback.
  • A formal request was made to FIFA for Iran to be banned from the World Cup due to the persecution of women in the country.
  • Florida State University’s women’s soccer team bounced back from its first loss of the season to win 1-0 against Pitt.

That will do it for today. Have a great week and vamos Orlando!

Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/13/24

Orlando City prepares for the New England Revolution, Morgan Gautrat signs new contract, Orlando Pride play tonight, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

It’s Friday the 13th, so make sure to stay away from black cats and broken mirrors. I’ll be a bit festive today and grab some early Halloween decorations and a costume for my cat that he will definitely despise me for. Let’s jump into today’s links!

Orlando City Gets Ready for New England

After getting last weekend off, Orlando City is back in action Saturday with a home game against the New England Revolution at 7:30 p.m. The Lions are coming off of a dominant 3-0 win over Nashville SC and are seventh in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Revolution played during the international break and had to settle for a 2-2 draw against St. Louis City. Orlando Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke on how the Lions have been trying to maintain momentum during the break to get another win against the Revolution this season.

Morgan Gautrat Signs New Contract

Orlando Pride midfielder Morgan Gautrat has signed a new deal with the club that will last through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026 as well. The Pride traded for Gautrat in January of this year and she’s made 14 appearances across all competitions so far. The 31-year-old has provided important depth for the Pride’s midfield, filling in when needed to cover for injuries and international absences. She’s the latest player to sign a new deal with the club, as Orlando aims to keep most of its roster for next year.

Orlando Pride Game Headlines NWSL Slate

Although tonight’s match between the Orlando Pride and Kansas City Current won’t be a battle of undefeated teams like the last time they squared off in July, it’s still a heavyweight matchup. The Current will likely have revenge on their minds, as they have an opportunity to do what the Pride did earlier this year and snap their opponent’s unbeaten streak. It will also be another duel between two of the league’s top scorers in Barbra Banda and Temwa Chawinga.

Elsewhere in the league this weekend, the North Carolina Courage will host Bay FC in an intriguing match as both teams jockey for playoff position. Pride fans will also likely be keeping an eye on the Washington Spirit’s match Sunday against the Houston Dash. The Spirit are currently six points behind the Pride with just six games left this season.

Gauging the MLS Playoff Race

The MLS playoff picture is becoming clearer and clearer each week, and Andrew Wiebe assessed where each team stands. Orlando was grouped alongside the New York Red Bulls, New York City FC, and Charlotte FC as Eastern Conference sides who should qualify for the playoffs and have a chance at hosting in the first round. Another strong summer by the Lions has put a gap between them and a playoff bubble that includes teams that have underperformed but have the talent to make some noise this postseason.

As for the Western Conference, the Portland Timbers have established themselves as a potential dark horse amid a strong run of form, while FC Dallas, Minnesota United, and Austin FC are poised to fight for the last playoff spot. It should all make for an exciting final stretch of the season.

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  • The cooking competition between Nico Lodeiro and Morgan Gautrat continued with a pair of chicken dishes. The video also includes handy recipes in case you want to try making them yourself.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a smooth Friday the 13th!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/12/24

Orlando Pride plan for the Kansas City Current, Americans return to their clubs, MLS coaches on the hot seat, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been another hectic week for me, but I’m a few pages into Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne and it’s helped me unwind a bit. I’m looking forward to plenty of soccer and hanging out with friends at a sangria festival this weekend. For now though, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando Pride Prepare for Kansas City

The Orlando Pride remain unbeaten this season and face a tough test on Friday at home against the Kansas City Current. It’ll be another duel between the Pride’s formidable defense and the Current’s potent offense. The Pride have only allowed 12 goals all season and have secured a clean sheet in each of their three wins since the Olympic break. The Current may not be lighting up scoreboards as of late, but Temwa Chawinga continues to find the back of the net. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on what the team will need to do to limit Chawinga and the rest of Kansas City’s attack, as well as how the Pride are focused on building momentum to create more separation in the standings.

Americans Abroad This Weekend

With the international break over, Americans will return to their clubs after an underwhelming pair of friendlies against Canada and New Zealand. Haji Wright, Aidan Morris, and Brenden Aaronson are just a few of the Yanks expected to play in the EFL Championship on Saturday. Left back Antonee Robinson wasn’t called up for the recent friendlies so that he could rest, and he may play when Fulham hosts West Ham United on Saturday. In Serie A, AC Milan duo Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah will take on Gianluca Busio and Venezia. Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing Giovanni Reyna for a while, as he will be out for a few weeks according to Borussia Dortmund Head Coach Nuri Sahin.

Getting to Know Mauricio Pochettino

A new era has officially begun for the United States Men’s National Team, with Mauricio Pochettino becoming the 40th head coach in the program’s history. In his 15 years of managing at the club level, he’s had a penchant for turning teams around, doing so with Espanyol, Southampton, and Tottenham. The 52-year-old also has a track record for giving opportunities to young players and that bodes well for a USMNT that is fairly young compared to other teams on the global stage. Although it’s his first time coaching an international team, he does have experience playing for Argentina. Only time will tell how well his skillset translates to coaching the USMNT, but I have high hopes.

MLS Coaches On the Hot Seat

While the MLS playoff race heats up, coaches across the league may be starting to feel the pressure to finish strongly. Braden Chalker of Sports Illustrated named four coaches who are on the hot seat, including the Philadelphia Union’s Jim Curtin. The 45-year-old has been with the Union since the summer of 2014, but a fresh start could be coming for the club if it misses out on the postseason. A similar clean slate could be coming for Sporting Kansas City, which has been coached by Peter Vermes since 2009. His team would need a miraculous rally to close out the season just to make the playoffs this year. Austin FC’s Josh Wolff and the Chicago Fire’s Frank Klopas may also be looking for work once the season is over.

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  • There are going to be open tryouts at Sylvan Lake Park for Orlando youth players, so be sure to let the eligible youngsters in your life know. Best of luck!

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/11/24

Orlando Pride playoff ticket information, USMNT draws New Zealand on awful late goal on the day it formally announces Mauricio Pochettino, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Mark Thor

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. We have a full weekend of fun ahead with all three teams in action. The Orlando Pride start things off on Friday, with Orlando City playing Saturday, and Orlando City B finishing things up on Sunday. Hopefully, we can have a nine-point weekend.

Of course, today is a day of remembrance of those who lost their lives both on that tragic day in 2001 and from the effects that followed. Take a moment today to let those you love know that you love them. Let’s get to the links.

Pride Power into Playoffs

We know the Orlando Pride have already made the 2024 NWSL Playoffs, but now you can let the club know if you are interested in potential playoff tickets before things get crazy. It’s nice knowing that we don’t have to wait until decision day to find out if the Pride are in. They are. Decisively. In the least surprising news ever, the Pride topped both the ESPN NWSL Power Rankings, and the Goal.com NWSL Power Rankings once again.

Pochettino Hiring Official

The hiring that everyone knew was coming was made official Tuesday as Mauricio Pochettino was named as the new head coach of the USMNT. Pochettino is the type of big name hire that U.S. fans have been waiting for following the double stint of Gregg Berhalter. Pochettino will be expected to get the best out of what some consider the greatest generation of American soccer players when he leads them to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

USMNT Draws New Zealand

The same night that Pochettino was announced as the new USMNT head coach, his new team played New Zealand to an uninspiring 1-1 draw. Christian Pulisic put the Yanks ahead in the 69th minute, but the U.S. was unable to see the match out, allowing an 89th-minute equalizer on a completely awful goal that was misplayed by both Caleb Wiley and Mark McKenzie, with the latter providing the finish with a clearance attempt off of New Zealand’s Ben Waine, over Matt Turner, and into his own net. The match was only a friendly, but it illustrates the need for the new coach.

The Growth of the NWSL

The NWSL is in a good place. The league is growing both in the number of member clubs and in the attendance at matches across the league. There are many reasons for it, including the Olympics and big name stars like Marta and the recently retired Alex Morgan, but most importantly, the growing fanbase for the women’s game. ESPN spoke to general managers at every club in the league to get an idea of the challenges in the ever-changing landscape that is the NWSL. All the answers were anonymous, but it’s still very insightful information.

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  • In the ongoing series from the Orlando Pride, it’s now time for you to get to know Carrie Lawrence.
  • Let’s keep the clean sheets coming, Anna Moorhouse.
  • Declan Rice was a bit petty in Arsenal’s match against Brighton last weekend, nudging the ball away from his opponent on a free kick. The action earned him a second yellow and a sending off. Now, the board that reviews referee decisions has stated it was the correct call.

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for this weekend’s matches.

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