Lion Links: 4/12/23

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy at work lately, but am doing well. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Exploria Stadium to Host Fulham and Aston Villa This Summer

On July 26, Exploria Stadium will host a clash between two English Premier League clubs as Fulham takes on Aston Villa. This match is part of the Premier League Summer Series, which begins on July 22 and ends on July 30, with six EPL teams in action. This will be the first time the Premier League has hosted a preseason tournament in the United States. Exploria Stadium did host a friendly last summer when Orlando City faced Arsenal. The match will kick off at 7 p.m. and you’ll automatically be enrolled for presale tickets if you’re an Orlando City season ticket holder. The presale tickets will be on sale on Tuesday, April 25, while tickets for the general public will go on sale the next day.

Gustavo Caraballo Honored After Generation Adidas Cup

Orlando City academy forward Gustavo Caraballo was named co-leading scorer in the U-15 division of the 2023 Generation Adidas Cup. Caraballo, alongside New York Red Bulls pair Julian Hall and Tanner Rosborough, scored four goals in the competition. He was also mentioned as part of MLSsoccer.com’s Generation Adidas Best XI. Caraballo showed his willingness to take players on and helped Orlando reach the semifinals of the tournament.

USWNT Wins 1-0 Against Ireland in Friendly

The United States Women’s National Team got another victory against Ireland, winning 1-0 in St. Louis. Alana Cook scored the lone goal of the match as her cross from distance caught Irish goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan in an awkward position and went in the net to put the USWNT ahead before halftime. Alyssa Thompson made her first start for the senior team and played the full 90 minutes. The USWNT’s last match-up before the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be on July 9 against Wales in San Jose, which will be the first meeting between the two nations.

LAFC Beats Vancouver to Reach Semifinals

In the second leg of the Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals, LAFC hosted the Vancouver Whitecaps and won 3-0 to cruise into the next round. Carlos Vela had a brace in the first half and Jose Cifuentes added a third goal for LAFC. Tonight’s lone Concacaf Champions League match features the Philadelphia Union going on the road with a 1-0 aggregate lead against Atlas. Whichever team advances from that match will take on LAFC in the semifinals.

UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals begin

The quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League kicked off with two good first-leg matches. Inter Milan put together a strong performance in the second half against Benfica, with Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku each scoring for the Italian club to win 2-0 in Portugal. Manchester City dominated Bayern Munich with goals from Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Erling Haaland to win the first leg 3-0 at home. The second leg for these two matches will be next week. There will be more quarterfinal action today, with Real Madrid facing Chelsea and AC Milan taking on Napoli.

Free Kicks

• Orlando Pride forward Adriana started and played every minute of Brazil’s 2-1 win over Germany.

• In the latest MLS power rankings, Orlando City dropped down one spot to 15th after not playing any matches this past weekend.
• The latest MLS NEXT Pro power rankings were released as well. Orlando City B moved up one spot to third after its 2-0 shutout against Inter Miami II to stay undefeated.
• Mallory Swanson gave an update on her recovery after undergoing successful knee surgery.

• Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan will be sidelined for 10-12 weeks after suffering a knee injury in this past weekend’s match against New York City FC.
• Portland Timbers midfielder Eryk Williamson has suffered his second ACL tear in nearly 20 months and will miss the remainder of the 2023 season.
• New York Red Bulls forward Dante Vanzeir will step away from the team, according to a club statement. Major League Soccer is still investigating the incident in which Vanzeir used racist language during the team’s last match against the San Jose Earthquakes.

• La Liga announced that Atletico Madrid, Real Betis, Real Sociedad, and Sevilla will participate in a North America tour this summer, including exhibitions in Monterrey and San Francisco.
• Australia snapped England’s 30-match unbeaten run, as the Matildas defeated the Lionesses 2-0 at Brentford Community Stadium in England.

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