Lion Links: 4/26/23

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with those of you down in Florida. I’ll be checking out the Chicago derby later tonight at SeatGeek Stadium as the Chicago Fire take on Chicago House AC in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

U.S. Soccer Federation Appoints Matt Crocker as Sporting Director

The U.S. Soccer Federation officially announced Matt Crocker as its new sporting director. Crocker will start his new job with the USSF on Aug. 2, but will immediately begin the search for a new United States Men’s National Team manager. The USMNT has been without a manager since Gregg Berhalter’s contract expired at the end of last year following the World Cup. Crocker will also provide support to the U.S. Women’s National Team during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup prior to his start date with the USSF. Crocker has been with English Premier League side Southampton as its director of football since February of 2020 and will leave his current role with the club at the end of the league campaign.

Third Round of U.S. Open Cup Begins

There were eight matches last night as the third round of the 2023 U.S. Open Cup kicked off. MLS clubs joined the fray and the San Jose Earthquakes were eliminated after a 1-0 loss to USL Championship side Monterey Bay FC. San Jose was the only MLS club to fall, with the New England Revolution, Sporting Kansas City, and Charlotte FC advancing. Minnesota United trailed against Detroit City FC after the first half, but then scored three goals in a six-minute span to win. St. Louis City won in its tournament debut, beating Union Omaha 5-1. The Charleston Battery needed extra time to score the lone goal and beat the Charlotte Independence 1-0 to reach the next round.

There will be 16 matches tonight, including two involving Florida clubs. Miami FC takes on Inter Miami at FIU Soccer Stadium, while the Tampa Bay Rowdies face the Houston Dynamo at Al Lang Stadium. Another notable match-up today is a Colorado clash, with the Rapids taking on the Northern Colorado Hailstorm.

Toronto FC Acquires CJ Sapong and Aimé Mabika in Trades

Toronto FC made some moves with a pair of trades to bolster its roster nine matches into the season, as the Reds sit in 12th in the Eastern Conference. The Reds acquired veteran forward CJ Sapong from Nashville SC in exchange for center back Lukas MacNaughton and up to $200,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM). Sapong will compete for minutes with Adama Diomande and Ayo Akinola, who both have been dealing with injuries so far this season. After dealing MacNaughton to Nashville, Toronto made another move to acquire center back Aimé Mabika from Inter Miami in exchange for up to another $200,000 in GAM.

Americans in Action Abroad

There were two matches in England involving Americans in the English Premier League as two sides fought to avoid relegation. Tyler Adams was sidelined with a hamstring injury, but Weston McKennie and Brenden Aaronson both played for Leeds United in a 1-1 draw against Leicester City. It was a crucial point and Leeds is in 16th place, two points above the relegation zone. Chris Richards’ Crystal Palace side lost 2-0 on the road to Wolves but is still ahead of Wolves in the table on goal difference in 12th place. Today, Christian Pulisic and Chelsea will face Brentford as the Blues look to snap their seven-match winless streak across all competitions. Manchester City battles Arsenal later today in a match-up that could go a long way in deciding the Premier League title, but expect American goalkeeper Matt Turner to be on the bench.

Free Kicks

• The latest MLS power rankings have been released. Orlando City dropped three spots to 17th after its 3-1 defeat to D.C. United this past weekend.
• Also, the power rankings were unveiled for MLS NEXT Pro. Orlando City B remained in fifth despite its shootout win against New York City FC II after the match ended 2-2 in regulation.
• Valentin Castellanos, who is on loan at Girona FC from New York City FC, scored four goals against Real Madrid in a 4-2 win on Tuesday. Castellanos becomes the first player since 1947 to score four goals against Real Madrid in La Liga.
• The Dynamo signed forward Ibrahim Aliyu on a full transfer from Croatian side NK Lokomotiva Zagreb as a U22 Initiative player. Aliyu has agreed to a three-year deal through 2025, with club options in 2026 and 2027.
• Tottenham Hotspur players will refund supporters who traveled to St. James Park after the club lost 6-1 to Newcastle United this past Sunday.
• Burnley has clinched the EFL Championship title after its 1-0 win against Blackburn Rovers.

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