Lion Links: 6/2/23

I hope this Friday finds you well as we all get ready for another weekend of Orlando soccer. Tomorrow is my birthday and I’m looking forward to battling the eternal march of time with some watermelon mojitos and a cheeseburger. It should be a nice weekend. Hopefully the next few days go smoothly for you as well. Now, let’s get this Friday started with today’s links!

Orlando City Prepares for the New York Red Bulls

Orlando City is back in action tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. in a road match against the New York Red Bulls. The Lions have not lost in their past four matches against the Red Bulls, including a 1-0 win at home in this year’s season opener. Plenty has changed for the Red Bulls since that match, with Troy Lesesne now at the helm after the dismissal of Gerhard Struber last month. The Lions catch the Red Bulls just a few days after they beat Inter Miami 1-0 on the road. Orlando is currently on a four-game unbeaten streak, but two of the draws were due to allowing late equalizers at home. Captain Mauricio Pereyra talked about the team’s need for consistency throughout a match.

“It’s the belief in the work that we are doing, because nothing is changed from this last game or even in Miami,” he said. “If we compare with the other games, I mean, it’s the same team with the same players and the same quality. The only thing that changed I think, is the mentality and the mindset that we had, that we believe that the work that we’re doing is correct. … Consistency is what we need during the tournament, we see more times during the game against Atlanta. But we have to do it in 90 minutes if you want to get results.”

Pereyra is in his fifth year with the Lions and would make his 100th start for Orlando should he do so tomorrow. Cesar Araujo has been a key part of Orlando’s success since joining the club and could make his 50th appearance in tomorrow’s match. Both midfielders could prove key for Orlando against Luquinhas and the rest of the Red Bulls.

Orlando Pride Aim to Bounce Back

Although they created plenty of chances and played well, the Orlando Pride’s four-game unbeaten run came to an end last weekend against the Chicago Red Stars. Capitalizing on those chances is a focal point for the Pride in training as they get ready for a road match against the Houston Dash tomorrow night at 8:30 p.m. It’s the first of three games in seven days for the Pride as they look to maintain their hunger to win despite the recent loss. Midfielder Erika Tymrak spoke on how the team is cultivating a winning culture this year.

“I think it starts in training and [the coaching staff] have created such a good training environment that when we do not get the result we wanted, we are upset, we’re disappointed,” Tymrak said, “We had a few off days after the game, and we just want to get back and play and get better. So I think it’s an important mentality to have and it’ll take us through the season.”

Orlando City B Heads North to Face Toronto FC II

After a May of mixed results, Orlando City B hits the road to take on Toronto FC II this Sunday at 8 p.m. It will be the second meeting between the two teams this season, with the Young Lions winning 3-2 at Osceola Heritage Park on April 30. The offense is trending in the right direction, with Jack Lynn scoring his fourth goal in three games and Alex Freeman tallying his fifth goal contribution of the season in OCB’s 3-2 win over New York Red Bulls II on Monday. Shak Mohammed, Orlando City’s 2023 MLS SuperDraft first-round pick, also scored his first goal of the season in that match, so hopefully he can build on that moving forward. OCB will face a Toronto side that has lost its past two matches, both on the road.

Phil Neville Fired By Inter Miami

Following its 10th loss in15 games this season, Phil Neville is no longer the head coach of Inter Miami. Neville was named head coach in January of 2021, and led the team to the playoffs last year. However, there’s been a lack of consistency for Miami during his tenure and no club has lost more games this season than the Herons. Miami also parted ways with former Orlando City head coach Jason Kreis, who was named as an assistant coach in March of 2021. Javier Morales will serve as interim head coach, with other coaches remaining in their existing roles, including former Orlando City academy director Darren Powell as an assistant coach.

USMNT Roster Announced for Concacaf Nations League

B.J. Callaghan, who became the interim head coach of the United States Men’s National Team earlier this week, called up 24 players for the training camp roster in preparation of the Concacaf Nations League later this month. Four goalkeepers made this roster before it gets trimmed down to 23 players, including Matt Turner and Maccabi Haifa’s Josh Cohen. Folarin Balogun committed to the U.S. just last month and will be on the team alongside fellow forwards Ricardo Pepi and Alex Zendejas. Tyler Adams is out due to injury, but the midfield is still filled with notable names such as Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, and Giovanni Reyna. The U.S. will clash with Mexico on June 15 in Las Vegas, with the championship match taking place against either Canada or Panama on June 18.

Free Kicks

• The Orlando Pride remained in ninth in CBS Sports‘ NWSL power rankings following their 1-0 road loss to the Chicago Red Stars.
• Angel City FC signed French midfielder Amandine Henry to a three-year contract. The 33-year-old joins Angel City after six seasons with Olympique Lyonnais in France.
• The Philadelphia Union have signed defensive midfielder Jose Martinez to a contract extension that will keep him in Philly through 2025, with an option for 2026 as well.
• The NWSL’s expansion team in San Francisco will be called Bay FC, which is an incredibly boring choice, in my opinion.

• American goalkeeper Zack Steffen underwent knee surgery and will reportedly be out for three to four months as a result.

• American defender John Brooks was named Hoffenheim’s Player of the Month. Brooks started in all four of the German club’s matches in May, helping Hoffenheim escape relegation.
• Qualification for next year’s U-20 Women’s World Cup is up for grabs today, as the U.S. takes on Costa Rica and Canada faces Mexico in the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship semifinals.
• In the U-20 World Cup, Uruguay beat Gambia, 1-0, and will face the U.S. in the quarterfinals on Sunday.
• French striker Karim Benzema will reportedly join Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad when his contract with Real Madrid expires this month.

That’s all for now, Mane Landers. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your week.