Lion Links: 6/28/23

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy working up here in Chicago, but we have the Orlando Pride, Orlando City B, and USMNT in action today. There is plenty to get to, so let’s get right into the links.

Orlando Pride Play Gotham FC in Challenge Cup

The Orlando Pride will host NJ/NY Gotham FC tonight at Exploria Stadium for their third group stage match of the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup. The Pride sit at the bottom of the group with one point in two matches. The Pride lost 4-2 in their last Challenge Cup match against the Washington Spirit and have conceded four goals in three out of their last five matches in the competition. Ally Watt has scored in both of the Pride’s Challenge Cup matches this year. Gotham FC is second in the group with four points in two matches, and had a 1-1 draw against the North Carolina Courage in its last Challenge Cup match. Gotham is also unbeaten in its last six road matches against the Pride across all competitions. After tonight, the Pride will go on the road to take on the Washington Spirit in a league match this Saturday.

Pride Add Maliah Morris and McKinley Crone

The Orlando Pride have signed Maliah Morris and McKinley Crone as National Team Replacement Players. They will fill in for Marta and Adriana, who will be away with Brazil to prepare for 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. This will be the second short-term stint for Morris, as the forward played with the Pride in their last two Challenge Cup matches. Crone has been training with the Pride since this preseason and joins a goalkeeping unit that already includes three players. Morris and Crone will be available for tonight’s Challenge Cup match against Gotham.

Haley Bugeja Linked With Inter Milan

Orlando Pride forward Haley Bugeja is reportedly close to an agreement to join Inter Milan of the Serie A Femminile.

Bugeja’s contract expires at the end of the 2023 NWSL season and the only league match she’s played in this season was the season opener against the Portland Thorns. Bugeja also played in the Pride’s Challenge Cup match last month against the Spirit. Bugeja played in Italy before she joined the Pride last summer, as she previously played with Sassuolo.

OCB Takes on Philadelphia Union II Tonight

Orlando City B will also be in action tonight, as it hosts Philadelphia Union II for a midweek MLS NEXT Pro clash at Osceola County Stadium. The match kicks off at 7 p.m. and you can watch the match via MLS Season Pass. OCB lost 1-0 at SeatGeek Stadium to Chicago Fire II on June 15 in its last league match. The Young Lions are fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 24 points. Philadelphia also lost to Chicago in its most recent match, falling 5-2 in its recent match on June 18. The Young Lions are undefeated at home and will look to get their second win of the season against Philadelphia. The last time these two sides met was the season opener on Mar. 26, when OCB won 3-1 at Subaru Park.

USMNT Faces Saint Kitts & Nevis in the Gold Cup

The United States Men’s National Team will play its second group stage match of the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup when it takes on Saint Kitts & Nevis tonight at 10 p.m. in St. Louis. The USMNT escaped its first group stage match with a 1-1 draw against Jamaica at Soldier Field in Chicago thanks to a late equalizer by Brandon Vazquez. The USMNT is in second place in Group A. Saint Kitts & Nevis lost its Gold Cup opener 3-0 this past Sunday to Trinidad & Tobago and sits at the bottom of the group. This will be the first ever meeting between these two sides, and the USMNT will look to get its first win of the tournament. The USMNT’s next match will be on Sunday against Trinidad & Tobago.

MLS Announces All-Star Roster

Major League Soccer announced its roster for the 2023 MLS All-Star Game on July 19 at Audi Field in D.C. The MLS All-Stars will be managed by D.C. United Head Coach Wayne Rooney and will take on English Premier League side Arsenal. Of the 26 players chosen, none play for Orlando City. Jesus Ferreira, Denis Bouanga, and Jordan Morris were a few of the notable forwards selected. The group of midfielders includes Thiago Almada, Hany Mukhtar, and Luciano Acosta. As for the defense, Matt Miazga, Walker Zimmerman, and Tim Parker were chosen. Tyler Miller, Roman Burki, and Djordje Petrovic are the team’s goalkeepers. MLS Commissioner Don Garber selected Kei Kamara and Mathieu Choiniere with his two picks.

Free Kicks

• The latest MLS power rankings have been released. The Lions moved up two spots to ninth after getting a scoreless draw against the Sounders this past weekend.
• The time for Orlando City’s Leagues Cup match against the Houston Dynamo on July 21 was changed from 7:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

• Bayern Munich has reportedly submitted a transfer offer for Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane but the club has rejected it and doesn’t plan to sell him this summer.
• Inter Miami left back Franco Negri may miss the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL.
• USMNT forward Ricardo Pepi’s move to PSV Eindhoven from Augsburg is reportedly completed.

• Another American looks to be on the move, as Timothy Weah has reportedly reached an agreement with Juventus.

• Minnesota United has signed forward Teemu Pukki as a Designated Player through June of 2025, with a club option for all of 2025. Pukki has played the past five seasons with Norwich City.

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