Lion Links: 9/2/23

Who is pumped up for another match? Maybe this one means a little more to me than most, as I live just an hour from TQL Stadium, so I have quite a few friends who support FC Cincinnati. I’m hopeful the boys in purple can help earn me some bragging rights in the office for Monday morning. They won’t be the only ones in action though, as OCB and the Pride both have Sunday fixtures, but we’ll break it all down in the links here.

Orlando City Ready for Supporters’ Shield Contenders

Tonight at 7:30 p.m. the Lions are set to go toe to toe with FC Cincinnati who have a firm grip on the Supporters’ Shield race at the top of the MLS standings with 57 points. The Lions are positioned third in the Eastern conference with 44 points. The last time the two clubs met was in Orlando in March, finishing a scoreless draw. Across the matchup’s history, Orlando has earned three wins and three draws across eight matches. 

Messiah Bright Named Player of the Month

Forward Messiah Bright had one heck of a month. Bright was named both NWSL’s Rookie of the Month and Player of the Month for August. This is the first time that the pair of awards has been named earned by the same player in the same month. Bright scored three goals across four matches in August, including her two-goal performance against the Chicago Red Stars. Currently, she leads all NWSL rookies with seven goals across all competitions and her six goals in regular-season play ranks among the top five in the league. Bright is a clear frontrunner for Rookie of the Year.

Orlando Pride Bound for Seattle

The Orlando Pride are set to take on OL Reign at 6 p.m. Sunday at Lumen Field. While all eyes are sure to be on Player of the Month Messiah Bright, the Reign will be sure to keep tabs on two other Pride players who were also named to the NWSL’s Best XI of the Month: Kerry Abello and Kylie Strom. For the club, the fixture holds heavy implications in the playoff picture. OL Reign entered the weekend sixth in the NWSL table, holding just two points over the Pride in the NWSL standings, which earns them the final playoff spot as things stand. The Pride need to make history on Sunday by beating the Reign on the road for the first time.

OCB Welcomes Crown Legacy

While the senior Lions are in Cincinnati after their midweek match in Charlotte, the Young Lions will be playing host to Charlotte’s MLS NEXT Pro developmental side, Crown Legacy FC on Sunday night at Osceola Heritage Park. In Orlando City B’s last match, forward Jack Lynn scored his 15th goal of the season, equaling his 2022 season total and bringing him just one goal behind Matt Myers of New York City FC II in the Golden Boot race. We will have to wait and see if Lynn gets called up to Cincinnati tonight in the wake of a potential Ercan Kara departure, as doing so would likely keep him from flying back to Orlando and playing the next day. Even if Lynn can’t make the match, OCB now has 11 players with multiple goals this season.

Free Kicks

• LAFC center back Mamadou Fall has been loaned to FC Barcelona through June 2024 with a purchase option.
• FC Cincinnati signed 22-year-old goalkeeper Roman Celentano to a contract extension through the 2027 MLS season.
• Gotham FC midfielder McCall Zerboni will undergo season-ending ACL surgery.

• The Hartford Athletic are being forced to play their match against the Tampa Bay Rowdies despite having 10 Athletic players test positive for COVID-19, which leaves Hartford with no goalkeepers, and one substitute.

• There are plenty of matches today to see your favorite USMNT players in action across the globe.

That’s all I have for you on this Saturday. Best of luck to our Lions tonight. Vamos Orlando!