Lion Links: 9/13/23

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida these days. There’s not much new with me besides working at Wrigley Field and covering high school sports in the Chicago area to stay busy. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions in Action in CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying

Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and midfielder Wilder Cartagena both started for Peru in its 1-0 loss to Brazil. It looked as if Gallese would earn a clean sheet, but Neymar found Marquinhos on a corner kick for Brazil to escape Lima with all three points. Facundo Torres came off the bench for Uruguay in the second half, but his team ended up losing 2-1 to Ecuador in its second World Cup qualifier of this month. In October, Peru will play Chile and Argentina, while Uruguay will face Colombia and Brazil.

Orlando Pride Sign Tori Hansen and Kaylie Collins to New Contracts

The Orlando Pride announced on Tuesday that they’ve signed defender Tori Hansen and goalkeeper Kaylie Collins to new contracts through the end of the 2024 NWSL season. The club also announced that both players will go on loan to Australia’s A-League Women, with Hansen going to Melbourne Victory FC and Collins to Western Sydney Wanderers FC for the upcoming season. Hansen started the first two Challenge Cup matches for the Pride this season, scoring a goal in the second match on May 10 against the Washington Spirit. Collins also made two appearances for the Pride this season, with one league start against NJ/NY Gotham FC on April 15 and the other in that Challenge Cup match against the Spirit on May 10. These loans will allow both players to focus on getting playing time to develop during the winter months in a competitive league ahead of the 2024 NWSL season.

USMNT Beats Oman in Friendly

In its second friendly of September, the United States Men’s National Team won 4-0 against Oman at Allianz Field. A goal from Folarin Balogun gave the Americans an early lead, with the team’s other three goals coming in the second half. The USMNT did well to secure its second shutout of September after beating Uzbekistan 3-0 this past Saturday. Tougher matches await though, as the USMNT is set to take on Germany and Ghana in another pair of friendlies next month.

USWNT Roster Announced for September Friendlies With South Africa

Twila Kilgore, who is serving as the interim head coach of the United States Women’s National Team, called up 27 players for training camp to prepare for its upcoming friendlies on Sept. 21 and Sept. 24 against South Africa. These will be Kilgore’s first two matches as the interim head coach while the U.S. Soccer Federation continues its search for a new head coach after Vlatko Andonovski resigned last month. Of those called up, 21 of the 23 players on the 2023 World Cup roster return to the squad, including goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, defender Naomi Girma, and forward Alex Morgan. Forward Mia Fishel, who was selected by the Pride in the 2022 NWSL Draft but chose to play for Tigres, received her first call up to the USWNT. Midfielder Kristie Mewis and forward Sophia Smith were not called up as they both are recovering from injuries. The first match at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati will be the final USWNT match for Julie Ertz, while the second match at Soldier Field in Chicago will be Megan Rapinoe’s last match for the USWNT.

Euro 2024 Qualifying Roundup

Qualifying for Euro 2024 in Germany continued on Tuesday with some intriguing matchups. Spain dominated Cyprus 6-0 and got two goals from Ferran Torres. With that win, Spain keeps pace with group leaders Scotland, which leads Group A with 15 points. Italy bounced back with a 2-1 win over Ukraine, with Davide Frattesi finding the back of the net twice. That win moves Italy to second in Group C while Ukraine moves to third due to goal differential. Marko Arnautovic’s two goals helped Austria beat Sweden 3-1 and his team is tied with Group F leaders Belgium with 13 points. Switzerland, Romania, and Israel all won their respective matches yesterday to keep Group I close. Switzerland leads the group with 14 points, while Romania is in second with 12, and Israel is on the outside looking in in third with 11.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City was busy in training as it prepares to take on the Columbus Crew this weekend.

• New England Revolution players reportedly refused to train on Tuesday due to a lack of clarity over the circumstances that led to Bruce Arena’s resignation as head coach and sporting director this past weekend. The club also announced coaching staff changes, with Clint Peay reportedly taking over as the new interim manager.

• OL Reign exercised its 2024 club option to bring back midfielder Jess Fishlock for a 12th season with the club.
• Angel City Head Coach Becki Tweed has ruled out forward Christen Press for the remainder of the season. Press plans to return in 2024 as she continues to recover from a right knee injury.
• England defeated rivals Scotland 3-1 in an international friendly despite Harry McGuire’s own goal in the second half.
• Germany snapped its three-match losing streak as it edged out France 2-1 in interim manager Rudi Voller’s first match in charge.

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