Happy Friday! I don’t have many plans this weekend, but am still looking forward to the next few days after a hectic week. When not working, I plan on finally starting Book of Night by Holly Black and figuring out how to make the most out of some dark rum I was gifted. For now though, let’s get to today’s links from around the soccer world!

Amanda Allen Loaned to Lexington SC

The Orlando Pride have loaned forward Amanda Allen to Lexington SC for the remainder of the USL Super League season. This decision should give Allen some valuable minutes, and the loan includes a right to recall as well. The 19-year-old has made 17 appearances since joining the Pride and had an assist in this year’s season opener. She is also currently in Colombia for the U-20 Women’s World Cup and her Canada squad takes on Brazil tonight. Hopefully she’s able to tear it up in the USL Super League’s inaugural season.

Alex Morgan Announces Her Retirement

American forward Alex Morgan has announced that she will retire after the San Diego Wave’s match on Sunday. She also announced that she is pregnant with her second child.

In her 224 international appearances, Morgan scored 123 goals and was a major force behind the USWNT’s back-to-back World Cup victories in 2015 and 2019. At the club level, she has played in every year of the NWSL’s existence and joined the Orlando Pride ahead of their inaugural season in 2016. In her six years in Orlando, Morgan recorded 23 goals and 10 assists in 69 appearances. Off the field, she’s been an outspoken supporter of equality and increased investment in women’s sports. We wish her the best of luck after a legendary career.

USMNT Faces Canada on Saturday

The United States Men’s National Team will take on Canada on Saturday in Kansas City in the first of two friendlies this month. Plenty has changed since the U.S. beat Canada in a penalty shootout in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinals, particularly on the sideline. American coach Jesse Marsch was hired by Canada in May, while the U.S. will be led by Mikey Varas in an interim capacity amid buzz that Mauricio Pochettino will take over. The U.S. is without Giovanni Reyna for these friendlies due to injury, with Cade Cowell replacing him. Canada boasts a talented roster that includes a trio of former Lions in Cyle Larin, Richie Laryea, and Kamal Miller. After this match, the USMNT will take on New Zealand on Tuesday.

Keeping Up With International Soccer

San Marino may be one of the smallest countries in the world, but it arguably had the biggest win of a busy day of international soccer after beating Liechtenstein 1-0 for its first competitive victory. Elsewhere in the UEFA Nations League, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 900th career goal in Portugal’s 2-1 win over Croatia, while Spain was held to a scoreless draw in Serbia.

The third round of AFC World Cup qualifying is underway and Australia was upset 1-0 at home by Bahrain. Japan suffered no such setback though, dominating China in a 7-0 home win. Palestine drew 0-0 against South Korea in Seoul, which is no easy task.

CONMEBOL’s World Cup qualifiers have also resumed, and Bolivia came up with a huge 4-0 win in high altitude against Venezuela to move up the table. We may see some Lions in action today. Facundo Torres and Uruguay take on Paraguay, while Pedro Gallese, Wilder Cartagena, and Peru host Colombia.

Free Kicks

• FC Cincinnati’s Luca Orellano won MLS Goal of the Matchday for scoring from nearly 80 yards out to beat CF Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois. Orlando’s Facundo Torres placed second in the voting for his volleyed strike against Nashville SC.
• NJ/NY Gotham FC forward Ella Stevens was named NWSL Player of the Month after recording three goals and two assists in August.
• Argentina beat Brazil in blind soccer at the Paralympics, ending Brazil’s unbeaten streak that has lasted the past 20 years. France and Argentina will face off in the gold medal game on Saturday.
• Chris Jurasek has stepped down as Chelsea’s chief executive after a year in the position, with Jason Gannon replacing him.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this week has been going smoothly for you as we gear up for plenty of club and international soccer over the next few days. I’ve been getting plenty of reading done when not working and am looking forward to another trip to my local bookstore this weekend. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Orlando City Partners With Sporting CP

Orlando City and Portuguese club Sporting CP have officially agreed to be technical partners, meaning they will share information and methodologies in regards to player development, recruitment, and more. The two clubs have had links before, with former Lions Nani and Uri Rosell joining Orlando from Sporting. The two clubs will also organize training periods for academy players to train with the other club in a different environment. Orlando City Vice President of Soccer Operations and Technical Director Ricardo Moreira spoke on how this partnership will help both clubs moving forward.

“This is an agreement that will foster a great exchange of information for the betterment of both sets of players and coaches, setting both clubs up for even more success in the future. The culture within both clubs is very similar and we’re excited to see the benefits this partnership brings for everyone involved, especially in an academy level.”

Barbra Banda Nominated for 2024 Women’s Ballon d’Or

Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda was one of 30 players nominated for this year’s Women’s Ballon d’Or, which is one of the top honors in women’s soccer. Since joining the Pride in March, Banda has scored 12 goals in 14 matches this season and is the first NWSL player to score 10 goals in her first 10 league appearances. The 24-year-old also had four goals and an assist with Zambia in this summer’s Olympics.

She’s joined on the nomination list by five United States Women’s National Team players: Alyssa Naeher, Sophia Smith, Malory Swanson, Trinity Rodman, and Lindsey Horan. I’m not surprised to see as many players who play for European clubs nominated, but I do think San Diego Wave defender Naomi Girma was snubbed. The winner will be announced in Paris on Oct. 28.

Orlando Pride Prepare for Chicago

After a dominant 2-0 win at home against NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Orlando Pride will hit the road for a match against the Chicago Red Stars on Sunday. It’s the second match between them this season, with the two sides splitting the points in a 1-1 draw in Orlando on March 29. The Pride sit atop the NWSL standings, and it should be a tough road game against a Chicago side fighting to keep its playoff position. Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on the difficulty of playing in Chicago, as well as how the Pride have been able to score in different ways this year.

Croix Bethune Out for the Season

Washington Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune suffered a torn meniscus, reportedly while throwing out the first pitch at a Washington Nationals game, and will miss the remainder of the NWSL season as a result. It’s brutal news for Bethune, who was the clear frontrunner for NWSL Rookie of the Year and just an assist shy of breaking the NWSL record of 10. She finishes with five goals and 10 assists in her rookie campaign, and also made the trip to Paris this summer for the Olympics with the USWNT. Her injury is also a blow to the Spirit’s NWSL Shield aspirations, as they are currently six points behind the Pride and now without one of their best playmakers.

Free Kicks

• Enjoy the sights and sounds from the Pride’s rainy win over Gotham. The video exemplifies just how fun the Pride have been to watch this year.

• Carlos Bocanegra is no longer the vice president and technical director of Atlanta United, with President and CEO Garth Lagerwey taking over in an interim capacity for the rest of the season.
• Sporting Kansas City transferred American defender Kayden Pierre to Genk in Belgium’s top flight.
• The U.S. Women’s U-20 National Team won 2-0 against Morocco in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, with the Pride’s Ally Lemos coming off the bench in the second half. The team’s last group stage game will be on Saturday against Paraguay.

• For the first time since 2003, neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi were nominated for the Ballon d’Or.
• Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen has joined Galatasaray on loan from Napoli after being left off the Italian club’s 23-man roster for the Serie A season. Galatasaray has won all three of its matches so far this Super Lig season and will compete in the Europa League.
• AS Roma added 35-year-old center back Mats Hummels on a free transfer to bolster its defense.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. While there’s no chance at a another nine-point weekend since Orlando City doesn’t play, that doesn’t mean a six-point weekend is off the table with both the Orlando Pride and Orlando City B in action this Sunday.

Let’s get to the links.

Summer of Facundo

It seems that when the temperature heats up in Central Florida, so does Facundo Torres. Orlando City’s attacker has made a habit the last few years of starting slow before coming into form over the summer months. That has been the case once again this season, but it’s something that Torres wishes he could change. I also would like him to be in form for a longer stretch of the season. At least for now, he’s playing well enough to make MLS Team of the Matchday. He’s also up for Goal of the Matchday, so go vote soon.

More Lions on International Duty

Pedro Gallese and Wilder Cartagena have been called up for international duty with Peru. The two Orlando City starters make three so far, as Uruguay selected Torres for the national team on Monday. Peru will play Colombia Friday, followed by a match against Ecuador on Tuesday. The trio are just a few of the many MLS players that will represent their respective national teams.

Pride’s Celia Nominated for Impact Award

Orlando Pride defender Celia has been nominated for the 2024 Lauren Holiday Impact Award presented by Nationwide. She is one of 14 players chosen — one from each NWSL club — for her work with a community partner. Celia’s partner is SpaceKids Global, a non-profit focused on STEAM+ (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics). There will be an appreciation night on Sept. 28 when the Pride host the Houston Dash. There will be a fan vote in October, and fans can select their nominee to win the award.

U-20 USWNT Back in Action Today

Ally Lemos of the Orlando Pride will be with the U-20 USWNT when it faces off against Morocco in the team’s second match of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup today. The match is scheduled for 9 p.m. this evening, and you can watch it on FS2 or Telemundo. Lemos did not get any minutes in the U.S. loss to defending champion Spain on Sunday. The Americans will need a result if they hope to make the knockout rounds. Here’s hoping Lemos gets some minutes and is able to help the U.S. secure a victory.

Free Kicks

• The Orlando Pride topped another power rankings list. This time it’s the Goal.com rankings. Also, water is wet.
• Check out which Americans are in action abroad heading into the international break.
• The Professional Footballers’ Association held a training camp for players who were not picked up in the last transfer window and are out of contract.
• The NWSL is running into the same problem as other leagues around the world. The players are playing in too many matches between club and country.
• Former Orlando Pride and current Angel City defender Ali Riley is facing the possibility that she may need to retire from professional soccer due to a nerve issue in her left leg. We wish her the best, no matter what the outcome.
• Lastly, don’t forget to vote for Adriana for NWSL Goal of the Week.

That will do it for today. The Lions are on an international break, but the Pride will try to keep the undefeated streak going Sunday, and OCB will be on the road in a big match against Crown Legacy as well. Check back as we get you ready for all the action. Vamos Orlando.