Lion Links
Lion Links: 10/18/23
Lions in international action, USMNT defeats Ghana, Daryl Dike could return to play for West Brom in January, and more.
Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy working at Under Armour while covering high school sports, but I try to catch some soccer whenever I can. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Lions in Action During International Break
Orlando City players Facundo Torres, Pedro Gallese, Wilder Cartagena, Duncan McGuire, and Wilfredo Rivera were all away with their respective teams during the international break. McGuire began the night on the bench with the U-23 United States National Team, but came on in the second half and scored the final goal in a 4-1 win over Japan.
Torres didn’t play for Uruguay on Tuesday, but his side shut out Brazil 2-0 in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying. Gallese and Cartagena both started in Peru’s 2-0 loss to Argentina. Forward Wilfredo Rivera and Orlando City B’s Ian Silva were both in action for Puerto Rico, but ended up losing 3-1 to Guyana for the second time in a week in Concacaf Nations League B action.
USMNT Defeats Ghana in Friendly
The United States Men’s National Team cruised to a 4-0 win over Ghana in a friendly in Nashville. USMNT Head Coach Gregg Berhalter made a few changes to the lineup that lost 3-1 to Germany this past weekend. All four of the USMNT’s goals came in the first half, as the Yanks set the tone early on and didn’t give Ghana a way back into the match. The attackers who came on after halftime weren’t able to replicate the first-half success, but the defense ultimately did its part to secure the shutout. The USMNT will be back in action in November for the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals.
Former Lion Daryl Dike May Return for West Brom in January
Former Orlando City forward Daryl Dike has been out of the lineup for EFL Championship side West Brom after he suffered an Achilles injury towards the end of last season. The injury also forced Dike to miss potential call-ups to the USMNT in this past summer’s tournaments, such as the Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup. Dike had been in good form, scoring six goals for West Brom prior to the injury back in April. West Brom currently sits in 11th place in the EFL Championship with 16 points, but are just two points away from the top six. West Brom’s manager, Carlos Corberan, has stated that he expects Dike to provide a boost to the club once he’s back fit again for the second half of the season and could return to action in January
Euro 2024 Qualifying Roundup
The Euro 2024 qualifying matches continued on Tuesday with some intriguing results. The marquee matchup was in Group C as England defeated Italy 3-1 and clinched a spot in next year’s tournament. Ukraine was trailing 1-0 to Malta, but rallied back to win 3-1 and move to second in the group. Italy and Ukraine will face each other next month. Elsewhere, Lithuania and Hungary finished in a 2-2 draw as Hungary missed out on a chance to punch its ticket to the tournament, and Serbia defeated Montenegro 3-1 in Group G action. Finally, in Group H, Kazakhstan beat Finland 2-1, while Slovenia edged out Northern Ireland 1-0 and Denmark beat San Marino 2-1. It’s a close race in this group for qualifying for Euro 2024, with Slovenia and Denmark tied at 19 points while Kazakhstan is on the outside looking in with 15.
Free Kicks
- In case you missed it, check out the sights and sounds as the Pride won their season finale at Exploria Stadium against the Houston Dash.
- Toronto FC midfielder Michael Bradley announced that he will retire from professional soccer after the club’s final match of the MLS season on Sunday against Orlando City.
- The Washington Spirit announced that Head Coach Mark Parsons will not return to the club next season.
- FC Cincinnati and Head Coach Pat Noonan have reached an agreement on a new longterm contract extension.
- Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli received a seven-month ban from the Italian FA after he breached betting rules.
- Angel Di Maria announced that he will retire from international duty with Argentina after the conclusion of the 2024 Copa America tournament.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Wednesday and I’ll see you next time.