Lion Links: 10/26/23

Welcome to today’s links! Although Halloween isn’t until Tuesday, I feel like many people will be celebrating this weekend. I have a party this weekend and am still trying to figure out what spooky thing I can contribute in terms of food and drink. My costume is already figured out though. I was originally going to go as Bob Ross but have made one heck of a pivot and will be going as the Reverend Mother from Dune instead. But for now, let’s dive into the links!

End of Season Reflections on Orlando’s Soccer Teams

Although only Orlando City team is still playing, all three of Orlando’s soccer teams had impressive seasons this year. The Lions broke club records, booked their spot in next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup, and secured the second seed in the Eastern Conference after dominating for most of the second half of the season. Mauricio Pereyra’s 12 assists broke the club record for most in the season, Robin Jansson became the first Lion in the MLS era to reach 150 appearances, and the club won its 100th regular-season game since joining the league in 2015.

The Pride narrowly missed out on the playoffs, but can hang their heads high after a strong season that included more home wins for the club than in any past season. They won 10 games over the course of this season and the future looks bright in Orlando. Rookie Emily Madril played in all but three minutes during the regular season and forward Messiah Bright led all rookies with seven goals.

Orlando City B made the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs for the first time, but came up short against Columbus Crew 2 in the first round. The Young Lions were unbeaten in their first seven home games, and forward Jack Lynn came alive as the season progressed. The 23-year-old scored 19 goals, tying two others for the Golden Boot, and was named MLS NEXT Pro MVP.

Duncan McGuire Wins Goal of the Matchday

Orlando City forward Duncan McGuire claimed the final MLS Goal of the Matchday of the regular season. The rookie’s strike from distance was sublime, but his deft touches to beat Michael Bradley really stole the show. McGuire has shown a knack for being in the right place at the right time to score this season, but his two goals against Toronto FC really showcased the forward he’s become over the course of an impressive rookie campaign. He edged out FC Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta for the honor, receiving 40.7% of the vote.

Tahir Reid-Brown Called Up For U-17 World Cup

U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team Head Coach Gonzalo Segares called up 21 players for the U-17 World Cup that kicks off in Indonesia next month, with OCB defender Tahir Reid-Brown selected. It’s the latest feather in the cap for the 17-year-old, who helped Orlando’s U-17 team reach the MLS NEXT Cup semifinals and took part in the MLS NEXT All-Star Game. The team will train in Bali for a couple of weeks before heading to Jakarta for its group stage games. The U.S. will take on Korea Republic on Nov. 12 before playing Burkina Faso on Nov. 15 and France on Nov. 18.

USWNT Takes On Colombia Tonight

The United States Women’s National Team will aim to carry its momentum from a pair of wins over South Africa into tonight’s friendly against Colombia at 9 p.m. in Utah. It will be interesting to see how the USWNT’s defense fares against a Colombian side that reached the quarterfinals of this year’s World Cup. Mia Fishel, Olivia Moultrie, and Jaedyn Shaw are a few of the players I’m hoping get some valuable minutes for the USWNT in these friendlies. After tonight’s match, the U.S. will play Colombia again on Sunday in San Diego.

Free Kicks

• According to The Athletic, MLS is reportedly in the process of expanding the eligibility requirements for players to take part in the MLS SuperDraft.

• The New York Red Bulls scored three goals in the first half of their 5-2 win over Charlotte FC in the playoff wild card game, with Elias Manoel netting a hat trick. The Red Bulls will take on FC Cincinnati on Sunday at TQL Stadium.
• American midfielder Johnny Cardosa is reportedly heading to La Liga’s Real Betis at the end of Braziliain club Internacional’s season. The 22-year-old will reportedly sign a five-year deal with the Spanish side.
• In the UEFA Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain beat AC Milan 3-0, Celtic and Atletico Madrid battled to a 2-2 draw, and Borussia Dortmund beat Newcastle 1-0. Dutch club Feyenoord also took control of its group after an impressive 3-1 win over Lazio
• A U.S. Open Cup qualifier match between two New York teams came to an early end after a player on the trailing team threatened to stab the referee.
• Forward Sadio Mane is reportedly in the process of buying Bourges Foot 18 in France’s fourth division.

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