Lion Links: 10/31/23

Happy Halloween, everyone! What a happy day it is, as Orlando City did enough to beat Nashville SC last night and record the club’s first postseason win in regulation. There’s plenty going on in the soccer world at the moment, and that means we have a lot to discuss today. But first, let’s wish a happy birthday to Orlando City Technical Director and Assistant General Manager Ricardo Moreira!

Orlando City Beats Nashville in Playoffs

The final score was closer than it probably should have been, but Orlando City did enough to win against Nashville SC, courtesy of a great goal and a mostly organized night defensively. The Lions outshot the visitors, but 11 blocks from Nashville and some wasteful finishing from Orlando made for a nervy finish for the home fans. Still, it was a composed and professional performance from the Lions, and Oscar Pareja made good substitutions to help see out the game without conceding too much of the ball to Nashville. Next up is Game 2 a week from today up in Tennessee.

Duncan McGuire Nominated for Goal of the Year

Duncan McGuire’s outside-the-box screamer against Toronto FC on Decision Day has been nominated for the MLS Goal of the Year. McGuire brought down a long ball from Mason Stajduhar, lobbed the ball over Michael Bradley, and drove at the Toronto box before unleashing a shot into the far upper-corner to give the Lions the lead. McGuire’s goal is one of 20 that have been nominated for the best of the season, and plenty of the league’s heavy hitters also have goals that are being considered, with Luciano Acosta, Thiago Almada and Hany Mukhtar all in the running. Go submit your vote for Dunc!

Kai Wagner Under Investigation

Kai Wagner is being investigated after allegedly using a racial slur towards Bobby Wood (paywall) during the Philadelphia Union’s match against the New England Revolution on Saturday. During the 87th minute of the match, a play was being checked by video review, which is when Wagner is alleged to have said the slur in German to Wood, who speaks the language. This is the third time the league has investigated a player for alleged racial abuse this year, following incidents by Dante Vanzeir and Taxiarchis Fountas earlier this season. It will be very interesting to see how quickly the investigation is completed and what, if any, potential consequences there are for Wagner.

Luis Rubiales Receives Ban

FIFA has banned Luis Rubiales from all soccer-related activities for three years due to his actions after this summer’s Women’s World Cup final. Rubiales kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent and grabbed his crotch during the celebrations, sparking widespread outrage from the soccer community. FIFA had initially suspended him for 90 days while it completed an investigation, although it took efforts from the Spanish government to remove him from his post and Hermoso lodging a criminal complaint for him to finally step down. He’ll now be away from the sport for at least three years as things stand, although he said he will appeal. Given everything that’s happened, we’ll see if he finds work in the game once that time is up.

Free Kicks

• Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or for a record eighth time.
• Spanish midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the  Ballon d’Or Féminin after helping her country win the Women’s World Cup.
• Police further expanded the search for Luis Diaz’s missing father on Monday, and have not ruled out the possibility that he could have been smuggled into Venezuela.
• Chelsea has offered fans free travel to and from the team’s Christmas Eve match against Wolverhampton Wanderers. This comes following fans being upset about the game being moved from its original date of Dec. 23.

That’s all I have for you today. Stay safe and have a fun Halloween!