Lion Links: 11/3/23

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve been enjoying being able to break out a jacket for these cold mornings the past few days. It’s been pretty nice, and I’m hoping it stays comfortable for a bit longer before temperatures really start dropping. Of course, it’s hard to complain too much about the weather when states up north are getting snow. But enough about how nice it is to live in Florida, let’s get to the links!

Orlando City Aims to Close Series Out in Nashville

The opening games for each playoff series in this new postseason format are over and the only real upset was Sporting Kansas City beating St. Louis City. The next set of matches may provide some more intrigue though, as many of the victors hit the road to try to close out their series. Playing on the road in MLS is never easy, but no team won more road games this season than Orlando City. The Lions have a tough task against a stingy Nashville SC side desperate to keep its season alive. Orlando will need to find a way to better capitalize on its chances in the final third compared to its 1-0 win at Exploria Stadium. As for Nashville, it will need to solve the attacking issues that have plagued it for the past couple of months. One thing to remember is that if a match ends in a draw, it will immediately go into a penalty shootout to determine a victor.

Messiah Bright Will Play in NWSL Skills Challenge

Orlando Pride forward Messiah Bright will take part in the NWSL Skills Challenge on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. The event is part of the league’s lead-up to the NWSL Championship the following day and will include two teams of NWSL players competing in penalty shootouts, a crossbar challenge, and teqball, which is the sport that’s a mix of soccer and table tennis. Bright, who is a finalist for NWSL Rookie of the Year, was one of the few players confirmed to be participating, along with Lo’eau LaBonta, Katie Lund, and Denise O’Sullivan. More details and the full rosters will be revealed in the coming days. My bet is that it’s two teams of six, with each NWSL team having one player involved. However, I’m holding out hope that another Pride player or two participates. It would feel weird to have a competition showcasing skill and not including Marta.

NWSL Semifinalists Prepare for Sunday

The NWSL semifinals are this Sunday, with both matches taking place on the west coast. The first match is at 7 p.m. when the Portland Thorns host NJ/NY Gotham FC at Providence Park. The international break could have been just what the doctor ordered for a Thorns team that’s lost half of its past 16 games across all competitions. They have two MVP finalists in Sophia Smith and Sam Coffey, but face a Gotham side that took down the North Carolina Courage on the road in the previous round. The other semifinal match will be at 9:30 p.m. when the San Diego Wave welcome OL Reign to Snapdragon Stadium. Although the Wave finished atop the standings, the Reign have beaten them in all four meetings between the two this year. It should be an interesting match on Sunday, with plenty of talent on both sides. USWNT legends will also collide, as former Pride forward Alex Morgan will square off against Megan Rapinoe.

Giorgos Giakoumakis Named MLS Newcomer of the Year

MLS announced that Atlanta United’s Giorgos Giakoumakis won the MLS Newcomer of the Year award, which is given to a player with prior professional experience who did well in their first year in the league. The Greek forward joined Atlanta from Celtic in Scotland and scored 17 goals for the Five Stripes this season, finishing third in the Golden Boot race. Giakoumakis won 45.78% of the overall voting, beating out Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi (27.28%) and St. Louis Designated Player Eduard Lowen (15.44%) for the award. It’s the second straight year that an Atlanta player was named Newcomer of the Year, with Thiago Almada receiving the accolade last year.

Free Kicks

• Former Lion Nani spoke on the woes currently plaguing his other former team, Manchester United.
• FC Dallas midfielder Alan Velasco will miss the remainder of the playoffs and a portion of the 2024 season due to a torn ACL in his left knee.

• Toronto FC declined the contract options for five players, including forward CJ Sapong, midfielder Victor Vazquez, and former Lion Greg Ranjitsingh.
• Angel City FC officially named Becki Tweed as its head coach. Tweed was named interim coach in July and helped lead the team to the playoffs this year.
• The Jacksonville Armada were announced as the newest club to join MLS NEXT Pro, with the team expected to start playing in 2025.
• The Copa Libertadores final is tomorrow, when Argentine club Boca Juniors takes on Brazil’s Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro at 3 p.m.
• Real Madrid signed Brazilian winger Rodrygo to a new contract that will keep him with the club through 2028.
• We end our links with a rather unfortunate throw-in attempt. I’ll be honest, I always have this fear when I see Cesar Araujo gear up for a long throw on the road.

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