Lion Links: 4/9/24

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Hopefully everyone’s eyes are still intact if you tried to view the solar eclipse Monday, because we have a busy week ahead of us. The United States Women’s National Team plays Canada in the final of the SheBelieves Cup tonight, Orlando City B plays Philadelphia Union II on Thursday, the Orlando Pride play the Utah Royals on Friday, and Orlando City travels to D.C. United on Saturday. Needless to say, we have plenty to cover this morning, so let’s get to the links.

Reflecting on Orlando City’s History

The 2024 season is all about appreciating Orlando City’s history, and that’s just what former Lion Charlie Campbell did back in January. The midfielder played for Orlando City in the team’s USL Pro days starting back in 2011, but he hadn’t been back to the city in over 10 years since retiring from professional soccer. He visited the Lions’ soccer-specific stadium for the first time and got to see the banner for the team that won the USL Pro title in 2011 hanging in the rafters. Campbell spoke about how tightly knit that team was and called his time in Orlando some of the fondest memories he has.

Americans in Midweek Action

As usual, there are a number of Americans who will be playing games during the work week, so make sure you have the games you want to see marked down on your calendar. Haji Wright and Coventry City have a big match later today while chasing promotion, as they visit fourth-place Southampton. Thursday sees Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and AC Milan square off against Roma in the Europa League. Things finish up on Friday with some American on American action in La Liga, as Luca de la Torre and Celta Vigo travel to face Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis.

UEFA Champions League Preview

The UEFA Champions League is back this week as the quarterfinals get underway, and there are a number of storylines to keep an eye on. Real Madrid has reportedly submitted a request to UEFA to have its match against Manchester City played with the roof of the Santiago Bernabeu closed in order to boost the atmosphere. Although with Antonio Rudiger labeling his upcoming duel with Erling Haaland as “personal,” I doubt atmosphere will be in short supply during that tie. Elsewhere, Gabriel Jesus has warned Bayern Munich that Arsenal is a team that’s all grown up, as the Gunners try to reach the semifinals for the first time in 15 years by beating a Bayern team that has frequently been their UCL kryptonite. Echoing those sentiments of maturity is Kylian Mbappe, who has said that he “will not hide” as Paris Saint-Germain welcomes Barcelona in a campaign that will almost certainly be the Frenchman’s last chance to win the Champions League while playing for PSG.

Colombian Women’s Team Beat Mexico in Orlando

Inter&Co Stadium played host to the Colombian and Mexican women’s national teams on Saturday. The teams squared off in a friendly as part of MexTour W 2024. Colombia came out with the result, as veteran forward Catalina Usme scored the game winner in a 1-0 affair. As has become customary during games featuring a Colombian national side, the yellow jerseys were out in force, and the crowd certainly skewed in the favor of the eventual winners. All in all, it was an excellent event, and it’s always nice to see the City Beautiful getting some extra love when it comes to hosting soccer games.

Free Kicks

• Make sure you’ve done your homework on Canada ahead of tonight’s final in the SheBelieves Cup.
• USWNT interim head coach Twila Kilgore has called for patience regarding Jaedyn Shaw, and says that the 19-year-old is just scratching the surface of her talent.
• Everton has been deducted an additional two points for breaches of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
• Casemiro says that Manchester United’s form has kept him up at night during various times this season.

That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!