Happy Friday! I hope the work week went easy on you as we gear up for a weekend filled with soccer to enjoy. There’s action both here in the U.S. and abroad, and it starts tonight with Orlando City’s match in New York. Let’s go ahead and dive into today’s links!

Orlando City Plays New York City FC Tonight

The Lions are on the road tonight for a match against New York City FC. While not exactly rivals, both teams joined the league together in 2015 and there’s no MLS team Orlando has played more than NYCFC, with tonight’s match serving as the 25th meeting between the two. The Lions have never won at Yankee Stadium, but they are coming off of a solid 4-2 win against the Chicago Fire and Facundo Torres seems to be hitting his stride. Luis Muriel also has a goal contribution in his past three games and Mason Stajduhar made some big saves against Chicago while Pedro Gallese is with Peru. As for milestones to watch for, midfielder Cesar Araujo will make his 100th appearance across all competitions for Orlando if he plays tonight.

Orlando Pride Prepare for Angel City

The Orlando Pride are also on the road this weekend. They’ll put their 14-game unbeaten streak on the line when they take on Angel City FC Sunday at BMO Stadium. It’s the second game between the two teams this season, with Marta’s late equalizer salvaging a 1-1 draw for the Pride back in March. Angel City has only won one of its past five games, but Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke about how the Californian club has performed better than its record suggests. Consistency has been key for the Pride’s success this season, along with staying focused to stay near the top of the NWSL standings.

USMNT Falls to Panama

Well, the path for the United States Men’s National Team to advance out of the Copa America group stage got much more difficult after a 2-1 loss to Panama. A red card to Timothy Weah in the 18th minute doomed the Yanks early on, despite a great goal by Folarin Balogun a few minutes later. There was some questionable officiating, and Matt Turner had to exit due to injury, but the USMNT just did not do well enough to overcome the adversity and get a result. The Yanks now have a difficult match against Uruguay left to close out their group play on Monday.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The New York Red Bulls made a move and transferred midfielder Frankie Amaya to Toluca FC in Liga MX. The 23-year-old has been with the Red Bulls for the past four seasons and was solid lost year, recording five goals and five assists. Amaya was selected with the No. 1 overall pick by FC Cincinnati back in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft and was traded to the Red Bulls in 2021 for a hefty sum of General Allocation Money.

In other MLS news, the Colorado Rapids have made forward Rafael Navarro’s move from Palmeiras a permanent one, inking him to a deal through 2027 with an option for 2028. The Designated Player joined Colorado on loan in July of last year and has scored 11 goals this season. FC Dallas transferred 21-year-old forward Jose Mulato to Spartak Subotica in Serbia, freeing up an MLS U22 Initiative slot in the process. Reinforcements are coming for Charlotte FC, as Head Coach Dean Smith confirmed that Designated Player Karol Swiderski is returning to the club after his loan with Hella Verona and can play once the transfer window opens on July 18.

Free Kicks

• New England Revolution Designated Player Tomas Chancalay is out for the rest of the season due to a partial ACL tear. The forward scored six goals for the Revs last year after joining on loan in the summer, but he has just two goals during this difficult season for New England.
• Here’s a nice primer for tomorrow’s Copa America match between Canada and Chile that will take place at Orlando City’s stadium. Inter&Co Stadium will also host the group stage game between Bolivia and Panama on Monday.
• Japan, Australia, and Saudi Arabia were all drawn together in one of the three groups of six nations for AFC World Cup qualifying. The top two teams of each group will qualify for the World Cup, while the third- and fourth-place finishers will still have a chance to qualify in later rounds.
• CBS Sports ranked the remaining teams in Euro 2024. There are a few interesting placements, such as Austria in third, Turkey in fifth, and Denmark in last.

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

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a pretty hectic week for me and I’m looking forward to some rest and relaxation over the next few days. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City winger Gaston Gonzalez! He turns 23 today and is currently on loan with Nacional in Uruguay.

OCB Draws, Wins Shootout Against Atlanta

Orlando City B dueled Atlanta United 2 to a 2-2 draw that featured the dramatic finish we’ve grown to expect from the Young Lions. OCB led but collapsed in the second half, only to equalize late and go on to win the shootout for another point. Regardless, points were left on the table and the Young Lions had plenty of chances to put the game to bed. It was the team’s third straight draw and it went all of June without a win. OCB’s next match is scheduled for July 14 against Inter Miami II.

USWNT Olympic Roster Unveiled

United States Women’s National Team Head Coach Emma Hayes called up 18 players for the team’s Olympic roster, along with four alternates. It will be the third trip to the Olympics for goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, midfielder Lindsey Horan, and forward Crystal Dunn . It will be the first Olympics for nine of the players called up, including Naomi Girma and Sophia Smith. The two most notable exclusions in my eyes are former Orlando Pride forward Alex Morgan and 17-year-old Ajax midfielder Lily Yohannes. NWSL rookie Croix Bethune, who leads the league in assists, was named as an alternate alongside fellow Washington Spirit rookie Hal Hershfelt.

Pride defender Emily Sams won’t be headed to Paris, but was called up for the USWNT’s training camp in New Jersey next month. It’s the first call-up for Sams and is definitely deserved given her role in the Pride’s success this season.

USMNT Takes on Panama Tonight

The United States Men’s National Team will play its second game of this year’s Copa America when it takes on Panama tonight at 6 p.m. in Atlanta. A win would all but guarantee the USMNT a spot in the knockout stage, while a draw would complicate things with a match against Uruguay looming on Monday. The last time these two Concacaf sides met was in the semifinals of last year’s Gold Cup, with Panama advancing on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw. The Yanks will need to be efficient on both sides of the ball to avoid a similar fate against a Panama side that knows how to grind out results.

Euro 2024 Round of 16 is Set

Georgia needed a win to advance in its first major tournament and got just that in a huge 2-0 win over a heavily rotated Portugal side. Portugal still ended up winning the group, while Turkey also advanced after a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic. Group E wrapped up with a tense pair of draws, as Belgium and Ukraine battled to a scoreless result while Romania and Slovakia drew 1-1. All four teams finished the group with four points, with Romania topping the group and Belgium and Slovakia also moving on. It’s an unfortunate end of the tournament for Ukraine, which did not lose a game but came in last in the group due to goal differential.

The knockout stage begins on Saturday, with Italy taking on Switzerland and Germany playing against Denmark. France’s match with Belgium on July 1 should be another great game to keep an eye out for. Orlando City’s David Brekalo and Slovenia will take on Portugal on July 1 as well.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City forward Facundo Torres did not win MLS Goal of the Matchday, with Charlotte FC’s Patrick Agyemang receiving the honor. Torres finished in third with 21.2% of the voting, behind both Agyemang (39.9%) and Cucho Hernandez (27%).
• FC Cincinnati defender Matt Miazga is out for the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery.
• Roger Espinoza, who has 399 appearances across all competitions with Sporting Kansas City and took part in two World Cups with Honduras, announced that he is retiring.
• Senior Vice President of MLS Game Schedule Management Brad Pursel stated that MLS will take a break in the summer of 2026 due to the World Cup. Despite how this would add congestion to the schedule, he does not think Leagues Cup will be paused, although it may be modified for that summer.
• Mexico will officially be without its captain for the remainder of Copa America, as West Ham United midfielder Edson Alvarez sustained a hamstring injury in the team’s opener.
• Speaking of Mexico, it lost 1-0 to Venezuela. As a result, Mexico now has to win against Ecuador on Sunday.
• Phil Foden has temporarily left England’s squad for the birth of his child, according to reports.
• The assistant referee who collapsed in the Copa America match between Canada and Peru due to dehydration earlier this week has been discharged from the hospital and is stable.

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

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. I have returned from my trip down to the City Beautiful having enjoyed two victories, six points, 10 total Orlando goals, and a bunch of great memories. I’m not saying that I had anything to do with the results, but I’m not not saying it either.

I want to thank those listeners of The Mane Land PawedCast and all the readers of this site that I was able to meet with over the weekend. It was truly a pleasure to see you all. Now, let’s get to today’s links.

Lions Move Up in Power Rankings and Standings

It’s amazing what a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Fire can do for a team following a mid-week draw against Western Conference powerhouse LAFC. Those four points moved Orlando City up seven spots to 20th in the MLS power rankings. More importantly, those results have moved the Lions into 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings, and they are knocking on the door of the playoff picture. Orlando City will need to continue on this trajectory if the season is to be salvaged. Hopefully, this is the time of the season when Facundo Torres catches proverbial fire.

Pride Make Headlines

We here at The Mane Land have covered the Orlando Pride through the bad and now through the good. Now, the Pride are so good that the team is getting noticed elsewhere. The contributions of Barbra Banda and Marta are a big reason for that. The Pride are battling for the top spot with the Kansas City Current, with a showdown between the two powerhouses set for July 6. ESPN.com has the two teams holding steady, with the Current on top of its power rankings and the Pride sitting in the second spot. Banda is also in a race with Sophia Smith for the Golden Boot, with both players currently on 10 goals.

OCB in Action Tonight

Orlando City B takes on Atlanta United 2 tonight in what feels like an important match for the Young Lions. OCB will be without defender Abdi Salim as he has been loaned out to Detroit City FC, and others are on international duty or with the senior team. The Young Lions have won their last two matches against the Baby Five Stripes — or should they be called the Two-And-A-Half Stripes? Regardless, there will still be plenty to watch in this MLS NEXT Pro match.

Copa America Rolls On

Pedro Gallese and Wilder Cartagena both got the start for Peru in a 1-0 loss to former Lions Cyle Larin, Richie Laryea, and Kamal Miller and their Canadian teammates. Peru was playing a man down after Miguel Araujo was shown a red card in the 59th minute. The match also saw a linesman collapse from the heat and be taken off by the medical staff.

The USMNT is back in action on Thursday against Panama at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Yanks have a winning record against Panama, and a win over Panama will go a long way to helping the U.S. advance since there is a match against Uruguay still to come. Here is everything you need to know ahead of the match.

Euros Entertain as Group Stage Nears End

The UEFA European Championship matches were a mixed bag on Tuesday. France and Poland played to a 1-1 draw, meaning France placed second in the group behind Austria. Kylian Mbappé scored first for France on a penalty kick, but Robert Lewandowski evened the match with his own penalty kick goal to earn a point for Poland. Speaking of Austria, it earned first place in Group D with a 3-2 victory over the Netherlands. I don’t think anyone had Austria beating the Netherlands, let alone topping the group, on their bingo cards, but here we are.

The later matches were not nearly as fun to watch, with England and Slovenia playing to a 0-0 draw. The other match was equally exciting, as Denmark and Serbia also played to a 0-0 draw. Despite the results, England, Denmark, and Slovenia all advance to the knockout round, with England topping the group. This will keep David Brekalo from returning to Orlando City for a bit longer.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City President of Business Operations Jarrod Dillon will appear on the fourth episode of Boating with Brandon, a 10-part video series hosted by Osceola County Commissioner Brandon Arrington.
• The USMNT will play friendlies against Canada, New Zealand, and Panama this fall.

• Portland Thorns and USWNT midfielder Olivia Moultrie is out due to injury. As such, she is unlikely to make the Olympic roster.
• Brazilian fans are mad after Brazil’s 0-0 draw with Costa Rica. They now agree with Ronaldinho’s pre-tournament assessment of the squad.
• Much to the consternation of many Manchester United supporters — and the joy of other clubs’ supporters — Erik ten Hag is set to sign a new contract with Manchester United.

• Keep your eyes peeled for the USWNT Olympic roster dropping today.

• Finally, congratulations to the Pride’s Cori Dyke on receiving the Big Ten Medal of Honor.

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Orlando City match this Friday and the Orlando Pride match on Sunday. Don’t forget to check out the OCB match later tonight as well. Vamos Orlando!