Lion Links

Lion Links: 6/5/24

Lions on international duty, Barbra Banda tops another list, USWNT beats South Korea, and more.

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6 months ago

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers! Someone turned up the heat in Florida and I really wish they hadn’t, but what can we do? Fortunately, we are spared having to worry about an Orlando City match this week as the senior team is off. Alternatively, we get the pleasure of watching the best sports team in Orlando take the field Friday, as the Orlando Pride take on the San Diego Wave in California. Until then, let’s get to today’s links.

Lions in Action on International Duty

Just because Orlando City isn’t playing this week doesn’t mean you can’t check out some of your favorite Lions on the pitch. Several players from both the senior team and OCB are with their respective national teams for upcoming friendlies. Facundo Torres and Cesar Araujo are with Uruguay but should be back before Orlando City takes on LAFC on June 15. The same can’t be said for Pedro Gallese and Wilder Cartagena, who are with Peru for friendlies on June 7 and June 14.

All Aboard the Banda-wagon

Orlando Pride fans aren’t the only people taking notice of Barbra Banda and what she has done since joining the Pride. Banda is tied with Sophia Smith for the most goals in the NWSL this season, though she has played three fewer matches. She has been all but unstoppable so far for the Pride, topping this list of African players making waves in women’s soccer. The Pride’s newest signing, Grace Chanda, also gets a nod in ninth for her efforts with Madrid CFF. Personally, I can’t wait for her to join the Pride.

USWNT Beats South Korea in Friendly

The USWNT played the second of two friendly matches against South Korea Tuesday and won 3-0. Lily Yohannes made her USWNT debut and the 16-year-old scored the team’s third and final goal in the match. Crystal Dunn and Sophia Smith also scored and the defense did well to secure a clean sheet. The match was Emma Hayes’ second in charge of the team after winning 4-0 this past weekend as well. Hayes made plenty of changes to the lineup for the second match, and attention will now turn to which players she will call up for the Olympics this summer.

MLS Diversity Highlighted Among Sports Leagues

Major League Soccer is the most geographically diverse league in North America. Despite the majority of the players being from the United States, there are more players from different countries than many of the other top soccer leagues across the world. Additionally, MLS has the youngest players on average when compared to the other major sports leagues in the U.S. I don’t know that this is a big surprise, but it is nice to see.

Free Kicks

  • Marta came off the bench and scored on a free kick in Brazil’s 4-0 win against Jamaica. Rafaelle served as Brazil’s captain in the match and Adriana was an unused substitute.
  • Congratulations to Orlando City’s U-15 squad for finishing atop its division, and to the U-17 squad for finishing second in its division.
  • The Florida LGBTQ+ Unity Summit was hosted at Inter&Co Stadium, with Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter as the keynote speaker.
  • MLS power rankings are stupid and you may not want to scroll that far down the page to see that Orlando City is listed at no. 23 this week. Check it out if you want, or go outside and do something good for your mental health. Your choice.
  • Former Orlando Pride forward Danica Evans will be playing with the Wrexham Red Dragons in The Soccer Tournament, starting today in Cary, NC, and the Welsh club spotlighted her to help fans get to know more about her. There is a $1 million prize for the winning side.
  • USMNT defender Tim Ream might finally be headed back to MLS after a lengthy stay with Fulham.

That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for that Pride match, and all the other features coming up this week.

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