Happy Tuesday, everyone. It was a great weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, but the impending landfall of Hurricane Milton has thrown a bit of a wrench in my week over here in Tampa. Regardless, the soccer news doesn’t stop, and that means we have plenty to talk about this morning. Without any further ado, let’s get into today’s links.

Lions Earn Weekly Recognition

Orlando City picked up a great road win over FC Cincinnati on Saturday, and the Lions were represented in the MLS Team of the Matchday as a result. Ramiro Enrique gets the starting nod as the left winger, Oscar Pareja is the coach of the side, and Ivan Angulo made the bench. Enrique was the Lions’ Man of the Match, as he recorded two goals and an assist to continue his excellent scoring form. Angulo recorded a goal and an assist in a performance that was made more impressive given he was subbed out at halftime in OCSC’s 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union. Pareja masterminded the whole affair, and it’s great to see the Lions receive some recognition. Keep it up!

MLS Stock Watch

Decision Day is almost upon us, which means now is a good time to check in on which teams are heading in the right direction and which are not. Orlando City is building momentum ahead of the playoffs and will secure fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a Decision Day victory. Inter Miami also fits the bill of being a team on the up, as it will break the league’s points record if it beats the New England Revolution in the final game of the season. Despite an inconsistent season, D.C. United only needs a point against Charlotte FC on Decision Day to clinch a playoff place. As for New England, Nashville SC, Austin FC, Toronto FC, and FC Dallas, all five have been eliminated from postseason contention.

MLS Award Nominees Revealed

MLS has released the nominees for its 2024 Year-End Awards, and there are several Lions in the running to win recognition. Martin Ojeda and Facundo Torres are Orlando’s nominees for MVP, Oscar Pareja is in the mix for Coach of the Year, Pedro Gallese is up for Goalkeeper of the Year, Robin Jansson and Dagur Dan Thorhallson are in contention for Defender of the Year, and Felipe is eligible to win and award for his work in the community. Teams can nominate up to two players for certain awards, so the names were put forward by the club itself. Best of luck to all the nominees!

U.S. Soccer Announces Staffing Additions

The United States Men’s National Team has made five additional hires to Mauricio Pochettino’s staff, many of whom have worked with the new head coach at some point during his career. Jesus Perez will be the first assistant coach, Miguel D’Agostino will also be an assistant coach, and Antonio Jimenez will be the goalkeepers coach. Sebastian Pochettino will join as a sports scientist after working with his father at several of his club jobs. Silvia Tuya Viñasis joins as the team’s strength and conditioning coach, and is the only member of the staff who has not worked with Pochettino previously.

Free Kicks

• Seb Hines made some history on Sunday Night.

• The undefeated, NWSL-Shield-winning Orlando Pride hold the top spot in ESPN‘s NWSL power rankings.
• As for ESPN‘s MLS power rankings, Orlando City remained in seventh.
• The 2. Bundesliga gave us some…interesting highlights.

• AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca is upset after Theo Hernandez and Tammy Abraham each took a penalty kick during his team’s 2-1 loss to Fiorentina, despite Christian Pulisic being the designated penalty taker.

That’s all I have for this morning. Please stay safe this week, and be smart out there. Vamos Orlando!

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been busy working at Under Armour and spent my birthday yesterday catching up with friends I haven’t seen in a while. For our clubs in action, Orlando City and the Orlando Pride won, while OCB lost over the weekend. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Beat FC Cincinnati On the Road

Orlando City defeated FC Cincinnati 3-1 at TQL Stadium on Saturday. Ramiro Enrique scored early on, but FC Cincinnati equalized just before halftime. Ivan Angulo scored for Orlando in the second half, and Enrique added his second of the match to secure all three points for the Lions. It was Orlando’s third straight win and the team is fourth in the Eastern Conference table with 52 points. The Lions are off this weekend but will return to action on Oct. 19 at home against Atlanta United for their final game of the regular season.

Ramiro Enrique Up for Player of the Matchday

Orlando City forward Ramiro Enrique was nominated for MLS Player of the Matchday for his performance in Cincinnati.

Enrique scored two goals and also assisted on Angulo’s goal to lift the Lions to victory against one of the league’s best teams. The 23-year-old has scored in three of Orlando’s last four matches and has eight goals to his name this season. Other players in the running for MLS Player of the Matchday are Cucho Hernandez of the Columbus Crew, Simon Becher of St. Louis City SC, and Santiago Rodriguez of New York City FC.

Orlando Pride Win the NWSL Shield

On Sunday, the Orlando Pride defeated the Washington Spirit 2-0 at Inter&Co Stadium to clinch the NWSL. It’s the first trophy in club history and the Pride extended their unbeaten run to 23 matches as well. After a scoreless first half, Marta scored from the penalty spot to put the Pride in front and an own goal by defender Tara McKeown off a shot from Adriana gave the Pride a 2-0 lead to seal the win. Orlando is atop the NWSL table with 57 points and has a 10-point cushion over the Spirit with three games left this season. The Pride’s next match will be on the road against the Portland Thorns on Friday. Enjoy this moment of the Pride celebrating winning the NWSL Shield as their historic season continues.

Pride Players Named to NWSL Best XI of the Month

Goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse, defender Emily Sams, and forward Marta were named to the NWSL Best XI of the Month for September. This is the second time that Moorhouse has been named to the NWSL Best XI of the Month this season. She registered four clean sheets in five matches last month and made 18 saves as well. Moorhouse also set a new league record with 12 shutouts. Sams also made her second appearance on the NWSL Best XI of the Month. She played in all five matches, won five tackles, and had six interceptions in 450 minutes of play. It’s Marta’s first time on the NWSL Best XI this season, and she scored twice in September to keep Orlando’s offense rolling. All three played vital roles throughout the season to help the Pride keep their unbeaten streak alive.

OCB Falls to FC Cincinnati 2 On Decision Day

Orlando City B lost 3-1 to FC Cincinnati 2 at TQL Stadium on Sunday, falling short of clinching a home playoff match. The Young Lions trailed 2-0 at halftime before Alex Freeman pulled one back in the second half. Gerardo Valenzuela completed his hat trick to give Cincinnati its third goal and the win. With OCB’s defeat, Inter Miami CF II took the Southeast Division title, and OCB dropped from third to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. With the regular season over, the Young Lions will have to wait and see if Cincinnati, Philadelphia Union II, or Miami will choose them as their opponent in the first round of the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs. If OCB isn’t chosen, it would travel to face Chicago Fire FC II, which finished fourth in the East.

Free Kicks

• Marta’s contract with the Pride expires at the end of the season, and she told The Athletic ($) she wants to continue playing professional soccer for at least two more seasons.

• USMNT and Borussia Dortmund winger Giovanni Reyna is dealing with a setback in his recovery from a groin injury suffered last month. There is currently no timetable for his return.
• Tanner Tessmann, Brandon Vazquez, and Alex Zendejas were called into camp for the USMNT’s upcoming friendlies against Panama and Mexico. Folarin Balogun, Johnny Cardoso, and Tim Weah have all withdrawn from the team due to injuries.
• Christian Pulisic scored another goal for AC Milan, as he found the back of the net in his team’s 2-1 loss to Fiorentina in Serie A action. Pulisic has scored six goals across all competitions for Milan this season.

• Austin FC announced that the club has parted ways with its head coach, Josh Wolff.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.

Happy Friday! All three of Orlando’s soccer teams are in action this weekend and there’s plenty of reasons to watch them. It should be an exciting next few days to say the least, and it’s still kind of crazy to believe that the Orlando Pride could clinch the NWSL Shield on Sunday. Let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Luis Muriel Makes Team of the Matchday Bench

Orlando City forward Luis Muriel landed on the MLS Team of the Matchday bench for his role in the team’s 2-1 win at home against the Philadelphia Union. The 33-year-old came off the bench in the second half and assisted on both of Orlando’s goals in one of his best performances as a Lion. While it’s a bit disappointing that no Lions were named to the starting lineup of this Team of the Matchday after winning, it’s a testament to how the Lions have been able to find goals in a variety of ways as of late. Hopefully Muriel can keep this momentum rolling as the Lions finish out the rest of the season.

Orlando City B Named MLS NEXT Pro Team of the Month

After winning all four of its games in September, Orlando City B was deservedly chosen as the MLS NEXT Pro Team of the Month. The Young Lions did well on both sides of the ball last month, outscoring opponents 11-2 in that four-game stretch. Forward Jack Lynn scored three goals in September, but right back Alex Freeman was the star of the show and was named MLS NEXT Pro Player of the Month. The 20-year-old contributed to seven of the team’s 11 goals last month with four goals and three assists.

“It’s an honor to be Player of the Month and I’m glad I could showcase my talent in this league, but more importantly help my team succeed and gain momentum going into the playoffs,” Freeman said. “Vamos Orlando!”

MLS NEXT Pro Decision Day Looms

The final matches of the MLS NEXT Pro regular season will all take place on Sunday afternoon as teams aim to qualify for the playoffs and jockey for positioning. OCB can’t finish any higher than third in the Eastern Conference, but it can secure hosting in the first round and the right to choose its opponent when it takes on FC Cincinnati 2. Nearly every game between Eastern Conference teams on Sunday can also impact OCB’s path forward. There are still five playoff spots up for grabs, so it should be an exciting day. The Western Conference has one playoff spot still to be claimed and five teams in contention, with none of them facing each other.

Angel City FC Disciplined For Salary Cap Violation

The NWSL has imposed disciplinary actions after an investigation into a salary cap violation by Angel City FC. The club has been docked three points this season and fined $200,000 for five side letters with players that weren’t disclosed to the league and affected multi-year agreements. As a result, Angel City exceeded the salary cap by approximately $50,000 for four weeks this season. President Julie Uhrman and General Manager Angela Hucles Mangano were also suspended from conduct related to player transactions for the rest of the year. It’s a strong statement by the league and Angel City is now 12th in the standings with 19 points.

USWNT Will Take On the Netherlands Abroad

The United States Women’s National Team will play its final game of 2024 in the Netherlands when it takes on the Dutch on Dec. 3. The last time these two sides faced off was in the group stage of the 2023 World Cup, with Lindsey Horan equalizing in the second half of a 1-1 draw. This match will come three days after the USWNT plays against England at Wembley Stadium on Nov. 30. Both of these friendlies are against strong European opponents who were not at the Olympics this summer. We’ll see if Head Coach Emma Hayes can keep the USWNT firing on all cylinders to close out the year.

Free Kicks

• Congratulations to Orlando Pride midfielder Luana on completing her chemotherapy!

• Orlando City’s Heine Gikling Bruseth and Michael Halliday are the only Lions eligible for this year’s 22 Under 22 list. We’ll find out if either made the cut when the list is unveiled on Wednesday, although I would be surprised to see either player on it.
• Orlando duo Colin Guske and Tahir Reid-Brown were called up for the U-19 U.S. Men’s National Team’s training camp that includes friendlies against Sweden and Japan in Spain later this month.
• Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga was named NWSL Player of the Month after scoring four goals in five games in September. NWSL Rookie of the Month honors went to San Diego Wave defender Kennedy Wesley, who helped her team win twice last month.
• Clubs participating in the 2025 Club World Cup won’t be required to release players for international duty during the tournament. As a result, the U.S. could be without some of its best players for the Concacaf Gold Cup.
• Lazio, Tottenham, and Lyon remain perfect in the Europa League after winning their second games. An equalizer by Harry Maguire salvaged a 3-3 draw for Manchester United against Porto in a match that included a red card to Bruno Fernandes.
• Kylian Mbappe, who came off the bench for Real Madrid earlier this week, was left off of France’s roster for its upcoming Nations League matches to help him recover from injury.

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