Lion Links: 6/27/24

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!