Happy Friday! I hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July as we shift gears and get ready for a weekend filled with Orlando soccer. For those of you that took today off as well to parlay the holiday into a four-day weekend, know that I envy you but do wish you a relaxing next few days. Let’s get this Friday started with today’s links!

Orlando City Picks Up Momentum in Midweek Win

It’s been a rollercoaster of a season for Orlando City so far, but the Lions are riding high after a crucial win on the road against Toronto FC. Designated Player Martin Ojeda bagged his third goal of the season and the defense overcame an early disaster to secure victory. Last year, July was the start of a stretch that included 11 wins in the final 15 games of the season. While there seems to be a few more wrinkles to iron out before a similar finish can be expected, Wednesday’s win is a step in the right direction. The next step will be getting a win Saturday against a D.C. United side that is winless in its past 10 games.

Orlando Pride Prepare for Showdown in Kansas City

In arguably the most anticipated match of the NWSL season so far, the Orlando Pride will take on the Kansas City Current Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Both teams are undefeated through 15 games and tied at the top of the table in both points and goal difference. The Current lead the league with 39 goals, while the Pride’s 11 conceded goals are the fewest in the league. While the NWSL Shield implications are obvious in this one, Orlando Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke on how the team isn’t letting the attention on this match distract from preparations. He also talked about how the Pride will need to do well in transition against Kansas City and about Anna Moorhouse’s performance in goal this season.

African Players Excelling in the NWSL

One of the biggest storylines of the recent NWSL off-season was the addition of many talented African players to the league, and they’ve made an incredible impact so far this season. Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda and Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga have been major reasons why their teams are undefeated this season, and they’re tied for the NWSL Golden Boot lead on 11 goals each. Chawinga currently has the tiebreaker with one more assist, but Banda has played in four fewer games.

Elsewhere, Bay FC forwards Racheal Kundananji and Asisat Oshoala have been helping the club turn its season around before they depart for the Olympics. Princess Marfo has also played a part in Bay FC’s rise up the table, and Houston Dash defender Michelle Alozie was also noted as one of the top African women’s soccer players in the world.

Euro 2024 Quarterfinals Kick Off Today

Only eight teams remain in this year’s Euros and today’s action features the kind of matchups that make this tournament so much fun to watch. The quarterfinals start with a heavyweight bout between Spain and Germany, arguably the two best teams of the tournament up to this point. The match also features some of the game’s youngest stars, as the Spanish trio of Pedri, Nico Williams, and 16-year-old phenom Lamine Yasal goes up against Germany’s Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz.

The later game will be between France and Portugal, with plenty of attention on Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo. Neither star, nor their respective teams, have been playing at their best this tournament, which makes today’s match an opportunity for either side to find its rhythm before the semifinals.

Free Kicks

• The Current will be without forward Alex Pfeiffer for the rest of the 2024 season after suffering an ACL injury.

• D.C. United made a pair of moves, adding Austrian defender David Schnegg from SK Sturm Graz and signing free agent striker Dominique Badji.
• Tab Ramos dove into what should change with the USMNT before the 2026 World Cup. I definitely suggest checking out his take on the past few years, as it’s a bit fairer than the usual reactionary blame game following a tournament exit.
• Manchester United extended Erik Ten Hag’s contract through June of 2026 after triggering the one-year option.
• Newcastle United named Paul Mitchell as its next sporting director to replace Dan Ashworth. Mitchell has previously been with other English clubs like Tottenham and Southampton, as well as previously serving as Monaco’s sporting director.

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

Happy Fourth of July! I hope you all enjoy some hot dogs, fireworks, and a festive cocktail (if that’s your thing). I’ll be working for most of the day, but I should have some time in the evening to celebrate. For now though, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Beats Toronto FC

The Lions are headed back to Orlando with all three points after a 2-1 win against Toronto FC on the road. Orlando had a rough start, but managed to flip the script and hold on for a massive win. Peruvian duo Wilder Cartagena and Pedro Gallese returned to the starting lineup after their time at Copa America and did well. The team now sits in 10th in the Eastern Conference standings, but is tied on points with Toronto and Atlanta United for the last two playoff spots. Orlando will have another chance to climb up the table on Saturday when it hosts D.C. United.

Barbra Banda and Grace Chanda Called Up

The Orlando Pride’s Barbra Banda and Grace Chanda were both called up by Zambia for the Olympics later this month. Although Zambia did not advance out of the group stage in its debut during the 2020 Olympics, the African nation had a solid showing. Banda had two hat tricks during those Olympics, scoring six of the team’s seven goals. She’s been incredible since joining the Pride this year and had a brace in Zambia’s win over Morocco to secure a ticket to Paris. Chanda, who has missed time over the past year due to illness, took part in both of those qualifiers against Morocco as well. She signed with the Pride near the end of May and will join the team after the Olympics.

San Diego Wave Leadership Accused of Abuse

Former San Diego Wave employees have come forward to speak about abuse and discrimination from the club’s leadership. Brittany Alvarado, who moved to San Diego to be the Wave’s video and creative manager, spoke on the difficulties faced by her and others at the club, specifically calling out President Jill Ellis’ role in fostering an abusive environment. She also shared a concerning email she says she received from a senior leadership member of the Wave after she resigned for her mental health. The Wave released a statement calling Alvarado’s claims false and the email fabricated.

Photographer Jenny Chuang then shared how she was pressured to resign while her mental health declined and that she was placed on suicide watch while with the club. She also noted that the individuals she’s referring to no longer work at the club. The NWSL released a statement encouraging people to report misconduct to the safety officer or anonymously through Real Response.

Kansas City Will Host 2024 NWSL Championship

This year’s NWSL Championship game will officially be held at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. I personally think the 11,500-seat capacity is a bit small for the event, but it makes sense that the league would want to put the spotlight on the first stadium built specifically for an NWSL team. The stadium opened earlier this year and has sold out for every Kansas City Current home game so far.

Nashville Hires B.J. Callaghan

B.J. Callaghan was appointed as the next head coach of Nashville SC and will join the club on July 22. The 43-year-old has been an assistant coach for the United States Men’s National Team since 2019, and served as the team’s interim head coach last summer. He now becomes Nashville’s second head coach since joining MLS in 2020, as Nashville and Gary Smith parted ways in May. Callaghan’s first matches at the helm will be in the Leagues Cup when Nashville takes on Mazatlan and the New England Revolution in the group stage.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City B goalkeeper Carlos Mercado was signed to the first team on a short-term agreement for Wednesday’s game to serve as Gallese’s backup in Toronto. This was necessary as Javier Otero’s current immigration status would not allow him to travel to Canada for Wednesday’s first-team match. The Venezuelan-born Otero is legally allowed to work in the United States with his current paperwork.
• Enjoy this highlight reel from the NWSL showcasing how well Pride defenders Emily Sams and Kerry Abello have done this season.

• Former Lion Kaká had plenty of praise for Orlando Pride attacker and fellow Brazilian legend Marta.

• Canadian winger Tajon Buchanan underwent surgery after breaking his leg in practice ahead of the team’s Copa America quarterfinal against Venezuela on Friday.
• CBS Sports ranked the remaining teams in Euro 2024, with Spain and Germany in the top two spots ahead of their clash on Friday.
• The Copa America quarterfinals kick off tonight with a match between Argentina and Ecuador, and here’s a nice breakdown on Ecuador’s chances to pull off the upset.

That’s all I have for you today. Make sure to celebrate the holiday responsibly and to be mindful of one another while out and about. Have a great Fourth of July!

Happy Tuesday, everyone. Orlando City will have two chances to get back in the win column this week, with games on Wednesday and Saturday. The Orlando Pride have a huge game on Saturday against the Kansas City Current, and Orlando City B takes on Carolina Core FC on Sunday. There’s a ton that we need to discuss this morning, so let’s get after it.

Duncan McGuire Contract Update

Tom Bogert reported on Monday morning that Duncan McGuire has rejected Orlando City’s most recent contract proposal. Despite his failed move to Blackburn Rovers in the January window due to an administrative error, he still has his eyes on a move to Europe. McGuire is Orlando City’s top scorer this season, with seven goals in 17 games, and his resume may also be boosted by a likely stint with the Olympic team. OCSC maintains that McGuire is not on the market, according to Bogert, and his contract with the team runs through the end of the 2026 season. If Duncan keeps scoring in the league and shows well at the Olympics, the club’s tune may change for the right amount of money. This is going to be one to watch.

United States Flame out of Copa America

The United States Men’s National Team suffered a 1-0 defeat to Uruguay in Kansas City, which saw the Yanks exit Copa America in the group stage after Panama’s 3-1 win over Bolivia. Despite the game being one of the most poorly officiated affairs I’ve seen in quite some time, the USMNT only generated eight shots to Uruguay’s 12, and put three of them on target. Finishing a high-stakes game with a paltry .56 xG is nowhere near good enough, and abhorrent refereeing doesn’t change the fact that the Americans simply got outplayed on home turf. A reckoning can, and probably should, follow a disastrous Copa America campaign, and serious questions need to be asked about Gregg Berhalter’s job status. The fallout from this is going to be extremely interesting.

St. Louis City Fires Manager

St. Louis City announced on Monday that the team has fired manager Bradley Carnell. Carnell was in the big chair for the team’s maiden MLS season, which saw St. Louis finish top of the Western Conference as an expansion side. It’s had a much more difficult time of it this year though, and has a record of 3-7-10 and 19 points after 20 games. Despite that, the team is still within touching distance of the playoff line, and likely figures that the right person can turn things around and help lead a push for the postseason. Technical Director John Hackworth has been named interim manager while the club looks for a new coach.

Euro 2024 Round of 16 Roundup

Knockout play rolled onwards at Euro 2024, so let’s get caught up on the action. In the early game, France took 19 shots to Belgium’s five, but ultimately had to rely on a late own goal by Jan Vertonghen to secure a 1-0 win and book its passage through to the quarterfinals. A French player still has not scored a goal from open play at the tournament, but the 2022 World Cup runner-up finds itself two games from the final all the same.

The late match had plenty of twists and turns, as Cristiano Ronaldo missed an extra time penalty that would have given Portugal the lead. Diogo Costa then stonewalled Slovenia’s Benjamin Sesko with just minutes to play before a penalty shootout, and proceeded to save all three Slovenian attempts during the shootout. Portugal’s players made no such mistakes, and they advanced to the quarterfinals to face France.

Free Kicks

• The Orlando Pride’s Anna Moorhouse was called up for England’s upcoming training camp.

• Pedro Gallese, Wilder Cartagena, and Ramiro Enrique are all back with Orlando City ahead of the team’s match against Toronto FC on Wednesday.

• The MLS All-Star Team roster has been announced.
• Orlando City dropped one spot to 19th in ESPN‘s MLS power rankings.
• The Orlando Pride held at second in ESPN’s NWSL power rankings, with the Kansas City Current keeping the top spot ahead of a hotly anticipated clash between the two teams on Saturday.

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