Happy Tuesday, everyone! If you had Labor Day off, I hope it was a restful one. If not, I hope you started the week on a strong note. It was a nine-point weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, so that meant that we here at The Mane Land had a damn good start to our week. Before we jump into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando Pride defender Megan Montefusco!

Pride Focused on Final Objective

The Orlando Pride are riding a 19-match unbeaten streak, but Head Coach Seb Hines is focused on more than the many records broken this year. Speaking after the team’s win over NJ/NY Gotham FC on Sunday, Hines said that while winning streaks and records are nice, the Pride “have an objective that we want to achieve this year.” He also highlighted the fact that Orlando didn’t concede a goal after the 75th minute. On a related note, defenders Cori Dyke and Kylie Strom were both complimentary of Adriana’s two early goals and said that having the early lead made it much easier to defend and keep a clean sheet.

Daryl Dike Attacking Injury Rehab

Since moving to West Bromwich Albion, Daryl Dike’s injury luck has been about as brutal as it gets, with the big striker missing 98 matches for his team during his two years there. He isn’t letting that discourage him though, and he said that the rehab for his current injury has been better than what he’s experienced in the past, adding he’s hopeful that he’ll be back in full training sometime in the next month. Rather than letting the repeated injuries frustrate him, he said he’s used those experiences to get better and keep working hard to return to the field. Hopefully we’ll see him back out there soon!

Mikey Varas Speaks on Roster Selection

As we covered during yesterday’s Lion Links, the United States Men’s National Team roster for this month’s upcoming friendlies has been announced, and there were a couple surprising omissions in the form of Weston McKennie and Antonee Robinson. Interim manager Mikey Varas has now spoken about his reasoning behind leaving two of the team’s biggest names off the roster. He cited McKennie not being able to complete a full preseason with Juventus, and opined that it would be better for him to stay in Italy and get up to speed on things. For Robinson, Varas pointed to the fact that he’s been banged up during 2024, and said that the best thing would be for him to stay at Fulham and focus on getting healthy.

MLS Stock Watch

After a busy slate of games over the weekend, now is a good time to check in around Major League Soccer and see what direction various teams are trending in. The Columbus Crew avoided suffering a letdown after winning the Leagues Cup, picking up a couple of nice wins to keep things rolling. The Colorado Rapids won on the road against FC Dallas, and sits fourth in the Western Conference after finishing third in Leagues Cup. Then you have CF Montreal, which has lost its last three games by a combined score of 10-1, and Nashville SC, which has lost eight straight games after suffering a 3-0 loss to the Lions.

Free Kicks

• Facundo Torres has been called up to represent Uruguay.

• In a very unsurprising piece of news, the Orlando Pride stayed at the top spot in both CBSSports.com’s and ESPN.com’s NWSL power rankings.
• Orlando City rose one spot to 15th in ESPN.com’s MLS power rankings.
• Former Orlando City player Dom Dwyer bagged his first goal of the season for Oakland Roots SC.

• Luis Suarez has retired from playing for Uruguay.

That’ll do it for me today. Vamos Orlando!

Orlando City rebounded from a bad loss a week ago, defeating Nashville SC 3-0 in a big home victory. The Lions scored twice in four minutes early in the first half to change the nature of the match. Orlando City weathered Nashville’s press to get back on the winning side of the ledger.

 Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in a home matchup against an Eastern Conference opponent.

Starters

GK, Pedro Gallese, 6.5 — Gallese started the match with a huge one-on-one save in the eighth minute to deny Alex Muyl. He almost had a horrible giveaway when trying to chip ball past Surridge while next to the right post, but it rebounded into his arms. Fortunately, Nashville only got one shot on target, but Gallese did what was needed to keep the clean sheet.

D, Rafael Santos, 5.5 — Santos was not his worst, but he was far from his best on the night. He left Muyl alone on Nashville’s first corner. A little later he allowed Sam Surridge to beat him to the back post. Fortunately, the post made the save to keep Nashville off the scoreboard. He had a bad giveaway in 30th minute, and failed to settle an easy pass in 33rd minute ruining a promising attack. Santos also earned a yellow card to start the second half. The Brazilian led the team with 82 touches, completed 85.3% of his 61 passes, and was accurate on five of his 10 long balls, with one cross. Defensively, he made one tackle, one interception, and four clearances. He committed three fouls, including the aforementioned yellow card. He was subbed off for Kyle Smith in the 82nd minute.

D, Robin Jansson, 6 — Jansson almost got a rare goal but missed his header, which was set up by a Facundo Torres header in the 26th minute. Like plenty of others on Orlando City, he earned a dumb yellow on a bad challenge. Jansson did make a good header to clear the ball on one of Hany Mukhtar’s many free kicks. The captain had 63 touches, completed 87.7% of his 57 passes, and was accurate on two of his seven long balls. Defensively, he had two clearances and one blocked shot. His one shot was not on target, he committed one foul, and he suffered one foul. Jansson did well after his yellow card to play smart down the stretch.

D, Rodrigo Schlegel, 5 — Schlegel started the match with a good clearance in the fifth minute but got too high up the pitch, allowing Muyl a run at goal shortly after. He only had 22 touches, including 18 passes at a 72.2% rate, and was successful on one of his five long balls. Defensively, he made four clearances. Schlegel also earned his obligatory yellow card for kicking the ball after a foul was given against Nashville in the 17th minute. It was a bit of a forgettable night for the center back and he was subbed off at the half.

D, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, 6 — Thorhallsson reverted to form following a poor performance in the last match, though it took a bit to settle in. He fouled Muyl in the sixth minute to give Nashville a free kick. He had a bad giveaway after a good interception in the 30th minute. I know it might not sound like he had a great night, but that was most of the bad, and he provided the assist on Torres’ first goal. Thorhallsson had 54 touches and completed 80.7% of his 31 passes and two of his five long balls. He made two crosses, with one key pass, and drew two fouls. Defensively, he recorded one interception, six clearances, and one foul committed. He was one of the few Lions who didn’t earn a yellow card.

MF, César Araujo, 6 — Araujo was his normal self in the defensive midfield. He finished with one tackle, two clearances, and one foul committed, which resulted in a yellow card. Normally, defensive midfielders earn fouls and sometimes yellow cards. They also earn fouls for their team, and Araujo earned five fouls for Orlando City. He had 57 touches and completed 84.4% of his 45 passes. He made two key passes and completed one of his two long balls.

MF, Wilder Cartagena, 6 — Cartagena was a bit undisciplined in this match, though he was active with 72 touches. He and Mukhtar battled all night, with Cartagena committing four fouls, and finally earning a yellow card after several warnings. Defensively, he made five tackles, one interception, and one clearance. He completed 91.1% of his 56 passes and was successful on his one long ball. He also drew two fouls. I’m a little surprised he got away with as much as he did, but ultimately he frustrated Nashville, which is his job.

MF, Iván Angulo, 6.5 — Angulo couldn’t have started things off any better than he did, being in the right place at the right time to take Martin Ojeda’s pass inside the box, turn, and put the ball in the back of the net. It was one of his two shots on the night. He roamed up and down the pitch like his normal self. Angulo had 52 touches, completed 75% of his 40 passes, including one key pass and one cross. He was subbed off in the 82nd minute.

MF, Martín Ojeda, 7 — Ojeda had a good night. He was elusive and proficient with the ball at his feet. He set up the first goal when he intercepted Joe Willis’ bad pass, and one-timed it to Angulo to put it in the goal. He also started the attack on the second goal when he nutmegged his defender to get the ball into the attack. He sent the ball into the box on a free kick that ultimately ended up on Jansson’s head, but not in the back of the goal. His one foul wasn’t really a foul though it resulted in a free kick for Nashville. Ojeda had 42 touches, completing 88% of his 25 passes, including one of his two long balls, and three key passes. He also took one shot that was on target, though he didn’t get the goal. He did get the assist on Angulo’s goal.

MF, Facundo Torres, 7.5 (MotM) — Scoring a brace was more than enough for Torres to earn Man of the Match honors. On his first goal, he took the pass from Ojeda, sent it forward to Thorhallsson, and then made his way to the other side of the box to receive the cross for the second goal of the match. It was Torres who gave Jansson a chance to score off the free kick with a header. He was wide open on his second goal, but he couldn’t have taken it better, putting the ball over Willis and just under the crossbar for the goal. Torres had 52 touches, completed 90.2% of his 42 passes, one of his two long balls, and two key passes. He took five shots, with three on target, and put two in the back of the net. It was an excellent night from the Designated Player.

F, Ramiro Enrique, 6 — You could tell that Enrique wanted to score in this match. He managed one shot, which was on target. Unfortunately, Willis got enough of the ball to have the shot hit the post. His tenacity resulted in a dumb yellow foul in 20th minute when he was trying to get the ball back. Enrique had 23 touches, and completed 80% of his 15 passes. Defensively, he made one tackle, had one blocked shot, and committed one foul, resulting in a yellow card. It was a good night for the youngster despite not getting a goal. He subbed off in the 68th minute.

Substitutes

D, David Brekalo (46′), 6.5 — Brekalo came on as a halftime substitute for Schlegel, who was on a yellow card. He had two chances on goal, including one on a set piece in the 61st minute, but he couldn’t direct his back heel attempt on frame. He also made a good clearance in the 67th minute. He actually didn’t commit any fouls or receive a yellow card. Brekalo had 27 touches, and completed 80% of his 15 passes. Defensively, he made two tackles, one clearance, and one interception, and he blocked two shots. He did enough to get the start in Orlando City’s next match.

F, Duncan McGuire, (68’), 6.5 — McGuire didn’t get the start, but he put in the effort once he came on. He made a good run in the 73rd minute, but couldn’t get past the defenders to get a shot, though he did win a corner kick. McGuire provided the assist on Torres’ second goal. He had 17 touches and completed 44.4% of his nine passes with one key pass.

MF, Nico Lodeiro, (69’), 6 — Lodeiro helped Orlando City see out the match after coming on for Ojeda. He had 20 touches, completing 88.2% of his 17 passes, including three key passes, including a secondary assist on the third goal. He attempted one shot, though it wasn’t on target.

MF, Luis Muriel (82′), N/A — Despite only managing 16 touches, Muriel got a shot off. The shot was from outside the box, and it sailed over the crossbar. He completed 88.1% of his 11 passes. Muriel made one tackle, committed one foul, and suffered one foul. He wasn’t on long enough to earn a grade.

D, Kyle Smith (82′), N/A — Smith finished with 18 touches in his short time on the pitch. He completed 78.6% of his 14 passes, including one successful long ball. Defensively, he made one tackle. As with Muriel, Smith’s time on the pitch was too short to warrant a grade.

That’s how I saw the individual performances on Saturday night. What did you think? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and vote in the poll below for your Orlando City Man of the Match.

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope you all are having a good Labor Day weekend down in Florida. It was a busy week for me, working two Pearl Jam concerts at Wrigley Field and covering high school golf. It was a good holiday weekend for Orlando soccer teams, as Orlando City, the Pride, and OCB all won their respective matches. After plenty of soccer, there’s a lot to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Roll Past Nashville SC at Home

Orlando City shut out Nashville SC 3-0 at Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday. Ivan Angulo scored the opening goal, and Facundo Torres found the back of the net twice to put the match away. With those two goals scored, Torres has passed former Lion Nani for the most goal contributions in Orlando City history.

Torres was also nominated for MLS Player of the Matchday for his performance, along with three other players who had braces.

Orlando secured its fifth consecutive shutout over Nashville and is seventh in the Eastern Conference. Due to the upcoming international break, the Lions are off this weekend but will be back at home on Sept. 14 against the New England Revolution.

Orlando Pride Shut Out NJ/NY Gotham FC

The Orlando Pride also had a 2-0 victory, beating NJ/NY Gotham FC Sunday at Inter&Co Stadium to extend their unbeaten streak to 19 games. Adriana scored twice in the first half for the Pride. It was the 26th victory for Head Coach Seb Hines, and he now has more wins than any other Pride coach.

The Pride sit atop the NWSL standings with 44 points, six points ahead of the Washington Spirit in second. They will be back in action on Sunday to take on the Chicago Red Stars on the road.

Orlando Pride and Haley Carter Agree to New Contract

The Orlando Pride announced on Friday that the club and Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter reached an agreement on a new contract. The new deal will keep Carter in Orlando through the 2026 season, with an option for 2027 as well. Carter has a new title as the club’s vice president of soccer operations and sporting director. Since arriving in January of 2023, she’s helped turn the Pride into the top team in the NWSL by bringing in many talented players such as Barbra Banda, Emily Sams, and Adriana. Retaining players has also been a key part of Carter’s tenure, and she’s made the Pride’s rebuild a successful one.

Orlando City B Defeats Huntsville City FC

OCB hosted Huntsville City FC and won 2-1 at Osceola County Stadium Sunday, bouncing back after losing to New York City FC II. Imanol Almaguer scored the opening goal for the Young Lions in the first half, and Alex Freeman later converted from the spot to double their lead. Huntsville City FC pulled one back late, but OCB did well to hold on for the win. The Young Lions are now sixth in the Eastern Conference with 37 points and their next match will be on the road on Sunday against Crown Legacy FC.

USMNT Roster for September Friendlies Announced

The U.S. Soccer Federation announced the 24-man roster for the U.S. Men’s National Team for its upcoming friendlies against Canada and New Zealand this month. Mikey Varas will manage the USMNT on an interim basis during this window. Of those called up, 18 were part of the team’s Copa America roster, including Christian Pulisic, Malik Tillman, and Tim Ream. There are also two uncapped players on the roster, with defender Marlon Fossey and goalkeeper Diego Kochen called up. The USMNT will play Canada on Sept. 7 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City before facing New Zealand on Sept. 10 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati.

Free Kicks

• The Houston Dash hired former Orlando Pride general manager Erik Ustruck to an advisory role to handle player transactions on an interim basis while the club looks for a permanent general manager.
• U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Emma Hayes and forward Sophia Smith shared their perspectives on the keys to success for the USWNT’s gold medal run in Paris.
• The U.S. Women’s U-20 National Team lost 1-0 to Spain in its opening match at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia. The Pride’s Ally Lemos did not play in the match. The team’s next match will be on Wednesday against Morocco.

• Liverpool dominated Manchester United on Sunday at Old Trafford, winning 3-0 against its rival. Elsewhere in the English Premier League, Newcastle beat Tottenham 2-1 and Chelsea drew 1-1 against Crystal Palace.
• Wrexham won 2-0 over Peterborough on Saturday and sits atop the EFL League One table alongside Stockport and Birmingham City, which are all tied with 10 points after four matches.

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