Lion Links: 8/19/24

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. It was another busy week for me while working at Wrigley Field for the Green Day Concert and Chicago Cubs games. Our only team in action this weekend was Orlando City B, but Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are back in action this week. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando Pride Trade For Carson Pickett

The Orlando Pride brought back former Pride defender Carson Pickett via a trade with Racing Louisville FC in exchange for $75,000 in Allocation Money on Friday. Pickett had previously played with the Pride from 2018 through 2020. She was with Racing Louisville for two seasons, making 36 appearances, scoring one goal, and adding an assist. The fullback was also with the North Carolina Courage before joining Louisville, recording a goal and 11 assists in 45 appearances. Pickett earned NWSL Best XI honors and was an NWSL Defender of the Year finalist in both of her seasons with the Courage. The Pride now have a player that can boost their defense at left back and serve quality set piece deliveries into the box as Orlando attempts to win its first trophy.

OCB Wins at Home Against New York City FC II

Orlando City B defeated New York City FC II 3-2 at Osceola County Stadium Sunday. The Young Lions were trailing before they scored a pair of back-to-back goals right before halftime to take the lead. OCB added another in the second half to extend its lead and managed to hold on for the win despite conceding another goal. It was a crucial win at home for OCB’s playoff aspirations. The team remains in 10th in the Eastern Conference with 31 points and sits just two points behind Inter Miami CF II, which holds the eighth and final playoff spot. OCB’s next match is Friday on the road against Atlanta United 2.

Leagues Cup Semifinals Are Set

The Columbus Crew, Colorado Rapids, LAFC, and Philadelphia Union all won their respective Leagues Cup quarterfinal matches over the weekend. LAFC shut out the Seattle Sounders on the road 3-0 to punch its ticket to the semifinals. The club has outscored its opposition 9-1 in its three knockout round matches. The Crew trailed 1-0 early in the first half to New York City FC, but Cucho Hernandez scored the equalizer just before halftime. Still tied after 90 minutes, the Crew won the shootout to advance. The Union also needed a shootout win to advance, defeating Mazatlan after the match ended in a 1-1 draw. The Rapids continued their run in the Leagues Cup by winning 9-8 on penalties against Club America to eliminate the last Liga MX team remaining after a scoreless draw. That’s the fourth straight win for Colorado against a Liga MX side. In the semifinals, the Rapids will face LAFC and the Crew will take on the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday.

Catching Up With Americans Abroad

With many European leagues kicking off their seasons over the weekend, there were plenty of Americans in action overseas. Let’s start in Italy, where AC Milan was down 2-0 to Torino before a late comeback secured a 2-2 draw for Milan. Yunus Musah helped set up Milan’s tying goal with a great assist, while fellow USMNT teammate Christian Pulisic started the match and played 73 minutes. Josh Sargent scored a goal in the EFL Championship, as Norwich City got a 2-2 draw at home against Blackburn Rovers. Haji Wright scored the game-winning goal for Coventry City to seal a 3-2 win against Oxford United.

It was not a good weekend for goalkeeper Ethan Horvath though, as he conceded an own goal and didn’t make a save in Cardiff City’s 5-0 loss on the road to Burnley. American goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina and Donovan Pines led Barnsley to a 2-1 win over Lincoln City to claim their first three points in League One.

New Premier League Season Begins

The new English Premier League season kicked off over the weekend and there were some notable matches. Manchester United defeated Fulham 1-0, with Joshua Zirkzee scoring the lone goal. Liverpool and Arsenal secured 2-0 victories over Ipswich Town and Wolves, respectively, while Aston Villa edged past West Ham 2-1. Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler got his first win in the Premier League, leading his side to a 3-0 win against Everton. Elsewhere in the league, Brentford defeated Crystal Palace 2-1, and Manchester City won 2-0 on the road against Chelsea. The lone Premier League match to wrap up the first week of matches will be later today when Leicester City host Tottenham Hotspur.

Free Kicks

• Former Pride players Jordyn Listro, Kristen Edmonds, and Erika Tymrak started in the opening match for Tampa Bay Sun FC in the inaugural USL Super League season. The Sun drew 1-1 at home to Dallas Trinity FC.

• Former U.S. men’s U-20 head coach Mikey Varas will reportedly lead the USMNT on an interim basis for the team’s upcoming friendlies in September against Canada and New Zealand.
• In case you missed it, the San Diego Wave named former USMNT legend Landon Donovan interim head coach for the remainder of the NWSL season.
• Kylian Mbappe’s La Liga debut with Real Madrid got off to a rough start, as his side could only get a 1-1 draw on the road against Mallorca.

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