Lion Links: 9/2/24

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.