Lion Links
Lion Links: 9/2/24
Orlando City defeats Nashville SC, Orlando Pride continue unbeaten run, OCB beats Huntsville City FC, and more.
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.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 9/18/24
Duncan McGuire likes scoring goals, the Pride are impressive, Champions League results, and more.
Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s match day, so I hope you are hyped for a midweek showdown with Charlotte FC. So, put on your purple, and tell you boss you don’t care about the dress code. If you haven’t done so yet, there’s still time to listen to the latest episode of The Mane Land PawedCast to help get you ready after you check out today’s links. Let’s get to it.
McGuire Happy to Score
Duncan McGuire’s goal against the New England Revolution Saturday night was his first MLS strike since June. That kind of drought isn’t something he’s used to, and he was away at the Olympics for part of that time, but he said he’s just happy to contribute to the team winning. McGuire will look to continue his scoring in tonight’s match against Charlotte FC. The Lions will need McGuire and others to contribute in this crucial Eastern Conference match. If you’re unsure whether to attend in person, take a look at all the cool stuff the club is doing tonight. Check back later today for our match preview.
The Pride are Scary Good
The still undefeated Orlando Pride are very, very good. This is obvious to anyone that looks at the standings or the records being broken on a weekly basis. Still, it’s one thing to know it and another to see it. SBNation’s Southern Sylvs got a firsthand look at the team and the experience watching the Pride at the last match against the Kansas City Current at Inter&Co Stadium. Sylvs was impressed with the atmosphere and the club, despite what I thought wasn’t their best outing.
Banda Still in Contention
The Orlando Pride’s Barbra Banda hasn’t scored as many goals as the Current’s Temwa Chawinga but that doesn’t mean she’s out of the NWSL MVP race. She has contributed quite a bit in her time with the club, and I expect that she will start putting in goals and providing assists again soon. How well the Pride do in the regular season will also likely impact the MVP selection.
Americans in the Champions League
Liverpool may have defeated AC Milan 3-1 in the first of eight UEFA Champions League matches for each club, but Christian Pulisic did score the first goal of the match.
Why pass the ball when it’s so much easier to simply score the goal yourself? That was pretty much it for AC Milan as Liverpool scored three unanswered goals to secure the victory.
Earlier in the day, Weston McKennie scored in Juventus’ 3-1 win over PSV. It was very much a right place, right time goal for the American.
lt was a good day for the Americans, and plenty of other USMNT players will be in action this week across different leagues and competitions.
Free Kicks
- In the least surprising news ever, the Orlando Pride once again topped the Goal.com NWSL Power Rankings.
- The Orlando Pride’s Ally Lemos and the U-20 USWNT will face Korea DPR’s U-20 squad in the semifinals of the 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup today.
- Orlando City B defender Alex Freeman made the MLS NEXT Pro “On the Rise” list thanks to his very good recent run of form.
- Like so many players, Lynn Williams was greatly impacted by the career of Alex Morgan. Especially that time she wore the No.13 for the USWNT.
- Former USWNT star Megan Rapinoe praised the younger generation of players that won the Olympic Gold. She also recognized that the players of her generation may have held back the success of the new generation. Now, the team is theirs.
- As I mentioned above, Liverpool may have won its match, but Alisson Becker is still frustrated that football’s governing bodies aren’t consulting players on the number of matches over the many competitions that said players will participate in. He’s not wrong.
- Manchester United decimated third-division Barnsley 7-0 in its English Cup match.
- This test is a chance to prove you are a UEFA Champions League savant by answering 36 questions about the teams in this year’s competition.
- Billionaire Marcelo Claure has purchased 10% of New York City FC, and their we’ll-have-it-eventually stadium. Just another reason for Don Garber to kowtow to NYCFC.
That will do it for today. We will have your match recap after the game tonight. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 9/17/24
Rafael Santos up for Goal of the Matchday, Lions earn recognition, stories to watch around MLS, and more.
It wasn’t a perfect weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, but it was close. Orlando City, the Orlando Pride and Orlando City B went undefeated, and combined to take seven of the nine points available, which is hard to complain about. There’s no time to rest though, as the Lions will be back in action tomorrow at home against FC Dallas. As always, we have plenty to talk about today, so let’s get into the links.
Santos Strike Nominated for Goal of the Matchday
Rafael Santos opened the scoring in spectacular fashion during Orlando City’s 3-0 win over the New England Revolution, and his left-footed blast has been nominated for MLS Goal of the Matchday. With 22 minutes played, the Lions worked a short corner and Ivan Angulo found Santos free outside the box. The fullback took one touch to set the ball up before unleashing a dipping, curling effort that left a fully stretched Aljaz Ivacic with no chance. It was a special strike and a very worthy nomination. Make sure you go cast your vote for him to win it!
Lions Earn Weekly Recognition
In addition to his Goal of the Matchday nomination, Santos was also named to the starting lineup of the MLS Team of the Matchday as one of three defenders, while Facundo Torres was included on the bench. Outside of his goal, Santos also recorded two tackles and two clearances while helping the defense keep a clean sheet. Torres converted his penalty kick with venom, had 94% passing accuracy, and generally looked dangerous. Marcus Mitchell awarded Santos a 7 out of 10 and Torres a 7.5 out of 10 and Man of the Match honors in his player grades from the match, so it’s nice to see the pair get some recognition on a larger scale. Here’s hoping the good work continues!
Stories to Watch in MLS
Some of the flashier teams in the league might grab headlines on a consistent basis, but there are plenty of other intriguing stories happening around MLS. For one, the Lions are on a 6-1-1 run that has them up to fifth in the Eastern Conference with a game in hand on the Red Bulls in fourth. Martin Ojeda playing through the middle and moving Facu back out wide is a big reason why. Then there are the Colorado Rapids, a team that has the second-largest points-per-game increase from last season to this one. At the other end of things you have Charlotte FC, which has won just once in its last eight games and is in danger of missing out on the playoffs altogether.
Mikey Varas Will Coach San Diego FC
San Diego FC has found its first head coach, as it named former United States Men’s National Team interim head coach Mikey Varas to the top job. Varas spent several years with U.S. Soccer, and also was an assistant coach at FC Dallas under Luchi Gonzalez for three seasons. Aside from being the head coach of the U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team from 2021 to 2023, this will be his only other gig as a full time head coach. Now that San Diego has that vacancy filled, it can do some serious work on building its roster ahead of its inaugural MLS season next year.
Free Kicks
- The Orlando Pride held fast at the top spot of ESPN’s NWSL power rankings.
- Orlando City had a big jump, as the Lions moved up six spots to ninth in ESPN’s MLS power rankings.
- Former Orlando Pride coach Tom Sermanni has been named interim head coach of the Australian women’s national team.
- NJ/NY Gotham FC has played on every day of the week at least once during this season.
- Barcelona has extended the contract of women’s Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí until 2028.
That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 9/16/24
Orlando City beats the New England Revolution, Orlando Pride draw at home, Orlando City B wins third straight, and more.
Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. This week, I’ll be busy working Chicago Cubs games at Wrigley Field while picking up some extra hours at Under Armour. There’s plenty to cover today after a busy weekend of Orlando soccer, so let’s get to the links.
Lions Shut Out the New England Revolution at Home
On Saturday, Orlando City defeated the New England Revolution 3-0 at Inter&Co Stadium. This is the first time the Lions have swept a season series against the Revolution in the club’s history. Rafael Santos, Facundo Torres, and Duncan McGuire all scored for the Lions, and this is the second consecutive match that the Lions have won 3-0 after beating Nashville SC by the same score on Aug. 31. Orlando City is fifth in the Eastern Conference with 40 points. It will be a quick turnaround for the Lions, with another home match against Charlotte FC set for Wednesday before traveling to face the Columbus Crew on Saturday.
Pride Draw Against the Kansas City Current
The Orlando Pride played to a scoreless draw against the Kansas City Current on Friday at Inter&Co Stadium and saw their six-match winning streak end. However, the result extended their unbeaten streak to 20 matches this season. Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse put on a stellar performance in goal to earn her 11th clean sheet of the season and tie the NWSL record.
Orlando remains atop the NWSL table with 48 points, while the Washington Spirit are close behind in second with 44 points. The Pride will be on the road on Friday to face Bay FC at PayPal Park.
OCB Defeats New England Revolution II at Home
Orlando City B won 2-0 over the New England Revolution II at Osceola County Stadium on Sunday to move a step closer to clinching a playoff spot. After a scoreless first half, Alex Freeman and Jack Lynn scored for the Young Lions to seal the win at home. Orlando City B has now won three consecutive matches and Freeman has scored five goals in the last four games. OCB is third in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference table with 43 points, and its next match is Sept. 23 at home against Chicago Fire II.
Americans Abroad in Europe
There were some USMNT players in action in Europe over the weekend after the conclusion of the recent international break. Brenden Aaronson started and played 68 minutes for Leeds United but ended up losing 1-0 to Burnley in the EFL Championship. Christian Pulisic scored a penalty kick and added an assist for AC Milan in a 4-0 win over Venezia in Serie A action. It was Pulisic’s second goal in four matches for AC Milan this season. Teammate Yunus Musah came off the bench in the second half to see out the win. Fellow American Gianluca Busio returned for Venezia, starting and playing 79 minutes. Tanner Tessmann came off the bench to make his Ligue 1 debut for Lyon Sunday against Lens late in the second half, but the match ended in a scoreless draw.
Free Kicks
- Pride midfielder Ally Lemos started for the U.S. Women’s U-20 National Team in the U-20 Women’s World Cup quarterfinal match against Germany. She assisted on the first of two late goals by the U.S. to help send the game to extra time in an incredible comeback. Lemos was subbed off before the penalty shootout, which the U.S. won to advance to the semifinals.
- The Orlando Pride set another club record after their draw against the Current, securing their fourth consecutive clean sheet.
- Carlos Vela and LAFC reportedly agreed to a new contract before the MLS roster freeze deadline on Friday.
- Ashley Hatch scored twice to secure the 50th goal in her NWSL career, as the Washington Spirit cruised to a 3-0 win over the Houston Dash on Sunday.
- Marseille has reportedly reached an agreement in principle to sign former Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.
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