Lion Links: 9/20/24

Happy Friday! I don’t know about you, but September has been flying by for me. I’m working throughout most of the weekend, but I am looking forward to catching a few games from a packed slate of soccer over the next few days. Before we dive into today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando Pride rookie Cori Dyke!

Facundo Torres Makes Team of the Matchday

Orlando City forward Facundo Torres was named to the MLS Team of the Matchday for his role in the team’s 2-0 win over Charlotte FC. The 24-year-old scored on the volley to give the Lions the lead and also had three key passes to keep Orlando’s offense cooking. He’s been on fire as of late, scoring four goals over the past three games. I’m a bit surprised not to see other Lions at least make the bench of this Team of the Matchday, particularly with Martin Ojeda and Robin Jansson providing strong performances.

Orlando Pride Take On Bay FC Tonight

I hope you all got plenty of rest last night, because the Orlando Pride have a 10:30 p.m. match on the road tonight against Bay FC. It’s the second match between the two teams this season, with Orlando winning 1-0 at home on May 11. Bay FC turned a corner in the time since that match, climbing up to eighth in the standings. This will also be the Pride’s first trip to Paypal Park to take on the expansion team. Pride forward Julie Doyle, who was born in California and played four seasons at Santa Clara University, spoke on how she’s excited to play in the Bay area again. She also weighed in on how the Pride’s defense has extended beyond the back line during this impressive season.

USMNT Goals for 2026 World Cup Revealed

United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino stated that the aim is for the U.S. to make the quarterfinals when it hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“The truth is the quarterfinal is the target,” the head coach said on an episode of the It’s Called Soccer podcast. “They were very clear and I am very honest to you and I think that was the idea, the challenge. They know that it is going to be difficult but I am a person and we are people that really, really believe that we can. We all think that the talented group can perform better and we accept the challenge.”

With the expanded format that includes 48 teams, the U.S. would need to advance out of the group stage and win twice in the knockout stage to reach the quarterfinals. Pochettino has plenty to do to get the team firing on all cylinders before then. Copa America exposed some of the USMNT’s struggles in the midfield, and the new head coach will need to figure out who will spearhead the attack as well.

Champions League Opening Round Wraps Up

The first round of Champions League matches in this new format concluded on Thursday. AS Monaco had a big 2-1 win over Barcelona, with 18-year-old striker George Ilenikhena scoring the winner in his Champions League debut. Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal scored his first Champions League goal as well, but the Spanish club couldn’t overcome a red card to Eric Garcia just 10 minutes into the match.

Jose Gimenez scored a late winner to give Atletico Madrid a 2-1 win against RB Leipzig in Spain. Bayer Leverkusen cruised to a 4-0 win over Feyenoord, with 21-year-old striker Florian Wirtz scoring twice in the first half. Benfica also kicked off its Champions League campaign with a win, beating Red Star Belgrade 2-1 in Serbia. French club Brest got its first European competition win by winning 2-1 against Austria’s Sturm Graz. Arsenal and Atalanta fought to a scoreless draw in Italy, with Arsenal’s David Raya making a showstopping pair of saves to deny Mateo Retegui from the spot.

Free Kicks

• Former Orlando Pride player Thais Reiss has torn her ACL and MCL in training with Spokane Zephyr FC in the USL Super League. It’s unfortunate news, and hopefully she’s able to make a smooth recovery.

• Neither of Orlando City’s goals against Charlotte FC on Wednesday were nominated for MLS Goal of the Matchday, but that’s a testament to just how many great goals were scored in the midweek. Anderson Julio’s goal from downtown for Real Salt Lake is definitely worth checking out if you haven’t already.

• Here’s a nice breakdown of the MLS Golden Boot race, which has been close throughout the season and could come down to Decision Day on Oct. 19. Christian Benteke currently holds a two-goal lead over Chicho Arango, Denis Bouanga, and Luis Suárez.
• Just two days after losing 9-2 to Bayern Munich, Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb fired Sergej Jakirović as its manager.

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