Lion Links: 9/23/24

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’ve been working at Wrigley Field all week for Chicago Cubs baseball games and Under Armour. Today marks 10 years since The Mane Land was first created on WordPress back in 2014! Let’s also all wish Orlando City midfielder Wilder Cartagena a happy birthday before we dive into today’s links.

Lions Fall On the Road to the Columbus Crew

Orlando City’s attempt at a late comeback fell short in a 4-3 loss on the road to the Columbus Crew on Saturday. The Crew were leading 3-0 late in the second half before Ramiro Enrique and Luis Muriel scored for Orlando to make it 3-2. Columbus added another goal to extend its lead to 4-2 before Muriel scored again for the Lions in stoppage time. Orlando’s three-match winning streak ends, and the Lions will have to wait another week to try to punch their ticket to the MLS playoffs. They’re fifth in the Eastern Conference with 43 points, and their next match will be on the road on Saturday against FC Dallas.

Pride Extend Unbeaten Run With Win Over Bay FC

The Orlando Pride went to PayPal Park and left with a 1-0 win over Bay FC on Friday. Barbra Banda scored the lone goal in the match to seal the victory for Orlando to stay undefeated this season. It was also the club’s fifth consecutive shutout. The win extends the Pride’s unbeaten streak to 21 matches in the regular season, clinching a top-four finish in the NWSL to host a home playoff match for the first time in club history in the process. Orlando remains atop the NWSL table with 51 points and is seven points above the Washington Spirit in second with 44 points. The Pride will return to Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday to take on the Houston Dash.

U.S. Wins Bronze Medal in Women’s U-20 World Cup

Orlando Pride midfielder Ally Lemos came off the bench in the second half for the United States U-20 Women’s National Team in the third-place match against the Netherlands in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. The U.S. defeated the Netherlands 2-1 after extra time to win the bronze medal. Ally Sentnor scored the opening goal for the U.S. before the Netherlands equalized in the first half. After a scoreless second half, the Netherlands gave up an own goal in extra time, and the U.S. claimed third place in the tournament.

Orlando Reportedly a Host City for 2025 FIFA Club World Cup

Inter&Co Stadium will reportedly be chosen to host matches for the upcoming 2025 FIFA Club World Cup next summer. The tournament is scheduled to kick off in June and last through July, and it will feature 32 clubs from around the world. Other cities and stadiums linked with hosting include the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Lumen Field in Seattle, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Free Kicks

• Orlando Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse has set a new NWSL record for the most shutouts in a single season.

• USWNT and Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman exited in the second half of Friday’s match against the Kansas City Current due to a back injury, and there is currently no update on her return.
• Christian Pulisic’s stellar form continued over the weekend, as he scored the opening goal for AC Milan in its 2-1 win over rival Inter Milan and has now scored in five consecutive matches.

• Manchester City’s John Stones scored an equalizer in stoppage time against Arsenal in a thrilling 2-2 draw. Both teams remain undefeated this season and Manchester City remains atop the English Premier League table.
• Lina Souloukou has stepped down from her role as AS Roma’s chief executive officer after receiving backlash from fans due to the club parting ways with manager Daniele De Rossi last week.

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