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Orlando City vs. FC Naples, U.S. Open Cup: Final Score 1-0 as Lions Hold on for Dear Life vs. USL League One Side

The Lions were badly outplayed for the final half hour by the USL League One side but did enough to secure a 1-0 road win in Open Cup play.

Published

4 weeks ago

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Image of Luis Otavio looking for a teammate to pass to against FC Naples.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

It was anything but crisp, but it was a win, as Orlando City advanced in the U.S. Open Cup with a 1-0 win over FC Naples on the road at Paradise Coast Sports Complex. Tyrese Spicer scored the game’s only goal early in the first half and Javier Otero made several huge stops in a terrible final half hour for the Lions to preserve the win. The Lions probably owe the biggest thanks to rookie center back Nolan Miller, who cleared a sure goal off the line in the second half on a close play.

Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman rotated his squad heavily, starting Otero in goal behind a back line of three center backs Adrian Marin, Miller, and David Brekalo. Tahir Reid-Brown and Zakaria Taifi played in the wingback spots with Luis Otavio and Braian Ojeda pairing in the central midfield. Up top, the Lions went with an attacking line of Yutaro Tsukada, Justin Ellis, and Spicer.

The teams took a few minutes to settle into the match. Orlando’s first attack came five minutes in, when Taifi sent a centering pass into the area, but the defense cleared it away.

Chris Garcia had the first dangerous movement for FC Naples, blowing past Reid-Brown and dribbling across the top of the area, trying to clear himself to shoot. The defense was eventually able to clear it out despite some nervy moments.

Ellis won a free kick from distance in the 13th minute, but Tsukada wasted the set piece, getting way underneath it and sending it well out of play with a towering ball well over the crossbar.

FC Naples generated a great chance off the ensuing goal kick. On a direct ball down the pitch, Andres Ferrin beat Taifi and smashed a shot on goal. Otero was able to fight off the dangerous attempt in the 15th minute. The Lions were less than convincing on the ensuing corner kick defense but the ball went just over the line. The goal kick allowed Orlando to relieve the pressure.

Ellis got the first real look at goal for Orlando in the 18th minute but he didn’t hit his shot well and it deflected off a defender, bouncing harmlessly to goalkeeper Edward “Lalo” Delgado. The Lions, however struck seconds later.

Orlando City recovered the ball near midfield and went on the attack. Ojeda picked out Spicer outside the semicircle in the attacking end. The Trinidad & Tobago international touched it to his left and smashed a rocket from distance that Delgado could do nothing about, giving the Lions a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute. The goal snapped FC Naples’ 358-minute shutout streak.

FC Naples created the game’s next scoring chance in the 26th minute off a corner kick. Otero punched the ball out of the box, where Garcia ran onto it and smashed a wicked shot on goal. The Homegrown goalkeeper parried away the near-post effort to preserve the lead.

Taifi, who struggled on the defensive end in the first half against Ferrin, was able to create in the attacking half the few times he got forward, including in the 31st minute, when he laid off a pass for Tsukada on the break. FC Naples’ defense got to the ball ahead of Tsukada, however, knocking it out for a corner kick. A minute later, on the set piece, Tsukada’s service fell in the box for Spicer, who turned and sent a rocket toward goal that might have beaten Delgado had Kevin O’Connor not headed it away. Tsukada’s service on the ensuing corner went over everyone and out for a goal kick.

FC Naples continued to create danger. Garcia sent a hard cross into the area in the 38th that was knocked outside the box to Aiden Mesias. The Englishman fired a hard shot but it was well wide of the net. A minute later, Ferrin beat Taifi badly with a fake and cut inside, smashing a shot just inches wide of the left post.

Tsukada made a nice move to dance through multiple defenders on the left side in the 41st minute, but his cross was to the back post and Spicer was too central. Spicer committed a foul trying to win the race to the loose ball on the right side of the area. In the 42nd minute, Spicer’s long throw-in deflected to Ellis, but his touch was poor and it was ultimately knocked out for a corner. Tsukada’s service was poor on the set piece, allowing FC Naples to clear. Ojeda tried to fire it on the half-volley from distance, but he sent his shot well over the bar in the 43rd minute.

Orlando City’s last chance of the first half came in the 45th minute. Tsukada led a 3-v-3 break and sent a dangerous cross in front of goal, but it was too far out in front for Ellis to get a touch on it to tap it home.

The last look at goal went FC Naples’ way. Brekalo’s poor clearance fell to Ferrin just outside the top of the box. The Colombian cut to his right but sent his shot wide.

FC Naples held the halftime advantage in possession (58%-42%). Aside from that, stats were fairly even. Orlando City earned more corners (4-1) and attempted more shots (7-6), while both teams put two on target and passed with just 73% accuracy.

Colin Guske replaced Brekalo at the half, as the Slovenian had picked up a yellow card for persistent infringement. Rather than changing shape, Guske played the right center back position.

The Lions started the second half on the front foot, looking to put some breathing room between themselves and the USL League One side. Ojeda sent an ambitious effort off target two minutes after the restart. Spicer then sent a left-footed shot off the left post a minute later, coming inches from a brace and from doubling the lead.

Otavio did well to pick out Tsukada on the left in the 52nd minute. The winger sent a cross through the area at the top of the six, but none of his teammates made the run. A minute later, a takeaway by Otavio led to a quick counter in the attacking third. Tsukada made a nice play to beat the only defender and got his shot on frame, but Delgado made a big save to keep it a one-goal game.

In the 55th minute, it was Taifi making a nice run and getting the ball into the area, but his cross was behind Ellis and the defense got to the ball before Tsukada could get to it at the back post.

Ferrin sent another shot wide in the 58th minute as he continued to be the game’s most dangerous player.

Perelman sent on a trio of subs in the 59th minute and from that point on, FC Naples dominated. That was despite the fact that the substitutes were MLS veterans Martin Ojeda, Ivan Angulo, and Eduard Atuesta. From the time they stepped onto the field, the Lions struggled to keep the ball, break out of their end cleanly, and to finish their own chances at the other end on transition opportunities.

Otero saved his teammates repeatedly for defensive failures over the final half hour, starting with a 62nd-minute shot by Kevin O’Connor. The Naples attacker stepped right and fired a shot that was heading inside the right post. Otero dove and made a vital save.

Martin Ojeda’s best chance to impact the game came in the 64th minute. Taking the ball into the box on the left, the Designated Player went for power but just missed the upper 90 at the near post, sending a swerving effort fizzing just over the bar.

From that point on, it was nearly all one-way traffic and an endless series of set pieces for the hosts. The onslaught began in the 65th minute when Naples won a corner. Orlando failed to clear it and Garcia picked it up, firing a shot that forced another big stop by Otero.

A minute later, the Lions turned it over and Angulo conceded a free kick on Naples’ attacking right when a cross attempt hit his arm. O’Connor went for goal on the set piece and Otero knocked it over his crossbar to set up another corner.

On the ensuing set piece, Otero appeared to have plenty of time and space to catch the high cross. He instead opted to punch it away, and it was a costly decision, as FC Naples quickly won back possession and kept the pressure on, winning a corner. That led to the game’s most controversial call, and one FC Naples will feel aggrieved by.

Otero again couldn’t catch the cross on the next corner, and he didn’t punch it either. He didn’t get much on it as he palmed it away. The ball came off Dominick Bachstein in front and bounced toward goal behind Otero. Miller cleared the ball off the line. FC Naples celebrated as if it had gone in, but it appeared from the admittedly poor camera angle of the broadcast that Miller got to it before the entire ball crossed the line. It was a close play, and without video review, the call on the field stood, as neither the referee nor the assistant referee saw it as a goal.

After the play, Otero went down, either legitimately hurting, simply needing a breather, or to take some of the air out of Naples’ dominance. Perelman subbed Tiago on for Spicer.

Naples kept coming. Ferrin tied Taifi in knots again, cut inside, and fired another hard shot toward goal in the 77th minute. The shot didn’t miss by much, skipping across the top of the net. A minute later, Taifi’s late challenge gifted Naples a free kick near the left sideline. Orlando didn’t clear it decisively and the ball found Garcia again. The forward smashed another shot toward goal and Otero saved it again, denying Garcia at the near post.

Orlando generated a half-chance in the 80th minute in a rare attacking moment, but Tiago’s header from the left sailed wide of the right post.

The hosts came right back the other way and this time Guske conceded an unnecessary set piece. The free kick resulted in a free header inside the area but it floated well over the crossbar in the 82nd minute.

Orlando couldnt get out of its own way, even when the Lions had the ball. Marin decided to dribble forward in the 85th minute, but as FC Naples’ press closed on him, the Spaniard kept the ball too long. His eventual pass attempt was blocked in behind him, igniting a quick Naples counter. Miller saved his teammate some blushes by blocking Ferrin’s shot.

Taylor Gray was left alone for a free header on the ensuing corner kick and he put his shot on target, but he hit it toward the center of goal, where Otero caught it to save his teammates again in the 86th minute.

Orlando did well down the stretch to waste some time on restarts and by winning a series of corner kicks and playing the ball back out off a Naples player. Gray’s header was the last good look at goal for either side and the Lions were able to see out seven minutes of stoppage time that grew to nearly 10 before the final whistle mercifully blew.

FC Naples finished with the advantage in possession (53%-47%), shots (20-17), shots on target (8-4). Orlando City passed slightly more accurately (77%-73%), and each team won eight corner kicks.

In the end, Otero’s eight saves and Miller’s last-ditch clearance combined with Spicer’s goal to make the difference, but had the Bachstein goal counted, it may have changed things dramatically. As it is, the Lions avoided a “cupset” and live to face MLS competition in the Round of 16.

The Lions are back in MLS action Saturday night at home when the Houston Dynamo visit Inter&Co Stadium. In the U.S. Open Cup, the Lions will travel to face the New England Revolution on April 28 or 29.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/12/26

Barbra Banda up for weekly honors, Johnny Cardoso to have surgery, Americans in midweek action, and more.

Published

9 hours ago

on

May 12, 2026

By

Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Good morning, everyone. It was a mixed bag for Orlando’s soccer teams over the weekend, as the Orlando Pride and Orlando City B both picked up victories, while Orlando City lost. There’s no rest for the wicked though, because the Pride take on Boston Legacy on the road tonight, while the Lions will host the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday. We’ve got a lot to talk about this morning, so let’s get into the links.

Barbra Banda up for Weekly Honors

Barbra Banda’s game-winning strike over the North Carolina Courage has been nominated for the NWSL Goal of the Week. Banda cut across her marker in the 87th minute with the match tied 0-0 and curled a great strike inside the far post to give the Pride a lead that wouldn’t be relinquished. The victory got Orlando back on track after dropping two games in a row, and the goal was Banda’s league-leading eighth strike of the year. Make sure you go vote for her to win!

Surgery for Johnny Cardoso

Atletico Madrid announced on Monday that midfielder Johnny Cardoso will have surgery to repair an injury to his right ankle. Cardoso was hurt during a training session, with Atletico classifying the injury as a “high-grade sprain involving joint damage.” The club’s statement did not specify a timeline for his return to the field and U.S. Soccer has not made any statement besides wishing Cardoso a speedy recovery. That said, with this summer’s World Cup less than a month away, its tough to imagine that he’ll be healed up and ready to be part of the United States Men’s National Team roster. If that’s the case, it’ll be a bitter blow for both the USMNT and a midfielder that looked like a sure bet to be on the squad.

Americans in Midweek Action

There are a number of Americans who will be taking part in games during the working week, so let’s make sure we’ve got everything on the schedule. Things got started on Monday when Brenden Aaronson played 63 minutes in Leeds United’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham. Action continues today when Aidan Morris and Middlesborough face Southampton in the second leg of an EFL Championship playoff promotion semifinal. Wednesday sees Auston Trusty and Celtic take on Motherwell in a game with massive ramifications on the title race in the Scottish Premier League. Wednesday also has Alex Freeman and Villarreal hosting Sevilla in La Liga play, while Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will try to play spoiler against Manchester City.

MLS Matchday 12 Lessons

Matchday 12 is officially in the books for Major League Soccer, so what did we learn from the weekend’s action? For one thing, Jack McGlynn was imperious in his second game back from injury, as his brace helped the Houston Dynamo knock off LAFC on the road while USMNT assistant Jesus Perez was watching from the stands. The New England Revolution are now unbeaten in the club’s last seven league games, and Carles Gil was a big reason why, as he nabbed a goal and an assist in the Revs’ 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union. He’s got four goals and four assists so far, and the Revs are sitting pretty at second in the Eastern Conference.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

European seasons aren’t quite wrapped up yet, but that isn’t stopping transfer rumors from flying thick and fast. We start with the Premier League, where Manchester City is reportedly prepared to trigger the release clause of 16-year-old Hertha Berlin midfielder Kennet Eichhorn, before immediately sending the player on loan to continue his development. Elsewhere in England, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal are all said to be interested in signing Juventus fullback Andrea Cambiaso. Switching lanes to the managerial side of things, Chelsea has reportedly identified Xabi Alonso as the leading candidate to become the next manager of the team, with the Spaniard said to be open to taking the job. Finally, Jose Mourinho is said to be open to taking the Real Madrid job, although he reportedly has a couple conditions that he wants met first.

Free Kicks

  • Kickoff times have been set for Orlando City’s three group stages matches in this year’s Leagues Cup.
  • The Lions will be launching a new merch collection Friday at The Final Whistle.

That’s all I’ve got for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. CF Montreal: Player Grades and Man of the Match

Here’s how your favorite Lions performed in Orlando City’s 2-0 loss to CF Montreal.

Published

1 day ago

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May 11, 2026

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Image of Griffin Dorsey trying to send the ball upfield against a Montreal defender.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

If you play Football Manager enough, you play plenty of games where the after-match comment is “a bore draw.” That appeared to be where Orlando City’s road game at CF Montreal was headed until a mistake by Robin Jansson in added time led to a penalty which opened the scoring for the hosts. They tacked on another late in stoppage time and the Lions will return home for a three-game set (one of them in the U.S. Open Cup) sore from Saturday’s 2-0 loss to CF Montreal.

Let’s take a look at how Orlando City’s players rated individually in their matchup with the Quebecois.

Starters

GK, Maxime Crépeau, 5.5 — With 25 shots by Montreal, one would’ve figured Crepeau was busy. Not really — he finished with three saves. A goalkeeper is almost never responsible for being scored on from the penalty spot, but Dagur Dan Thorallsson’s goal at the death is one Crepeau will want back, although in fairness it was perfectly placed. The Canadian goalkeeper finished with a 72.7% passing rate and was helped out after being rounded by Prince Owusu in a 1-v-1 opportunity that his teammates should never have allwoed for what would have been a goal if not for Iago’s sliding block to clear it off the line.

D, Adrián Marin, 5.5 — Marin got caught ball-watching in the 34th minute to allow a Wiki Carmona rocket that just went wide. Otherwise, he just didn’t impact the game one way or the other. Marin completed 87.8% of his passes and added one tackle, one block, and three clearances.

D, Robin Jansson, 5 — Jansson played his normal emergency role all game. Unfortunately, he got put off-balance in the first minute of added time in the second half and fell into the legs of Luca Petrasso, giving a penalty. It was a rough ending for the captain, but Orlando left the door open for Montreal and the hosts took it. The Swede also couldn’t close down Thorhallsson to prevent the second late Montreal goal. Jansson completed 78.7% of his passes, with one tackle, 10(!) clearances, and one block.

D, Iago, 6 — We saw both sides of Iago. He had a really nice pass in the 17th minute to free up Eduard Atuesta on goal but the Colombian missed the target to waste Orlando’s best chance of the game. The Brazilian’s biggest highlight moment was in the 76th minute, when Owusu dribbled past Crepeau for an open look at goal but Iago was there to clear it off the line. On the flip side, he also had a dangerous header defending a corner that almost created an own goal, instead hitting the left post. He got pulled wide in the first minute of the second half, allowing a dangerous shot by Owusu. On the offensive end, he got on the end of a corner but headed it right at Thomas Gillier. He was all over the place, which you can expect from a young player. He would’ve gotten a higher grade had the game finished scoreless because of his goal-line clearance and a couple of sparkling long balls that should have led to more. Alas. He finished with zero interceptions or tackles, three blocks, six clearances, and a 92.3% passing rate. He also picked up a yellow card in the sixth minute of added time in the second half preventing a counter on one of his attacking teammates’ many turnovers.

D, Griffin Dorsey, 5.5— While Orlando City was heavily weighted to the left side all game, when the Lions went down the right, it was through Dorsey. He led the break down that side multiple times but had trouble connecting. Dorsey finished with one tackle, three clearances, and one cross while passing at a 79% rate.

MF, Iván Angulo, 4.5 — When Angulo whiffed on a ball in the second minute which caused a Montreal counter, it was an indicator of the night to come. He was sloppy all game long and, by The Mane Land’s unofficial tally, turned the ball over eight times, with the majority of those coming in his own defensive half. It was an ugly night that looked a touch better when Tyrese Spicer departed, changing Angulo’s duties, but it didn’t wipe out a forgettable match. He finished with 90.2% passing, despite being loose with the ball. He was two out of six for successful dribbles and two out of seven in winning ground duels.

MF, Eduard Atuesta, 5.5 — A major part of the toothlessness of the Lions in the match was the midfield play. While Atuesta had a 95% passing rate, the only real impact he had was in the 17th minute, when Iago broke him free with a great pass. Atuesta made a well-timed run, but he ended up doing nothing with it when he sent his shot wide of goal. He had a turnover in the fourth minute to leave Montreal with a 3-on-2 break, leaving me to wonder if it was going to be one of those nights for him. Luckily no, but there was no real contribution either. He picked up a yellow card in the 62nd, was dispossessed once, and committed four fouls.

MF, Braian Ojeda, 5.5— Atuesta’s midfield partner also had trouble linking the play but contributed a touch more defensively. His sloppy handling in the 41st minute allowed Montreal to keep possession and created a corner. In the end, he finished with one tackle, one block, one clearance, and a 90% passing rate.

MF, Tyrese Spicer, 6— Unfortunately, most of Spicer’s contributions came on the defensive end this game because he could never get himself in the flow offensively. While he was 10-for-11 passing, he attempted two shots, one right at the goalkeeper and the other that missed so badly it almost went behind the net without hitting anything. He had just two touches in the opposition box. His biggest highlight was a tackle in the 23rd minute to end a dangerous Montreal possession. He was replaced in the 67th minute by Duncan McGuire. Spicer finished with a 91% passing success rate, led the team in tackles with four, and added two interceptions.

F, Martín Ojeda, 5 — This grade may be a bit harsh. However, when you are a Designated Player, you have to contribute, and Martin Ojeda was invisible at best. With 44 total passes, he was the one having to compensate for the lack of midfield control and it showed by his lack of offensive contribution. He had zero touches in the opposition box, which is not going to be a recipe for Orlando City success. Martin took one shot that was on target and passed at a 91% rate.

F, Justin Ellis, 6.5 (MotM)— Someone has to win Man of the Match. Ellis almost wins it by default as his overall play was the only positive thing all game. While his stats were mediocre, and there was not one moment you can pick to point to, he was the most talented when on the ball, tracked back to collect the ball occasionally, did more to link play than the midfield did, and just didn’t have a negative impact. He was replaced in the 80th by David Brekalo and finished with a 94% passing rate, was four-for-four on successful dribbles, and went five-for-six on ground duels won.

Substitutes

F, Duncan McGuire (67′), 5— McGuire started out playing out of position on the wing and while asked to pick up the offense, McGuire was unable to show anything of promise. Dorsey found him in the 88th minute with a cross, but McGuire turned down a quick shot and held the ball too long while deciding, and he ended up taking a low angle shot that had been there from the beginning that ended up harmless. He passed at a 75% rate and had three touches in the opposition box, turning those into a measly 0.05 expected goals. One of his touches on a promising attack was heavy and wasted the opportunity to get a shot off late in the game.

D, David Brekalo (80′), N/A — Brekalo came on for Ellis with a few minutes remaining, maybe a tactical choice to see out the draw. He completed all seven of his passes and had one clearance. He was not able to do anything to prevent Montreal’s two late goals, but he wasn’t the only one.

MF, Tiago (90′+5), N/A — Tiago entered right after the penalty to try to claw back a goal. Unfortunately, he whiffed on a 50/50 ball just moments before Thorhallsson ended up scoring the game’s second goal. He wasn’t on long enough to issue a grade, however.

D, Zakaria Taifi (90′+5), N/A — The best thing you can say about Taifi’s time is that he didn’t turn the ball over conceding a goal in the five minutes he was on the field.

That’s how I saw the individual performances in Orlando City’s loss to CF Montreal. Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your Man of the Match.

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 5/11/26

Lions fall to CF Montreal, Pride defeat North Carolina Courage, OCB beats Atlanta United 2, and more.

Published

1 day ago

on

May 11, 2026

By

Image of Barbra Banda taking a shot against North Carolina.
Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Justin Glatt

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida, and belated happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there. I spent the weekend in Texas catching up with friends and family. Let’s wish a happy birthday to Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, who turns 32 today. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Fall to CF Montreal

Orlando City fell 2-0 to CF Montreal at Stade Saputo Saturday on a pair of late goals. After a scoreless first half, the Lions were minutes away from escaping with a point on the road but conceded twice in stoppage time, with former Lion Dagur Dan Thorhallsson adding the insurance goal for Montreal as Orlando City left Canada with zero points. The Lions could not capitalize on their few scoring chances throughout the match. Orlando City returns home for its next match on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Union at Inter&Co Stadium.

Banda’s Late Goal Lifts Pride Over Courage

The Orlando Pride defeated the North Carolina Courage 1-0 at Inter&Co Stadium Friday, as Barbra Banda scored the lone goal late in the second half to help the Pride secure a much-needed win, snapping their two-match losing streak. Banda scored her eighth goal of the season, and she has scored five goals in the last three matches. The Pride will be on the road this week, facing the Boston Legacy Tuesday at Gillette Stadium, followed by another match Saturday against the Denver Summit at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

OCB Beats Atlanta United 2 on the Road

Orlando City B defeated Atlanta United 2 with a goal in each half, winning 2-0 at Turner Soccer Complex in Athens, GA Sunday. Gustavo Caraballo scored the opening goal from the spot to give the Young Lions the early lead. In the second half, Issah Haruna added another goal for the Young Lions to put it away and take three points. OCB will be back on the road Sunday to face New England Revolution II at Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, RI.

Americans Abroad

Austin Trusty played a full 90 minutes as Celtic won its sixth consecutive match across all competitions 3-1 against Rangers. Gio Reyna scored his first goal of the season for Borussia Monchengladbach to snap his 16-month goal drought at the club level, but his side fell 3-1 to FC Augsburg. Weston McKennie played 86 minutes for Juventus in a 1-0 win against Lecce. In the Women’s FA Cup semifinals, Alyssa Thompson played 78 minutes for Chelsea, but her side fell 3-2 to Manchester City after extra time. Lindsey Heaps scored for OL Lyonnes while Lily Yohannes and Korbin Shrader were also in action in a 4-1 win against Paris Saint-Germain to lift the Coupe De France trophy. Later today, Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United will face Tottenham Hotspur.

Free Kicks

  • Check out this video on Orlando City’s social media pages featuring some players writing letters to their moms for Mother’s Day.
  • James Rodriguez will reportedly leave Minnesota United this week and will not return to the club after the World Cup concludes this summer.
  • Slavia Prague chairman Jaroslav Tvrdik stated that the club will impose a lifetime ban to fans who invaded the pitch as the club was minutes away from defeating rivals Sparta Prague Saturday to win the Czech First League title before the match was abandoned.
  • Leandro Trossard scored a late winner in the second half to help Arsenal beat West Ham United 1-0 to keep its five-point lead over Manchester City and pull a step closer to clinching the English Premier League title.

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

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