Lion Links
Lion Links: 8/9/23
Alejandro Granados joins Club Brugge, Orlando Pride take on Gotham FC in final Challenge Cup match, Orlando City B faces Revolution II tonight, and more.
Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I’m doing well and getting ready for a busy weekend working both the Bruce Springsteen and Pink concerts at Wrigley Field. Let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City defender Alex Freeman. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.
Alejandro Granados Transferred to Club Brugge
Orlando City B midfielder Alejandro Granados was transferred to Club Brugge in Belgium for an undisclosed fee, although earlier reports regarding this move had it around $2 million. Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi gave insight on Granados’s move to Europe.
“We are very grateful for all that Alejandro has given throughout his young career to our club,” Orlando City EVP of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said. “Although we are sad to see him go, this move showcases the great work we’re doing within our Academy and OCB to develop players and ready them for exciting opportunities such as this. We wish Alejandro nothing but the best in this future.”
The 17-year-old made 26 appearances for OCB and one appearance for the senior team. During his time with Orlando City’s academy, Granados helped win a 2021 MLS NEXT Cup title and also earned a spot on the MLS NEXT All-Star Game in 2022.
Orlando Pride Take on Gotham FC in Final Challenge Cup Match
The Orlando Pride will close out their 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup campaign tonight on the road against NJ/NY Gotham FC. The match will kick off at 7:30 p.m. at Red Bull Arena and you can watch it on Paramount+. This will be the fourth time these two sides meet across all competitions this season. The Pride lost their last Challenge Cup match this past Friday 1-0 to the Washington Spirit, despite generating 25 shot attempts. The Pride are already eliminated from advancing to the knockout round and will push to get their first win in this year’s competition. Gotham FC sits in second in the East Division and would need a win to advance to the knockout round. After tonight, the Pride’s next match will be in league play at Exploria Stadium when they face the Chicago Red Stars on Aug. 20.
Orlando City B Faces New England Revolution II Tonight
Orlando City B will also be in action tonight, as it takes on New England Revolution II at Osceola Heritage Park. The match starts at 6 p.m. and you can watch it on MLSNextPro.com. OCB looks to get back to its winning ways after losing a penalty shootout to Inter Miami II following a 1-1 draw in its last match this past Saturday. New England also lost a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw this past weekend, with New York Red Bulls II getting the extra point. A player to watch in tonight’s match is forward Jack Lynn, who is tied in the MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot race alongside Atlanta United 2’s Nick Firmino with 12 goals. OCB defender Imanol Almaguer also notched his second assist in the past three matches against Inter Miami II this past weekend. The Young Lions sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 34 points and have a quick turnaround after tonight’s match, as they go on the road to play New York City FC II this Sunday.
Leagues Cup Quarterfinals Are Set
The round of 16 of this year’s Leagues Cup concluded on Tuesday, with five teams claiming their spot in the quarterfinals. Following a thrilling 2-2 draw with Club America, Nashville beat the Liga MX side 6-5 in the penalty shootout. Minnesota United also beat its Mexican opponent in a shootout, eliminating Toluca to advance. LAFC dominated Real Salt Lake, scoring all four of its goals in the second half to win 4-0. Monterrey converted a late penalty for the game’s only goal in a 1-0 win over Tigres. The Philadelphia Union also ousted the New York Red Bulls in a shootout.
The quarterfinals start on Friday, with the Union hosting Queretaro, Inter Miam playing Charlotte FC, LAFC taking on Monterrey, and Nashville facing Minnesota.
Colombia, France Advance to World Cup Quarterfinals
Two more teams punched their ticket to the quarterfinals of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup as the round of 16 concluded. A second-half goal from Catalina Usme was enough to help Colombia edge out Jamaica 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time. Meanwhile, France cruised to a 4-0 win against Morocco to make it to the quarterfinals for the third consecutive time. Eugenie Le Sommer found the back of the net twice, while Kenza Dali added one and Kadidiatou Diani scored her fourth goal of the tournament. France will take on host Australia, while Colombia faces England in two early morning Saturday matchups this weekend.
Free Kicks
- Check out this video from the Orlando Pride introducing Rafaelle.
- The Orlando City academy players called up for this year’s Concacaf Under-15 Championship are receiving valuable playing time in the Dominican Republic. The knockout stage will kick off tomorrow.
- New York City FC brought back Maxi Moralez after he was with Racing Club for the previous eight months. Moralez has signed a contract through the 2024 season.
- Konrad de la Fuente has reached an agreement to return to Spain and join Eibar on loan from Marseille for the upcoming La Liga season.
- Arsenal has reportedly reached an agreement on a transfer fee for Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, with personal terms close to being finalized.
- Julen Lopetegui has left his role as Wolverhampton’s manager just days before its English Premier League season begins against Manchester United on Monday. Former Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil is reportedly set to replace Lopetegui.
- After a scoreless 90 minutes of play, Wrexham defeated Wigan Athletic 4-2 on penalty kicks to advance to the second round in the Carabao Cup.
- The Canadian Men’s National Soccer Team will travel to Niigata to take on Japan in a friendly on Oct. 13.
- USL Championship side Sacramento Republic FC made history on Tuesday by signing 13-year-old Da’vian Kimbrough to a professional contract. Kimbrough is the youngest player to become a soccer professional in the United States.
That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Wednesday and I’ll see you next time.
Lion Links
Lion Links: 10/17/24
Facundo Torres’ journey to Orlando, Yutaro Tsukada earns recognition, USMNT will face Jamaica in the Nations League, and more.
How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope you all have been enjoying the cooler temperatures this week. It’s been nice to break out some long sleeves and it gives me a chance to acclimate before a trip to Maine next week. I may even drink some hot coffee today instead of the usual cold brew. Let’s get this Thursday started with today’s links!
Facundo Torres’ Path to Orlando
Orlando City forward Facundo Torres is enjoying his best season yet with the Lions, scoring 18 goals across all competitions to help the Lions climb up the Eastern Conference standings. It’s his third year in the City Beautiful, joining the club as a Designated Player from Penarol back in 2022. The 24-year-old discussed just how quickly things changed after just one year playing professionally with Penarol.
“At first, I was a little afraid and a little nervous because it was my first time going off on my own,” Torres told WESH 2 recently. “I could only enjoy a year of being a professional in Peñarol because everything happened so fast, debuting and then going to the national team and then the transfer to Orlando — it happened so fast. But I found good people in this club, and the Hispanic community here is big, so that helped me feel at home.”
Torres also talked about how soccer fits in Uruguay’s culture, as well as how his work ethic has helped him reach this point in his career. Orlando’s roster features players from many different cultures, with many hailing from countries in South America. The result is a unique club culture that’s helped the team build a strong identity and find success.
Orlando City Prepares for Decision Day
Orlando City will host Atlanta United on Saturday in what should be an exciting Decision Day showdown between the two rivals. Both teams have plenty to play for beyond the usual bragging rights, as the Lions aim to secure home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs while Atlanta fights for a spot in the postseason. Head Coach Oscar Pareja spoke on how the team is maintaining momentum after the international break to finish the season strong before the playoffs.
Yutaro Tsukada Honored For Rookie Season
Orlando City B’s Yutaro Tsukada was an honorable mention at forward in this year’s MLS NEXT Pro Best XI. Drafted with the 25th overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, Tsukada had seven goals and seven assists in 22 matches with OCB this season. His efforts earned him a contract with the first team in August and he’s made three appearances with the Lions. It’s nice to see the 23-year-old receive some recognition for a solid first year. I think an argument could definitely be made that Alex Freeman deserved a spot after recording eight goals and nine assists this season. The Young Lions are back in action this Sunday for a playoff match on the road against Chicago Fire FC II.
USMNT Will Face Jamaica in Nations League
The United States Men’s National Team will take on Jamaica in next month’s Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals. The first match of the two-leg series will take place in Kingston on Nov. 14 before the two teams face off again in St. Louis on Nov. 18. The U.S. has won all three of the past editions of the Nations League and beat Jamaica 3-1 in the semifinals earlier this year in a match that was closer than the score suggests. Jamaica tends to keep things tight when playing the U.S. and went undefeated in its group play to reach the quarterfinals. It will be interesting to see how Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino builds his lineup for his first Nations League matches.
FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Kicks Off
The U.S. had a rough start to its U-17 Women’s World Cup campaign with a 3-1 loss to Spain. An own goal gave Spain an early lead, but the U.S. battled back with a goal from Melanie Barcenas later in the first half. Spain took all three points though with Noa Ortega scoring and then providing the assist on Spain’s third goal. The result puts the U.S. last in its group for the time being, as Colombia and South Korea played to a 1-1 draw. The U.S. will play its next match Saturday against Colombia before taking on South Korea Tuesday to close out its group play.
Free Kicks
- Congratulations to former Orlando Pride goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, who was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.
- You can download a customized cover featuring the Lions for EA Sports FC 25. I haven’t played a soccer video game in a while, but this is pretty dang cool to see regardless.
- Boston’s NWSL team apologized for the “Too Many Balls” part of its marketing campaign. It’s honestly such a baffling thing to have existed in the first place. Hopefully those in charge make some changes about the name BOS Nation FC as well.
- American defender Emily Fox scored her first goal for Arsenal in a 4-1 win over Valerenga in the Champions League.
- It’s official: Thomas Tuchel is England’s new manager. He will get started in January, with Lee Carsley serving as the interim head coach for the team’s UEFA Nations League matches next month.
I hope you all have a great Thursday as we get ready for a weekend filled with Orlando soccer to enjoy. Make sure to stay hydrated out there!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 10/16/24
Barbra Banda up for BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year, U.S. falls to Mexico, Thomas Tuchel will reportedly coach England, and more.
Today marks the 10-year anniversary of the groundbreaking at Orlando City SC’s soccer-specific stadium. The stadium has been home to plenty of memories over the years, and I’m hoping I can make the trip to see the Orlando Pride make some history there this postseason as well. For now though, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!
Barbra Banda Up for BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year
Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda was one of five players nominated for BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year for her stellar performance at both the club and international levels. Since joining the Pride from Shanghai Shengli for $740,000, Banda has scored 13 goals to help the club reach the top of the table. She also scored four goals for Zambia at the Olympics this summer to become Africa’s all-time top scorer at the Olympics at just 24 years old. Banda also spoke to the BBC about challenging herself by joining the Pride, playing alongside Marta, and creating a foundation to help girls and boys in Zambia (see the embedded video in the story linked above).
Americans Sophia Smith and Naomi Girma were also nominated after helping the U.S. win gold in Paris. Barcelona duo Aitana Bonmati and Caroline Graham Hansen round out this year’s nominees for their roles in yet another successful season for the Spanish club.
USMNT Falls to Mexico
The United States Men’s National Team went to Mexico and lost 2-0 in a friendly against its rival. Although the USMNT was without some of its best players for this match, it’s still a disappointing result. The Yanks conceded in each half, with Fulham forward Raul Jimenez scoring the first goal and assisting on the second. The match at least gave Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino a look at some of the team’s depth to see what he’s working with moving forward. The USMNT will be back in action next month in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals.
Thomas Tuchel Reportedly Set to Take England Job
Thomas Tuchel has reportedly agreed to become England’s next manager on an 18-month contract. He would start in January to coach the team through World Cup qualifying next year and get England ready for the tournament. This would be Tuchel’s first time coaching at the international level, but he does have experience coaching in England after leading Chelsea to Champions League and Club World Cup trophies in 2021. He would replace Gareth Southgate, who stepped down after eight years at the helm of England following the team’s loss in the Euro final this summer.
Boston NWSL Team Confirms Awful Name
The branding for Boston’s NWSL team was unveiled and it will officially be named BOS Nation FC. The club’s crest will be revealed at a later date, but the club’s colors will include green, raspberry, and charcoal. The name, which is an anagram for “Bostonian” has been on the receiving end of criticism, and deservedly so in my opinion. It’s worse than uninspired, it’s just bad. I find it hard to believe that no better options were pitched. Only time will tell if the club reconsiders things before taking the field in 2026. We did see Racing Louisville FC make a change after originally opting for Proof Louisville FC. Fingers crossed!
Free Kicks
- Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse was called up for England’s pair of friendlies later this month.
- Pride midfielder Evelina Duljan was called up by the Swedish U-23 team as well.
- The U-17 Women’s World Cup kicks off today in the Dominican Republic, with the U.S. set to take on reigning champion Spain at 4 p.m. The U.S. will then play Colombia on Saturday before facing South Korea to close out group play on Tuesday.
- American striker Folarin Balogun will reportedly miss two months due to a shoulder injury suffered earlier this month while with Monaco.
- Merritt Mathias, who has played in nearly 200 NWSL games and played in the very first NWSL game back in 2013, has announced her retirement.
- The draw for the FA Cup’s first round is complete and Wrexham will take on Harrogate Town, a team it wasn’t able to beat across two matches in League Two last season.
- Jonas Eidevall has resigned as the head coach of Arsenal’s women’s team following a rough start to the Women’s Super League season and a 5-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
- There were a pair of own goals in a 1-1 draw between Japan and Australia in AFC World Cup qualifying. Elsewhere, South Korea took control of Group B by beating Iraq 3-2.
- Alex Ferguson is stepping down from his ambassador role with Manchester United as the club continues to cut costs.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 10/15/24
MLS Decision Day scenarios, Orlando Pride announce playoff campaign, USMNT plays Mexico tonight, and more.
How’s it going, Mane Landers? Things aren’t exactly back to normal for me here in Tampa after the hurricane, but they’re getting there. On this day in 2017, Kaká played his final official game for Orlando City. Plenty has changed since then and I’m glad he’s been able to see the Lions transform into a true contender in recent years. Let’s get to the links!
Getting Ready for MLS Decision Day
MLS Decision Day is Saturday and Orlando City’s home game against Atlanta United is a crucial part of the Eastern Conference drama. A win by the Lions would guarantee them fourth in the standings and crucial home-field advantage in the first round. A loss or draw would open the door for New York City FC to possibly leapfrog Orlando if the Pigeons beat a CF Montreal team desperate to hold onto the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta needs a win to qualify for the playoffs and the same goes for the Philadelphia Union, which faces FC Cincinnati. Orlando clinching home-field advantage and denying Atlanta a spot in the postseason in the process would be a nice way to close out the regular season.
Orlando Pride Launch Playoff Campaign
With the 2024 NWSL playoffs only a few weeks away, the Orlando Pride have announced their campaign to get the community ready for the postseason and celebrate a historic season. The motto “Do You See Us Now?” highlights how the Pride have been impossible to ignore this year by winning the NWSL Shield for the first time and setting records left and right. There will be plenty of local events leading up to the playoffs, including player appearances, watch parties, and ways to get merch to represent the Pride in November. There’s also a promotion in which you would get a ticket to the semifinal if you buy a quarterfinal ticket and the Pride advance.
USMNT Takes On Mexico Tonight
After a 2-0 win over Panama in Mauricio Pochettino’s coaching debut, the United States Men’s National Team is on the road tonight for a friendly against Mexico in Guadalajara. It will be Pochettino’s first taste of the rivalry and a fairly tough test for him, as the U.S. has only beaten Mexico once in Mexico. However, the Yanks also haven’t lost in their past four trips to Mexico to face El Tri. The U.S. will be without five players who returned to their clubs after the win over Panama, including Christian Pulisic and Ricardo Pepi.
Angel City FC Releases Statement on Sanctions
In response to the sanctions imposed by the NWSL that included a three-point deduction and a $200,000 fine after an investigation into a salary cap rule violation, Angel City FC has released a statement.
The club stated that it did not exceed the salary cap, noting that it was the club’s understanding that child care did not count against the salary cap. Angel City was found in violation of going over the salary cap by $50,000 for four weeks this season. That three-point deduction has Angel City in 11th and five points out of a playoff spot with just two games to go.
Free Kicks
- The Pride remained at the top of ESPN‘s NWSL power rankings, while the Portland Thorns jumped up five spots to sixth for handing them their first loss of the season.
- Orlando City B’s Wilfredo Rivera had quite the birthday, drawing the penalty kick that resulted in the winning goal in Puerto Rico’s 2-1 win over Sint Maarten in the Concacaf Nations League.
- Boston’s NWSL team set to join the league in 2026 will reportedly be named BOS Nation FC, which is almost impressively bad. We’ll see if the reports are true when the name and logo are officially revealed today.
- Nigeria boycotted its Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya after being stranded at an airport 130 miles from the team’s intended destination. Libyan authorities deny it was sabotage, but the CAF will investigate what happened.
- Australia’s match against Japan highlights an intriguing slate of matches in AFC World Cup qualifying that also includes South Korea facing off against Iraq.
- Amandine Henry, who captained France at the 2019 Women’s World Cup, has announced she is retiring from international soccer. The 35-year-old midfielder won seven Women’s Champions League titles while with Lyon and currently plays for Toluca in Mexico.
That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a great Tuesday and rest of your week!
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