Happy Tuesday, everyone. Orlando City will have two chances to get back in the win column this week, with games on Wednesday and Saturday. The Orlando Pride have a huge game on Saturday against the Kansas City Current, and Orlando City B take on Carolina Core FC on the same day. There’s a ton that we need to discuss this morning, so let’s get after it.

Duncan McGuire Contract Update

Tom Bogert reported on Monday morning that Duncan McGuire has rejected Orlando City’s most recent contract proposal. Despite his failed move to Blackburn Rovers in the January window due to an administrative error, he still has his eyes on a move to Europe. McGuire is Orlando City’s top scorer this season, with seven goals in 17 games, and his resume may also be boosted by a likely stint with the Olympic team. OCSC maintains that McGuire is not on the market, and his contract with the team runs through the end of the 2026 season. If Duncan keeps scoring in the league and shows well at the Olympics, the club’s tune may change for the right amount of money. This is going to be one to watch.

United States Flame out of Copa America

The United States Men’s National Team suffered a 1-0 defeat to Uruguay in Kansas City, which saw the Yanks exit Copa America in the group stage after Panama’s 3-1 win over Bolivia. Despite the game being one of the most poorly officiated affairs I’ve seen in quite some time, the USMNT only generated eight shots to Uruguay’s 12, and put three of them on target. Finishing a high-stakes game with a paltry .56 xG is nowhere near good enough, and abhorrent refereeing doesn’t change the fact that the Americans simply got outplayed on home turf. A reckoning can, and probably should, follow a disastrous Copa America campaign, and serious questions need to be asked about Gregg Berhalter’s job status. The fallout from this is going to be extremely interesting.

St. Louis City Fires Manager

St. Louis City announced on Monday that the team has fired manager Bradley Carnell. Carnell was in the big chair for the team’s maiden MLS season, which saw St. Louis finish top of the Western Conference as an expansion side. It’s had a much more difficult time of it this year though, and has a record of 3-7-10 and 19 points after 20 games. Despite that, the team is still within touching distance of the playoff line, and likely figures that the right person can turn things around and help lead a push for the postseason. Technical Director John Hackworth has been named interim manager while the club looks for a new coach.

Euro 2024 Round of 16 Roundup

Knockout play rolled onwards at Euro 2024, so let’s get caught up on the action. In the early game, France took 19 shots to Belgium’s five, but ultimately had to rely on a late own goal by Jan Vertonghen to secure a 1-0 win and passage through to the quarterfinals. A French player still has not scored a goal from open play at the tournament, but the 2022 World Cup runner-up finds itself two games from the final all the same.

The late match had plenty of twists and turns, as Cristiano Ronaldo missed an extra time penalty that would have given Portugal the lead. Diogo Costa then stonewalled Slovenia’s Benjamin Sesko with just minutes to play before a penalty shootout, and proceeded to save all three Slovenian attempts during the shootout. Portugal’s players made no such mistakes, and they advanced to the quarterfinals to face France.

Free Kicks

• The Orlando Pride’s Anna Moorhouse was called up for England’s upcoming training camp.

• Pedro Gallese, Wilder Cartagena, and Ramiro Enrique are all back with Orlando City ahead of the team’s match against Toronto FC on Wednesday.

• The MLS All-Star team roster has been announced.
• Orlando City dropped one spot to 19th in ESPN‘s MLS power rankings.
• The Orlando Pride held at second in ESPN’s NWSL power rankings, with the Kansas City Current keeping the top spot ahead of a hotly anticipated clash between the two teams on Saturday.

That’s all I have for you today. Vamos Orlando!

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I had a busy weekend covering a Little League baseball game and working at Under Armour. It was a mixed weekend for Orlando’s teams, as the Lions lost and the Pride won. Let’s also wish a happy birthday to Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links. 

Lions Fall on the Road to New York City FC

Orlando City lost 4-2 to New York City FC at Yankee Stadium on Friday. NYCFC scored three goals in the first half to take a large lead into halftime. Dagur Dan Thorhallsson and Duncan McGuire scored for the Lions late in the second half to pull Orlando within one before NYCFC countered with a late goal to seal the win. Orlando drops to 11th in the Eastern Conference with 21 points. NYCFC snapped its three-match winless streak and is in fifth in the Eastern Conference with 32 points. The Lions’ next match will be on the road on Wednesday to face Toronto FC.

Mason Stajduhar Out For the Season

Orlando City announced that goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar has undergone successful surgery to repair a broken tibia and broken fibula in his right leg. The club confirmed that Stajduhar will be placed on the season-ending injury list as a result. Stajduhar left the pitch early in Orlando’s match against NYCFC due to the injury, with Javier Otero filling in off the bench in his MLS debut.

Orlando Pride Win on the Road against Angel City FC

The Orlando Pride defeated Angel City FC 3-0 on the road at BMO Stadium. Adriana scored twice in the first half, while Barbra Banda added one late in stoppage time for the Pride’s second consecutive win. Orlando extended its 2024 unbeaten streak to 15 matches. After this weekend’s results, Orlando and the Kansas City Current are tied with 35 points. They are tied on goal differential as well, and the two sides will face off when the Pride play the Current on the road Saturday.

USMNT Takes on Uruguay in Copa America

The United States Men’s National Team will take on Group C leader Uruguay tonight in its final match of group play in Copa America. The USMNT lost to Panama on Thursday, meaning there is plenty riding on today’s match. CONMEBOL announced over the weekend that USMNT forward Tim Weah is suspended for two matches and fined for a jab to the back of the head of Panama defender Roderick Miller. Uruguay manager Marcello Bielsa is suspended for tonight’s match due to Uruguay being late to enter the field for the start of the second half in its previous match against Bolivia. As for what to watch for tonight, the U.S. must focus on making smart decisions, going for goals, and stopping Uruguay’s top strikers, Darwin Nunez and Luis Suarez.

Euro 2024 Round of 16 Roundup

The round of 16 kicked off over the weekend in the European Championship. There was an upset as defending champion Italy lost 2-0 to Switzerland with goals from Remo Freuler and Ruben Vargas. Despite elimination, the Italian FA confirmed manager Luciano Spalletti will keep his job. Germany needed second-half goals from Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala to beat Denmark 2-0 and move on to the quarterfinals. England was trailing 1-0 to Slovakia before Jude Bellingham scored the equalizer to send the match into extra time. Harry Kane then scored the winner to defeat Slovakia 2-1, and England will play Switzerland in the quarterfinals. Spain cruised past Georgia 4-1 to advance as well and will play Germany in the next round. Today’s matches feature France taking on Belgium and Portugal facing Slovenia.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese’s Peru side was eliminated from Copa America after a 2-0 loss to Argentina in its Group A finale on Saturday. Peru finished at the bottom of its group with one point.
• The Utah Royals parted ways with head coach Amy Rodriguez and goalkeeper coach Maryse Bard-Martel, while club president Michelle Hyncik will move on to a new opportunity. Jimmy Coenraets will be the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
• Due to a loophole in the CBA, the U.S. men’s Olympic soccer team will not be paid for participating in the Olympics in Paris, as the U.S. Soccer Federation considers it an amateur team.
• Chelsea is reportedly in negotiations to sign Atlanta United defender Caleb Wiley.
• The Philadelphia Union have reached an agreement to transfer forward Julian Carranza to Feyenoord.

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

Happy Friday! I hope the work week went easy on you as we gear up for a weekend filled with soccer to enjoy. There’s action both here in the U.S. and abroad, and it starts tonight with Orlando City’s match in New York. Let’s go ahead and dive into today’s links!

Orlando City Plays New York City FC Tonight

The Lions are on the road tonight for a match against New York City FC. While not exactly rivals, both teams joined the league together in 2015 and there’s no MLS team Orlando has played more than NYCFC, with tonight’s match serving as the 25th meeting between the two. The Lions have never won at Yankee Stadium, but they are coming off of a solid 4-2 win against the Chicago Fire and Facundo Torres seems to be hitting his stride. Luis Muriel also has a goal contribution in his past three games and Mason Stajduhar made some big saves against Chicago while Pedro Gallese is with Peru. As for milestones to watch for, midfielder Cesar Araujo will make his 100th appearance across all competitions for Orlando if he plays tonight.

Orlando Pride Prepare for Angel City

The Orlando Pride are also on the road this weekend. They’ll put their 14-game unbeaten streak on the line when they take on Angel City FC Sunday at BMO Stadium. It’s the second game between the two teams this season, with Marta’s late equalizer salvaging a 1-1 draw for the Pride back in March. Angel City has only won one of its past five games, but Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke about how the Californian club has performed better than its record suggests. Consistency has been key for the Pride’s success this season, along with staying focused to stay near the top of the NWSL standings.

USMNT Falls to Panama

Well, the path for the United States Men’s National Team to advance out of the Copa America group stage got much more difficult after a 2-1 loss to Panama. A red card to Timothy Weah in the 18th minute doomed the Yanks early on, despite a great goal by Folarin Balogun a few minutes later. There was some questionable officiating, and Matt Turner had to exit due to injury, but the USMNT just did not do well enough to overcome the adversity and get a result. The Yanks now have a difficult match against Uruguay left to close out their group play on Monday.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The New York Red Bulls made a move and transferred midfielder Frankie Amaya to Toluca FC in Liga MX. The 23-year-old has been with the Red Bulls for the past four seasons and was solid lost year, recording five goals and five assists. Amaya was selected with the No. 1 overall pick by FC Cincinnati back in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft and was traded to the Red Bulls in 2021 for a hefty sum of General Allocation Money.

In other MLS news, the Colorado Rapids have made forward Rafael Navarro’s move from Palmeiras a permanent one, inking him to a deal through 2027 with an option for 2028. The Designated Player joined Colorado on loan in July of last year and has scored 11 goals this season. FC Dallas transferred 21-year-old forward Jose Mulato to Spartak Subotica in Serbia, freeing up an MLS U22 Initiative slot in the process. Reinforcements are coming for Charlotte FC, as Head Coach Dean Smith confirmed that Designated Player Karol Swiderski is returning to the club after his loan with Hella Verona and can play once the transfer window opens on July 18.

Free Kicks

• New England Revolution Designated Player Tomas Chancalay is out for the rest of the season due to a partial ACL tear. The forward scored six goals for the Revs last year after joining on loan in the summer, but he has just two goals during this difficult season for New England.
• Here’s a nice primer for tomorrow’s Copa America match between Canada and Chile that will take place at Orlando City’s stadium. Inter&Co Stadium will also host the group stage game between Bolivia and Panama on Monday.
• Japan, Australia, and Saudi Arabia were all drawn together in one of the three groups of six nations for AFC World Cup qualifying. The top two teams of each group will qualify for the World Cup, while the third- and fourth-place finishers will still have a chance to qualify in later rounds.
• CBS Sports ranked the remaining teams in Euro 2024. There are a few interesting placements, such as Austria in third, Turkey in fifth, and Denmark in last.

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