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Lion Links: 8/10/15

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Oh, soccer.

Saturday was supposed to be the first of a couple glorious weekends in which the English Premier League and Major League Soccer intersect in their majestic orbit across the FIFA universe. I’d get to watch both Orlando City and Tottenham Hotspur (my favorite EPL club) play on Saturday, enjoying the exploits of Kaká and Harry Kane from my couch. That was the plan, anyway.

What I got was a Spurs-Manchester United match in which Tottenham lost while surrendering only a single shot on goal and a 0-0 draw between Orlando City and the Philadelphia Union in which Tally Hall had to become Superman just to earn the Lions a point.

I’m sure things will get better (more so for Orlando City than Spurs) but at least we’ve got some Lion Links to get us through our Monday morning.

Recapping the Draw with Philadelphia

This was a game Orlando City really needed to win.

Facing the last-place Philadelphia Union at home, Orlando struggled to get anything going on offense and relied on a Man-of-the-Match performance from Tally Hall in order to secure a point in a 0-0 draw. The result leaves Orlando sitting outside playoff position due to a tie-breaker with the Montreal Impact, meaning the club will need to make up some ground against more difficult opposition down the road. Here’s The Mane Land‘s coverage of the draw for those of you missed this one:

USWNT Coming to the Citrus Bowl

Orlando has officially been added to the USWNT’s post-World Cup “Celebration Tour,” as Carli Lloyd and friends will take on Brazil in an October friendly at the Citrus Bowl

The Brazil football federation has already confirmed their involvement, though an announcement has yet to be made by U.S. Soccer. Scheduled for Oct. 25 at 3 p.m., the match would take place about two hours before Orlando City’s regular season finale later that night in Philadelphia.

Orlando City is holding a presser at the Citrus Bowl today at 11:30 a.m. to announce the match (unless it’s some other “major sporting event” announcement that would involve Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak, a member of the 1999 U.S. Women’s World Cup team and Head Coach of the UCF Women’s soccer team.

This will be the second match between the United States and Brazil at the Citrus Bowl, after the teams previously met in an international friendly in 2013. The USWMNT won that encounter 4-1.

This seems like a perfect match-up on paper, with the obvious Brazilian connections that exist within Orlando City. Not to mention the fact that Orlando City midfielder Servando Carrasco is married to USWNT star Alex Morgan.

Donovan Injury “Doesn’t Look Good” According to Adrian Heath

You can add Conor Donovan to the mounting list of Orlando City players dealing with injuries late in the club’s first MLS season, as the young defender went down with a knee injury in the club’s 0-0 draw with the Philadelphia Union.

Making his MLS debut, Donovan went down 10 minutes into the game, exiting with a knee injury that coach Adrian Heath didn’t sound too optimistic about.

Heath said Donovan injury “doesn’t look good.” That’s 3 knee injuries on Citrus Bowl turf. Grass field can’t come soon enough for #OCSC.

— Paul Tenorio (@PaulTenorio) August 9, 2015

Donovan joins Rafael Ramos, Brek Shea, Kevin Molino, Tony Cascio and Carlos Rivas among the injured for Orlando City. The Lions currently have more players out with injury than any other team in MLS.

Red Bulls and NYCFC Supporters Brawl Before Match

So about that Hudson River Derby…

Before the third installment of North American soccer’s newest rivalry, supporters of both clubs met at Bello’s Bar & Grill, a New Jersey restaurant that will be forever be known as the site where soccer officially made it in America. After a group of Red Bulls fans encountered some NYCFC supporters, it didn’t take long for things to get violent.

In New Jersey and immediately encounter crowd trouble ahead of the New York derby (Red Bulls-City). Video: pic.twitter.com/slY3hYn5aM

— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) August 9, 2015

On one hand, no one affiliated with MLS should condone this sort of violence and childish behavior all because of a sporting event. But the amount of passion here is pretty remarkable considering one of these teams didn’t even exist a few months ago.

Lower-League English Side Allows Opponent to Score After Own-Goal
Okay, so this one’s a little bit complicated.

Start by watching the video of what happened in a match between League One sides Doncaster Rovers and Bury this weekend.

This is incredible (part 1/2) #Doncaster #Bury pic.twitter.com/TP35N9lu7v

— Red Is In The Blood (@IDontLikeSpurs) August 8, 2015

This is incredible (part 2/2) #Doncaster #Bury pic.twitter.com/hbi5xGYG06

— Red Is In The Blood (@IDontLikeSpurs) August 8, 2015

Here’s a recap of what happened from Screamer.

Bury’s Nathan Cameron went down with an injury, and a teammate kicked the ball out so that Cameron could receive treatment. Upon resumption of the game, Doncaster’s Harry Forrester attempted to pass the ball back to the Bury keeper…and accidentally scored. After some chaos involving the two teams, both managers, and the referees, Bury’s Leon Clarke was allowed to walk the ball into the goal.

In short, this is incredible. I’ve always found the sportsmanship that takes place after a player goes down kind of touching, but this is a great example of what can happen when it all goes horribly wrong. Kudos to the Doncaster keeper for that little fake tackle before he allows the Bury player to score. And the absolute, best part of this whole thing…is that the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

In case you’re wondering, here’s how the Doncaster manager described it in his post game presser. The only thing that could’ve made this better is if it happened to the LA Galaxy and Bruce Arena had to give the same explanation.

That’s it for Lion Links today. Hey, the NFL’s back too!

Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/28/24

Getting to know Rafael Santos, Orlando Pride prepare for Chicago, Midge Purce out for the season, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope the work week has been treating you well as we gear up for another weekend of soccer. March flew by for me and April is shaping up to be a pretty busy month as well. In other news, I’m looking into adopting a cat and gathering the supplies to make that happen. Let’s dive into today’s links!

Getting to Know Rafael Santos

Orlando City left back Rafael Santos was the latest Lion to field questions as part of the club’s video series for fans to learn more about its players. The 26-year-old spoke about the decision process behind joining Orlando and playing outside of Brazil for the first time in his career after five years with Cruzeiro. He’s brought his attack-minded style of play to the team, particularly in terms of providing lethal crossing from the wing. Make sure to check out the full video as Santos also shared photos of his newborn and showcased his skill with a cavaquinho.

Orlando Pride Prepare to Host Chicago

After a pair of draws to start their season, the Orlando Pride will have a chance to claim their first win of the season when they host the Chicago Red Stars tomorrow night at 6 p.m. Head Coach Seb Hines spoke about how the Pride have shown plenty of resilience so far this young season. The team managed to secure a point in last week’s 1-1 draw with Angel City FC despite a patchwork back line due to injuries. That defense will likely have its hands full against Mallory Swanson and a Chicago team that won both of its first two games. Hines spoke about how the Pride are preparing for Chicago and how they will need the home crowd to bring the support tomorrow night.

Sophia Smith Signs Record-Breaking New Deal

American forward Sophia Smith signed a new contract with the Portland Thorns that will make her the highest-paid NWSL player, according to the club. The new deal will last through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026 as well. The 23-year-old was drafted by the Thorns with the first overall pick in the 2020 NWSL Draft and has gone on to score 34 regular-season goals. Smith re-signed with the club in 2022 and was set to become a free agent following this season, but will instead stay in Portland.

Midge Purce Out for NWSL Season

NJ/NY Gotham FC forward Midge Purce will miss the remainder of the NWSL season after tearing her ACL. The 28-year-old will undergo surgery and suffered the injury in her team’s 1-0 victory over the Portland Thorns this past weekend. She’s been with Gotham since 2020 and assisted on both goals in her team’s 2-1 win in the 2023 NWSL Championship. It’s a tough blow for the United States Women’s National Team too, as she will not be representing the U.S. during this summer’s Olympics in France.

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  • Orlando City B’s match against Carolina Core FC on April 14 has been rescheduled.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 3/27/24

Bally Sports will broadcast Orlando Pride matches, Pride players called up, USWNT announces SheBelieves Cup roster, and more.

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. I attended my friend’s wedding this past weekend and have been getting myself back into work mode by covering high school tennis this week. There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Bally Sports Will Broadcast Select Orlando Pride Matches

Bally Sports was announced as the new local television partner for the Orlando Pride. There will be 13 select Pride matches broadcast this season across Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports Sun, and on the Bally Sports app. The partnership will begin this Friday, with the Orlando Soccer Insider show taking place before the kickoff of the Pride’s home match against the Chicago Red Stars at 7 p.m. The show will be broadcast on Bally Sports Florida, and then you can switch to the Bally Sports app to watch Friday’s match. Below are all the select matches that will be broadcast on Bally Sports this season.

Brazilian Orlando Pride Players Called Up

The Orlando Pride’s Marta, Angelina, and Luana were all called up by Brazil for next month’s SheBelieves Cup. Brazil heads into this tournament after a solid showing in the Concacaf W Gold Cup. The format is different for this year’s SheBelieves Cup, as there will only be four matches instead of six. Brazil’s first match of the tournament will be a semifinal on April 6 against Canada in Atlanta.

USWNT Announces Roster for SheBelieves Cup

United States Women’s National Team interim head coach Twila Kilgore announced the 23-player roster for the 2024 SheBelieves Cup matches next month. The USWNT has won this competition four consecutive times since 2020, and is going for a seventh title in 2024. Of those called up, 19 players on this squad were part of the team that won the Concacaf W Gold Cup earlier this month. San Diego Wave forward Jaedyn Shaw, the Concacaf W Gold Cup’s MVP, is back on the roster after she led the USWNT with four goals. The squad also includes familiar names like former Pride forward Alex Morgan, Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman, and Olympique Lyon midfielder Lindsey Horan. Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario return to the squad after being sidelined with injuries. The USWNT will begin its quest to defend its SheBelieves Cup title when it faces Japan on April 6 in Atlanta.

MLS Referees Agree to New CBA

After a lockout that resulted in Major League Soccer starting the season with replacement referees, the Professional Soccer Referees Association voted to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement with the Professional Referee Organization. The new CBA is a seven-year deal that runs through January of 2031. This deal will also include significant pay raises for referees, assistant referees, and video assistant referees. The PRO referees will return to the pitch for this weekend’s MLS matches.

Ukraine, Georgia, and Poland Qualify for Euro 2024

Ukraine has qualified for this summer’s Euros after edging out Iceland 2-1 in its playoff final, with Mykhaylo Mudryk scoring the winning goal in the second half. Georgia eliminated Greece 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw to book a spot in the tournament as well. Georgia qualifies for its first major tournament after coming up short in 2020. Poland also needed penalties to qualify, with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny making the final save against Daniel James to beat Wales 5-4 on penalties after a scoreless draw.

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

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Lion Links: 3/26/24

Jack Lynn named to MLS Team of the Matchday bench, Nico Lodeiro and Marta up for weekly awards, USMNT stock watch, and more.

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Dan MacDonald, The Mane Land

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It was an enjoyable weekend for fans of Orlando soccer as the Lions got in the win column, the Pride stayed unbeaten, and Orlando City B picked up two points by way of a shootout win. As usual, we have plenty to discuss this morning, so let’s dive in.

Jack Lynn Makes Team of the Matchday Bench

Jack Lynn’s efforts in Orlando City’s 2-0 win over Austin FC have earned him a spot on the bench in the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Matchday. Lynn opened the scoring with a well-finished header in the first half, a tally which was also his very first for the senior side. Aside from his goal, he took another shot that was off target, completed 77% of his passes, and recorded 21 touches. The performance earned him a 6 out of 10 grade from Sean Rollins in his player grades from the match. Lynn’s inclusion in the TotM is well deserved, and hopefully it’s the first of many!

Orlando Players Up for Weekly Honors

Nico Lodeiro’s free kick during Orlando City’s win has been nominated for the MLS Goal of the Matchday. In the 64th minute, with the Lions holding a 1-0 lead, courtesy of Lynn’s goal, the good guys were awarded a free kick due to a handball on the edge of the box. Lodeiro proceeded to deliver the goods, scoring his first league goal for OCSC with a powerful, bending effort that Brad Stuver was unable to keep out of the top corner. Make sure you go and vote for Nico to win this week’s award!

He wasn’t the only Orlando player who had an impressive goal either, as the Orlando Pride’s Marta has been nominated for the National Women’s Soccer League Goal of the Week. It was a well-deserved nomination too, as she leveled the score and rescued a point for the Pride in spectacular fashion. With time ticking down in the 88th minute, she expertly volleyed in a corner kick at home. Go and vote for her to win the honor!

Post-Nations League Stock Watch

Several United States Men’s National Team players either boosted or hurt their stock over the course of last week’s Concacaf Nations League matches. Guys like Giovanni Reyna and Tyler Adams turned in impactful and timely performances. Reyna was named the best player of the tournament at a time when minutes at the club level are tough to come by, while Adams looked great as he continues to work his way back from a long injury layoff. Joe Scally and Folarin Balogun struggled though, with Scally being hooked at halftime against Jamaica and Balogun having a relatively quiet two games while fellow striker Haji Wright was the hero against Jamaica. Nobody’s stock dropped more than Mexico’s though, which has now gone seven games without beating the U.S., and hasn’t scored in almost 500 minutes. *Insert eagle screech here*

Big Names Missing for Euro 2024

The club season won’t be over for a couple more months, but there are a number of big stars who we either already know won’t be appearing at this summer’s Euro 2024, or who have a race against the clock in order to feature. The Real Madrid duo of David Alaba and Thibaut Courtois will both miss the tournament through injury, although Courtois’ rocky relationship with Belgium manager Domenico Tedesco means he may not have been called up anyway. Sven Botman will be unavailable for the Netherlands due to an ACL tear. Ivan Perisic suffered the same fate, sidelining him for Croatia. Then there are the cases of Sandro Tonali and Paul Pogba, who are unavailable for Italy and France, respectively, due to suspensions for off-field issues.

Free Kicks

  • Happy National Athletic Training Month from one AT (me) to another!
  • The young Yanks engineered a late comeback to earn a 2-2 draw with France, with Cade Cowell scoring the equalizer.
  • A vote has reportedly taken place on a new tentative agreeement between PRO and the PSRA.
  • LAFC has reportedly sent a formal contract offer for Olivier Giroud to join the Western Conference side once the Serie A season concludes.

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

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