Lion Links
Lion Links: 6/20/18
Greetings, all you wonderful people! We are officially through the first round of matches at the World Cup and I have to say I’m very excited at the overall play so far. No match has been a 0-0 draw to date. While I, for one, love those types of matches, that means for casual fans goals are coming in droves and that’s way more exciting for them.
Today we’ve got a U.S. Open Cup match for the Lions, more news rolling along in the coaching department for Orlando City, an interesting transfer rumor, your World Cup recap from yesterday, and more.
Leitão Officially Speaks Out on Hiring Plan
Orlando City CEO Alex Leitão has finally spoke out on the hiring process of the new manager. In an exclusive interview with ProSoccerUSA, the CEO noted that they are hopeful to announce the hire next week but it won’t be rash.
“As much as we understand that fans are very anxious, that we are very anxious and to give the fans as name as fast as possible, it’s very, very important to us to do it right,” Leitão said in a phone interview. “We’re not rushing. We’re not going to take too much time with process.”
That’s all fine, well, and good but this is the comment that should worry fans when discussing how he came to make this decision.
“I could just relax and give time and see what happens. This is not my nature. This is not how I want to do things. I’m not going to take the easy path. I’ll take the path that I believe is best for the club. This is exactly what I’m doing.”
Building a club takes time. I literally wrote the article on it, and knowing that building takes patience is one of the most vital attributes of club management. In fact, having patience Is the harder path I’d argue. It’s easy to be impulsive.
I hope they make the right decision, but they’ve often been crude and impulsive in these decisions, which isn’t usually the best course for the long-term health of the club. Again, I hope for the best, but these comments have me sweating.
Bobby Murphy Surprised at Kreis Firing
You should know now that Orlando City relieved Jason Kreis from coaching duties and has placed Bobby Murphy at the helm until a new head coach can be found. Especially since that means you didn't even read the first Lion Link (my reaction if you did this).
As for Murphy’s take on the situation, it wasn't something he saw coming.
“I got word after it happened,” Murphy said. “Jason and I spoke and that will stay between us. The club approached me and asked if I’d be willing to do it and that was it. Then it was just a matter of trying to organize everything for the weekend and getting ready for training.”
Typically your assistants won't know before the head coach, but getting the sense that Murphy didn't have an inclination on this is what is more troubling. Potentially pointing to a knee-jerk reaction by management.
As for his plan in the interim:
“We’ve got to regroup. We’ve got to come with a fresh new energy. We’ve got to start our season anew, almost in a way. We’re still above the playoff line. We’ve got to keep pushing ourselves along. We’ve got a good chance in the Open Cup to make a run.”
Yoshi Yotún Off to Turkey?
Orlando City and Perú midfielder (currently in the World Cup) Yoshí Yotún has supposedly been targeted by Turkish giant Besiktas. If that club sounds familiar, that’s because they were the ones heavily involved in the Cyle Larin saga and where he ultimately ended up.
Here’s hoping that City isn't listening too seriously, as we've seen what’s been missing without Yoshi in the side. His attacking-oriented play from a deep-lying position is something lacking in both Cristian Higuita and Uri Rosell, and if the new manager continues the 4-2-3-1, Yotún will be in demand every week.
Florida Cup Gets Huge Name for its Fifth Anniversary
We’ll all get to see one of the most storied clubs in the world when Ajax joins the the Florida Cup, playing in January 2019.
“It has been a long-cherished wish to bring international powerhouse Ajax to the Florida Cup,” Florida Cup CEO Ricardo Villar said. “That they are now joining for our five year jubilee makes us very proud. Every year, we try to strengthen the field and Ajax’s commitment to the Florida Cup 2019 is another step forward.”
Ajax is the second club to be announced with São Paulo already announcing their return to the event.
We officially confirm @SaoPauloFC in #FloridaCup 2019! We’re honored to have them back again next year. Florida Cup champions in 2017, São Paulo returns in 2019 for its second time participating in the event. #ReadyForUniversal #VamosTricolor pic.twitter.com/IP0pVWVF8t
— Florida Cup (@Florida_Cup) June 19, 2018
Here’s hoping that the Ajax inclusion only breeds optimistic news for some better competition coming to Orlando next year.
FIFA World Cup Day 6 Recap
- Japan beat 10-man Colombia 2-1
- Senegal bested Poland 2-1
- Hosts Russia dominated Egypt 3-1 for a near guarantee to make it into the next round
From Senegal to Mo Salah. IT WAS A DAY. Join @RachelBonnetta on FIFA World Cup Now as she recaps all the action! https://t.co/UFHxHCUMS1
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 19, 2018
Free Kicks
- MLS has released the All-Star match kit for this year’s festivities in Atlanta.
- NWSL weekly awards have former Pride goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe as Player of the week, Brittany Ratcliffe taking Goal of the Week, and Britt Eckerstrom winning Save of the Week.
- A great article from Beau Dure and FourFourTwo on the issues — and solutions — of the American youth system.
- The Orlando City Foundation is auctioning off Pride items for charity.
- While assumed since her departure from Lyon, USWNT midfielder Morgan Brian has re-signed with Chicago Red Stars.
- As for that sendoff in the Colombia match:
02:56 – Carlos Sanchez's red card after two minutes and 56 seconds is the second fastest shown in World Cup history, after Jose Alberto Batista for Uruguay vs Scotland in 1986 (54 seconds). Handed. #COL #COLJPN #WorldCup
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 19, 2018
I leave you on a serious note, unfortunately, but one I feel very strongly about. Alexi Lalas was recently threatened by a fan in Moscow to the point that he actually felt threatened for his life. I love this sport. It is a huge part of my life. And we all get emotional. But in no way should anyone be attacked on this level. Get some perspective, take a breath, and remember at the end of the day it is just a game that we all love and want to see succeed.
That’s it! Have a great rest of the week. Enjoy the matches this weekend after the long road trips and drink plenty of fluids because it’s getting hot again!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/25/24
Duncan McGuire is an Olympic frontrunner, Orlando Pride get ready for the Washington Spirit, Colin Guske signs with Orlando City B, and more.
How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this work week hasn’t been too stressful for you as we get ready for another weekend packed with Orlando soccer. All of the European soccer this week has been enjoyable as well, as teams fight for silverware and survival. It should be a fun next few days, although most of my match following will be digital. I’m hoping to get out to the stadium for a game or two over the next couple of months as well. But for now, let’s dive into today’s links!
Duncan McGuire Likely to Play in Olympics
Orlando City forward Duncan McGuire was listed as one of the frontrunners to join the U.S. for this year’s Olympics. It won’t be much of a shock if McGuire is in Paris this summer, as he’s been impressive in the time since being drafted sixth overall in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft by the Lions. The 23-year-old has followed up a strong rookie year with three goals and an assist so far this season. It will be interesting to see who McGuire could compete with for minutes in the Olympics, with Ricardo Pepi noted as another possible option up top for the U.S. Overall, it’s nice to see McGuire is doing what’s needed to stay in the contention for Paris. I think that staying in Orlando rather than going to England has definitely helped his case.
Orlando Pride Prepare for the Washington Spirit
The Orlando Pride are riding a five-game unbeaten streak and will take it to the nation’s capital for a difficult road match against the Washington Spirit Friday night. The Pride have won their past two games and will face a Spirit side that has won four of its five games this season. Both teams have been defensively sound, each conceding just four goals, so it may come down to moments of individual brilliance to make the difference. Pride Head Coach Seb Hines spoke about the difficulty of the matchup, Orlando’s grit this season, and the impact Barbra Banda had in her debut last weekend.
Orlando City B Signs Colin Guske
Midfielder Colin Guske, who joined Orlando City’s academy back in 2020, signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Orlando City B through this 2024 season. The 17-year-old made his OCB debut in the team’s season opener this year and scored the game-winning goal. He’s carved out a spot in OCB’s midfield this season, starting in four of the team’s five games. Guske has two brothers who have also gone through the club’s academy and played with OCB. A solid year with the Young Lions from Guske could result in a Homegrown Player contract for the senior team.
Columbus Crew SC Wins First Leg Against Monterrey
The Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals are here and the Columbus Crew are the only MLS team still in the tournament. They came up with a big 2-1 home win in the first leg of their matchup against Monterrey. Cucho Hernandez gave the Crew the lead in the first half and 21-year-old Jacen Russell-Rowe scored the winner in the second. An away goal by Monterrey could prove crucial though due to the tiebreakers, and the second leg will take place on May 1. The winner of this matchup will take on either Club America or Pachuca in the final on June 2.
Free Kicks
- Former Lion Dom Dwyer is reportedly headed out west to sign with Oakland Roots SC in the USL Championship.
- Toronto FC traded away $200,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM) to Atlanta United in exchange for winger Derrick Etienne Jr. The 27-year-old has not received much playing time this season, and Atlanta could earn another $175,000 in GAM if performance-based metrics are met.
- The San Jose Earthquakes have reportedly signed Hernan Lopez from Godoy Cruz. It would give a-needed boost to the team, which has just three points from nine games this season.
- St. Louis City winger Celio Pompeu won MLS Goal of the Matchday for his great strike from outside the box in his team’s 3-3 draw with Sporting Kansas City.
- Carlos Jimenez was fired as the Kansas City Current’s head of medical for reportedly having a relationship with a player that violated the league’s non-fraternization policy.
- Next year’s MLS NEXT season will include eight new teams, and there’s a nice breakdown on what each one brings to the table.
- Despite Sergino Dest’s recent injury, PSV Eindhoven’s Peter Bosz spoke on how he’d like the right back to stay with the team after his loan from Barcelona expires.
- Everton came up with a 2-0 win at home against rival Liverpool. Most attention will be on how this dents Liverpool’s title aspirations, but Everton deserves praise for putting more distance between itself and the relegation zone with this win during a difficult season that included point deductions.
- Atalanta beat Fiorentina 4-1 to book its spot in the Italian Cup final against Juventus. That final will take place on May 15 and should be a pretty good match.
- Xavi will reportedly stay on board as Barcelona’s manager for another season after all.
That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/24/24
Orlando City and Orlando Pride power rankings, USMNT player news, USWNT will host Costa Rica, and more.
Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. It’s that time of the week for some tasty links. Two seven-point weekends for Orlando’s soccer teams is nothing to sneeze at, unlike the pollen that coats my hometown of Tallahassee. It’s the time of the year that I make my money back with the unlimited car wash next to my work. Enough with my weather-related car issues, let’s get to the links.
Lions Move Up (and Down) in Power Rankings
There’s nothing that shows the value of “power rankings” better than when you can compare two different ranking lists for the same week for any given club. We all know Orlando City is undefeated in its last four matches thanks to the late heroics of Ivan Angulo to draw CF Montreal over the weekend. But, did you know that was both good and bad?
In ESPN‘s MLS power rankings, Orlando City dropped a spot from 16th to 17th despite “treading water” with a point on the road in Montreal. Meanwhile, the Lions roared ahead three spots from 21st to 18th in MLSsoccer.com’s power rankings. So, do you like that Orlando is 17th in the ESPN piece despite the drop? Or do you prefer the positivity of a three-spot jump to 18th in the MLSSoccer.com rankings?
Orlando Pride Rise in Power Rankings
Forget everything I wrote up there regarding power rankings — at least as far as the Orlando Pride are concerned. After starting the season with three draws, the Pride now have two wins in a row. As such, ESPN moved the Pride up three spots from eighth to fifth in its NWSL power rankings. Their move up the list is entirely deserved and the writer was correct in their assessment. Of course, I’m kidding but it’s still nice to see the Pride get recognized for their results. Now, we just need the Pride to continue the winning streak.
Keeping Up With USMNT Players Abroad
As we shared yesterday, Sergino Dest will likely miss this summer’s Copa America thanks to a knee injury suffered during PSV Eindhoven training. That means the USMNT has a right back situation to address and there are quite a few well known candidates to step in for Dest.
Meanwhile, Weston McKennie has reportedly rejected Juventus’ latest extension offer. I can understand his decision given it doesn’t include any additional salary. McKennie has been very good for Juve, with 10 assists on the season. He’s not the only American making a difference, as Tim Weah provided the assist on Arkadiusz Milik’s goal to send Juventus to the Coppa Italia final.
USWNT Olympic Send-Off Match
The United States Women’s National Team will play a match against Costa Rica at Audi Field on July 16. It will be the final match for the USWNT prior to the Olympics that start nine days later against Zambia. New coach Emma Hayes will join the team on June 1, which isn’t a ton of time before the Olympics start, but she has been a part of the process for months.
Free Kicks
- Former Pride players Erika Tymrak and Jordyn Listro have signed with Tampa Bay Sun FC of the new USL Super League, a Division 1-sanctioned women’s soccer league. More soccer in the U.S. is a good thing, so good luck to Tymrak and Listro.
- The New England Revolution have acquired veteran defender Xavier Arreaga from the Seattle Sounders for a 2025 international roster slot, and up to $75,000 in General Allocation Money depending on performance.
- Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba will be out for several weeks due to a hamstring injury. Fortunately, he is expected to be back in time for the match against Orlando City on May 15. Where did I put the sarcasm font?
- In an odd occurrence, a Californian team has been chastised. Four players on the LA Galaxy were found to be in violation of the mass confrontation policy in their match against the San Jose Earthquakes over the weekend.
- The unending Inter Miami signings continued, with the club signing Paraguayan midfielder Matías Rojas.
That will do it for today. Check back as we get you ready for the Pride’s match against the Washington Spirit this Friday, and Orlando City’s match against Toronto FC on Saturday. Vamos Orlando!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/23/24
Ivan Angulo makes Team of the Matchday bench, Americans in action, Sergino Dest to miss Copa America, and more.
Happy Tuesday, everyone! It was an excellent weekend for Orlando’s soccer teams, as the three sides took seven of the nine points on offer. There’s no rest for the wicked this week as the Orlando Pride travel to play the Washington Spirit on Friday, Orlando City hosts Toronto FC on Saturday, and Orlando City B finishes things up at home against Toronto FC II on Sunday. Let’s take a look at today’s links.
Ivan Angulo Earns Recognition
Ivan Angulo has been named to the bench of the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Matchday. The Colombian got the start on Saturday up in Montreal, and had a good game, going the distance and completing 82% of his passes and putting one of his two shots on target. That shot was an important one, as it gave the Lions a late equalizer and helped them salvage a valuable point on the road. Sean Rollins gave him a grade of 6 in his player grades from the match, a rating that likely would have been higher had Martin Ojeda’s pass been accurate enough to allow Angulo to grab a possible winner just a few minutes after he equalized. Here’s hoping he keeps up the good work!
Americans in Midweek Action
There are a number of Americans taking part in big games this week, and the good people over at Stars and Stripes FC have you covered with the whole rundown. First up, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus will try to advance to the Coppa Italia final this afternoon, as they enter the second leg of the semifinal against Lazio with a 2-0 lead on aggregate. Tomorrow sees Monaco and Folarin Balogun meet Lille in Ligue 1 action, while Chris Richards and Crystal Palace host Newcastle United in the Premier League. Things wrap up on Friday in Serie B when Gianluca Busio, Tanner Tessman, and third-place Venezia face Cremonese as they try to overtake Como and finish in one of Serie B’s two guaranteed promotion places.
Sergino Dest Sidelined Long Term
Following up on a story from yesterday’s Lion Links, The Athletic is reporting that the knee injury suffered by Sergino Dest will keep him out of Copa America, and sideline him for the rest of the year. That would be a big blow for the United States Men’s National Team, as Dest has been the nailed-on starter at right back since winning a place in the team during the qualifying cycle for the 2022 World Cup. The Yanks aren’t without options at the position, as Joe Scally could step in for Dest, or Gregg Berhalter could try deploying Weah there, but neither of the two possesses Dest’s level of offensive threat.
Inter Milan Wins Serie A
Inter Milan dispatched rival AC Milan 2-1 guaranteed that Inter will win its 20th Serie A title in club history. Fikayo Tomori’s goal in the 80th minute was the closest Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah’s club could get to leveling the score, and Inter is now a whopping 17 points clear of AC Milan with five games left to play. Inter has been imperious on its way to a 20th Scudetto, scoring the most goals in the league while also conceding the fewest and losing only once this season.
Free Kicks
- The Orlando Pride and Orlando City hosted a clean-up effort in honor of Earth Day on Monday.
- Apple is reportedly close to landing the rights of the expanded Club World Cup, set to start play in 2026. The deal is thought to be worth as much as $1 billion.
- Xavi has still not made a decision on whether he will stay or leave Barcelona at the end of the season, and will meet with club executives who reportedly want him to continue managing the Catalan club.
That’s all I have for you this morning. Vamos Orlando!
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