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Lion Links: 4/8/22

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How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this Friday finds you well as we get ready for the weekend. I have tomorrow off from work so I’m looking forward to sleeping in, making French toast, and enjoying some reading before Orlando City takes on the Chicago Fire at 1 p.m. But for now, let’s enjoy these links from around the soccer world.

Antonio Carlos Out for Three to Four Months

Orlando City announced that center back Antonio Carlos will not require surgery for a hamstring injury and he will be sidelined for three to four months. Carlos sustained the injury in Orlando’s loss to LAFC this past weekend, exiting the match on a stretcher. It is a tough blow to Orlando’s back line as Carlos may not return to action until August, or possibly even September, but at least he would be available for a playoff push once he returns to game fitness. Rodrigo Schlegel is a solid replacement and will fill in for Carlos, but there’s not much depth at the position beyond 17-year-old Homegrown Player Thomas Williams. Suspensions or further injuries could put Orlando’s defense in a tight spot over the next few months.

Orlando’s Offense Faces a Tough Test Tomorrow

Orlando City’s attack is finding its footing as new players like Facundo Torres and Ercan Kara continue to build chemistry with the team’s other playmakers such as Alexandre Pato, Mauricio Pereyra, and Joao Moutinho. Miguel Gallardo and Evan Weston provided analysis on how Orlando’s attack is coming together as the team prepares for its match tomorrow.

The Fire are one of three MLS teams still undefeated this season, thanks in large part to its defense that has only allowed one goal and 11 shots in five games this season. However, center back and team captain Rafael Czichos is out as he undergoes MLS’s health and safety protocols. Swiss star Xherdan Shaqiri is day-to-day due to a calf injury and Fire Head Coach Ezra Hendrickson is exercising caution regarding his return.

“We want to be careful, because he’s a very important player for us,” Hendrickson said. “So, we don’t want to rush that back too soon. We’re monitoring that, and he’s day-to-day right now.”

Shaqiri’s absence would take some of the bite out of a Chicago attack that’s been shut out three times this year, but Polish striker Kacper Przybylko has done well against the Lions in the past.

Orlando City Learns First U.S. Open Cup Opponent Today

With the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup done and dusted, 17 MLS clubs will now join the tournament for the third round and the draw takes place today. Orlando City did well in 2019 as it reached the semifinals in a deep tournament run that included the Running of the Wall as Orlando advanced past New York City FC in a penalty shootout. Orlando Head Coach Oscar Pareja won the U.S. Open Cup in 2016 with an FC Dallas team that included current Lion Tesho Akindele. He also led Dallas to deep runs in 2017 and 2014, so he knows what it takes to find success in the tournament while also managing regular season games.

Orlando will face a lower-division team in its geographic region as the draw aims to limit travel. The Tampa Bay Rowdies and Miami FC are the remaining Floridian clubs from lower divisions while Inter Miami joins the action this round as well. There is plenty to play for as the tournament champion qualifies for the 2023 Concacaf Champions League and wins $300,000 in prize money, along with the U.S. Open Cup trophy.

OCB Faces Inter Miami II on Sunday

Orlando City B’s road match with Inter Miami II this Sunday at 5:30 p.m. will be the MLS NEXT Pro Game of the Week, meaning viewers can enjoy multiple camera angles during the match. It is the first-ever meeting between the two sides and could be the start of a rivalry between the two Floridian clubs. The season is young, but the Young Lions are undefeated with five points from their first two matches. 2022 MLS SuperDraft pick Jack Lynn has two goals and an assist so far this season, while academy product Javier Otero has made 17 saves in goal, and made two big stops in a penalty shootout against New York City FC II. As for Miami, Romeo Beckham (David Beckham’s 19-year-old son) has three assists and can give Orlando issues from set piece situations. It all sets up for an exciting match in Fort Lauderdale so make sure to tune in and lend your support to the Young Lions.

USWNT Gets Ready for Pair of Friendlies

The United States Women’s National Team will take on Uzbekistan tomorrow and Tuesday in a pair of friendlies to prepare for the Concacaf Women’s Championship this summer. Tomorrow’s match will be the first meeting between the U.S. and Uzbekistan and will take place at 5:30 p.m. at Lower.com Field in Columbus. All but two players on the USWNT’s roster play in the National Women’s Soccer League, with Olympique Lyonnais midfielders Catarina Macario and Lindsey Horan as the exceptions. Uzbekistan is coached by former Japanese player Midori Honda and 19 of the players on its roster play in the domestic league while four play in Turkey. Tuesday’s match will be played at Subaru Park in Chester, PA. at 7 p.m.

Europa League Quarterfinals Get Started

Only eight teams remain in the Europa League as the first legs of the quarterfinals got underway. On the road in Germany against Eintracht Frankfurt, FC Barcelona fell behind early in the second half but Ferran Torres equalized with a nice assist from Frenkie de Jong. A second yellow card to Frankfurt defender Tuta opened the door for Barcelona to push for a win but the game ended 1-1. In London, West Ham United had to play the second half a man down after Aaron Cresswell was shown a red card just before halftime in a 1-1 draw against Lyon. The match between RB Leipzig and Atalanta also ended 1-1, but SC Braga was able to win 1-0 over Rangers FC.

Slavia Prague has quietly been lighting it up in the Europa Conference League. The Czech Republic side has scored at least three goals in each of its games during the knockout stage and that trend continued in a 3-3 draw with Feyenoord, with Prague’s Ibrahim Traore equalizing in stoppage time with a backheel. Elsewhere, AS Roma fell 2-1 on the road to Bodo-Glimt, Leicester City and PSV Eindhoven battled to a scoreless draw in England, and Marseille beat PAOK 2-1 in France, thanks to a stunning goal from Dimitri Payet.

Free Kicks

  • Orlando Pride midfielder Gunny Jonsdottir scored a goal as Iceland’s captain in her team’s 5-0 win over Belarus.


That’s all I have for you today! Have a great Friday and make sure to stay hydrated out there.

Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/24/24

Orlando City and Orlando Pride power rankings, USMNT player news, USWNT will host Costa Rica, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

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

  • 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?

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!

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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.

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

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.

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

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 4/22/24

Orlando City draws CF Montreal, Pride and OCB win, FA Cup drama, and more.

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride / Jeremy Reper

Hello, Mane Landers. I hope all is well with you down in Florida. Orlando City drew, while the Pride and OCB both won over the weekend. I had friends in town, so I went to Wrigley Field to check out a Cubs game and show them around Chicago. Let’s wish former Orlando City midfielder Kaka and Pride defender Brianna Martinez a happy birthday! There is plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw at CF Montreal

Orlando City again had to overcome a 2-1 deficit on the road when it faced CF Montreal Saturday night. The Lions needed a late stoppage-time goal from Ivan Angulo to walk out of Stade Saputo with a 2-2 draw. Orlando has now picked up points in each of the last four matches. Orlando City will face CF Montreal again on July 26 in the MLS Leagues Cup during the competition’s group stage. The Lions’ next match will be Saturday at Inter&Co Stadium as it takes on Toronto FC.

Orlando Pride Defeat San Diego Wave

The Orlando Pride shut out the San Diego Wave 1-0 on Friday at Inter&Co Stadium and got their second consecutive win with that same scoreline. Summer Yates scored the lone goal in the first half to seal the win for Orlando. Zambian international striker Barbra Banda made her debut for the Pride, coming off the bench in the second half. The Pride remain undefeated through five league matches and are fifth in the NWSL table with nine points. The team will be on the road to face the Washington Spirit Friday.

OCB Wins on the Road at Crown Legacy FC

Orlando City B got a 2-0 win against Crown Legacy FC at the Sportsplex at Matthews on Friday. Alex Freeman and Shak Mohammed scored for the Young Lions, and Javier Otero made six saves. OCB completed its two-match road trip, securing four out of a possible six points, and has kept its unbeaten streak on the road alive at four matches. OCB is in fifth in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference with nine points, while Crown Legacy is winless in five matches. OCB will be back in action this Sunday as it hosts Toronto FC II at Osceola County Stadium.

Manchester United and Manchester City Advance to FA Cup Final

Manchester United won 4-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw against Coventry City in the FA Cup semifinals to advance to the final. It was a thrilling match at Wembley as United had a 3-0 lead before Coventry City rallied to get back into the match. USMNT forward Haji Wright scored the equalizer to tie the match 3-3 late into stoppage time. Coventry City thought it scored the game-winning goal late into extra time from Victor Torp, but it was ruled offside after video review. Casemiro missed his penalty for United, while Wright and Torp gave Coventry City a 2-1 advantage. United converted four straight penalties while Coventry City missed two to seal the win for the Red Devils. Manchester City edged past Chelsea 1-0 in their semifinal matchup, with Bernardo Silva scoring the lone goal in the second half. The FA Cup final will be played at the end of May and will feature a Manchester Derby for the second consecutive time.

Free Kicks

  • In case you missed it, check out this video on Orlando City’s social media page on Ivan Angulo’s equalizer to tie the match in stoppage time against CF Montreal on Saturday.

According to OptaJack, the Pride have secured the most points at home during the regular season since last May, with 26.

  • USMNT defender Sergino Dest suffered a knee injury during training with PSV Eindhoven over the weekend. Dest will miss the remainder of the Eredivisie season and could miss the 2024 Copa America this summer.
  • Real Madrid came back from being 2-1 down to defeat Barcelona 3-2 and stay ahead of its rivals by 11 points with six league matches left.
  • Bayer Leverkusen extended its unbeaten run to 45 matches after scoring a late goal from Josip Stanisic in stoppage time to get a 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund.
  • Serie A side Udinese is reportedly set to hire former Juventus and Real Madrid player Fabio Cannavaro as its next head coach.

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

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