Lion Links
Lion Links: 7/16/22
Good morning, Mane Landers. I always find it to feel like a lazy Saturday morning when there is no Orlando soccer to be had. However, we have a jam packed Sunday this weekend. Orlando City will be traveling to Atlanta to try to stop a potent Josef Martinez-led offense at 3 p.m. Later, the Pride will head to Audi Field to take on the Washington Spirit at 5 p.m. Finally, the Young Lions will make their way to the Windy City to face off against Chicago II at 7 p.m.
If that is not enough purple soccer for you in one day, I don’t know what is. So, get all your errands done today, because tomorrow it will be time to kick back and relax and cheer on our clubs. Now, I present to you today’s link!
Orlando City at Atlanta United
In what was once a rivalry fueled mainly by MLS marketing, the matches between Orlando and Atlanta United have since found their own spark as both teams have won their fair share. Early on, Atlanta ruled the rivalry for three years — at one point winning six straight against Orlando City in all competitions. However, the Oscar Pareja era has brought a positive change. Orlando is 3-1-3 against Atlanta under Pareja, only losing its unbeaten mark in the teams’ last match-up, a 3-0 Atlanta win at the Benz on Sept. 10, 2021.
Atlanta’s captain, Martínez, recently took to the media to voice his dissatisfaction with both his teammates and front office following a 3-0 defeat at home to Austin FC. His squad responded with a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday night, when he came on from the bench in the 77th minute. It is curious whether Atlanta manager Gonzalo Pineda opted for Ronaldo Cisneros over Martínez to make a statement or just to rest tired legs. Regardless, Orlando should be aware of both now that Cisneros has proven himself as well with a midweek brace .
Orlando will hope that forward Facundo Torres can continue to contribute. Wednesday night, Torres scored his fourth goal of the year, which gives him 10 total goal contributions in MLS play this year when added to his six assists. Among MLS newcomers, only D.C. United’s Taxi Fountas and Toronto FC’s Jesús Jiménez have more goal contributions than Torres.
Pride Set for D.C. Visit
Orlando Pride Interim Head Coach Seb Hines said he was elated with his team’s last performance.
“[Last match is] something to build on. We played really well against Houston, it would have been nice to get a couple more goals. The three points was important for us. We have to build momentum. Get a draw against Louisville and get three points against Houston and then now we are looking to get the three points against Washington.”
This is the second match-up between the two sides during the regular season. You might remember the previous meeting for its stoppage time heroics. The teams played to a 2-2 draw at Exploria Stadium back on May 22 where Mikayla Cluff and Darian Jenkins scored to bring the Pride back and share the points. The equalizer from Jenkins at 97:53 served as the latest NWSL regular-season goal ever recorded.
Pride’s Pressley to be Inducted Into FSU Athletics Hall of Fame
Orlando Pride defender Toni Pressley is set to be inducted into Florida State University’s Athletics Hall of Fame as one of 11 new members on Aug. 26.
Pressley helped anchor a Seminole defense that allowed just 85 goals in 96 games during her four-year career. She also led a back line that recorded 48 shutouts and allowed an average of less than a goal per game over her four-year career. She helped lead FSU to three straight NCAA Elite Eight appearances (2008-10) and capped her career with a trip to the College Cup in 2011.
The former Seminole was named All-ACC twice and was a first-team Soccer America All-American pick in 2010 during her collegiate career. Congratulations to the only remaining original member of the Orlando Pride on this tremendous honor.
USWNT Finds New Style
The upcoming Concacaf W Championship final features the USWNT taking on Canada. It will be a rematch of last year’s Olympic semifinal, in which the Canadians went on to take a gold medal and forced the United States to settle for bronze. Canada will definitely be the toughest and deepest opponent the USWNT has faced all tournament.
Going into this match, many questions have come up regarding Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski’s approach towards attack and pressure. Forward Mallory Pugh brought her point of view following the last match.
“I think pressing is a great opportunity to transition and attack. So, I think if you look at it that way, like defense is offense, I think that’s just part of our identity. We want to create these attacking transition moments to be able to create ad just keep going. We want teams just to feel that pressure, so I think it’s just part of our identity.”
Since Andonovski’s first game in charge in November 2019, the United States press has been more varied than the previous iteration under Jill Ellis which was relentless and high-energy. It demanded significant defensive efforts from its forward line as well as a midfield which was asked to cover large swaths of ground in wide areas. For Andonovski, he wants to pick and choose when to expend energy and effort and win key battles and moments.
“It comes down to reading the moments and when we want to press and when we want to drop off a little bit and allow them to connect a few passes,” Andonovski said about managing the heat.
Hopefully, Andonovski and the USWNT choose the right moments in this match. The USWNT will look to win an unprecedented third straight title and clinch a place in the 2024 Olympics when it takes on Canada Monday night at 10 p.m.
Free Kicks
- The Vancouver Whitecaps have acquired wingback Julian Gressel in a trade from D.C. United for up to $900,000 in General Allocation Money.
- Toronto FC has signed Italian international winger Federico Bernardeschi as a Designated Player through 2026.
- LAFC Head Coach Steve Cherundolo would not answer to whether Gareth Bale and Giorgio Chiellini will debut against Nashville SC.
- New D.C. United manager Wayne Rooney is already looking to make changes by signing his former Derby County midfielder, Ravel Morrison.
- Atlanta United President Darren Eales will be leaving the club to lead Newcastle United as CEO beginning Aug. 22.
- NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said reproductive rights will be considered when the league looks at locations for possible expansion teams.
- USMNT defender Shaq Moore is in the final stages of securing a transfer from CD Tenerife to Nashville SC for a fee of around $2 million.
- Christian Pulisic dreams of bringing home the gold medal with the USMNT.
- Former Orlando City captain Luis Nani made his Melbourne Victory debut against one of his other former clubs, Manchester United.
The moment @luisnani stepped out as a @gomvfc player for the very first time 🤩
Nani debuts: https://t.co/UQqowM2vts#WeAreALeagues pic.twitter.com/eZ1CPnNjBS
— Isuzu UTE A-League (@aleaguemen) July 15, 2022
- Speaking of Manchester United. The club has officially announced Christian Eriksen has joined and signed a contract until June 2025.
- Barcelona has finalized the signing of Robert Lewandowski after agreeing to a fee of €45 million with Bayern Munich.
- Appeals against the exclusion of Russian national teams and clubs from world and European competition has been dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
I hope you get some things checked off on your to-do list today. It would be a shame to not be able to catch at least a game or two or three tomorrow. I am stoked for it. Vamos Orlando!
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!
Lion Links
Lion Links: 4/22/24
Orlando City draws CF Montreal, Pride and OCB win, FA Cup drama, and more.
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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