Lion Links: 10/4/22

Oct 4, 2022 - 11:30 AM

Happy Tuesday, everyone. We are officially in the final week of the regular season, and Orlando City has two absolutely massive clashes to close out the schedule. The Lions control their playoff destiny, and if they can go out and get the job done then OCSC will be in the postseason for the third time in three years. Take a deep breath! There’s lots to talk through today, so let’s have at it.

Women’s Soccer Investigation Findings

The results of the independent investigation into abuse and wrongdoings in women’s professional soccer have been published, and they’re about as bad as it gets. The report details a long list of failures by both coaches and executives of the National Women’s Soccer League as well as the U.S. Soccer Federation. There are a number of distressing and upsetting things in the report, but perhaps the worst has to do with Christy Holly, who was fired as the manager of Racing Louisville back in August of last year. There are also more details about circumstances surrounding numerous instances of wrongdoing by Paul Riley, and the new information only serves to make everything worse. There’s going to be a lot to answer for and a lot that needs to change, and it’ll be very interesting to see how the NWSL and USSF handle things going forward.

Serious Allegations Against College Soccer Coach

Unfortunately, our next piece of news is in the same vein as the first, as the women’s soccer coach at University of Texas Permian Basin has been placed on administrative leave in the wake of some very serious allegations made against her by her players. Those allegations include asking players to help pay her bail after being arrested for a DWI, distributing alcohol to minors, and encouraging players to cheat in class, as well as to foul and injure opponents, to name just a few. The Twitter thread below is absolutely worth exploring fully, and some of the things highlighted are absolutely shocking, not to mention flat out illegal. This is going to be another story to keep a very close eye on.

Probe Launched Into Indonesian Tragedy

Indonesian police have launched a probe investigating over a dozen officers who fired tear gas into a crowd which set off a crush that killed at least 125 people at a soccer game over the weekend. Riot police fired tear gas towards supporters in the stadium to try to break up fighting, resulting in people being trampled and suffocating, and police are now questioning witnesses and analyzing video footage as part of the investigation. Amnesty International has urged that the individuals who used the tear gas be tried for their actions, and Indonesian Security Minister Mohammad Mahfud will lead a separate investigation into any laws that were broken in the incident.

Gonzalo Higuain to Retire

Gonzalo Higuain has announced that he will retire from professional soccer at the end of the 2022 Major League Soccer season. The Argentinian striker has been with Inter Miami for the last two years now, and has come on strong lately after some tumultuous times with the club. He will face Orlando City tomorrow in his final home game for Miami and Lions fans will be hoping that OCSC can spoil his farewell party. In total, he’s made more than 700 appearances and notched upwards of 300 goals and 100 assists, including almost a decade representing Argentina at the international level.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City can clinch a playoff place tomorrow with a win over Inter Miami and a Columbus loss on the road against Charlotte FC.
• Former Lion Hadji Barry has moved to Egypt for the highest transfer fee in USL Championship history.
• Middlesbrough has announced the sacking of manager Chris Wilder.

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That’s all for me today. Y’all stay safe out there.