Orlando City SC to Face Cavalry FC in Round One of 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup

ORLANDO – Orlando City SC is set to take on Canadian-side Cavalry FC in Round One of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup. Specific match details, including ticket information, will be announced at a later date.  

Orlando City was drawn into position A8 from Pot 1, being placed into Pot 1 by virtue of the Club’s standing in the Concacaf Club Rankings, with Cavalry FC being drawn into position B8 from Pot 2.  

The 59th edition of the Concacaf Champions Cup, the region's premier men's club competition, will be played between February and June 2024. The annual tournament, comprised of five direct elimination rounds and the best clubs from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, crowns the Confederation's club champion and is the sole qualification route for the region's clubs to the new and expanded FIFA Club World Cup.

The competition's first four rounds (Round One, Round of 16, Quarterfinals, and Semifinals), all include home and away play, while the Final is played as a single-leg match.

The 2024 CCC matchups will commence with Round One in February, followed by the Round of 16 in March, quarterfinals in April, semifinals in the last weeks of April. The all-decisive single-leg final, where the region’s new champion will be crowned, will take place on Sunday, June 2, 2024. 

As previously announced, beginning next year, the Confederation has replaced the Concacaf Champions League with the Concacaf Champions Cup. The name "Champions Cup" is part of a complete rebrand inspired by this tournament's rich history. Since 1962, when the first iteration of this tournament was formed, 30 different clubs have won this title, highlighting how competitive it is and the great diversity of champions within Concacaf.

The Lions qualified for their second Concacaf Champions Cup by holding the second-best record across all Major League Soccer in the 2023 MLS regular season, while Cavalry FC, based out of Calgary, Canada, qualified as the regular season champions of the 2023 Canadian Premier League. 

Jacksonville Armada Owner Announces Formation of New Entity to Explore in NWSL Bid

 JACKSONVILLE – Robert Palmer is leading an effort to bring the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) to Northeast Florida.  Palmer formed the entity Jax Downtown Pro Women’s Soccer, LLC with a goal of bringing an NWSL expansion club to Jacksonville. 

Following the recent announcement of the Jacksonville Armada FC's entry into MLS Next Pro, Mr. Palmer has successfully fulfilled his commitment to return the club to the professional ranks. His extensive tenure as the sole owner of the Jacksonville Armada FC since 2017 provides a solid foundation of experience and dedication, positioning him to lead this historic NWSL bid.  For this venture, Palmer is actively exploring including other like-minded individuals to form a new ownership group to pursue Jacksonville’s bid for an NWSL expansion team. 

 

In tandem with this ambitious pursuit, Palmer is personally financing a multimillion-dollar stadium project situated in the heart of downtown Jacksonville. The second phase of this project is poised to provide an ideal home for the prospective NWSL expansion team, underscoring Palmer's dedication to cultivating a premier soccer environment in the region. 

Mr. Palmer expressed his commitment, stating, “Having engaged in discussions with the NWSL, it affirmed what I already knew – the women’s game is experiencing a global surge, and the NWSL stands as the undisputed pinnacle of women’s soccer in the United States. I envision Jacksonville playing a pivotal role in the elevation and expansion of the beautiful game.” 

The NWSL's global impact is evident, with sixty-one of its stars representing their countries in the recent 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Of the 23-member USWNT squad, an impressive 22 players compete domestically in the National Women's Soccer League, solidifying its status as the premier women's professional soccer league in the United States. 

Columbus Crew Win 2023 MLS Cup, Defeating LAFC, 2-1

 COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Columbus Crew won the third MLS Cup presented by Audi in club history after defeating the Los Angeles Football Club, 2-1, at Lower.com Field. 

Columbus became the third club in league history to win MLS Cup at least three different times and it marked their second championship trophy in the past four seasons (2020). 

Cucho Hernández was named the 2023 MLS Cup MVP presented by Audi after scoring the opening goal of the match in the 33rd minute, his fifth of the postseason, which tied for the most in MLS during the playoffs. 

With the victory, Crew midfielder and captain Darlington Nagbe won his fourth MLS Cup (2015, 2018, 2020, 2023), becoming just the 10th player in league history to win four-or-more MLS Cups.

Columbus emerged victorious with a 2-1 victory in front of a Lower.com Field-record 20,802 fans, which included two goals in the opening 37 minutes. 

The Crew opened the scoring after LAFC committed a handball inside the 18-yard-box in the 31st minute. Hernández stepped up to the spot and converted, marking his second goal from the penalty spot in the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs (Watch Here ). In the 37th minute, defender Malte Amundsen played a spectacular pass to midfielder Yaw Yeboah, who poked his effort past the diving LAFC goalkeeper for a 2-0 advantage (Watch Here).  

Despite a late goal from LAFC’s Dénis Bouanga in the 74th minute (Watch Here ), the Crew managed to hold on to earn their third MLS Cup presented by Audi in club history. Thanks to his opening goal, Hernández was named 2023 MLS Cup MVP presented by Audi, becoming the first Colombian-born player to earn the honor. 

With the victory, the Crew reached 82 goals in both the regular season and postseason, which was the most by a club in MLS history that went on to win MLS Cup. 

Davies Named Third Head Coach in UNF Men's Soccer History

 JACKSONVILLE - North Florida Athletics is welcoming Jamie Davies as the third head coach in the 32-year history of UNF men's soccer, as announced by Director of Athletics Nick Morrow on Tuesday, Dec. 5.

Davies will be formally introduced with a meet and greet in the UNF Arena's Bank of England Suite at a date to be determined in early 2024. The introductory press conference will be streamed on North Florida Ospreys' Facebook.

Davies comes to Jacksonville, Fla., with over a decade and a half of coaching experience at four different collegiate institutions. His most recent collegiate stop was at the University of Central Florida, where he was the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator over the past six seasons.

Through his 15 years of coaching at the collegiate level, Davies also currently serves as a regional talent identification scout for the United States Youth National Team. He was a U-16 head coach and regional scout for Atlanta United as well from 2017-18.

A native of London, England, Davies completed his USSF A License in September 2019 under Steffen Siebert Technical Lead instructor for the A-Senior License.

IFL News: Jacksonville Sharks Sign Former Auburn Tiger

JACKSONVILLE, FL- The Jacksonville Sharks have been steady active this off season in free agency and are keeping things rolling with signing former Auburn Tiger Marcus Bragg (6 '6,260lb). 

Bragg came to Auburn as a graduate transfer from Western Kentucky, where he played three seasons. He played in all 14 games during the 2021 campaign recording 38 tackles and 3.5 sacks. 

Bragg also played two seasons in the junior college ranks at Mississippi Delta Community College and Arizona Western, recording 35 tackles and two sacks. As a Tiger, Bragg appeared in 11 games registering 16 tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack. 

He is also cousin to former Auburn wide receiver Ricardo Louis whose most memorable play was a 73-yard touchdown reception against the Georgia Bulldogs in 2013. This play is known as "The Prayer in Jordan-Hare."

 The catch enabled the Tigers to win their division, enter the postseason, and make it into a national championship game.  

Jim Coleman honored as 2022-23 PGA TOUR Volunteer of the Year

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – Jim Coleman, a volunteer with more than 15 years of service at The Classic in The Palm Beaches (formerly The Honda Classic) in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was selected as the 2022-23 PGA TOUR Volunteer of the Year. With the award, the PGA TOUR will donate $10,000 to the charity of Coleman’s choosing – the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, the long-time primary beneficiary of The Classic in The Palm Beaches.  

 

Coleman was first introduced to volunteering in 2000 as a standard bearer. He continued to volunteer at many PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions events before officially becoming the Standard Bearer Chairman at The Classic in The Palm Beaches in 2008. In 2012, Coleman advanced to Volunteer Chairman, a position he held through last year’s event. Coleman will continue to stay involved with the tournament and assist incoming Volunteer Chairman Jay Levine.   

 

“I am humbled to be the 2022-23 PGA TOUR Volunteer of the Year,” said Coleman. “Out of the tens of thousands of very deserving PGA TOUR volunteers, this recognition is a wonderful tribute not just to me, but to the thousands of volunteers I have managed, mentored, encouraged and supported over the last decade. Our efforts support the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation in their pursuit of premium health care for children and families that can’t afford it.”

 

“In my new role as Volunteer Chair, Jim has been a mentor to me,” said Levine. “He’s showing me the ropes and being there to offer guidance and support wherever and whenever needed. It was exciting and a pleasure for me to tell Jim that he had been selected as the 2022-23 PGA TOUR Volunteer of the Year.

 

“In my years with the tournament, first as a walking scorer, then committee chair and division chair, Jim has always been the hands-on leader. He made sure he met and talked with as many of the 1,600 volunteers as possible. He let the chairpersons manage their divisions and committees, but was always up to speed on what was going on. The perfect balance of management, but not micro-managing.” 

 

Founded in 2004 by Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation provides families access to world-class pediatric healthcare. The foundation supports the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and innovative programs focused on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of childhood illness.  

 

“There are three things that every charity needs – time, talent and treasure,” said Coleman. “I try to give my talent and give my time. Treasure is something I don’t always have a lot of, so the $10,000 donation on my behalf really means a lot. My commitment to the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation is inspired by Barbara Nicklaus, co-founder Jack Nicklaus, and Barbara’s words that, ‘the legacy you leave here on earth is measured by the hearts you touch.’”

 

PGA TOUR tournaments would not be possible without the support of volunteers, who not only help events operate with unsurpassed guest service, but also contribute to the overall charitable impact. With the support of more than 100,000 volunteers annually demonstrating the PGA TOUR Volunteer Service Excellence priority standards of safety, competition and hospitality, the TOUR assists approximately 3,000 charities each year. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations to maximize charitable giving, and to date, tournaments across all Tours have generated more than $3.64 billion.

 

The Classic in The Palm Beaches, won by Chris Kirk in 2023, will be played February 29-March 3, 2024, at PGA National Resort (The Champion).

 

 

LSU to Meet Wisconsin in Reliaquest Bowl

TAMPA - The ReliaQuest Bowl will feature the 13th ranked LSU Tigers vs the Wisconsin Badgers on New Year's Day in Tampa, bowl officials announced today. It will be only the third appearance by the Tigers and sixth by the Badgers but the first time in at least nine years by either team.

"We were thrilled to extend invitations to Louisiana State University and the University of Wisconsin to play in this year's ReliaQuest Bowl," said ReliaQuest Bowl Chair Chris Roederer. "These are two high quality teams that we expect will produce an exceptional match-up that fans are really going to enjoy. We look forward to hosting the teams and their fans and ensure they will have an amazing experience at the game and enjoying the dynamic Tampa Bay area."

"A SEC-Big Ten matchup always creates a lot of excitement, but facing a Wisconsin team led by a great coach in Luke Fickell makes this bowl game even more attractive," LSU coach Brian Kelly said. "Wisconsin has a great tradition with a tremendous fan base. I know both teams are excited to be in Tampa during New Year's to play in the ReliaQuest Bowl."

"We are excited for the opportunity to showcase our football program and represent our university in the ReliaQuest Bowl," added LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward. "Our student-athletes, staff, and fans will enjoy the chance to travel to Tampa Bay and compete in a New Year's Day bowl against another program with great tradition and support."

"We're extremely excited to be playing in the ReliaQuest Bowl, said Badger Coach Luke Fickell. "It's a great opportunity for our young men who have battled throughout this season and to get closure for what they have done, not just for our seniors but for our entire program. We're really excited about coming to Tampa for a great bowl game."

"We couldn't be more excited to be playing in the ReliaQuest Bowl, added Badger Athletic Director Chris McIntosh. "Bowl games are a great reward and opportunity after a successful season and it's going to be a terrific experience for our players and fans. Tampa is a great city in an area full of Badger alumni and we look forward to showcasing Wisconsin football against LSU in a terrific bowl game."

The ReliaQuest Bowl will be played on Monday January 1st at 12:00 PM ET at Raymond James Stadium. Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster online at www.ticketmaster.com.