Orlando

Orlando City Begins Challenging Week Against Toronto

Published

10 years ago

August 22, 2016

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – By Orlando City – Following Saturday’s clean sheet in Colorado, Orlando City SC (5-6-13, 28 points) begins a two-game homestand against second-place Toronto FC (11-7-7, 40 points) on Wednesday, Aug. 24. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Camping World Stadium.

The match will be televised on WRDQ TV 27 and transmitted on Real Radio 104.1 FM in English and on La Grande 1030 AM in Spanish.

“[Toronto is a] very well put-together team. I called them at the beginning of the season to be one of the best teams in the league, and I think they’re showing that now. Another massive challenge for us, but I think it comes at the exact right time,” Lions Head Coach Jason Kreis said. “We’ve shown improvement over every single week and this last weekend was such a nice defensive effort that I feel like we just need to add one more thing to it, which is to be a little bit better in the attack. We do that and I have no fears that we’ll accomplish the job.”

Wednesday will mark the second of three meetings between the two teams. On June 25, goalkeeper Joe Bendik made four saves and Kaká scored in stoppage time to lead the Lions to a dramatic 3-2 victory. It will be Bendik’s second game against his former club.

Orlando City’s 0-0 draw against Colorado on Sunday brought new additions to the starting XI. Júlio Baptista returned to the lineup, while midfielder Antonio Nocerino started his third game in four matches under Jason Kreis. In the back, José Aja and Mikey Ambrose both recorded their first starts for the Club. Sunday marked Kevin Alston’s 13th consecutive start at right back and his 14th of the season.

Cyle Larin scored in the first match against Toronto this season and is fifth in MLS with 12 goals. Kaká has three assist in his last four games and has already eclipsed his 2015 total with eight assists. Bendik is tied for second in MLS with 89 saves.

On Saturday, Toronto defeated the Philadelphia Union 3-1 at Talen Energy Stadium. Giovinco and Altidore both found the score sheet for Toronto in the first half. Goalkeeper Alex Bono recorded four saves. Toronto has now won five of its last six games and is second in the Eastern Conference.

Toronto is led by its three superstars, U.S. national team captain Michael Bradley, Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore. With 16 goals and 11 assist on the year, Giovinco is tied with David Villa for the most goals in the MLS and third in assist. TFC’s 26 goals allowed are the fewest in the East.

With 28 points on the year, City is tied with D.C. United for the sixth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot. The Lions still have ten matches to go and will play three of their next five games at home.

The Lions return to Camping World Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 28, when they host 2015 expansion rival New York City FC. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and will be nationally televised on FS1

Golf

Russell Henley Wins Red Cardigan at 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

1 year ago

March 9, 2025

Mike Brodsky

Russell Henley wins the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Russell Henley wins his first red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. This is Henley’s fifth win on the PGA Tour.

Russell Henley is greeted by his family on the 18th green after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

Henley finished at 11 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 70 today. Collin Morikawa finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, finished today at 4 under par, tied for 11th place.

Scottie Scheffler tees off at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.

NFL

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Published

2 years ago

October 30, 2024

Mike Brodsky

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Former UCF football players Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant have partnered with GMTM to launch their Search for Greatness Combine at UCF on Saturday, November 9th. They’re giving local athletes a chance to showcase their talents and explore new sports opportunities. Griffin will be inducted into the UCF Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 2nd, during halftime of the Arizona vs. UCF football game. He is remembered for his tenacity, setting an NFL Combine record with the fastest 40-yard dash by a linebacker, and playing four seasons in the NFL, overcoming the challenge of only having one hand. He is now training to make the USA Paralympic Track and Field Team and hopes to compete in the 2028 Olympics. Joey Grant, the co-founder and CEO of GMTM, is a former UCF team captain, playing mostly Center for the Knights from 2011-2015.

Participation at the upcoming combine is free and invite-only, targeting athletes over the age of 18. To be considered, athletes must submit a highlight video via GMTM’s platform, showcasing their athleticism. GMTM will evaluate submissions and invite the most promising athletes to participate in the combine. The goal for this year’s event is to get 1,000 athletes to submit videos and be part of the combine process. Athletes chosen will receive personalized invites with further instructions, including event time slots and details. The athletes will be evaluated for their key athletic traits, to identify opportunities for them across multiple Olympic sports or professional sports programs. To learn more, or to apply for the combine, visit: https://gmtm.com/articles/the-search-for-greatness-at-ucf-with-shaquem-griffin-what-you-need-to-know.

Florida National News spoke with Shaquem and Joey about the combine, college football in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, and Griffin’s hall of fame induction. You can watch the full interview here:

Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant interview

Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com and www.FloridaSportsChannel.com for more.

Florida

Scottie Scheffler Wins Second Red Cardigan at 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

2 years ago

March 10, 2024

Mike Brodsky

Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Scottie Scheffler wins his second red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. Scheffler first won the API in 2022.

Scottie Scheffler wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

The number one ranked golfer in the world, Scheffler finished at 15 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 66 today. Wyndham Clark finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Kurt Kitayama, did not make the cut, this weekend, finishing 7 over par after the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday.

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for the 50th anniversary of The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.