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Lion Links: 1/6/17

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8 years ago

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TGIF! The first weekend of the new year is upon us, and by now, way too many of us have already dropped the ball on our New Year’s resolutions. Hopefully that’s not you. Personally, I would rather not go into detail on the progress of mine. Let’s just say, it’s not going too well.

Regardless, plenty of news involving Orlando City SC personnel, past and present, has surfaced so let’s jump right into it.

Orlando City Dedicates Section to Pulse Victims

As pictures of the new stadium continually surfaced to tease us all, one couldn’t help but notice rainbow-colored seats. On Thursday, Phil Rawlins led a private ceremony to unveil the 49 seats as a tribute to the 49 people that lost their lives at the Pulse nightclub in the largest mass shooting by a single gunman in modern U.S. history. Rawlins went on to say that the seats are easily visible to anyone who visits the stadium. To be exact, they are in the middle of Section 12, honoring the devastating night of June 12.

"We made a commitment on that day that, which is that we would commemorate, forever, in the new stadium a memory of the 49 victims that lost their lives that day. And today we're here to do that. We're here to commemorate and unveil the 49 rainbow seats that will sit permanently in Section 12 of our new stadium as a constant reminder of the senseless acts of June 12." Rawlins said at the dedication.

It truly is a touching tribute, and a perfect way to use the beautiful game to bring people together. As expected, it was a huge hit.

Goalkeeper Coach Stewart Kerr joins Vancouver

After just one season as the Lions goalkeeper coach, Stewart Kerr has jumped ship to join the Vancouver Whitecaps. Kerr joined the staff under Adrian Heath in December 2015 and played a huge role in Joe Bendik’s breakout season.

Kerr, formerly a goalkeeper for Celtic, Brighton, and Wigan Athletic, was forced to retire at just 26 due to a back injury. He began his coaching career in 2008 with stops at Airdrie United, Motherwell, and Toronto FC before joining Orlando.

While the impact of Kerr’s departure on Bendik is yet to be seen, his decision isn’t all that surprising. Kerr has family in Canada, and given the offer from Vancouver, it’s easy to see why he decided to accept.

“Stewart approached us and expressed his intentions to move closer to his family in Canada. He has been an important part of our technical staff, but we respect and understand his decision to put his family first,” General Manager Niki Budalic said in a press release.

Luke Boden Joining Rowdies

Luke Boden has found a new home — in Tampa Bay. The veteran left back that made the jump from USL to MLS with Orlando City will sign with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL. Like Kerr, Boden elected to be close to his family despite interest from MLS clubs.

Boden came to Orlando after coming up through the youth ranks at Sheffield Wednesday in England. Several loan stints later, Boden made the decision to ply his trade in the U.S. The 28-year-old made 45 MLS appearances for the Lions in two years, starting in 43 of them.

Perhaps the best crossing fullback that has put on the purple shirt, Boden had his contract option declined after the 2016 season in which he saw significant less time on the field.

Cyle Larin Not Cleared to Play in Florida Cup All-Star Game

In Florida Cup’s third year, the tournament will include 14 clubs from seven different countries. The tournament plans to honor the victims of the Chapecoense team that lost their lives in a plane crash.

As part of the tournament, legends of the game along with well-known local players take the field for a 20-minute all-star exhibition. This year’s game is scheduled for Jan. 15 at UCF’s Brighthouse Networks Stadium.

In a turn of events, Orlando City will not clear Cyle Larin to play prior to annual medicals scheduled to take place during the last week of January. Larin was expected to be a part of the 22-man roster that will be released next week, and even featured in its promotional video. "The club's plan is to make him ready, fit, and healthy for our season," an Orlando City spokesman told the Orlando Sentinel.

Arena Calls Up 32 Players for January Camp

As expected, U.S. Soccer announced the players that new (old) head coach Bruce Arena has chosen to participate in this month’s camp that culminates in two friendlies against Serbia and Jamaica in San Diego and Chattanooga, respectively. January camp rarely resembles the full talent pool due to it being almost exclusively domestic-based players. Christian Pulisic is in the middle of a Champions League race, John Brooks and Fabian Johnson are seeing valuable minutes in the Bundesliga, and, understandably, their clubs aren’t interested in letting them go and risking injury elsewhere.

Arena’s 32-man roster exclusively features MLS talent representing 15 clubs. Unsurprisingly, Orlando City was one of those without representation. The players that will make their way into camp on Jan. 10 can be found in the linked article above.

A few names from the list jump out. Chris Wondolowski being named to the squad means that despite a new man in charge, it’s more of the same. It was Klinsmann’s unwavering loyalty to some players that put him in the line of fire from supporters. Wondolowski was definitely one of those players.

While Kekuta Manneh was always expected to make this list, he is currently in the process of completing his eligibility requirements to represent the United States and will be unable to participate in the friendlies at the end of camp.

Graham Zusi at right back sticks out like a sore thumb. Will the Zusi experiment provide better results than Brek Shea’s transition to left back? Let’s wait and see. Zusi’s club teammate, Benny Feilhaber, is back in the fold after falling completely out of favor under Klinsmann.

Phew, that was a lot. Hopefully you absorbed some of it and liked even a fraction of that. If not, I’ll try again next week. Until next time, have a great weekend!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 12/20/24

Orlando City’s 2025 MLS season schedule announced, MLS mock drafts, MLS clubs making moves, and more.

Published

2 days ago

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December 20, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! I finally have everything squared away after a week of hustling and bustling, meaning I can thankfully avoid the stores this weekend and just relax before next week’s chaos. I’m still trying to nail down what I’ll be cooking as my contribution for my family’s holiday dinner, but it should be fun trialing some options over the next few days. For now though, let’s dive right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City’s 2025 MLS Schedule Announced

MLS revealed the schedule for the 2025 season and Orlando City’s first game of the season will be at home against the Philadelphia Union on Feb. 22. Orlando has yet to start a season on the road since joining the league back in 2015. The Lions aren’t scheduled to play against expansion club San Diego FC this year, but they will play their first road game against St. Louis City on June 25. While a majority of Orlando’s games will be on Saturdays, they do have a pair of games on Sundays against Inter Miami, including a rivalry week showdown on May 18. Decision Day will be on Oct. 18, with the Lions on the road to take on Toronto FC to close out the regular season.

Predicting the 2025 MLS SuperDraft

The MLS SuperDraft is set to take place today and Top Drawer Soccer did a mock draft to predict how the first two rounds will go. Orlando City currently has the 27th pick in the first round and Top Drawer Soccer has them selecting defensive midfielder Jackson Castro out of Creighton. The pick makes enough sense to me, as Orlando lost some depth in its midfield following the 2024 season and Castro was Duncan McGuire’s teammate on a strong Creighton team a couple of years ago. The Lions were also predicted to take West Virginia winger Sergio Ors Navarro and Kentucky forward Logan Dorsey in the second round.

Travis Clark of MLSsoccer.com also did a mock draft of the first round, with Orlando taking Cornell winger Alioune Ka. Interestingly enough, both mock drafts have NCAA leading scorer Emil Jaaskelainen going in the first round after Orlando’s pick. I’m pretty excited to see how it all shakes out today and learn which players will become the latest Lions on the team.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The off-season is bringing plenty of change across the league as teams continue wheeling and dealing in preparation for the 2025 season. The New England Revolution made a splash by trading away up to $3.25 million in General Allocation Money (GAM) to Miami in exchange for attacker Leonardo Campana. The 24-year-old should give a needed boost to a New England team that only scored 37 goals this season. As for Miami, it now has an MLS-trade record fee of $2.5 million in guaranteed GAM and an open Designated Player spot at its disposal.

The LA Galaxy traded away 2024 MLS Cup MVP Gastón Brugman and a conditional $100,000 in GAM to Nashville SC in exchange for midfielder Sean Davis. Brugman will help Nashville fill the gap left by Anibal Godoy, who joined San Diego FC as a free agent. FC Dallas also added a free agent, signing defender Lalas Abubakar to a two-year deal.

GAM Amounts Revealed for Each MLS Club

MLS pulled back the curtain a bit and unveiled the amount of General Allocation Money that each team had as of Dec. 10. Orlando City’s total comes in at $3,990,312, which is a pretty hefty amount that can be used to improve the team. Atlanta United’s $6,503,478 is the most in the league, while the Houston Dynamo are at the other end of the spectrum with just $2,063,538. The Campana trade helps put these amounts into perspective, but there are many uses for GAM and it’s interesting to see where each club stands. It’s also just nice to get some transparency from the league about this and hopefully that trend continues in 2025.

Free Kicks

  • The National Independent Soccer Association will reportedly no longer be sanctioned by the United States Soccer Foundation next year, which would leave MLS NEXT Pro and USL League One as the third-division leagues in the U.S.
  • Tottenham beat Manchester United 4-3 to claim the final semifinal spot in the EFL Cup, with Son Heung-Min scoring directly from a corner kick. Tottenham will face off against Liverpool in the next round, with Newcastle and Arsenal squaring off in the other semifinal.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I wish you all a relaxing weekend and a very happy holidays!

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Lion Links: 12/19/24

Preparing for the MLS SuperDraft, New York Red Bulls sign Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Tim Weah injured, and more.

Published

3 days ago

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December 19, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando City B / Mark Thor

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I’ve knocked out all of my shopping except for one gift I’m still trying to procure. I have a lead on it though and high hopes that I can get a literal bow on it before traveling to visit my family next week. For now though, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Getting Ready for the MLS SuperDraft

The 2025 MLS SuperDraft will take place on Friday and the league released the list of 477 eligible players clubs can choose from. This year’s Generation Adidas class includes Cornell forward Alex Harris, North Carolina left back Tate Johnson, Wisconsin forward Dean Boltz, and UC Santa Barbara defensive midfielder Manu Duah. Those players likely won’t be on the board by the time Orlando City’s 27th overall pick rolls around, but the team has proven in the past it isn’t afraid to make a trade for a top prospect.

Here’s a nice position-by-position breakdown of some of the best players available on Friday. I personally think Orlando could use some depth at center back, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the team rolls the dice on a center forward given its track record. Unfortunately, we’ll have to follow along with each pick on the league’s website rather than a stream.

MLS Transfer Roundup

After falling in the MLS Cup final earlier this month, the New York Red Bulls have added some firepower by signing Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting as a Designated Player. The 35-year-old heads to MLS after playing for Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Stoke City, and Schalke 04 over the past 10 years. The Red Bulls now have a fairly dangerous trio of Designated Players in Choupo-Moting, Emil Forsberg, and Dante Vanzeir.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference, the New England Revolution added midfielder Jackson Yueill as a free agent. The 27-year-old signed a three-year contract that includes options for 2028 and 2029. D.C. United traded away $150,000 in General Allocation Money to Nashville SC in exchange for defender Lukas MacNaughton. FC Dallas signed midfielder Ramiro Benetti, who has spent the past two seasons with Cruzeiro Esporte Clube in Brazil. Veteran defender Nick Lima has returned to the San Jose Earthquakes, signing a two-year contract with the club.

Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad

The injuries continue to rack up for the Americans, as Tim Weah will miss some time after sustaining a thigh injury earlier this week in Juventus’ win over Cagliari. In better news for Americans plying their trade abroad, forward Ricardo Pepi scored twice in PSV Eindhoven’s 8-0 win against Koninklijke HFC in the KNVB Cup. Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool are all reportedly interested in left back Antonee Robinson, who turned some heads with a pair of assists on Sunday.

EFL Cup Semifinals Nearly Set

The EFL Cup semifinals are setting up to be a heavyweight affair, with Liverpool, Arsenal, and Newcastle all advancing from the quarterfinals. The day belonged to Gabriel Jesus, who scored his first hat trick for Arsenal in a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace. Liverpool extended its unbeaten streak to 20 games across all competitions after a 2-1 win over Southampton, while Newcastle United beat Brentford thanks to a brace from Sandro Tonali. The final semifinalist will come from today’s match between Manchester United and Tottenham, with the draw taking place afterwards.

Free Kicks

  • The NWSL Shield and Championship trophy paid a visit to WFTV’s studios, and it’s still a bit surreal that the Orlando Pride secured both pieces of silverware this season.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!

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Lion Links: 12/18/24

Another report on the Facundo Torres transfer, Marta wins her own award, Becky Sauerbrunn retires, and more.

Published

4 days ago

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December 18, 2024

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Image courtesy of Orlando Pride

Welcome to Wednesday, Mane Landers. For those that celebrate Christmas, we’re only a week out, so I hope you’ve gotten your shopping done. If not, no judgement from me, just encouragement. I know you can do it! I think we can all do with a little more encouragement these days. For now, let’s get to the links.

Torres Deal Done?

WESH is reporting that the Facundo Torres to Palmeiras deal is done. As of this writing, there has been no confirmation from either club, but it is reasonable to think where there’s this much smoke, there’s fire. Torres may have scored his last goal in purple, and will leave as the club’s all-time leader in that category after three seasons. According to the report, Torres signed a five-year deal with the Brazilian club. We will provide updates as information becomes available.

Marta Wins Marta Award

In the most appropriate award selection in history, Marta has won the inaugural FIFA award for the best goal in women’s soccer, aptly named The FIFA Marta Award.

The award winning goal came in Brazil’s international friendly against Jamaica in June, as the Brazilian made a nice move to clear a defender and then sent in a long-range shot. Check it out.

Marta received the award at FIFA’s “The Best” Award ceremony in Doha, Qatar.

USWNT Legend Becky Sauerbrunn Retires

Former USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn is retiring from professional soccer. The legendary defender has played in the NWSL in every year of it’s existence. She retires having won three championships, one NWSL Shield, multiple Women’s World Cups, and Olympic medals. Sauerbrunn is definitively one of the best to ever wear a U.S. jersey.

NWSL, MLS NEXT Pro Expand

The NWSL is entering into exclusive negotiations with a Denver-area group regarding the league’s next expansion franchise. Denver was picked above both Cincinnati and Cleveland. The expansion fee is in the $105-$120 million range.

MLS NEXT Pro is also adding another new team. Until a new name, logo, and brand are settled on, the team will be called West Michigan Soccer. The team will be the sixth independent club in MLS NEXT Pro. Orlando City B won’t have the opportunity to play the new team until 2027.

Free Kicks

  • Torres’ goal against Nashville made it into a compilation of volleyed goals from the MLS Twitter account.

That will do it for today. Keep checking in as our Orlando City and Orlando Pride Season in Review pieces continue. Vamos Orlando!

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