Lion Links: 2/10/15

I'm getting a little tired of waiting. There I said it.

No matter how many times I watch Kaká’s nutmeg against FC Dallas on a loop or some other Orlando City SC training video, it just makes me more impatient for March 8 to get here already. Anybody have a deck of cards?

In all seriousness, these long days of training might actually be the most important for an Orlando City team looking to come together in a hurry. It's here where the foundation of this club is going to be laid and where the journey to the playoffs could very well begin.

And we've got you covered with some Tuesday morning Lion Links.

Halfway to #FillTheBowl

With the release of single-game tickets on Saturday, Orlando City has already hit the halfway mark in the quest to sell out the Citrus Bowl for opening night against New York City FC.

30,000 tickets have already been sold for the March 8 match, with club officials optimistic that a sellout is on the horizon. Most of the lower bowl has already been filled, with the club expected to open the upper sections of the Citrus Bowl sometime in the near future.

The Citrus Bowl can seat just over 60,000 fans following last year’s renovations, meaning the attendance for opening night should be one of the highest in MLS history. The all-time record is 69,225, set in a 1996 match between the LA Galaxy and NY/NJ MetroStars at the Rose Bowl.

Beckham's Miami stadium search continues

David Beckham announced an update on his quest to bring an MLS club to Miami on Monday, claiming that an announcement would be forthcoming in the next few months.

Beckham and his ownership group have already seen two proposed stadium deals fall through, as the club had hoped to find a location available on the Miami waterfront. The club's original goal was to start playing by 2017, but the delays in finding a stadium have cast this proposed start date (or any date) into doubt.

Nonetheless, Beckham remained optimistic that a downtown stadium site would eventually be secured, with a location in Little Havana being raised as a possibility.

Union acquire Benfica defender Vitoria

The Philadelphia Union announced on Monday that the club has acquired Benfica defender Steven Vitoria on loan.

Born in Toronto, Vitoria became a star with Portuguese club Esteril, serving as a part-time captain and leading the club to Europa League qualification in 2013. But his career took a hit after he joined Benfica, where he struggled to find playing time with the Portuguese giants.

Orlando City has a partnership in place with Benfica (that's how the Lions acquired Rafael Ramos and Estrela) and it's interesting to consider how this move reflects the strength of that partnership. I'm not sure the club would have even been interested in Vitoria, but whether any more players are swapped between the two clubs remains to be seen.

That's it for Lion Links today. Stay classy guys!