Lion Links: 5/15/15

Good Friday morning, Orlando. Today provides an opportunity to catch up on those post-match beers that you were robbed of on Wednesday night thanks to the mid-week game, so that should provide a nice springboard into Sunday’s match with the LA Galaxy.

Here's a fresh batch of Lion Links to get the last day of the work week started.

Orlando City Not Hitting Panic Button Despite Struggles

The Lions have had a bit of a rough go of late, losing three of their last four matches in Major League Soccer play, with a 2-2 draw against New England being the only result to (sort of) go their way during that stretch. But the OCSC front office is not panicking yet, as this report from the Orlando Sentinel illustrates. Orlando did attempt to sign a pair of unnamed players in the transfer window that closed this week, but were unsuccessful in their negotiation efforts.

"We did look to do some things we just couldn't find the right situation," Orlando City general manager Paul McDonough told the Sentinel. "We felt we had some [deals] but certain things happened. A player higher on the depth chart got injured and then the club needed the player we were going to get. We were trying to get [another] player on loan, but negotiations between the player and that club broke down."

While Orlando is now faced with several injuries that it must deal with, the latest of which will keep Aurélien Collin out of action on Sunday, they will have to wait until the summer window in July to make any additions to the squad.

Orlando Releasing Commemorative Gameday Posters

Starting with Sunday's match against LA, Orlando City will be releasing commemorative gameday posters, which will be uniquely designed for each match. The first poster for Sunday combines the Galaxy theme with the Lion of Orlando City, which resulted in the Lionaut.

Genoa's Borriello Attracting MLS Interest

Another European striker has been linked with a potential move to MLS. This time it is Genoa forward Marco Borriello, who will be out of contract after the end of the season. Orlando City is mentioned in this report from Pro Soccer Talk due to its need for a striker, but the Lions are mentioned purely out of speculation rather than a real link to the player.

Borriello has played for big clubs the likes of AC Milan, Juventus, Roma and West Ham previously, scoring 42 goals in 99 appearances.

American Goalkeeper Friedel Announces Retirement

Brad Friedel, the 44-year-old American keeper currently playing a backup role with Tottenham Hotspur, announced on Thursday that he would be hanging up his cleats at the end of the season.

"I'm incredibly proud of what I've achieved in my career," Friedel said in a statement on Tottenham's website. "When I first started the journey I never imagined it would be this long, playing 23 season in total and representing some incredible clubs."

Friedel's career has spanned 23 years, during which he has played for the Columbus Crew, Liverpool, Blackburn and Aston Villa before moving to North London and Tottenham. He garnered MLS Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 1997 with the Crew prior to moving across the pond.

Crazy Venezuelan Fan Drop Kicks Player Post-Game

There was a crazy, scary moment in Venezuela on Wednesday following the conclusion of a 0-0 draw between Carabobo and Aragua Primera Division Venezolana. A crazed fan rushed onto the pitch and landed a pretty hard drop kick right into the back of Carabobo forward Aquiles Ocanto, sending him to the ground with force.

The video can be seen here. Fortunately, Carabobo have said that Ocanto is recovering from the kick, so here's hoping he wasn't injured too badly in the incident.

Have a happy Friday, Lions!