Lion Links: 7/24/15

Welcome to the Friday edition of Lion Links. It's been quite a week, and there's plenty more excitement coming this weekend.

On Thursday evening we learned that Orlando City loanee Sidney Rivera is no longer with Louisville City, but his status remains unclear. We hope to learn a bit more about that situation today. With that, time to get ready for Sunday's match against NYCFC by reading up on the following.

Time is up for Sao Paulo

It seems that Paulo Henrique Ganso won’t don the Purple. It is now confirmed that Sao Paulo won’t take the proposed deal. Sao Paulo had until yesterday to agree to Orlando City’s proposal to forgive the $4.35 million owed for the loan of Kaká last fall, in exchange for the 25-year-old midfielder. Orlando City has filed a lawsuit for the money, since Sao Paulo didn’t agree to the transfer.

A Tale of Two Cities

A bit of a primer heading into the match against New York City FC. The two expansion teams have taken very different paths in their inaugural year in MLS. Now the two teams are going to meet again. Will we see Frank Lampard or Andrea Pirlo for NYCFC? Will Orlando get back to form?

MLS Referees are Not Perfect…Duh

An interesting take on the argument against more technology for officials in MLS. Many are calling for instant replay to make sure red cards and penalty calls are correct, but would that really mean better officiating? It could be that there's a more traditional approach that could result in better referees.

Steven Gerrard a Striker?

Fellow SB Nation blog LA Confidential has an in-depth article on how the LA Galaxy is using the former Liverpool FC midfielder as a striker. It is a departure from the role he played for 17 years in the EPL, but seemingly is more effective here in MLS.

Jurgen on the Hot Seat?

Following the USMNT's loss to Jamaica, there were some calling for Jurgen Klinsmann to be fired. While the loss was painful, the reaction to the loss by the media could be viewed in a positive light. The reality is that Klinsmann is in no real danger of being ousted as the coach of the USMNT, but the debate is indicative of the growth of soccer in the United States. That is a good thing, indeed.

Ronaldo and di Maria…Manchester United Transfer Rumors

Well it wouldn’t be a transfer window without talk of “Cristiano Ronaldo to somebody” speculation. This time it’s Manchester United. Can you see him wearing that Chevy logo on his chest? Is this much ado about nothing? One thing we do know is that Man United has the cash to make it happen. And then there’s evidently an unhappy Angel di Maria, and his move to Paris Saint Germain could be imminent.

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That's it from Lion Links Central today. Enjoy your Friday and get ready for Manchester New York City FC on Sunday!