Lion Links: 7/27/15

In the end, it just wasn’t enough. Not Cyle Larin’s hat trick. Not the strong contingent of traveling Orlando City supporters. And not the New York City FC tifo that looked like something I drew up in art class when I was six.

In front of a packed Yankee Stadium that saw Andrea Pirlo make his MLS debut, the Lions just couldn’t get it done against NYCFC, falling 5-3 in a game that featured abysmal defending and a pitch that felt like it was made for Little Leaguers.

So grab a friend, grab a drink (OJ for now, but all bets are off after 5 p.m.) and let's try and process what happened on a Sunday we'd probably all like to forget.

Recapping the Loss to New York City FC

You know the drill…

• Gavin Ewbank was at Yankee Stadium and wrote our recap of the loss
• Player Grades and Man of the Match — also from Gavin
• Hudson River Blue gives us the NYCFC perspective on the match

And remember, we get one more shot at NYCFC later this season at the Citrus Bowl. Plus, we'll always have "Lapmard":

A Look at Darwin Cerén's Remarkable Story

He may not be the flashiest or most well-known player on Orlando City's roster, but Darwin Cerén has been essential in stabilizing the Lion's oft-injured midfield this season.

Paul Tenorio took a look back at Cerén's journey from El Salvador to the City Beautiful, profiling the player in the Orlando Sentinel.

Starting out as a construction worker in his native country, Cerén received permission from his boss to miss work for a tryout with a second-division Salvadorian side. Six years later, the plucky midfielder has become a regular member of his national team and a key player with Orlando City, teaming up with Kaká, who was playing with Real Madrid when Cerén was working construction in El Salvador, to power the Lions' offensive attack.

Conor Donovan Loaned to Pittsburgh

Earlier in the week, Adrian Heath said he wanted to find playing time for a number of young players, including Sidney Rivera, who recently returned from Louisville City FC. One of those players, rookie defender Conor Donovan, found a new temporary home with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Hopefully Conor will get some much-needed professional experience, and a whole lot of minutes.

Klinsmann in Trouble After Gold Cup Flameout?

The USMNT's performance at the 2015 Gold Cup was…disappointing. Failing to reach the tournament final for the first time in over a decade was bad enough, but the way the national team played during CONCACAF's biennial championship has left many wondering if head coach Jurgen Klinsmann could lose his job.

To recap, the Americans won their group behind less-than-convincing victories over Honduras and Haiti, before drawing with Panama in the group stage finale. They thrashed Cuba 6-0, before losing to Jamaica in the semifinals. On Saturday, the U.S. lost to Panama on penalty kicks in the consolation game, good for a fourth-place finish in the tournament — their worst showing since 2000.

Cleary, this is not good news.

The question becomes whether it's bad enough to cost Klinsmann his job in charge of the national team. Keep in mind that a loss in the 2011 Gold Cup Final was enough for U.S. Soccer to show former manager Bob Bradley the door.

Sunlil Gulati stood by Klinsmann immediately after the consolation loss, playing down comparisons between Bradley’s post-Gold Cup exit and what the future may hold for Klinsmann. He also offered his thoughts on the current state of the national team.

"Progress is not linear for anyone," Gulati said. "There are bumps along the way. This is totally a bump. The team was certainly on a high in the spring. And today’s a low. But those are the norms for everyone."

Others have been less supportive of Klinsmann's tenure and expressed concern about the state of the USMNT moving forward. While it seems unlikely that the U.S. will make a head coaching change in the coming days, if the national team drops its Confederation Cup playoff in the fall, we could be in for some serious USMNT drama.

Kaká Takes New York

Until someone uncovers the REAL montage of Kaká's week in New York City (I'm imagining him trying his first hot dog, visiting the Statue of Liberty, and going on a carriage ride with Sean St. Ledger through Central Park), this video from OrlandoCitySC.com will have to do.

Orlando City’s captain continues to show he’s serious about his role as an ambassador for both MLS and the game of soccer in the United States, having made these stops around NYC ahead of Sunday’s game. And as long as he’s wearing purple, he can spend as much time in the Big Apple as he wants.

Drogba to Montreal Seems All But Done

An article on ESPNFC today confirmed that the Montreal Impact are indeed preparing to sign Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, after acquiring the rights to the forward from the Chicago Fire.

The Fire reportedly received upwards of $100,000 in allocation money for a move that was basically arbitrary after Drogba decided he wanted to play for Montreal, where his native language of French is spoken. It marks the second time in a year that the Fire have missed out on a big-time target after they saw Jermaine Jones sign with the New England Revolution last season, following a blind draw between the two clubs.

That's it for Lion Links today. Remember that Tom Petty song "Free Falling?" That's a good song.