Lion Links: 8/5/15

Ah, nothing better than waking up on a Wednesday and realizing that Orlando City will be beating up on some poor Canadian soccer team in the evening. It definitely makes the work day less bearable so let’s start the match preparations off right with some Lion Links.

Cyle Larin (a.k.a. Rookie of the Year) Making Headlines

While the Orlando faithful all know the glory that is SuperDraft number one pick Cyle Larin, the rest of the world needed five goals in two matches to realize the gem this team has. MLSsoccer.com featured a great piece on the effectiveness of Larin that I highly, and I mean highly, recommend that you read. On top of that, ESPNFC and the official FIFA website also gave some love to our roarin' Lion. So much for needing a striker (unless it's Zlatan, everyone could us a little Zlatan).

Tally Hall is a Save of the Week Candidate

While Kei Kamara may be MLS' deadliest striker, Tally Hall is the league's most effective goalkeeper (no citation needed, it is fact). In last Saturday's game, Kamara whipped a deadly header on goal that was almost certain to go in before Tally Hall miraculously saved it. In a game where it seemed almost everything went right for the Lions, this save stuck out even more. Make sure to go vote for Tally Hall in the MLS save of the week here.

Citrus Bowl To Host LigaMX Friendly

According to the Orlando Sentinel's Paul Tenorio, LigaMX clubs Cruz Azul and Puebla will face off in a friendly at the Citrus Bowl on Sept. 3 as a part of the "Shares Cup International," which will benefit the Florida Hospital Foundation's Sharing Smiles. With a large Spanish speaking population in Orlando, it will not surprise anyone if the crowd is quite large for this match and with the proceeds benefiting a good cause, I hope Orlando City fans will make it out as well.

Columbus Crew Acquire Jack McInerney From Montreal

In what I consider the steal of the year, Columbus offloaded a second-round SuperDraft pick for one of the league's most proficient young goal scorers. At 22 years old, Jack Mac has scored 36 goals, good enough to place him at 22nd among all active players. Thankfully, we are done playing Columbus for the year, playoffs excluded obviously, otherwise we would have a very potent attack to deal with.

Aron Johannsson To Werder Bremen

While many were secretly hoping the U.S. International would make his way to Orlando, Aron Johannsson chose a move to the Bundesliga with Werder Bremen. Johannsson figures to be the first choice striker, which could greatly benefit the USMNT as they seek to qualify for and perform well in the 2018 World Cup.

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That's it for today. Be sure to catch our open thread for the match where there is a 1776% chance I will be there talking about how much better than Canada the U.S. is. Have a great day!