Lion Links: 2/5/16

A pleasant Friday morning, Mane Landers, and to our U.S. readers, Happy National Weatherpersons' Day! Get your weekends off to the best possible start by reading today's links!

Nocerino saga: A Blessing in Disguise?

As the saga surrounding D.C. United, OCSC, and Italian midfielder Antonio Nocerino continues, Paul Tenorio of the Orlando Sentinel makes a case for the potential positives that could rise from the incident. What do you think of his take?

New Acquisitions for Orlando City B

OCB announced the signings of a pair of 23-year-olds: defender Zach Ellis-Hayden and goalkeeper Jake Fenlason. The two new signings will bring a wealth of college experience and youthful exuberance to the OCB roster.

The Best from Kaká in OCSC Colors

Relive the highlights of Kaká's first MLS and OCSC season in this short video. Despite the disappointment of missing out on the playoffs, Kaká integrated fairly well to MLS's style of play. What was your favorite moment of magic produced by our midfield star? Are there any glaring omissions from the clip?

USMNT Holds Steady in Most Recent FIFA rankings

The USMNT retained its spot at number 32 in the latest edition of FIFA's national team rankings. CONCACAF rivals Costa Rica leapfrogged the U.S. and currently sit at no. 31, leaving the USMNT as the third highest-ranked team in the region behind the aforementioned Los Ticos and Mexico. El Tri is ranked 22nd.

Personal Information of USWNT Members Made Public in Lawsuit

As mentioned in yesterday’s links, U.S. Soccer sued the union representing the USWNT. As it turns out, personal information of several players was disclosed to the public in the lawsuit, before being redacted. Players, as expected, did not react kindly to the incident:

"Naturally, we're upset," midfielder Megan Rapinoe said on Thursday. "The players are very, very, upset. We feel disrespected, We feel that our personal information, our privacy and our safety was handled frivolously and with real negligence. I doubt it was purposeful, but it's an egregious error, and one that's unacceptable."

For those interested, Paul Kennedy's Twitter feed (Soccer America Editor in Chief and Virginia bar member) provided great updates as the story unfolded. Between this latest mishap and the recent issues over the staging of games on artificial turf, USWNT players have a lot to be unhappy about.

Friday Free Kicks

If you happen to cross paths with any of the following current or former players of the beautiful game, be sure to wish them a Happy Birthday: Cesare Maldini (93); Sven-Göran Eriksson (68); Gheorghe Hagi (51); Giovanni van Bronckhorst (41); Carlos Tevez (32); and Neymar (24)…Like other leagues around the world, MLS has updated the regulations concerning championship stars on club jerseys…Get ready for tonight’s U.S. vs. Canada friendly by watching the highlights from previous games. What role will Cyle Larin play in deciding the outcome of future USMNT and CMNT matches?…Former Louisville City FC forward Matt Fondy has a new home, as the player has joined NASL side Jacksonville Armada FC after lighting up USL defenses in 2015 to the tune of 22 goals and seven assists.

That's it for the links. Be sure to check back here later for a preview of tonight's game from Daniel Byrd. Enjoy your Friday!