Lion Links: 7/3/2016

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Transfer season is upon us, and although the excitement is slightly diluted by seeing the hordes of world class Jorge Mendes players move across Europe, MLS is still well capable of providing some exciting transfer talk. After all, Orlando City will be in the market for some new players in order to upgrade on what is an already solid team.

Now on to today's links!

Winter is…Over?

Adrian Winter has officially left Orlando City due to personal family issues as we told you on Friday. Per this story in the Orlando Sentinel, the now-former Lion will be headed to second-tier Swiss club FC Zurich, which was recently relegated. Per Alicia DelGallo's report:

Orlando City could not confirm Swiss media reports linking Winter to FC Zürich, but a Lions spokesman said the club will have the option of selecting a player from Winter's new club as a replacement. There is no set timeline for that exchange.

The Lions getting a player back in all of this is intriguing. If they are of similar quality to Winter, Orlando will be getting a good one. The list is long on players that I would personally like to see the back of, but one player that certainly doesn't top mine or most likely anybody else's list is Winter. He's been a fantastic servant to the club and we're all sad to see him go. We wish you the best.

Orlando City B Draws Charlotte, 1-1

The young Lions fell behind 1-0 but Michael Cox scored in the second half to bring the hosts back in what turned out to be a 1-1 draw against the Charlotte Independence at Titan Soccer Complex last night. OCB didn't have the best first half but played much better after the break. Conor Donovan and Richie Laryea missed on some goal-scoring opportunities, and Johnny Mendoza and Cox also had good opportunities to add another goal to the OCB total but in the end, the teams split the points.

Love that New Seat Smell

Though we've enjoyed some of our best memories in the ol' Camping World Stadium, no Orlando City fan can deny their longing to start life anew in the soccer specific stadium next year. Many of you may pass by it on your way to work, dreaming of sitting in the new seats as the Lions sprint across the freshly cut and well maintained real grass, so let this link tantalize your daydreams a bit more. Not much longer now.

Background Check: Tommy Redding

Tommy Redding is undoubtedly one of City's best and most exciting prospects, especially for a team that struggles to keep the ball out of the net, but how much do you actually know about Orlando's first Homegrown Player? In what will surely be a wise investment towards any Orlando City trivia game that may arise in your near future, Redding's story is one filled with local intrigue.

U.S. Women's Soccer Shooting Itself in the Foot?

Women's soccer in the U.S. will always encounter hurdles on the road to their ideal situation, but are they creating some of those problems themselves? Everyone in Orlando is proud of what the Pride has been able to achieve thus far, being such a new franchise, but having their regularly scheduled soccer interrupted by the national team's schedule seems to be a step backward. Finding a solution to this problem will undoubtedly pose particular difficulties, but ironing out a better relationship between national team duties and club duties is an integral part of growing a potentially great league.

Revealing Interview from "Deuce"

Often times, when athletes are interviewed by radio and media personalities, so little can be deduced from their answers. In the age of coaching players both on and off the field, they tend to stick with safe answers that never truly deviate too far off the fence. However, this interview from Colin Cowherd with Clint Dempsey gave us some honest answers and opinions from one of America's best ever players.

U.S. Women Repeat as Champions in Deaf World Cup

The United States defeated Russia 3-0 in Eboli, Italy yesterday to win back-to-back World Deaf Football Championships. The Yanks also won in 2012. The U.S. out-scored opponents 22-2 in the tournament with Emily Cressy leading the way with 11 goals. Well done to all involved!

That's all for your Sunday links, Mane Landers. Enjoy the rest of your long weekend.