Lion Links: 7/18/16

Good Monday morning, Mane Landers. Grab your favorite morning beverage while you’re at work and take in today’s links. We have a lot to talk about in the world of soccer, so I think we can all take a few minutes from whatever grind we have to deal with to focus on the beautiful game.

Orlando City Close to a New Head Coach?

News broke out late Sunday that Orlando City was in "advanced talks" with Jason Kreis per former Orlando Sentinel and current FourFourTwo reporter Paul Tenorio. Nothing official has come from the team, but our Gavin Ewbank analyzed what Kreis brings to the table as a possible candidate. Fans of Orlando City may need to get more familiar with the 4-4-2 diamond because that formation may be coming soon to Camping World Stadium.

Orlando City All-Stars

Sunday also saw MLS revealing the roster for the upcoming All-Star game. Included in the roster were two Orlando City players, as Cyle Larin and Kaká were named to the team taking on Arsenal on July 28 in San Jose. This is the second selection for our Brazilian captain who was All-Star MVP last year and the first for our Canadian striker. The break will also come at a good time for the team, which could also be installing a new offensive system — like the 4-4-2 diamond.

Rio Right Around the Corner for USWNT

As the start of the Summer Games in Rio approaches, the spotlight will once again turn to the U.S. Women’s National team representing our country on the soccer pitch. The L.A. Times wrote a piece on Carli Lloyd, the current women’s world player of the year, who is coming back into form from a knee injury suffered in Orlando. Lloyd still feels she has a lot of prove and that bodes well for Team USA’s chances of winning the gold medal — a feat no defending World Cup champion has accomplished.

Landon Donovan Taking his Next Coaching Steps

American soccer legend Landon Donovan will be on the sidelines coaching the Homegrown Game as part of the MLS All-Star week activities in San Jose. However, the coaching bug might have bitten Donovan to do more than the annual event. He has been working on getting his U.S. soccer federation coach’s license. Imagine a day when the U.S. Men’s National Team is heading into a World Cup match being led by Donovan. It’s almost too good to dare dream.

Well, that’s all the links I have for today Mane Landers. Time to get back to your Monday work, but it’s okay if you come back during the work day and check on all the latest Orlando City news as it breaks. Keep roaring.