Lion Links: 7/20/16

It's just another Wednesday for Orlando City.

Nothing new to report, just the Lions preparing for a Saturday date with Columbus, OCB prepping for NYRBII on Sunday, and the Pride getting set for Seattle on Saturday.

Oh, Orlando City did happen to hire a new head coach, though. Former RSL and NYCFC Head Coach Jason Kreis has officially taken the reins for the Lions, becoming the club's second-ever manager, which I suppose is a little tid bit worth mentioning.

We've got plenty of reading for you on that and more in today's links.

City Officially Hires Kreis as Head Coach

Just about two weeks after the firing of former Head Coach Adrian Heath, Orlando City has officially announced a replacement in the form of former Real Salt Lake and New York City FC skipper Jason Kreis.

The news was originally broken by Ives Galarcep for Goal.com on Wednesday afternoon. Kreis was given a short leash in his last managerial stop in NYC, getting the boot after just one season in charge without making the playoffs for the expansion franchise. Kreis has an MLS Cup on his résumé from his time at RSL, and seems like a solid hire for the Lions, bringing a career record of 112-95-67 to OCSC. Get the lowdown on Kreis right here, courtesy of our Jeremy Croston.

Our Logan F. Oliver will have analysis coming later today on how the Lions’ current personnel could fit in with Kreis’ tactical approach.

Bendik Up for Save of the Week…Again

Orlando goalkeeper Joe Bendik has been a regular presence in this season's MLS Save of the Week award, and he's taken home the honor three times already this campaign. JB is back in the running this week thanks to his impressive save last week against NYRB's Gonzalo Verón, whom he stoned after charging off his line and going to ground in a 1-v-1 situation. The save left Bendik bloodied, as Verón's leg made contract with his face on his follow through. You can watch the save and vote for Joe here, as he goes head to head with Chicago's Sean Johnson.

OCSC's Da Silva Named to 22-Man U.S. U-19 Squad

Orlando City's Pierre da Silva, who has featured in 14 games this season for OCB and boasts two goals and four assists, saw his name called this week as part of the U.S. U-19 squad's 22-man roster for the upcoming COTIF Tournament in Spain. The tourney will take place from July 20 through Aug. 5 in Valencia, and the U.S. youngsters will take on Venezuela, Mauritania, Spain and Bahrain in group play. Here's hoping for a good showing for OCB's young midfielder.

Valeri Runs Away with Player of the Week Honors

SB Nation Soccer has spoken, and Diego Valeri has been named the MLS Player of the Week following a two-goal outing in a rivalry win over Seattle this past weekend. Our own Michael Citro was one of 10 SB Nation MLS voters, and he was one of seven to select Valeri as the first-place finisher for this week's honor. Fabian Castillo finished a distant second, and to the surprise of no one, there were no Lions receiving votes after a one-point week despite two matches.

Complexities of Youth Club Compensation in the U.S.

This month, three American clubs — Crossfire Premier, Chicago Sockers, and Dallas Texans — filed a class-action lawsuit to challenge youth club compensation in relation to Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, and DeAndre Yedlin. ESPNFC has laid out the details of the situation, the main point of which is as follows:

The suit aims to settle the question of whether FIFA's regulations on the status and transfer of players (RSTP) are legal here in the U.S., and whether the youth clubs in question can then recoup training fees for its players who later become professionals.

Like seemingly everything related to MLS and U.S. Soccer in general, it's a complicated situation. The article is an interesting read and does a good job covering all the bases of the case, as well as delving into the possible ramifications for player development funding in the U.S.

That will do it for today's Lion Links. Be sure to check in throughout the day for more Kreis-related content, as we try to prep for a new era of Orlando City SC under his tutelage. Have a wonderful Wednesday, all.