Lion Links: 11/15/16

Good morning, Orlando fans, and welcome to Tuesday's edition of Lion Links. If you're anything like us, you are wasting away time at the office until you can get some much needed time off and enjoy Thanksgiving. While you wait, take some time and catch up on whatever things you may have missed yesterday.

United States Takes on Costa Rica

After a disappointing loss to Mexico on Sunday, the USMNT is back in action tonight against Costa Rica in the quest to qualify for the 2019 World Cup. The game will be a home-field advantage for Costa Rica seeing as it is being played in their home country, already putting America at a disadvantage. Losing this game would not put them out of the running for a World Cup bid, but a win could go a long way to boost morale going forward. The United States is currently 0-8-2 when playing in Costa Rica and 0-8-1 against them in Qualifying, so a win would make history for the team. They will be playing at 9 p.m. ET, so check back this afternoon for our how to watch article.

Former OCSC Coach Adrian Heath to Minnesota United?

Former Orlando City head coach Adrian Heath may have found a replacement job after being let go from Orlando back in July. Rumors are that Heath has become the front-runner for the Minnesota United head coaching position. Minnesota will join MLS in 2017 and is still without a head coach, and various names have been thrown around for months including Giovanni Savarese, current New York Cosmos coach. However, it isn't the three-time Soccer Bowl coach that has been pegged the front-runner (according to the link above), it is none other than Heath himself. Heath coached Orlando City for a season and a half in MLS, posting a 16-18-16 record in the top flight. Before coming to the Sunshine State, he coached the team in Austin and then Orlando in USL, leading them to league titles in 2011 and 2014. His experience transitioning the team from USL to MLS would be a valuable asset to Minnesota.

Frank Lampard Bids NYC Adieu

New York City FC will be without one of its star players in the 2017 season after Frank Lampard announced that he will be departing following his contraction expiration at the end of 2016. While Lampard has not officially announced whether or not he will retire, ESPN FC is reporting that if he does, he will be offered a position by Premier League club Chelsea. He formally spent 11 years with Chelsea, scoring 211 goals, appearing in 648 matches, and winning three Premier League titles. He left in 2014 to join NYCFC where he scored 15 goals in 29 appearances and also spent time with parent side Manchester City. At this point it is unclear what Lampard will do.

Mallory Pugh Aids in Draw Against France

The U-20 USWNT is currently competing in the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Papua New Guinea, opening the tournament with a 0-0 draw against France. This matched opened up play for Group C and proved to be a relentless match before ending with the two sides splitting the points. Mallory Pugh, a starlet for the U.S. first team, was on constant attack, but was unable to convert any of her opportunities. The U.S. will play New Zealand on Thursday, while France will take on Ghana in the next round of group play.

That's all for today, now get back to work and keep that clock ticking until you can get home to watch the United States.