Lion Links: 11/29/16

Happy Tuesday morning, Mane Landers! Well, I had so much fun bringing you the Links yesterday, I decided to do it again.

Heath to Minnesota United (Probably)

Though it’s something we’ve suspected for a while, it seems others are getting on board with the Adrian Heath to Minnesota thing. Namely, fellow SB Nation site E Pluribus Loonum. They make some good comparisons between Inchy and former boss Carl Craig, as well as pointing out how Heath found greater success prior to coaching in MLS. It seems that our pals over at E Pluribus Loonum have seen the possibilities that Orlando’s former gaffer brings to an expansion squad.

Larin to Celtic?

You’ll have to dig deep into this link to find the story, but Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers knows that it’s possible he’ll have to replace his striker, Moussa Dembélé. As such, one of the potential replacements Celtic is tracking is Orlando City’s Cyle Larin. There’s plenty to consider in regards to his transfer fee, and what price Larin would fetch. However, you might consider that though we’d lose our top scorer, it would infuse some much-needed cash for Head Coach Jason Kreis to make some other moves. Time will tell.

Montreal at Toronto Preview

Seattle wrapped up the Western Conference Final on Sunday, and this Wednesday we get to see which team the Eastern Conference will send to the MLS Final. Toronto will host Montreal in the second leg of an all-Canadian match-up. Even though this is the second leg, Toronto’s two away goals have evened the odds, so we should be in for a fantastic match. Will Montreal repeat the first leg with multiple goals, or will Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco show their scoring prowess? Well, we’ll find out tomorrow night.

Josh Perez Debuts at Fiorentina

We all remember the splash that 2015 U.S. under-17 World Cup member Christian Pulisic made when he debuted in the Bundesliga. Now another member of that team has come on for a top tier European club. Josh Perez came on in the 75th minute for Fiorentina’s loss to Inter Milan. While it might not seem like that big of a deal, the 18-year-old is the first American to play for Fiorentina. Hopefully, Perez will be able to hone his skills abroad and help the USMNT going forward.

Arizona United Rebrands Like a Phoenix Rising from the Ashes

I’m not kidding with that header, the new name is Phoenix Rising FC. This is not just some new name for the USL squad, however, as they are planning a 15.8-acre soccer specific training and stadium facility. That is quite a move for a USL club, and it should generate plenty of excitement in Arizona for their team. They are also planning to work with the Arizona Youth Soccer Association for local development of players. Not bad, Arizona. Not bad.

That will do it for today. Stay tuned to The Mane Land for more great coverage of Orlando City and the rest of the soccer world.