Lion Links: 7/24/17

Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers! Well, it may not have been a stellar weekend for the teams from Orlando, but at least the U.S. Men’s National Team defeated Costa Rica.

Before we get ready for the Gold Cup final between the U.S. and Jamaica, let’s get to some links.

Orlando City Renews Interest in Dom Dwyer

Rumors surfaced yesterday that Orlando City has been “aggressively pursuing” former USL Lion and current Sporting Kansas City striker Dom Dwyer, and SKC is apparently listening to offers. At 26 and firing on all cylinders for Kansas City, Dwyer is at the peak of his career and would definitely help solve Orlando City’s recent scoring woes.

Seven Pride Players Called Up

The NWSL is taking a break for the inaugural Tournament of Nations. Seven Pride players have been called up for their respective teams. Alex Morgan and Ali Krieger will join the USWNT. Marta, Monica, and Camila will be with the Brazilian National Team. Finally, Alanna Kennedy and Steph Catley will join the Australian National Team. All of that means the Pride will have to train without a good portion of their starters. Fortunately, those players will be getting playing time and not wasting away on the bench.

Deuce Ties Don Ovan’s Record

Clint Dempsey may be nearing the end of his international career. The longtime USMNT striker has had to work past a heart condition in the past year to make it back onto the pitch. He played a full 90 minutes three days before the game against El Salvador, and Bruce Area thought it best to bring Dempsey on in the second half to open up the attack. It proved to be an excellent plan, as Dempsey proved to be the spark the U.S. needed. First, he slotted a pass to Jozy Altidore making a run for the first goal, and then perfectly placed a free kick into the bottom right corner for the second goal of the night. It was his 57th international goal for the U.S., and it tied him with Landon Donovan for the most all-time USMNT goals. In case you missed it during the broadcast, Donovan congratulated Dempsey, and suggested that Clint stop scoring so they could enjoy the record together. But, I’m sure Landon will be alright if Clint scores in the Gold Cup final.

Bruce Arena Instrumental in Getting Jesse Gonzalez

Jesse Gonzalez was once associated with the Mexican national squad. Fortunately, he was still able to choose to switch to the USMNT, and he did so after a call from Bruce Arena. Former U.S. bosses had tried to get Gonzalez to come to the U.S. squad, but didn’t manage it. Gonzalez had represented Mexico at the U-20 and U-23 levels, but never the senior squad. Because of that, he was able to switch to the USMNT. Gonzalez currently plays for FC Dallas in MLS.

Evidently, Soccer is Popular in the U.S.

You may have known that there was a match between Tottenham Hotspur and PSG in Orlando this weekend. What you may not have known is that it was well attended. By Americans! Evidently, soccer is popular even here, and Mike Bianchi is now convinced. The Spurs won 4-2 over PSG, and now move on to a match against AS Roma at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey. Tottenham is led by two-time Golden Boot winner, Harry Kane. Kane agrees that soccer is taking hold in the U.S. based on his personal observations. The next Spurs International Champions Cup match is scheduled for tomorrow night at 8 p.m.

That’s going to do it for today’s edition of Lion Links. Keep checking back with us for more coverage of all things Orlando City.