Lion Links: 7/28/17

Good morning, Mane Landers! It’s finally Friday, which means that Orlando City is one day closer to revenge in Atlanta. As for today, we’d like to wish both Pride defender Ali Krieger and Orlando City / OCB midfielder Pierre Da Silva a happy birthday. We’ve got a packed set of links today with news from the Orlando Pride’s stars shining on the international stage along with more on the Gold Cup.

Besiktas Bid For Cyle Larin Rejected

Orlando City fans can breathe easy for now, as another bid for Cyle Larin’s services has been shot down. Of course, it’s comforting to know if he does leave the Lions will be left with Dom Dwyer, but I really want to see a Dwyer-Larin duo at least for the rest of this season. Jason Kreis has been working with Dwyer to assimilate him into the team before its big game against Atlanta United on Saturday.

USWNT Falls to Australia in Tournament of Nations

Yes, you read that headline right, I’m afraid. The USWNT showed no attacking sharpness and essentially gifted the Matildas the winning goal in a 1-0 loss against Australia. Alex Morgan came off the bench and narrowly missed one of the best chances the U.S. had on the night while Ali Krieger was an unused sub. Alanna Kennedy and Steph Catley played center back for the winning Aussies.

Orlando Pride’s Camila Scores Late Equalizer Against Japan

Marta, Monica, and Camila all featured for Brazil against Japan in the Tournament of Nations. It was looking like the game would end in defeat for the Brazilians until Camila scored a swerving long shot in the 87th minute to tie the game at 1-1.

Miguel Gallardo Returns to the Playing Field

Former Orlando City goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo — an instrumental part of the club’s USL trophy collection — has been serving as a sideline reporter on Lions broadcasts this MLS season. But Miggy is returning to the pitch. The Florida Tropics of the Major Arena Soccer League announced yesterday that Gallardo will play for them this upcoming season. This shouldn’t affect his job with Orlando City much, as the MASL season runs from November through February. Good luck, Miggy!

Six USMNT Players Listed in the Gold Cup Best XI

As tournament best XI teams go, the winning team normally does take up a lot of it. In the 2017 Gold Cup it was no different, with the victorious USMNT taking up six starting spots. Michael Bradley also took home the Golden Ball.

Jordan Morris Takes Advantage of his Chance at Gold Cup

Jordan Morris hasn’t had his best season this year with the Sounders, so when he was picked for the USMNT Gold Cup roster, it was clear that he had something to prove. He virtually had to compete against Gyasi Zardes the whole tournament for the forward/winger spot. While he will be remembered by fans — and rightfully so — for his late goal against Jamaica that won the Gold Cup, Bruce Arena will remember him for his amazing work rate throughout the tournament which wore defenses down.

Both LA Teams Make Coaching Changes

It seemed as if the two Los Angeles clubs tried to one-up each other yesterday by both naming new coaches. The soon-to-be MLS club, LAFC, announced that its head coach will be former USMNT coach Bob Bradley. Meanwhile, the LA Galaxy fired Head Coach Curt Onalfo and replaced him with former Galaxy and Sounders coach Sigi Schmid. It’s not the ideal former Galaxy coach, but I don’t think this team can get much worse, especially considering that it also signed Jonathan dos Santos yesterday to team up with his brother Giovani. Galaxy fans will be hoping that the old saying comes true that dos Santos don’t make an MLS playoff appearance, but dos dos Santos do.

Free Kicks:

• Graham Zusi was surprised by the Dom Dwyer trade but thinks it will benefit all parties.
• Philadelphia Union and Jamaican goalkeeper Andre Blake will be out for two to three weeks after injuring his hand in the Gold Cup final against the U.S. Blake was also awarded the Golden Glove for the tournament.
• On Tuesday, Aug. 15, tickets will go on sale for the 2017 NWSL Championship which will take place on Oct. 14 at Orlando City Stadium.
• Sam Kerr and others are helping to improve Australian football, says the Pride’s Alanna Kennedy in the linked video.

That’s going to be all for today’s Lion Links. Have a wonderful weekend!