Lion Links: 1/28/18

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It may not be time for MLS soccer just yet, but we’ve got a soccer Sunday on our hands with the USMNT playing its first game of 2018 later tonight. So buckle up, enjoy some links, and get ready for game day!

Cam Lindley Starting to Settle In

One of Orlando’s most recent acquisitions, Cam Lindley is quickly getting accustomed to life with his new club after his rights were traded from the Chicago Fire. But before the trade was even completed, Lindley was fairly impressed with the soccer environment head coach Jason Kreis was putting together. Now that he’s here, Lindley is soaking in all the knowledge he can from veterans like Scott Sutter, Will Johnson, and Sacha Kljestan to improve his game.

Family Matters, Starring Sacha Kljestan and Stefano Pinho

When a player joins a new team, sometimes the family can get lost in the shuffle with all of the moving that must be done and the deadlines that must be met. So while he started training with the team in Orlando this week, Sacha Kljestan’s wife and children are still in their family home in California. And before they come to Orlando they’ll have to fly across the country to New Jersey to pack.

While Sacha awaits his beloved, Stefano Pinho already has his wife and children in central Florida and is now searching for a home in the Winter Park area. Good luck househunting, guys!

Pride Players Named to Westfield W-League All-Decade Team

In honor of its 10th year, the Westfield W-League down in Australia decided to reveal an All-Decade Team to commemorate the occasion. Fans were given the choice of who would make the final XI from a list of world-class talent and Pride defenders Steph Catley and Alanna Kennedy were both chosen. Catley, captain of Melbourne City and a Matilda fan favorite, received 20.9% of the defender voting while Kennedy garnered 18.6%.

Former Pride Player Joins OCYS as Coach

Early yesterday morning, Orlando City Youth Soccer announced that former Orlando Pride forward Sarah Hagen will be joining its coaching staff. Hagen joined the Pride for their inaugural season, but spent last season with the Houston Dash where she scored twice in 13 appearances. Welcome back to the City Beautiful, Sarah.

USMNT Gear Up for Bosnia and Herzegovina

In its first match of the year, the USMNT will take the field late tonight at 9:30 p.m. (ET) to face a team in a similar boat. Bosnia and Herzegovina also missed out on the 2018 World Cup and said farewell to its coach following the falling out. Don’t expect the likes of Edin Dzeko or Miralem Pjanic to be walking into the StubHub Center in Carson, CA, but the young team will be a good test for the USMNT.

Free Kicks

• Mix Diskerud signed with Manchester City on a four-and-a-half-year contract. But don’t hold your breath; sources in the article says Diskerud won’t train with the first team and will likely be loaned out to one of City’s many sister clubs.
• Although he carries the label of interim manager for the USMNT, Dave Sarachan is ready for the upcoming friendly.
• Bastian Schweinsteiger will play a testimonial match with his Chicago Fire taking on his former club, Bayern Munich. However, Schweinsteiger will play one half with the Fire and another with Bayern, so he has a pretty good chance at winning.

• Over in the W-League, Toni Pressley and Canberra United lost to the Newcastle Jets 5-1 in a crucial match so late in the season. Catley and Kennedy’s Melbourne City now sit in the driver’s seat to take the fourth and final spot for the Finals Series as the league moves into its final round. The loss also means that Rachel Hill and the Perth Glory are still alive and you can catch their final match against the Western City Wanderers happening right now.
• The Florida Tropics took down the Harrisburg Heat 5-4 in an important divisional road win.
• If you paint a portrait of Marouane Fellaini without his afro, did you even paint a portrait of Marouane Fellaini?

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That’ll do it on my end, ladies and gents. Stay tuned for more Orlando City news and coverage of tonight’s USMNT match.