Lion Links: 4/11/18

Greetings, all! I am back from freezing my butt off in snowy Ohio this past weekend and ready to warm up with a solid slate of soccer and, of course, the Jimmy Buffett concert this Saturday — mainly the tailgate that is.

Check out news below on Orlando City strikers, an Uri Rosell update, and the new Orlando City kit:

Comebacks are Thrilling, But More Control is Needed

As a fan, watching a comeback like Sunday’s is an amazing feeling. The emotional high of a win like that is like none other and for the team you have to hope they carry that energy into a solid run of form.

That’s the hope of midfielder Sacha Kljestan as he knows you can’t keep hoping for dramatics all season.

“If we’re going to continue to play like that and try to fight our way back into games, we’re not going to get a lot of points this season. We’ve got to find a way to clean things up, that we have better starts to games.”

The second piece of that will be the insertion of defensive midfielder Uri Rosell into the team at some point. Head Coach Jason Kreis believes that could be this week:

He’s the last expected starter yet to see the field, but at arguably one of City’s weakest position groups. You’ll see a different Lions’ defensive third once Rosell can begin to control the midfield like he’s known for.

Mueller and Pinho Could Be Key for Season Success

Something we really haven't been able to see so far this season the idea of depth Kreis and General Manager Niki Budalic worked to create all off-season. Due to injuries and suspensions, rookies have been forced into the starting lineup and we’ve yet to see what an impact sub could be considering Orlando was missing nearly its entire front five at one point.

But Sunday we got to see the impact Chris Mueller and Stefano Pinho could really have on a match given a hungry final 15-20. The intensity both brought into the match was noticed by Kreis.

“It’s never-say-die attitude with [Mueller], and I thought Stéfano [Pinho] was very similar with his performance coming on and just running wherever it took and giving everything he had,” Kreis said.

Meuller got his first career MLS goal with a thrilling header and Kreis again had high praise for the rookie.

“I think it’s been coming for a while,” Kreis said. “I think he’s put himself in some fantastic positions and he’s been really unlucky not to have a goal already. To have him score it now in this kind of game with that kind of comeback I think says a lot for him and about him.”

Orlando City Releases New Parley Kit

Adidas, Parley for the Oceans, and MLS have partnered again on exclusive Earth Day kits made using upcycled plastic waste intercepted on beaches and in coastal communities.

This year looks to mimic a trend from the NBA All-Star Game with all white and black designs for each side. Orlando gets a walk on the dark side this year:

If you’re a fan of monochrome, simplistic black then you’re in luck. I can’t say the kit looks bad, it’s just boring. And considering we already released an all white monochrome, I was hoping for something a little bit more. I’m on record — multiple times — stating that I think the 2017 Parley kit has been the best kit ever released for the club, so I had high hopes.

Bad news is, just like last year, these kits sold out faster than they could be released. So you’ll have to look at second-hand selling websites at this point as Adidas didn't produce two runs last year, and I wouldn't expect to see it this year.

Pride’s Kennedy Leads Australia to 8-0 Destruction of Vietnam

After a lackluster draw to open the Women’s Asian Cup, Australia bounced back with a demonstrative 8-0 win over Vietnam. Both Orlando Pride players — Alanna Kennedy and Emily van Egmond — found the net in the lopsided victory, but it was Kennedy who led the charge, adding a pair of crosses that Sam Kerr converted into goals. Kennedy’s goal and two assists helped the Matildas get to the top of Group B — level on points with Japan but with a better goal differential. Japan is Australia’s next opponent on Friday.

Concacaf Champions League Action

The New York Red Bulls’ run in the CCL came to an end after a 0-0 draw on Tuesday vs. Chivas saw NYRB fall 1-0 on aggregate. Chivas now advances to the final, to play Toronto FC, which drew 1-1 last night with Club America to win the tie by a 4-2 aggregate.

Free Kicks

• NWSL owners talk dichotomy of MLS vs. independent ownership.
• Have kids looking for some additional training? Orlando City Youth Club is hosting an Elite Skills Camp with Paul Shaw and former Pride player Sarah Hagen.
• BVB and Christian Pulisic — if he's not transferred — will be stateside this summer in the International Champions Cup.
• Could we see Fernando Torres in MLS this season? MLS and China are his preferred spots after this European season ends.
• Mohamed El-Munir showing love for the fans:

That’s it for this edition! Have a great finish to your work week and hopefully you find some solid happy hours along the way. Cheers!