Lion Links: 8/29/19

Good morning, Mane Landers! Some people call him Cash, others call him the King of Heart, but whatever you call him, be sure to wish Chris Mueller a happy birthday! Let’s get right into the links.

Santiago Patino on the Block?

Yahoo Esportes writer Jorge Nicola posted this report Wednesday, stating that Orlando City had “offered” rookie striker Santiago Patino to Brazilian clubs, although that may be a matter of the Google translator perhaps missing some subtlety of language. The window is closed in Brazil, so the transfer wouldn’t take place until after the 2019 MLS season — if it happens at all. The story vaguely says the interested team is one of the large clubs in Sao Paulo (Sao Paulo, Corinthians, and Palmeiras) but clarifies there has been no offer made. The Lions have a complicated past with Sao Paulo dating back to Kaká’s loan spell with the Serie A club. Patino has shown himself to be a promising young player and Luiz Muzzi has spoken in the past of considering the Colombian youth international an OCSC Homegrown Player, so this rumor doesn’t smell right, but our staff is working on learning more and we will report what we find out.

Three Canadian Lions Called Up

Just as one would suspect, the call-ups keep rolling in. This time it’ll be the Canadians leaving to represent their country. Tesho Akindele, Kamal Miller, and Will Johnson all got the call as the club confirmed by the club on Wednesday. Remember, Carlos Ascues and Sebas Mendez have already gotten the call for the upcoming international window (in which Orlando City will face LAFC). So, this is fine, everything’s fine.

Gregg Berhalter Names Roster for Upcoming Matches

The USMNT has officially named a 26-man team for the matches coming up against Mexico and Uruguay. Players will begin reporting to New Jersey on Sept. 1. These are the final matches before the start of the Concacaf Nations League tournament, which will help determine qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Among the returning players and familiar faces are two U-20 players — defender Sergiño Dest and midfielder Paxton Pomykal.

MLS Cup Final to Air on ABC

For the first time since 2008, the MLS Cup Final will be broadcast on ABC. The final will also air on the Univision Network and TUDN in the U.S. as well as on TVA Sports and TSN in Canada. This will be the broadest distribution for the MLS Cup ever.

Free Kicks

• Phoenix Rising FC reaches milestone.
• The Orlando City Foundation checks in on one of the gardens the organization helped fund.
• Bolton Wanderers appear to be out of danger after reportedly bing sold to Football Ventures.
• Commitment level: Pro.

That’ll do it for me, Mane Landers. See you soon!