Lion Links: 12/27/20

Happy Sunday, everyone. If you’re among those who celebrated Christmas, I hope you had a good one. If you celebrate other holidays, I hope those went/go/are going well also.

We’re entering a quiet time for Orlando City news, unless the team signs someone, which…you never know. The Lions have some items on their shopping list and are out there looking for the best deals. Meanwhile, the Pride have already made a deal and you never know when another might come along. So, even though it’s quiet at the moment, things change in the off-season. With that said, let’s get to the news of the day.

Morgan Says Watching Mourinho at Spurs Has Been Beneficial

Orlando Pride striker Alex Morgan said she’s been keeping an eye on what Jose Mourinho has been doing with Tottenham’s men’s side while she’s been moonlighting with Spurs.

“I feel like Jose has done a very good job to bring this team to the top. I think that was a good thing for me to watch as I entered my phase with Spurs Women. The top of the game always tries to steal from the top of the game. You’re always looking to learn, get better, and be the best.”

Morgan also said she appreciates Mourinho’s humor but said he could maybe use some social media tips.

New England’s Lee Nguyen Signs with Vietnamese Side

Revolution attacking midfielder Lee Nguyen has signed with Vietnamese side Ho Chi Minh City. Nguyen will go down as one of New England’s all-time best players. Nguyen played just over 200 games with New England, amassing 52 goals and 59 assists over eight MLS seasons. He played in 10 playoff games with the Revs, scoring two goals and adding seven assists.

Reynolds-to-Juventus Rumors Persist

FC Dallas fullback Bryan Reynolds is a sought-after player by European squads and Juventus is reportedly looking to buy him and loan him to Cagliari since the Serie A giants do not have an available non-European roster spot available for him. Reynolds is one of the hottest young USMNT prospects and Juventus is trying to beat AS Roma and Club Brugge for his services.

Wolves Ban Players from Shopping Amid COVID-19 Fears

I have already largely banned myself from shopping — and anything else in public — this year due to [/gestures broadly at everything], but now EPL side Wolverhampton has banned the club’s players from shopping for their own food.

“It is about protecting ourselves,” Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo said.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, our staff in the kitchen put together a big box of the basic things that we need and during the high moment of the pandemic, everybody had it.

“As it started to improve, we said: ‘OK, now you are free to go and do your own shopping.’ But now the levels are increasing and there is the new variation that everybody is worried about, we started to do it again. So the players and their families are not going to the supermarkets.”

Free Kicks

• Greg Seltzer over at MLSSoccer.com counts down the top 10 plays by U.S. exports in 2020.
• Joe Prince-Wright lauded Antonee Robinson’s performance at wingback for Fulham in Saturday’s draw. He also named Robinson his man of the match.
• Mesut Ozil-to-MLS rumors persist.
• Those born on this date include chemist Louis Pasteur (1822), Marlene Dietrich (1901), journalist Cokie Roberts (1943), Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones (1944), Frank Zappa and Missing Persons drummer Terry Bozzio (1950), wrestlers Goldberg (1966) and Chyna (1969), former Asia guitarist Guthrie Govan (1971), and LOST star Emily De Ravin (1981).

That’s all my time for this morning. Enjoy what’s left of your weekend and/or holiday break, and stick around as we count down our Top 10 Moments of 2020 for Orlando City SC and complete our 2020 Season in Review player ratings (only Mauricio Pereyra left to go!).