Lion Links: 1/10/21

Happy Sunday, everyone. It was a busy week for Orlando Pride news last week but things were kind of quiet on the MLS side for Orlando City. The NWSL Draft is just a couple of days away, so it’s understandable there has been more NWSL news but the Lions will get their own shot at drafting players next week, so maybe business will pick up.

Let’s get to the news of the day.

U.S. National Teams Arrive in Florida for January Camp

The USWNT and USMNT both arrived in Florida for their January camps. While the men will only be training, the women will have a pair of friendlies at Exploria Stadium against Colombia on Jan. 18 and 22. Both matches kick off at 7 p.m. There have been some changes to the U-23 USMNT roster but they do not affect the players from Orlando City.

NWSL to San Jose?

With teams coming to Louisville and Los Angeles soon, the talk continues to swirl around National Women’s Soccer League expansion. San Jose has emerged as a potential addition to the league.

A potential ownership group that includes Uber executive Jennifer Vescio and unnamed former U.S. Women’s National Team players was revealed in a report Friday by The Athletic. The report does not indicate how far along any plans may be at this stage, or when they would target a start date for a team on the field, but the report says the group is willing to buy NWSL expansion rights above original value from a group in Sacramento currently holding them, alongside another prospective group in Oakland. The Athletic reports and SB Nation confirmed from a source that the Sacramento group is not interested in selling those expansion rights.

First Bundesliga Hat Trick by an American Helps Schalke Snap 30-Game Skid

Schalke snapped a 30-game winless streak and avoided tying Tasmania Berlin’s all-time record of 31 on Saturday, thanks to a hat trick by 19-year-old American Matthew Hoppe. The U.S. youngster’s three goals led Schalke to a 4-0 win, ending a skid dating back to January 17, 2020. No longer will my beloved Borussia Mönchengladbach is no longer the last team to lose to Schalke.

Former Schalke player Weston McKennie seemed pretty amped up about the win.

Montreal Impact Set to Ruin Everything

The Montreal Impact will have a virtual unveiling of their rebrand on Jan. 14. Please be aware that it is expected to take away one of Major League Soccer’s unique names and replace it with something boring. We’ve seen the reports that the club will be changing to Montreal CF, which is just the French version of Montreal FC, which is bad, terrible, boring, unnecessary, and just plain wrong. Something must be done about curbing the influx of these generic names. #SaveTheImpact

Free Kicks

• North Carolina FC will reportedly sit out the 2021 USL Championship season but that is not expected to be the case with the NWSL’s North Carolina Courage.

• Toronto FC has reportedly made an offer for French defender Loïck Landre.
• Chelsea has joined Manchester United and Real Madrid in pursuit of RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano.
• Those born on this date include singer/songwriter Jim Croce (1943), Rod Stewart (1945), Steely Dan co-founder Donald Fagen (1948), boxing’s George Foreman (1949). Pat Benatar (1953), Shawn Colvin (1956), and Jemaine Clement (1974).

That’s all I’ve got for you today. Enjoy what’s left of your weekend.