Lion Links: 4/27/21

Happy Tuesday, everyone. It was a good week for both Orlando soccer teams as the Pride nabbed their first win of the season last Wednesday while Orlando City rescued a point on the road in Kansas City. There’s lots to talk about today so let’s get to it.

Nani’s Performance Recognized

Nani put in a strong shift in Orlando’s comeback draw over the weekend. His efforts were recognized too, as he earned a spot on the bench in the second edition of the MLS Team of the Week. His inspired backheel equalizer was also nominated for the Goal of the Week. His performance went beyond just the goal he scored though, with the three key passes he made especially standing out. Hopefully Saturday was the first of many good performances this year.

OCSC Announces “Small Biz Assist”

Orlando City has announced the “Small Biz Assist” contest, a sweepstakes that will see one Orlando-based small business become the 2021 official small business of the club. The winning business will receive advertisement in the stadium, ads on the team’s website, and more. The Lions are holding the contest in an effort to help give back to the community, with the Orlando City Vice President of Corporate Partnerships Chris Lahey saying, “We know many small businesses here, in our backyard, were greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and its many unprecedented challenges, so we are very excited to be working together with Fairwinds to bring to life the Small Biz Assist sponsorship program to help our neighbors.”

Toronto Signs Yeferson Soltedo to DP Contract

Toronto FC has announced the signing of Yeferson Soltedo as the club’s third Designated Player, on a contract that runs through 2025. Soltedo is a midfielder/forward hybrid who has been capped 19 times by the Venezuelan national team. Even though he’s only 23, he has a hefty number of club appearances to his name, having become a professional at just 16 years of age. Soltedo arrives from Santos FC in Brazil, where he had 20 goals and 17 assists in 104 appearances. He was named to the Copa Libertadores Best XI in 2020 and was Santos’ no. 10. Suffice it to say he should add a hefty amount of attacking punch to the team.

Nagelsmann Heading to Bayern

When Hansi Flick announced that he intended to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season, speculation kicked into overdrive concerning who would be brought into replace him. That speculation has now been put to rest as it appears that Red Bull Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann will take the reigns of the German champions next season. Nagelsmann is one of the brightest young managers in the game, and apparently turned down interest from Tottenham Hotspur and other clubs. The only thing left to settle is how much Bayern will shell out to release the 33-year-old coach from his current contract.

Free Kicks

• The Lions put in work on the training ground yesterday.

• Jade Moore spent some time working on her footgolf skills.

• Former Lion Justin Meram and his wife had a baby.

• Orlando moved down to no. 17 in ESPN’s MLS power rankings.

That’ll do it for me today. Y’all stay safe out there.