Lion Links: 5/11/21

Happy Tuesday, everyone. Even though Orlando City was pegged back late by NYCFC on Saturday, there are lots of bright spots to focus on. Nani continues to wow, Joao Moutinho looked great in his return, and the Orlando Pride start regular season play on Sunday! As usual there’s lots to discuss today, so let’s get to it.

Nani Recognized Again

Nani has again earned recognition for his performance in Orlando City’s most recent game, and rightly so. The winger was included on the bench of the most recent edition of the MLS Team of the Week, and his place there is certainly justified. He was involved in most of Orlando’s best chances against NYCFC and I don’t need to tell you how spectacular his goal was. Speaking of that goal, it was nominated for the Goal of the Week, although it’s up against some pretty stiff competition.

Regardless, here’s hoping that the captain keeps cooking.

Dike Selected for Provisional U.S. Nations League Roster

Provisional rosters have been announced for the impending Concacaf Nations League finals in June, and the United States Men’s National Team contains a familiar face. Daryl Dike has been named to the provisional roster for the stars and stripes, which currently stands at 40 names. That provisional list will eventually be trimmed down to 23, with final rosters being confirmed a week before the competition starts on June 3. The U.S. will face Honduras that day at 7:30 p.m., with Mexico taking on Costa Rica at 10 p.m. The final will then be played on June 6 at 9 p.m. It will be interesting to see how Gregg Berhalter decides to construct his roster, but based on his recent form Dike probably has a decent chance of being on the plane to Denver. In fact, he’s been so good lately that he was named the PFA Fans’ Player of the Month for April. Congratulations Daryl!

Columbus Announces Rebrand

The Columbus Crew have announced their rumored rebrand, with the team revealing a new name and crest yesterday. The team will now be called Columbus Soccer Club, dropping “Crew” from its official name, although “The Crew” will still be used as a nickname. The new crest that was revealed is…well I’ll let you see it for yourself.

That thing is tough to look at, even more so because the old logo was honestly one of the best that all of MLS has to offer. I would imagine it’s tough for a bunch of Columbus supporters who fought tooth and nail to keep their team in the city, only to be subjected to this nonsense a couple of years later. With online reaction being extremely negative so far though, I wouldn’t be shocked if the team reverses course a la the Chicago Fire’s ill-fated rebrand.

Cameron Reportedly Joining Cincinnati

Geoff Cameron is reportedly nearing a deal to join FC Cincinnati, with a deal set to go through, pending the defender passing his physical. The folks over at Cincinnati Soccer Talk broke down what he would bring to the table for his new team, and my first impression was that I had no idea he was 36. He’s also played almost 300 matches in England between his time at Stoke City and Queens Park Rangers, and has been capped 55 times for the USMNT, so he certainly has experience. There will be questions about how much is left in the tank at his age, especially already having played 37 games in the Championship this season. Regardless, he’ll provide some defensive reinforcement for a team that is currently reeling and can use the help at the back.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City is up to ninth in ESPN’s MLS power rankings.
• Make sure to snag tickets for any Pride games you want to go to this year!

• Edinson Cavani has signed an extension at Manchester United.
• The Philadelphia Union are reportedly nearing a deal to sign Hungarian international midfielder Daniel Gazdag.

That will be all for me today. Y’all stay safe out there.