Lion Links: 3/17/22

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Mane Landers. We are getting closer to the weekend, which means it is another day closer to the Lions’ next match in Los Angeles. As we prepare for that, let’s get into those links.

Report: Lions Linked with Argentine Left Back

According to TyC Sports reporter Cesar Luis Merlo, Orlando City isn’t done adding players to the roster just yet. Merlo reported Wednesday that the Lions have reached a verbal agreement with Argentine Primera División side Racing Club to acquire left back Ignacio Galván on loan. The 19-year-old defender only has seven games in the first division, but with Orlando City lacking depth at the position and given the young age of Galván, this could be an ideal opportunity for the Argentinian to develop while also filling a gap within Orlando’s roster. Merlo’s report says the loan would be through December with an option to purchase 80% of the player’s rights, meaning Racing would retain 20% of any sell-on fee if Orlando transferred him out.

Storylines: Orlando City at LA Galaxy

With last week’s disappointing loss now in the books, Orlando City posted storylines to follow as the Lions look to bounce back against the LA Galaxy. This week’s storylines included Júnior Urso’s offensive form and a first for Facundo Torres. Since the Lions are heading out west for a two-game road trip, the article goes into the history of the Lions on the road in that region.

Orlando City Injury/Availability Update

Andres Perea has been ruled out for Saturday’s match due to a lower left leg injury. There is no indication how long the defensive midfielder will be out. Perea was a surprise scratch from Saturday’s team sheet with the Lions not having anyone listed as injured on the availability report ahead of the Cincinnati game. Hopefully it’s not a longterm injury.

In better news, Silvester van der Water was back with the team on Wednesday after missing the past two matches due to entering the league’s health and safety protocols. This is a great sign that the winger is back on track to rejoin the match day team sheet soon and will be a welcome depth option among the forward line.

Orlando Pride’s Full NWSL Schedule Announced

Time to mark those calendars for Orlando Pride matches this season now that the NWSL has finally announced the full schedule for all teams. The Pride will open up the season at home on May 1 at 7 p.m. against NJ/NY Gotham FC. Read all about the Pride’s 2022 schedule here. Over on the club’s main site, Evan Weston made a list of his top five can’t-miss home matches for the Pride. For me, I am looking forward to seeing the two new expansion teams, Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC, at Exploria Stadium. Having former Pride members on those clubs adds a little more intrigue.

Free Kicks

• Former Lion Daryl Dike is set to return for West Brom after the international break.
• Rafael Ramos, another former Lion, is gaining interest from both Fulham and Burnley.
• Orlando Pride supporters group, Pride’s Crown, is raising funds for Zion Farms, an Urban Farmers Alliance.
• Josh Sargent has landed on the USMNT’s standby list. The full roster for the upcoming qualifying window will be announced today.
• Gio Reyna is back for Dortmund and orchestrated this brilliant assist:

• The Ricketts family, owners of the Chicago Cubs, confirmed their interest in buying Chelsea.
• Bayern Munich is at risk of losing Robert Lewandowski if the striker is not offered a new deal by the summer. That and more in the latest Transfer Talk.

That is all from me today. I hope the rest of your Thursday goes well and you are excited for the Lions’ upcoming match versus the LA Galaxy as it is shaping up to be a good one.