Lion Links: 8/4/22

How’s it going, Mane Landers? After a hectic July, I’ve been enjoying August so far. I haven’t exactly done much beyond keeping up with Only Murders in the Building, but it’s nice to ease into the rest of the summer this way. The heat is still tough to deal with though, so make sure to stay hydrated out there. For now, let’s dive into today’s links!

Joey DeZart Undergoes Successful Knee Procedure

Orlando City midfielder Joey DeZart underwent a successful procedure to repair the lateral hamstring of his right knee and will be out for three to four months. The 24-year-old was injured on July 17 in Orlando City B’s 4-3 win over Chicago Fire II. In his third year with Orlando, DeZart appeared just once for the first team in a brief cameo in May.

Erin McLeod Up For Save of the Week

Yet again, Orlando Pride goalkeeper Erin McLeod was nominated for NWSL Save of the Week. McLeod’s save this time around was a crucial one made in stoppage time as she denied Kristen Hamilton and then smothered the rebound to preserve a 2-2 draw on the road against the Kansas City Current. Kansas City goalkeeper Adrianna Franch was nominated for stopping Mikayla Cluff’s shot at close range in that same match.

Sebastian Lletget Traded to FC Dallas

The New England Revolution have traded American midfielder Sebastian Lletget to FC Dallas in exchange for $600,000 in General Allocation Money. Lletget was traded to the Revolution this past winter from the LA Galaxy and now joins a Dallas team that includes fellow Americans Paul Arriola and Jesus Ferreira.

In other MLS transfer news out west, the Colorado Rapids added midfielder Felipe Gutierrez on loan from C.D. Universidad Católica in Chile. Real Salt Lake traded away allocation money to LAFC in exchange for forward Danny Musovski. The Vancouver Whitecaps also signed Austrian midfielder Alessandro Schöpf to a contract through the 2024 season. According to reports, Charlotte FC is trading Christian Makoun to the Revolution and finalizing the signing of center back Adilson Malanda from Ligue 2 in France.

South American Nations Bid for World Cup Hosting

A joint effort by Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay was announced to try to become host for the 2030 World Cup. The bid leans heavily on the sentiment of it taking place 100 years after Uruguay hosted the first World Cup.

“There will be other World Cups, “ added CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez, “but a hundred years is only completed once, and it should be done at the birthplace. All of football has a moral debt to those who dreamt and made the first World Cup possible, and that’s why we want the competition to come back where it began. We don’t have great economic resources, but we can point to the history.”

However, economic factors and the fact that the 2026 World Cup will already be held in the Western Hemisphere could hurt the bid’s chances. Spain and Portugal also have a joint bid to host the World Cup in 2026, so it will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Free Kicks

• Javier Carrillo, who coaches Orlando City’s U-17 side, completed his Elite Formation Coaching License.

• Austin FC forward Sebastian Driussi was named Player of the Month for July. The 25-year-old had five goals and three assists over the course of six games in July to help Austin remain near the top of the Western Conference standings.
• Charlotte FC dominated D.C. United in a 3-0 win at home to move into a playoff position.
• FC Cincinnati forward Brandon Vazquez was selected to replace Valentin Castellanos in the MLS All-Star Game on Aug. 10.
• Middlesbrough is reportedly still interested in adding American forward Matthew Hoppe from Mallorca in La Liga. Meanwhile, American winger Konrad de la Fuente is reportedly set to join La Liga’s Real Valladolid on loan from Marseille.
• After 11 years with Leicester City, a period which included winning the English Premier League title, goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel is leaving to join Nice in France.
• The Bundesliga kicks off this weekend and there is plenty to keep an eye out for this season. I’m interested to see how the Americans new to the league will settle in, particularly Jordan Pefok with Union Berlin.

That’s all I have for you today, Mane Landers. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday!