Orlando City SC announced today the long-reported signing of midfielder Heine Gikling Bruseth from Norwegian side Kristiansund BK. The deal was completed prior to the MLS secondary transfer window closing last week, but the club can’t announce signings until the paperwork has been completed. Bruseth will occupy an MLS U22 Initiative slot, signing a deal through the 2026 season with club options for 2027 and 2028. The signing is pending receipt of Bruseth’s P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).  

“We’re very happy to welcome Heine to Orlando. He is a young player with tremendous upside, and we’re very excited to continue his development here in Central Florida,” Orlando City SC Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “Heine adds another element of creativity, vision and depth to our midfield, coming in at an important time as we push for another appearance in the postseason. We look forward to seeing him in purple soon.”

The 20-year-old native of Gjemnes, Norway, made his debut at age 17 with Kristiansund during the 2020-2021 Eliteserien season. Bruseth has made 37 appearances with Kristiansund, scoring two goals and adding two assists. He graduated to the first team after developing in the Kristiansund academy. Bruseth also played eight matches on loan with Levanger FK in 2022, registering one assist.

Internationally, Bruseth has appeared for Norway’s national team at the U-19, U-20, and U-21 levels.  

What It Means for Orlando City

Central midfield wasn’t an area of need for the Lions, with Cesar Araujo and Wilder Cartagena locking down starting spots in Oscar Pareja’s 4-2-3-1 and Jeorgio Kocevski and Felipe on the bench. However, young talent is young talent. This move could allow the Lions to develop Bruseth without having to rush him onto the pitch and provide flexibility if clubs are calling Orlando City about Araujo and/or Cartagena.

The signing may impact Kocevski’s minutes and the few that have been given to Felipe as well. It seems to be a signing geared more toward the future than helping with the present, although it’s never bad to have depth for the stretch run.

Bruseth will occupy an international slot but that’s no issue since the Lions already had an open slot (per MLS) prior to Ramiro Enrique receiving his green card. He will wear jersey No. 18.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! This week sees the Orlando Pride and Orlando City back in action, while Orlando City B will try to extend a three-game unbeaten streak. Before we get to today’s links, let’s all wish a happy birthday to Orlando City Assistant Coach Martin Perelman!

Amanda Allen Called Up

The Orlando Pride’s Amanda Allen has been called up to represent Canada for the upcoming U-20 Women’s World Cup. The 19-year-old has made eight appearances this season, tallying one assist. Allen became the youngest player to appear for the Pride when she made her debut on May 6, 2023, at 18 years, two months, and 15 days of age. Canada’s first match of the tournament will be against Brazil on Aug. 31, and we wish Allen the best of luck!

USMNT Announces Friendly Against Mexico

The United States Men’s National Team will play a friendly against Mexico on Oct. 15 in Guadalajara. Something noteworthy about this match is that it will be the first friendly game between the two teams to take place in Mexico since 2012. The game will be the fourth and final match that the USMNT will play in the fall, and the only one not taking place stateside. The other USMNT friendlies will be against Canada on Sept. 7 in Kansas City, New Zealand on Sept 10. in Cincinnati, and Panama on Oct. 12 in Austin.

Americans in Midweek Action

With European leagues back in the swing of things, there are several American players who will be competing this week, so make sure you have everything marked on your calendar. Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis face off against Ukrainian club Kryvbas in Europa Conference League qualifying on Thursday. On Friday, Joe Scally and Borussia Monchengladbach kick off the Bundesliga season against reigning champion Bayer Leverkusen.

European Transfer Happenings

The summer transfer window is still open in Europe, which means a number of teams have their eyes on adding to their rosters before time runs out. We start with Chelsea, which have reportedly agreed to a deal with Atletico Madrid to sign Joao Felix, with Conor Gallagher moving the other way. Elsewhere in the Premier League, Mexican forward Santiago Giminez is reportedly in talks to join Nottingham Forest. Finally, Manchester City is reportedly interested in signing former player Ilkay Gundogan from Barcelona, which is said to be looking at selling players to help comply with La Liga’s financial regulations.

Free Kicks

• The Colorado Rapids have sold defender Moise Bombito to Nice in a deal worth a reported $7.7 million, and $10.7 million after add-ons. That transfer fee would be a club record and also a league record for the sale of a center back.
• Racing Louisville has traded captain Jaelin Howell and $50,000 in Allocation Money to the Seattle Reign in exchange for Bethany Balcer.
• Thierry Henry has resigned from his role as the manager of France’s youth teams after leading his side to the silver medal at the Paris Olympics.

That’s all I’ve got for you today. Vamos Orlando!

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you down in Florida. It was another busy week for me while working at Wrigley Field for the Green Day Concert and Chicago Cubs games. Our only team in action this weekend was Orlando City B, but Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are back in action this week. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Orlando Pride Trade For Carson Pickett

The Orlando Pride brought back former Pride defender Carson Pickett via a trade with Racing Louisville FC in exchange for $75,000 in Allocation Money. Pickett had previously played with the Pride from 2018 through 2020. Pickett was with Racing Louisville for two seasons, making 36 appearances, scoring one goal, and adding an assist. Pickett was also with the North Carolina Courage before joining Louisville, recording a goal and 11 assists in 45 appearances. Pickett earned NWSL Best XI honors and was an NWSL Defender of the Year finalist in both of her seasons with the Courage. The Pride now have a player that can boost their defense at left back and serve quality set piece deliveries into the box as Orlando attempts to win its first trophy.

OCB Wins at Home Against New York City FC II

Orlando City B defeated New York City FC II 3-2 at Osceola County Stadium. The Young Lions were trailing before they scored a pair of back-to-back goals right before halftime to take the lead. OCB added another in the second half to extend its lead, and managed to hold on for the win despite conceding another goal. It was a crucial win at home for OCB’s playoff aspirations. The team remains in 10th in the Eastern Conference with 31 points and sits just two points behind Inter Miami CF II, which holds the eighth and final playoff spot. OCB’s next match is on Friday on the road against Atlanta United 2.

Leagues Cup Semifinals Are Set

The Columbus Crew, Colorado Rapids, LAFC, and the Philadelphia Union all won their respective Leagues Cup quarterfinal matches over the weekend. LAFC shut out the Seattle Sounders on the road 3-0 to punch their ticket to the semifinals. The club has outscored its opposition 9-1 in its three knockout round matches. The Crew trailed 1-0 early in the first half to New York City FC, but Cucho Hernandez scored the equalizer just before halftime. Still tied after 90 minutes, the Crew won the shootout to advance. The Union also needed a shootout win to advance, defeating Mazatlan after the match ended in a 1-1 draw. The Rapids continued their run in the Leagues Cup by winning 9-8 on penalties against Club America to eliminate the last Liga MX team remaining after a scoreless draw. That’s the fourth straight win for Colorado against a Liga MX side. In the semifinals, the Rapids will face LAFC and the Crew will take on the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday.

Catching Up With the Americans Abroad

With many European leagues kicking off their seasons over the weekend, there were plenty of Americans in action abroad. Let’s start in Italy, where AC Milan was down 2-0 to Torino before a late comeback secured a 2-2 draw for Milan. Yunus Musah helped set up Milan’s tying goal with a great assist, while fellow USMNT teammate Christian Pulisic started the match and played 73 minutes. Josh Sargent scored a goal in the EFL Championship, as Norwich City got a 2-2 draw at home against Blackburn Rovers. Haji Wright scored the game-winning goal for Coventry City to seal a 3-2 win against Oxford United.

It was not a good weekend for goalkeeper Ethan Horvath though, as he conceded an own goal and didn’t make a save in Cardiff City’s 5-0 loss on the road to Burnley. American goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina and Donovan Pines led Barnsley to a 2-1 win over Lincoln City to claim their first three points in the EFL League One.

New Premier League Season Begins

The new English Premier League season kicked off over the weekend and there were some notable matches. Manchester United got a 1-0 win against Fulham, with Joshua Zirkzee scoring the lone goal. Liverpool and Arsenal secured 2-0 victories over Ipswich Town and Wolves, respectively, while Aston Villa edged past West Ham 2-1. Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler got his first win in the Premier League, leading his side to a 3-0 win against Everton. Elsewhere in the league, Brentford defeated Crystal Palace 2-1, and Manchester City won 2-0 on the road against Chelsea. The lone Premier League match to wrap up the first week of matches will be later today when Leicester City host Tottenham Hotspur.

Free Kicks

• Former Pride players Jordan Listro, Kristen Edmonds, and Erika Tymrak started in the opening match for Tampa Bay Sun FC in the inaugural USL Super League season. The Sun drew 1-1 at home to Dallas Trinity FC.

• Former U.S. men’s U-20 head coach Mikey Varas will reportedly lead the USMNT on an interim basis for its upcoming friendlies in September against Canada and New Zealand.
• In case you missed it, the San Diego Wave named former USMNT legend Landon Donovan as their interim head coach for the remainder of the NWSL season.
• Kylian Mbappe’s La Liga debut with Real Madrid got off to a rough start, as his side could only get a 1-1 draw on the road against Mallorca.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday and I’ll see you next time.