Lion Links: 12/22/23

Welcome to Friday! A whirlwind of a week is coming to a close as we get ready for the holiday weekend. There’s still some shopping I need to knock out today and tomorrow, so wish me luck as I brave the stores. I’m looking forward to relaxing around a fire pit and sipping some apple cider sangria over the next few days. But first, let’s dive into today’s links!

Josema Bazan and Orlando City Part Ways

After serving as an assistant coach for Orlando City for the past four seasons, Josema Bazan is leaving the club to move on to the next stage of his career. Bazan joined Orlando as part of Head Coach Oscar Pareja’s staff ahead of the 2020 season and has worked alongside Pareja at Club Tijuana and FC Dallas. He’s helped the team improve both on the field and off, as he’s been the team’s pitmaster for asado to bring the team closer together. I’ll definitely miss seeing his animated celebrations on the sidelines when the Cardiac Cats pull off something incredible. The club thanked Bazan for his time and Pareja had high praise for him after so many years working together.

Orlando’s Core Players Heading Into 2024

MLSsoccer.com‘s Joseph Lowery took a stab at naming the three players that each Eastern Conference team needs to build around for the 2024 season. Robin Jansson, Cesar Araujo, and Martin Ojeda were chosen for Orlando and I agree for the most part. Jansson’s excellent ability to put out fires has allowed Pareja to experiment with the back line and finding a center back who complements his skillset is key. Araujo is young, talented, and consistent enough that he can plug holes on the fly as well. While I think Facundo Torres will be the centerpiece of Orlando’s offense until he’s on his way to Europe, the club needs to find a way to unlock Ojeda and get him performing at his best. Bringing in another Designated Player as a playmaker will help take some of the heat off of Torres, but it’s arguably more important that the player’s style jells with Ojeda to take the offense to the next level.

Houston Dash Set to Name Fran Alonso as Head Coach

Fran Alonso will reportedly leave Celtic’s women’s team to become the next head coach of the Houston Dash. He’s been with Celtic since 2020 and helped it lift the Scottish Cup trophy in May. Should he join the Dash, it would be the Spaniard’s first time coaching in the NWSL. The Dash sacked Sam Laity as head coach in September, with Sarah Lowdon serving as the interim coach to close out a 2023 season that ended with a 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride. The Dash missed out on the playoffs, but it was a tight playoff race and it’ll be interesting to see how the team plays under Alonso.

New Super League Plan Proposed

After a European court ruled against UEFA’s ban of a Super League, the company behind the idea is back with another proposal for a competition comprised of Europe’s top clubs to replace the Champions League. The men’s competition would feature 64 teams across three leagues with promotion and relegation, while the women’s competition will be two leagues with 32 clubs. A streaming service would also be launched for fans to watch the games for free. Real Madrid and Barcelona’s presidents are in favor of the idea, but the majority of the top leagues and organizations in Europe are against it.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City confirmed that its friendly against Flamengo at Exploria Stadium will kick off at 2 p.m.

• Orlando City’s road match against Sporting Kansas City on Aug. 24 and its home game against LAFC on June 15 were noted as two of the top matches between Eastern Conference and Western Conference opponents to look forward to next season.
• Racing Louisville signed former Pride player Marisa Viggiano to a two-year contract. The midfielder was a free agent after two seasons with the Dash.
• The list of players registered for the 2024 NWSL Draft was released and it will be updated as players sign up for selection next month.
• The Columbus Crew made a pair of moves, signing Guatemalan goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen and versatile player Derrick Jones as free agents.
• D.C. United traded away $125,000 in 2024 General Allocation Money to Atlanta United in exchange for 21-year-old defender Garrison Tubbs.
• Defender Derrick Williams was the only player chosen in the MLS Re-Entry Draft’s second stage, with Atlanta United trading with Toronto FC to select him.
• Ajax’s dismal year got worse, as it fell 3-2 to fourth-division side USV Hercules in the Dutch Cup. Ajax needed a late surge to draw level with the amateur club, but Mats Grotenbreg scored the winner in stoppage time. It was a big result for mythology nerds like me as well, as we now know Hercules is indeed stronger than Ajax.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend!