Lion Links: 12/25/23

Merry Monday Christmas morning, Mane Landers. For those who celebrate the day for any reason, we at The Mane Land wish you the absolute best. For me, it is simply a day to spend time with friends and family, to eat good food, and to reflect on the good things in my life.

This day can be hard for others for different reasons as well, and I want you to know that it’s never too late to reach out to someone for help, whether that is a friend or family member you haven’t spoken to in a while or even some sort of professional help. If nothing else, feel free to “at” me on X (I still call it Twitter) as I’ll be more than happy to listen if there’s any way I can be of assistance. Let’s get to the links.

McGuire Offer Rejected

Christmas came early for Orlando City supporters when the front office rejected a loan offer for Duncan McGuire from Blackburn Rovers of the EFL Championship. Tom Bogert of The Athletic was the first to report it.

The offer was obviously not enough for the Lions to part with their 2023 rookie sensation and the club is looking for a sale rather than a loan for this year’s top MLS rookie. Have no doubt that if the offer is big enough, Orlando City will sell McGuire and go get another striker — something the Lions need to do regardless.

Dike’s Timely Return

Former Orlando City strike Daryl Dike has been plagued by injuries in his time with West Bromwich Albion, including a ruptured Achilles eight months ago. Now, the young American has returned to full training for the Baggies which is good news, since West Brom recently lost forward Josh Maja to injury. Hopefully, he will be able to avoid further injuries as a healthy, in-form Dike will be a boost for the USMNT as much as West Brom. The Baggies expect him to be available for selection as early as this weekend.

U.S. National Team News

Weston McKennie literally assisted — as in provided an assist — in Juventus’ win over Monza to put his club in second place in Serie A. Since returning from loan to Juventus, McKennie has been in good form. Meanwhile, Matt Turner and Nottingham Forest will look to stay out of the relegation zone in their Boxing Day match against Newcastle United.

USWNT midfielder Kristie Mewis has joined West Ham United in the Women’s Super League. Mewis is looking forward to playing in England’s top league and conveyed her feelings in an interview with West Ham TV. Hopefully, her time there will help with her form with the USWNT.

An EPL Holiday

The EPL barely stops for the holidays. Arsenal stayed above Liverpool at the top of the league when the clubs played to a 1-1 draw. The match wasn’t without controversy, with Jurgen Klopp wanting a penalty for a handball on Arsenal, but VAR never took a look. The bad news continued for Liverpool when Konstantinos Tsimikas broke his collar bone as Bukayo Saka shoved him out of bounds and into his coach. Chelsea’s woes continued with a 2-1 loss to Wolves.

Boxing Day — traditionally an English holiday to give gifts to people in need — is a well-known day full of soccer in England. There are five excellent matches available to watch all day starting at 7:30 a.m. all the way until 3 p.m. for those of us in Florida. If you’re not up on the EPL here is where the teams stand. I will be at work, but hopefully you have the day off and can enjoy some Boxing Day soccer.

Free Kicks

• Manchester City defeated Fluminense to win the Club World Cup final, 4-0. Congrats to their supporters, and to the rest of us that are sick of City…oh well.
• Vincent Cavin was named an assistant coach for the USMNT. Cavin comes with 13 years experience in the Swiss Football Association.
• Victor Osimhen signed a contract extension with Napoli through 2026. His salary has reportedly doubled to €10 million.
• Federico Bernardeschi is looking to leave Toronto FC and return to Serie A.

• Former Orlando City captain Nani and his family send their holiday wishes.

That will do it for today. Keep checking back for our Season in Review pieces and our countdown of the 10 Top Moments of 2023. Vamos Orlando!