Lion Links: 1/23/24

Happy Tuesday, everyone. I hope your weeks are off to a great start, personally I’m having a little trouble getting myself back up to speed at the moment. Time pauses for no one though, and that means we have a lot of things to talk about this morning, as usual. Let’s dive into today’s links.

Gaston Gonzalez Reportedly Going on Loan

It’s been reported by journalist German Garcia Grova that Orlando City may be sending Gaston Gonzalez out on loan. Grova reports that the Lions have reached a verbal agreement to send Gonzalez on a one-year loan to Club Nacional de Futbol in Uruguay’s top flight. If true, that would mean Orlando’s group of wingers gets a little thinner, and would consist of Facundo Torres, Martin Ojeda, and Ivan Angulo. It’s worth noting that the story doesn’t seem to have been picked up elsewhere yet, so this is far from being a done deal. As always, we’ll keep you updated on any further developments.

Orlando Pride Announce Preseason Schedule

With the start of the National Women’s Soccer League season drawing closer all the time, the Orlando Pride have announced their preseason schedule. The team kicks off preseason training today at Orlando Health Training Ground but will move to IMG Academy for a one-week training camp shortly thereafter. The Pride’s preseason will include six friendlies, with three against fellow NWSL sides, and three against local universities. Unfortunately, all six of the matches will take place behind closed doors. The preseason finishes up with a game against the Washington Spirit on March 8, and the regular season will kick off the following weekend.

Possible MLS Referee Strike on the Horizon

If you aren’t a fan of the level of Major League Soccer officiating, you might want to look away. The Athletic’s Tom Bogert is reporting that the union that represents the leagues referees has unanimously voted to strike (paywall) if a new labor agreement is not in place with the Professional Referees Organization (PRO) by Jan. 31. The Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) has also filed an unfair labor practices charge, which alleges that the PRO is guilty of “direct dealing” as a result of circumventing union leadership and communicating directly with union members instead. Bogert adds that a source he spoke to feels “99%” certain that MLS would use replacement referees if a work stoppage occurs.

MLS Transfer Happenings

As always, the transfer machine continues to move quickly in Major League Soccer, and that means we have a few moves to catch up on. We start with the Colorado Rapids signing defender Sam Vines from Royal Antwerp FC in Belgium. Vines has signed a four-year deal with the team he previously spent four seasons with after coming through the Rapids’ academy.

St. Louis City has loaned Homegrown midfielder Miguel Perez to the Birmingham Legion in the USL Championship. Perez, who turned 18 during the 2023 season, scored one goal in 15 starts for St. Louis last year.

Finally, after his contract ended with the LA Galaxy following the 2023 season, Douglas Costa is drawing closer to joining former Orlando City defender Antonio Carlos at Fluminense.

Africa Cup Of Nations Roundup

The African Cup of Nations is in full swing, and we need to catch up on yesterday’s results. Mohamed Salah isn’t with Egypt at the moment due to injury, but a 2-2 draw with Cape Verde was enough to see the Egyptians advance to the round of 16, as Cape Verde topped Group B.

Meanwhile, the Ivory Coast was hammered 4-0 by Equatorial Guinea in a result that saw the winner advance to the knockout round as the winner of Group A. The Ivorians however, will need to hope other results see them finish as one of the four best third-place group finishers if they want to advance to the next round.

Nigeria’s 1-0 win over Guinea Bissau was enough for the Super Eagles to reach the knockout stages, as they finished second in Group A.

Two goals in stoppage time from Mozambique were enough to rescue a late 2-2 draw against Ghana. While Mozambique will finish bottom of Group B, Ghana has only taken a shocking two points from three games, and will almost certainly be eliminated as that haul isn’t likely to see them finish as one of the four best third-place teams.

Free Kicks

• You can use this handy link to sync Orlando City’s 2024 schedule to your calendar.
• Former Orlando Pride player Taylor Kornieck (now Taylor Flint) has been traded to Racing Louisville.
• Former Lion Luis Gil has joined Spokane Velocity FC in USL League 1.
• A number of United States Men’s National Team players will be taking part in midweek games, so make sure you know who is playing and when.
• The Portland Thorns have re-signed Christine Sinclair on a one-year deal.

That’s all I have for you this morning. Y’all stay safe out there.