Lion Links: 2/5/24

Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers. Orlando City still needs some additional roster pieces heading into the season. Things could not be sillier around Orlando City’s off-season, and the drama is not over yet. In fact, we will get right into it starting with these links. But first, let’s send happy birthday wishes to Duncan McGuire and Rafael Santos. Duncan turns 23 today (more on him below), while Rafa turns 26.

McGuire Saga Continues

The loan of Duncan McGuire to Blackburn Rovers was seemingly a done deal last Thursday just before the close of the transfer window in England. Over the weekend we found out that due to a clerical error the deal might fall through. Blackburn is appealing and the verdict on the appeal is expected today.

If the deal does fall through McGuire will return to Orlando and he may have to wait until the summer for another opportunity.

Lodeiro Settling In

Orlando City supporters got a first look at Nico Lodeiro in the preseason match against Flamengo. I thought that Lodeiro acquitted himself well in the match making key passes to teammates he’s only met, assisting on Orlando’s only goal of the afternoon, and his motor is seemingly endless.

His new teammates and coaches have welcomed him with open arms as they get ready for the upcoming Concacaf Champions Cup matches against Calvary. It will be Lodeiro’s third time in the Cup. Prior to his arrival he noticed that Orlando City was a close group and now he’s seen it in person.

Araujo’s Big Day

Cesar Araujo was the captain of the Uruguay U-23 squad in the squad’s 3-3 draw with Argentina in an Olympic qualifier. Araujo even scored one of the goals for Uruguay which is pretty good for a defensive midfielder.

Captain Araujo thought that his Uruguay side was the better of the two despite the result.

World Cup Schedule Released

FIFA laid out the schedule for the 2026 World Cup being hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Obviously, there’s no way to know which teams will be playing when, though we do know that the USMNT will start things out exclusively on the West Coast. So, if you were thinking about catching a U.S. match, plan on flying instead of driving.

Free Kicks

• I disagree with Paul Tenorio that Messi sitting out a match is surprising.

• Kylian Mbappe is leaving Paris Saint-Germain when his contract expires this summer. Mbappe is headed for Real Madrid.
• Former Lion Julio Baptista was in Chicago for the Madrid Derby, where he spoke about the different leagues, including his time with Orlando City, dealing with artificial turf, and where MLS ranks in the world.
• Nottingham Forest earned a 1-1 draw against a 10-man Bournemouth thanks to a strike from Callum Hudson-Odoi.

• Kevin Molino, another former Lion, had his contract with the Columbus Crew mutually terminated. Molino was with the Crew for three years and will now seek other opportunities.
• The U-17 USWNT defeated Puerto Rico U-17s 3-1 in a group stage match of the U-17 Concacaf Championships.

• The rumors surrounding Orlando City bringing in Luis Muriel from Atalanta have been almost as up and down as McGuire’s transfer saga.

• Or perhaps this is what is happening.

Hopefully, we’ll find out something soon.

That will do it for today. Check back for updates on all things Orlando City, Orlando Pride, and OCB.