Lion Links: 2/15/24

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s crazy to think that we’re less than a week away from the Lions taking on Cavalry FC in the Concacaf Champions Cup. The MLS season isn’t far away either, and it feels like the past few months have just flown by in terms of soccer. Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world.

Orlando City Beats Houston Dynamo in Preseason Match

Orlando City’s solid preseason rolled on, with the Lions winning 1-0 at home against the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday. Martin Ojeda provided the game’s only goal after Facundo Torres found him in the box, and you can check it out and more in the highlights below.

Rodrigo Schlegel got the start alongside captain Robin Jansson in the center of Orlando’s defense and the Lions did well to secure a clean sheet against the Dynamo. Ramiro Enrique started up top, with Duncan McGuire coming on to replace him in the 74th minute. Orlando’s final preseason game will take place this Saturday against the Colorado Rapids.

Orlando City’s 2024 Assistant Coaching Staff Announced

Diego Torres and Martin Perelman were promoted and will serve as Orlando City Head Coach Oscar Pareja’s first assistant coach and second assistant coach, respectively. Torres, who worked with Pareja at Club Tijuana in Liga MX, has been Pareja’s second assistant since joining in 2020. He will replace Josema Bazan, who parted ways with Orlando in December.

Perelman joins the first team’s coaching staff after spending the past two years as Orlando City B’s head coach in MLS NEXT Pro, guiding the team to a playoff appearance in 2023. OCB’s season kicks off next month, so it will be interesting to see who steps up as the team’s head coach after Perelman’s promotion. Fabian Bazan, who is Josema’s brother, will stay on as Orlando City’s strength and conditioning coach, and Cesar Baena will return as the team’s goalkeeping coach.

New Orlando City Kit Revealed Tonight

Orlando City’s launch of its new kit will take place tonight at Cheyenne Saloon at 6 p.m. as part of the club’s slate of events ahead of its 10th season in MLS. There have been leaks of the kit and the club’s emphasized that the event will celebrate the club’s history, including from when it was in the USL. A teased photo of the logo makes it clear the Lions of the past will be represented.

A pint glass will be available for the first 100 who buy a kit at tonight’s event, and there will be name and number pressing available as well. A display showcasing the club’s jersey history will also be there tonight. I’m looking forward to the jersey, although I’ll be sad to see the Sunshine kit go.

UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Rolls On

Lazio came up with an important win in the Champions League’s knockout stage, beating Bayern Munich 1-0 in Rome. Bayern was reduced to 10 men after Dayot Upamecano was sent off in the second half, with Ciro Immobile converting the penalty kick for the game’s only goal. Of Bayern’s 16 shots, not a single one was put on target. The pressure is definitely on Thomas Tuchel and the German club will need to turn things around in the second leg if it wants to advance. In France, Paris Saint-Germain scored twice in the second half to beat Real Sociedad 2-0. Despite the score, Sociedad was formidable and it will be interesting to see how the second leg in Spain goes on March 5.

Free Kicks

• Houston Dynamo winger Nelson Quinones will miss the upcoming MLS season due to a knee injury while playing for Colombia in the CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament.
• Angel City FC forward Jun Endo will miss the 2024 NWSL season after suffering an ACL injury in preseason training.
• Olivia Moultrie signed a contract extension with the Portland Thorns that will keep her there through 2026. The 18-year-old has made 46 regular-season appearances for the Thorns and was named 2023 U.S. Soccer Young Player of the Year.
• Inter Miami’s Gerardo Martino and Nashville SC’s Gary Smith are a couple of MLS coaches who could find themselves in the hot seat early on this season.
• Lionel Scaloni, who coached Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022, praised the growth of MLS and stated he would be open to coaching in the league in the future.
• D.C. United signed versatile defender Conner Antley from the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
• Multiple MLS teams unveiled their new kits for the upcoming season, with the Philadelphia Union and New York Red Bulls paying homage to their history. The Portland Timbers’ new jersey is probably my favorite of the bunch, although I wish the fir trees came towards the center a bit more.
• Barcelona’s women’s team drew 1-1 with Levante, ending an incredible 70-game win streak at home in Liga F.

That’s all I have for you today. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week.