Lion Links: 2/16/24

How’s it going, Mane Landers? I hope this work week has treated you well as we get ready for the weekend. I don’t have many plans, but am looking forward to relaxing a bit. It’s insane that this is our last weekend without competitive Orlando soccer matches for quite some time. Let’s dive into this Friday’s links!

Orlando City Officially Signs Luis Muriel

In a move that’s been reported on throughout this month, Colombian striker Luis Muriel officially signed with Orlando City from Atalanta in Italy. The 32-year-old joins Orlando as a Designated Player and signed a three-year contract through 2026. He has plenty of experience against some of the best Europe has to offer, scoring over 100 Serie A goals and playing in both the Champions League and Europa League. He’ll have plenty of opportunity to impress with Orlando, as he fills the void left by Ercan Kara’s departure last year. Duncan McGuire sticking around should help take some of the pressure off of Muriel early on as well. I’m pretty excited about this signing and think he could thrive alongside so many other talented attackers in Orlando.

Lions Unveil Legacy Kit for 2024 Season

Orlando City’s new away kit is here and it is spectacular. Known as the Legacy Kit, it pays homage to Orlando’s time in the USL before joining MLS. It’s a subtle lavender rather than white, and features red, purple, and gold accents as well. The shorts and socks also sport the same red stripes as the ones on the jersey’s shoulders, making for a pretty consistent look. The crest is a showstopper to say the least, as it’s based on the team’s three-lion crest from back in the day, but taken up a notch. The Legacy Kit also includes a single button and “Honor Thy History” written on the inside of the neckline. I really wasn’t expecting to feel so nostalgic at the sight of it, but it does make me remember all of my friends and I cramming into whoever’s car was biggest and painting ourselves purple and red on the drive to the game. I’m really happy with the design and hope there’s plenty more merchandise with that crest coming.

Ally Lemos Called Up for U.S. U-20 Training Camp

The United States U-20 Women’s National Team is holding a training camp in Colombia and Orlando Pride rookie midfielder Ally Lemos was one of 20 players called up by Head Coach Tracey Kevins. Lemos was selected by the Pride with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft, and then signed with the club last month. The training camp will include a pair of friendlies against Colombia, which will host the U-20 Women’s World Cup later this year. Lemos played for the team during Concacaf qualifying for that World Cup, along with other fellow call-ups like Ally Sentnor, Gisele Thompson, and Savy King.

In related news, the Pride opened their preseason schedule Thursday against the North Carolina Courage, but no one seems interested in releasing any results from the scrimmage. Hopefully, everyone had fun and got plenty of exercise, fresh air, and sunshine.

USMNT Drops One Spot in Latest FIFA Rankings

In the latest men’s FIFA rankings, the U.S. fell one spot to 13th, with Morocco moving up to 12th. It’s not too indicative of the quality of the U.S., as the latest rankings strongly reflect the performances by many nations who took part in the AFC Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations. Qatar, which won the Asian Cup, skyrocketed up 21 spots to 37th, the highest it’s ever reached. Meanwhile, the Ivory Coast also moved up 10 spots to 39th after winning the Africa Cup of Nations. Jordan, South Africa, and Nigeria received similar post-tournament boosts, while Tunisia, Vietnam, and Algeria fell. The Nations League, Gold Cup, and Copa America present plenty of opportunity for the U.S. to reclaim its spot, and possibly climb higher.

Europa League Knockout Stage Kicks Off

My favorite part of the Europa League is here, as the runners-up from the group stage clash with the teams kicked out of the Champions League. Playing at home, AC Milan cruised to a 3-0 win over Rennes, thanks to a brace from Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Americans Yunus Musah and Christian Pulisic both started and helped put Milan in the driver’s seat heading into next week’s second leg. Romelu Lukaku scored his sixth goal of the tournament to secure a 1-1 draw for Roma on the road against Feyenoord. Galatasaray won 3-2 over Sparta Prague in a wild match that included red cards for both sides. The biggest surprise of the day was in Portugal, as Azerbaijani club Qarabag FK beat Braga, 4-1. Qarabag will have a chance to complete the upset at home when the action continues next Thursday.

Free Kicks

• The MLS Season Pass broadcast teams for the upcoming season were revealed. Congratulations to former Lion Miguel Gallardo, who will be part of the Spanish broadcast of MLS 360. Former Lion Sacha Kljestan will return as part of the English broadcast of MLS 360 as well.
• Nashville SC signed free agent forward Woobens Pacius to a two-year contract. The 22-year-old heads to MLS after three seasons with Forge FC in Canada, scoring 32 goals in 93 appearances while there.
• The Philadelphia Union loaned 19-year-old defender Brandon Craig to El Paso Locomotive FC in the USL Championship.
• Midfielder Gregore is reportedly headed to Botafogo in Brazil, as Inter Miami works on getting its roster compliant before next week’s deadline.

• The U.S. lost 3-1 to Italy in its first match of the 2024 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. The Americans will aim to bounce back when they take on the United Arab Emirates tomorrow.
• Roy Hodgson is in stable condition after going to the hospital due to illness during Crystal Palace’s training.

That’s all I have for you today. Let me know what you think about Orlando’s new kit and how it compares to Orlando’s others over the years.