Lion Links: 4/2/24

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Somehow it’s already April, and I don’t know how the year is going by so fast. Regardless of my terror at the rapid passage of time, the news cycle shows no signs of slowing down, and that means we have a lot to talk over today. With that being the case, let’s wish Cesar Araujo a happy birthday and get into today’s links!

Orlando Pride Players Go On International Duty

The month of April brings an international break for women’s soccer, and a number of Orlando Pride players have been called up for international duty. Marta, Angelina, and Luana will be joining Brazil for the SheBelieves Cup, while Barbra Banda is linking up with Zambia for CAF Olympic qualifying. Amanda Allen got the call for Canada’s U-20 team, and Ally Lemos will likewise join the United States Women’s National Team’s U-20 side. Evelina Duljan rounds things out, as she has been called up to represent Sweden’s U-23 team.

Orlando City B Takes On Inter Miami II Tonight

Orlando City B will face Inter Miami CF II as part of the 2024 Generation Adidas Cup at 6 p.m. from IMG Academy. OCB will try to remain undefeated on the season, as the Young Lions beat Atlanta United 2 in the team’s first game, and then won the penalty shootout following a draw with Huntsville City FC during the team’s last time out. OCB is looking to equal last year’s start, when the team opened up the season undefeated through its first three matches.

Americans in Midweek Action

A number of American players will take part in games during the work week, so make sure you have everything marked down on your calendar. Tomorrow features two big English Premier League clashes, as Giovanni Reyna, Matt Turner, and Nottingham Forest face Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream, and Fulham; and Tyler Adams and Bournemouth play Chris Richards and Crystal Palace. That isn’t all though, as Juventus and Weston McKennie also play today and will try to get past Lazio and into the Coppa Italia final. Thursday then sees Auston Trusty and Sheffield Wednesday attempt to crawl out of the Premier League cellar when they travel to take on Liverpool.

Transfer Rumor Roundup

The transfer rumor mill never stops, and we have some interesting stories to sift through today. We’ll start in La Liga, where financial issues may mean that Barcelona won’t be able to sign Joao Cancelo to a permanent deal, despite the Portuguese fullback favoring the idea of extending his stay with the team. Moving to the Premier League, Paris Saint-Germain has made contact with Reece James and is interested in signing the fullback, but the prevailing belief is that the Englishman is likely to stay at Chelsea at least until the summer of 2025. We finish with Newcastle United, where Eddie Howe has plainly stated his desire to see Alexander Isak remain at the club, amid rumored interest from Arsenal.

Germany Will Make Jersey Changes

The German Football Association has announced that it will change the design of the no. 4 on its new national team jerseys, amidst concerns that the no. 44 looks close to the symbol used by Nazi SS troops. Adidas had earlier said that it would remove the no. 44 from its online kit customization options, but Germany has gone a step farther and removed the issue entirely. The German federation stated that it “checks the numbers 0-9 and then submits the numbers 1-26 to UEFA for review”. With the no. 44 not being reviewed, the issue wasn’t realized until the jerseys were released and in use.

Free Kicks

• The LA Galaxy are reportedly signing a center back.

• Stefano Pioli is reportedly likely to stay on as AC Milan’s manager once the season ends.
• Napoli is reportedly preparing a huge offer for Antonio Conte to become the team’s next head coach.
• Manchester United is said to have identified Southampton’s Joe Wilcox as the team’s top choice for technical director.
• Fenerbahce will hold a vote over whether or not to withdraw from the Turkish Super Lig.

That does it for me today. Vamos Orlando!