Happy Friday! The groundhog may have seen his shadow earlier this week, but winter feels pretty much over and done with here in Florida. Hopefully this nice weather lasts a while before we reach the part of the year where it becomes unbearable to exist outside due to the heat. Let’s jump right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Angelina Called Up By Brazil

You’ll need a translation tool for the full details, but Orlando Pride midfielder Angelina was one of 30 players called up by Brazil for a training camp in Rio de Janeiro. The 25-year-old was a key part of Orlando’s historic season last year, bringing stability to the midfield and giving Orlando’s attack an edge as well.

Brazil’s camp will last from Feb. 17-26 as the team begins preparations for this summer’s Copa America. Adriana, who was recently transferred from the Pride to Al Qadsiah FC in Saudi Arabia, was also called up by Head Coach Arthur Elias.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

The New York Red Bulls bolstered their back line by adding a pair of defenders. They signed left back Marcelo Morales from Universidad de Chile, inking the 21-year-old to a three-year deal. Center back Tim Parker officially returned to the Red Bulls as well, signing a one-year contract. In other news involving Orlando City’s Eastern Conference foes, the Philadelphia Union signed Jovan Lukic from FK Spartak Subotica in Serbia’s top flight, FC Cincinnati loaned defender Alvaro Barreal to Santos FC, and CF Montreal signed 21-year-old defender Dante Sealy to a two-year deal.

Joint Facility Announced For Portland Thorns and WNBA Team

Plans for a dual-sport performance center to serve both the Portland Thorns and the city’s future WNBA team were announced by RAJ Sports, the ownership group behind both teams. The initial phase of the facility will reportedly cost around $75 million, with a goal for the soccer and shared side of things to be completed before the Thorns’ 2026 season and the basketball portions done before the WNBA team’s inaugural season begins that summer. It will feature two full-sized basketball courts, two soccer pitches, dressing rooms for each team, and a shared dining room with a chef and nutritionist. It’s pretty great to see this kind of investment put towards women’s sports and I hope this sparks similar projects across the country.

Keeping Up With the Americans Abroad

There’s a new American playing in Europe to keep an eye out for, as FC Koln striker Damion Downs had a statement game against Bayer Leverkusen in the German Cup quarterfinals. His team lost in extra time, but the 20-year-old had a goal and an assist. Downs has eight goals and four assists this season and could land on USMNT Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s radar.

As for how other Americans did this week, Yunus Musah started and Christian Pulisic came off the bench in AC Milan’s 3-1 win against AS Roma to reach the Coppa Italia semifinals. Defenders Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty both played every minute of Celtic’s 6-0 win over Dundee FC. It wasn’t all good news for Americans abroad though, as Jordan Pefok had to be stretchered off in his first game with Stade de Reims after just joining the French team this week.

Free Kicks

• Enjoy this moment of captains Robin Jansson and Marta hanging out during the preseason.

• The Washington Spirit called up sister club Olympique Lyon to add defender Kysha Sylla on loan for the 2025 season.
• Liverpool cruised past Tottenham in a 4-0 win at home to advance to the English League Cup final on March 16 against Newcastle.
• Brazilian defender Marcelo is hanging up his cleats and retiring after a career that included winning the Champions League five times with Real Madrid.
• Ferran Torres had a hat trick in the first half of Barcelona’s 5-0 win over Valencia in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals.

That’s all I have for you on this fine Friday. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your week!

Orlando City may have just signed Marco Pasalic, but there are still holes in this squad and plenty of questions to go with them. We are still hoping that the club will sign some more players, but time is running short. Given what we currently know, how can Oscar Pareja deploy the players he currently has on hand?

3-5-2

A back line of Rodrigo Schlegel, Robin Jansson, and David Brekalo sounds quite appealing. While the three would be a good group to defend in front of Pedro Gallese, what happens when one of them gets hurt? What happens when they simply need to rest? Does Oscar then switch formations? Is Kyle Smith coming off the bench as a center back?

Moving up the pitch, Wilder Cartagena’s injury was the impetus for me to consider the 3-5-2 formation. This allows Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Michael Halliday, or Rafael Santos to push forward a bit to assist with the defense in front of the back three, depending on who is playing. That gives Cesar Araujo some cover in the center of the pitch. It also allows one or the other to push into the attack depending on the opponent.

The two attacking midfielders can be any combination of Martin Ojeda, Ivan Angulo, Nicolas Rodriguez, and the newly signed Pasalic. Along with Nico Lodeiro, this formation allows for a little bit of depth, even if it’s one of the few position groups that can make that claim.

Looking at the front of the formation, running a 3-5-2 allows Ramiro Enrique and Luis Muriel to play up top together. This won’t be much of a problem, since Muriel tends to drop a little deeper and Enrique isn’t afraid to make runs into the box. If they can develop some chemistry, it could be an effective attack. The issue comes when one is hurt or needs a break. Until Duncan McGuire is able to return, Pareja would need to change formation. Additionally, I’m not certain how well Muriel can play the traditional striker role.

4-3-3

If Pareja implemented a 4-3-3 formation, he’d be able to employ a back line that has everyone returning. Position battles between Brekalo and Schlegel, and Halliday fighting to return to the starting lineup over Thorhallsson are good problems to have. No real issues here.

Moving up top, I could see Angulo on the left, Enrique in the middle and either Muriel or Ojeda on the right until Pasalic is ready. In the midfield, either Muriel or Ojeda could be facilitating inside with Araujo in defense. The third piece is tougher to pin down. Most likely we’d see Rodriguez there but I still think this is the most problematic of the potential formations, and I don’t expect we’ll see it.

4-2-3-1

Traditionally, Pareja likes to utilize the 4-2-3-1 formation, so that’s what he’s most likely going to do. Of course, the linchpin of the whole thing is the defensive midfield pairing of Wilder Cartagena and Cesar Araujo. We don’t know if the Lions will bring in Eduard Atuesta to help in the midfield, so we will go with what we have for the moment.

No issue with the back line as mentioned above for Pareja. It’s the replacement for Cartagena that presents an issue. Sure, Lodeiro could play more defensively, with Araujo ranging side to side behind him. Or, Pareja can move Thorhallsson into the defensive midfield and put Halliday at right back. The difficulty, once again, comes down to depth. I suppose Kyle Smith could also be utilized if needed.

The attacking midfield has many more options. Between Angulo, Ojeda, Muriel, Rodriguez, and Pasalic, there are plenty of options depending on who is healthy. With the first three acclimated to MLS, Rodriguez and Pasalic have time to adjust to their new surroundings.

That leaves Enrique up top. He proved he can do the job, but I still think Orlando City would be better served to find a big striker to own the starting role. If the plan is to run Enrique until McGuire is ready to return, while Muriel fills in occasionally, I’m not sure that’s the best way to go.

Should Pareja stick to his modus operandi or branch out a little this season? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Vamos Orlando!

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a busy week for me, but I’m looking forward to spending the weekend building a new computer, reading, and trialing a few dessert recipes I’ve had my eye on. I’m also getting pretty excited for Orlando soccer to return, even though the off-season seems to be flying by. Let’s dive into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Signs Winger Marco Pašalić 

Orlando City officially added winger Marco Pašalić as its newest Designated Player, signing him to a contract through 2027, with a club option for 2028. Pašalić joins from HNK Rijeka in Croatia’s top flight, where he’s scored four goals in 19 games this season. The 24-year-old will help fill the void left by winger Facundo Torres leaving this off-season, although those are tough shoes to fill considering Torres’ impact in Orlando. It will likely take some time for Pašalić to acclimate to a new league and team, but hopefully he can give the club some needed firepower this season.

NWSL Must Pay $5 Million in Restitution

As part of a settlement announced after an investigation into systemic abuse in the NWSL, the league must pay $5 million in restitution to those harmed. Other parts of the settlement that must be implemented by the league include players being entitled to mental health leave, anonymous annual player surveys, and teams having to employ at least two mental health professionals. Investigations into coach misconduct and player safety will also need to be conducted by outside and impartial investigators and not the teams involved. There will also be oversight by the three attorney generals who led the investigation, with the NWSL required to provide updates on the implementation every six months for the next three years.

Midge Purce Stays With NJ/NY Gotham FC

American forward Midge Purce signed a new one-year deal with NJ/NY Gotham FC after spending the past four seasons there. The 2023 NWSL Championship MVP missed nearly all of last season due to an ACL injury suffered in Gotham’s season opener in March and was a free agent this off-season. This move brings some stability to a Gotham squad undergoing quite a bit of turnover considering the departures of Lynn Biyendolo (née Williams), Crystal Dunn, Yazmeen Ryan, and Jenna Nighswonger.

U.S. Open Cup First Round Schedule Revealed

We now know the schedule for the first round of this year’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and all 32 matchups will pit an amateur team against a professional team. Of the 64 teams taking part in the first round, 26 will make their debut in the tournament when it kicks off next month. A pair of those new faces will collide here in Florida when the Sarasota Paradise face off against FC Naples in Lakewood Ranch. As for the other Floridian teams, Inter Miami II will host Miami United FC, Naples United FC will face Miami FC, and Harbor City FC will head to Georgia to play Tormenta FC. Orlando City and the 15 other MLS teams won’t join the fray until the round of 32 in May.

Free Kicks

• Rafael Santos celebrated his birthday in style, connecting with Alex Freeman for a goal in Orlando’s preseason match against Atlanta United.

• Forward Jordan Pefok is headed back to Stade Reims, signing a three-year contract with the French club. Hopefully this move can get the American scoring again after a few underwhelming seasons in the Bundesliga.
• The LA Galaxy have reportedly agreed to a deal with the Columbus Crew to sign forward Christian Ramirez, who recorded eight goals and six assists last season. I’m not sure what the Galaxy are paying just yet, but I expect I’ll be a little upset the Lions didn’t spend it instead.
• Newcastle booked its spot in the English League Cup final after beating Arsenal 2-0 at home. It will play whichever team advances from today’s second leg between Tottenham and Arsenal, with Tottenham leading 1-0 on aggregate.
• American midfielder Johnny Cardoso, who has reportedly garnered interest from Tottenham and Wolverhampton this winter, has signed a one-year contract extension with Real Betis.
• The English Premier League noted some of the improvements in VAR in the league and how it can be a model for other leagues moving forward.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!