Lion Links: 1/23/21
Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images
Hello, Mane Landers. I hope everyone had a good week as we head into a sunny weekend. I will certainly take advantage of the warm weather by walking around my apartment complex or maybe playing some golf with friends. We have lots of soccer news to cover today, so let’s get to the links. Goalkeeper Brandon Austin Loaned to Orlando City
Orlando acquired goalkeeper Brandon Austin on loan from Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League. The loan is for six months, with an option for an additional six months after that. The 22-year-old goalkeeper is part of the England Youth National Team pool, but has dual citizenship and won’t take up an international spot.
Jordan Morris is spreading his wings. The Seattle Sounders Homegrown player officially joined the EFL Championship’s Swansea City on Friday. The deal is structured as a six-month loan with an option to buy at the end. Although Morris won’t be available for Saturday’s FA Cup match, he’s expected to be eligible for Wednesday’s match against Brentford.
Although Morris could theoretically rejoin the Sounders in the summer, there’s a good chance this is the last we’ll see of Morris for the foreseeable future. The exact amount of Swansea’s buy-option has not yet been reported, but Sounder at Heart has learned that it will easily set a club record. At $7 million a low estimate, one source said the fee would eclipse the combined total of transfer fees the Sounders have ever collected and be more than they’ve ever spent on an incoming transfer. Based on what Swansea spent on players of a similar age and resume the last time they were in the Premier League, an eight-figu
Sounders FC today announced that it has loaned forward Jordan Morris to Swansea City of the English Championship. Morris joins the Welsh side immediately and will remain with the club through its 2020-2021 campaign, which is scheduled to conclude in May. Since signing as a Homegrown Player prior to the 2016 season, Morris has 41 goals and 23 assists in 121 MLS appearances (including postseason play), helping the Rave Green to four MLS Cup appearances and two championships. The Mercer Island native was named 2016 MLS Newcomer of the Year, 2019 MLS Comeback Player of the Year, as well as a 2020 MLS Best XI selection and finalist for the 2020 Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player Award.
Four reasons Sounders fans should watch the MLS SuperDraft
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The 2021 SuperDraft features several changes compared to last year. The pandemic means the draft experience will be entirely virtual rather than having the first round produced as a TV experience in a central location. There is no longer a second day with rounds 3 and 4 in fact there’s no longer a Round 4 (although four teams have a total of five picks after the end of the third round this year).
Seattle Sounders FC will not pick until 80th, and don’t really have assets to trade up. Their limited cash resources will need to be focused on starting-caliber talent rather than college prospects. As a reminder, they traded away their 2021 first-round pick for Roman Torres. The Vancouver Whitecaps have Seattle’s second round pick thanks for that international slot back in 2019.
Pakistan s emerging cricketer Kamran Ghulam said that he was overjoyed on being selected in the 20-member squad for the two-match Test series against South Africa. The right-handed batsman, who was named the Domestic Player of the Year at the recent Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) 2020 Awards, amassed 1249 runs from 11 games at an average of 62.45 with five centuries and as many fifties in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2020-21. The 25-year-old broke the record of most runs in a single edition which was previously held by House Building Finance Company’s (HBFC) Saadat Ali in 1983-84 with his tally of 1217 runs. He was rewarded for his performance by getting selected in the squad for the t.