Lion Links: 5/25/21
Lions included in TotW, Nations League roster announced, Carles Gil re-signs with Revs, and more.
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Happy Tuesday, everybody! It was a great weekend for Orlando soccer with Orlando City and the Orlando Pride each notching wins. It doesn’t get much better than a six-point weekend, so hopefully the good trends can continue. There’s plenty to talk about today so let’s jump right in.
Lions Included in TotW
Two Lions have been included in the latest edition of the MLS Team of the Week for the parts they played in keeping a clean sheet in the victory over Toronto FC on Saturday. Antonio Carlos was included in the starting XI for the second straight week, while Pedro Gallese was named as the backup goalkeeper. Carlos led the Lions with six clearances while also notching three interceptions and a tackle. He was a central figure defensively, and also passed at an 83% rate. Gallese, meanwhile, made five saves to secure
Report: Chris Durkin could make move to Serie A’s Spezia
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Photo by Jeroen Meuwsen/BSR Agency/Getty Images
Chris Durkin could be moving from Belgium to Italy this summer. According to a report by Tutto Mercato Web’s Marco Conterio, with further confirmation by The Athletic’s Paul Tenorio, Serie A side Spezia is interested in making a deal for the 21-year-old midfielder.
Can confirm reports out of Italy that Serie A side Spezia is interested in American midfielder Chris Durkin, who played 28 games for Sint-Truiden this season in Belgium.
Former #DCU homegrown could be one to keep an eye on in the summer window. https://t.co/xccH7iS4SI Paul Tenorio (@PaulTenorio) May 21, 2021
USMNT v. Panama, 2020 friendly: What we learned
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Apparently, this international camp will be defined by contrast. The United States Men’s National Team came out against Wales and thoroughly controlled the game, but couldn’t grab a winning goal. Against Panama, the team didn’t have that same control, but was able to bag goal after goal, to the tune of 6-2. Personally, I think the latter is more fun to watch.
As with so many of these friendlies, this match against Panama comes with its own caveats. Panama appears to be on the down swing, with pivotal players like Blas Pérez, Jaime Penedo, and Luis Tejada coming to the end of their careers. It’s not the same Panama team that pipped the U.S. to a World Cup spot in 2017. In spite of their decline, Panama remains fairly representative for much of the middle-talent in CONCACAF. Indeed, there’s a good chance that the USMNT will see Panama in World Cup qualifying. Panama has to
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Orlando City Announces Signing of Dutch Winger Silvester van der Water
It’s official. Van der Water signs for three seasons plus an option year.
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Orlando City officially announced the signing of Dutch attacking midfielder Silvester van der Water from Heracles Almelo of the Eredivisie, the top flight of Dutch soccer. The 24-year-old winger has a three-year deal with a one-year option using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM). He can join the Lions after his P-1 Visa and international transfer certificate have been received.
“We are excited to bring Silvester to Orlando and to Major League Soccer,” Orlando City Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations Luiz Muzzi said in a club press release. “Silvester is an exciting, up-and-coming player that we have been targeting for a while. He will add yet another different dimension to our attacking corps, as we get ready to challenge for titles in a very fixture-packed