Lions waiting on Nocerino
The guessing game continues for Orlando City as players await news of when Italian midfielder Antonio Nocerino will join the team.
The club signed the versatile former AC Milan and Italian national-team member two weeks ago and since has been waiting for his visa and international transfer paperwork to be finalized.
He is expected to arrive later this week, leaving little time to assess if and where he will play in Sunday’s 2 p.m. season opener against Real Salt Lake at the Citrus Bowl.
“At this point, it’s really a guess- ing game in terms of trying to figure out how he’s going to fit into the team and where he’s going to play,” midfielder Darwin Cerén said through a translator. “So, to us it’s really just waiting until he gets here, seeing what coach has in mind, seeing how he plays and seeing how we all get along so we can have a better idea of how it’s going to work.”
In Orlando City’s new 4-3-2-1 formation, Cerén — who is part of the “3” — will more often be asked to play higher up the field, especially when Orlando City is in an offensive mindset. To Cerén, the change is slight, he said, but will give him more scoring chances.
“We’re pretty confident going into this weekend,” Cerén said. “I think it’s going to be a very defining game, and it’s going to set the tone for what kind of team [we will be] and how we’re going to play in the upcoming season.“
There is a possibility the Lions open the season in last year’s 4-2-3-1 formation if Nocerino is not ready to play.
Defender Seb Hines, who surprisingly scored four goals in Orlando City’s final preseason game against Brazil’s Bahia, isn’t worried about either formation and thinks Nocerino will have no trouble integrating with the team under such a tight timetable — especially since he played with Kaká at Milan two years ago.
“He’s played at the highest level, so I don’t think it will take too long for him to feel comfortable,” Hines said. “I think any formation that we play we’re accustomed to it. If it’s three in midfield or two in midfield, we can variably change positions, so it’s good.”
Fans leave mark on stadium
Fans now have the chance to leave their mark on Orlando City’s future downtown stadium.
At a ceremony Monday to commemorate the beginning of the stadium’s steel installation, club president Phil Rawlins showed off a purple steel beam that will be available for fans to sign at several events this week leading up to the Lions’ season opener against Real Salt Lake at the Citrus Bowl.
The beam later will be incorporated into the stadium’s construction.
“The erection of the steel you see behind me, and the stadium coming vertical out of the ground … is that great sign that everyone looks for [so] that they know we’re actually building a stadium,” Rawlins said. “We’re on track to open the 2017 MLS season right here in our brand new home.”
The beam will make an appearance at a tailgate party at Cheyenne Saloon at 5:30 p.m. today.
Pride players called up
The U.S. Women’s National Team called up two Orlando Pride players for the 2016 SheBelieves Cup.
Forward Alex Morgan and goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris will represent the Pride in the competition, which is hosted by the United States and features four of the world’s topranked national teams in three doubleheaders from March 3-9.
The SheBelieves Cup kicks off with Germany versus France and U.S. versus England on March 3 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
France will play England and the U.S. will take on Germany at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., March 6. Finally, FAU Stadium in Boca Raton will host Germany versus England and the U.S. versus France on March 9.
The USWNT’s first match will be broadcast on FS1, and ESPN3.com will stream the next two.
The Pride opens its inaugural National Women’s Soccer League season April 17 at Portland and holds its home opener at the Citrus Bowl April 23 against the Houston Dash, which features national team midfielder Carli Lloyd.
“He’s played at the highest level, so I don’t think it will take too long for him to feel comfortable.” Orlando City’s Seb Hines on Antonio Nocerino