Lion Links: 9/28/15

How it's going everybody?

Mondays’s gonna Monday, but at least we’ve got a three-game winning streak to talk about. Not to mention the Lions’ fantastic play has catapulted the club back into playoff contention, with a huge match-up against the Montreal Impact looming this weekend at the Citrus Bowl.

But first, let's kick the week off right with your Monday morning Lion Links!

LAFC Unveil New Stadium Renderings

With MLS expansion very much a hot topic around the league this season, LAFC released new designs for their proposed stadium over the weekend. Seeking to become the second club in the City of Angels after Chivas USA folded a season ago, the club has already made news as a potential destination for Cristiano Ronaldo, should he ever make a move stateside.

The stadium designs are sleek, with a pitch set below street level, providing fans an incredible view upon entering the grounds. A "World Football Museum" also appears attached to the stadium, which would be located right across the street from the LA Coliseum.

But the coolest feature the club unveiled has got to be the translucent roof covering the stands. This would be perfect for letting in all that California sunshine while keeping out any rain.

The stadium designs still have to be approved and plenty of negations await before any construction begins, but this is still a big step forward for the fledgling club.

Messi Goes Down with Knee Injury, Out 7-8 Weeks

This could have been so much worse.

When Lionel Messi fell to the pitch with a knee injury on Saturday, in Barcelona's 2-1 win over Las Palmas, many soccer fans were fearing the worst. Take a look:

Despite some initial fears, it appears the Argentine superstar will only be out for about 7-8 weeks with an MCL tear. At least it's not the sort of ACL injury that can leaves players hobbled for an entire year.

Hunter Graham has an interesting look at how Messi's absence will affect Barca, over at ESPN FC. The biggest game he'll miss appears to be the club's late November meeting with Real Madrid.

Sporting KC and Philadelphia Union Prepare for U.S. Open Cup Final

With an increasingly heated MLS Cup Playoff race commanding most of the attention around the soccerverse these days, it's easy to forget that North America's other prestigious footballing competition is wrapping up this week.

The final of the 2015 U.S. Open Cup will be contested on Wednesday night at PPL Park, as the Philadelphia Union host Sporting Kansas City with a CONCACAF Champions League berth on the line. It’s the second year in a row the Union have hosted the final, as they lost to the Seattle Sounders 3-1 in last year’s edition.

It's going to be interesting to see how each team approaches this match. We can assume Sporting is taking it pretty seriously, after the club sat most of their regulars in this weekend's 1-1 draw with the Seattle Sounders. It's a tough decision, considering Kansas City is still looking to secure a Western Conference playoff spot.

The Philadelphia Union have no such dilemma, with the playoffs not a realistic possibility this season. They'll have home-field advantage, but will be underdogs against a rested Sporting team looking to snag some hardware.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. ET and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2.

Love Arsenal? Have $740,000? If so, read on…

There are plenty of ways to show your passion for a soccer club. You can buy a scarf, learn the chants or even follow your team on the road.

But, if you've got the cash and consider yourself a die-hard Gooner, you can even move into Arsenal's stadium. Not their current one, but at Highbury, where the club played throughout much of their history. After they moved into the Emirates Stadium in 2006, the club's old grounds were converted into a housing development, with the stadium's original facade remaining untouched.

A flat at the Highbury Stadium Square was listed on the property website Zillo last week, with the owner seeking £660,000 for the two-bedroom apartment. It actually looks pretty sick, with the stadium's original concourse serving as the lobby and views of the old pitch from several windows throughout the apartment.

Tell any Arsenal fans you know about this can't-miss opportunity. Just make sure I get a commission.

That's it for Lion Links today! Just try and get through Monday.