Lion Links: 10/2/15

Good morning, folks. We are now only one day away from the battle with Didier Drogba and those other guys that play with him. I find that the best way to start off the pre, pre-game day is with some tasty Lion Links, so let’s get started.

Orlando City Wins SiriusXM FC Kit Contest

If you are like me and went on and voted many, many, many times for our kit, you'll be happy to know that we have won the competition! The prizes are starting to roll out and… oh, no, apparently we only win bragging rights. But getting to beat Columbus Crew again is always gratifying, no matter what medium we beat them in. Orlando fans can rejoice until the next contest, so rest up your fingers and keyboards because when another competition arises, our "skills" will be in high demand.

FC Kansas City Wins NWSL Final vs. Seattle

It's been a good week for Kansas City, with a second trophy added in as many days. FC Kansas City claimed their second straight National Women's Soccer League title on Thursday night with a 1-0 win over Seattle Reign. This, on the heels of Sporting Kansas City winning the U.S. Open Cup.

The lone goal of the match came courtesy of USWNT's Amy Rodriguez, who headed home a cross in minute 78.

United States U-23s Defeat Canada in Olympic Qualifier

The U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team kicked off Olympic qualifying on Thursday, and a brace from Jordan Morris led the lads to a 3-1 win over Canada. Luis Gil tacked on a penalty kick to round out the scoring for the U.S., who were playing their first qualifier on home soil at Sporting Park in Kansas City (it's apparently Kansas City week). The U.S. sits atop their group as a result of the victory and will face Cuba on Saturday in their next match.

U.S. U-17 World Cup Roster Named

The U-17 World Cup is approaching fast, and the United States has announced its roster for the tournament that includes an Orlando City Academy player in forward Pierre Da Silva. The U.S. will look to continue its success in the youth tournaments, where teams have placed as high as third recently. With aging stars in the senior side, the USMNT will soon look towards the youth products to bolster their ranks.

Historical Look at MLS Salaries

While we all know MLS has spared no expense bringing in some top-caliber players at top dollar, Philly writer Jonathan Tannenwald took a look at the MLS salaries from 2007 (the year the MLS Players Union first started publicizing this information) until now.

The most interesting thing to note is that spending has increased by almost 400%, with the top-earner numbers skyrocketing and the lowest salary paid barely changing. This has been a frequent issue for some, as they feel the players are grossly underpaid, especially defensive players. It will be interesting to look 10 years from now and see how, if at all, that trend changes.

That's all I have for y'all today, folks. Enjoy your day and go Lions!