Lion Links: 10/28/15

Tuesday was a quite a bit less exciting than Monday was in the City Beautiful. But between President Barack Obama being cool as hell and one of the best USWNT players in history calling it a career, we found a way to stay busy. We gotcha covered with all the good stuff in today’s links.

Pride Hope Morgan Matches Kaká’s Influenced

The Orlando Pride made similar splashy signings as Orlando City SC made to start the club when the team announced the acquisition of Alex Morgan, Kaylyn Kyle and Sarah Hagen. Orlando City built its roster around Kaká and Brek Shea. So it’s not far fetched to surmise that the club hopes Morgan will come in and be as impactful as Kaká was when the club gets started next season.

Said club founder and president Phil Rawlins:

“It is exciting any time you bring international superstars like Alex and Kaká to a marketplace like this. I think she will have just as big an impact on this community as Kaká has, in all honesty. They are both prodigious talents and I think Alex will be valued and loved in this city as much as Kaká.They are both super individuals and great role models, but very down to earth and grounded, and they want to help us put this franchise on the map. I couldn’t be more excited about the Pride and what it is capable of adding to the community.”

Morgan is obviously the most popular women’s player in the country, but she doesn’t quite have the international reach that Kaká has, so she may not be as great of an influence as they hope. But she will certainly be a huge draw in the Pride’s first season.

Mane Land Michael Makes His Dirty South Debut

The Mane Land’s managing editor Michael Citro talked MLS expansion with the crew from Dirty South Soccer this week and you should give it a listen. Citro was around when The Mane Land was a wee little WordPress blog and saw the club’s MLS expansion happen firsthand, and provides some good insight on what Atlanta and other future expansion clubs could be in for.

Michael is smarter than most, including me, so any chance to get him to open up on this topic is one you shouldn’t pass up.

Obama Honors the USWNT Badasses

President Barack Obama welcomed the 2015 World Cup champion USWNT on Tuesday and perhaps delivered the line of his presidency:

“This team taught all of America’s children that playing like a girl means you’re a badass.”

Those girls are badasses. And they are good at soccer. And the Orlando Pride just traded for the most badass of badasses. So things are good.

Wambach to Retire

USWNT legend Abby Wambach made it official on Tuesday that the 2015 season would be her last. It wasn’t unexpected by anyone in the soccer world, but it’s still sad. I’ll never forget where I was in 2011 when she scored the game-tying goal against Brazil to save the tournament for the team.

She’s No. 1 in USWNT career goals and has scored some of the biggest goals in U.S. soccer history. Men’s or women’s. Cheers to a wonderful career.

LA Galaxy Titles Recreated in Legos

In Tuesday’s weird soccer news of the day, Lego recreated all five of LA Galaxy’s MLS Cup wins. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from living in Orlando and near the Lego store in Disney Springs, it’s that people who play with Legos have too much time on their hands.

Yes that is made out of Legos. Yes that person has too much time on his or hands. Yes this deal with LA Galaxy is the exact same thing.

Anywho, that’s all we got for links today. Enjoy your Wednesday.