Lion Links: 11/10/16

Happy Thursday, y’all. The election madness has calmed down a bit, which is nice. This edition of Lion Links is a chance to step away from it all and catch up on all things Orlando City and the soccer world.

Let’s get to it.

Lisa De Vanna Nominated for AFC Award

The Orlando Pride’s Lisa De Vanna was one of three players nominated for the Asian Football Confederation’s player of the year award. De Vanna joins her countrywoman Caitlin Foord and China’s Tan Ruyin as the nominees.

From the story:

“When I consider how many amazing players there are in Asia I’m happy to be nominated alongside Caitlin Foord and Tan Ruyin,” said De Vanna, who left Melbourne City after securing a maiden W-League title for the club last season. 

“Proud to have two Matildas in the top three.”

It’s a great honor for De Vanna, and the winner will be determined on Dec. 1. Given that she plays for Orlando, De Vanna will likely finish in a tie of some sort.

Buh dum Chi.

I suck at jokes.

Orlando City Academy Teams Rolling

The Orlando City SC pro academy won five games this weekend. The young bucks went 5-0-1 against the Clearwater Chargers this past Saturday. See, Orlando City can win stuff. But seriously, it’s good to see the up-and-comers that will hopefully shape the club’s future having success.

Orlando City Player Appearances

Want to meet your favorite Orlando City player? The club released a schedule of some upcoming appearances for players and one of these places would be a great opportunity to do so.

Tyler Turner is set for two appearances, though one of those happened on Wednesday. The Pride’s Toni Pressley is also scheduled for two. Pressley will be featured at the Gay Pride Launch Party today. It would be a surprise if she’s the only Pride player in attendance, but she’s the only one officially scheduled. The Pride Parade on Saturday will feature Pressley along with Brek Shea and Phil and Kay Rawlins.

America’s Savior?

The Wall Street Journal deemed Christian Pulisic America’s latest, greatest soccer messiah. Naturally, this will not end well. Look, I like Pulisic. He’s a good player. Might even been great. But can we please stop this whole “American soccer” savior deal? It never comes true. America. Is. Not. Good. At. Soccer. Give it a rest. Anyway, the story is worth your time. It’s a nice look at a solid player who will wear the stars and bars for years to come. But we’ll still be mediocre for years to come.

That’s it for today. Enjoy your Thursday and check back later for complete coverage of the USWNT friendly against Romania.