Lions Links: 8/25/17

It is Friday! You know what that means, right? That means it is almost game day, our favorite day of the week. But wait, who is this new guy writing for The Mane Land? All will be revealed in due time, but first here’s some links!

Sutter Makes Claim to be Mr. Consistency

Could Scott Sutter be the most consistent player on Orlando City’s back line? I think the competition is tight between him and center back teammate Jonathan Spector, but his skill in possession and ease of transitioning between defense and offense make for a very strong case.

MLS Cup Playoff Schedule Revealed

The MLS Playoff format for 2017 will be the same as last year, with the top six teams from each conference making the playoffs. The winner-take-all MLS Cup final, held in the home stadium of the team with the best regular season record, will be Saturday, Dec. 9.

The GOAT Talks to Herself

If you could spend some time and write a letter to your younger self, what would you say? Would it be a letter of warning, or would you send back words to encourage your younger self to take a daring step, go out on a limb, and have faith that the next big decision you make will be that life-changing experience you have dreamed of? Orlando Pride and Brazilian Women’s National Team forward Marta did the latter, penning an amazing letter to her 14-year-old self.

“Fight to prove everyone wrong — everyone who thinks there is no place for girls on the pitch. Fight against their prejudice. Fight against the lack of support. Fight against it all — the boys, the people who say you can’t. Fight. Fight to be accepted. Because we both know it only takes one person to change things.”

The Big Peach Ain’t Sweet on SGs

Both The Ruckus and Iron Lion Firm are banned from the next four trips Orlando City makes to Atlanta, starting with the upcoming match on Sept. 16 in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The ban, which came as a result of a joint Orlando City-MLS investigation as part of the league’s Incident Response Policy — and after complaints about OCSC supporter behavior — removes the privileges normally afforded to travelling supporter groups, such as a designated seating section, escorts into and out of the stadium, and the use of flags, banners, and drums. The ban comes in the wake of the last trip to Atlanta, in which Orlando supporters destroyed a metal bleacher and a couple of arrests resulted.

Members of both groups are still able to attend the match by buying tickets and attending as regular fans.

Free Kicks

• City Football Group, the parent group of Manchester City, is dipping its toes into La Liga by acquiring a majority stake in Girona FC.
• Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not only be back for Manchester United, but will be wearing the number 10 for the Red Devils. I mean, Zlatan does what Zlatan does.
• Once rumored Orlando City transfer target Chicharito is starting to make his presence known for his current club, West Ham.
• Also, former Orlando City “super sub” and late game favorite Julio “Beast” Baptista is rumored to be signing with Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League.

That’s about all for now. I am chomping at the bit for this Orlando City match against Vancouver on Saturday night. And look out for the exhilarating explanation of just who TheBeardedGuy is.