Lion Links: 4/3/18

Good morning, Mane Landers. Hopefully, you’ve all recovered from the stress of last week’s game. If that sort of match becomes a regular thing, then I’m going to need some medicine for hypertension by the end of the season. There’s plenty of things to discuss so let’s get into those Links.

Dwyer Up for Goal of the Week

Dom Dwyer has been nominated for the MLS Goal of the Week for his second half strike against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. Dwyer showed good awareness to drift in behind the Red Bull defenders from a throw-in, receive the ball, and lash it into the back of the net from a tricky angle. The goal gave Orlando City the lead for the first time during the game, which the team would eventually win, 4-3. Dwyer and Sacha Kljestan also made the bench for the MLS Team of the Week, with Orlando City Head Coach Jason Kreis being named the coach. Finally, Dwyer’s goal from the throw-in came in at No. 8 on Charlie Davies’ top 10 plays from week 5.

Josué Colmán Impresses in First Home Game

Josué Colmán made his home debut for the Lions during Saturday’s game. And while he only played the second half, those 45 minutes were all he needed to make a strong impression. With his intelligent movement, skill on the ball, and ability to help control possession, it was about as good a home debut as the young Paraguayan could have hoped for, especially considering that he scored his first (albeit unconventional) goal in purple. Hopefully it’s a trend that continues this weekend.

Atlanta United Donates to the Miguel Vasquez Memorial Fund

Some things are bigger than soccer, and Atlanta United demonstrated that on Monday by donating the final $2,962 needed to cover the funeral costs of Iron Lion Firm member and Orlando City supporter Miguel Vasquez, who passed away tragically and who was honored after Saturday’s win vs. New York Red Bulls.

While things get heated between the lines and between rival fan bases, gestures like this remind us that we’re all in it together in the grand scheme of things.

Launch Date for ESPN+ Announced

ESPN has announced that it will launch its new streaming service, ESPN+, on April 12. It will have a veritable boatload of content, with MLB, NHL, and (most importantly as far as this blog is concerned) MLS games. The service will cost $4.99 per month, and is part of Disney’s plans to begin providing direct-to-consumer streaming services. Basically, it’s supposed to be the greatest thing since sliced and buttered bread. Which is cool and everything, but I’ve been enjoying my free MLS Live subscription for the duration of the young season. So screw me, I guess.

Free Kicks

• FourFourTwo takes a look back at other impressive MLS debuts following Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s first game for the LA Galaxy. A familiar face is on the list.
• Check out this soccer game played on a slab of ice way up in the arctic.

Apparently Las Vegas Lights FC was one llama short at its game over the weekend after one of the mascots “fertilized” the field the week before:

• Today’s birthdays include Gabriel Jesus, Kam Chancellor, Eddie Murphy, and Alec Baldwin.

That’ll do it for me today. I hope you all have a wonderful week, and get excited for this Sunday’s game against Portland. Ciao.