Lion Links: 9/30/18

Howdy, Mane Landers, and happy Sunday. It’s a bit of a boring weekend, with the Lions on a break and the Pride’s season having already ended. Fortunately, I’m still here to serve up your daily dose of Lion Links, albeit a light serving…let’s call it more of a snack than a helping. So, let’s drop the formalities and dive right in: here’s your Sunday serving of Links! Enjoy.

Yoshimar Yotún Called Up for October Friendly Against USMNT

With a quickly approaching friendly against the U.S. Men’s National Team knocking on the door, it’s no surprise that the Orlando City and Peruvian stalwart has been, yet again, called up to represent his country. It’ll be exciting to see Yoshi play with some of the league’s other Peruvian talents, specifically against a USMNT that will roster a few notable MLS players that he’s already somewhat familiar with. The other three MLS studs that were called up to compete against the USMNT for their country’s impending friendly include Seattle’s Raul Ruidiaz, Portland’s Andy Polo, and Vancouver’s Yordy Reyna. Personally, I can’t wait to see this one.

Developing a Culture: Keeping the Future Purple

It’s clear that Orlando City has recently made the prudent decision to go back to developing the youth that’s come up around the area — with moves ranging from the re-establishment of Orlando City B to nurturing the youth all the way down to the U-5 level. Check out this inspirational video that details just how important developing the the young Lions is to the future of the club and the club’s leadership.

An MLS Playoff Update: Implications

With the MLS playoffs just around the corner, teams and supporters alike are looking at schedules and fixtures around the league to determine their chances at making a run at the MLS Cup. Unfortunately for the Lions, as we’ve touched on previously, it’s pretty much a wrap for the season. That doesn’t mean that you can’t pick a team (other than Atlanta United FC, of course) to root for! Here’s quick break down of how things could shake out, depending on yesterday’s and today’s results. I know we sound like a broken record…and hell, the Lions have acted like a broken record since entering the league…but there’s always next year, Mane Landers. There’s always next year… (insert sad emoji here).

Free Kicks

• American icon Cristian Pulisic’s Dortmund side is officially atop the Bundesliga table (for now?) following a four-goal rally thriller that saw them overcome an early 2-0 deficit to down mid-table competitors Bayer Leverkusen, 4-2. This now leaves them a single point ahead of Bavarian giants Bayern Munich, as well as Hertha Berlin, but their goal differential of +14, as opposed to Bayern’s +7 and Berlin’s +5 is truly marvelous. It’ll be interesting to see if the black and yellow can continue this excellent run of form.
• In case you’ve been living under a rock, or just don’t pay attention to the French Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain is quite good. The club just recently tied a league record for the most consecutive wins, which is eight, as they dismantled Nice, 3-0.
• Again, in case you’ve been living under a rock, you’re well aware that Real Madrid are now Ronaldo-less. Well, the Madridistas in attendance during yesterday’s scoreless Madrid derby against Atletico Madrid were chanting for their former Portuguese icon…yikes.
• Speaking of the Portuguese maestro, he just may have had his best match for the Bianconeri yet, grabbing the match by the scruff of the neck and willing his side to a 3-1 victory over Napoli. However in a surprising and sudden turn of events, Juventus CEO and General Manager Beppe Marrota announced that he was stepping down from his role with the club when his contract expires next month, citing his awareness of the club’s extensive revitalization. This is something to certainly keep an eye on.
• Moving on to the next best, or best depending on your personal tastes, player in the world, Argentina and Barcelona living legend Lionel Messi stated that his club shouldn’t be dependent on a single player (himself) to achieve positive results. I mean, he’s right, but man…Messi’s incredible history makes it hard for the supporters not to. That’s a true testament to just how amazing he’s been for the Catalan giants throughout his career in Spain.
• ESPN’s Alex Shaw has had enough of Jose Mourinho…so much so that he’s already made the bold statement that the legendary Portuguese manager should be sacked. This comes following the Red Devils’ shocking 3-1 loss at the hands of West Ham United. Personally, Mourinho is my favorite manager in the world…so I could never agree with the declaration…that said, I can understand his point.

Well, that’s about all I’ve got for you on this beautiful Sunday. I hope that you all enjoy the remainder of your weekend! Get out and get some sun…or hell, do the opposite and park yourself on a couch or bar stool and take in some NFL action! Regardless of your choice of leisure, I hope you all have a good one. To top it off, have a great week! It’s up to you to make it happen, so make it happen.

Cheers!