Lion Links: 10/1/18

Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers! Welcome to the first Links of October! Holy mackerel this year has flown by, hasn’t it? Unfortunately, the season hasn’t gone by quite as quickly, but…

There is no Orlando City loss to write about this Monday, and I think we can all agree that is something to be merry about. Now, let’s get to the links!

Not So Fast, My Friend

It seems that the retirement of former Orlando City captain, Kaká, may be short lived. Since leaving Orlando, Kaká has been working with Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux (the group that owns AC Milan). It was thought that Kaká would earn his coaching certificates, or learn the skills of a front office person. However, it seems that since Silvio Berlusconi acquired a controlling share of Rossoneri, he wants the former Ballon d’Or winner to join Serie C side, Monza 1912, in an effort to promote the team up to Serie B. Regardless of whether the rumor is true, we wish Kaká all the best in whatever he decides.

USWNT is World Cup Ready

It’s been two years since the USWNT made an early exit from the 2016 Olympics. Since then, Jill Ellis has seemingly taken a practical approach to the team. It’s been all about performance. You can be excused for not knowing that from the outside, but be assured that’s what is happening. To be fair, the U.S. is No. 1 in the world heading into 2019 and can be assumed to be the favorite for the World Cup. Granted, the French, English, Germans, Australians, Brazilians, Canadians, and some others might want a say in that. Hopefully the team is clicking the way Jill Ellis would want as the team heads into the competition.

Former Teammates, Future Foes?

Both Zlatan Ibrahimović and Wayne Rooney have taken MLS by storm this season, and both have their teams in a position to make the MLS playoffs. This weekend, D.C. United defeated the Montreal Impact, 2-0, and the LA Galaxy disposed of the Vancouver Whitecaps by the same score. Both Zlatan and Rooney scored braces in their last matches to keep their teams in the postseason hunt. I hope they both do well, and that’s coming from a Liverpool supporter in referring to two former Manchester United players. With Orlando City effectively out of contention, the European superstars might make for an interesting story for the playoffs.

You Think You Have it Bad?

Cardiff, Huddersfield, and Newcastle are all six games into the Premier League season, and none have a win on the board. To be fair, that doesn’t break the top 10 all-time worst starts in the EPL, but it’s still not good. At the top end of the table, Liverpool finally gave up some points in a draw with third-place Chelsea, but remained undefeated on the season. Manchester City also remains undefeated but sits above Liverpool on goal differential. If you’re a fan of one of the “haves” in the EPL, it’s usually pretty nice. If you’re not…well, those are the breaks. We may complain about MLS at times, but technically it is a league with more parity. Feel free to debate the pros and cons below.

Free Kicks

• I know we usually only really care about Orlando City, but it is a good day when the New York Red Bulls defeat rival Atlanta United FC, 2-0. A good day indeed.
• I didn’t mention it above but there was more feedback from the Rooney and Zlatan braces. Predictably, Manchester United fans weren’t thrilled given how their team is faring and how José Mourinho has been reacting in the media.
• Holy moly, there’s a lot going on in regards to whether the English FA board approves the sale of Wembley Stadium by Fulham FC and Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan. There are pros and cons, but since this is a free kick I’ll let you read it for yourself.
• Too much Prince William? Never! Especially when Prince William plays soccer with Prince William. Just read the article, and it will make more sense.

That’s going to do it. Welcome to October, we hope you survive the experience (10 internet points to the first comment that knows the reference).