Lion Links: 11/26/18

Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers! Hopefully, you’re fully recovered from the holiday weekend as you head back to work. Let’s wish a happy birthday to former Lion and current Orlando SeaWolves defender Luke Boden, who turns 31 today. Now, let’s get to the links!

MLS Conference Finals Begin

Atlanta United FC took a big step towards appearing in the MLS Cup final with a 3-0 win over the New York Red Bulls on Sunday. With goals from Josef Martinez, Franco Escobar, and Hector Villalba, Atlanta rolled over the Red Bulls in the first leg of the Eastern Conference finals. The second leg will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Red Bull Arena.

The Western Conference finals didn’t feature quite the fireworks that Atlanta managed to put up, as the Portland Timbers and Sporting Kansas City ended in a 0-0 draw. The Timbers did press SKC most of the match, but they couldn’t quite get the goal they needed.

U.S. National Team Player News

Bobby Wood decided that his previous two goals for Hannover 96 in the Bundesliga hadn’t been quick enough and that he was going to do something about it. So yesterday he scored just 20 seconds into the match against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Unfortunately, neither he nor Hannover 96 would be able to do anything else for the remainder of the match, as they fell 4-1. No one else had quite the impact that Wood did, but there were still other Americans in action over the weekend.

English Premier League Update

Not too many surprises in the world’s top league. Table leaders Manchester City and Liverpool both won, with City defeating West Ham United, 4-0, and Liverpool taking down Watford, 3-0. Elsewhere, Manchester United drew Crystal Palace, 0-0, continuing its trend of mediocre results. In the weekend’s biggest game, Tottenham Hotspur handed Chelsea its first defeat.

Third Time’s the Charm?

The second leg for the final of the Copa Libertadores has been cancelled…again. The delay of the match between Boca Juniors and River Plate has been met with violence. It’s not the first time that violence around soccer has reared its head in Argentina. Despite security being tighter than usual, Boca’s team bus was attacked by fans throwing rocks and using pepper spray. When it came time to play the rescheduled match, Boca stated that playing the game so soon after the attack would be a disadvantage. As such, officials postponed the match again. There will be a meeting Tuesday to determine when and where (and if) the second leg will be played.

Free Kicks

• Former Orlando City gaffer, Adrian Heath, was honored by Everton with a long overdue 1985 ECWC winners’ medal.

• Cristiano Ronaldo and his Juventus teammates wore red face paint to show support to women who have suffered abuse. It was a gesture timed to coincide with the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
• Ireland has hired Mick McCarthy as manager ahead of 2020 Euro qualifying. McCarthy, a former manager with Sunderland and Wolverhampton, is a former Ireland player and has managed the side previously.
• With the SeaWolves kicking off their inaugural season on Friday, here are the MASL’s rules of the game.

That’ll do it for this Monday. Have a great week and remember to treat everyone like they’re your friend. Who knows? One day they might be.