Lion Links: 12/16/18

Hey there, Mane Landers, and happy Sunday. I hope you’re all enjoying your weekend of cool weather building up to the holiday season. As always, we’ve got a few Lion Links for you to sink your teeth into, so I say let’s just get on with it. Enjoy!

A Friendly Reminder: MLS Designated Players

With yet another MLS season behind us, Goal.com has provided an excellent reminder to a question that many MLS fans still can’t answer…what is a Designated Player? It’s essential knowledge to have as a soccer fan in the States, so a refresher never hurts.

USL League One: D3

United States Soccer Federation granted provisional Division III sanctioning to the newly formed USL League One. The league applied for the sanctioning in August of this year and the USSF had been reviewing their application since. This will be the official reemergence of a third tier to American soccer since 2016. With the NASL losing their provisional Division II sanctioning prior to the 2018 season, the USL now holds the only league in the second division. They can potentially now also now boast a league in the vacant D3 landscape. It’ll be an interesting league to keep an eye on, and I expect it to be of a pretty strong level.

MLS Coaching Radar: Guillermo Barros Schelotto

Guillermo Barros Schelotto, a former MLS MVP and rumored head coach for multiple teams in the league, is officially on the move. Argentine powerhouse Boca Juniors, fresh off of a controversial Copa Libertadores loss to rivals River Plate, confirmed Barros Schelotto is departing as manager of the club on Friday. The services of Schelotto will be interesting to clubs such as Atlanta United and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Tallahassee Soccer Club: Vote on our Jerseys

Fledgling amateur club Tallahassee SC has been one with their community since their inception, so there’s no surprising the move to allow members of the club to vote on the inaugural season’s jerseys. More information to come, but it should be exciting and if you love Tallahassee like I do, you should take a look!

Free Kicks

• If you’ve been on the fence about whether or not to check out the Orlando SeaWolves, they’re going to have a special night this coming Saturday, so it’s a good time to check them out.

• Newly appointed USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter was in Germany this weekend to meet with players and club directors.

• Congratulations are in order for goalkeeper Earl Edwards, Jr. and his wife for announcing that they have one on the way!

• Luchi Gonzalez is rumored to be taking over as the new head coach of FC Dallas. The move makes some sense, as Gonzalez has served in the club’s successful youth program since 2015.
• Fresh off of an MLS Cup loss, the Portland Timbers are expecting to bring in an ambitiously high “four to five starting-caliber players.”
• LAFC love their guy, Will Ferrell…and Will Ferrell loves him some LAFC.
• Chivas was surprisingly knocked out of the FIFA Club World Cup, losing 3-2 to Japanese club Kashima Antlers.

All right folks, that’s just about all I’ve got for you for today…it was a light one, Enjoy your Sunday and have a great week.