Lion Links: 7/15/19

Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers! From exhilaration on Saturday to heartbreak on Sunday, it was quite a weekend for the teams from Orlando. I hope you were able to enjoy it as much as I did, though some points on the road for the Pride would have been sweeter. Let’s get to the Links!

Pride Heartbroken in Portland

Remember when Orlando City couldn’t defend and gave up goals late in games? Well, as soon as the Lions start to turn that around, it seems the curse has been transferred to the Orlando Pride. The Pride continue to have trouble with the Portland Thorns, falling 4-3 in stoppage time on Sunday. The Pride had made a comeback in large part to Marta’s goal and an own goal that Marta forced, pulling even in the 90th minute on an Erin Greening goal. Then, in the fourth minute of three minutes of stoppage time, Tyler Lussi scored for Portland, breaking the hearts of the Pride faithful.

The Right Side of History

Proctor and Gamble made a really easy decision, and called out the U.S. Soccer Federation in the process. Secret Deodorant is owned by P&G, and is a sponsor of the USWNT. The company is donating $529,000 to supplement the players’ pay. That works out to $23,000 for each of the 23 players. The company also urged U.S. Soccer to do the right thing, and address the equal pay issue.

Rapinoe in the News

Megan Rapinoe hasn’t stopped making news in months. Yesterday, she went on Meet the Press, and expressed her view that the USWNT has given hope back to some Americans. She hopes the USWNT’s World Cup victory could inspire people to get involved again whether it’s about equal pay, racial equality, or LGBTQ rights. Despite a poll showing Rapinoe would win a hypothetical presidential election in 2020, the World Cup Golden Boot winner has no plans in the political arena.

Pulisic’s Chelsea Journey

Christian Pulisic signed with English Premier League club Chelsea back in January. He then finished out the season with Borussia Dortmund, and put in some time with the USMNT, including the Concacaf Gold Cup. The young American phenom then decided to cut a family vacation short in order to join his new team in Japan. His new manager, Frank Lampard, was impressed with his dedication. Despite being new, there should still be opportunity for Pulisic to see some playing time.

Free Kicks

• We know that Alex Morgan’s husband, and former Orlando City player, Servando Carrasco plays for the LA Galaxy. Since Morgan has yet to return to the Pride following the World Cup, she was at the Galaxy match and was honored at halftime. It’s hard to begrudge her that honor, especially given the support Carrasco has given her.
• Just in case you didn’t catch all of the MLS action this weekend, take a minute and check out what happened.
• Speaking of Rapinoe, there’s a petition to get her onto the cover of FIFA 20. I’m good with it.

On a sad, personal note, Grasslands Brewery in Tallahassee shuttered its doors this weekend. The brewery was a supporter of the local soccer community, including its To The Goal session IPA, which is probably the best beer it made in my opinion. It’s always a shame when a brewery closes, but especially one that was so supportive of the community. I wish the owners all the luck in the world.