Lion Links: 11/4/19

Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers! It finally cooled off a bit up here in Tallahassee, though I don’t know how lost it’s going to last. Hopefully, you enjoyed your weekend, and we can help you start your week out right. Let’s get to the links!

Higuita’s Car is Wrecked

A black Chevrolet owned by Orlando City’s Cristian Higuita was involved in an accident on the south side of the city of Cali in Colombia last Friday. It is being reported that it was a relative of Higuita that was driving the vehicle when it collided with a van carrying food. There’s been no report regarding injuries from the accident.

MLS Coaching Carousel

Orlando City fans are all too familiar with coaching changes, and despite Oscar Pareja being linked with the club, as first reported by The Mane Land. Of course, Houston recently brought on former USMNT U-20 Head Coach Tab Ramos as their new skipper. Orlando and Houston are not the only teams looking for a new coach, with other teams in limbo as well. This story on MLSSoccer.com provides a good overview of the current coaching situation. Other than Ramos, all the other clubs are keeping things pretty close to the vest at the moment.

The Rich and the Not So Rich

Despite MLS’ attempts to create parity in the league, all four of the final teams in the playoffs were in the top five of the richest clubs in the league. Those four clubs are Atlanta United and Toronto FC in the Eastern Conference and the Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles FC in the Western Conference, with Toronto and Seattle meeting in the final. Plus this will be the third time in four years those two will meet in the final. The parity that MLS is going for, doesn’t seem to be materializing, and there’s no guarantee that it will get any better going forward. Surprisingly, Orlando City is actually in the top 10 of the richest clubs, but hasn’t yet been able to break through.

New Faces Welcomed to USMNT

Gregg Berhalter has called up quite a few newcomers for the United States Men’s National Team’s upcoming Nations League matches against Canada and Cuba. Some players, like Matt Turner, Mark McKenzie, Brenden Aaronson, and Chase Gasper, are uncapped and looking to make an impact. Gasper in particular has a chance to shine at the left back position as no other American has claimed the roster spot for themselves. He and the rest of the Yanks will get their chance to stand out right here in Orlando on Nov. 15 against Canada.

Racism in European Leagues Continues

Does this feel like a constant news item yet? This time, a match between Brescia Calcio and Hellas Verona F.C. was stopped due to racist chants from Verona supporters toward Brescia striker Mario Balotelli. While neither coach said they heard the offensive chants, Balotelli stopped play, picked up the ball, and booted it high into the stands in protest. Officials delayed the game to make an announcement about the behavior, while players from both clubs gave support to Balotelli, and convinced him to see the match out. Balotelli did, scoring the game-winning goal for Brescia.

Free Kicks

• Landon Donovan is the Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations for the new USL San Diego Loyal Soccer Club. Now, the club has a crest and colors.

• Up here in Tallahassee, the Florida State University women’s soccer team advanced to the ACC semifinals by defeating Clemson 2-1 on Sunday. Meanwhile, the University of Central Florida women’s soccer team beat Houston 5-0 and will now face the University of South Florida in the AAC semifinals on Nov. 11.
• Niko Kovac has left Bayern Munich following the club’s 5-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt. The loss put Bayern in fourth place in the Bundesliga and it was the last straw for Bayern ownership.

That will do it for the first Monday of November. Keep checking back for more coverage from The Mane Land.