Lion Links: 11/9/19

Welcome to the weekend, Mane Landers. The temperature here in Florida is starting to cool down and it finally feels like you can go outside without sweating. There isn’t much soccer today, but we have plenty to watch tomorrow so rest up while you can. Kick back, make a cup of coffee, and enjoy these links from around the soccer world.

Orlando City Looking at Quintero?

These rumors and reports are tucked behind a paywall at the moment, but The Athletic reports that Orlando City is interested in trading for Minnesota United FC forward Darwin Quintero. A Designated Player for the Loons, Quintero scored 10 goals and had five assists this season and Orlando City is expected to add offensive weapons this off-season. Dom Dwyer is a possible trading piece as well, according to the article, and could reunite with Minnesota Head Coach Adrian Heath. No matter how things shake out, this winter should be exciting with plenty of trades and moves to keep an eye out for.

Kamal Miller Joins Canada Roster

Orlando City rookie defender Kamal Miller was called up for the Canadian Men’s National Team’s upcoming game against the United States on Nov. 15 at Exploria Stadium in the Concacaf Nations League. Miller started and played every minute of Canada’s 2-0 win against the U.S. last month and it’s nice seeing the 22-year-old get playing time with his nation. Fellow Lions Will Johnson and Tesho Akindele didn’t make the roster and former Lion Cyle Larin won’t be making his return to Orlando as he is away from the team for personal reasons. Regardless, Canada Head Coach John Herdman is focused on getting a result to win the group to take the next step in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.

USWNT Lawsuit Updates

A federal judge granted the United States Women’s National Soccer Team class status in the lawsuit for equal pay. While this ruling is far from a conclusion on the trial itself, it makes the lawsuit a class-action one that extends beyond the 28 plaintiffs and to all USWNT players who appeared in a team camp or game since Feb. 4, 2015. It’s an important distinction and the class representatives will be Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, and Becky Sauerbrunn for the trial scheduled for next May.

“Sometimes it’s just nice for someone to say, ‘I believe you and I am validating what you’ve been saying,’” Rapinoe said in a telephone interview. “We have an internal belief in what we’re doing. But to have someone, and in this case someone very important in this case, say, ‘I believe what you’re saying,’ is very important.”

Don Garber Delivers State of the League Address

MLS Commissioner Don Garber gave his annual State of the League address in Seattle, days before the MLS Cup final. Garber spoke about how the league has grown in recent years and how it compared to Liga MX, top soccer leagues, and other sports leagues in the U.S. He also touched on the strong years by recent expansion sides LAFC and Minnesota United, as well as the announcement of the 30th MLS team in the coming months. When fielding questions, Garber addressed the importance of soccer-specific stadiums, MLS’ partnership with leagues in Mexico and Canada, and much more. It’s worth checking out below.

Free Kicks

• The Orlando Pride’s Claire Emslie got the scoring started for Scotland in a 5-0 win against Albania.

• For some reason, Miguel Gallardo played FIFA 20 on the big screen at Exploria Stadium in the middle of the day with a terrible glare.

• Dome Torrent’s exit from New York City FC is official.
• USL Championship side Ottawa Fury FC shut down operations after being unable to achieve required sanctioning from Canada Soccer, the United States Soccer Federation and Concacaf.
• Former Lion Amro Tarek was named Newcomer of the Year by the New York Red Bulls’ after a solid season defending.
• CBS and Univision nabbed the rights to the UEFA Champions League with a three-year deal.
• We end our links with this news out of Switzerland about Kaká taking sports management courses as the next step in his career. The 18-month course will take place across Europe and features others such as Didier Drogba and Julio Cesar,

That will be all from me today, folks. I hope you all have a wonderful Saturday and a relaxing rest of your Veteran’s Day weekend.