Lion Links: 1/30/20

Good morning, Mane Landers! Happy Friday Eve! There are just two days left of January and that means two things: the Super Bowl is nearly upon us, and the 2020 MLS season is quickly approaching. The Lions kick off in just four weeks! If that seems like too long, then check out these photos and this video from Orlando’s training in Mexico.

Now for some links:

Pride Players on International Duty

The Orlando Pride had a few players on international duty. Defender Shelina Zadorsky started for Canada, and played the full 90. The match was over before it even began, as the Canadians hammered Saint Kitts and Nevis, 11-0. Christine Sinclair made history by scoring her 187th international goal, passing Abby Wambach on the all-time list.

Orlando Pride draftee Konya Plummer was on the bench as Jamaica fell to Mexico, 1-0.

MLS Jerseys Leaked

The long wait is over. The new jersey of every MLS team has been leaked. It seems like Adidas was big on three stripes on the right shoulder this year. I think it looks awful, but many teams made up for it with the rest of the jersey. My favorite is Sporting Kansas City. The worst is undoubtedly San Jose.

Orlando City’s is not bad. I’ve gotten the new one every year since 2011 so I’ll add this one to my collection, but I’ll probably stick to wearing the home purple ones.

SeaWolves Take on the Blast

The Orlando SeaWolves take on the Baltimore Blast at 7:35 tonight. This will be the third meeting this season. The teams split the previous two games, and the Blast are the only team this season that Orlando has beaten.

“Any time you can get a win against a club like the Baltimore Blast, that’s a feather in your cap.” Head Coach Tom Traxler said, “I have the utmost respect for Danny Kelly, their head coach, and what he’s done with his team, and the championships he’s won. But last time was last time. We have to go out and make sure that we can do it again.”

Carson Pickett is Enjoying Australia

There is currently a break in the W-League. Carson Pickett took advantage of this time off to travel and hit the beaches. The Brisbane Roar are in fifth place, trailing the Melbourne Victory by three points. With the season running down, the Roar need to make some moves after the international break is over. But, for now, let’s hope Pickett keeps sharing those beach photos.

#SaveTheCrew…Again?

#SaveTheCrew was a successful movement, but now it looks like #SaveTheCrewPart2 could be imminent. Rumor has it that the club “is thinking seriously about changing its name, colors, and logo.” This has struck a nerve with fans, who are irate with this news:

“Don’t touch our colors. Don’t add a color. Don’t change the name. Don’t change the badge. Those are ours. We earned them.”

Free Kicks:

• Former Lions Brek Shea, Will Johnson, and Justin Meram headline MLS free agents who are still without a club.
• What did we learn from the United States Women’s National Team’s uninspiring 4-0 win over Haiti?
• Here’s a fun little survey from Stars and Stripes FC about the best jerseys. My vote goes to Adidas, although, all the templates get annoying and repetitive after awhile.
• Ronaldo became the first person in the world to have 200 million Instagram followers.
• Manchester United and Sporting Lisbon agreed on a transfer for Bruno Fernandes. This is great because it means that my Twitter feed will finally stop being bombarded with rumors and updates about this transfer. He joins Marcos Rojo, Ronaldo, and Nani as players to move from Sporting to United.
• Could Giuseppe Rossi join MLS? He is currently training with RSL.
• It is still a long time until Orlando plays in the U.S. Open Cup, but the second-round pairings have been released.
• Racism in soccer has been in the news more frequently recently. If you’re wondering why, check out this piece here.

That’s it for me today. Enjoy your Thursday. Remember, the SeaWolves play tonight, the USWNT plays Friday, and the USMNT is in action on Saturday. Hopefully we’ll also get some updates on Saturday from the Lions’ preseason scrimmage against the Crew (or whatever they’re called now) in Mexico.