Lion Links: 4/13/20

Merry Monday morning, Mane Landers! I hope everyone had a good weekend, whether you hunted for eggs, ate too much candy, or simply watched Peter Rabbit with the kids. Or like me, you did all three. I’m about to be off work for eight days in a row. It will be the first time in over 10 years I’ve had that many days off in a row. Of course, there’s no live soccer, so that stinks. But, we’re all in this together, so let’s get to the links!

Alex Morgan’s Workout

Orlando Pride forward Alex Morgan and former Lion Servando Carrasco are expecting their first baby girl later this month. Dealing with a pregnancy during a pandemic must be incredibly stressful, and exercise is a great stress reducer. When you’re an elite soccer player, exercise is a part of your life. Recently, Morgan posted a workout on her Instagram that got plenty of attention. Some are inspired by her, and others are sharing their opinion that she shouldn’t be working out at nine months. Of course, experts say that if you work out regularly then stopping altogether would be a bad idea.

Morgan isn’t the only United States Women’s Team player staying active. Carli Lloyd is taking advantage of the pandemic by making the most of the training and taking her time while doing it at a gym in New Jersey owned by her trainer and also in her home gym. She shared all of this on a a virtual panel hosted by Yahoo! Sports and the Women’s Sports Foundation.

SeaWolves Defender Recognized

The Orlando SeaWolves’ Jeff Michaud earned an honorable mention on the All-Major Arena Soccer League rookie team. While an honorable mention may not seem like much, it’s never easy joining a league as a rookie and leaving a mark. Orlando’s defense was hardly remarkable, but Michaud played in 16 games and scored 12 goals with eight assists. So congratulations to him for doing well in his first year in the league, even if his first season was cut short by the season ending prematurely.

Impact on Women’s Soccer

All sports are affected by the coronavirus, but women’s soccer may have been impacted the most. Following the 2019 Women’s World Cup, interest in the game had grown, and not just in the United States. Obviously, the USWNT still tops the world, but the field had narrowed and leagues throughout Europe saw an increase in supporters. Now with no revenue coming in, some clubs are considering cutting their women’s and youth programs. While no one is arguing for starting things back up before it is safe, it would be a tragedy if clubs vanished under these circumstances.

The David Beckham Saga

If it wasn’t such a serious situation, one could be excused for thinking the pandemic was just one more obstacle thown up in David Beckham’s quest to get an MLS team functioning in Miami. With hurdles such as stadium issues, investor problems, and lawsuits regarding the club’s name, it’s been a journey to say the least. Now, just as things get going, the league shut down before the club could play at home.

Free Kicks

• It’s all still to be determined, but LA Galaxy General Manager Dennis Te Kloese expressed concern that finishing the 2020 MLS season will be “challenging.”
• With Paul Pogba’s second stint with Manchester United up in the air, it turns out that it was family that advised him to make the move to Juventus back in 2012.
• From Liverpool great Kenny Dalglish’s coronavirus diagnosis to Real Sociedad’s plan to bring players back for training, there’s quite a bit of news in the rugby and soccer world.
• If you want to watch soccer, it’s being played in Belarus and Taiwan is about to join them.

That will do it for today. Stay safe, stay home if you can, and go City!