Lion Links: 5/19/20

Happy Tuesday everyone, and I do mean happy. With the Bundesliga returning on Saturday I soaked in all the games I could like a camel storing up water for a trek across a soccer-free desert, and boy was that soccer-water sweet. I even woke up early on Sunday to cheer on my beloved Arminia Bielefeld in their 2. Bundesliga match on Sunday.

As usual there’s a ton to talk about today, so let’s hop right to it.

McKennie on “Awkward” Bundesliga Restart

Weston McKinnie has called the resumption of play in the Bundesliga “awkward.” Aside from the 4-0 hammering that McKennie’s Schalke took at the hands of second place Borussia Dortmund, the USMNT midfielder said things just didn’t feel the same as usual.

It was awkward, you know, it felt like soccer but it didn’t feel like soccer.No fans, not really an atmosphere, you have to really depend on your own motivation and drive to give 100% in the game.

The resumption of the German top flight seemed to go off without a hitch, although as a spectator the lack of crowd noise was certainly very off-putting. As long as there continues to not be any problems in the Bundesliga, hopefully its return will spur other leagues to do the same once safe measures can be agreed on to do so.

A Discourse With Diskerud

Mix Diskerud recently sat down with the folks over at MLSsoccer.com and spoke about a number of different things. He reflected fondly on his time playing in South Korea’s K-League with Ulsan Hyundai. The former NYCFC and USMNT player was the first American to score a goal in the AFC Champions League — with a backheel no less, and said he could see himself returning to the league one day. He also went on the record as saying that he feels like he still has unfinished business in Major League Soccer, although he also said playing in South America would be pretty interesting too.

EPL Training to Resume

English Premier League clubs unanimously voted to begin small group training yesterday, giving the go-ahead for resumption to occur starting this afternoon. However, there is still yet to be a date set for the league’s return to play. That is due to clubs disagreeing over a variety of things involving venues, safety, and general logistics. With that being the case, a return to small group training is still progress and a step in the right direction. Hopefully, we’ll have a date for resumption of play sooner rather than later.

SPFL Ends Current Season

The Scottish Professional Football League has voted to end the current season, and has calculated final standings based on points per game in league matches played up until March 13, when the league was suspended. The finalizing of the season means that Celtic have been crowned Scottish champions, winning the top flight title for the ninth season in a row. Hearts were the unlucky club to be relegated, a likely tougher pill to swallow than usual considering the club were within six points of three other teams before play was suspended. The team released a statement that it was considering legal action due to what it calls an “unjust” decision. It should also be noted that the Scottish Cup has not been cancelled, with the tournament currently in the semifinals.

Free Kicks

• Check out some scenes from another day of Orlando City SC training.

• The men weren’t the only ones getting some work in on Monday.

• The MLSPA submitted a counter-proposal to the league’s suggested salary cuts.

• Pick your favorite all-time MLS jersey on MLSsoccer.com’s Jersey Week bracket.

That’s everything I have for you today. Y’all stay safe out there.