Lion Links: 6/5/20

How’s it going, Mane Landers? It’s been a pretty nice week for me with my birthday this past Wednesday. I got rained on at the beach, got some writing done, and ate plenty of food, including my first burrito. I’m not a fan of beans or sour cream, but it was still pretty good! Anyway, let’s jump into today’s links and get this Friday started.

Small Group Training Begins; Full Team Training Approved

Orlando City was one of 14 Major League Soccer clubs to begin small group training yesterday as the league works on easing players and coaches back into the swing of things. You can check out some of the Lions taking part in one of the small group workouts below.

MLS also lifted the training moratorium, meaning clubs may now submit plans for full team training. The plans will have to be reviewed and approved by the club’s medical staff local disease expert before submitting to MLS for review, but it is a step toward the return of soccer for sure and honestly kind of exciting. There is plenty of medical testing, facility requirements, and safety protocols to follow in order to get approved but it shouldn’t be too much longer before the Lions are ready to roll.

Orlando Pride Safely Coming Together

Although the toughest road in the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup is ahead of them, the Orlando Pride were all smiles in training. Midfielder Emily van Egmond is also with the squad after a week of testing and isolation since returning from Australia.

Pride Head Coach Marc Skinner knows the team will need to be together and focused if it wants to do well in the tournament with games every three days. Skinner sees signs of that cohesiveness in the team’s training as they prepare for the tournament.

Orlando City Classic Preview

Tomorrow’s Orlando City Classic will be the Lions’ 4-2 win over D.C. United to end the 2016 season. Kevin Molino, Kaká, Cristian Higuita, and Julio Baptista all scored in the win at Camping World Stadium. Although the Lions were a point shy of qualifying for the playoffs, they were still able to finish the season on a high note thanks to the big win. Miguel Gallardo, Evan Weston, and Jenny Chiu break it down to get you all ready for the stream.

Don Garber Weighs In On MLS’ Progress

As the MLS makes moves to return like other sports league across the country and abroad, MLS Commissioner Don Garber spoke with reporters in a video conference about the expected tournament in Orlando. Although no plans have been finalized, Garber is optimistic about the league’s return.

The players are also excited for the return and may have more than just season results to play for.

Free Kicks

• The USL Championship intends to return on July 11 after a vote by its Board of Governors. Orlando City B and USL League One are still on hold though, but hopefully we get some updates on their situation soon.
• Megan Rapinoe won’t be taking part in the NWSL Challenge Cup, citing the current pandemic and injury risk as reasons.
• The LA Galaxy spoke out against racist comments made from the wife of Aleksandar Katai. The midfielder also released a statement on Twitter to make it clear that the comments were unacceptable and not representative of him.

That’s going to be it from me today, Mane Landers. I hope you all have a wonderful Friday.