Lion Links: 6/20/20

Good morning, Mane Landers. I hope the day finds you well. Before we jump into the links, let’s all take a moment to wish Orlando Pride defender Erin Greening a very happy birthday!

MLS’ Black Players Form Coalition

It was announced yesterday that more than 70 Black Major League Soccer players formed the Black Players Coalition. Former Orlando City goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. will serve on the board alongside other names like Kei Kamara and Ike Opara. The independent, non-profit organization will work closely with MLS and the MLS Players Association.

In a statement the BPC said it, “will address the racial inequalities in our league, stand with all those fighting racism in the world of soccer, and positively impact black communities across the United States and Canada.”

After the news was announced, Orlando City forward Dom Dwyer said change is coming.

OCSC Provides Updates

Jenny Chiu shared The Social, where she took a moment to update supporters on Juneteenth and how to find more resources. She also discussed the eMLS Cup with $20,000 up for grabs, and recapped the first team’s first week of full team training.

Meanwhile, Duda Pavão provided Orlando Pride updates. The Pride are flying out this Wednesday for the 2020 National Women’s Soccer League Challenge Cup. All game times have been released, and we should know the roster traveling to Utah soon.

The USMNT’s DeAndre Yedlin Reconsiders U.S. Career

DeAndre Yedlin has 62 caps for the United States Men’s National Team and says he agrees with texts from his grandfather stating it’s not safe for young Black men in the U.S. right now. This has led the player to doubt whether he should continue to represent his country or not.

“It’s one of those waiting games to see if a change does happen. But if things go as they stand it’s hard for me as an African American male to represent a country that does things like this where all people aren’t equal.”

USLPA and USL Ratify Agreement

As we told you Thursday, the USL Championship and USL Players Association reached an agreement on how to get the 2020 season going again. The two sides announced yesterday that a formal agreement on returning to play has been reached for the 2020 season. Both sides are preparing for a July 11 restart and will continue negotiations on a Collective Bargaining Agreement in the next few weeks.

Free Kicks

• Neymar was ordered to pay Barcelona almost 7 million euros after losing his case over an unpaid signing bonus.
• Leroy Sane will reportedly leave Manchester City if a deal can be made with another club after the winger rejected a new contract.
• Progress is being made on Austin FC’s stadium.

That’ll do it for me today, everyone. Have a great day and stay safe.