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It’s Monday Morning Mane Landers!
Well, the MLS season is over, and the Seattle Sounders have won it all. That means Orlando City is back in a tie for first place as we make our way through the off-season.
When I started writing the Links for today, I had plenty of jokes about what you can do during the off-season. However, given the horrible tragedy that has impacted our fellow soccer supporters and all the people of Turkey, I felt that the jokes would be inappropriate. I am still going to recommend playing plenty of FIFA on your gaming system, re-watching the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 trailer, and spending time with friends and family. But, I’m also going to recommend you take time to donate your time and money to help out someone that needs it this holiday season. If I’m able to find a way that one can directly help the victims of the bombings, I’ll post it in the comments.
Tragedy in Instanbul
Late Saturday night two bombs exploded outside the Vodafone Arena after a match between two of Turkey’s top clubs, Bursaspor and Besiktas. The bombings killed 38 and wounded 155 people. 30 police officers were among the deceased. The authorities have reported that the Kurdish militant group, Kurdistan Freedom Hawks, has claimed responsibility. The investigation remains ongoing.
Trading Places
It’s that time of the year, and plenty of trade stuff is going down. Orlando City’s Harrison Heath has been traded to Atlanta United FC, and The Mane Land’s own Austin David has our take on the trade. Atlanta has been busy, as Heath wasn’t the only news. Atlanta also picked up veteran defender Michael Parkhurst from Columbus, and they’re also getting Montreal Impact forward Romario Williams. The Jamaican striker spent most of last season on loan to the Charleston Battery, where he scored 10 goals. It wasn’t all players going to Atlanta United FC, as NYCFC traded for keeper Sean Johnson from the expansion squad. This was after Atlanta acquired Johnson from the Chicago Fire. Inchy was also busy up in Minnesota, as the Loons acquired defender Joseph Greenspan from the Colorado Rapids. More transfer info can be found here.
Bruce wants Deuce
Clint Dempsey missed Seattle’s playoff run due to an irregular heartbeat. Despite that, new USMNT Head Coach Bruce Arena is hoping that Dempsey will be available for Seattle come the MLS preseason, and thus the national team as well. The USMNT have World Cup qualifiers in March, and Arena is hoping to have a healthy Dempsey for those matches.
Stanford Wins Back-to-Back Titles
Stanford’s Men’s Soccer Team defeated the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, 5-4 on penalty kicks, after a scoreless draw to win back to back NCAA Championships. This is the second game in a row that Stanford has won on penalty kicks, after defeating North Carolina on Friday. Stanford did not allow a goal the entire tournament.
Seriously, Washington State Legislature?
So it seems that the Washington State Legislature is considering a bill that would let people carry firearms into stadiums. I’m sure that won’t end badly. Certainly nobody would shoot a referee. Plus, we all remember how calm it was between the English and Russian supporters in the 2016 Euros. I’m sure that fans who are drinking before and during a game of any sort can be counted on not to kill people when there’s a bad call.
One last thing, Rogue One is out in theaters later this week. Take the opportunity to take in a movie. May the Force be with you!