#I miss 2018 France team

[gashofleastresistance]

France isn’t playing well at all. This is on them! The game is over for me.

Congrats Argentina!

[ef-1]

Twitter is mad at Daniel again because they caught on to that CH interview about Daniel being offered the same contract as Max, icl I'm also bitter about it. I wish he wasn't so rash in 2018

It's easy to be bitter in hindsight but the reality is more nuanced, had it not been recorded and internationally broadcast, what happened to Daniel in 2018 would be flat out unbelievable by ANY standard lol. Daniel had mechanical issues in every. single. weekend in 2018 <- this is not a hyperbole or a joke (more on this later). He ran multiple races with a b spec engine -> 20 bhp down on Max. At no point in 2018 did Max run a lower engine power than Daniel. Daniel incurred 8 dnfs, 4 back of the grid starts for mechanical issues and 6 grid drops in total where as Max had *1*[one]. This isn't even accounting for failures in quali or free practice that would have compromised his set up or race prep. Daniel's car accounted for 92% of Red Bull failures in comparison to Max's 8%.

Christian's cunty "he ran from a fight" comment stung particularly hard because it was Christian who made MULTIPLE public apologies to Daniel in 2018 on the ground that he wasn't given a chance to compete. Christian would apologise to Daniel again when Max won in Mexico, even though Daniel had an uncharacteristic outburst in the media pen during that famous "The car is cursed. I can't wait to give it to Pierre" This isn't even diving into the dubious & predatory RB contract practices. At 28 years old, to quote Christian "It's the first time he's effectively a free agent."

You look back at it now and lament it as a bad call but even by Christian's admission Red Bull were on the verge of selling the team for 4 years. Honda was coming in, I know it's easy to praise Honda now but Honda single handedly sent Alonso into early retirement. He found working with them untenable + said it cost him his love for the sport. Those were the lingering images of Honda as they re-entered the sport, the team who electrocuted Alonso then bled his love for racing dry.

If you weren't around in 2018 let me give you a run down so horrific it looks like a joke:

Australia - Race: 3 Place grid penalty

Bahrain - Race: DNF - Battery Failure

China - Free Practice 3: Gear box issue with complete engine turbo failure. Misses FP3 entirely, no quali set up prepared. He would go on to win that race from p6

Baku - Race: DNF - Collision with Max. Racing incident.

Monaco - Race: partial MGU-K failure. He would go on to win that race with drastic loss of power.

Canada - Free Practice 2 - Power unit issue, misses majority of the session.

France - Race: front wing failure. (it disintegrated)

Austria - Race: DNF - Retires from p3 with MGU-k Failure

Britain - Quali: DRS failure. No DRS activation, still qualifies p6 behind Max in p5

Germany - Race: Back of grid start + DNF - Takes new engine for the weekend, starts p19 + has lower power spec A ICE approximately 20 BHP down on B spec that Max was running. Daniel climbed upto p5 from p19 but incurs a MGU-k failure and retires.

Hungary - Race: Daniel is forced to run lower power spec A ICE again, 20 BHP down on B spec that Max was running

Spa - Free Practice 1 + DNF: Daniel misses entire session with engine injector issue + Daniel would go on to retire after being driven into on lap 1.

Monza - Race: Back of grid start + DNF. Daniel takes another new engine for weekend (spec C) and incurs another full grid penalty, starts p19. Daniel would go on to climb to p6 before having clutch failure and retiring.

Singapore - Race + Quali + Free practice: During every session in Singapore Daniel has an unresolved spec C engine clipping issue that Red Bull can't fix.

Russia - Race + Free Practice 1 - Daniel misses FP1 due to mechanical issues. Daniel takes another engine penalty, starts p18

Japan - Race + Quali: Daniel incurs throttle actuator failure, misses quali, another back of grid start.

USA - Race: DNF - Battery Failure

Mexico - Race: DNF - clutch Bearing failure + start software clutch issue. Daniel retires the race from P2

Brazil - Race: Daniel takes a 5 Place grid penalty due to new turbo charger replacement. Starts in p11.

Abu Dhabi - Free Practice 3: Misses majority of FP3 with water leak.

Daniel's insanely vulnerable "if racing was the only thing making me happy this year, I would have been miserable" during the last on the sofa with Max was a v apt summary of 2018. To suggest that Daniel fucked up based on the information he had in 2018, namely Daniel undergoing all those problems + knowing RB was flirting with selling the team + Helmut's fuckery + having an out from the RB umbrella for the first time in his career? Your problem isn't with his decision making process, you just wish he was clairvoyant which is an unfair thing to be bitter about

[theflowergothic]

Kelly Piquet Master Timeline - Amendment 1 (Some things I missed the first time around)

(Masterlist)

Hey y'all! Welcome to the first amendment for the Kelly timeline! In these amendments, I will be adding things that happened during already-published parts of the timeline, but did not add before for a variety of reasons (not knowing about it, not having proof for it before, etc).

Sorry this took a bit to release. I've been dealing with a bit of irl stuff this past week that took my attention away from working on Max/Kelly things aside from updates to the timeline. In fact, you might have seen me crack on Twitter over it! Yay!

By the way, you may notice some repeats from the official timeline. Those are events that I did cover in the original, but with new information/context that I initially missed.

Let's go!

As always, you can find the full timeline here.

A new person has entered the grid!

Christiano “Tuka” Rocha: A former Brazilian race car driver Kelly considers her first love. The two would remain in touch until his tragic death in a plane crash in 2019.

1999

March-October, 1999: The 1999 F1 season. Jos serves as a test driver for the Honda Formula 1 Project.

2000

Unknown dates, 2000:

Kelly and Tuka meet. She is most likely 11 and he is most likely 18.

2002

Unknown dates, 2002:

Tuka visits Kelly and her family while she is visiting France. She is most likely 13 and he is most likely 20. (Archive)

2004

May, 2004: The Jordan racing team considers Jos as a replacement driver for an underperforming Giorgio Pantano. But, a test drive is canceled after he discovers he is too big to fit in the car.

2012

November 10-11, 2012: Max has a series of flirty/amorous exchanges with former world karting champion Laura Tillett on Twitter. She is 21 and he is 15. (Archive) 

December 7-10, 2012: Max has more flirty exchanges with Laura Tillett on Twitter. She is still 21 and he is still 15.

2015

September 30, 2015: Max turns 18. He spends the day obtaining his road driving license. He would move to Monaco shortly afterwards. (Archive 1, 2)

Mikaela also posts on Twitter to celebrate Max’s birthday, calling him her “love”. (Archive)

2016

December, 2016: Kelly leaves her job at Formula E. Officially, she claims she resigned because of burnout, mentioning she “was literally on a plane every week” to a new destination. But, unconfirmed rumors claim she was fired for sleeping with a married man. (Archive)

2018

September 14, 2018:  Kelly likes an Instagram post by Victoria. This would be her first of many likes on Victoria’s Instagram.

September 23, 2018: Victoria likes an Instagram post by Kelly. This would be her first of many likes on Kelly’s Instagram.

September 30, 2018: Max turns 21. Lando makes an Instagram post wishing him a happy birthday. It is not liked by Max, but it is liked by Kelly.

October, 2018: Kelly likes several more of Lando’s Instagram posts.

Late October-Early November, 2018: Kelly and Daniil’s daughter is conceived.

November 13, 2018: Lando makes an Instagram post celebrating his 19th birthday. It would be liked by Kelly.

2019

January 8, 2019: Lando likes an Instagram post by Kelly. This would turn out to be one of several posts he would like on her account throughout 2019 and 2020, including a post about breastfeeding.

March 17, 2019: Lando makes his F1 debut at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, driving for McLaren. He would finish in 12th place. At this point, he is 19 years old. (Archive)

On the same day, Victoria likes a post by Kelly. She would proceed to like several more posts on Kelly’s account throughout her pregnancy, with Sophie doing the same on some of the same posts.

November 14, 2019: Tuka is seriously injured in an airplane crash near Bahia, Brazil. (Archive)

November 17, 2019: Tuka succumbs to his injuries sustained in the plane crash at the age of 36. He is memorialized as a hero for trying to save the lives of others  in the same crash. (Archive)

November 19, 2019: Kelly makes a memorial post for Tuka on Instagram, calling him her “first love” and mentioning he made her “feel like the most special girl in the world” and “feel very special feelings”. (Archive)

December 4, 2019:  Daniil makes an Instagram post about the end of the F1 season. Kelly likes the post. It would turn out to be her last like on his account.

December 6, 2019 (Most likely): Kelly and Daniil end their relationship. While Kelly makes a since-deleted Instagram post implying she broke up with Daniil, varioussources claim it was Daniil who broke up with Kelly for a variety of reasons.

2020

Unknown dates, 2020:

Max and Dilara break up. Despite that, Victoria, Sophie, and Jos continue to follow her on Instagram. Daniil would also follow her at a later date.

January 31, 2020: Kelly likes another Instagram post by Max. This would turn out to be one of several posts she would like on his account throughout 2020.

2021

July 16-18, 2021: The 2021 British Grand Prix. During the first lap, Lewis attempts to overtake Max, resulting in the latter retiring and going to the hospital after a collision. Max would be released that same day.. Lewis receives a 10-second penalty, but ultimately wins the race. (Archive)

Initial reports would say Max was unharmed in the collision. But, in subsequent interviews, Max would admit he felt the after-effects of it in races, including blurred vision. (Archive 1, 2)

September 3-5, 2021: The 2021 Dutch Grand Prix. Max achieves poll position and finishes first, starting a three-year winning streak at the race. (Archive)

Kelly leaves the race altogether after qualifying, and Max spends a night at his motorhome on the track. According to speculation, Kelly and Jos had a fight over her sharing photos in his residence. Jos unfollows Kelly on Instagram.

2023

Unknown dates, 2023:

An anonymous Tumblr user makes a summary of the rumors and scandals surrounding Kelly to that point. (Archive)

2024

June 21-23, 2024: The 2023 Spanish Grand Prix. Max starts in P2 and finishes first. This would turn out to be his last Grand Prix victory until November. (Archive)

June 28-30, 2024: The 2024 Austrian Grand Prix. Max finishes first in the Saturday sprint race. This would turn out to be his last victory in general until October. (Archive)

During the second half of the main race,  Lando makes multiple attempts to overtake Max. This culminates in a collision when the latter tries to block him. Lando would retire from the damage, and Max would place fifth. (Archive 1, 2) 

Of note is that while Kelly posted about Max’s pole positions and sprint win, she would not say anything about the results of the main race.

[lucawrites11]

russo and stanway vs. france (away)

stanway and russo are both 25, they came up through england youth at the same time but stanway joined up with england first in 2018 since beig consistently in the man city senior team since 2015 while alessia wasn't called up until 2020 while at the tar heels and then had a significant time out with injury, missing the olympics, until late 2021

furthermore, georgia plays as a central midfielder both defensively and in attacking motions but she preferred as a defensive midfielder for both club and country. this is a position that is historically difficult to fill whereas alessia as a striker faces a lot more competition for her place. for context, stanway is probably one of the top five defensive midfielders in the world with amandine henry, lena oberdorf and keira walsh alongside her. alessia russo doesn't go near the top ten yet and that's okay. strikers tend to hit their best a LOT later in their careers, the average age of the ea fc top ten strikers (best list i could think of) is 27.8 with the youngest sophia smith at 23. russo is undoubtedly england's best option though with so much room to improve and she's doing so every season

however, the biggest element of both alessia russo and georgia stanway's games is that they play their roles a little outside of the mould set for strikers and defensive midfielders

stanway loves to shoot especially from outside the box which is rare and she's also a lot faster that the average defensive midfielder. keira plays as a classic defensive midfielder. so far in the liga f season, she's averaged 0.05 goals per game (one) and stanway has managed 0.29 goals per game. if this is brought up to goal involvements (goals and registered assists), stanway still take the lead with 0.48 per game while keira has just 0.23

THIS IS NOT BAD. it's just showcasing that georgia stanway has an exceptional ability to shoot and score that is not often seen in a defensive midfielder. this also comes with an insane speed, an insane penalty and an insane ability to pick a pass and send a long ball over heads going forward whereas keira walsh prefers a pass cutting through the midfield across the floor. she has insane vision to pick out players (it's why they are SO good on the pitch together for england because their play styles compliment each other)

stanway plays with her sights set on going forward, another rare quality in a defensive midfielder that normally prefers to press, win the ball, keep the ball and then give it to someone else to take it forward with quite a few passes. walsh does this and it's why she fits perfectly into the barcelona set up of tiki-taka football which is a style of play where there are a lot of passes in a game to get the ball forward and keep the ball and make the oppositiona chase them and get exhausted while they do very little (however this play style is incredibly difficult and relies on insanely talented players)

having this attacking-minded defensive midfielder gives a fresh dimension to england and bayern munich's play. it allows for goals to come from not just long balls over the top that traditionally come from centre-backs and goalkeepers (leah williamson and hannah hampton are both reknown for their balls over the top - leah's created that goal for beth in her first game back v reading if anyone wants an image of what i mean when i say long balls over the top) and give england a lot more creativity in how they create chances through the midfield

however, this is only possible if stanway has those touches on the ball to create chances and both she and keira were marked out of the game in the home leg against france and failed to get themselves into space. in the next leg, keira and georgia both improved and found themselves in space and this allowed their play styles to thrive in creating chances particularly down the left with lauren hemp. a change in alessia russo, ensured these chances weren't wasted

as i said above, alessia doesn't play like your classic number nine striker. to think classic number nine, think sam kerr, alex morgan, ada hegerberg. especially sam kerr, they stay in the box, typically good at headers, strong at short passes, decent pace and then all the classics hallmarks of striker: decent pen, good volley, good finishing, power behind their shots, the ability to do a decent long shot and often a really good dribble too with a lot of control where alessia lacks is occasionally her finishing, it's good but she'll miss a sitter and then score an impossible goal pretty often

however, alessia is more than just a striker. the best part of her play and the thing that sets her apart is her hold up play. hold up is when she gets the ball, dribbles, holds on to it against defenders and waits for support and then passes the ball out wide. if you watch arsenal or england you see it a lot, often the ball goes to whoever is in the 10 and those on the wings then she gets in the box. meanwhile, someone like sam kerr or stina blackstinieus are just waiting in the box. alessia goes and gets the ball, holds it up, creates the chances and then gets in the box but this delay getting into the box often means a chance is missed. ideally, when she lays off that ball, she needs someone else in the box

and you can't just lose that chance creation from alessia russo, it was there in the build up to both goals even if she's just acting as an extra player in midifeld, pulling a centreback out of position and allowing another player to get into the box or on the ball unmarked. her vision and that movement is crucial to getting past good centrebacks like renard and lakrar last night. she can create a chance from nothing and england need that in the big games. however, it's not the easiest striker to play with and sarina failed to coach the midfield and wingers how to play with her in the last game or they just forgot. whatever it was, alessia russo is the focal point of that attack and the style needs to adapt to her and not the other way around. if england wanted a traditional striker, they are available, sarina can put them in but she wants russo's play style so the team has to work with it

the other facet of alessia's game that is insane and you need to watch closely is her first touch. this isn't relevant to last night but just go watch her score goals. she has an insane first touch that brings the ball away from the defense often requiring her to turn her body insanely fast and then chases after the ball either dribbling and creating a chance or just shooting and it's BEAUTIFUL (srsly watch her goal complimations and her first touches)

back to her dropping into the midfield to create chances, the combination of her and stanway in the forward-mindedly midfield linking up well with the wingers, especially lauren hemp, to create chances and score goals in a way they just weren't against france in the home leg

lauren hemp was also crucial to this but she plays her game as the perfect left winger and it's not so fun to analyse, but it was the link-up of these three that made the game and it's a link-up that hasn't had the time to develop and build. the bayern, man city and arsenal tactical systems are all different so coming into england they need to adjust fast to very different players. hemp is used to playing with that direct nine in bunny shaw and stanway is more accustomed to the similar directness of harder and schüller

stanway and russo grew up playing together but russo played a different role back then and was only move into the nine in university. russo links up well with mead and toone having been with them at arsenal/united and with more practice, hopefully over this summer, that whole frontline should develop into a well-oiled machine that it hasn't been given the chance to become with injuries and such a packed schedule

this was so long and a wall of text was overwhelming so i put the pics in to break it up, thought i'd end with a classic of them as babies

[applejuicefruit]

hiii! can i request you being kylian mbappè best friend and going with him at the world cup and there you meet olivier giroud and you both fall in love but kylian is very protective of you and don’t want you to date because of your age difference (reader being 22/23 and oli 36) so he protects her and he’s jealous please ❤️

Please yes😭

Thank you for requesting this I hope you like it ❤️❤️

In your eyes

World Cup was this year and you couldn’t wait to go with your best friend and his family.

You and Kylian were best friends since you were kids. Due to the fact that your parents were friends you grew up together and were really close friends. You always attended his games, you supported him no matter what and he made sure to beat the shit of your ex boyfriend when you found out he cheated on you.

Unfortunately you missed World Cup 2018 and you couldn’t go with him but this year it would have been different. Kylian invited you and your family to join him at the WC in Qatar and you couldn’t be more enthusiastic.

Kylian also promised you that you could meet all the football players and you honestly couldn’t wait. You were a huge football fan so just the fact that you could watch his matches live made you happy but to think about that you were going to meet the french team? You were dreaming.

After the first game Kylian kept his promise. France won against Australia and of course Kylian scored in that match - so now the team came back to the hotel and celebrated.

Kylian invited you on their floor so you could celebrate with them and in that way he could introduce you to them.

You melted the moment you met Antoine Griezmann, one of your favorite football player ever but someone else caught your attention.

“Hi…I’m Olivier Giroud, nice to meet you!” he introduced himself shaking your hands and in that moment you felt like dreaming

“Hi nice to meet you! I’m y/n!” you shook his hands too

“What a beautiful name!” he smiled at you and in that moment you felt your legs going jelly. What was going on with you?

“Oh thank you…” you replied shyly “you play for Milan right?” you asked him trying to make a little bit of conversation

“Yes! I’m glad you know that!” he told you with a surprised look

“Yes I’m a huge football fan actually…it’s kind of a dream being here” you said honestly

“I’m glad Kylian took you here” he said now teasing you a bit

“Oh…yes I’m glad too!”

“Hope you enjoy the rest of the night!” he said hugging you and going back to his friends when they called him

What did just happened?

You were sure you were dreaming. Olivier Giroud, aka, one of the most handsome man in the whole world just flirted with you? You were kinda left paralysed until you heard Kylian’s brother calling you and telling you to go with him and eat something.

But as you were happy, Kylian wasn’t as happy as you. He saw everything and it kinda made him mad the fact that you were drooling over one of his teammates. Kylian was very protective of you, especially due to the fact that you were younger, you were 22 and he was 23 so he felt more protective and always acted more like a big brother. He wasn’t jealous, he always supported when you got into new relationships but he wasn’t enthusiastic about your boyfriend choices. They always ended up cheating on you, breaking your heart or treating you like shit so Kylian had to put them in right place.

He just had no idea why you were drooling over Olivier.

“Hey Kyky I’m going back to my room, thank you so much for inviting me here, I really appreciate it” you said to Kylian and he simply nodded and smiled to you.

You left and went straight into your bedroom, taking a quick shower and changing into some comfy pajamas, going straight to bed and staring at the ceiling thinking about what happened tonight.

A few minutes later you saw a notification from instagram.

“Olivier Giroud has started following you” and you were literally going crazy.

How did he found you?

Probably he stalked Kylian’s instagram since he has a couple of pictures with you but they’re kinda old.

That man was really a tease.

You fell asleep almost 20 minutes later, smiling and thinking that maybe this holiday would be good for you.

You woke up with some heavy knocks on your door.

“Wake up sleepyhead! The sun is shining and I want you to have breakfast with us” Kylian said from the other side of the door

“Ky what time is it?” you asked him with your low voice

“Time you wake up! The guy’s won’t wait for you and they’ll finish all the good food!”

“I’m coming I’m coming!” you said not even hearing what he said but then everything clicked - the guys - he invited you to have breakfast with him and the team, meaning Olivier would be there too! Now you were up and getting ready, opting for a nice t-shirt and a pair of jeans, nothing to fancy since you didn’t want to be the centre of attention.

“Look who’s up!” Kylian said the moment you opened the door and you simply smirked at him while he hugged you.

You both got down where everyone were having breakfast. You noticed you weren’t the only woman since almost every footballers wife were there too.

You sat next to Kylian who was facing his brother.

“Can I sit here?” a voice you recognized very well asked you while pointing to the chair in front of you

“Sure” you replied him smiling while he sat

“Did you sleep good?” he asked you and you nodded while never stop smiling. Kylian was looking between the two of you to see if you could notice the way he was feeling uncomfortable but you and Olivier were too focused on each other’s presences to even notice it.

“So” Kylian said making you both look toward him “Olivier how’s Angela?” he asked him and you could feel his look tense. Now who was this Angela?

“I think she’s good, I don’t know” Olivier replied a bit annoyed by this question

“I thought you were dating…or kinda, had a thing going on?” he asked knowing this might hurt you but he didn’t want you to have a crush on Olivier - he knew how football players change their girlfriends like their socks and he didn’t want you do be a replacement or a rebound to some failed dates

“No we were not dating Kylian…” he answered sipping his black coffee

“Oh my bad…” he said smirking a bit and you had no idea of what was going on

“Angela is a model” Kylian explained to you “and she had a thing going on with Olivier back in Milan, we talked about her when we were playing for the Nations League but then I haven’t heard anything about her” he finished explaining and you simply nodded.

A model?

Of course a model.

Football players have high standards. They don’t date girls like you. They look for models or influencers or perfect girls with perfect bodies and perfect smiles. You were not of those and it kinda hurt you.

“We flirted a bit in the summer…nothing to serious” Olivier stated and you nodded pretending you didn’t care.

After that you had breakfast in silence thinking of your next moves.

While you and Ethan were talking you didn’t notice Olivier and Kylian talking in the corner of the room.

“Kylian was that necessary?” Olivier asked him

“Yes it was. I don’t want you near her”

“It’s not your choice to make Kylian”

“But it is if I can help her making the right choice…I don’t want you two to date”

“Can I at least know the reason?” Olivier asked him. He was a very calm man but right now he was losing his patience

“I’ve seen her growing up! She’s my best friend and I want her to protect her!”

“Protect her from me?” Olivier asked a little bit hurt now

“Yes. Protect her from getting her heart break again! She’s been through so much, she’s kind and she let people taking advantage of her without her noticing…she got her heart broken so many times and I can’t stand to see her again like that, not because of you Olivier” Kylian said honestly

“I wouldn’t break her heart”

“You don’t know that! Plus, Oli be realistic, you’re kinda old for her don’t you think? You’re 36 and she just turned 22!” Kylian was getting mad now

“Well she’s an adult she can make her own choices Kylian. I really appreciate you taking care of her but I would never break her heart, I like her, a lot. Definitely falling in love wasn’t on my top list of things to do during the world cup but I fell for her the moment I saw her at the stadium cheering for us! Kylian trust me…”

Olivier said with a sincere tone

“I don’t know…she’s my best friend and if you hurt her I swear-“

“I’m not gonna hurt her…I want take things slowly…I saw that she liked me too and if she’s okay with it I want to ask her out tonight…”

“Olivier…”

“Trust me Kylian…and if I hurt her you can kick my ass” Olivier said laughing

“I’ll do more than just kick your ass…I broke her ex nose when I found out he cheated on her” Kylian said with a proud look and Olivier just looked shocked

“Good to know…well, I’m gonna ask her out…” Olivier said looking at you laughing with Ethan and he couldn’t help but smile too

“Good luck” Kylian said and smiled at him and then he left.

Olivier approached you while you were talking with Ethan.

“Can we talk?” Olivier asked you offering his hand to help you stand up and you gladly accept it

“Did something happened?” you asked him once you got in the corridor

“Yes, well no, not exactly I just…”

“Are you okay Oli?” you asked him and he melted when you called him Oli

“Are you free tonight?” he asked you out of nothing

“Yes!” you shouted “I mean, yes why?”

“There’s a nice restaurant next to the hotel and I was wondering if you would like to come with me?” he asked you smiling

“As a date?” you teased him a bit

“As a date” he confirmed

“Yes, I would gladly come with you”

“Perfect! Be ready at 8 pm! I’ll pick you up from your hotel room” he said before leaving “I have training now but I’ll see you tonight”

And you simply smiled at him.

You had a date with Olivier Giroud?

You were so happy you couldn’t wait for tonight. You honestly thought this holiday would be good for you. The man you had a crush on wanted to take you for dinner and you felt like dreaming and all you had to do was thank Kylian for giving you this opportunity.

[musasabino5]

My defenses and problems of the "anime" RADIANT

As a matter of fact, the anime RADIANT season 1 started on NHK Educational TV on October 6, 2018 at 5:30 PM, and season 2 was also started on the same channel on October 2, 2019 at 7:25 PM.

The anime storyline is appropriate considering the time slot it was aired, even if some adult viewers felt like something was missing. In particular, the "social" aspect that characteristic of RADIANT has been simplified and made easier to understand.

(And I don't want to comment too much on the original parts of the anime because I've read in several interviews that the author had checked those part, but fans of the original works who can talk to him directly would probably know more than me about what he really thinks about this.)

NHK E TV targets viewers of different age groups depending on the time slot. The broadcast time in 2018 and 2019 is set to the "evening small child　and kids zone / teens zone" (To be precise, 「夕方の幼児・子どもゾーン/ティーンズゾーン」), so there is a possibility that the recommended age of the manga (ages 12 and over?) and the anime might not match, especially in the first season.

This means, even if the season 3 is confirmed, as long as it is broadcast in the same time slot, some changes to suit the target audience may be unavoidable. If it had been broadcast on NHK General TV (for example "Attack on the Titan" and now "Orb: On the Movements of the Earth”), or if Toei Animation had acquired the rights to make it into an anime, the effect might have been different.

So, what's the problem?

I think the problem with the anime RADIANT lies not so much in its content but in its composition, especially in the first half of season 1.

The anime was advertised as "based on a shonen manga made in France" not a little, but in reality, most of the first half was made up of episodes that had been produced in Japan.

Not a few adult viewers are intrigued by that advertising and will watch it with a bias, but if they haven't read the manga, they will be left with a misunderstanding and will judge the author (or move away) even though the episodes they watch aren't in the original.

In other words, I want to take issue with the construction of the series, regardless of the quality of the added part of the anime (no matter how great it is). In my opinion, RADIANT was a pioneer anime based on a manga from overseas in Japan, and unlike other works based on domestic famous magazines, many people knew this work through the anime (I am one of them), so I think the anime production team should have paid a little more attention.

(And did you know that when "Outlaw Players" was published in Japan, the title was changed to sound like a common isekai comic? It is a homage to a line from “One Piece”, but anyone probably won’t understand the intention behind the changes without reading the story.)

Anyway, I am in a position to thank the anime for introducing me to this work, and I hope that season 3 is confirmed and that it goes well.

(The reason why I decided to write this is because when the cover of volume 19 was released, I saw some horrible things being said by a certain account on Twitter. Even if it is unofficial, if they are calling themselves a PR person, you should make your statements from a neutral standpoint and with the background in mind.)

Thanks to everyone who read this.

[gogogogolev]

The 2023 Grand Prix de France men's FS results, final results, and Stephen's protocol.

So keeping in mind that Stephen had three days of prep coming into this event we will discuss these results, and speak in general about his season.

To start off let's acknowledge that Stephen got two different quads out and two triple Axels done. For some reason he just popped that 3Lz which was costly considering how close the scores were. He is still having multiple pops per free skate which is really hurting his technical score. He also missed a combination for the second straight event. He did well to hang onto the Euler combination. He also got another level 4 step sequence, which is great. The starting 4T was really nice. He should definitely consider just doing a 4T3T in the FS as well, like he is in the SP. It would mean less pressure for him to get the 4S in combo, and maybe that would keep him from popping it. He could do a solo 4T instead of trying two 4S and popping one or both.

Someone was saying Stephen needs to work on everything. His jump consistency, his GOEs, his PCS. He's popping jumps at every event. He has had some of the lowest PCS scores of the field in his two events. Canadian judges give him even lower PCS scores than he gets internationally so it's looking dire. Even if he skates clean in terms of jumps his PCS score is going to have him around at least 20-30 points back of the top men (this problem is not exclusive to him). He has been relying on his choreographers to improve his PCS, but the top men work with the same choreographers as him. That's not it. The question that arises next from the fans is that - does Stephen want to skate? They get the sense he does not care to improve because his heart is not in this sport, that he is only being forced to do it. Which is concerning, but how are we to know what's really going on with him?

For what it's worth I think Stephen still wishes to skate, it's just not as enjoyable for him anymore. Nobody puts their body through the hell of training these jumps without a desire to achieve something, and he still has that desire. His environment is just not allowing him to produce the results he wants and that's demoralizing. I mean he has gone to two major international events in 2023 without a coach - WTT and now Grand Prix de France. I am not sure why Skate Canada is ok with this, but this is not going to help him. I'm grateful Benoit was with him, and he could get a better result with him than he had at Skate America, but it's kind of ridiculous that a top Canadian skater is going to events without a coach. I would not find this acceptable for any skater, let alone Stephen who really needs the guidance and support of a coach.

You have to wonder sometimes what level Stephen would be at with a coaching team that helped him thrive like when he was younger because his potential is so high. At this event 2/3 of the guys who competed at 2018 JGPF were competing, and the guy who finished 4th back then won the event with a score of 300+ to put things in perspective. But you can't live in the past or in a world of imagination.

Looking on the bright side Stephen finishes this GP season with a higher score than he put out all of last season and he also picked up some points and moved up to 31st in the World Standings. He will probably go down a bit by year's end but hopefully he's still top 40. He also picked up a new personal best tech score for the SP. And seventh in this field is a respectable finish for a guy who found out he was going to compete a week before.

I hope Stephen is able to return to Granite Club and get some training in before Nationals during UCI's winter break. Otherwise I am really not sure how Nationals will go for him. He'll be skating 16th in the SP there. You can view the schedule here. The media is going to be focusing on the men's event with the unpredictability and the possibility for a new National Champion so it's going to be a little bit of a circus but I'm sure these guys will survive.

Thanks for your hard work Stephen and for doing your best to improve your results. Keep your head up, stay healthy, and keep going into 2024.

[andiessoccerblog]

Group H

Expected to move on: Germany, Colombia

Expected to exit in group stage: Morocco, Korea Republic

Germany

FIFA Ranking: 2

Reputation:

Much like the men’s side, the German women’s team is a MACHINE. Unless the unthinkable happens again (see: the men’s side 2018) Germany should get out of the group with ease, and I would definitely rank them as a favorite to win the World Cup. Their style of play is crisp, clean, and a little bit curt...if that makes sense. They will lay their bodies on the line, and they will lay your body on the line too if you’re playing against them. They shockingly failed to qualify for the 2020 Olympics, but were runners-up in the Women’s European Championship in 2022, which is a much more accurate indicator of their strength.

Player Pool: 

Germany is another team with extraordinary depth, with all their players on top domestic teams or premier teams in England or France. Alexandra Popp, new captain of the team, also leads in goals scored for German, but is really known for the use of her large stature to win duels. Every position is filled with veterans, and Germany has been skillful in ensuring that even its younger players have gotten experience in big games.  Every player is a team player and can be a standout in their own right, so it’s hard to pick specific players to highlight. That being said, of course there are players that rise to the top–Lena Oberdorf, Sara Däbritz, and Melanie Leupolz all deserve a shout out. 

2019 WWC performance:

Germany looked okay during the women's World Cup, but less confident than many people had anticipated. They made it through the group stage with narrow 1-0 wins against Spain and China, and an easy win against debutante South Africa. They plowed over Nigeria in the round of sixteen, but were stymied by Sweden in the quarterfinals.  On many past occasions, they had beaten Sweden, so many were surprised when the game went the other way. Dabritz, Magull, and Popp led the scoring, while young newcomer Gwinn and veteran Hegering held down the midfield and defense, playing all 450 minutes of their tournament run.

Colombia

FIFA Ranking: 26

Reputation: 

Colombia’s women’s team has historically done well in South American competition, feuding with Brazil for top honors, even as their own federation doesn’t support them as much financially as they do their men’s side.  Earlier in 2023 the Colombian Federation began an agreement with FIFA to begin increasing funding for women's soccer at all levels.  That won’t help the team in this World Cup, and they will be fighting tooth and nail against Korea Republic for the second spot in the group.

Player Pool:

Colombia has one of the older teams of the World Cup, with more veterans than newbies. After missing the 2019 World Cup, they will need to rely on players that were around for the 2015 World Cup, like Catalina Usme,  Daniela Montoya, and keeper Sandra Sepúlveda. 

2019 WWC performance:

Did Not Qualify

Korea Republic

FIFA Ranking: 17

Reputation:

South Korea is recognized as “Korea Republic” by FIFA. Asia’s women’s football culture has been improving on a regional stage, but has struggled to keep up internationally, and Korea Republic  is no exception. The best players on this team are the ones that leave Korea to play in a European or American league. They have never qualified for the Olympics. Their best result in a Women’s World Cup came in 2015, when they made it out of the group stage, but they couldn’t repeat the result in 2019, and likely won’t do it again in 2023. 

Player Pool: 

Ji So-yun (midfielder) made a name for herself and for Korea with a long career for Chelsea in England, but moved back to South Korea in 2022. Cho So-hyun is another team veteran playing in England, and the pair form a strong midfield. Captain is Kim Hye-ri, a veteran defender. She plays with about half the roster for South Korea’s Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels team, the top side in Korea’s domestic league.

2019 WWC performance:

Not great. They had a rough group, pulling Norway and France, so their only chance to advance was a third place spot, which neither they nor Nigeria achieved. They scored one goal in the tournament.

Morocco

FIFA Ranking: 73

Reputation: 

Morocco reached their first World Cup under the distinguished coach Reynald Pedros, who previously had coached Olympique Lyonnais Féminin to the french championship. Under Pedros, the team has grown to be one of the best teams in Africa. However, they have a record of falling short against teams outside of Africa, and will need this tournament and more international exposure to become a contender. 

Player Pool:

Captain Ghizlane Chebbak has played for Morocco for the last 10 years and is their top goalscorer. They have an up and coming forward in Rosella Ayane, who played for the English national youth teams, but switched to Morocco for her senior caps.

2019 WWC performance:

Did Not Qualify

[doomedandstoned]

Give Us BARABBAS: French Doomers Return with New LP

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

BARABBAS had just released Messe pour un chien in 2014 when Doomed & Stoned sprang to life. Now at last, after eight years of silence, the doom 'n' heavy metal troupe are back with their second full-length -- and what a tour de force it is!

The album swings into motion after a creepy public service announcement: "La mort appelle tous les vivants," which means "Death calls all the living." It reminds me just a smidgen of calls to "Bring out your dead!" when the death cart came rolling by during the Black Death -- which was, by all accounts, the most ruinous pandemic in our pockmarked history, claiming more than 75 million souls.

“Je suis mort depuis bien longtemps” riffs on that familiar (if not enshrined) motif to Black Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf." The song is a great headbanging starter, and while the lyrics are all in French the sentiment couldn't be more relatable. Saint Rodolphe reveals, “I’ve been dead for a long time.” The Barabbas frontman has the pipes to fully convince us, regardless of whether or not we track with his native tongue. The past three years have left so many of us feeling spent, numb, hollow, apart. The organ chimes in with a gravitas that gives the whole thing a dire, Gothic feel.

There's no mistaking the Biblical subtext of a band called Barabbas, for it was he the bloodthirsty crowd called to be set free in place of Jesus Christ, who was then forced to carry his own cross to the Place of the Skull. The five-member Combs-la-Ville crew play up the religiosity of it all, each taking the name "Saint" and even referring to their followers as a cult (tongue-in-cheek, of course).

“Le Saint Riff Rédempteur” is “The Holy Redeemer Riff” and is surging with fist-raising energy. Longtime guitarist Saint Stéphane (who's been a pillar of this outfit since its 2007 inception) and his counterpart Saint Thomas here give us a winteresque mix, with the rhythm section of Saint Jean-Christophe (drums) and Saint Alexandre (bass) charging bravely through the snow-blind madness towards the dim light of New Year.

“De la viande” (“Meat”) reminds us of our frail humanity, juxtaposing the human race with all its pomposity against the cruel grandeur of a universe that cares nothing for Twitter checkmarks, designer clothes, luxury cars, or the creature comforts of central heating and air conditioning. The clock is indeed ticking on mortals and our artificial world. For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. As with its predecessor, some of the song's most powerful moments are in the last two minutes, with wicked soloing and maniacal vocals a highlight.

“Le cimetière des rêves brisés” is “The cemetery of broken dreams,” where human desires, ambitions, hopes and visions are interred. Barabbas hold the funeral rites in a hazy, swirling atmosphere of rhythm and melody earnestly, with a clean chorus and grief-struck guitar licks.

“Sous le signe du Néant” (“Under the sign of the Void”) is like a team of horses galloping into the unknown. Here I miss not being bilingual, as the band has revealed in interviews that the song contains a sprinkling of dark humor in addition to its pessimistic overtones. Overlapping screams of anguish arrest us five-minutes in and the song rumbles to a finish with a stinging guitar solo.

We've had some fantastic synthesizer effects throughout the album, accenting each track at the most opportune moments. These come from keyboardist Emmanuel Peyraud from the band NorthWinds (featured along with Barabbas on our 2018 compilation Doomed & Stoned in France). Here, sounds of the flute welcome us to the private hell of “Mon crâne est un crypte (et j’y suis emmuré),” which translates: “My head is a crypt (and I’m trapped inside).” You'll be forgiven for falling into a hypnotic trance under its spellbinding riffmaking. Stay tuned for some beautiful twin guitar harmonies, along with one of the most passionate vocal performances of the record.

It ain't a Barabbas ritual until all the skeletons come out and dance. “La valse funèbre,” therefore, fittingly closes the album. The band tells us inspiration for this track comes from Dance Macabre, the famous composition by 19th century Frenchman Camile Saint-Saens, as well as the surreal 1962 horror film Carnival of Souls. Even though I don't know the song verbatim, my spirit wants to sing along with this damning dirge of death. Saint Rodolphe's crooning is strong and sincere, if not sinister. Devilish guitars and a spritely bass enter at just the right moments to keep us waltzing to the bitter end.

La Mort Appelle Tous Les Vivants by Barabbas is coming out this weekend on December 9 via Sleeping Church Records, who will issue the album digitally and on compact disc (get it here). Stick this on a playlist with Candlemass, Cathedral, Serpent Venom, and Hela.

Give ear...

LISTEN: Barabbas - La Mort Appelle Tous Les Vivants (2022)

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

[getting-messi]

Ranking of some of my favorite “arguments” from Messi antis/R****** fans 💀💀💀

1. The WC is rigged

Pure laziness. Offers no actual explanation as to how they would feasibly pull this off. Did they deliberately let Saudi Arabia win to make it look less suspicious? Did they deliberately eliminate Brazil so that Argentina would have an “easier” semifinal? Did Messi personally pay off the entire France NT to ensure they’d play like shit and Mbappe just missed the memo somehow? 🤷‍♀️ 0/10

2. Euro Cup is more prestigious than World Cup

Ah yes, because this WC has totally proven the superiority of European football compared to the rest of the world 💀💀💀 Requires some mental gymnastics though, I’ll give them that. 3/10 for effort

3. Argentina just has a Good Team (TM) and Messi got carried

Try walking up to anyone before the final and claim that Argentina has a better team than France on paper and see if they don’t laugh in your face 💀 No disrespect to the Argentina NT of course (esp Dibu, Julian, Enzo, etc.) — they’ve proven how well they work together as a unit — but please be fucking fr. -100000/10 maybe try watching some actual matches before talking shit lmaooo

LMAOOOOO I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS😭😂

are people actually saying that the Euros is bigger than the world cup????😵😵 When the literal European champions failed to qualify for the world cup and got eliminated by *checks notes*...North Macedonia???? 💀

And omg the Messi got carried by a good team argument is SOOOOOO funny to me especially now that Ronald Mcdonald fans are saying that that is the only reason why Messi is a world cup champion and their criminal doesn't have a good team with Portugal🤣🤣🤣 Like all i have to say is go look at Argentina's world cup performance in 2018 like EVERY single match and then tell me if that is a 'good team'. They lost against Croatia 3-0???? They TIED against Iceland and Messi had a penalty saved by guy who is a dentist full time (lord did we hear that a lot), we miraculously won vs Nigeria and then despite the match finishing 4-3, we played HORRIFICLY against France. Add onto the fact that they JUST BARELY qualified for the world cup on the LAST possible qualifier match. People love forgetting these things and how the players were literally coaching themselves because of how terribly Sampoali was😒 Scaloni was the assistant manager during that world cup and took the job and this is 4 years of his hard work.

A commentator highlighted it like this, he said Argentina used to play as Messi + 10 players and now they play as 10 players + Messi - signifying how they are finally playing together and not just relying solely on messi like they used to since 2014.

[lavelled]

matching holding patterns.

Quick news blog. Princess Kate is noncancerous. Prince Harry, living in the UK, posted on Truth Social “Powerfulnnz” hoping it’d distract, not realizing he only gets one covfefe. Oh. And David Foster, the record producer, who wrote songs for Celine Dion, Chicago, Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston has got to be telling Tom: “this fucking guy.”

I googled your Megrez jewelry in looping downtime. Besides the obedient tiaras, she’s worn symbolic necklaces engraved with the initials H and A. I hear you ask: Harry and firstborn? It’s a straightforward threat to Tom with baubles and, for me, an anatomy no-no. Kismet couple.

TEAM H&M: Glad you could join us. I quite understand your backsies flipsies and the highly pretentious “brand” act in the press, paternally speaking. I also get that her co-signed misogyny generates revenue for you. Your client is reinventing herself as a gracious homemaker with her devoted British prince, despite the overseas prince being high-tech famous in sexual assaulting pedophilic circles. I’ll make it clearer to you. Her Hallmark movie, When Sparks Fly, has a co-star: Hank Lyons. Aware of his marital rape clause, she is unified next to diapers; exploited her wheelchaired sister to push Harry’s agenda; and is covered in chokers and an NDA muzzle.

The flipping is off-kilter and widdle old.

Women know she’s not a role model and are hurting themselves.

Girls like Lucy-Bleu Knight, daughter of Meegan Hodges.

I want a public divorce first.

A YouTube video titled: Prince Harry (funny roast) Royal Variety Performance. 2015. I say with confidence that it is a suited excuse for Prince Rape to point heavenward at mark 4:26 and to grin at Risky Business, theft, and razors.

Oksana Shachko—Ukrainian artist and activist; feminist and founder of protest group, Femen. The group stood up to rape and the sexual exploitation of Ukrainian women and demanded the release of political prisoners. Her activism paved the way for the term, Sextremism. A painting prodigy, she moved to Paris. July 23, 2018, two months after your wedding, she hung herself.

Ellie Soutter—British snowboarder. She won a Bronze Medal representing Great Britain at the 2017 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival in the snowboard cross. On her 18th birthday, she committed suicide in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie, France. Two months after your wedding.

Maggy Biskupski—French police officer and president of Mobilisation des policiers en colère. Or, the Angry Police Movement. At 36, she focused on anti-cop hate and eradicating cases of internal suicides. Six months after your botched wedding, she shot herself with her service weapon in Carrières-sous-Poissy, France.

Desmond Daniel Amofah—online as Etika; YouTuber and live streamer, posted videos on gaming and his reactions to games and trailers for Super Smash Bros. 1 million subscribers. His Insta page, 9999999999999999999, has over 300K followers. He went missing June 19, 2019, almost exactly one year to your wedding; his body was pulled from the East River NYC; suicide.

Ekaterina Dmitriyevna Alexandrovskaya—Russian-Australian skater; 2018 US International Figure Skating Classic Bronze Medalist and a two-time Australian national champion. Her skating partner was Harley Windsor. July 18, 2020, she jumped out of the 6th floor of her Moscow apt. At 20 years old. Her suicide note said: Lyublyu. Love you, in Russian. Flip it.

Olivia Rose Podmore—NZ racing cyclist; competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She committed suicide on August 9, 2021. Her last social media post was: “When you don’t meet society’s expectations such as owning a house, marriage, kids, all because you’re trying to give everything to your sport is unlike any other.”

Books published at the same time as your imitation wedding: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult, and rising star, Michelle Obama, with her book, Becoming.

But wait. Spain for a royal tour? No. That’s my Felipe VI. He’s a lowly towering 6’6 King and Captain General. Watching closely, through Leonor, his formidable daughter’s press.

Divorce.

K

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 7.17 (after 1950)

1953 – The largest number of United States midshipman casualties in a single event results from an aircraft crash in Florida, killing 44. 1955 – Disneyland is dedicated and opened by Walt Disney in Anaheim, California. 1962 – Nuclear weapons testing: The "Small Boy" test shot Little Feller I becomes the last atmospheric test detonation at the Nevada National Security Site. 1968 – Abdul Rahman Arif is overthrown and the Ba'ath Party is installed as the governing power in Iraq with Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr as the new Iraqi President. 1973 – King Mohammed Zahir Shah of Afghanistan, while having surgery in Italy, is deposed by his cousin Mohammed Daoud Khan. 1975 – Apollo–Soyuz Test Project: An American Apollo and a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft dock with each other in orbit marking the first such link-up between spacecraft from the two nations. 1976 – East Timor is annexed and becomes the 27th province of Indonesia. 1976 – The opening of the Summer Olympics in Montreal is marred by 25 African teams boycotting the games because of New Zealand's participation. Contrary to rulings by other international sports organizations, the IOC had declined to exclude New Zealand because of their participation in South African sporting events during apartheid. 1979 – Nicaraguan dictator General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami, Florida, United States. 1981 – A structural failure leads to the collapse of a walkway at the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City, Missouri, killing 114 people and injuring more than 200. 1984 – The national drinking age in the United States was changed from 18 to 21. 1985 – Founding of the EUREKA Network by former head of states François Mitterrand (France) and Helmut Kohl (Germany). 1989 – First flight of the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber. 1989 – Holy See–Poland relations are restored. 1996 – TWA Flight 800: Off the coast of Long Island, New York, a Paris-bound TWA Boeing 747 explodes, killing all 230 on board. 1997 – After takeoff from Husein Sastranegara International Airport, Sempati Air Flight 304 crashes into a residential neighborhood in Bandung, killing 28 people. 1998 – The 7.0 Mw  Papua New Guinea earthquake triggers a tsunami that destroys ten villages in Papua New Guinea, killing up to 2,700 people, and leaving several thousand injured. 1998 – A diplomatic conference adopts the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, establishing the permanent international court in The Hague, to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. 2000 – During approach to Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport, Alliance Air Flight 7412 suddenly crashes into a residential neighborhood in Patna India, killing 60 people. 2001 – Concorde is brought back into service nearly a year after the July 2000 crash. 2006 – The 7.7 Mw  Pangandaran tsunami earthquake severely affects the Indonesian island of Java, killing 668 people, and leaving more than 9,000 injured. 2007 – TAM Airlines Flight 3054, an Airbus A320, crashes into a warehouse after landing too fast and missing the end of the São Paulo–Congonhas Airport runway, killing 199 people. 2014 – Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, a Boeing 777, crashes near the border of Ukraine and Russia after being shot down. All 298 people on board are killed. 2014 – A French regional train on the Pau-Bayonne line crashes into a high-speed train near the town of Denguin, resulting in at least 25 injuries. 2014 – Eric Garner is killed by police officer Daniel Pantaleo in New York City, after the latter put him in a prohibited chokehold while arresting him. 2015 – At least 120 people are killed and 130 injured by a suicide bombing in Diyala Governorate, Iraq. 2018 – Scott S. Sheppard announces that his team has discovered a dozen irregular moons of Jupiter.

[rmfantasysetpieces1]

I Don't recall anyone saying this doping case came from italy itself, the italian government. It isn't uefa or fifa. HE will appeal through the european courts.

Paul Pogba releases statement after being hit with four-year football ban Jamie Braidwood Thu, Feb 29, 2024, 9:50 AM EST

Paul Pogba says he will appeal against his four-year ban from football after testing positive for a banned substance.

In a statement, the former World Cup winner and Juventus midfielder said he was “sad, shocked and heartbroken” after the ruling from Italy’s national anti-doping body.

Pogba insisted he has “never knowingly or deliberately” violated anti-doping rules after he tested positive for testosterone in September.

The France international was provisionally suspended before a counter-analysis on a second sample taken from Pogba also returned a positive result for testosterone.

Pogba turns 31 in March and would be nearing 35 by the end of the four-year ban if the punishment is upheld, potentially spelling the end of his football career.

In a statement, the former Manchester United player confirmed he would be taking his appeal to the the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

“I have today been informed of the Tribunale Nazionale Antidoping’s decision and believe that the verdict is incorrect,” Pogba said.

“I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me.

“When I am free of legal restrictions the full story will become clear, but I have never knowingly or deliberately taken any supplements that violate anti-doping regulations.

“As a professional athlete I would never do anything to enhance my performance by using banned substances and have never disrespected or cheated fellow athletes and supporters of any of the teams I have played for, or against.

“As a consequence of the decision announced today I will appeal this before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”

Pogba won the World Cup with France in 2018, two years after he became the most expensive footballer in the world when Manchester United signed him for a record £89m.

One of the most exciting midfielders of his generation when at his peak, Pogba played a key role in France’s World Cup win but he often struggled to live up to expectations at Old Trafford.

In six years, Pogba won the Europa League and Carabao Cup but United failed to compete for the biggest trophies on a regular basis in a disappointing period for the club overall.

Pogba returned to Juventus, the club where he first established himself as one of the most exciting midfielders in the world and won four Serie A titles between 2012 and 2016, but struggled with injuries.

After missing the World Cup in December 2022, Pogba was looking to return to the Juventus team at the start of the season in August. He was an unused substitute in Juventus’s 3-0 win against Udinese on the opening day of the season before making appearances off the bench against Bologna and Empoli.

https://sports.yahoo.com/paul-pogba-releases-statement-being-141042332.html

#RMSoccer

[roscoebarnes3]

Home with Heroes: Military museum seeking items for display

G. Mark LaFrancis, director of Military Museum and Veterans Welcome Center, which is sponsored by the Home with Heroes Foundation Inc.

------------------

By Roscoe Barnes III

Special to The Natchez Democrat

Note: This story appeared on front page of The Natchez Democrat (Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023).

NATCHEZ, Miss. – The director of Natchez’s only Military Museum and Veterans Welcome Center is asking the public for military memorabilia to display in its new home at 107 Jefferson Davis Blvd.

“The Military Museum and Veterans’ Welcome Center fulfill a dream we have had with the Home With Heroes Foundation,” said G. Mark LaFrancis, museum director and president of the foundation. “In a way, it’s a gift to the community, especially the veterans’ community. We will display many, many donated and loaned items, quite a few are from local residents and veterans. Also, we have the ‘Try Me On’ section to allow young visitors to dress up as military individuals.”

LaFrancis said he’s looking for military artifacts and keepsakes that include such things as combat boots, caps, helmets, gloves, military shoes, web belts, canteens, military pictures with frames, art work. He’s also looking for models of military aircraft, ships, and tanks. He would also like to have a globe on display, he said.

Items may be shared with the museum as donations for permanent exhibits or as a loan for temporary display, LaFrancis said.

A grand opening is planned for October.

“We have big plans for when we go forward,” LaFrancis said. “We will have many exciting and important programs for the community. We now have a recognizable home, a place where we can help our veterans and their loved ones.”

LaFrancis said the museum is not just a place to see, but a place where people of all ages can come and learn about veterans and military service.

“Prize possessions include a massive display of original G.I. Joe figures, a patriotic quilt made by the folks of the Natchez Quilting Guild, and the original welder’s mask of Mary Baroni Warren, who welded on ships and planes on the coast during World War II,” LaFrancis said. “I anticipate veterans will be on hand to greet people and to take advantage of their own welcome and information center, a first of its kind in the region.”

One of the exhibits, “The Wall of Remembrance,” features photographs of 75 military personnel from Mississippi who were killed in action in Iraq or Afghanistan.

“We want visitors and veterans to feel at home in our museum and center, and to learn about the tremendous contribution veterans have made to our community and nation,” LaFrancis added.

In addition to dozens of exhibits in the new location, the museum will host authors, speakers, and movies at other locations in Natchez. Two upcoming movies include:

* “The Hello Girls” (2018), which tells the story of the 223 women the U.S. Army Signal Corps sent to France in 1918 as telephone operators to help win the Great War. “Hello Girls” was the informal name for the American women who served as switchboard operators.

* “Six Triple Eight” (2023), which dramatizes the story of the 855 Black women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion who cleared a three-year backlog of undelivered mail. They helped to deliver more than 17 million pieces of mail near the end of the war. Film is directed by Tyler Perry.

As a Welcome Center, the museum will assist veterans by seeking to answer their questions and provide them with information on veteran benefits and other issues of concern, LaFrancis said. A computer will be available for their use.

In recent years, the museum has sponsored bus trips to the World War II museum in New Orleans. LaFrancis and his team of volunteers also participate in the annual Wreaths Across America and Veterans Day parade.

The museum is a nonprofit with 501-c3 status. It originally opened in 2018 at the VFW Post 9573 building at 318 Sgt. Prentiss Drive near Walmart. The VFW provided a room for the museum on the second floor. LaFrancis noted the new location has more visibility and easier access than the previous site.

For more information call 601-442-0980 or send email to homewithheroes@live.com

[sizemo]

Varane retires from national team

Less than two months after the end of the World Cup in Qatar, the French team, which had reached the finals twice in a row, seems to have reached the "peak period" of renewal and farewell to veterans. Since the two old goalkeepers Lloris and Mandanda decided to bid farewell to international competitions in early January, central defender Varane, who has not yet turned 30, also announced his decision to retire from the national team this Thursday, ending 10 years of national football team career.

Before the official official announcement came, "cabportal" predicted that due to multiple injuries in recent years, Varane, who needs to "take care of both ends", felt physically and mentally exhausted. Although he has not yet officially entered his thirties, the French central defender, who has already made brilliant achievements in the national team, finally decided to "exit early". Next, he hopes to spend more energy on club football, that is, to focus on playing for Manchester United in the Premier League. At the same time, Varane will also have more time to spend with his family.

In the official farewell statement, the French central defender wrote: "It is one of the greatest honors in my life to represent our great motherland in the past 10 years. Whenever I wear this special blue jersey, I will I am extremely proud. I have the responsibility to go all out, play with my heart, and win every game. I have thought about it for several months, and now is the best time for me to decide to retire from the national team." Varane also said that he was due to the 1998 The world champion French team pursued their dreams since they were young, and finally had "one of the best experiences in their lives" in 2018. The final match day on July 15, 2018 was one of the greatest and most memorable moments in their lives. In addition, Varane also thanked the national team coach Didier Deschamps and related staff for their support over the years, and expressed his gratitude to the enthusiastic French fans.

In August 2012, Varane, who was still young at the time, was called up to the French national team for the first time, but then he failed to appear in the friendly match against Uruguay. The real debut took place in March 2013, when the French team defeated Georgia 3-1 in the World Cup qualifiers, and Varane started the game. After that, this well-rounded central defender played a total of 93 games for the Gallic Roosters and scored 5 goals, including the 2014, 2018, 2022 World Cup and the 2020 European Cup. He was the absolute main force and missed the 2016 European Cup only due to injuries .

In the World Cup in Brazil, Varane was once listed as one of the three candidates for the best young player in the World Cup, but lost to teammate Pogba in the end. In Russia, Varane helped France win the Hercules Cup as the core of the defender, and scored a goal to break the deadlock against Uruguay in the quarter-finals. In the Qatar World Cup that ended not long ago, although the Gallic Rooster hated the final, Varane, as the leader of the back line, still played a very important role in the promotion process.

[martintmedina]

ARGENTINA CAMPEON DEL MUNDO

ARGENTINA CAMPEON DEL MUNDO

ARGENTINA CAMPEON DEL MUNDO

https://youtu.be/rzHh4BWP8ic

Haven’t done a standalone post in a while but really felt the need to write about this to really reflect and process my thoughts that Argentina is the World Cup champion. After waiting for this moment my whole life and getting heart broken.

Growing up a fan I was locked in for every game Argentina played I watched amazed for years at how beautiful the team played and the spectacular players that have put on the jersey.

My heros all wore that jersey, Bati, Cambiasso, Zanetti, Riquelme, Tevez, Aguero, Maxi, and so many more great names that played great game and scored so many goals that we celebrated over the years yelling golazo after golazo. 

I also suffered the 2014 WC Finals so much. I remember the lead up to the final and the final so vividly. In Europe with the boys we had been following the cup the whole way and coincidentally happened to be in Amsterdam for the final after we saw the crazy semi final in Berlin. Which was a little flip flopped considering we beat the Dutch in the semis and played the Germans in the finals but we were in a restaurant watching the final and I remember watching Gotze put in that goal in extra time and crying watching the defeat.

In 2018 we went to Russia to support Argentina and Peru seeing two great games in Sochi before continuing our trip in the rest of Europe ending up in England where we say the game where we say the game where Argentina played France is the knockout round. The atmosphere in that place was electric and every goal had people yelling and junping. Seeing France win the tournament in the end gave me a little peace but still thought we had a fantastic squad in Russia even though in my opinion Sampaoli wasn’t the best coach we’ve had and it made the squad a little disorganized.  

From that tournament to the World Cup I was really liking the team. They were playing together well under Scaloni and the Copa America was an outstanding run, we won a great game against Colombia in penalties which gave me a lot of confidence in Dibu and then a great team performance in the final.

This final game meant a lot, really came into the world cup with a lot of confidence. We were a force to be reckoned with and I was up at 5AM ready to watch the first game, and suffered watching all the goals get called back with offsides calls coming up once the ball was already in the back of the net. 

The quarter final game against the dutch again was a wild game that ended in a penalty shootout. Thought we had it in the bag with the 2-0 and even jumped off the roof of the boat in the jersey. Only to suffer through the end soaking wet as we squeaked out the win in a penalty shootout.

The semi final was a masterpiece of football. We played a spectacular game. The whole team was on and Messi showed his class with one of the craziest runs and seeing him do that and how they dominated was insane.

The final was insane, one of the craziest games of my life and one of the most wild soccer games in history, period. Thought once again we had it in the bag up 2-0 at the half. But it’s such a beautiful game that will always find a way to surprise you especially when it’s played at the highest level. What a roller coaster with them fighting back and us going ahead once again before they equalized after a missed called and a pk. Then they had a chance to walk it off which was saved spectacularly which gave us the last counter attack of the game before penalties. Going into penalties I knew we had it in the bag but still sweated each one and what a feeling when we finally won.  Relief and joy and an indescribable happiness. Que orgullo ser Argentino. Gracias Messi! We did it! After suffering we made it and won! The scenes seeing Messi coming back home was incredible. I’m so full of joy and hope to see him soon.

Overall the World Cup was amazing and I saw this video summarizing the journey.

https://youtu.be/RrTcp_d4aAc

The scenes from the celebration were crazy, seeing all the people in the streets in Buenos Aires was insane. 

I had made a promise to go for three months if we won the World Cup but realistically I should only go for a few days but how prices are going the ticket itself is gonna be crazy.

Even had the fam in Rosario there in the crowd greeting him when he pulled up to El Kentucky.

Thank you God for the third! Gracias capitan!

VAMOS ARGENTINA CARAJO!!!

Nos vemos pronto

Martín