#US Soccer National Training Center

[octuscle]

Allez les bleus

Frederique, Marcel and Luc had to go to Berlin on business. They were all really looking forward to the trip. Although there was a lot to do - the three of them were assisting a French bank with the takeover of a German start-up by a French tech group - they were spending a few days without their wives and children. Frederique's children were already at university, which made the other two, whose children were still of primary school and children's card age, quite envious.

After landing in Berlin, there was a culture shock. None of them were soccer fans. They all played tennis or golf, Marcel had been quite a successful lacrosse player until he had to give up the sport two years ago at the age of 30 due to a knee injury. They hadn't realized that the European Football Championship was being held in Germany. The airport was decorated with UEFA posters, fans from all over the world were walking through the terminal, the cab rank was empty and the three of them had to take the S-Bahn into the city center.

They were surrounded by cheerful fans. Most of them were no longer sober. But all in a good mood. In their suits with their laptop bags and wheeled suitcases, the three of them were absolute strangers on the train. Even though the atmosphere was good, they were annoyed. They had already had a long day at work before they boarded the plane. They had actually been looking forward to a quiet evening. And not an odyssey on a crowded train.

The next shock came when they arrived at their hotel. It wasn't really a hotel. More like a bed and breakfast. In the middle of Berlin's gay district. The streets were not only decorated with the flags of the nations taking part in the European Championships, but also with rainbow flags. The pubs in the area mostly had black-taped windows and were obviously aimed at a fetish clientele. But even here, there were screens outside, people drinking beer and watching a football match. The atmosphere was great. But the three of them had imagined something different. This wasn't the Sofitel they usually stayed at. Whoever had booked this hotel would be ready for a rant. But now the three of them just wanted to go to bed. Looking for something to eat here for dinner was too exhausting for them at this time of night. They agreed on that. And drinking a beer on the street? Not on your life!

When Luc arrived in his room, he had to grin. Yes, this really wasn't what he was used to. But he'd never had a room with a sling in it either. In addition to the usual things, the bathroom also contained lubricant and condoms. Luc sent a picture to the WhatsApp group he had with Frederique and Marcel. Marcel replied with a picture of an Andreas cross. And Frederique sent a picture of a flyer that had been lying on his pillow:

"Yes, I got that too," wrote Marcel. Obviously a voucher for a beer in a pub down the street. "So, are you up for it?" "Tomorrow," Frederique replied. "I'm just too tired." The three of them wished each other a good night. Marcel put the contents of his suitcase in the cupboard. And there were soccer shorts and a jersey in the wardrobe. With a note saying "Welcome to UEFA Euro 2024" on it. "If you want to have fun, help yourself!". Marcel thought about it. He had googled that Spain were playing Italy today. Maybe not a bad game… He tried out the outfit. It looked a bit silly with his Hogan sneakers. It was also a bit tight and the pants were really short. But now to go downstairs, have a beer and watch the second half? Why not?

The atmosphere was great. The beer tasted better than expected. The second one too. And after the third, he had to piss. The pub's toilet was tiled in black. The lighting with black light was more than dim. Marcel could hear from the stalls that men were clearly having sex there. He just grinned. He was having fun. He took his cock out of his soccer shorts to pee. And before he knew it, a clean-shaven skinhead was kneeling in front of him and greedily opening his mouth. Shit, what the hell? thought Marcel and pissed in his open face. And then had his cock sucked.

When Marc came into the breakfast room the next morning, his two French colleagues were already sitting at the table. As usual, they were both as fit as a fiddle. Marc felt a little uncomfortable in his jeans and tight-fitting T-shirt, which showed off his body and tattoos to good effect. Hehehehehe, he thought. But these two will hardly feel comfortable in a gay guesthouse. And shit, he worked for a fintech start-up. That was a different world to the venerable BNP. The three of them went through the agenda again before leaving for Marc's employer. Marc was a developer and web designer. Numbers were not necessarily his world. But because he spoke fluent French, he had been assigned to look after the two investment bankers. It didn't matter, Frederique in particular was a hot DILF. There were worse fates… A ten-hour day, for example. Marc knew that they probably wouldn't be back at the boarding house before 9 pm. Then France played the Netherlands. The top match of the day. Surely the two of them would want to see that.

It was 9.10 p.m. when Marc was finally back in his room. He hurriedly put on his soccer outfit. He loved the knee-length soccer socks. They accentuated his shapely calves perfectly. The three of them had a date downstairs on the street. Marc had organized a high table in his local pub almost directly in front of the screen. He ordered three beers and waited. Damn it, Frederique had actually put on the outfit provided by the guesthouse. As Marc had suspected, he was in really good shape. Perhaps too well for the jersey that was stretching dangerously across Frederique's chest. Luc had only taken off his jacket and was still in his office outfit. He really wasn't interested in soccer at all. He took his beer from the table and walked a few steps away from the bar so that he could talk to his wife and children on the phone without being disturbed.

Frederique was in a good mood. He had drunk three beers by the half-time break. Marc hadn't managed that. And so he followed Frederique to the toilet at some point to relieve the pressure on his bladder. With a bit of luck, the horny skinhead from last night would be back. He loved it when a hot guy had Marc's piss flowing out of the corner of his mouth. When he arrived downstairs at the toilets, he could already see his piss face. Marc got ready. And grinned all over his face. That was definitely Frederique fucking a Dutch fan in one of the toilet cubicles.

When Fred and Marc came to breakfast together, Luc barely raised an eyebrow. He didn't care that they were both dressed far too casually for his taste. He wasn't a start-up hipster. He was just providing them with the fresh money they needed to expand. And Luc and his employer were making a good profit. No, he raised an eyebrow because they both came out of Marc's room. Fred almost naked, in just his soccer shorts. He disappeared straight back into his own room, only to sit down at the breakfast table a few minutes later, dressed more or less appropriately. Luc sighed and turned his attention back to the messages on his cell phone.

Fred and Marc were used to having to work on Saturday. They liked that about their job. Work hard, party hard. And with the new work lifestyle, the boundaries between work and leisure, between colleagues and friends, were becoming increasingly blurred anyway. If this had the effect of Fred shagging Marc in the loo in between, neither of them complained. But today they urged Luc to finish work reasonably on time. They definitely wanted to watch the Turkey-Portugal game. It was interesting from a footballing point of view, but above all they were looking forward to the hot Turkish fans. Hairy, muscular… Especially Marc's taste. But Frederique didn't mind fucking a hot, hairy ass either. If necessary, he sucked a circumcised cock first. Shit, he loves the Turks for the fact that they always keep their balls and cocks slick. Luc wasn't at the reception at 5:30 pm as arranged. When Fred knocked on his door, he opened it. On the phone. Still in his suit. Fred went to the wardrobe and pulled out the soccer outfit. "Come on, loosen up for once. It's Saturday night!" Luc smiled painfully. He pulled the door shut. And after a few minutes, still on the phone, he stepped out of his room in his soccer outfit. The two of them dragged him down to the street, Marc organized three beers and the party could begin.

Shit, some of those footballers are really fucking hot, Luc kept thinking to himself. No wonder he kept building a clearly visible tent in his shiny shorts. One of the Portuguese fans, a small but damn muscular guy, naked except for his boots and leather chaps, but with a Portuguese flag draped around his shoulders, noticed this more than clearly. The two of them shared a beer. And another. The Portuguese asked Luc if he had a room upstairs in the guesthouse, he had seen him come out of the door earlier. Luc licked his lips and nodded. Neither of them noticed how the game ended. By the time the final whistle blew, Luc was already tied to the St. Andrew's cross in his room.

"Mates, where are we watching the game? Here in the Bermuda Triangle or on the fan mile?" With his Germany jersey, it was clear what Luke's preference was. Marc and Fred would have preferred to stay here in their favorite pub, where they were drinking themselves into shape on this Sunday morning. The party and the sex before and after were more important to them. But Luke was a hardcore soccer fan. For him, it was a matter of honor to watch the game in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Marc and Fred took a sip of beer and sighed. "Okay, fan mile then," Marc moaned. "OMG, like if we can catch that Albania vs Spain match at our spot again, it'd be so lit! I ran into some seriously fire Albanians in the restroom yesterday, no joke." The three of them clinked glasses and laughed. The European Championship was great!

Pics by @ki-kink

[leveloneandup]

The 36-year-old Press, a two-time World Cup champion who just signed a one-year contract to stay with the club, began her pro career in Boca Raton, Florida. She played for magicJack, a club that lasted one season in the now defunct Women’s Professional Soccer league: “A lot of toxic and unprofessional things went down there; it was a ‘wow’ moment for me.”

From there she moved to Sweden, and she had a wonderful experience playing in the country’s top division, where her team shared a “dark, dingy” locker room with a boys’ team.

And then she was in Chicago, playing for the nascent NWSL’s Red Stars, on a Benedictine University’s football field in the suburbs. “You might have a coach today, your coach might not show up tomorrow, you’re playing on a college football turf for your games,” Press said. “You don’t have staff, you don’t have a GM, you don’t have a collective bargaining agreement, you don’t have an HR department. …

“All of the things that we didn’t have became a daily grind for me to try to convince often-male leadership that we needed,” said Press, who was among the U.S. Women’s National Team members who won equal pay. “To be told that I was demanding and be told that I was the squeaky wheel. It’s not easy to be a woman advocate. …

“[But] it is our duty, our responsibility and it’s something that brings us great joy, to make the game better for the future. And it has been a great burden, one that all of the work that we’ve done is so that the next generation doesn’t have to do the same.”

The beat goes on: “It’s like, yes, you care about the crest,” Press said. “Yes, you care about the city and the team and a sport. But there’s a larger thing that everyone’s fighting for, and I really feel that there’s a synergy between soccer and basketball particularly in the last few years in this country. In the W, they’re getting the respect and the coverage that is getting closer to what they deserve, and that’s really, really powerful and important thing for women’s soccer, too.”

Angel City raises the bar with upgraded training facility

THOUSAND OAKS — This is awesome! It’s about time.

This is so great! But what’s next?

That’s where we’re at with this women’s sports boom.

There’s a steady drumbeat of groundbreaking achievements: Just in the past few days, soccer star Naomi Girma agreed to move to English side Chelsea for a world-record women’s transfer fee of $1.1 million. In the WNBA, Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever announced plans to improve on their previous team-dedicated digs with a new $78 million training facility.

And Tuesday in Thousand Oaks, the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Angel City Performance Center, the largest dedicated training facility in the National Women’s Soccer League.

And as the beat goes on, it’s just hammering home many things at once: Yay, progress! But, wow, have women athletes had it tough. And, dang, there’s still so much more work to do. But, yes, let’s goooo – and let’s keep it going.

It’s a lot to digest, so it’s small wonder that veteran standouts Ali Riley and Christen Press got emotional Tuesday talking about their new workplace. Or that their teammates did too this week the first time they toured their new performance center, a reimagined facility on the upper crest of California Lutheran’s campus, space the Rams occupied for eight years before their move to Woodland Hills last summer.

Matt Wade, Angel City’s assistant general manager, recounted how the big reveal elicited screams and tears when players saw their spacious new locker room, where lockers are twice the size as those they used before in temporary trailers down the hillside.

And then there’s the film room, with a projector screen and stadium seating – no more tall people in the back so everyone can see the TV.

And the massive weight room! What was fit for one professional football team is fit for another.

Sean McVay’s old office? Kids space now, where children can safely play while their moms are at work nearby.

Also: a 5,400-square-foot gym, a medical treatment and hydrotherapy area. And, where the Rams used to practice, a full soccer pitch and adjoining half field.

It’s a clever remodel, functional and stylish; from floor to ceiling it’s in keeping with the club’s distinctive asphalt-and-sol rosa color scheme. A spokesman for the team didn’t want to reveal a price tag, but the L.A. Times’ report that it was in the multimillions seems right.

And it all means so, so much to players like Riley and Press, native Angelenos who have experienced about everything in their soccer lives.

The 36-year-old Press, a two-time World Cup champion who just signed a one-year contract to stay with the club, began her pro career in Boca Raton, Florida. She played for magicJack, a club that lasted one season in the now defunct Women’s Professional Soccer league: “A lot of toxic and unprofessional things went down there; it was a ‘wow’ moment for me.”

From there she moved to Sweden, and she had a wonderful experience playing in the country’s top division, where her team shared a “dark, dingy” locker room with a boys’ team.

And then she was in Chicago, playing for the nascent NWSL’s Red Stars, on a Benedictine University’s football field in the suburbs. “You might have a coach today, your coach might not show up tomorrow, you’re playing on a college football turf for your games,” Press said. “You don’t have staff, you don’t have a GM, you don’t have a collective bargaining agreement, you don’t have an HR department. …

“All of the things that we didn’t have became a daily grind for me to try to convince often-male leadership that we needed,” said Press, who was among the U.S. Women’s National Team members who won equal pay. “To be told that I was demanding and be told that I was the squeaky wheel. It’s not easy to be a woman advocate. …

“[But] it is our duty, our responsibility and it’s something that brings us great joy, to make the game better for the future. And it has been a great burden, one that all of the work that we’ve done is so that the next generation doesn’t have to do the same.”

The facility upgrade should help a club recruit and retain talent – and a permanent head coach, said new sporting director Mark Parsons, who insisted he won’t rush his search for the right replacement for Becki Tweed, who was ousted after Angel City went a disappointing 7-13-6 last season.

“It’s going to be very hard,” he said, “for people to not want to be in this environment.”

What’s an advantage should be the standard, said Willow Bay, who last July became a controlling owner of the club with her husband, Disney CEO Bob Iger.

“It sets the bar,” said Bay, the dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. “But it really should be the norm.”

Around the NWSL and the WNBA (ahem, @LASparks).

The beat goes on: ��It’s like, yes, you care about the crest,” Press said. “Yes, you care about the city and the team and a sport. But there’s a larger thing that everyone’s fighting for, and I really feel that there’s a synergy between soccer and basketball particularly in the last few years in this country. In the W, they’re getting the respect and the coverage that is getting closer to what they deserve, and that’s really, really powerful and important thing for women’s soccer, too.”

[whirlpool-blogs]

NHL notebook: USA Hockey's Jack Hughes expected No. 1 pick in NHL draft

Published: Dec 5, 2018

PLYMOUTH, Mich. — Jack Hughes draws a crowd.

Detroit general manager Ken Holland and former Red Wing star Steve Yzerman chatted during the first intermission of one of Hughes' recent games. Scouts from the NHL were scattered throughout USA Hockey Arena that night, taking notes for teams paying them to evaluate the world's best hockey players.

Hughes, a 17-year-old center, will likely be the top pick in the NHL draft in June.

USA Hockey has developed the nation's top players for more than two-plus decades and four of them have been selected No. 1 overall — including Auston Matthews and Patrick Kane — from its National Team Development Program. Hughes is expected to be next.

"He's as good as I've seen come through here in terms of talent, work ethic and being the complete package on and off the ice," said senior director of operations Scott Monaghan, who has been with the program since its inception in 1996. "He's more like Patrick because of his skating and shiftiness than Auston, who was really big and strong.

"We have 30 to 40 scouts at most of our home games and as many as 60 because Jack is on a team with as many as six, seven or eight first-round picks."

Hughes chose to surround himself with the best American hockey players his age as an amateur instead of getting paid as the No. 1 pick in the Ontario Hockey League. He also could have graduated high school a year early to play with his brother, Quinn, a freshman at Michigan and a defenseman drafted No. 7 overall last summer by the Vancouver Canucks.

"I feel like it's the best place to be for a 16-year, 17-year-old," Hughes told The Associated Press. "No one trains as hard as us. We skate every day. We lift three days a week. We play a great schedule. I think it's the best place to be to groom yourself to be an NHL player someday."

Hughes was born in Orlando, Florida, where his father, Jim, was assistant coach for the Solar Bears in the International Hockey League. He wasn't there long. Jim Hughes moved his family a few months later to Boston because he got a job as an assistant with the Bruins. Two years later, the former Providence defenseman went to New Hampshire — where he, his wife and three boys vacation each summer — to be an assistant and later head coach with the Manchester Monarchs in the American Hockey League.

Jim Hughes' next job appears to have been pivotal in the development of his sons' hockey careers because it landed him in Toronto as an assistant with the AHL's Marlies. He later became director of player development for the Maple Leafs.

"I always played him a year up and that's not easy to do in the hockey mecca of the world," Jim Hughes said. "Even when he was 5, you could see he had a special skill set. As he got older, coaches were yelling at their players to hit him and teams were trying to attack him. And quite frankly, he was still dominant."

While Jim Hughes was often busy with his job when the boys were growing up, Ellen Hughes taught her sons how to skate. She drew on her experience from playing for the U.S. women's national hockey team and at New Hampshire, where she was also on the soccer team.

"When Jack would go outside to play, older boys would always pick him even though he was at least two years younger than the rest of them and he always wanted the puck," Ellen Hughes recalled. "We never had to push him. It was always organic and Toronto was just the best place for him to prepare him for what he's doing now."

Jack Hughes starts his day at 6:15 a.m. with two eggs on a bagel with cream cheese and salami along with some fresh fruit, orange juice and a vitamin. He has to arrive at school shortly after 7 a.m. and if he's tardy or misses a class, USA Hockey has a staff member who knows it and there are consequences.

"There's no sleeping in," Jack Hughes said. "They'll sit you for a period if you're late or skip a class, or if you're late for the bus."

Hughes, who plans to graduate this month, takes four classes before heading to USA Hockey Arena in suburban Detroit to drill on a shooting pad, lift weights and go through an intense, two-hour practice before going to study table. His favorite meal is his father's grilled steak. Shortly after dinner, his parents don't have a hard time getting him to go sleep.

"If you don't go to bed early, this place will eat you alive," Jim Hughes said.

The 5-foot-10, 168-pound Hughes feasts on the competition wherever he goes, playing U.S.-based colleges against players much older and bigger than him, as well as in the United States Hockey League and international competition.

With 16 points in just four games, he was tournament MVP at the under-18 Five Nations tournament in the Czech Republic last month. He had 116 points in 60 games last year and he is averaging about two points a game this season, putting him on pace to set the NTDP career record for points. Hughes skates effortlessly in any direction and has soft hands, allowing him to dangle to puck to set up a shot for a teammate or himself.

"Jack Hughes is the leading candidate to be the No. 1 pick at this point and scouts are out evaluating him as often as possible," Holland said. "He's an incredibly talented player, who is destined to have a fabulous NHL career."

[kellohara]

Kelley O’Hara on US Soccer’s National Training Center in Atlanta

[thommi-tomate]

Interview with Harry Kane pt1

By: Kicker

Your first winter break is behind you, Mr. Kane. How was it?

I had a really good time with my family. We were in the Caribbean, which actually felt a bit strange at first. Normally I played soccer. This time I was able to watch all the Premier League games in peace, which was fun - and to be honest, you get used to it quickly. Especially because it was a good opportunity to spend time with my wife and children, who I've rarely seen in the past four months.

How did your ex-colleagues react? You wanted to send a photo ...

Exactly. I sent them a photo of me lying in the sun in the national team's Whatsapp group. That was just before New Year's Eve, when they were all playing (grins). I then wished them good luck for the games - a few of them wished me a happy New Year in return. Knowing full well that they were in the cold and I was in the beautiful Caribbean sun.

The first six months at FC Bayern are over. Have you spent your days off reviewing your start in Munich?

I'm very happy, I have to say. It was my first transfer after a really long time at Tottenham, so I didn't know exactly what to expect. I just believed in myself and my abilities. I knew I would be joining a great team, but I didn't know exactly what to expect and how everything would go. But now I'm totally happy with how I've settled in in Munich and with the team. The few months in the hotel were great, everyone there was really great to me - just like the fans, who are incredibly supportive. All in all, I couldn't have imagined a better start

The first half of the season is not yet over for Bayern because of the catch-up game against Union - and you've already scored over 20 goals in the Bundesliga alone.

That's right. If we were also top of the table, it would be ideal. But Bayer Leverkusen have simply made a strong start to the season. Nevertheless, if someone had told me in August that I would score more than 20 goals by Christmas, I would have signed it immediately. After the first few games, I already had the feeling that we - me and the players around me - could achieve even more if we got to know each other better.

We've been together for a while now and I think we're getting better and better, which was evident in November and December. If we carry on like this, doing more training sessions and games, we'll get even stronger. I hope that I continue to develop, but not just myself, but also the players around me, like Leroy Sané, Jamal Musiala, Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry when he's back. So hopefully we'll all have a strong second half of the season.

You've mentioned time and again in recent months that despite scoring so many goals, you still don't see yourself at 100 percent. How close are you now?

Towards the end of the year, I think I was close. I was starting to feel really good. Even though I wasn't living in my house yet, I was starting to feel 100 percent comfortable in the environment and on the training pitch. The winter break was a bit of a break now, it will probably take two or three games to get back into the rhythm. Nevertheless, I feel ready and hope to do even better than in the season so far.

In December, you moved from your hotel in the city center to the former home of Lucas Hernandez. Have you finally arrived in Munich?

I think so. There was so much going on at the beginning, it was all about the job. I got to know a lot of new people and had to get used to the environment. It wasn't so easy when the family wasn't here. Now everyone is here, the children are at school and it's starting to feel like home, which is very important. I'm the type of person who likes to be at home with my family and spend a lot of time with them. It's all new for her too, but I think it's a great experience. My wife has lived in London for most of her life - we're really excited to start this new chapter together

Has your family already settled in?

It's certainly not easy, and you always worry about the children, whether they will enjoy school and make friends. But I'm sure they will. The good thing is that they are at a really good age to learn the language. They are probably faster than me (laughs). I think life is about experiences and for us as a family this is a big step. We're just going to soak it all up and enjoy it.

What about your German?

It's going slowly. It's really difficult for me. I spend two hours a week learning the language. I try to listen when the people around me speak German, to pick up something here and there, but it takes time.

A different culture, different food, a different currency, different traffic, a different league. What do you miss about the island?

That's a really good question ... I'm not someone who misses a lot. I'm someone who moves on and looks forward and not too much into the past. I try to process everything and enjoy being here. Luckily, a lot of people here also speak English, which helps me a lot. That's life: You have a job, a family to look after and so it goes on. As soon as the weather improves, I'm going to find some golf courses and play a few holes while the kids go to school. My life here is getting more and more routine.

What are your favorite spots in Munich?

I haven't been out that much yet, but of course the English Garden is really beautiful. I want to go to the mountains so the kids can ski - and I can watch them. But my favorite spot will probably be a nice golf course (grins).

Your former club, Spurs, missed out on international business for the first time in 13 years. When did you first think about a new challenge abroad? And when did your decision mature?

I focused on helping the team and concentrating on the next game. Of course, we had a difficult season last year, so I didn't want to let that distract me. Normally, you always start weighing up your options at the end of the season. I had one year left on my contract, so I knew there was a possibility of a move and it was just a matter of having a conversation with the Tottenham chairman. If I left, it could be a European club, Bayern was a club that was very present for me. When I took a closer look at the team, I thought it could be a good option for me.

English clubs have also been courting you. Would a move to another Premier League club even be conceivable for you?

You can never say never in football because many things can change. Tottenham was a big part of my life. As a team we had really great moments together, but Bayern Munich was a really good option for me. I wanted to experience something different, I wanted to get to know European football.

[hyperfixationsstation]

us soccer national training center

[victorysp]

Visit to The Caribbean part of The Kingdom

Aruba, Tuesday 31 January

In the morning the King and Queen and the Princess of Orange will visit Arikok National Park. This protected area covers 20% of Aruba. The party will go on a hike in the park, meet the makers of a nature documentary about the six islands and discuss nature conservation and management with junior rangers at the Center of Cultivation. The royal party will then continue on to Royal Aruba Aloe, a company founded in 1890, where they will speak with staff and see how the company cultivates aloe vera and uses it in making skincare products.

In the afternoon the party will visit the University of Aruba. They will attend part of a lecture on Caribbean law and talk with students. The King and Princess of Orange will then visit the Soccer Academy at Compleho Deportivo Frans Figaroa, which provides training for talented young people in collaboration with the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB). Queen Máxima will pay a field visit to a vegetable farmer who attends a business academy run by credit provider Qredits.

In the evening the Bon Bini Festival will take place at Fort Zoutman. Following a walk around Plaza Padú, where there will be music and a presentation of local products, the royal party will watch an exploratory show on Aruban culture and history, with Caribbean music and dance.

[hvbris]

𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐔

Born in District 3 with two victors as parents, Cassandra was likely to be reaped, just like her little sister Mina. It was at least what motivated their parents to experiment on them. So they would win. After years of unregulated experiments, Cassandra and Mina had Inhuman strength and speed, as well as an uncanny good eyesight. Cassandra was almost off the hook, but at 17, she was reaped. Unfortunately, the secret was quickly out. Her unnatural skills at the training center tipped off the Capitol's gamemakers, and while Cassandra was sent to the arena, her parents were executed for treason. Mina was sent to the Capitol's labs to be tested and examined, and after a swift and implacable victory, Cassandra was sent there as well. But because the Games need a victor, the two Miller sisters were released a week after Cassandra's victory. They were allowed back in D3, but are under heavy surveillance from the Capitol. Cassandra became a dedicated mentor, trying her best to help her tributes survive while raising her little sister all on her own in the victor village.

𝐘𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐔

1996 was really not Cassandra's year. After losing both her parents on Christmas Eve and having to raise her 13-year-old sister on her own, what seemed like good news (her soccer team going to nationals!) turned into a nightmare when the plane crashed into the Canadian wilderness. To Cassandra, dying there was not an option. She had to get back home, she had to survive, she had to return to Mina, her little sister. Her authoritarian nature came in handy at first, unlike more girls she was used to having 'adult' responsibilities. But as the rest of the team fell slowly but surely into an obsessive worship of the wilderness, Cassandra's skepticism created a shift between her and the group. She couldn't believe in what the other girls believed, perhaps because admitting THIS would mean admitting that her parents' death hadn't been perfectly "normal" either. While the winter stretched out, starving the girls, even Cassandra had to pick survival above all else.

𝐒𝐏𝐘 𝐀𝐔 . 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐀

Cassandra's purpose was always to become a spy. Her parents, both CIA agents, sent their two daughters to an ultra-secret CIA experiment when they were just kids. They spent their entire childhood in a top-secret laboratory, growing up hidden from the rest of the world. The only two kids in the program, Cassandra & Mina were respectively experiments 001 and 002. The program aimed to create "super spies". They were meant to stay there until they would be old enough to join the ranks of the CIA, but their parents' death (while on a mission) accelerated the process. Cassandra was offered the position at barely 18, in exchange for "freedom". She accepted; but made a deal so that Mina would be spared from her duties, and be allowed to live a normal teenager's life. The two girls were placed in a little house in Virginia, and Mina got to enter middle school at 13. Meanwhile, Cassandra started working while raising her little sister. They both have a tattoo on the back of their neck with their respective experiment numbers. Some of their physical enhancements include: eye enhancement, strength enhancement, speed enhancement, and abnormal pain tolerance. Cassandra's specialty is firearms, and she is a deadly sniper.

[robertlaskarzewski]

Eighteenth Week

On Sunday, I left my home in Cergy and headed to Valence where I would stay for a couple of days before continuing South to Toulon. In the morning, I quickly packed away the rest of my things in my storage unit and headed to the Gare de Lyon to take my train to Valence. My train to Valence went smoothly and the weather was much warmer than I had in Cergy, also, the city is in the shadow of a decent nountain where the ruins of an old chateau are located. For dinner, I had trouble finding any place that was open because it was the weekend of May 1°, a French national holiday. Luckily, I was able to find an open pizza place where I had an amazing pizza made by an older Italian couple. Monday, I decided to go up and see the chateau ruins (Chateau de Crussol). In total it took me over an hour and a half to walk from the center of Valence to the top of the mountain. The mountain itself wasn't extremely elevated but it was a decent hike, nonetheless. There were hardly any other non-French tourists in the area. Tuesday, I left valence and took my train South to Toulon (I had one connection in Marseille on the way there). I was picked up by my coworkers for my volunteering program, the director, and a program coordinator. My first day, I had to help with tutoring kids who had come to the Le Rocher site for after-school help with homework. Although their homework wasn't difficult for me (because they were all in elementary school), it was difficult for me to explain things in a way that they would understand well. Wednesday, we started the morning by doing a morning activity with the kids with some games and gardening. We got the kids to help clean up the yard area and encouraged them to help plant some seeds in some planter boxes. In the afternoon we went into the neighborhood to play soccer with some of the kids and talk with some of their parents. Thursday, I started the morning by doing a neighborhood walk and visits with some of the people from Le Rocher. This involves walking around the neighborhood and knocking on some doors and just asking people how they're doing generally, seeing if everything's okay and what's on their mind. Friday, we did more neighborhood walks and talks with the locals and ended the day with tutoring with the kids. Every day I spend with the kids, I grow in confidence in my ability to speak with them and help them accomplish their goals (finishing their homework) Saturday, we set up a couple of tables between where many of the locals go from the bakery and their homes. This way, we could offer them coffee/tea and biscuits and talk to them about anything that was on their mind, and just catch up with them in general. I find these activities very challenging because my French is not good enough to understand many of the people speaking. This is made twice as difficult as many of the habitants are of foreign descent meaning they don't speak "academic French" which is what is generally taught in the US.

[dustedmagazine]

Listed: Glassine

Glassine is the musical moniker of Baltimore-based producer Danny Greenwald. Greenwald’s most widely known release to date is probably 2015’s No Stairway, an album crafted out of field recordings taken inside the retail chain Guitar Center. His most recent release is Radial,a collaboration with Horse Lords drummer Sam Haberman, reviewed in last month’s Dust. Tim Clarke wrote that Radial “veers between malfunctioning electronica (“Up, Together, Reach”), throbbing ambient drone (“St. Pete”), clattering percussive workouts (“Brushes in Woodstock”), and what could almost pass as vaporwave (“Behind a Seatbelt”).” For Greenwald’s contribution to Listed, he chose 10 things that have inspired him other than Nirvana.

Pink Floyd — “Bike”

I used to hang out with this guy in high school who ate a lot of acid. Now he is a Hasidic Jew. We were close. He made high-quality iron-on decals with a fancy printer he had sent to a church across the street because he bought it with a stolen credit card. He made a t-shirt that said on the front, “I’ve got a mouse and it hasn’t got a house, I don’t know why I call him Gerald.” And on the back, it said, “he’s getting rather old but he’s a good mouse.” When I first heard the song “Bike” I thought it was the stupidest thing I had ever heard. It’s obviously brilliant and I was a dumb kid and Syd Barrett is my favorite guitarist. Watch him shred.

Jason Urick — Husbands

Husbands by Jason Urick

The first show I ever enjoyed that only used a laptop was Jason Urick performing in some warehouse in Baltimore. I would go see him play in various other venues with unclean floors, but I’d usually lie on my back toward the front. Everyone would stand kind of far back from Jason and his laptop in the way you’re probably picturing, but I would lie down. His seamless textural transitions are a guiding light. I listened to Husbands on headphones 1,000,000 times lying on my back. In bed, usually.

The Microphones — Mount Eerie

When I first heard this album, it blew my mind. I knew all of Phil Elverum’s previous albums, but this was on some whole other trip. It’s my favorite Microphones record. Me and my friend Brian would listen to it in its entirety in his driveway in his small Toyota Yaris in Pikesville, Maryland, at like 3am. I LOVE the line that goes, “you’re soccer balls on knees.”

“I know you’re out there, You’re lanterns on lakes / I know you’re out there, You’re soccer balls on knees... through your skirt I see... your legs gracefully / I know you’re out there, you’re swaying and pleased / I know you’re out there, you’re vultures in trees / I know you’re out there In mountainous peaks.”

Cass McCombs — “AIDS in Africa”

This song taught me an incredible lesson about the usage of metaphor and allusion in songs. Listen to the entire song — then do some research — then think about the line, “Survivor cells are chanting ‘Ali, Bomaye.’” I used to write a lot of words; however the lesson has very much crossed over into how I go about textural arrangements, field recordings, samples, and what have you.

My mom, Donna Greenwald

Outlook, “Anthem Annie”

My mom sang the National Anthem at every Major League Baseball stadium. I’m not a big fan of the song, however I was able to travel across the country on a train because she was able to wrangle corporate sponsorships in the ’90s for her “National Anthem Tour.” Only an amazing lady could pull off something like that. Self-PR in the days of phone books and small-town newspapers. Learn more about Donna Greenwald by listening to this podcast episode I made about her.

Horace Andy — Dance Hall Style

Once when I was 15 or so I walked into The Sound Garden, a record store in Baltimore, and asked what I should listen to. The person walked (almost urgently) to the reggae section in the back of the store and handed me Dance Hall Style on CD. Horace Andy looks so cool on the cover. Also, I intrinsically had a lot of trust in the person who helped me because he also looked very cool. Lyrically, the album is very heady. And his voice is so expressive. The production sounds like outer space in the mind of an extremely sensitive man.

MF DOOM and all of his monikers/collaborations

Daniel Dumile was the cleverest person to walk the earth. He was an insanely talented and underappreciated producer. He was an immense talent and the world is less enjoyable without him. He felt like the most distant stranger that I kind of knew from someplace. He helped me get through some really difficult times.

Own his own throne, the boss like King Koopa On the microphone he flossed the ring (“Super!”) Average emcees is like a TV blooper MF DOOM, he’s like D.B. Cooper

Grateful Dead — Dark Star, Rotterdam Civic Hall, Rotterdam, Netherlands 5-11-72

I grew up on the Dead. Here is a 48-minute version of one of my favorite songs. I don’t have anything more to say about it.

“Shall we go, you and I, while we can through the transitive nightfall of diamonds?”

Panda Bear — Person PItch

Also a great non-album track recorded at The Ottobar in 2007

Person Pitch was a game changer for me. I was already into atmospheric and druggy music that sounded like waterbeds, but this record utilized discernible samples, like skateboards and infants crying. Panda Bear turned all his samples into clay and treated them like weather patterns. I saw him perform at The Ottobar when the album came out. He used two SP303s (which were actually used to record the entire album) and a small mixer on stage with a very organized row of SmartMedia cards. Here is the tour poster hanging in my studio. I colored parts of it because I was working at a summer camp and had unfettered access to an array of markers. Also, I love his voice and Person Pitch is a play on Pet Sounds. That’s cool. Also, WZT Hearts opened and Jason Urick was in that band.

CELESTIAL WHITE NOISE | Sleep Better, Reduce Stress, Calm Your Mind, Improve Focus | 10 Hour Ambient

I fall asleep to this every night.

Björk — Unravel

This is one of my favorite songs. Everything about it. Heartbreaking. The End.

While you are away My heart comes undone Slowly unravels In a ball of yarn

The devil collects it With a grin Our love In a ball of yarn

He’ll never return it So, when you come back We’ll have to make new love

[sportsvillagesquare]

US women's training camp moved from LA due to wildfires

U.S. Soccer said on Friday that the U.S. women’s national team’s training camp has been moved from Los Angeles to Miami due to the wildfires that have devastated Southern California. The camp for the Paris Olympic champions will start three days later than planned and run from Jan. 17-23 at Inter Miami’s Florida Blue Training Center in Ft. Lauderdale instead of Dignity Health Sports Park in…

[lboogie1906]

Lieutenant General Dr. Thomas Paul Bostick (September 23, 1956) was the 53rd Chief of Engineers of the Army and commanding general of the Army Corps of Engineers. He is the only African American graduate of the academy to serve as Chief of Engineers and commanding general of the Army Corps of Engineers.

He was born in Fukuoka, Japan, and grew up in an Army family all over the world as one of five children of Master Sergeant Sidney C. Bostick and his wife, Fumiko M. Bostick. He graduated from West Point with a BS. He was the captain of the soccer team. He earned an MS in Civil and Mechanical Engineering from Stanford College.

He served as an associate professor of mechanical engineering at West Point. He earned a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from George Washington College. He is a graduate of the Engineer Officer Basic and Advance courses, the US Army Command and General Staff College, and the US Army War College. He is registered as a professional engineer in Virginia.

He served at the US Army Europe Headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany. He served as S3 of the 40th Engineer Battalion S3 of the 1st Armored Division Engineer Brigade and as a command officer for the Chief of Engineers. His battalion fought fires in Idaho in 1994, considered one of the most successful performances by an engineer battalion at the National Training Center.

He was awarded the John W. Gardner Legacy of Leadership Award. He joined Intrexon Corporation, where he served as senior vice president of the environmental division and Chief Operating Officer.

He was elected a member of the National Academy of Construction and the George Washington College School of Engineering and Applied Science Hall of Fame. He was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He was appointed President of Intrexon Bioengineering. He was appointed to the Congressionally-established Commission on the Designation of Department of Defense Items in Memory of the Confederate States of America or a Person Who Voluntarily Served in the Confederate States of America. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[atlantasoccernews-mktg]

Atlanta is set to become the new home of US soccer, as the US Soccer Federation announced plans to build a national training center and new headquarters in the city. The project, which will cost an estimated $200 million, will include a state-of-the-art facility with 12 fields, a stadium, a hotel, and offices for the federation and its partners. https://atlantasoccer.news/atlanta-to-become-the-new-home-of-us-soccer-us-soccer-federation-announces-plans-for-national-training-center-and-new-headquarters-in-atlanta/

[alexbkrieger13]

https://www.dn.se/sport/redo-for-vm-i-windy-wellington-vinden-kan-fora-ivag-bollen/

Ready for the World Cup - in "Windy Wellington": "The wind can carry the ball"

WELLINGTON. It is called the windiest city in the world.

The day before Sweden's World Cup premiere, it was also not difficult to understand how the New Zealand capital got its nickname "Windy Wellington".

- The wind can carry the ball away or make the ball stop, says center back Magdalena Eriksson.

The position right on the Cook Strait, at the tip of New Zealand's North Island, makes Wellington exposed to the elements.

The World Cup arena where the Swedish women's soccer team will face South Africa on Sunday evening, local time, is also just a stone's throw from the sea.

- Since I'm from the south of Sweden, I'm very used to wind. And it will be the same for everyone, said Swedish veteran Caroline Seger here the other day.

On Saturday, however, the national team experienced more than before why Wellington is called "Windy Wellington."

It was blowing 15 to 16 meters per second a day before the Swedish premiere. On Sunday, according to the forecasts, it will cool down somewhat, but the Swedes are prepared for the worst, says star defender Magdalena Eriksson.

- The wind is the weather factor that affects the most. For us in the back line, it's about being extra on our toes, covering for each other and understanding that the wind can move the ball or make the ball stop.

Sunday's team captain Kosovare Asllani:

- Rain does not play a huge role, but wind can affect the way we play. It is something we need to learn from but something we are used to now after two weeks here. We have felt it in fixed situations and in training. You get to play a little more on the ground.

A WC in Oceania in July means winter.

- I have no problem with the fact that it's cold, it's the wind that can cause it, says striker Lina Hurtig.

Union captain Peter Gerhardsson laughs and says first that the only thing affected by the wind is his hairstyle. He then adds that it can of course be an advantage to choose a tailwind when drawing lots.

- Then it's about kick-ins and such. I remember Scotland away (2021 practice match), it's the worst I've been through. The kicks barely got out of the penalty area.

[new-charlotte-nc]

AT-NET Services in Charlotte, NC

In finding an IT company Charlotte area at present, you should ask referral from your family and friends. Besides, you can check out ideas shared on social media. In case of cybersecurity and IT management, you can seek help from AT-NET Services. Through their assistance, you can elevate your security services for the long-term with their managed endpoint protection, security training, SIEM, NIST compliance frameworks, and other services. In addition, they also offer IT helpdesk support. Lastly, get back to work faster with helpdesk services that have an average response time of less than 60 seconds and are backed by their Service Level Agreements or SLAs.

Charlotte, NC

At present, you can check out future events in your travel destination such as Charlotte, NC. If you’re planning to go there, you can check out Eventbrite for some pre-scheduled activities. Well, there are pre-planned activities in the said location. First, there will be the #KingDayParty Series event this coming Saturday, at around 4:00 PM at Slate Charlotte. In addition, the North Carolina Greek Picnic is scheduled on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, at around 10:00 PM at Charlotte. Lastly, the Summer Classics will take place this coming Thursday, July 13, 2023, at around 10:00 in the morning at Skyline Terrace.

Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC

We know that the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC is a famous among travelers from across the globe. If you like exploration, it is also one of the best places you can visit at present. Interestingly, the Bank of America Stadium is a 74,867-seat football stadium situated on 33 acres or 13 ha tourist spot in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. In addition, it is the home facility and headquarters of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League and Charlotte FC of Major League Soccer. Apart from that, the stadium opened in 1996 as Ericsson Stadium.

Largest Buc-ee’s in country opens near Western NC

There are interesting news reports in Charlotte, NC area that you should know nowadays. Lately, there was a topic about Buc-ee’s. Based on the news, the largest Buc-ee’s in the U.S. opened on Monday after years of anticipation and it’s just outside of Western North Carolina. Aside from that, the new travel center in Sevierville feature 120 fuel stations, snacks that includes the iconic brisket and beaver nuggets, award-winning restrooms and a carwash. Besides, the said location is the closest to Knoxville and will be the largest in the country- at least for now. Lastly, Buc-ee’s started the day early with a soft opening at 6:00 in the morning.

Link to Map

Driving Direction

Bank of America Stadium

800 S Mint St, Charlotte, NC 28202, United States

Head northwest on W Morehead St toward Eldridge St

2 min (0.8 mi)

Get on I-77 S/US-21 S

1 min (0.8 mi)

Follow I-77 S/US-21 S to Clanton Rd. Take exit 7 from I-77 S/US-21 S

2 min (1.6 mi)

Continue on Clanton Rd to your destination

3 min (0.5 mi)

AT-NET Services - Managed IT Services Company Charlotte

3401 St Vardell Ln Suite D, 

Charlotte, NC 28217, United States

[rmfantasysetpieces1]

OL GROUP AND MICHELE KANG FORM A GLOBAL WOMEN'S FOOTBALL GROUP Joint press release (YMK Holdings and OL Groupe) Lyon (France) and Washington DC, May 16, 2023 – OL Groupe, owner of Olympique Lyonnais, and Michele Kang, owner of the Washington Spirit, today announced that they have signed an agreement to create a global multi-team women's soccer structure. Michele Kang will be the majority shareholder and chairman of the new structure, which will become the first multi-club women's football organization owned and run by a woman. Through a share swap operation, OL Groupe will bring its women's team, and Michele Kang, by through YMK Holdings, will contribute the majority of Washington Spirit shares to create a new independent entity. OL Groupe will continue to support the new organization by providing services, including, in particular, the use of the Groupama Stadium, the Groupama OL Training Center, and OL Academy. The new organization aims to acquire additional clubs in other countries in Europe, America and Asia. Michele Kang will also join the OL Groupe Board of Directors. “This agreement represents a major step forward in the history of women's professional football,” says Michele Kang. “It brings together the unrivaled tradition of OL women, 8 times winners of the Champions League, and the dynamism of the Washington Spirit, champion of the NWSL in 2021, to usher in a new era of our sport. alignment on this vision between the board of directors of OL Groupe and the main players, including Jean-Michel Aulas, John Textor and myself, is particularly strong. It is a great honor for me to take charge women's OL and to steer this unprecedented project, on behalf of the supporters, players and staff of both teams. “, completes Michele Kang. “Over the past 20 years, OL Groupe has played an important role in the development of women's football. Today, the popularity of this sport is exploding in Europe, the United States and around the world,” says John Textor, Chairman and CEO of OL Groupe. “With a tradition of victory, unequaled in the world of women's football, the OL women's team has a unique opportunity in this growing market to build the world brand of Olympique Lyonnais, for the benefit of OL Groupe and for our remarkable athletes. Today's agreement with Michele Kang creates the ideal vehicle to achieve this goal and to to ensure an exciting future for OL women", continues John Textor. Each club will retain its own established identity, respecting its heritage and community of supporters. The new owners will continue to invest strategically to improve the infrastructures and develop the community of supporters of each club. At the same time, investments significant resources will be devoted centrally to the development of resources shared between all group teams, such as performance science and technology, data analytics, recruiting worldwide, and the development of sports personnel. With the creation of this new organization, women's football takes a big step towards equality with the teams masculine. It is also about inspiring young girls and women around the world to achieve their dreams and embrace careers in professional football on a scale and level of achievement profession that should not be restricted to men only.

“This alliance represents hope and determination, while showing which business model to follow to shape the future of women's football,” says Michele Kang. This transaction is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including the approval of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in the United States and obtaining various third-party authorizations in France. THE closing is expected to take place at the end of June 2023. OL Groupe, owner of NWSL club OL Reign, has begun a formal process to sell the club, eliminating as well as any future conflict of interest within the NWSL. At OL group level, the operation will result in the contribution by OL Association (independent association subject to the 1901 law, consolidated by OL Groupe) of its activity relating to women's football against a 12% stake in the new joint entity (without voting rights). OL Groupe will also hold, through OL SASU, a 36% stake (without voting rights) in the new joint entity against the contribution of a license on the OL brand for a period of 50 years. OL Groupe will be represented in the governance bodies of the new structure, and will benefit from certain liquidity rights linked to shareholder liquidity majority. OL Groupe and its subsidiaries will provide services to the new entity. It is recalled that in accordance with the applicable regulations, Eagle Football Holdings Bidco will file a simplified takeover bid for the balance of OL Groupe shares, at a price of €3 per share and €265.57 per OSRANE. The financial elements relating to this transaction between OL Groupe and YMK Holdings and which could impact the valuation of OL Groupe will be communicated to the independent expert appointed by OL Groupe within the framework of the public offer. *** Michele Kang is an American businesswoman, investor, and philanthropist. Born and raised in South Korea, she came to the United States as a student and has spent her career building businesses that challenge the status quo. She is the winner of the 2023 Horatio Alger Award, which honors Americans who embody perseverance in their personal and professional life. In 2022, Michele Kang became the owner of the Washington Spirit. The same year, she was selected by the Sports Business Journal as one of the most important people in women's sports. In February 2023, Ms. Kang became a minority shareholder of Eagle Football Holdings, which holds stakes in football teams around the world, including Olympique Lyonnais in France, Crystal Palace F.C. in England, RWD Molenbeek in Belgium, and Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas in Brazil.

URL : https://t.co/aKtO54491K

#RMSoccer

In French/en francais

OL GROUPE ET MICHELE KANG FORMENT UN GROUPE MONDIAL DE FOOTBALL FÉMININ Communiqué de presse conjoint (YMK Holdings et OL Groupe) Lyon (France) et Washington DC, 16 mai 2023 – OL Groupe, propriétaire de l'Olympique Lyonnais, et Michele Kang, propriétaire du Washington Spirit, annoncent aujourd'hui avoir signé un accord en vue de créer une structure mondiale de football féminin multi-équipes. Michele Kang sera l'actionnaire majoritaire et la présidente de la nouvelle structure, qui deviendra la première organisation multi-clubs de football féminin détenue et dirigée par une femme. Par une opération d’échange de titres, OL Groupe apportera son équipe féminine, et Michele Kang, par l'intermédiaire de YMK Holdings, apportera la majorité des parts du Washington Spirit pour créer une nouvelle entité indépendante. OL Groupe continuera de soutenir la nouvelle organisation par la fourniture de services, comprenant notamment, l’utilisation du Groupama Stadium, du Groupama OL Training Center, et de l'OL Academy. La nouvelle organisation a pour objectif d’acquérir des clubs supplémentaires dans d'autres pays en Europe, en Amérique et en Asie. Michele Kang rejoindra également le Conseil d'administration d’OL Groupe. « Cet accord représente une avancée majeure dans l'histoire du football professionnel féminin », déclare Michele Kang. « Il réunit la tradition inégalée de l'OL féminin, 8 fois vainqueurs de la Ligue des Champions, et le dynamisme du Washington Spirit, champion de la NWSL en 2021, pour inaugurer une nouvelle ère de notre sport. L’alignement complet sur cette vision entre le conseil d’administration d’OL Groupe et les principaux acteurs, dont Jean-Michel Aulas, John Textor et moi-même, est particulièrement fort. C'est un grand honneur pour moi de prendre en charge l’OL féminin et de piloter ce projet sans précédent, au nom des supporters, des joueuses et des staffs des deux équipes. », complète Michele Kang.

  « Au cours des 20 dernières années, OL Groupe a joué un rôle important dans le développement du football féminin. Aujourd'hui, la popularité de ce sport explose en Europe, aux États-Unis et dans le monde entier », déclare John Textor, Président-Directeur général d’OL Groupe. « Avec une tradition de la victoire, inégalée dans le monde du football féminin, l’équipe féminine de l’OL a une opportunité unique sur ce marché en pleine croissance pour construire la marque mondiale de l’Olympique Lyonnais, au bénéfice d’OL Groupe et pour nos athlètes remarquables. L'accord conclu aujourd'hui avec Michele Kang permet de créer le véhicule idéal pour atteindre cet objectif et pour assurer un avenir passionnant à l'OL féminin », poursuit John Textor. Chaque club conservera sa propre identité établie, dans le respect de son héritage et de sa communauté de supporters. Les nouveaux propriétaires continueront d'investir stratégiquement pour améliorer les infrastructures et développer la communauté de supporters de chaque club. En parallèle, des investissements significatifs seront consacrés de manière centralisée au développement de ressources partagées entre toutes les équipes du groupe, telles que la science et la technologie de la performance, l'analyse de données, le recrutement mondial, et le développement du personnel sportif. Avec la création de cette nouvelle organisation, le football féminin fait un grand pas vers l'égalité avec les équipes masculines. Il s’agit aussi d’inspirer les jeunes filles et les femmes du monde entier pour qu’elles accomplissent leurs rêves et embrassent des carrières dans le football professionnel à une échelle et un niveau de réussite professionnelle qui ne devraient pas être réservés uniquement aux hommes.

« Cette alliance représente l'espoir et la détermination, tout en montrant quel modèle commercial suivre pour façonner l'avenir du football féminin », déclare Michele Kang. Cette transaction est soumise à la réalisation de certaines conditions, notamment l'approbation de la National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) aux États-Unis et l’obtention de diverses autorisations de tiers en France. Le closing devrait avoir lieu à la fin juin 2023. OL Groupe, propriétaire de l'OL Reign, club de la NWSL, a entamé un processus formel de vente du club, éliminant ainsi tout futur conflit d’intérêts au sein de la NWSL. Au niveau du groupe OL, l'opération se traduira par l'apport par OL Association (association indépendante soumise à la loi 1901, consolidée par OL Groupe) de son activité relative au football féminin contre une participation de 12% dans la nouvelle entité commune (sans droits de vote). OL Groupe détiendra également, via OL SASU, une participation de 36% (sans droits de vote) dans la nouvelle entité commune contre l'apport d'une licence sur la marque OL pour une durée de 50 ans. OL Groupe sera représenté dans les organes de gouvernance de la nouvelle structure, et bénéficiera de certains droits de liquidité liés à une liquidité de l'actionnaire majoritaire. OL Groupe et ses filiales rendront des prestations de services à la nouvelle entité. Il est rappelé que conformément à la réglementation applicable, Eagle Football Holdings Bidco déposera une offre publique d’achat simplifiée sur le solde des titres OL Groupe, à un prix de 3 € par action et 265,57 € par OSRANE. Les éléments financiers relatifs à cette transaction entre OL Groupe et YMK Holdings et qui pourraient impacter la valorisation d’OL Groupe seront communiqués à l’expert indépendant mandaté par OL Groupe dans le cadre de l’offre publique. *** Michele Kang est une femme d'affaires, investisseuse et philanthrope américaine. Née et élevée en Corée du Sud, elle est venue aux États-Unis en tant qu'étudiante et a passé sa carrière à construire des entreprises qui défient le statu quo. Elle est lauréate du Prix Horatio Alger 2023, qui honore les Américains qui incarnent la persévérance dans leur vie personnelle et professionnelle.

  En 2022, Michele Kang est devenue propriétaire du Washington Spirit. La même année, elle a été sélectionnée par le Sports Business Journal comme étant l’une des personnalités qui comptent dans le sport féminin. En février 2023, Mme Kang est devenue actionnaire minoritaire d'Eagle Football Holdings, qui détient des participations dans des équipes de football à travers le monde, dont l’Olympique Lyonnais en France, Crystal Palace F.C. en Angleterre, RWD Molenbeek en Belgique, et Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas au Brésil.