#gold cup 2015

[suitelifeoftravel]

Little Fish Brewing Co., Athens, Ohio

While visiting family in Athens, one of my favorite breweries to visit is Little Fish Brewing Co.  Opening the summer of 2015, the owners Jimmy Stockwell and Sean White focused on their mission to create beers from Ohio-grown ingredients.  The following year, their  “Barrel-Aged Woodthrush” won the 2016 World Beer Cup Gold Medal in the Belgian- and French-style Ale category. In addition to their…

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

“The VVitch” (2015) and “Nosferatu” (2024) Are More Similar Than You Think

Robert Eggers made “The VVitch” and then thought: what if Thomasin and Black Phillip/The Devil had an demonic sexual love story going on? Time to make my own version of “Nosferatu” (the first script is from 2016).

This man is really out there making historical horror movies about ostracized women making pacts with the Devil.

“Wouldst thou like the taste of butter? A pretty dress? Wouldst thou like to live deliciously? […] Wouldst Thou Like to See the World?”

“You are not for the living. You are not for human kind. And shall you be one with me ever-eternally. Do you swear it? […] As our spirits are one, so too shall be our flesh. You are mine.”

How these films are similar:

Both Thomasin and Ellen pray for something at the beginning of the film, and the Devil answers: Thomasin asks for forgiveness and guidance, Ellen prays for companionship and tenderness;

Both Thomasin and Ellen are ostracized in connection with their womanhood and sexuality: Thomasin is growing into a woman, and Ellen has “hysteric fits” with strong sexual undertones;

The Devil (Black Phillip and Orlok) essentially kills everyone around them, until they are the only left, to force their hand into accepting him (a bit different in “Nosferatu” because it’s a remake);

Both films have a pair of children which are “foreshadowing bombs” in the narrative (Mercy and Jonas in “The VVitch” and Clara and Louise in “Nosferatu”);

In both films, the Devil offers something tempting to both these characters, which they accept: Black Philip promises freedom and knowledge, and Orlok promises eternal passion and sex;

Both pacts involve blood sacrifice and death to seal them: in “The VVitch” Thomasin kills her mother, in “Nosferatu” Ellen kills herself alongside Orlok.

Thomasin was accused of being a "witch", a “whore” and having a pact with the Devil by everyone around her, until she actually did at the end. Ellen is also seen as “deranged”, “diseased” and often compared to supernatural beings ("changeling girl", "sylph", "fairy", etc.) until she becomes just that at the end, too. They are both the Devil’s concubines.

“I’m that very witch. When I sleep my spirit slips away from my body and dances naked with the Devil. That’s how I signed his book.”

Thomasin taunts her sister, Mercy (“The VVitch”, 2015)

In another post, I already explored which demonic figures Ellen and Orlok are meant to be in this adaptation: Babalon and the Beast.

There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple [lilacs] and scarlet [blood], and was glittering with gold sunlight precious stones and pearls [sunlight]. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. The name written on her forehead was a mystery: Babylon the great, the mother of prostitutes, and of the abominations of the earth.

“Scarlet beast” = Orlok, a vampire

“blasphemous names” = names of the Devil

“Seven heads” = heptagram, the seven-pointed star (Orlok and Babalon’s sigils)

“Ten horns” = ten lilac flowers

“Golden cup” = it’s the Holy grail = womb

“Filled with abominations” = sex with Orlok, necrophilia

“Filth of her adulteries” = she’s married to Thomas before God, and she’s defiling that vow on their marriage bed

“She [Babalon] rides astride the Beast; in her left hand she holds the reins, representing the passion which unites them. In her right she holds aloft the cup, the Holy Grail aflame with love and death.”

Aleister Crowley, “The Book of Thoth”

In some occult circles, this “Beast” is the Devil himself, which makes me ask: is Orlok the Devil?

Not only he’s referred as such several times in the actual film, but also the fact he was one of the Solomonari, a dark wizard, in life, a servant and a student of the Devil. We are told “the Devil preserved his soul that his corpse may walk again in blaspheme.” So… who’s actually walking in that corpse? Orlok’s soul or the Devil? Being a servant to the Devil is being a puppet to the Devil, essentially. This is pretty much what the abbess says to Thomas: it’s the Devil that makes Orlok’s corpse walk.

In another post I already talked about how Orlok prepared his own physical death, because the book containing the “maiden’s sacrifice” was found by Von Franz in Knock’s office, his fanatical servant, which is shady to say the least. The Devil is a deceiver after all (as Ellen herself accuses him of being), so making the heroes believe they are beating him while doing exactly what he wants them to do, it’s not far fetched, and even rooted in religious belief.

Why would Orlok want to die in the physical world? Because he wants his spirit to be set free, he doesn’t want to be trapped in a freaking rotten corpse, which explains why he tells Ellen she’s “his affliction”; she’s the one who trapped in that physical form when she awoke him, probably. He wants to return to spiritual form, and wants to take Ellen with him; which explains their covenant, and their blood sacrifice at the end to seal it. And Ellen was also fully aware of what she was signing for, she knew what her physical death would mean (being forever joined with him in hell, or the Underworld or whatever “celestial sphere”), and that Orlok would die too (obviously).

[37sommz-archive]

✼. THRU SPACE 'N TIME | PROFILE.

Born in Gold Coast, Australia on December 23, 1999, Michaela Sommers was introduced to the world of motorsports from a early age. Her father, Tobias, and his younger brother, Travis Sommers, were avid Formula racing fans who idolized the likes of Senna, Schumacher, and Lauda. The motorsports bug skipped over Sommers' older sister, Samantha, before biting her at the mere age of six. By her ninth birthday, Michaela was competing in karting championships along the Australian east coast.

Despite her natural aptitude for racing, Michaela recalls facing discrimination for both her race and gender quite early on while karting. Despite the negativity that would swirl around her reputation, the young driver would win her first national championship at the age of twelve with plenty of rumors circling concerning her future in the sport. Sommers would attempt to enter her first international competition, but was barred from entry after her father lost his job in the summer of 2012.

Without much hope, Michaela would step back from racing for nearly six months before eventually deciding to join her uncle who had moved to England after his marriage just years prior. Travis then became Michaela's manager, working endlessly to ensure his niece would be able to continue climbing the karting ladder. Shortly after her move to England, her uncle would connect with Australian F1 driver Mark Webber who would travel to watch her race in a regional competition in 2013. Stunned by her potential, Webber helped the young girl to catch the attention of a racing team competing in the Ginetta Junior Championship alongside future McLaren teammate Lando Norris. Sommers' transition to racing cars would prove successful, securing a junior championship at just 14 years old.

Sommers would continue working through the ranks, receiving extensive media attention and comparisons to Lewis Hamilton as a teenager. Spending one year at the Formula 3 level, Michaela would race for British team Jagonya Ayam in 2015 finishing fifth in the championship and second in the rookie cup, both below Charles Leclerc. Her performance would catch the attention of Italian team Prema Racing who signed her to development for higher formulae alongside Pierre Gasly for the 2016 season.

Despite an average result, ending her rookie season in sixth place, Prema would resign the Australian who would be simultaneously be selected to join the Ferrari driver development program for the 2017 season. That same year, Sommers would wrap up her Formula 2 season in second place, once again behind Charles Leclerc.

Eventually, Michaela would finally secure a Formula 2 championship in 2018 while signing on as a reserve driver for Ferrari. Her official Formula One debut came after Sommers signed on to be Alfa Romeo's second-seat driver for the 2019 season, securing one-point in her debut race before finishing her rookie season in eighth place.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE BASICS.

birth name: michaela jeanette sommers alias: mickey sommers date of birth: december 23, 1999 zodiac sign: capricorn hometown: gold coast, australia ethnicity: australian & xhosa nationality: australian, south african languages: english, italian weight: 121 lbs (55 kg) height: 5'7" (169 cm) dominant hand: left family: tobias sommers, miriam sommers, samantha sommers faceclaim: tinara westbrook

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE FORMULA CAREER.

01. GINETTA JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP (2014). ✼.⠀team: jhr developments ✼.⠀number: #72 ✼.⠀teammates: alex sedgwick, dan zelos, jamie chadwick, senna proctor ✼.⠀highest race finish: 1st (x7) ✼.⠀championship standing: 1st

02. FORMULA THREE (2015). ✼.⠀team: jagonya ayam ✼.⠀number: #54 ✼.⠀teammates: gustavo menezes, ryan tveter ✼.⠀highest race finish: 1st (x1) ✼.⠀championship standing: 5th

03. GP2 SERIES (2016). ✼.⠀team: prema racing ✼.⠀number: #20 ✼.⠀teammates: pierre gasly ✼.⠀highest race finish: 1st (x3) ✼.⠀championship standing: 6th

04. FORMULA TWO (2017). ✼.⠀team: prema racing ✼.⠀number: #2 ✼.⠀teammates: charles leclerc ✼.⠀highest race finish: 1st (x5) ✼.⠀championship standing: 2nd

05. FORMULA TWO (2018). ✼.⠀team: prema racing ✼.⠀number: #3 ✼.⠀teammates: nyck de vries ✼.⠀highest race finish: 1st (x7) ✼.⠀championship standing: 1st

06. FORMULA ONE (2019). ✼.⠀team: alfa romeo racing ✼.⠀number: #37 ✼.⠀teammates: kimi raikkonen ✼.⠀highest race finish: 4th (x1) ✼.⠀championship standing: 7th

07. FORMULA ONE (2020). ✼.⠀team: alfa romeo racing ✼.⠀number: #37 ✼.⠀teammates: kimi raikkonen ✼.⠀highest race finish: 3rd (x2) ✼.⠀championship standing: 7th

08. FORMULA ONE (2021). ✼.⠀team: mclaren ✼.⠀number: #37 ✼.⠀teammates: lando norris ✼.⠀highest race finish: 1st (x1) ✼.⠀championship standing: 4th

09. FORMULA ONE (2022). ✼.⠀team: mclaren ✼.⠀number: #37 ✼.⠀teammates: lando norris ✼.⠀highest race finish: 1st (x2) ✼.⠀championship standing: 4th

10. FORMULA ONE (2023). ✼.⠀team: aston martin ✼.⠀number: #37 ✼.⠀teammates: fernando alonso ✼.⠀highest race finish: 2nd (x7) ✼.⠀championship standing: 3rd

✼. view:⠀navigation page⠀⸻⠀join the taglist⠀⸻⠀request.

[37sommz]

✼. THRU SPACE 'N TIME | PROFILE.

001.⠀⠀THE BIOGRAPHY⠀!⠀⠀. . .⠀⠀

BIRTH NAME: michaela jeanette sommers NICKNAMES: mitch, mickey DOB: dec. 23, 1999 HOMETOWN: gold coast, australia ETHNICITY: australian & xhosa NATIONALITY: australian LANGUAGES: english & italian HEIGHT: 176 cm WEIGHT: 55 kg DOMINANT HAND: left FAMILY: mother, father, older sister

Born in Gold Coast, Australia on December 23, 1999, Michaela Sommers was introduced to the world of motorsports from an early age. Her father, Tobias, and his brother, Travis, were avid Formula racing fans who idolized the likes of Senna, Schumacher, and Lauda. The motorsports bug skipped over Sommers' older sister, Courtney, before biting her at the mere age of six. By her ninth birthday, Michaela was competing in karting championships along the Australian east coast.

Despite her natural aptitude for racing, Michaela recalls facing discrimination for both her race and gender quite early on while karting, even going as far as entering under a male name to avoid arbitrary sponsorship barriers. Despite the negativity that would swirl around her reputation, the young driver would win her first national championship at the age of twelve with plenty of rumors circling concerning her future in the sport. Sommers would attempt to enter her first international competition but was forced to pull out after her father lost his job in the summer of 2012.

Without much hope, Michaela would step back from racing for nearly six months before eventually deciding to join her uncle who had moved to England after his marriage just years prior. Travis then became Michaela's manager, working endlessly to ensure his niece would be able to continue climbing the karting ladder. Shortly after her move to England, her uncle would connect with Australian F1 driver Mark Webber who would travel to watch her race in a regional competition in 2013. Stunned by her potential, Webber helped the young girl to catch the attention of a racing team competing in the Ginetta Junior Championship alongside future McLaren teammate Lando Norris. Sommers' transition to racing cars would prove successful, securing a junior championship at just 14 years old.

Sommers would continue working through the ranks, receiving extensive media attention and comparisons to Lewis Hamilton as a teenager. Spending one year at the Formula 3 level, Michaela would race for British team Jagonya Ayam in 2015 finishing fifth in the championship and second in the rookie cup, both below Charles Leclerc. Her performance would catch the attention of Italian team Prema Racing who signed her to development for higher formulae alongside Pierre Gasly for the 2016 season.

Despite an average result, ending her rookie season in sixth place, Prema would resign the Australian who would be simultaneously be selected to join the Ferrari driver development program for the 2017 season. That same year, Sommers would wrap up her Formula 2 season in second place, once again behind Charles Leclerc.

Eventually, Michaela would finally secure a Formula 2 championship in 2018 while signing on as a reserve driver for Ferrari. Her official Formula One debut came after Sommers signed on to be Alfa Romeo's second-seat driver for the 2019 season, securing two points in her debut race before finishing her rookie season in eighth place.

002.⠀⠀THE STATISTICS⠀!⠀⠀. . .⠀⠀

FORMULA ONE (2019) alfa romeo racing, #37 ✼.⠀raikonnen & sommers ✼.⠀highest finish: 4th (x1) ✼.⠀championship standing: 8th ✼.⠀95 points

FORMULA ONE (2020) alfa romeo racing orlen, #37 ✼.⠀raikonnen & sommers ✼.⠀highest finish: 3rd (x3) ✼.⠀championship standing: 7th ✼.⠀105 points

FORMULA ONE (2021) mclaren f1 team, #37 ✼.⠀norris & sommers ✼.⠀highest finish: 1st (x2) ✼.⠀championship standing: 4th ✼.⠀223 points

FORMULA ONE (2022) mclaren f1 team, #37 ✼.⠀norris & sommers ✼.⠀highest finish: 1st (x2) ✼.⠀championship standing: 4th ✼.⠀293 points

FORMULA ONE (2023) aston martin aramco cognizant f1 team, #37 ✼.⠀alonso & sommers ✼.⠀highest finish: 1st (x2) ✼.⠀championship standing: 3rd ✼.⠀284 points

FORMULA ONE (2024) aston martin aramco f1 team, #37 ✼.⠀alonso & sommers ✼.⠀highest finish: 1st (x2) ✼.⠀championship standing: 3rd ✼.⠀188 points

✼. view:⠀masterlist⠀⸻⠀join the taglist⠀⸻⠀request.

[arsenal-womens-1]

Until the end of time

You and Leah have been together for about six years. Today is your wedding day. You have been engaged for around two years now. You remember seeing Leah for the first time—she was nervous. It was a big game: Arsenal vs. Chelsea. It was your first time going to a game, and you had never heard about women's football until you saw the 2015 World Cup. You had been switching through channels when Japan vs. England filled your screen. Ever since then, you have followed women's football. The next day, you found out that there was an Arsenal women's team. You had grown up watching the men play.

It was April 16th when you first met. Though Arsenal may have lost 2-0, you gained much more than you expected. It was the end of the game, and the girls were going around taking pictures and stuff like that when a 5'6" blonde-haired, blue-gray-eyed girl came up to you with a shy smile. She asked you if you had enjoyed the game. You spent a good 20 minutes talking, and by the end, she had asked for your number. If you had known that day how important she would be, you would have texted her back that day, not two days later.

You and Leah had stayed up on more than one occasion planning this wedding before you were even engaged. Everything was how you both imagined. You hadn't got to see what she was wearing, and she hasn't seen yours. But all you know, and she knows, is that you are wearing a white dress and she an emerald green suit. From the start, you knew when you got married that she was going to be wearing a suit. That was one thing she was adamant about, and you were okay with that as long as you got married. You had picked the dress of your dreams, the one that you had always dreamt of.

The bridesmaids' dresses were perfect. One set was going to be in emerald, and the other in a champagne pink. They were the same dress, just in different colors. The venue was probably the hardest part of it all. You had looked at around ten different ones, and by the end, you had two that you both loved. You had one, and Leah had one also. In the end, you flipped a coin on which one to pick. It landed on the one Leah liked, which you admit was nice. It has grown on you in the last nine months. You both decided that there wasn't going to be arranged seating apart from the first row. In the first row were going to be her mom, her dad, and her brother, who was a bridesman standing with her. On your side, you have your mom, dad, one of your sisters, and brother, with two reserved seats. One was for your granny, who passed in 2021, and the other for your nana, who passed not long ago.

There are a few other reserved seats in both front rows. There are meant to be just under 300 people attending, mostly footballers. With you and Leah knowing a lot of people, you had to cut it off at 300, or there would be around 650 people here. You had gotten to know a lot of footballers through Leah and a lot from your work. You had worked with 12 different teams in seven different countries, so it's definitely safe to say you know a lot of people.

It's 12:56, and you have to be ready to walk down the aisle at 2 PM, so you have to start getting ready. You don't really have much to do other than get your makeup done and put the dress on. You decided to just get light makeup and not much done with your hair. The thing that was going in your hair was the same thing Leah's mom wore for her wedding. You are wearing a new pair of white heels, and you might have, or might not have, borrowed one of Leah's bracelets. It was a gold bracelet with blue gems; it's beautiful.

Around one hour later, you were ready to walk down the aisle. Leah had already walked. You know it's your time when Lana Del Rey's "Young and Beautiful" starts playing.

[leveloneandup]

USWNT great Tobin Heath not ruling out return after 2 years out

U.S. women's national team great Tobin Heath said she is not ruling out a return to the field almost two years after she last played a competitive game.

Heath, 36, has a cartilage issue that has required two surgeries since her last appearance with the Seattle Reign in 2022. The last of her 181 outings with the USWNT came in October 2021.

"I haven't been public about it, but I can say that I have been actively healing and trying to get back to the football pitch," she told The Associated Press. "I haven't ruled it out, to say the least. But I am definitely in my own recovery journey."

Heath, widely regarded as one of the most gifted players of her generation, scored 36 goals and added 41 assists for the USWNT after making her debut in 2008. She was a part of the World Cup-winning rosters in 2015 and 2019, scoring in the 2015 final win over Japan. Heath also helped the U.S. win Olympic gold in 2008 and 2012.

In her time away from the field, Heath launched a podcast series with former USWNT teammate and fellow long-term injury victim Christen Press.

Press hasn't played since tearing her ACL with Angel City in 2022 and subsequently undergoing four surgeries.

The 35-year-old, who has played in 155 matches with 64 goals for the United States, returned to training with Angel City this month two years to the day since her last game.

Neither player will be involved when the U.S. looks to win another Olympic gold in Paris this summer, though Heath said she was looking forward to seeing what the United States can accomplish under new coach Emma Hayes.

"I think for the first time in in a few years, there's a lot of excitement and hope around this team that felt a little bit like they were a little untethered, you know? I think with Emma being this kind of leader figure that this young group needs, it's an exciting time and we can all be very hopeful," Heath said.

"And with an Olympics, that is always a funny tournament in itself, I think anything's possible."

[sunsetkerr]

STAYING DOWN | s.kerr

summary: you and sam kerr are on-pitch rivals, but when you're teammate hurts sam during a game, you're the first one on the ground with her (or.. 4 times you watched sam hurt on the ground, +1 time you helped her up) [1.8k words]

pairing: on-pitch rival!reader x sam kerr

notes: I love this one a lot..

(1) 2015, FIFA Women’s World Cup - Group Stage

“did you like that one, l/n?” god, you thought. she’s insufferable. you watched as she celebrated with her team, green and gold flooded the box. it was no secret that you couldn’t stand sam kerr. the whole world knew practically, and watching her celebrate a goal whilst looking directly at you just made you hate her even more.

“piss off” you shook your head as she jogged pass you to reset play. 

“oooh” she chuckled at you, her smirk only growing, “feisty today, are we?”

commentator voiceover JP DELLACAMERA: ooh, we can see on-pitch rivals y/n l/n and sam kerr having a few words with each other after l/n just scored her goal

JACQUI OATLEY: i think they’re constantly having words if i’m honest

JP DELLACAMERA: it seems that way, doesn’t it? Kerr and l/n are one of the most interesting pairs to see on the pitch in my opinion

JACQUI OATLEY: no i completely agree, i love seeing how they egg each other on; very entertaining

JP DELLACAMERA: seeing them play each other at arsenal and chelsea, but then seeing them on a national level is just great football

JACQUI OATLEY: it’s funny to me, both great goal scorers, but they somehow always find a way to be next to each other on the pitch

JP DELLACAMERA: sweden taking a corner now… and rubensson sends it into the box and y/n l/n headers it into goal!

JACQUI OATLEY: phenomenal work from the young swede

you threw your hands in the air as sofia lifted you up. you turned around to see sam, on the ground, knocked down from the commotion in the box, with a frown etched on her face. you grinned down at her with a chuckle and shouted, “that was for you, kerr!”.

(2) 2016, WSL Season Chelsea vs Arsenal

commentator voiceover IZZY CHRISTIANSE: and sam kerr scores her third goal against arsenal! and it’s a hat-trick for sam kerr!

PIEN MEULENSTEEN: ooh! and she’s collided just outside the goals with arsenal player, y/n l/n IZZY CHRISTIANSE: looks like they hit each other pretty hard at the hips there.. kerr and l/n are both down

you groaned clutching at your hip bone. “will you watch where you’re going!” you looked over at who banged into you, of course it was her.

“you right?” she winced, holding onto her own hip.

“no thanks to you” you spat at her.

sam threw her head back in pain, “oh fuck” she hissed. you heard someone come up behind you/

“you okay, y/n?” they wrapped their arms underneath your armpits and pulled you up. it was caitlin. you were thankful to be back up on your feet, you muttered a quick thank you whilst you rubbed at your hip. “sam?” she asked her matildas teammate. caitlin always tried to be a neutral force when it came to you both, the two of you too strong willed not to butt-heads on the pitch.

“i’m good” she nodded, still groaning.

“i’ll get the trainers” catilin said before flagging over the chelsea trainers, who were already on their way out.

“come on,” caitlin patted you on the back before walking back to the centre with you. you rolled your eyes, hearing sam groan behind you. she crashed into you, and she’s complaining? figures.

(3) 2017, Algarve Cup Group Stage

you and sam were both gunning for the ball. she was behind you, trying to get the ball out from underneath you. you tried your best to hold it, but didn’t have to try for much longer as sam fell to the ground clutching her ankle. “fuck, fuck, fuck” she winced. 

you turned around, holding on the ball under your foot. you contemplated helping her up, making sure she was alright. 

“y/n!” but your teammate, lotta, was shouting at you as she had set up her position. “run down!” she shouted to you. you got the ball moving again, shaking off steph catley, ignoring sam’s cries in the background.

commentator voiceover JACQUI OATLEY: looks like y/n was a little concerned for sam kerr there

JP DELLACAMERA: that’s a surprise to me

JACQUI OATLEY: l/n crosses the ball in to schelin and it’s a goal!

JP DELLACAMERA: great assist from l/n there JACQUI OATLEY: and even better shooting from schelin

JP DELLACAMERA: a great duo those two

(4) 2022, Sweden vs Australia Women's Friendlies

“that’s two, y/n” caitlin grinned at you as she came off the high from her second goal of the game. 

you chuckled and shook your head, trying to suppress your grin. “shut up caitlin, you’re a show-off” you laughed. you weren’t too fired up this game. your team hadn’t managed to score yet, but the matildas were playing better than you- they deserved to win the friendly.

“and i love every second of it” she grinned.

“i’ve got next caitlin” her voice came out of nowhere, but once you saw her your mood was ruined. sam was jogging past you both with a big grin on her face.

“yeah, sure” you scoffed, heading back to your side of the pitch. it took sam only five minutes of play to score. 

“that was for you!” she sang to you, running straight past where you watched her score. you rolled your eyes, your friendly spirit that had been present in this game was officially ruined.

commentator voiceover JACQUI OATLEY: and kerr has scored on chelsea teammate zećira mušović, getting the matildas third goal for the game, with Sweden still sitting at zero. ooh, kerr has stopped celebrating. she looks to be a little bit of pain. 

JP DELLACAMERA: she’s had a few troubles with her calf, hopefully it’s nothing”

“you good?” you watched as sam limped back to her position as the game reset. 

“agh, shit” she hissed through her teeth, “my calf has been playing up” she admitted, giving it a quick rub.

“do you need a trainer?” you asked her. you stammered before adding, “y-you’re taking up my space on the pitch”.

“nah, no” sam sighed, shaking her hands as she stood up straight again, “just give me a second”.

“are you sure?” you asked

sam raised her eyebrows at you before taking a deep breath, “careful, l/n.. kinda sounds like you care”

“you’re on my half of the pitch” you almost erupted at her accusation, “get moving” you shooed her away.

(+1) 2023, FIFA Women’s World Cup Bronze Medal Match

it was the seventy-fifth minute when you watched her go down. magdelena’s tackle was brutal, you waited for the whistle to sound, but it never came. game resumed play and mags was off running with the ball as sam was on the ground clutching her calf in pain.

you jogged over to her, “are you okay?” you asked.

“fuck!” she cried, panting through the pain. 

“stop time!” you turned around and called down to the referee, but she just ignored you and continued watching play. “hey!” you called again.

“holy shit,” sam put her head on the ground, still holding her leg close.

you looked around for help, and saw the matilda’s physio running out onto the pitch to see sam. “the physio is coming” you told her, “hold on a second”.

“hey! call time!” you screamed down the pitch again, “fucking hell, she’s hurt!” 

“hey,” you watched as z held onto the ball in the box, stopping play herself. the referee finally officially stopped play and began to walk down towards yourself and sam. “she’s been down for at least a minute, you are supposed to stop play!” you shouted, “what kinda refereeing is that? bullshit”

you stayed close while the physios tried to get sam onto her feet. you knew she had just come back from injury, she was doing too much. sure, you didn’t like her. but you couldn’t help but feel inclined to make sure she was alright.

and for some obsurd reason, the feeling was still there even after the final whistle blew and you had won a bronze medal.

you found sam sitting on the pitch, her head in her hands. you hesitated before crouching down next to her, “i’m sorry about the loss” you said, holding your hand out for her.

sam looked defeated as she saw who it was, “you deserved to win” she sighed, shaking your hand.

“you did lots of great work for football sam” you admitted. you took a deep breath before continuing, “is your calf okay?”.

“it’ll be fine” she nodded. you noticed the tears in her eyes, “thanks” she whispered.

“good game” you said, before standing up and heading off.

sam sighed, “you too”.

alanna headed over to check on her captain, just having watched the exchange between you and sam. “what did she want?” your rivalry was no secret, everyone knew that you both weren’t opposed to having words after a tough game.

“to see if i was okay” sam’s tone whilst still defeated, had a hint of surprise buried beneath it.

“yeah alright” alanna scoffed, holding out her hand to help sam onto her feet, “comes over to you after we’ve lost, sounds about right”

the night had wound down for the matildas. sure, they had an afterparty to go to, but there were lots of tired girls walking the ground.

“i’m gonna sleep on the bus before we have to go out” sam chuckled, zipping up her puffer jacket. “i’m ready to party” macca chuckled, giving sam a little nudge.

“it’s a constant emotion for her” alanna laughed.

“shut up, i-“ mackenzie was cut off, your voice peaking the trio’s interest. they saw you over by the sweden bus, particularly close to your teammate, a sour look on your face.

“what the hell what that about?” you asked. “what do you mean?” mags chuckled.

your eyes widened in shock, “i mean what you did to her was totally illegal”.

“it’s football, y/n” she said simply, trying to walk onto the bus.

“that is not football and you know it” you stopped her in her tracks, continuing your conversation. “we were already up, you didn’t have to do that” you said.

“sam is a tough girl, she’ll be fine” magda didn’t seem particularly remorseful, especially not after injuring her own teammate at chelsea. “you know she just came back from injury, going after her calf like that is just not alright” you shook your head at her

“i didn’t ‘go after’ her calf-“

you cut her off, “could’ve fooled me” you laughed.

“you know what, y/n-”

“girls that’s enough!” your coach cut you both off, “we just won a bronze medal, care to cool off a little bit” she raised her voice at you both.

“don’t play dirty,” you finished, pushing past her to get onto the bus.

“rich coming from you” she said, “last season you hated her, what’s changed?”.

you paused before answering, “nothing.. i just prefer to play by the rules” you lied.

“what the fuck?” alanna whispered, shocked by your change in demeanour.

“that was.. strangely nice of her?” macca looked to sam.

“i know” sam furrowed her brows, “what the hell”

“a change of heart maybe?” alanna chuckled jokingly.

“who knows” sam shrugged. maybe you two could get along after all.

[fascinatingmale]

Matty Lee

British diver and Olympic Gold Medallist won Gold in 2015 at the European Games and  the 2017 European Diving Championships. Matty and Tom Daley won Bronze and Gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

At the 2021 FINA Diving World Cup in Japan, Matty and Tom Daley won Gold in the synchronized 10m Platform.

Matty was appointed an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2022 for his service in diving.

[discokicks]

series masterlist! AO3!

EXTRA, EXTRA! - ROY KENT.

PROLOGUE OF ACES AT THE WATER'S EDGE,

author's note: fun little article intro bc retrospective context is so lovely. and it gave me an excuse to graphic design is my passion this fic. let's pretend this was always a part of the masterlist, okay? love ya -mags

AFC Football Club West Ham just made the shocking announcement that they will be no longer working with their newly acquired, American assistant coach.

The Coach, affectionately nicknamed "Mean Fourteen" due to her record-breaking performance that led the United States to win the Women's World Cup in 2015, made history just three months ago, being the first woman to ever join an AFC coaching staff. Now, before the season even begins, it appears we'll no longer be seeing her on the sidelines.

West Ham did not detail the circumstances of this departure, citing only "unfortunate leadership differences" in their press release to the public this morning.

This comes directly from West Ham Chairman Rupert Manion, who released a statement on behalf of the Club.

"We are deeply saddened to announce that we have parted ways with our new assistant Coach," said Manion. "This was [. . .] an amicable decision reached by both parties. Despite her only being with us for three months, her contributions to the team were invaluable. While we are still reeling from this loss of talent, we have full confidence in the abilities of our coaching staff, led by the Wonder Kid himself, Nathan Shelley. We look forward to seeing their hard work, as well as the team's, pay off going into this exciting season."

This has come as a surprise to all, as Fourteen's positive reputation as both a teammate and a coach has proceeded her thus far, and made her a prime candidate for breaking into the Men's League.

"It's what made me so excited about her," said West Ham star and Captain Tom MacDonald when asked about his former Coach's legacy. "Not many people can do what she did as both a player and a coach. It's a shame she won't be around. I'll miss seeing her every day, but I suppose everything happens for a reason."

Fourteen, who left her mark on Women's Football as an integral part of USA's gold-medal win at the 2012 London Olympics and the notable, and memorable star of the 2015 Women's World Cup, also managed to coach her NCAA Division I team to four victory titles within the span of six years.

With such an impressive resume, it's left football fans scratching their heads as to what "leadership differences" could have been at play here, especially with just under two weeks to go before the regular season starts.

The Standard has attempted to reach out to Fourteen and her representatives for a comment, but they have not responded at this time.

This is breaking news, and we will be updating this story as we learn more information.

[sons-from-adam]

Dustin Lance Black (born 1974)[1] is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and LGBT rights activist.

Tom Daley, born 1994 - OBE (Order of the British Empire)

Tom is a British diver and television personality. Specializing in multiple events, he is an Olympic gold medallist in the men’s synchronized ten-meter platform event at the 2020 Olympics and double world champion in the FINA ten-meter platform event, winning in 2009 at the age of fifteen, and again in 2017. He is an Olympic bronze medallist in the 2012 platform event, the 2016 synchronized event, and the 2020 platform event, making him the first British diver to win four Olympic medals. Daley also competes in team events, winning the inaugural mixed team World title in 2015. He is a 5-time European champion and a 4-time Commonwealth champion.

On 2 December 2013, Tom released a YouTube video announcing that he had been in a relationship with a man since early that year. He said speaking out about his private life had been a tough decision. Still, he had never felt love, which happened quickly when he met his husband, American film screenwriter, director and producer Dustin Lance Black.

One of the world’s most prominent out gay athletes, Tom is set to make his fifth Olympic appearance his summer at the Games in Paris.

His partner for this year has been named as Noah Williams, who competed with Daley for the first time at the British National Diving Cup, where the pair won gold in March.

Congratulations has been granted by Mark England to Tom who becomes the first British diver to compete at five Olympic Games.

Daley’s return to the Olympics is likely to be his last after the diver said he wanted to return one final time so his son could see him compete.

[womanwithahotdogstand]

1995 World Cup Quarterfinals USA 4, Japan 0.

2004 Olympic Quarterfinals USA 2, Japan 1.

2008 Olympic Semifinal USA 4, Japan 2.

2011 World Cup Final Japan 2 (3), USA 2 (1).

2012 Olympic Gold Medal Game USA 2, Japan 1.

2015 World Cup Final USA 5, Japan 2.

[crosbyism]

Next Generation’s Best | Five

An essay on generational talents, gender, and the NHL in six parts.

<Previous | Masterpost

Part Five: Curtain Call

Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming out to see our show tonight! Before the final act, let's get all our lovely generational talents so far up onto the stage. For your entertainment, here they are: the seductive Spanish Russian, the meek princess, the hard-working hot fat-lipped nerd, the Diva, the gold-digger, the slut, and last but certainly not least: the virgin! Flanked by our wonderful dashing gentlemen Mr. Hockey and Le Magnifique, they are your: National Hussy League!

—

Okay, so I’ll spell it out: skill is soft. Not fighting is soft. Being short and slight is soft. Being a foreigner is soft. Not growing a beard is soft. Soft means whatever slur-du-jour you want it to mean, but in the end it mostly means: like a girl, where like a girl means: bad. Worse. Lacking. Weak. 

This all started because I kept seeing the phrase: "the first male hockey player to suffer from misogyny". But trying to figure out which man’s had misogyny wielded against them—and making a competition out of it— is pointless. Truly, there's almost no man that hasn't. Misogyny is ubiquitous in society, and even all-male sports leagues aren't exempt from that. It might be the virgin-whore dichotomy, it might be putting them up on a pedestal, it might be an objectifying kind of sexualisation.

It’s all forcefully stamped pink. In the way pink means: "ew, it’s pink".

2015

Connor McDavid’s biggest crime wasn’t going to the Oilers. It was going there about 35 years after Gretzky.

35 years is the exact span of time for no one to be left who really, properly remembers. That Wayne was small and slow and slight. That he looked like a girl. There’s only statues and banners left now, and even Zdeno Chara looks small next to those. Wayne Gretzky does, too.

Connor McDavid is the fastest player in the league. He’s tall. He started being able to grow a full beard before he hit 25. He's the physical ideal. Everyone in the league’s afraid of playing him. For some reason, he just can’t win a Cup or make it out of Gretzky’s shadow.

I wonder if he’s met Eric Lindros.

—

Auston Matthews isn’t just tall, he’s big. Wears a mustache and has the type of receding masculine hairline that makes reporters leave out words like soft or elegant.

They use words they used for Alex Ovechkin, instead. Big, flashy, loud. Times have trucked along, so he’s barely not getting slut-shamed. But they really, really want to call him Papi for some reason.

—

Everyone keeps wanting Nathan MacKinnon to be someone else. He just isn’t, so they can’t figure out what to do with him. He’s not small, he’s not frail, he’s got a remarkably broken nose, he’s fast, he’s skilled. He’s truly an all-rounder. He had a sophomore slump, and that was his second biggest crime; being a normal young adult man, by which I mean: a failure.

The biggest was making himself eligible for a Lady Byng in 2017. Why would they hand out the Hart to anyone who can’t rack up a respectable amount of penalty minutes like a real man?

—

Some days it seems like Leon Draisaitl went to the Evgeni Malkin school for alternate captains. A little more blunt, owed either to his inherent Germanness or the fact that it’s easier to afford to be, these days. Their professional personalities are mostly where the similarities end. They’re still the two NHL players most likely to be called “bitchy”.

—

Funnily enough, I don’t think it’s ever occurred to Mitch Marner how much he has in common with Sidney Crosby. I wonder if it’s occurred to Sid to commiserate.

To be fair, it’s been a long time since either of them were rookies getting crushed under the vicious, jealous pressure of older, bigger men in positions of authority. I suppose being the focus of derogatory media frenzies is still up for grabs as a topic of conversation.

Then again, I’d wager they’d probably both prefer to use the opportunity to talk about dogs instead.

2024

The Olympics, by their original definitions in ancient Greece, only allowed men to compete in sporting events. Women have been allowed to participate since the second iteration of the modern Olympics in 1900. For years, very few disciplines were offered, and few women participated. 

In 2020, women were allowed to bear their countries' flags along with men for the first time. This year, 2024, was the first year there was almost full gender parity, meaning almost every discipline was offered in the same format for both men and women, and there was almost an equal amount of athletes in both genders participating. 

—

The Battle of the Sexes was the title given to a significant sporting event in the mid-twentieth century in tennis that broke the barrier for tennis to develop a mixed-gender discipline. 

There was a huge movement around that time and afterwards to end gender segregation and allow women in men's leagues. The idea was to create true best-on-best tournaments and also to give women access to better pay and worker's rights in those leagues. Somehow, tennis is the only sport where it really stuck. 

Chess is still a gender-segregated sport.

—

The inaugural season of a professional women’s ice hockey league has happened at least four times. The most recent was last season's inaugural PWHL season. 

The season openers for their second season are this Saturday. I recommend giving them a watch; the world's best ice hockey player plays for the Montréal Victoire. Her name is Marie-Philip Poulin.

<Previous | Masterpost

[devilsupdates]

Update on trade

Again this is coming from ESPN and the Devils app

We got a goalie!!!!

The New Jersey Devils announced today that the team has acquired goaltender Jake Allen from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for New Jersey’s conditional third-round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft. Montreal will retain 50% of Allen’s salary both this year and in 2024-25, the last year of his contract. The announcement was made by President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald.

The conditions on the pick are as follows: if Allen plays in 40 regular-season games in the 2024-25 season and his club qualifies for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the 2025 third-round pick becomes New Jersey’s 2025 second-round selection.

Allen, 33, joins New Jersey after spending the last four seasons with Montreal. The 6’2”, 195lbs. goaltender recorded a 41-68-15 career record with the Canadiens, while also earning three shutouts and a 3.30 goals-against average (GAA). Allen posted 6-12-3 record in 21 games this season for Montreal and owns a 6-1-0 career record playing at Prudential Center.

Before Allen was traded to Montreal on Sept. 2, 2020, he played in parts of eight seasons with the St. Louis Blues from 2011-12 to 2019-20. Allen earned 148 career wins with St. Louis, which ranks second all-time for Blues franchise history. The Fredericton, New Brunswick native logged his first career regular season start on Feb. 13, 2013, in a 4-3 win at Detroit. He recorded a career-high 33 wins in 2016-17 with St. Louis and earned a career-high six shutouts in 2015-16.

The veteran netminder also carries Stanley Cup Playoff experience, after playing in six postseasons with St. Louis, and was a member of their 2019 Stanley Cup championship team. Allen has played in 29 career postseason contests and owns an 11-12 overall record with a 2.06 GAA.

Born on Aug.7, 1990, St. Louis selected Allen in the second round, 34th overall, in the 2008 NHL Draft. He also represented Canada on the international stage at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) U18 World Junior Championship (WJC) in 2007-08 and 2009-10. Allen helped Canada win a Gold Medal in 2008 and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. He also earned a Silver Medal with Canada at the 2010 WJC.

[toasttt11]

august crosby

August Catherine Crosby

Number: 7

Season: Eighth

Position: C

Height: 5”6

Hometown: Halifax, Nova Scotia

S/C: R

NHL: VGK

Prev Team: PIT

NHL

• Selected First overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2016 NHL Draft.

• Traded to the Vegas Knights for the 2017-2018 season.

International

Team Canada

•2023 World Championship- Gold Medal, 9 G, 8 A, 10 GP.

•2021 World Championship- Gold Medal, 9 G, 9 A, 7 GP

•2016 World Championship- Gold, 10 G, 8 A, 7 GP

•2016 World Junior Championship- Gold, 9 G, 9 A, 7 GP

•2015 World Junior Championship-Gold, 8 G, 9 A, 7 GP

•2014 World U-18 Hockey Challenge- Gold Medal, 7 G, 7 A, 7 GP

•2013 World U-17 Hockey Challenge- Gold Medal, 9 G, 8 A, 6 GP

Eighth Season (2023-2024)

Vegas Knights

42 G, 40 A, 82 P, 50 GP

Signed a 75 million dollar contract for 8 years and five million dollar signing bonus.

Captain.

Seventh Season (2022-2023)

Vegas Knights

58 G, 80 A, 135 P, 81 GP

Received King Clancy Memorial Trophy

Received Hart Memorial Trophy.

Received Art Ross Trophy.

Received Conn Smythe Trophy.

Stanley Cup.

Captain.

Sixth Season (2021-2022)

Vegas Knights

52 G, 77 A, 127 P, 80 GP

Received Hart Memorial Trophy.

Received Art Ross Trophy.

Captain

Fifth Season (2020-2021)

Vegas Knights

50 G, 75 A, 125 P, 75 GP

Received Hart Memorial Trophy.

Received Art Ross Trophy.

Received Ted Lindsay Award.

Alternative Captain

Fourth Season (2019-2020)

Vegas Knights

25 G, 30 A, 55 P, 40 GP

Received NHL Plus-Minus Trophy

Captain

Third Season (2018-2019)

Vegas Knights

48 G, 66 A, 113 P, 79 GP

Received Ted Lindsay Award.

Received Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

Signed a six year contract for 50 million and three million signing bonus.

Captian.

Second Season (2017-2018)

Vegas Knights

42 G, 65 A, 107 P, 78 GP

Received Ted Lindsay Award.

Received Hart Memorial Trophy.

Received Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

Alternate Captain.

Rookie Season (2016-2017)

Pittsburgh Penguins

39 G, 63 A, 102 P, 75 GP

Received the Rookie of the Year award.

Received Art Ross Trophy.

Received Conn Smythe Trophy.

Received Hart Memorial Trophy.

Signed a Contract for 9 Million dollars for two years and a 1 million dollar signing bonus.

Won a Stanley cup.

OHL

Third Season 2015-2016

85 G, 120 A, 205 P, 75 Gp

Captain.

Won OHL Championship.

Draft Year.

Second Season 2014-2015

70 G, 107 A, 177 P, 68 GP

Alternative Captain.

Rookie Season (2013-2014)

56 G, 110 A, 166 P, 68 GP

First player to ever get exceptional Status and joined a year earlier.

Personal

Born September 14, 1998

Daughter of Troy and Tina Crosby

Has two siblings Sidney and Taylor

[importantwomensbirthdays]

Maëlle Ricker

Maëlle Ricker was born in 1978 in North Vancouver, British Columbia. Ricker's competitive snowboarding career spanned two decades. In 1998, she won her first FIS World Cup gold medal and competed at her first Olympics. The following year, she won gold at the X Games. She was unable to compete at the Salt Lake City games due to an injury. Ricker returned to the Olympics in 2006, where she had a serious crash during the snowcross event and narrowly missed a medal. By the time the Winter Olympics came to her home country, Ricker had accumulated 14 career victories and more than 30 podium finishes. At the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, she won the gold medal in boardercross. In 2013, Ricker won her first World Championship title. In 2015, she announced her retirement from competition.

[paranasloc]

Small rant about the Olympics specifically table tennis in the Olympics below please skip if not interested

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I very seldom post about sports on here but I simply wish to express myself right now. I’ve been a casual table tennis fan since 2017 maybe, earliest 2016, because I remember the first ever table tennis video I watched and the match happened in 2015. Anyway I’m not anything close to being a pro like I don’t even play at all and actually I would say I know very little about how the game works, because again the keyword here is casual, like very very casual. I just like to watch it for fun, I’ve never taken the time to learn about it. But this has never stopped me from getting excited over the matches. Stupidity runs deep in me and a lot of what I’m about to say probably won’t make sense and there might even be a bit of misinformation not to mention I’m a bit sleep deprived so feel free to SKIP please, this is just me feeling things

I really think they should’ve sent ma long for men’s singles. I’m not very familiar with wang chuqin’s play but at least from what I’ve seen, I don’t think he’s the better player. I don’t have any kind of evidence to provide in objective terms, this is just me basing it off of my own intuition and the clips that I’ve seen from the two of them. Ma long strikes me as being much more stable, and obviously much more experienced. He has been playing for much longer after all and his track record is no joke. My brother who plays table tennis agreed that losing your main racket will surely affect your play, but regardless, I feel like if it had been ma long in that position he still would’ve won. Maybe getting his main racket broken affected him mentally too. But again, regardless of this, that’s your job as an athlete. You should be able to prepare yourself physically and mentally. Also, back in Beijing 2008 something similar happened to zhang yining and she still won gold, with her opponent being very tough as well, so. Probably not a very good excuse. But congratulations to him still for winning mixed doubles, and kudos for denying that excuse too in his interview.

On the other hand something made me a bit emotional during fan zhendong vs harimoto. From what I can remember harimoto’s parents are quite soft spoken people, but during the match I saw at one point his dad shouted with his hands on either side of his mouth in order to cheer for him, and then somewhere towards the end of the match his dad was doing something with his hands, like offering a bit of coaching or support, I actually don’t know what he was doing at the time but he seemed truly excited and proud, and that was quite moving for me. World championships are held every two years and world cups every year, but the Olympics only every four years and for a parent, to be able to watch their child not only participate in it but also go above and beyond in performance, it must be an indescribable experience. Even the rest of the Japanese team were cheering for him so passionately. It’s just like how the father of the 58 year old Zeng zhiying stayed up all night just to watch her match. I felt emotional too when she talked about how her 92 year old father watched her compete, with the Olympic dream having been in their hearts for decades. What an inspiration. Anyway regardless of the results I think the majority of people would probably agree that fan zhendong vs harimoto should’ve been and was pretty much the finals. It was very intense for both sides, one being that harimoto and his family have always been branded by some people as traitors because of their immigrant status and again because of the same status it probably isn’t a reach to say as a bit of an alien for some Japanese people. So the Olympics gold is a huge, huge deal for him and his family because it’s a way to even further “show” their loyalty I suppose, but also to prove to the ones that call them traitors that they are at least better off now than they were before. On the other side we have fan zhendong who ABSOLUTELY CANNOT lose, because he’s the only one left in the running for gold in his team. To have wang chuqin get dropped so early and then in the next moment have to prepare to meet harimoto must have been wild. The pressure must have been extreme, probably almost tangible even. I know he’s an incredibly skilled and accomplished athlete but I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Nevertheless it was an amazing match. I think harimoto might have choked towards the end, because in the sixth set with him having won three sets already he lost, and then in the last set he was up by 1 point 7-6 and lost five points in a row and so ultimately lost the match. The both of them are beasts though and arguably the best male players in singles. I’m happy that fan zhendong won, because after that he won 4-0 over Felix and now he’s off to the finals to face truls who won over wang chuqin. I’m not familiar with truls’ play, but we are talking about fan zhendong here. And just for the sake of getting a bit of reference I looked up his match against fan zhendong back in the 2021 world championships and he lost 4-0 so, even if he really has had some kind of power up or whatever, I’m still not too worried. Mainly I’ve read his recent statements/interviews and he seems a bit arrogant if I’m being completely honest, so I personally would find it satisfying to see him be humbled in the finals. Also, I’m not familiar with Hugo calderano’s play either, but I saw he lost the first set against truls even though he was up by 6 points 10-4, and I agree he probably choked. Not to discredit truls, he’s obviously playing at a high level as well or he wouldn’t have been selected for singles to represent Sweden, but choking is real. Calderano lost to himself, and truls arguably also had the better coach. Speaking of coaches, I was also surprised that they sent a Chinese coach to accompany harimoto. This is the Olympics, and they’re representing Japan. Given the history between the two countries it’s probably a bit of a sensitive situation, to say the least.

I haven’t had the time to check out the women’s yet but I will soon enough. Also I don’t know if I’m just biased but I didn’t think they’d send miu hirano for singles. For some time now I’ve always been under the impression that mima ito and even harimoto miwa are better than her. Again, casual fan here. I can’t emphasize this enough. I probably just haven’t seen enough of their matches. I’m excited for the teams events though.