#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).

[88wn]

Count your blessings, not your flaws. sidney crosby + king by lauren aquilina

first time doing one of these hihi but i thought the chorus to the song king by lauren aquilina fit quite well on the narrative of what sid has been facing during the face-offs ! here's to hoping for a win to team canada (:

update feb 21st: congratulations canada and best of all, you did become king again sidney. so very proud of you <3 (:

nhl 4 nations face-off - canada v finland // nbc sports: ''u.s beats canada after 4 nations face-off fights, ends sidney crosby's 26-game streak'' nick zaccardi, 2025 // ice hockey - men's gold medal game (getty images, 2010) - canada v russia - 2015 iihf ice hockey world championship (getty images, 2015) - world cup of hockey 2016 final (getty images, 2016) // the times of india: ''sidney crosby's viral videos have fans losing their minds after team canada defeats team finland and reaches the final'' toi sports desk, 2025 // nhl.com: ''crosby, mcdavid, mackinnon pave canada's road to 4 nations final against united states'' mike zeisberger, 2025 // essentiallysports: ''not just canada, sidney crosby loses major streak after usa loss'' fatima, 2025 // mndamico + thegistca on twt // nhl 4 nations face-off - canada v finland (getty images, 2025) // ny times: the atheltic: ''sidney crosby is passing a torch that will benefit team canada for years'' arpon basu, 2025 // nhl 4 nations face-off - united states v canada (getty images, 2025)

[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.

[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.

[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.

[alexbkrieger13]

Some more about the potential 10th league win from danish media.

https://www.dr.dk/sporten/fodbold/kvindelandsholdet/harder-faar-holdkammerat-til-ryste-paa-hovedet-og-hende-selv-til

Harder makes teammate shake his head - and himself laugh

The Danish striker is on his way to winning his 10th championship in a row.

Today at 11:29

https://www.dr.dk/sporten/fodbold/kvindelandsholdet/harder-faar-teamkammerat-til-ryste-paa-hovedet-og-hende-selv-til

There was room for both laughter and shaking of the head during the bus ride.

Because Pernille Harder would have to use both hands to count the number of championships won in the past decade. Is she quickly heading towards number nine or ten?

- I probably thought it was the tenth title I could win. It's special, and I really want to win that title, because it's pretty cool to be able to say that you've won ten championships in a row, says Pernille Harder and laughs.

Yes, it's good enough. If the national team captain - who will most likely be in the squad when Denmark takes on Italy in the Nations League tonight - wins the German championship with her club Bayern Munich, she will have won 10 national titles in a row.

The 32-year-old striker has not played a season since 2015 without finishing in first place with each of his four clubs, Swedish Linköping, German Wolfsburg, English Chelsea and Bayern Munich in Germany.

And that kind of thing earns respect from national team colleagues like Signe Bruun.

- I shake my head. Has anyone ever done that before? It's completely crazy. She has won the championships with four different teams, and that says something about her abilities as a football player and leader. She is incredibly impressive, says Signe Bruun.

Below you can see and hear Pernille Harder explain her success:

However, the 32-year-old attacking star has never had difficulty getting fired up for himself.

She has a clear recipe for how to go about winning title after title after title after title.

- It's a winning mentality and a feeling that it (winning titles, ed.) is normal. That you have this feeling that I play for teams that win championships. It gives you self-confidence, and I do everything so that we end up with the gold, explains Pernille Harder.

In addition to the national titles, Pernille Harder has won a number of cup tournaments, so things are going very well. But the high level brings with it pressure of expectations.

- It's a pressure I put on myself. I always have, and if I didn't win a championship one season, it would be a huge disappointment for me. It would be the worst season I've had in ten years, says Pernille Harder.

- But right now I also see it as an opportunity to break records and do something that not many others have done.

The Swedish championship with Linköping in the 2015/2016 season will forever rank as something very special for Pernille Harder. It was the first of its kind, just as the team went from being a mid-table club to Swedish champion in three years.

After a strong period in Sweden, the Dane moved to Germany and Wolfsburg in 2016, before moving on to Chelsea and now scoring goals for Bayern Munich. Everywhere Pernille Harder left a mark of winning mentality and championships, but what has made the difference?

- It's me, says Pernille Harder and laughs.

- No, of course I choose top clubs, and I am well aware that it is very difficult to win a championship with a club at the bottom. And I think my winning mentality and my training every day rub off on my teammates.

- There is nothing for me but winning matches. Everything else is a failure. That also applies to training. If we lose, it is also a failure for me.

Yes, so you can probably guess what Pernille Harder thinks about tonight's Nations League match against Italy. It must be won. But the striker obviously doesn't stop her dreams there.

She also hopes for success at this summer's European Championships in Switzerland.

- The biggest dream is to be in another European Championship final, like we did in 2017. That would be incredibly cool, says Pernille Harder.

[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."

[tkachuktkaching]

Matthew Tkachuk 'completely jacked' for 4 Nations

'This is not a All Star Game'.

When Matthew Tkachuk last had the chance to pull on a Team USA sweater, he came away with some good memories from the last time he played Canada. Tkachuk was part of the team that hammered it's rival 7-2 in the semi finals while winning gold at the Under 18 World championship in 2015.

"I don't think they had Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby on the teams I beat." Tkachuk told the Athletic this week.

"So I'm sure it'll be a completely different challenge."

For a guy who wears his heart on his sleeve, not to mention an "A" on the chest of his team USA sweater, the NHL's foray back into international hockey with the February 12-20 tournament can't come soon enough.

In Tkachuk's words he's "Completely jacked" about the new event.

"I've been petty upset with the last few events that have been cancelled, or whatever, the last few years." He said.

"Whenever random times throughout the year they're playing that (96 World Cup) on NHL Network, I'm just in awe of what Canada & USA games used to be like"

"For us to be able to play in that now, I'm just super excited. That US-Canada rivalry is so big. It doesn't get much better than playing them on a Saturday night in Montreal.

It's going to amazing."

"I can promise you the players will be engaged," he said "This is not an All Star Game that's for sure."

"This is bigger than most stuff you play in", said Tkachuk

"I know each Florida player, whether it's the Canadians or myself on the USA team or Forsy on Sweden or all the Finns, we take pride in playing for our country that we're going to do whatever it takes to win. That's just natural. You're best friends for 82 games during the season and unfortunately for these two weeks, the best team is going to be the one that has the bragging rights."

He certainly likes his own chances.

The entire leadership group is comprised of former U.S NTDP teammates- captain Auston Matthews, with Tkachuk and Charlie McAvoy as alternate captains and Tkachuk says there's next to no-one on the roster he hasn't previously crossed paths with somewhere because of the close knit nature of the American hockey community.

Among the 23 man group, he senses a strong desire to do something special for there country.

"I just think there's going to be a ton of buy in," Tkachuk said

"There's going to be a ton of sacrifice. I think you're going to see a team that is super, super tight and close. That's what being an American is all about. That's what our team is going to be built on. There's a work ethic, but we're going to have a ton of fun and play for the guy next to you even though they might be your biggest rival in the (NHL) regular season and playoffs.

That's what you're going to see from us, and we're going to see from us, and we're going to have an unbelievable time doing it."

[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.

[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.

[lboogie1906]

Wardell Stephen Curry II (March 14, 1988) is a basketball player and point guard for the Golden State Warriors. Nicknamed “Chef Curry”, he is considered the greatest shooter of all time and is credited with revolutionizing the sport by inspiring teams and players at all levels to more utilize the three-point shot. He is a four-time NBA champion, a two-time NBA MVP, an NBA Finals MVP, and a two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP. He is a two-time NBA scoring champion, an eleven-time NBA All-Star, and a ten-time All-NBA Team selection (including four on the First Team). He has won two gold medals at the FIBA World Cup and a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

He is the son of former NBA player Dell Curry and the brother of NBA player Seth Curry. He played college basketball for the Davidson Wildcats, where he set the all-time scoring record for Davidson and the Southern Conference, was twice named conference player of the year, and set the single-season NCAA record during his sophomore year for most three-pointers made. He was selected by the Warriors with the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.

He won his first league MVP award and led the Warriors to their first championship since 1975. He became the first player in NBA history to be elected MVP by a unanimous vote and was the NBA annual scoring leader. The Warriors broke the record for the most wins in an NBA season en route to reaching the 2016 NBA Finals. He helped the Warriors return to the NBA Finals in 2017, 2018, and 2019, winning back-to-back titles, before being defeated. Following injury struggles and missed playoff appearances in 2020 and 2021, he won his fourth championship with the Warriors and his first Finals MVP award in 2022.

He set the NBA record for three-pointers made in a regular season, with 272. He surpassed that record in 2015 with 286, and again in 2016 with 402. He set the NBA record for career three-pointers. He and teammate Klay Thompson have earned the nickname of the Splash Brothers (2013–14) they set the record for combined three-pointers made in an NBA season with 484, a record they broke the following season (525), and again (678). #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence