#he’s an already more advanced midfielder why not try?

[bellcza]

fermín should be tried as the false left wing

[tcshi]

isagi yoichi

☆ : an au where the blue lock project didn't happen but the boys are attending the same school and are part of the same football club ૮ • ﻌ - ა⁩

for a guy who possesses an incredible intelligence in the sport he loves, isagi yoichi was oblivious as a tree when it comes to your advances.

at every chance you'd get, you always try to drop hints about your immutable fondness for him. it comes in the small notes being left at his desk, a bottle of his favorite energy drink or the words of encouragement and appreciation that tumbles out of your lips in a flash of word vomit. it was always there. vivid enough for the other guys at his football club to know of your little crush on him except for isagi himself. hell, even itoshi rin of all people knows it.

but isagi, the adorable elixir of your life isagi yoichi is still pretty much in the dark of the hints you've long dropped.

you've heard rin throw you a few motivational phrases to just give up. you've seen the pitiful and bashful looks you've received from reo and nagi upon seeing you march up to their oblivious forward with a grin on your face for the nth time since forever. you've had chigiri inform you of the chances that isagi might decode your unspoken proclamations of love was close to zero in comparison to the peaking 99.9% percent if you've just directly told him.

but of course, your nerves can be a little bit of a bitch to deal with in situations that requires you to open your mouth and tell isagi that you've been liking him for the past two years. hence you just stopped trying to vocalize your adoration from the very first try.

the very first time you've tried doing that was an absolute epic fail when you became an incoherent mess babbling on and on about how you found this football player from dortmund called jude bellingham hot and isagi encouraging you to grapple against your nerves and try to shoot your shot at said football playerㅡall the while being unable to do that with your irrevocable feelings for him who stands at 5feet away from you.

you've received more pats on the back from kunigami for trying at the very least (for the nth time, unfortufuckingnately) and a few more teasing remarks from bachira that you should just try dating him instead. you kindly rejected him a few times, and sadly enough with a few smacks landing on his skin as he grins playfully.

you've tried nearly a thousand methods to get isagi to know your feelings for him through showing it but none of them worked. not until an entirely unintentional incident that pushed the water to overflow from the dam.

you look at him crazy, like he's shooting rainbows from the top of his head and his teal eyes crying colorful tears.

“your lukewarm approach to confessing is nearly as palpable as getting smacked by a football from behind.” rin mutters as he sits beside you. he gives you a glance, shaking his head like a disappointed mother nagging her child. “why don't you be upfront with him.”

not a suggestion. a demand.

how typical of rin.

“dude you know i can't be upfront with him!” you smack your cheeks with both your palms, itoshi rin judging you pretty evidently in the corner of your eyes with his teal eyes reeling in disgust. “you know how it went the very first time...”

“maybe you should try again... keep your idiotic commentary to yourself and just get to the point.” he tells you. “ever tried doing that?”

why of course he'd know exactly what happened. he was there, present and drowning in secondhand embarrassment from you after you've spewed whatever nonsense about your profound crush on another football player who plays midfield in a european team who's already thriving at the ripe age of 19. even rin can remember the wince that fell on isagi’s face as you continued blabbering in front of him like a madwoman.

you shake your head, fiddling with the loose fabric on your uniform skirt and rin scoffs. of course you haven't. the very first things to leave your mouth every time you approach isagi was anything but vocal implications of your feelings for him. your chances of dating isagi was nearly close to nothing.

“but riiiiiiiin...” rin rolls his eyes as you clamp your hands around his biceps, shaking the male sideways with a whine. “i get so nervous whenever i’m around him.”

“that’s because you're stupid and lame. just like the guy you're crushing on.”

ouch.

you smack his arms, pushing him away from you with a huff. “that’s rude rinrin.”

he glares at you. “call me that one more time and kiss your chances of freely trespassing our training hours goodbye.”

“would you rather me call you rinnie then?” you pinch your chin, a pondering look in your face. “you hated it when i called you that when we were kids.”

“don’t call me stupid names, you stupid girl.”

“but what's the fun in that!? you're literally revoking my nicknaming privileges as your best friend and childhood bestest best friend after all the years we've spent together from diapers toㅡ”

rin stands up before he walks away, but not before throwing another remark about you.

“shut up and don't talk to me until you've fixed your boy problems.” you huff at your spot.

“he loves me... he loves me not... he loves me... he... loves me... not!?!? ” you harshly throw the crumpled flower on the ground, going for extra mile and stumping on it with both feet.

besides the unfortunate approach to your boy problems, it seems that even a simple game of he loves me, he loves me not flower petal picking game was a major bust just like the outcome of your valiant efforts of wooing isagi yoichi awayㅡwell, not necessarily valiant considering you chicken out when vocalizing anything near as a confession but whatever, you don't want to dwell on that. instead, you gave the innocent flower one more stamp before turning to walk away.

only for you to realize that half of the entire football team with isagi was filing out of the school gates while you're busy murdering the flowers that now laid flat and unrecognizable on the sole of your feet.

you shot them a smile bordering grimace before waving a hand. “uh... hi?”

“did the pansies do something to you... or...?” reo asks, glancing the mangled pansy flower beneath your feet and sounding genuinely worried for your well-being, except for the shaking of his lips that told you he was trying to hold his laughter. “you look rather enraged...”

you shake your head promptly, ignoring the exasperated look on rin’s face from behind the guys when isagi spoke to you next.

“y/n... are you okay?” he hesitantly asks as he steps out behind bachira and chigiri’s back. “you look uhm... pretty upset back there...”

oh you were more than upset alright.

you heave a deep breath in, and you see your childhood bestest best friend itoshi rin leave the group but not before shaking his head before the others followed right after him and leaving you and an unaware isagi behind, already wary of the next incoming foolish gabber that's ready to flow out of your mouth.

and boy did it come in a tidal wave.

“yeah no i just uh you know the flower didn't do anything wrong but i kind of just played that game where you pick each petal and say he loves me he loves me not each time you pick a petal while i'm waiting for you guys to leave the pitch because i fear that rinrinㅡoh no i can't call him that please don't tell him i called him thatㅡwill revoke my license of free pass to your training hours and i won't be able to see you guys play especially you and yeah uh about the flower i was just a little bit cuckoo in the head because you know hahaha it landed on he loves me not and i don't think i can handle any more of that insinuation that i won't ever have a chance with you that's why i kinda murdered it even though i didn't really mean to-”

you chuckle uneasily, slapping a hand in the air. “haha yes no uh no but yeah but you know i think no but i do kind of have a small tini tiny crush on you so yeah i think i noㅡyes or no.”

“chance with.... me?” immediately, you stop your blabber catching the mistake on your part. automatically, you zip your mouth. “you-you like me?” isagi points to himself, as if he can't believe whatever gibberish you just vomited out.

“breathe... and tell me honestly, do you like me?”

by the end of yet another foolish mutterings was isagi’s dumbfounded look. he can't understand if you really do like him or not because honestly, who would even confirm someone's feelings when said someone confirmed it in the way you did. so isagi did something he never thought he'd doㅡnot in this afternoon at least. he holds your cheeks, squishing them together in a pout that seemed to have calmed you down, or something... because you were definitely turning redder by each passing minute.

“yes!” you squeak, closing your eyes from the impending rejection that hang in the air. only it never came. instead, isagi lets go of your cheeks, chuckling at the heat that creeped into your skin before patting your head and fixing the messy strands of your hair.

“good because i like you too... i’m just glad that rin and the others didn't tell you anything...”

you open your mouth to say something, anything to divert your shock, embarrassment, joy and giddiness only to realize a very crucial piece of information from isagi’s words.

“wait... they knew you liked me and me like you-”

isagi clamps a palm of his over your mouth, chuckling as you proceeded to prattle behind his hand before he smoothly maneuvers himself beside you, the hand that was enclosed over your lips remained loosely hooked over your shoulders before he drags you away.

“okay you can stop trashing them now... let's just get you your favorite ice cream or something then talk. we definitely have a lot of things to catch on.”

a/n: hi, it's me. i’m the one crushing on jude bellingham, it's me ✌🏻😋

[neycrisbale]

Russia Baby Croatian Win *Luka Modrić imagine*

===========================================================

“Babe I’ve gotta go” Luka said as he peppered kisses on my face

I giggled trying to move him away, “Alright, alright one kiss is enough” I said a smile on my face

Luka smiled as well, “Today’s the day, the day that we’ve been working so hard for the past years and this as well” He said proudly 

“And everything that you’ve done in the past will show today and that win will be even greater” I said to him as I placed my hand in his hair. 

Luka bent down placing a kiss on my stomach, “Take care of Mama today, don’t give her a hard time so she can watch Tata” He whispered

He placed one more kiss on my stomach before placing a finally kiss on my lips, “I’ll see you at the game, I’ve asked for Lisa to be with you the whole time just in case anything happens” He said 

I nodded, “Don’t worry about me, everything will be fine you better get going before the bus leaves” I said 

Luka smiled once more, “I’ll see you two at the game” He said placing another kiss on my forehead

I chuckled, “Love you” 

“Love you too” He said as he walked out of the room

Placing a hand on my very large stomach I sighed, “Alright baby boy, let’s start getting ready before Tetkica comes” I said as I got up from the couch

(A/N:Tetkica means Auntie in Croatian)

By the time Lisa came into the room I had already gotten dressed and was just working on the finishing touches of my makeup. “So how are we feeling today?” Lisa asked as she went into the kitchen

I shrugged, “I generally feel good, and excited and nervous for Luka” I said

She chuckled, “Of course it’s only natural this is a big game for him” 

I nodded getting up from the seat and basically waddling over to her, “Whatcha making” I said as I gave her a hug

She hugged me back and smiled, “Well since today is going to be a long day, I’m making smoothies that I’m going to put in the little cooler thing for you. You’re gonna need some form of liquid and protein” She said 

I nodded, “Can’t I just order something there to eat?” I asked raising an eyebrow

“You said Friday that you didn’t like the food, and that it made you sick” 

Scrunching up my nose I nodded, “I did say that” 

We both laughed, “Therefore these smoothies will be coming a long with us.”

Getting my shoes I decided to go with sandals because it’s not exactly cold in Russia but it’s not as hot either and I want to be able to freely take my shoes off while I’m sitting down. 

Lisa had finished up making the smoothies, and then we walked out of the room locking it as we left. Lisa is Luka and I’s friend who lives here in Russia and is actually a nurse, and she was also the only person who Luka would trust with my life and our baby’s. 

We made it down to the car that was waiting for us, and got inside. The car ride to the stadium wasn’t long and we were there in no time. Once we’d arrived, we   were escorted towards the seats and instantly we were greeted by the other families, “Y/N aren’t you due any day now?” Raquel asked giving me a hug

I smiled, “Any second to be exact” I said returning the hug

Lisa and I sat down after saying hi and talking with most of the families, and instantly I spotted Luka on the field. I could tell he was looking around the crowd to see if Lisa and I had made it yet and when his eyes landed on us he smiled waving. 

I waved back, and he smiled. “How’s everything? No pain right?” Lisa asked

I shook my head, “Everything’s alright, but I don’t think I feel anything” I said

She nodded, “Let me know if you do” 

“Yes ma’am”

~~

“He does know he could’ve passed the ball right?” I asked  out loud

The girls chuckled, “You think he heard anyone?” Ivana asked 

I nodded, “He looked right at Luka and Ante, but took the ball up” I said 

The game was leveled at 1-1, and we were already in the second quarter. The boys were putting on their A-game to try and advance through the French defense. With each attempt they were getting closer and closer towards scoring but were just missing that little touch. 

I placed my hand on my stomach as I’d felt the baby move but along with it came like a sharp pain. “You alright?” Lisa asked looking worried

I nodded, “Yeah just a little bit of pain, right here” I said rubbing my side

She looked at me warily, “It could be the start of a contraction is it like a period cramp or just gas?” She asked

“Period cramp” 

She nodded and looked down at her watch, “Tell me when you feel another one” 

I nodded, and we continued to watch the game. My eyes wandered over to the game clock to see that we have 9 minutes left in the entire game and we’d need one more goal to break the tie and win the World Cup. 

Everyone grew anxious as Ivan took the ball up, and dribbled through some of the French midfield. Looking up he passed the ball towards Mario who took it out to the left side and crossed it inside of the box where Luka was standing and waiting. 

It seemed as if the time had slowed down on the game because, of how perfect everything was the ball connected with Luka’s foot and made into the back of the net. The entire stadium went up in cheers, and hugs Lisa and I both jumped up out of our chairs hugging each other and cheering for the boys. 

Luka smiled as he kissed his ring finger where his band normally was, and pointed towards me. They restarted the game, and the 9 minutes had shortened down to 2 and at this point the French Team had given up but were still managing to defend to avoid another goal. 

By the time the boys had made it closer to the goal the final whistle blew, and everyone everywhere in the stadium was cheering. Including Lisa and I, “Y/N did you spill your water?” Lisa asked

I raised an eyebrow, “I didn’t have water Lisa” 

She looked confused, “Then why’s there water on the- Your water broke!” She yelled

My eyes widened, and I looked across the field to Luka who was being carried away off the field by the guys. “That means-”

“This baby is coming now” She said 

I groaned, “Bad timing” I muttered

She chuckled, “I’ll tell Freddy to pull Luka” She said as she texted Freddy

Taking my hand, she led me out of the stands and down the hallway to the car and before we could even go down the hallway to the car someone was calling out to us. “Y/N!”

When we turned it was Luka still in his jersey and captains band on his arm. “Luka-”

“Don’t worry about them they can do the celebrations without me, my babies about to come out” 

~~

“Congratulations Mrs. Modrić, it’s a healthy baby boy” The doctor said

I smiled over to Luka as the baby was placed in my arms, “He’s beautiful Luka” I whispered

Luka placed a kiss on my forehead, “You did baby”

“We did it”

[tayegi]

New Rules Ch. 5

Word Count: 10,058

A few minutes later, you sit on the bleachers with Hoseok, notepad and audio recorder on the bench between you two as you watch Taehyung roll around in the grass with his high-tech camera, trying to get a good candid shot of the players.

"So," you clear your throat, calling attention back to yourself, "I'm going to begin recording now, and why don't we start off with some basic information?" You ask as you press the little red button on the audio recorder.

"Sure," Hoseok agrees, "What would you like to know?"

"Just the basics," you say, "Full name, age, year in school, position, etc."

"Yeah of course," he says with a smile, "Name: Jung Hoseok. Age: Twenty-two. Senior, and I'm an attacking midfielder."

"Oh, but I've heard that your position is flexible and you can easily shift between striker and defender in the same game," you say, miraculously spouting off knowledge you've read from Somin's notes just minutes ago.

"Wow, you knew that?" Hoseok asks, clearly impressed, "No one except like really die-hard soccer fans know that."

You rub the back of your neck, embarrassed, "Ah, wasn't it obvious?" you bluff through your teeth, "You're a very well-rounded player, Hoseok. No wonder you're captain."

His subsequent smile is as bright as the sun, "Thank you. That really means a lot to me."

Flustered, you anxiously fidget with your hair, feeling uncharacteristically self-conscious as you scramble for the next question, "S-so, the team's ten-game winning streak is all under your leadership. Can you tell us a bit about how you managed to accomplish that?"

"No, it wasn't all me," he says, but can't help but laugh at the flattery, "It was a whole team effort! We would be nowhere without Coach Bang's guidance. And we have some really outstanding players this year. For instance, there's Jeon Jungkook, who's scored the most goals not only in our team, but the entire district this season."

"Ah, I see," you mutter under your breath, "No wonder he's so damn cocky."

"Huh? What was that?"

"Nothing!" you exclaim, eyes widening as you realize your mistake. Oh well, you can always crop that out of the recording. "Anyways, can you tell me more about your goals moving forward this season?"

"Yes, of course. So as you know, we're playing our rivals in the district this Saturday. It's going to be a big match. But no matter how we play on Saturday, we will be able to advance to the finals, so it's really not—oh," Hoseok suddenly stops, mid-sentence, to blink up at the sky when a raindrop hits him in the face.

Soon, more follow the first, covering the metal of the bleachers with a sheen of cold water. "Oh no, my notes!" you exclaim, diving forward to protect your things under the cover of your sweater.

"Damn, the forecast didn't say that it'd rain today," Hoseok says, looking up at the dreary gray sky with concern.

"Ah, it's not a big deal though," you say, "It's only sprinkling, and I think we can continue."

"But your sweater doesn't have a hood," Hoseok says in concern, "You're getting rained on."

"It's fine," you say as you wipe moisture from your eyelashes, "I'm sure it'll stop raining soon."

"But what about your hair? Or your makeup?" he continues to pressure, "Aren't you worried it'll be ruined?"

"My makeup?" you snort, "Who the hell wears makeup the Monday before midterms start?!"

"I… oh," Hoseok says, taken aback by your bluntness, "Um… I don't know?"

Your face flushes with heat when you realize your mistake… that has been caught on tape, "Um… anyways," you gulp, trying to ignore the way he threads his fingers through his wet hair, making rainwater trail alluring down his sinewy neck, "Why don't we go back to the topic of the finals? What do you think—?"

"Hey, Hoseok!" a loud voice calls out, interrupting your interview.

The two of you look up from the bleachers to find the entire team trickling off the field. The source of the voice comes from Jungkook, who stands on the track in front of you, looking superbly displeased, "Coach is moving practice to the gym. Let's go, Hobi."

"Ah, can you give me a few more minutes?" Hoseok asks, glancing over at you.

"No," Jungkook bluntly replies as he crosses his arms over his chest, "Shouldn't you set an example as the captain?"

That sobers him up quickly. "Ok, I'm coming," the older man says as he gets to his feet and hops off the bleachers, "Sorry, ___. Maybe we can reschedule our interview for a different date?"

"Yeah," you say, trying not to sound as disheartened as you feel. "What time works best for you?"

"This week's a bit difficult for me because of the game. What about next week? Does Sunday—?"

"Alright, alright, stop it," Jungkook irritably butts in, "Let's go to practice."

"Wait, ___. Can I get your phone number or something?" Hoseok asks, even as his teammate starts dragging him away by the arm.

"Yes, it's—"

"I'll give it to you later," Jungkook snaps as he continues to drag the redhead across the field, "Bye, ___."

"Wait, Jungkook!" You call after him, but it's too late and they've disappeared off the field. You plop back down on the bleachers with a deep sigh, wondering what you can do with the now useless recording, when Taehyung emerges with a giant striped umbrella.

"Hey," he says as he walks over to share his umbrella, "You finished your flirting already?"

"Flirting?" you repeat as you wring out your wet hair, "What flirting?"

"With that really hot redheaded guy," he explains, "It looked like you were about to eat him up."

"What?" You exclaim, blood rushing to your face at once, "What the hell are you talking about?!"

Taehyung gives you a pointed look, "Oh come on, ___. Don't even try to deny it. It looked like you were two seconds away from mounting him in front of everyone."

You groan deeply in embarrassment and bury your face in your hands, "Oh god… Was I that obvious?"

"Yup," he chirps, gleeful in the face of your distress, "But don't worry. It seems like he reciprocated."

"Wait…" you slowly peek up from your hands, "What?"

"Yeah. Did you really not notice how badly he wanted to stay at the end? Or how hard he was trying to get your number? For some weird reason, that guy's got the hots for you."

"Oh," you simply say in response as you pat your warm cheeks, "I… I'm surprised…"

"Me too… How do you even get all these hot guys fawning over you?" Taehyung whines, "It's not fair."

"I… I don't know… I just… Wait—did you just say 'hot guys' as in plural?"

"Yeah, Jungkook was crazy jealous!"

Your immediate reaction is disbelief, "No way. Stop bullshitting me, Tae."

"No, I'm serious. I kept trying to take natural shots of the members, but Jungkook ruined all of them. He kept looking up and glaring in your direction, and that really killed the mood of the photos."

"Oh my god, stop lying."

"No really! Do you want to see the pictures?"

"No, I'm fine. Let's just go home, okay?" You quickly say, embarrassed by the very idea.

"Okay… But I just want to let you know that this is totally unfair! Why do you get to be the protagonist in a stereotypical love triangle drama? Look at your damn hair in the rain! Meanwhile, I wore my favorite gucci jacket today and nothing! So unfair!"

You lightly smack the back of his head to stop his whining, "Shut up. None of them like me. Just keep wearing your gucci, dummy."

"Wow, how nice of you to actually answer your phone for once," you grumble when Jungkook finally picks up after your third call.

"Sorry, I was in practice," he says with a little groan.

You pause, concern outweighing your anger, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. The physical therapist was a just a bit too harsh on my back earlier today… I should really get a massage. But I'm too lazy," he sighs.

"Oh… Do you want me to come over? I can give you a massage instead," you offer.

"Wait, would you really do that for me?" Jungkook asks in astonishment, "It's kinda late."

"Yeah, of course," you say, "I really don't mind and I'm pretty good with my hands."

"That you are," he says, and you don't have to see him to know that he has a lascivious smirk on that stupid face of his.

You laugh, "How are you such a pervert?"

"It's been over two weeks since we last had sex!" He angrily points out, "I'm dying here!"

"Don't you have a big game coming up?" you point out, "You should be focusing on that instead."

He grumbles under his breath for a few seconds before agreeing, "Fine… I'll let you off the hook this time… But once the game is over, I want to fuck you."

"Yeah, okay," you easily agree.

"And not just once," he quickly adds, taking advantage of your strange compliance, "I'm always horny again after like fifteen minutes. One time isn't enough. For once in my life, I actually want to get my fill. I want to fuck you until my dick falls off."

"Of course," you chuckle, "Once you win that game, you can do whatever you want to me."

"Really?" he asks, suspicious, "Can I be in charge this time?"

"Anything you want, baby," you say with a giggle.

"What if I want to tie you up and have you call me 'daddy'?" he questions.

"Oh, Jungkook!" you exclaim, bursting into girlish laughter, "You are so bad. Hehe, of course you can, baby."

"Oh god, what's gotten into you?" Jungkook marvels at the other end, "On second thought, maybe not… This is kind of scary coming from you."

You throw your head back and laugh again, "You know me too well. You're so sweet."

"Are we not speaking the same language right now?!" Jungkook barks into the receiver, "Are you fucking high?"

"Aw, you too," you chuckle, "I'll be over in ten, babe. I miss you."

"Huh? What the fuck—?"

You hang up before he can finish his sentence and spin around in your chair to face Mijoo and Jimin with an award-winning smile, "Ah, guys, I would love to stay here and chat, but Jungkook needs me."

"I see," Jimin says with a suggestive arch of his brows, "He 'needs' you? What a cute euphemism."

"Are you sure you don't want to hang out with us instead?" Mijoo asks, concerned.

You shake your head as you sling your backpack over your shoulder, "Nah. You guys have fun on your own. Because Jungkook and I definitely will," you say with a wink.

"Can you guys at least put a sock on the doorknob so I don't walk into something that'll scar me for life tonight?" Jimin requests with a wry smile.

"Maybe you shouldn't come home at all," you airily inform him before marching out the door, "Don't wait up, Mijoo!"

As soon as you walk out of the sorority house and into the bleak cold of the night, a moment of emptiness seizes you. It feels like your heart has been seized by a skeletal hand, threatening to crush it to a pulp.

You stand there for a moment, deeply inhaling the frigid wintry air through your nose. A few seconds pass before the feeling finally dissipates. But even though the grip around your heart is gone, you still feel the heavy organ sink to your feet with every step forward.

But still… At least it's getting easier.

"Have you been possessed by the fucking devil?" Jungkook asks as a greeting when you arrive at the frat a few minutes later.

"Nice to see you too, asshole," you say as you irritably brush past him in the hallway.

"Ah, that's more like it," Jungkook says with a sigh of relief, "Thank god. I thought I was going to have to perform an exorcism."

"Why are you like this?" you snort as you follow him up the stairs, "Wouldn't you prefer me to be all soft and compliant for you?"

"No, not at all," he says at once, "That's just weird."

"Well, you call me weird all the time," you point out, "What makes this any different?"

"It just is," he insists as he leads you up to his bedroom and closes the door behind him, "I don't like it. It gives me the creeps."

"I think you're the weird one," you laugh as you toss your bag on his desk, "Most guys would love it if I lost the Ice Queen demeanor."

"Nah, that's just creepy," he says, "Why were you acting like that, by the way?"

"Jimin was over," you explain as you throw yourself on his bed with a sigh.

"Ah. That makes more sense," he says as he sits down next to you, "It's better than what I thought."

"What did you think?"

"Besides temporary demonic possession? That you might be in a rough spot with some overly handsy dude or something."

You scoff at that, "Yeah right. Do I look like I'd have any issue setting some yogurt slinger in his place?"

He grins, "Ah that's right. I'm forgetting who I'm dealing with here."

"Just worry about yourself, Jeon. I can handle any limp noodle dick."

"Speaking of limp noodle dicks… That damn Jung Hoseok keeps asking for your number. Can I tell him to go fuck himself?"

"Wait, what?! No!"

"Why? Do you want to go curse him out yourself?"

"No! What's wrong with you? Jungkook, I need to finish interviewing him!"

"Why?" He asks with a look of annoyance, "I'm right here, so why settle for less?"

"Hon, he's the team captain. Of course I would need an interview from him! Just give me his number already, goddamn it," you say as you make a grab for the phone in his lap.

But he immediately moves it out of the way with his quicker reflexes, "No way. I don't want you talking to that creep."

"Why not?" you whine as you scramble forward to reach for his phone. But he easily keeps you at bay with his longer arm reach, "I really need to talk to him!"

"Hoseok might look all cute with that innocent smile of his, but I can promise you that he's the biggest fuckboy of them all."

"So what?" You demand as you attempt to climb up his body for the phone, "It's not like I'm going to fuck him or anything! I just want to finish the interview."

"Maybe your intentions are pure, but let me assure you that his are anything but. Did you even notice the way he was looking at you?"

"Maybe I wanted him to look at me that way!" you shoot back as you practically tackle him to the bed for his phone.

"Ouch," Jungkook hisses in pain when this accidentally places pressure on his sore back.

You stiffen with horror and immediately flinch back, "Oh my god. I'm so sorry, Jungkook, are you okay?"

"Yeah," he says, wincing as he reaches back to rub at the pulled muscles, "I think I just need some ibuprofen and a good night's rest, and I'll be fine in the morning."

Your mouth tightens in sympathy, "What about the physical therapist? Can they fix your back?"

"She's not back in the office until the morning," he explains, "But don't worry. It's fine."

You chew on your bottom lip for a moment, watching the way he gingerly rubs the kinks from his neck before you make up your mind, "Roll over on your stomach."

"Wait… Are you serious?" He asks, looking up at you with wide eyes.

"I'm no professional… And you should really see your PT in the morning… But I've taken a massage class in the past and I won't be able to fix your back, but I'll be able to make you feel better."

"Oh god, you're the best," he says, instantly flopping over on the mattress.

You laugh at his excitement and sit up on your knees for better access. You rub your hands up and down the wide expanse of his back a few times before you realize how awkward it is through the fabric of his hoodie, "Do you mind taking this off?"

As quick as a flash, his hoodie is on the ground, along with the t-shirt underneath. You blink at the sight of his bare back laid out for you across the bed, "Not what I meant, but I guess this is okay, too" you laugh as you lay your hands on his hot skin.

Jungkook hums in response, "This might be the only chance I get to have you touch me. Gotta make all I can out of it."

"I touch you all the time, you needy little brat," you mumble before getting distracted by his physique, "Damn," you curse softly as you begin working at the knots in his broad shoulders, "Were you always this buff?" you ask as you watch his thick muscles ripple every time he adjusts on the bed.

He chuckles at the compliment, "Are you seriously only noticing this now?"

"Yeah," you say as you silently marvel at how solid his muscles feel under the palm of your hand. It feels like you're touching solid metal instead of flesh. But his warm, velvety-soft skin stretched over the steel makes the experience strangely enjoyable.

"What? But you've seen me naked so many times now!" he complains.

"Only once," you remind him, "And we were both pretty drunk that night."

"Wait, seriously? Fuck, we need to change that."

"Yeah, okay," you agree, "After we turn in the first part of this project, of course."

"Oh shit, when's that due again?"

"Friday," you remind him, "Don't tell me you've forgotten…"

"Sorry, I've just been distracted by this game on Saturday," he sighs, "But don't worry, I'll turn it in by the deadline."

"Hmm. Since we're here anyways, should we just work on it together?"

"Um…" Jungkook hesitates, clearly unwilling to leave the pleasure of your hands, "I mean… I guess… If you think it's really important…"

"You don't want me to stop, do you?" you ask in amusement.

"Fuck no," he blurts out immediately, "This feels incredible."

The breathy, raspy quality of his voice makes heat flood the pit of your stomach. You lick your lips as you slide your hands down to his lower back and press down on the tense muscles there, "Alright," you agree, "Just this one time… Damn, you're really tense, Jungkook. How rough have your practices been?"

"The worst," he moans softly into his pillow when you work out an especially tight knot along the base of his spine, "Coach is out to kill us."

"These feel more like stress knots though," you comment as you continue to unravel him, inch by inch, "Have you been under a lot of pressure recently?" Then you stop and snap your jaw shut. You regret your question as soon as you ask it. The two of you are definitely not on that level to talk about such personal topics, nor do you think you'll ever be on that level.

It's quiet for a moment as you wait for him to brush you off with the stoic masculinity you're used to. Instead, he turns his face to the side and murmurs, "A little bit," in a small voice that takes you completely by surprise.

"O-oh," you try to hide your surprise by rubbing firm circles into his thick shoulder blades, "It's understandable… There must be a lot of pressure since you've been on such a winning streak, huh?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," he sighs, "And also… I've heard that there might be recruiters at the game on Saturday… I really have to play my best."

"Ah, isn't it still early?" you ask, trying to soothe him, "We still have another full year of school."

"Yeah, but Hoseok was recruited as a junior," he points out, "In fact, he was recruited in the beginning of his fall semester, so he was younger than I am now… And I can't deny that I'm beginning to grow antsy."

"Don't worry, Jungkook," you say as you continue to loosen his stiff muscles, "You are such a great player, and your hard work will pay off."

You can see the way his mouth curves into a smile from the side of his face pressed into the pillow, "Thanks."

There's a moment of amicable silence as you both enjoy the warmth of each other's presence. Then, Jungkook suddenly bolts upright, nearly dislodging you from the bed.

"Hey, wait a minute—isn't this coming from the girl who didn't even know I played soccer a week ago?!"

"Shh," you gently press his face back down into the pillows, "Don't worry about it, sweetheart."

Three days later, you meet up with Yerin for your weekly lunch dates. You'd normally have lunch with her on Sundays, but due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e., lying around deathly hungover in Jungkook's bed), you had to reschedule for today.

"Wait, I forgot to ask, but nothing happened when you were trying to get back home on Saturday night, right?"

"Nope, I was perfectly safe. Don't worry, ___."

"Of course I worry. Mijoo shouldn't have called you out so late at night… especially not to a damn frat party… What was she thinking?"

"___, you know that I'm a legal adult now, right? I go to frat parties all the time."

"What?!" You exclaim in shock, "With who?!"

"The girls on my floor go all the time," she informs you, "It's really not a big deal."

"Seriously?! Why don't you ever invite me?"

"Invite you?" she repeats in confusion, "But you hate frat parties."

"I do, but who else will protect you from nasty frat bros?"

"Who said I wanted to be protected from them?" She says with a playful quirk of her brow.

Your jaw drops, "Watch it, kid. I almost bent you over my knee."

"I'm not your baby anymore," she whines, "Stop it, ___."

"You'll always be my baby," you inform her in a serious tone, "Which is why I can't have you running into dangerous frat parties like that!"

"It was fine," She assures you, "I was with Mijoo the entire time, and at the end of the night, those boys from BTS showed up as well," she said, face flushing at the memory, "You were like the protagonist in a romantic drama, ___, the way three men rushed over at your beck and call to rescue you. I was so jealous," she sighs dreamily.

You look at her in utter bewilderment, "Yerin… you do realize that I was a belligerent drunk rolling around in a hotdog costume? And that Mijoo only called over the BTS boys to keep me from getting arrested. How the hell is this in any way romantic?!"

"Jungkook carried you in his arms like you were newlyweds," she sighs again, "It was so lovely… Wait, ___. Tell me, did he ravish you in his room?" she asks, wide eyes sparkling with excitement.

"What the fuck? Yerin, what's wrong with you?"

"Oh come on, just indulge this poor virgin," she begs you, "Did he throw you to the bed and rip off your clothes because he couldn't wait to have his way with you?"

"How the fuck would he be able to rip my hotdog suit?!" you exclaim, "That thing was like fifty pillows piled on top of me. And besides, it wasn't cheap! I would be so pissed if he ripped it!"

Yerin's face falls, "___, you're ruining the fantasy!"

You snort, "Sweetie, I have no idea what wild, idealized notion of sex you have in your mind, but it's really not like that. It's usually just messy and gross."

"Maybe with the wrong men," the younger woman argues, "But Jungkook is ridiculously hot. No matter how messy it got with him, there's no way it'd be gross."

You have to begrudgingly agree with that. Against your will, you're resentfully attracted to the fuckboy. "But it's not always rainbows and butterflies!" you argue, "In fact, it's never like that. It's just… merp. Just a relief of a basic need. Like scratching an itch. Or letting out a nice fart."

Yerin's face scrunches at your disgusting analogy, "___! Ew!"

Clearly you're a bit too much for her delicate sensitivities, "Sorry, Yerin," you automatically apologize, "That was a lie… Farts are better than sex."

"Even sex with Jeon Jungkook?" She asks in disbelief.

You pause a moment to think about that, "He's like a particularly juicy fart," you acquiesce, "You know, like the ones you've been holding in all day, and you finally take off your pants at the end of the night and just let it rip? Yup. That's sex with Jungkook... But still just a fart. Nothing more."

Yerin buries her face in her hands in anguish, "You're completely ruining this for me!"

"Good," you retort, "I'd rather you wake up to the harsh realities of intercourse now rather than later!"

"God, ___," Yerin groans into her hands, "We're in public."

"Are you embarrassed?" You ask. When she nods, you snap, "Good. You'd be more embarrassed if you were pregnant with a fuckboy's kid! Men are less than farts, never forget! I would rather cut the cheese any day instead of letting a nasty snot-nosed fuckboy put his moldy little carrot stick anywhere near my— Oh, hello, Yoongi," you break off to greet the silver-haired man who suddenly appears over Yerin's shoulder.

The blonde whips her head around in astonishment. Then her face strickens with anguish as she recognizes the older man standing behind her, "Oh… oh… shit."

Yoongi has clearly caught the tail end of your rant by the way his face scrunches in disgust, "Ah, I'm suddenly reminded of why we're only business acquaintances, ___."

"You're saying we're not friends?" you ask weakly.

"And hear you talk about bodily functions in my free time as well? No thanks."

"That's not all I talk about!"

"Yeah, that's right. You cursing me out on Saturday night was a nice change of scene," Yoongi says in a sarcastic tone.

"I was drunk and out of my mind!" You exclaim, "You can't possibly hold that against me!"

"___, you nearly threw out my back," he reminds you in a dry voice, "I had to lie in a tub of ice for a full hour afterwards… How is anyone so annoying and destructive when drunk? Goddamn it, woman…"

You flush with embarrassment, "If you just came here to berate me, then you can just keep walking!" you exclaim, "No one asked for your help!"

"Pssht, without me, you would've been arrested that night," he informs you, indignant at your lack of gratitude, "And besides, what makes you think that I'm here to talk to you, you self-centered brat?"

"What? If you're not here for me, then—"

"Yerin, I wanted to thank you again for coffee the other day," Yoongi says, interrupting you, "That was really kind of you."

Yerin's face turns a rosy shade of pink when he smiles directly at her, "O-oh," she mumbles, ducking her head as though to try to hide under her bangs, "It really wasn't a big deal… Thank you again for walking me home, Yoongi."

"Wait, he did what?!" you exclaim in horror.

Both of them ignore you, "If you're free this weekend, maybe we can grab a bite to eat?"

"Oh," Yerin's eyes light up like it's Christmas, "I would love that."

"What? No, you wouldn't!"

"Okay," Yoongi ignores you, "I'll text you then?"

"You gave this fucker your phone number?!" you screech.

As always, they politely pretend that you don't exist, "Yes, that sounds great!" Yerin happily tells him.

"Great, see you later then," he says, cheerfully waving at her before walking off.

"No, you won't see her later," you spin around in your chair to bark after him, "You won't ever be seeing her again!"

But he simply flips you off from behind his back before sauntering out of the café. You glare at him until he's out of sight, then whirl back around to face Yerin, "What the hell was that?"

She blinks innocently at you, "What do you mean, ___?"

"Are you dating him?!" you bark at her.

"No, we're friends… just like you and Jungkook, right?" she coyly informs you.

Your vision flashes red for a moment from the implication of her words, "Don't you fucking dare do this to me," you whisper in a low voice.

She giggles at your reaction and reaches across the table to squeeze your hand, "Why are you so freaked out by the idea of us dating?"

"I just don't like it," you say with a stubborn jut of your chin, "He's old and weird."

"He's only a year older than you," she kindly reminds you.

"So?" you snap back, "I'm old and weird too! Min Yoongi might seem like an okay guy on the surface, but I know for a fact that he's a weird pervert! I don't approve of all!"

"I think you're just unreasonably overprotective, ___." Yerin says in amusement, "What kind of guy would you actually approve of?"

You take a moment to think about it before the answer comes rushing to your mind, "Park Jimin," you say in a quiet voice, "I would approve of a man like Park Jimin…"

"Ah, is that why you're all over my ass and not Mijoo's?" Yerin laughs, missing the significance of the confession, "Well, not every man can be Park Jimin, ___."

Your gaze drops to your lap, "Yeah, I know," you whisper, "I know…"

Later that day, when you walk Yerin back to the dorms, she springs you with an unexpected question.

"Hey, ___, do you have any free time tonight?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I do. What's up?"

"Do you mind looking over my powerpoint for tomorrow? I'm not sure if all of my citations make sense."

"Sure," you instantly agree, "But I'm not sure if I can be of much help. What class is this for?"

Yerin stops in the middle of the street to stare at you with wide eyes, "___, please tell me you haven't forgotten about our creative writing presentations tomorrow morning."

It feels like the world has caved in around you, and for a moment you can't breathe. You slowly whirl around to face her, "Oh….. oh….. fuck my life," you croak out in a tiny voice.

"Oh no… Please tell me that you've at least started on the project!" She exclaims.

Your heart drops to your stomach and your throat closes up, "I… I…"

"Aren't you working on this with Jungkook?" She continues to scold you, "How could both of you be so forgetful?"

"I don't know!" You finally cry out, "Shit!" And with that, you turn on your heel and break into a sprint.

"___!" She yells after you, "Where are you going?!"

"I don't know!" you yell over your shoulder, even as you continue to run down the street like a mad woman, "Fuck!"

You call Jungkook twice on your frantic trip home, but the calls go to voicemail. It's a Thursday afternoon, and you imagine that he must be at practice, since the big game is coming up in just two days, but you can't help but feel anxious. How could you have forgotten and put off this presentation until literally the day before it's due? It is unlike you to be so careless.

You nearly bodyslam some sisters out of the way when they take too long to move, and rush up the stairs of the sorority, taking two steps at a time. As soon as you enter your room, you throw yourself at your desk and anxiously boot up your laptop. You have no idea why Jungkook isn't picking up his phone, but you trust him to turn in his part for tomorrow morning. There's no way he could be as forgetful as you… right?

You stumble into class the next morning with a venti container of pure espresso in hand, sunglasses on your face to hide your bloodshot eyes.

"Oh god, what happened to you?" Yerin exclaims in alarm when you remove your glasses to reveal your swollen face.

"Sorry I can't be beautiful all the time," you quip as you stifle a yawn with the back of your hand, "I pulled an all-nighter trying to get this presentation together."

"Oh," Yerin's face furrows in sympathy, "Did Jungkook help you out at the end?"

"No," you groan, "I wasn't able to reach him all night… that bitch better have the greatest presentation of all time planned for today."

"Ah, you completed your parts separately?" Yerin asks, "Aren't you afraid that it will be disorganized?"

You shake your head, "Nah. I texted him very explicitly what he needed to finish. So it should be fine."

"Okay, but class is starting soon… Where is he?"

"He's always late," you attempt to defend him, "It's fine." But even as you speak, the tendrils of worry curl in your stomach. You anxiously glance at your phone, but before you can send him a text, Professor Cha steps to the front of the classroom and claps her hands to capture your attention.

"Ok, everyone. Let's get started with the presentations. Do I have any volunteers to go first?"

Embarrassed, you slowly slide down in your seat, trying to make yourself appear as small as possible as you nervously wait for Jungkook's arrival.

Except he never shows.

Your anxiety is at an all-time high when the groups finish their presentations one by one in the front of the classroom. You can't help but glance at the door every few seconds, hoping against reason that the dark-haired athlete will miraculously materialize in the room.

When the last group finishes their presentation, you're practically trembling with nerves. You slowly make your way to the front of the classroom, feeling on the verge of vomiting, and not even Yerin's quiet encouragement helps.

"Miss ___, where is your partner?" Professor Cha asks in surprise when she finds you standing alone next to the screen.

"Um… He's just a bit late," you mumble, uncharacteristically shy before the dozens of eyes trained on your figure, "I'm sure he'll show up though…"

"Miss ___, you do realize that this is a group grade, right?" She asks with a quirk of an eyebrow, "If your partner doesn't show, then both of you lose points on the presentation."

You gulp, "Y-yes. I am aware of that…"

The older woman nods, "Alright… Well, whenever you're ready, please proceed."

You take a moment to inhale through your nose, deeply unnerved by the full classroom of people scrutinizing your every move. You can feel the sweat beading at your forehead, but it'd be too embarrassing to wipe it in front of everyone, so you let it stay there as you fumble with connecting your laptop to the projector, "H-hi, everyone," you stammer, "My name is ___, and this is my presentation on Chang Eileen… Um, my partner, Jungkook, is running a bit late, but he should be here soon."

Forty pairs of impassive eyes stare back at you, so you quickly hasten to change the slide, "Anyways, let me start off with some background information on Miss Chang…"

As the minutes slip by, you grow more and more stressed. You try to focus on this presentation that you've spent so much time on, but you can't concentrate on anything other than the fact that you're alone onstage while the whole class judges you. Where is Jungkook? How could he do this to you? When he knew how important this was to you?

Your heart has permanently sunken to the pit of your stomach when you come to the last of your prepared slides. Your pulse is thundering and for a minute, it's hard to even breathe. As though expecting a miracle, you glance at the door one last time, praying that Jungkook will breeze right in with his easy-going smile. But you're not that lucky. You pause as you stare into the judgmental faces of your classmates. Then you resign yourself to your hopeless fate.

"A-and, um… That's it. Thank you."

There's a confused smattering of applause, nothing as exuberant as the what the other groups had received.

"Ah, Miss ___, you didn't address any of your author's contemporary works. Did you forget that half of the presentation was supposed to include a comprehensive literature review?" the professor asks.

You can only stare at your feet in shame, "Yes… I'm sorry, professor."

She simply clicks her tongue in blatant disapproval, "I see… You may sit down."

You lower your head as far as you possibly can as you drop back into your seat. But the embarrassment never leaves you.

"I'm fucked," you croak at Yerin.

She sympathetically rubs your back. But not even your closest friend can bear to lie to you.

"I'm going to fucking kill him," you growl as you make your way with Taehyung to the stadium for the big game the following morning, "I can't believe I have to go to this stupid fucking game when he couldn't even show up to a presentation worth twenty-five percent of our grade!"

Taehyung sympathetically squeezes your shoulder, "Have you spoken to him yet?" he asks as he hands the attendee the tickets.

"No. That bastard won't pick up his damn phone because he's a cowardly fool!"

"Or maybe it's because he had a game to worry about?" Taehyung wryly offers.

"No, I don't think that's it," you growl.

"Hey, where are you going?" he asks as you march right past him, "There are two seats right here."

"My friend's saving us seats near the bottom… Which is great, because I want to stare that bastard in the eye and make him feel guilty about even being born."

"This is a totally healthy method of communication," Taehyung sarcastically says, "You guys totally aren't in need of some major couple's counseling…"

"We're not a couple!" You bellow at him, attracting the attention of everyone around you. "Why does everyone think that?! We're not even friends, for god's sake!"

"Oh, ___!" A sweet voice calls out, interrupting your rant, "There you are!"

You turn your head to the side to find a pretty blonde girl waving at you a few rows down, "Ah, Yerin!" You happily wave back, "You saved us seats?"

"Yeah," she calls back, "Come down here!"

"Okay!" You sing as you cheerfully skip down the aisle to meet her, "Thanks for saving us seats, honey," you say as you swing your arms around her for a tight hug, "You must've gotten here so early to get such great seats."

"It wasn't that early," she says in embarrassment, "Besides, I knew how sleep-deprived you were, so you really needed to sleep in."

Your heart melts at her thoughtful action, "Aww, my sweet baby," you coo as you squish her to your chest, content to plant little kisses all over her cute face until the end of time.

Until Taehyung awkwardly interrupts with a little cough, "Um, hello, I'm Taehyung."

Yerin immediately reaches over to accept his offered hand, "Hi, my name is Yerin. It's nice to meet you."

Taehyung doesn't respond for a moment, uncharacteristically flustered. You frown at the way his gaze drops to his lap and he moistens his lips with his tongue. You're about to call him out for it, when Yerin suddenly gets to her feet.

"Oh, the game is starting soon. I'm going to run to the restroom real fast. Can you save my seat?"

"Of course, sweetheart," you coo, already covering her seat with your bag. You smile fondly after her retreating figure when Taehyung suddenly grabs you by the shoulder.

"___," he hisses at you in a low tone, "Why didn't you tell me that we were meeting up with your friend?"

"Huh? I mentioned it several times, actually!"

"Ok, maybe, but you didn't say that she was this cute!"

"Wait, what happened with Hoseok?" you ask in amusement.

"He's hot, I'll give him that," Taehyung begrudgingly admits, "But even I can acknowledge a lost cause when I see one."

"What do you mean by that?" you frown.

Taehyung shoots you a wry look, "Come on, we both saw the way he was looking at you," he says, "It's obvious that he'll never look at me that way, so why bother trying? It's pointless to chase after someone who will never reciprocate."

It feels like an unpleasant weight has dropped to the pit of your stomach as you process his words. You swallow tightly and break eye contact, "Yeah, you're right," you gruffly say, "So now it's Yerin?"

"Yes, she's so pretty and sweet, I thought my heart would burst!" he dramatically exclaims, "And if you would've just let me know in advance, like a good friend, I could've worn my gucci!"

"Wait, who said we were friends?" you deadpan.

He ignores you, "Why couldn't you have been a bud and told me to wear my new gucci loafers?!"

"Because they're ugly as hell," you inform him, "And besides, why do you care? Do you wanna date my baby or something?"

He cowers under your sudden death glare, perfectly aware of how overprotective you are of your girlfriends. Namjoon made the mistake of asking you for Mijoo's number last semester and you nearly roasted him alive. "Um… maybe…? I mean… no? I don't know!"

"Okay."

"I didn't mean it like that!" Taehyung cries out in fear, before your response finally settles in, "Wait… what did you say?"

You shrug, "If you want her number or something, I'll give it to you later… With her permission, of course."

Taehyung warily peeks at you through his fingers, "Wait… are you really offering to help set us up? Me with your precious baby?"

"Well, this isn't the damn feudal era. It's not like I can sell her for three cows… Although that would be nice…"

"You know what I meant!" He exclaims, "You'd be okay with it?"

You simply shrug again, "Yeah, why not? You're a pretty okay guy."

"Wow, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me!" he exclaims in genuine delight.

You smile at his reaction, "It's true though. You're not as bad as the rest of them. I can trust you to treat my dearest Yerin well."

Taehyung cocks his head to the side in confusion over your cryptic words, but before he can question you, Yerin comes bouncing back, "Ooh guys, look! The game is just about to start!" she says, excitedly gesturing towards the field.

At that, your face hardens, "Look at that stupid smug dumbass brat," you mutter darkly under your breath as Jungkook walks out on the field with his teammates, "Coconut bitch."

Yerin glances over at you in concern, "Are you alright?"

You simply grunt as you dig out a notepad and a pen from your bag, "Yup. Just peachy…"

"Haha. Look at that clumsy fool," you snicker as Jungkook has the ball stolen from him for the umpteenth time.

Both Yerin and Taehyung look at you in surprise, "Why are you being so mean?"

"Yeah, whose side are you on anyways?" Taehyung adds, indignant.

"Oh please," you say with a roll of your eyes, "This big baby can handle a bit of my teasing. He's doing so well already. So whatever."

Yerin frowns in confusion, "___, what are you talking about? He's made so many mistakes today."

"Yeah, look at him," Taehyung says, pointing down at where Jungkook is streaking across the field, ball in possession, "He's really fucking up bad today."

"No way, he's by far the fastest. See, look at him run!"

Both of them turn to look at you at the same time, "Do you even know the rules of soccer?" Yerin murmurs in disbelief.

"___, he's been off-sides like six times now," Taehyung adds.

"What, is that like a bad thing?"

"…Why are you the sports reporter again?"

"Wait… so he's not supposed to run like that?"

Taehyung narrowly resists the urge to smack himself in the forehead, "No! He can't pass the last defender on the other team, or the ball goes back to the opponents. And he's missed most of Hoseok's passes… This is really bad."

"Oh shit…" you curse under your breath, brow furrowing as you finally realize the severity of the situation, "And this is such an important game… There are recruiters attending…"

"Wait, what?"

"Nothing!" you quickly say, turning your attention back to the game. Now that you're aware of the rules, you can confirm that Jungkook really isn't playing his best… And even from your distance up in the stands, you notice his frustration in the stiffness and the hard line of his jaw. You glance back at the scoreboard and your chest tightens when you realize that they're down by one goal… Jungkook and his team can still catch up, and he can still impress the recruiters, right?

Stressed beyond belief, you gnaw your bottom lip and sit straighter in your seat as you anxiously focus in on the game.

Half an hour later and the two teams are finally tied. Unfortunately, it's no thanks to Jungkook. He misses both of his shots to the goal, and not a single one of them are anywhere close. Luckily, Hoseok steals away the ball at around the 75-minute mark and manages to impressively dribble the ball all the way from midfield into the goal, sliding past nearly four different defenders. It ties the game, and then they advance to the free kick.

The tension is at an all-time high in the stadium. As unfamiliar with the game as you are, you find yourself biting your nails as you anxiously watch the action below. Losing a coin flip, the opposing team begins first. And the whole arena erupts into mutual groans of disappointment when the first kicker easily makes it past the goalie.

Then, it's your team's turn. Hoseok, as the team captain, starts off as the first of the five players from his team for the free kick. The talented redhead stops in front of the goal, carefully planting the ball in place before appraising the other team's goalie. There's a moment of silence as he knits his brow in concentration. Then, quicker than the eye can perceive, he suddenly jumps into action. The ball is neatly at the back of the net by the time anyone notices what happened.

As though of one mind, the entire stadium bursts into cheers. But you can't bring yourself to feel at ease until the next two opponent's players miss and your team scores again. The score is now 2-1 and you slump a little in relief, smiling at Yerin as she turns to reassuringly squeeze your shoulder. You force the negative thoughts out of your mind as you watch the remainder of the free kicks with a lightened heart… Until the next two players on your team miss… and the opposing team makes the last shot…

You're now trailing 2-3. Your team has to make another goal just to tie with the opposing team and enter the sudden death round. The arena seems to quiet with apprehension and everyone around you in the crowd begins to murmur prayers under their breath. You're right there with them, chest tight and sweat beading at your forehead as you clasp your hands together tightly and pray for a miracle.

It seems as though your prayers are answered for at that moment, your salvation arrives in the form of Jeon Jungkook strolling across the field as the last kicker. It feels as though the entire stadium heaves a sigh of relief. This is everyone's beloved idol—the highest scorer in the entire district and the superstar leading the school to victory for the first time in decades. As long as you have Jungkook, you're fine. You're all in good hands.

You exhale deeply as you lean back in your seat, consciously unclenched your balled-up fists. Everything is going to be fine.

Everyone is visibly relaxed as Jungkook sets up the ball in front of the goalie and carefully takes three long strides back. He might not have been playing his best this game, but this is Jeon Jungkook. He can't do any wrong.

Jungkook visibly sucks a deep breath through his teeth down on the field, then lightly jogs the one, two, three steps to the ball. His foot meets the ball in a loud punch that echoes throughout the eerily silent stadium…

Followed by a metallic clink as the ball promptly smashes against the post, flying far away from the goal. There's a moment of hushed disbelief in the stadium. Then, the opposing team promptly bursts into rowdy cheers. You watch in stunned silence as the boys happily hoist each other up and rip off their shirts in celebration.

Then your eyes dart back down to where the players on your school's team half-heartedly pat each other on the back and congratulate the winning team. You turn to Yerin and Taehyung with wide eyes.

"What the hell just happened?"

"Hey guys, let's go to the back and talk to the team," Taehyung suggests when the three of you finally recover from the shock to begin trickling out of the arena.

"Isn't that a bit weird?" You say, balking at the very thought.

"No, that sounds like a great idea!" Yerin pipes up, eyes shining at the idea of meeting all those athletes, "___, can we please go?"

"Ah, I don't know. Shouldn't we give them a bit of space?" you hesitate.

"I think it'll be good for us to give them a bit of support after that upset," Taehyung argues, "Don't you think it'll be a nice thing to do?"

"Yeah, please ___?" Yerin is practically whining at this point, "We really should go! You can even curse out Jungkook or whatever you want there."

You purse your lips into a thin line, but can't help but begrudgingly agree, "Fine," you grit out, "Let's just get this over with."

Moments later, the three of you stream down the hall where the home team exited the field from. Your stomach flips at the sight of Jungkook leaning against the wall, talking to a few girls who you recognize from your sorority.

Yerin notices you hesitating in the hallway and slips her arm into yours, "What's wrong, ___? Let's go talk to him."

But you shake your head, strangely discomforted by the whole situation, "Nah. I'm not feeling well. I'll wait for you guys outside."

Taehyung looks a bit perplexed, but Yerin is too excited to stop and question you, "Okay, we won't take long."

And with that the two of them happily jog away to greet Jungkook and the sorority sisters. You freeze when the tall redhead in the group turns, revealing herself as Hyejin. Surprised, you instantly duck behind the door to peek at them from a distance. You've gotten into enough trouble with your sorority sister over the past few weeks, and you don't want her to think that you're trying to steal Jungkook or anything ridiculous like that… again.

From down the hall, you can hear their conversation as clear as day. It's really just frivolous, with the sorority girls whining over the unfairness of the game and Taehyung patting Jungkook on the back and telling him there will be other games. Yerin is a little better.

"You played well, Jungkook," she tells him with the sweetest of smiles.

"Not that well," he says with a humorless laugh, "I kinda fucked up the game for everyone."

This is met with a chorus of protests from the entourage surrounding him, "No way!" Taehyung exclaims in horror.

"This was like no big deal!" Hyejin adds, "You really can't blame yourself!"

"Yeah, it was just a bad day," her friend says.

Jungkook smiles the entire time, but you know him well enough to see that the smile doesn't reach his eyes, "Thanks guys," he says, "But you should go on in and say hi to the other members. They'd really appreciate it."

The group mumbles their assent before they begin filing into the building. But Hyejin pauses by the door when she notices Jungkook still lingering in the hall, "Are you coming, honey?"

He offers her a tight smile, "I'll catch up."

"Alright, but don't keep me waiting too long," the beautiful redhead grins, and with a flirty wave of her hand, she disappears into the building.

As soon as she's gone, Jungkook crumples against the wall, head held in his hands. It's such a shocking 180-degree change that you're unsure what to do. Unlike how he looked during the game, dominating the field, he's practically curled up into his dirty, wrinkled uniform now. He looks so damn broken, just leaning against the cement as though his body will no longer support his weight. You've never see the bigger-than-life star athlete look so small before. And it breaks your heart.

You know more than anyone else what this means to him. Jungkook isn't the type to talk about his emotions that easily. And the fact that he told you about his worries and how important this was to him… The recruiters were there today. And he fucked up in front of all of them.

As though possessed, you find yourself stumbling forward into the hallway. The logical part of your mind curses you for this mystifying behavior. What are you even doing? This is clearly an uncomfortable situation for the both of you. And now he's going to know that you were eavesdropping on him like some kind of stalker… You really should've just left when you had the chance… But now it's too late and Jungkook has noticed your approach.

It's striking how he instantly tenses up when he recognizes you. It's so different from the friendly greeting he offered Yerin and the others, the way he eyes you with cold distrust. His jaw tightens and his hands subconsciously ball into fists, as though he's anticipating a fight.

"___," he murmurs your name in a dark voice, "Listen, I really don't have the time for this. Can we talk about this tomorrow or something?"

It suddenly occurs to you that he thinks that you're talking about the creative writing project… That you're here to scold him and make him feel worse, even in his vulnerable state.

You stand there for a tense second that stretches on for what feels like forever, helpless but to stare at him while he watches you back with guarded, suspicious eyes. And then you move forward again.

Jungkook exhales in frustration as he realizes that you're not letting up, "Okay fine, I'm sorry, alright? I am a disgusting fucking bastard and you have every right to—oh," he grunts in surprise when you suddenly spring forward to grab him.

He stiffens under your unexpected aggression, as though expecting an actual attack, and it takes him a long three seconds to realize that you're not actually hitting him… You're… you're embracing him.

More confused than he's ever been in his life, he nevertheless lowers his fists back to his sides and slowly unclenches them so that he can awkwardly pat your back. When have you ever willingly hugged him like this? It's so strange that Jungkook doesn't know what to do with himself.

"___?" he calls out your name in a quiet voice, "What are you doing?"

But you ignore him and bury your face in his chest as you cling onto him harder. He smells like sweat and the dirty grass of the field. But underneath it all, he still smells like Jungkook. And you delve your nose deeper, seeking out that familiar scent.

There's a moment of strained silence.

Then, Jungkook slowly relaxes, inch by inch, into your tight embrace. Still bewildered beyond belief, he nevertheless wraps his arms around your shoulders and pulls you more comfortably against him. You're so relieved that he hasn't pushed you away like you expected that you push in closer towards him. Soon, the two of you are so intertwined that you can hear the hard pitter-patter of his heart as it beats against his ribcage, inches from your face. You're so close to him that you can feel his every breath and the way the air empties and fills his lungs in a never-ending cycle like rhythmic waves beating against the shore.

He disintegrates further after a minute of this, muscles loosening and whole body growing slack as he rests his head heavily on top of yours. He's taller than you, and has his arms surrounding your figure while you can only cling to his waist. But still, it's obvious that you are the one holding him, and not the other way around.

Another minute, and he has all but melted into you, body bending like putty under your touch. He's clinging onto you at this point, desperate for your warmth as he digs his fingers into the fabric of your clothing and presses you hard against his heart. You allow him to, eagerly allowing him any comfort you can give as you tighten your hold around his waist and simply breathe him in.

It's impossible to tell how long you stand there in the cold alleyway, allowing Jungkook to hold onto you with such raw desperation that it's contagious. You clutch onto him in return, stroking your hands gently over the tensed expanse of his back and soothing him over your unspoken words of comfort. Words that would instantly break the spell if voiced out loud.

He holds you like a man drowning, and you're the life preserver. He holds you like you're a precious treasure that he will never let go. You can't remember the last time you've been touched like this—if you ever have, that is—and his pain seeps from his skin into yours until you can't tell what's his and what's yours.

For this moment in time… in this dirty, forlorn alleyway, the two of you have reached a tacit understanding that transcends the need for words. For this moment in time, you have melded into a single entity, connected by one beating heart. You can't feel the wintry air whipping in your face or the discomfort of his filthy uniform staining your clean clothes. You can't feel anything but the heat of his body against yours, the feeling washing away every other sensation.

There is something tying you to him in ways you can't explain. But you know he feels it too.

But then, you hear the sound of footsteps beyond the closed door.

You break from Jungkook's hold so quickly that you nearly send the both of you flying. Somehow, you're more paranoid about being caught in this seemingly platonic embrace than you would in an illicit affair. For indescribable reasons, this feels more intimate. Your heart pounding in your chest, you rapidly turn on your heel to flee for your life.

"Wait!" Jungkook calls out in surprise, "___, where are you going?"

But at that moment, a group of people come streaming out of the building, "Oh, Jungkook? What are you still doing here?"

"Yeah, it's really cold out here," Hyejin says, cutely reaching over to grab at Jungkook's arm, "Let's go inside."

Still, he hesitates, trying to peer around the corner for you, but you're long gone, "Okay," he agrees. He has no idea what the fuck just happened in this alleyway. He's still reeling from the experience, and trying his best not to feel disappointed by the fact that you didn't even look back.

With a forced smile, he follows them back into the building. Because they're right. It is quite cold outside… now that you're gone.

A/N: I’m sorry that the chapter got away from me and became much different than I was originally planning towards the end... But after this terrible week, it was such an emotional catharsis writing this and I hope that you guys can feel the same relief I did when reading it. 

As always, please don’t ask me about updates and Happy Holidays! Take care of yourselves and dress warmly <3 

[captainharunanase]

So I'm a huge Fútbol (Soccer) fan and I just want to gush over it with Sheith.

I have two ideas racing in my mind as I watch each soccer match.

One is where Shiro is the star player from Japan (duh) while Keith is the star player from South Korea (double duh). They learn about each other from the preliminary (where Japan defeated South Korea in a close game) and Shiro, seeing a defeated Keith on the ground, extends his hand out for him and pretty much gives him a, "you were amazing out there, you definitely would have won if I hadn't caught up with you at the end. You have great potential never give up on yourself, Kogane."

Which of course does something in Keith as he takes his hand to get back up and ever since then he's taken it upon himself to learn who this Shirogane guy is and all that jazz.

They meet again in the Round of 16 where their teams are trying to make it through to the Quarterfinals and this time Keith is hella prepared.

South Korea wins through penalties and they advance to the Quarterfinals while Japan gets sent home. Keith is the one that reaches his hand out to Shiro this time and feels a weird sense of defeat 'cause he only made it this far because he wanted to face off against Shiro again not to disqualify his team from advancing.

But Shiro takes his hand and congratulates him with an almost stunned awe, "you really went all out. I could barely keep up. You've gotten so much better since last time, I'm glad you never gave up on yourself. I'll be rooting for you."

Keith, of course, is elated and promises to make it to the finals for Shiro's sake and that leaves Shiro confused and slightly flustered because who goes around promising to win for someone from the other team they defeated? (Enter his disaster gay self trying to recover from the shock)

Keith's team loses against Brazil (hella they do no one can beat my team lmao) and he's dejected that he couldn't keep his promise to Shiro. He's on the ground when he sees a hand reach out for him and when he takes it and looks up it's Shiro--who had been on the stage earlier with the fans before coming down. Keith is stunned thinking Shiro was already home in Japan miles away from Russia (where this World Cup is being held) so he'd surprised to hear Shiro had stayed to watch Keith play and cheered him on from the stands in each game.

Cue in Keith and Shiro becoming best friends with Shiro giving Keith pointers and the two basically flirting in-game every time their team squares off each other 'til the next World Cup.

OR

Two, has both Shiro and Keith as star players from Japan. Keith could be the striker since he is the best player. Shiro would be either the second offensive player or a goalkeeper--Keith is always adamant that Shiro is the best player on the team but Shiro is determined to make Keith see his potential hence why he didn't hesitate to vouch for Keith to be the main player.

Whenever the team plays a game, Keith and Shiro are always in sync. They wordlessly are able to communicate their cues and plans without fault and always manage to pass the ball flawlessly without having to look--knowing the other would be right where they needed to be.

Ah, and while Shiro is the older of the two (having started playing first for a few years before Keith came on board) Keith is always quick to defend Shiro from aggressive players. Keith has no chill for anyone who dares try to harm Shiro in any way possible.

Any time Shiro is pushed to the ground or is tripped up and injured, Keith is on him instantly to check to see if he's hurt and gets extremely pissed off at the other player and sometimes the ref when said ref -doesn't- penalize the asshat. Shiro tends to cool Keith off with a steady hand on his shoulder and the mantra, "Patience Yields Focus."

Keith, when he was younger and later had first started playing on the team, would always get penalized for his aggressive playing and verbal arguments against the other player and even at the refs. If it wasn't for Shiro, Keith sometimes wondered if his life would have been different if he hadn't grown out of that angry phase.

Now he takes his anger out by playing fierce and raw. When Keith has control of the ball he is a force to be reckoned with. Have Shiro injured and forced to be switched out? There would be hell to pay if Keith has any say about it--he makes sure the other team feels his wrath especially if Shiro is on the line.

Now if Shiro is goalkeeper, Keith makes it his personal mission to never let the other team stray too close to their goal to keep Shiro from having to defend for himself. Keith is definitely the player you see angrily shouting at his team to fucking PASS THE BALL WTF NO DON'T LET THEM REACH SHIRO YOU IDIOTS!

I petition the other Paladins to be part of other teams.

Pidge is totally here too pretending to be a boy just so she can play for her brother who got severely injured. She plays for Italy and takes up her brother's Jersey number and is a defense midfielder.

Hunk plays for America and is a fierce goalkeeper and is best friends with Lance. Hunk is the only one so far that discovered Pidge's secret (not that hard really what with Pidge looking just like Matt) but he promised to keep her secret after seeing how determined she is.

Lance hails from Cuba and is a left midfielder but is soon a striker himself after their new coach, Allura--who Lance has a major crush on, decides to switch him for his strong offensive strikes. Allura hadn't warmed up to Lance at first but after his big injury she has seen a unique change in him and has been impressed with his performance since.

Lotor is a striker who plays for England (with his skintone being the same as his mother's for anyone wondering lol). He is not only the best star player and most popular, he is also Allura's ex. Which rubs Lance the wrong way any time he sees Lotor try to vy for Allura's attention. Lance makes it his personal goal to always mess up Lotor's "flawless" plans by intercepting and doing everything (within the bounds of not getting a yellow or red card) to screw Lotor's flow up. Plus seeing a smile on Allura's face when Lance scores a goal is more than worth Lotor's wrath.

Coran is definitely Shiro and Keith's coach. He is random and reckless but he means well. He sometimes comes up with the strangest of strategies but they have faith in him and can count on him when it counts. Coran is also Allura's uncle and will always be caught torn on which team to root for if Japan is up against Cuba.

I have a lot of soccer ideas. I would just love to see the Paladins decked out in soccer gear and wearing the colors of their respective country.

Plus seeing Keith and Shiro embracing each other after every goal and crying together is totally why I watch the games lmao

[tkmedia]

Ten kneejerk reactions to the opening Premier League weekend

The Premier League’s opening weekend lends itself to the hottest takes, such as Southampton’s relegation and a breakout Paul Pogba season. 10) Trevoh Chalobah will be England’s next debutant It is a Crooksism but the tendency to highlight the virtues of a defensive player only when they score is unavoidable and pervasive. Trevoh Chalobah might have broken through that barrier and received due praise regardless but his debut goal against Crystal Palace, combined with the perennial focus on Chelsea’s talent production line, guaranteed glowing column inches and gushing pundit prose. The 22-year-old will not retain a regular starting place beyond the next fortnight or so; Thiago Silva promptly reprises that role upon his return. But Thomas Tuchel has been sufficiently satisfied with Chalobah’s seamless adaptation to this stage and so his foot is in the door. It is only a matter of time before Gareth Southgate revisits interest in a player he called upon to train with the England squad ahead of the 2018 World Cup. The only defenders to make their Three Lions debut since November 2019 are Conor Coady, Reece James, Ben White and Ben Godfrey. There is room for a fresh addition, even as flavour of the month. 9) Brighton will finish in the top half For a moment there it seemed as though Brighton supporters should actually have been careful what they wished for. The safety net provided by Chris Hughton was cast aside for something greater, more meaningful and conducive to growth in 2019. But the transition was not seamless. You can throw a small net over the club’s four Premier League seasons: finishes of 15th, 17th, 15th and 16th, points totals of 40, 36, 41 and 41 and goals scored columns of 34, 35, 39 and 40. Hughton and replacement Graham Potter have opposing tactical ideals but whether the focus was on defence or a more expansive style, Brighton never seemed to move the needle too far. They have won nine games in each of their four Premier League seasons, infuriatingly incapable of breaking through that ceiling. It has been enough to survive each time but the onus is on progression and a comeback win against Burnley is indicative of that. Brighton won one game from behind in the entirety of last campaign: that euphoric first match back in front of fans against Manchester City in May. But this victory was inspired by the manager’s substitutions and the players’ indomitable spirit instead of any fan emotion. Two points separated the Seagulls from Burnley in 2021/22; the gap felt more substantial on Saturday. While their respective levels of investment mean that should be a given, it has rarely been the case in practice. Brighton have valuable players throughout their spine and even the lack of a reliable goalscorer should not prevent them from finally cracking a top half that, beyond an established six or seven teams, has an interchangeable cast. Since 2016, Stoke Burnley, Newcastle, Sheffield United, Wolves and Leeds have all come tenth or higher. There is no guarantee of being able to build from there but Brighton have the foundations in place for something tangible. 8) Burnley and Southampton will be relegated The numbers are rough estimates but they tell a story that can be spun in two different ways. Either Burnley and Southampton have mastered the art of shopping for own-brand items and living on a stricter diet than most, or theirs is the sort of inherent tightrope gamble that many clubs accept to live within their means. Four current Premier League clubs have a net spend of £50m or lower over the past five seasons; the Clarets and Saints have been top-flight sides throughout that period, unlike Brentford and Watford. It already feels as though Burnley and Southampton might have struggled to strike that balance this season. The former have infused the squad with as little fresh talent as possible in recent years. Jay Rodriguez was the latest signing in the starting XI that fell to Brighton; he joined in July 2019. Sean Dyche otherwise named four players he bought in 2017, three purchases from 2016, an addition each from June 2015 and January 2012 and academy graduate Dwight McNeil. ALK Capital do not seem to have opened any recruitment doors. That is still an upgrade on the apparent asset-stripping occurring on the coast as Southampton have sold their top scorer and best centre-half in the same summer that they lost one of their most senior players. Danny Ings, Jannik Vestergaard and Ryan Bertrand will be difficult to replace and Ralph Hasenhuttl was already working close to the edge in terms of depth at times last season. He and Dyche are talented coaches but those tides will be tough to fight without a paddle.

7) Brentford and Watford will be fine Norwich understandably struggled to carry their share of a historic weight as the three promoted clubs almost all won their opening Premier League fixture for the first time. The Canaries might justifiably point to the standard of respective opposition as to why they could not quite emulate the feats of Brentford or Watford, who both displayed their top-flight credentials in different but similarly stinging circumstances. The Bees were phenomenal against Arsenal – organised, fluid and uninhibited by their relative lack of experience. The Hornets stunned a supposed European hopeful in Aston Villa, overwhelming their visitors and possessing the sort of individual brilliance that can be harnessed to immense danger in the right team dynamic. The chasm between the Championship and Premier League can be bridged with patience, foresight and investment, especially if the top flight already contains a few sides clinging on to that status through reputation and longevity alone instead of proper planning and vision. Brentford particular seem more suited to this level; Watford have plenty more capacity to surprise. 6) Everton will qualify for Europe Many clubs, if not most, had more impactful and outwardly impressive transfer windows. Few were quite as focused, specific and tailored to the existing strengths of the squad in question. Rafael Benitez had a budget imposed upon him through the mismanagement and financial excess of his predecessors. He identified an area for improvement and acted on it within the constraints placed upon him. Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray were cost-efficient purchases for rivals to scoff at and some Everton supporters to lobby against, but it is always better to spend £1.7m on necessary signings who have an obvious place rather than much more on luxury buys who do not. The results were immediate. Southampton were put to the sword and the cross as Goodison Park witnessed an aerial bombardment designed to exploit the new Dominic Calvert-Lewin meta. Richarlison should excel by his side and Alex Iwobi even embraced the challenge, while Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure will compete with most midfields and the defence is solid enough even without Benitez’s more conservative and pragmatic stylings offering a little more protection. He feels a more natural fit with these players, if not the supporters just yet. 5) Liverpool don’t need more signings It will never be accepted. Standing still is moving backwards, particularly when the only two clubs definitively expected to do better have either broken the British transfer record or have edged remarkably close to the new mark. Manchester City will keep trying to unite Harry Kane with Jack Grealish and Chelsea should be forgiven for relishing the arrival of Romelu Lukaku. Liverpool have instead quenched the never-ending thirst for signings – and reacted to a recent defensive injury crisis – with £36m fourth-choice centre-half Ibrahima Konate. Every other advance has been to write out a spate of new contracts for the existing squad. That will never appease sections of the fanbase or a media built on transfer rumours but it makes sense in this context. If Liverpool can avoid such a freakish cluster of concurrent injuries then there is no issue in the squad that requires an imported solution: the starting defence is sensational and every position has at least one solid back-up; Georginio Wijnaldum is a significant loss but one outcome of Curtis Jones developing, Naby Keita emerging, Thiago acclimatising or Fabinho adjusting seems likely; Mo Salah can carry that attack with Harvey Elliott and Takumi Minamino as possible wildcards now Diogo Jota is fit enough to provide serious competition and variation. The collective mood and mentality seems genuinely more important to Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool than to most other managers and teams and it is worth trying to continue fostering that instead of risking friction with too many new faces in an established set-up.

4) Tottenham will finish in the top four Newcastle finished third when Andy Cole won the Golden Boot and set up the most goals in the 1993/94 season. Kevin Keegan was defending his sale to furious supporters on the steps of St James’ Park 18 months later. Harry Kane became the only other man to ever lead the division for goals and assists outright last campaign. Perhaps Daniel Levy will soon be inviting beleaguered fans to a newly-instated VIP cheese room to explain his reasoning for finally letting the club’s prize asset go. Beating Manchester City has not quelled talk of Kane’s departure. It has had rather the opposite effect. But lost in the renewed clamour to smuggle England’s captain to the Etihad was a professional, dedicated, organised performance from his teammates to overcome the Premier League champions in north London. Nuno Espirito Santo engineered victory with neither Cristian Romero nor Bryan Gil starting, the new coach instead dusting down a squad that had been marginalised and misused, finding treasure in another man’s trash: Japhet Tanganga, Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier, Dele Alli, Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn were considered expendable yet each have a role to play in a quietly exciting future. Add Kane to that mix once the distractions are removed with the closure of the transfer window and Tottenham are suddenly a genuine force again, even without their actual best player. Erik Lamela is in a better place now. 3) Aston Villa and Jack Grealish will both be worse off This is not to say Aston Villa will be relegated and Jack Grealish will be a catastrophically bad signing for Manchester City. The one thing Dean Smith could not buy to replace his talisman was time and it will take plenty for a new attack to gel, for players to adjust to not giving the ball and the responsibility to their captain. And Pep Guardiola’s ideal and meticulous instructions cannot be absorbed after a few training sessions; Grealish will find his role in the team and calibrate, just as long as he absolutely does not become a two-time Premier League winner and Champions League finalist who regularly scores and assists. That would be awful. But the grass will be greener for neither. Villa handled the situation impeccably, putting a contractual escape route in place, insisting it be met instead of courting any sort of saga, signing numerous fine players to share the workload even before he left and clearly explaining each thought process to the fans. That does not change how vast a hole Grealish has left and how much it has irrevocably altered the entire team dynamic. Villa have reiterated that they were 18 months behind in terms of where they would have needed to be in their project to keep their crown jewel; this will set them back much further before they find the right track again. As for Manchester City, they signed a phenomenal player but not one they necessarily needed. He will do well enough – win trophies, score goals, win free-kicks – but offers only a brilliant variation to what they already had rather than a legitimate alternative. His honours list will benefit but his light will be that little bit dimmer. It’s not a bad personal trade-off, in fairness. 2) Paul Pogba will be named PFA Player of the Year He could have done more. The blame for five underwhelming and inconsistent seasons has to be apportioned appropriately and one of the bigger slices belongs to Paul Pogba himself. It has not been a question of attitude or application, rather an inability to bring the best out of less talented teammates. He lowered his own level more often than he raised that of those around him. Anyone expecting the Frenchman to single-handedly drag Manchester United to glory had misunderstood his career to that point – and some are still wilfully obtuse in that regard. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has built a platform and is happy for Pogba to stand upon it as long as he has him. Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire and Edinson Cavani improved the collective standard; Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane will hope to do the same. A Pogba unencumbered with that weight of individual expectation is free to express and enjoy himself. “Manchester United need one outstanding season from Paul Pogba because he’s going to leave next summer,” was Gary Neville’s belief and whether the midfielder extends his deal at Old Trafford or not, he finally has the sort of worthy team he was promised in 2016. One year of his French national team alter ego is better than nothing at all. 1) Mikel Arteta will be the first manager to go The process is a whole lot harder to trust when a newly promoted team with vastly inexperienced players and a manager in only his second senior role seems so much further ahead in theirs. What Brentford lack in history, prestige, transfer fees and wages, they made up for in a performance that thoroughly and painfully explored Arsenal’s limitations. It was not about the bounce of supporters being back, the novelty of top-flight football or the brightness of those Friday night lights. Brentford beat Arsenal because they were better in preparation and execution. That run of form from Boxing Day onwards spared Mikel Arteta. Only the Manchester clubs earned more Premier League points from December 26 to the end of the season and a five-game winning streak to close the campaign was the longest the Gunners had managed since October 2018. It offered an illusion of progress that has been almost immediately undermined as soon as the pressure was back. There is a lack of confidence on the pitch and seemingly an absence of clarity off it. Chelsea and Manchester City await before the international break and it could genuinely be worth changing tack then if things have not significantly improved. Arteta might not be the problem but he certainly does not appear to have the solution.

Read the full article

[thisissoccer]

us vs canada soccer 2021

The United States men’s national team closed out the group stage of the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 1-0 win against Canada. While it was indeed a rather dreary affair, the USMNT walked away with the result. While the team had already qualified to the knockout stages, this victory let the MNT win the group (anything less and Canada would have won the group, whether outright or through tie-breakers).

This game represented the first really significant test for a rather green group of American players. Yeah, neither Canada nor the MNT needed to win this one to advance to the knockout stages, but with second place likely to eventually face Mexico in the semifinals, both teams wanted to win this. And, while Canada was missing a handful of notable names, namely Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, this was still a pretty talented group. At the very least, the players are comparably matched to this version of the MNT, perhaps even slightly ahead. And that made this match up the perfect test to see how if this group of players can play at a higher level than was offered up in the previous two games against Haiti and Martinique and who should stay in consideration for the full senior team.

With that said, here’s what we learned:

Game States Matter In the tactical analysis for the Nation’s League semifinal against Honduras, I pissed a lot of people off by declaring that the performance was GOOD ENOUGH. The same sentiment applies here. The USMNT was GOOD ENOUGH against Canada. It wasn’t fun, it wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t what we hoped for, but it was GOOD ENOUGH. The team walked away with a win, and that’s what’s important.

There were two big moments that dictated how this game played out. The goal was, quite obviously, one of them.

Within thirty seconds, the USMNT took the lead. That means we have to analyze essentially 90 minutes with that context. Because of that early goal, the mindset of the team had to switch from “How do we win this game?” to “How do we keep this lead?”. And those questions lead to very different responses.

At 0-0, there’s a balance where a team needs to balance their priorities between scoring and defending. When you have the lead, that shifts so that defending becomes more important than scoring. Racking up goals is nice, but if you concede, you are no longer winning. On the other hand, the opposing team, the losing team, needs to get a goal. The difference between a 1-0 and 1-1 game is huge (in this case, that would have let Canada win the group), but the difference for a losing team of 1-0 and 2-0 isn’t quite so significant. Losing by more sucks, but not-losing is just worth way, way more, such that is justifies taking more risks and playing more aggressively.

Given those incentives, we can, in a game between two comparable opponents, expect the team with the early lead to sit back and seek to limit the number and quality of attacking opportunities, while the team that was behind would seek to try and control more of the game to have more opportunities and try and get back in it. The context for the USMNT demanded an effective defensive performance. And that’s what we got.

Canada led in possession, and they led in shots. But the USMNT managed Canada’s chances such that the Canadians couldn’t get any truly good opportunities. The USMNT led, not just in goals, but expected goals, 0.92-0.65, indicating that the US was both better at making high quality chances and better at limiting Canada’s. When I say that the US was good enough, I’m not making a blithe statement about the result. This wasn’t the kind of game where a team gets an opportunistic goal and is lucky not to concede three or four goals. No, the USMNT didn’t get lucky. When I say that the USMNT was good enough, I mean that they decisions and plays that they made were effective on the day.

I think USMNT fans are really anxious to see the national team crush teams that they otherwise don’t really respect. I think fans should treat these teams with more respect — soccer is hard — but I think the impulse to demand higher things from the USMNT is a good one. But we shouldn’t let our anxieties obscure what are effective performances and good results. I know a lot of people want to see thrilling soccer, with the team driving up the score, and, frankly, I do, too. But I think it is more important and more rewarding to see the MNT progress by beating more teams. By beating better teams. Honestly, I don’t really mind that the USMNT’s performance vs. Canada was merely good enough. That win vs. Honduras was merely good enough, but then we went and beat Mexico in an exhilarating final. Hopefully, this good-enough display vs. Canada is the same, that it leads to the team raising their level and beating the next team.

You Like my New Look? You know how Gregg Berhalter’s got his whole system, this whole thing where, no matter who’s on the roster, the team comes out and plays the same formation and tries to play the same way? Yeah... Berhalter’s trotted out a different starting formation in each of the three group stage games. Against Haiti, the team started in a 4-3-3. Against Martinique, it was a 3-4-3. And against Canada, the team started out in a 3-5-2.

Some of this mix-and-matching is to be expected. Berhalter called in a rather lopsided roster and doesn’t really have much choice. But I think it still highlights how disconnected the stereotype of Berhalter as this inflexible coach really is. Yeah, there’s a preferred style of play, one that, after two years of players getting used to, is leading to results with the A team. But when presented with a limited roster in competitive matches, Berhalter’s made adjustments. He’s twice beaten Canada in competitive matches by having the team sit back (those matches proved to be both the starting and ending points for a string of victories for Canada against CONCACAF opponents).

However, this game got a bit more weird than just a new starting line-up. Earlier, I mentioned that there were a few really defining moments in this match. The goal was the first, and the second were the pair of substitutions for Walker Zimmerman and Ayo Akinola for the US and Canada respectively.

As it turned out, losing Zimmerman to injury and swapping in Donovan Pines represented a steep drop in quality. Zimmerman is just both a better defender and a better passer. As a result, the team had to compensate, dropping deeper to both better screen the backline and to try and connect the defense with midfield. In turn, bringing Osorio on for Canada, coupled with Tajon Buchanan and Richie Laryea swapping sides, allowed Canada to have much more control of the game.

To compensate, we saw Sands step out into midfield more. In effect, this created a 4-4-2, which you can see with this first half pass-map that I got during the game from MLS’s match stat page.

The map’s a little bit wonky because it still lists Zimmerman in there, but I think it still shows how weird some of the positions are, particularly for James Sands and Gianluca Busio. Sands is in front of the backline like a defensive midfielder, while Busio, the ostensible d-mid, is up with the strikers like an attacking mid. When we look at Sands’ touches, we see that, yeah, he’s quite often sitting in front of the defense.

Ok, so we’ve got a 4-4-2 here. How did that play? In general, the midfield looked something like a diamond, with Sands staying back, Busio running all over the place, and the fullbacks providing width. Dike would try and tuck into midfield, providing an outlet to hold the ball and allow the other players to advance.

In general, I would say that the 4-4-2 did not work. While Moore played high up the field, Vines was needed for cover in the back. This made the team lopsided towards the right in possession. While Sands and Robinson were generally tidy, Pines proved to be far more uncomfortable in his passing. It didn’t help that Busio didn’t stick to any clear position, while Acosta had a dud of a match. Finally, the strikers were really quite ineffective. With the team failing to hold possession and unable to advance up the field, Zardes was left disconnected. While Zardes didn’t so much as get a chance to show in the match, Dike kind of squandered his chances. He was really poor while trying to hold up the ball, frequently playing bad touches and making miscues. While Dike effectively used his physicality to dominate over the Martinique defenders, the Canadian defenders seemed much better prepared to handle him.

Mind you, this 4-4-2 was an adaptation of the starting line up. It was supposed to be a 3-5-2, and that helps explain why it was so janky. But I think it really illustrates one of the big problems with three-center back systems. You have to take someone from either the midfield or the attack to slot in an extra center back. Normally, the USMNT plays with one striker and two wingers, with three in midfield. With a 3-5-2, we swapped out both wingers, getting one striker and one center back. With the 4-4-2, we pushed one of those center backs in midfield. On the next, that’s still one less attacking player. This shouldn’t be taken as a knock against Sands — he was dominant on the night, one of the best players for the USMNT. But part of that midfield dysfunction, along with individual subpar performances, is simply because there’s not the right mix of defensive, offensive, and transitionary players.

Dual of the Fates For me, the biggest takeaway on the night actually didn’t show up on the scoreline, nor even with the USMNT’s lineup. You’ve got to look at Canada for the biggest story.

Ayo Akinola started his first game for Canada. Unfortunately, he had an injury in the first half and had to be subbed off, but his starting is a big deal. You might remember, Akinola actually played for the USMNT back in December, even scoring a goal. Akinola was eligible both for the US and for Canada and, while he appeared in that friendly, he has since decided that he will represent Canada. His earlier appearance in the Gold Cup cap-tied him and he is no longer eligible for the USMNT.

I wrote about the USMNT’s approach to dual nationals back in February. The piece was very positive, but it had a warning.

As of late, dual national decisions have gone in the USMNT’s favor. To the best of my ability, I can’t think of a single high-profile case where a player decided to leave the US program in the last two years. That kind of a streak is not going to last. I mentioned in the previous article that Berhalter’s played almost 70 different players. And not all of those players are going to have robust futures with the national team. ... maybe Ayo Akinola decides his heart lies with Canada. Not everyone is going to stick around; that’s just how it works.

Not everyone eligible for the USMNT is going to pan out with the program. And, in this case, Akinola went with Canada. Frankly, that’s good for him. I wish he stuck with the USMNT, but I do not begrudge him for this choice, and may his career be long and successful.

But it’s not just Akinola who the US has recently lost out on. Efraín Álvarez went with Mexico, while Alex Roldan (the brother to Cristian Roldan on the USMNT roster) is balling with El Salvador. All of these players are Americans. We have hit the point where American dual nationals are playing, not just for the USMNT, but for the other federations as well. Indeed, El Salvador had SIX American players fielded last night against Mexico, along with Hugo Pérez, himself a retired USMNT player of Salvadoran decent.

Having so many Americans playing for different national teams is a clear sign of the game in this country. But it’s also a warning that the soccer community and national team program needs to be open and vigilant about recruiting dual nationals within the country and within the federation. The other nations are scouting us. If we are not proactive about expanding programs and reaching out to these players, players already in our country, we will miss out on talent.

But this isn’t just limited to Americans. Canada didn’t merely have Akinola on the line up. They had, by my count, 6 dual nationals in the starting line up, coming from a range of different nations. We see it from the Central American teams. We’ve already talked about El Salvador, but on Costa Rica, there’s also Ariel Lassiter, an American. The Caribbean nations have a strong history of recruiting and we see that here with Haiti and Jamaica. Indeed, even the likes of Mexico, traditionally hold-outs for incorporating dual nationals to the national team, are starting games. While Álvarez didn’t start, the Funes Mori, who was born in Argentina, did. CONCACAF is getting more diverse. That’s going to make teams better, more dynamic, and more varied.

Closing Thoughts James Sands stands out as the big winner from this group stage. He’s been cool, calm, and effective through all the matches. The fact that he can play in defense and in midfield is a big plus. He’s tidy and defensively sound in midfield, which makes him a good candidate to serve as Tyler Adams’ understudy.

Miles Robinson has also consistently been solid. Up until now, we haven’t been able to get a prolonged run with him on the national team due to injuries and scheduling, but now that he’s here, he looks the part.

On the other hand, Pines looks out of his depth. I just think this is a level too high for him. That said, the USMNT suddenly looks quite good at center back. We’ve got Sands and Robinson currently in camp, along with Zimmerman. They join Brooks, McKenzie, and Miazga (who all featured in the Nations League camp) on the depth chart. We can add Richards and Long as well, at least in the long-term. That’s eight players before we get into more fringe options like Palmer-Brown and Carter-Vickers.

Vines had a solid defensive performance. After a very “meh” performance v. Haiti, Vines came back and showed defensive fortitude. He certainly looked more solid right now than George Bello, who looked a bit lost at times vs. Martinique.

The current roster has a midfield problem. There’s going to be a lot made out about Busio’s poor display. He looked like he didn’t know where to play, which tracks for a 19 year old who hasn’t had a consistent spot in midfield. On top of that, there’s a physicality issue, with Busio not challenging against Martinique or Canada. But that’s not a problem limited to just him:

Berhalter needs to figure out how to get some physical dynamism in that midfield. Right now, it doesn’t look like there’s a clear option, though Sands may be solution.

Speaking of Busio,

Just awaiting final signed docs and player medical. @SportingKC agreed to the following; $10.5m-11m range between transfer and incentives for @gbusio13 with Venezia. Should be finalized by mid-week according to a source close to the player. #SportingKC #MLS

— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) July 18, 2021 It looks like some were a bit too quick to declare Dike as the number 1 striker after the Martinique game. Against Canada, Dike looked like a player who’s barely played with the ball at his feet for the last six months. Which is basically what happened at Barnsley, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Dike needs to work on being more well-rounded, particularly with his passing and his touch. Right now, I think Sargent offers that more well-rounded play, even though we haven’t seen too many of the goals. Getting good transfers will be important for both of them.

Gold Cup 2021: USA-Canada The whistle sounds in Kansas and Shaq Moore's goal after 26 seconds is enough for the USNMT to top Group B

Late corner for Canada with Osorio to take.... Poor hit from the Canadian as the US break and the men n white recover the ball with Lucas Cavallini getting a shot off but the ball is straight at Turner.

We're into added time, 5 minutes will be added but it looks like the US will top the group with Canada having to settle for second place

The AT&T stadium in Arlington Texas is set to host the quarter-final involving both these sides on 25 July. Costa Rica or Jamaica await in the next stage.

Five minutes remain in Kansas as Canada continue to probe but struggling to break down a very well organized US rear-guard.

The US currently playing with ten men as Dike continues to get treatment.

Daryl Dike is now being treated by the US medical team as he seems to have fallen badly and damaged his collar bone

The US are sitting deep and inviting pressure from Canada who despite their neat build-up play have still yet to go close to scoring as Buchanan goes close and sees his shot drift wide of Turner's post.

18,467 is the attendance for this evening's game in Kansas City.

Subs for the US: Yueill and Hoppe on for Busio and Zardes.

We're back underway in Kansas City as Canada make two changes:  Hoilett and Piette are off with Kaye and Pasher the changes.

The 1000th Gold Cup goal has just been scored in Frisco !

Water break time at the Children's Mercy Park as 20' remain on the clock.

Lucas Cavallini has looked bright since coming on and the former Naconal man is clipped close to the box and Canada earn a free-kick. The ball drifts in and eventually the US side clear the danger.

US still ahead in possession but Canada look like the side with more drive and initiative currently as they search for the equalizer that would see them advance as group leaders should the game end tied

Piette does well for Canada beating two men in red and clue but lacks composure with the resulting shot and drives the ball high and wide.

Buchannan fouls Vines and the US win a dangerous freekick close to the by-line. Sebastian Lletget takes and swings the ball in but Canada stopper Crepeau does well to snatch the ball.

Another change for the US as goalscorer Moore leaves the action with Boavista's Reggie Cannon his replacement

Cyle Larin is the next player to have developed a problem as the Besiktas man limps from the pitch and looks to be in trouble. Lucas Cavallini set to replace the striker.

Lareya breaks for Canada and trips over himself in the US box

Canada corner but the Canucks fail to avail of the dead ball situation. Decent start from the men in white. A draw for Canada would be good enough to see them pass to the next stage as group leaders.

Error from Pines as he gives the ball away on the edge of the box but Canada fail to take advantage of the gift. Larin failed to really test the US keeper with the effort though.

Both sides take their position and we're about to get started... Canada to start the second half.

Plenty of Sporting KC shirts on display tonight at the Children's Mercy Park as we await the teams to take to the pitch for the second half. In Frisco in the other Group B game, Haiti lead Martinique 0-1.

It's been a stop-start affair with the first 20-25 minutes of action somewhat interrupted with injured players. Shaq Moore's early goal is enough to see the USMNT take the lead and as things stand, top Group B with nine points.

Vines and Sebastian Lletget have been the standout players for the US this evening as the Mexican match official calls time on the half. The quickest goal in the history of the Gold Cup is the difference between both sides with Tenerife's Moore on target.

Canada are full of endeavor and industry but it's their final ball that lets the Canucks down as we will have three minutes of added time.

Into the final five minutes of the half and Canada have shaken off their lethargy as the try to look to both flanks to mount attacks on the US goal. Still no way through for the men in white and Matt Turner still enjoying a placid evening.

LA Galaxy's Sebastian Lletget has been excellent so far this evening with the central player instrumental in all the creative play for the US.

We hit the 30 minute mark and Matt Turner in the US goal has been a virtual spectator with the Canadian side failing to test the NE Revs stopper.

The US lead in terms of possession and on the scoreboard through Shaq Moore's 26th second opener.

Toronto FC player Osorio finally comes on for the injured Akinola.

Akinola is still on the pitch as Canada are struggling to secure a foothold in the game. Berhalter's men in very much in charge.

Play held up again as Akinola pulls up and the game is halted. The Toronto FC striker will be switched by the Canadian coach as we pause for a hydration break.

Very much a stop-start feel to the early stages of the match tonight with little flow to the action.

Another delay as Akinola is on the ground and seems to be in trouble.The Canada No. 20 was clipped by Pines and once again the Canadian physio team is called into action.

Pines set to take Zimmerman's place. The No 4 plays for DC United.

The US very mush the side in the ascendancy in the opening 15 minutes and Greg Berhalter's side buoyed by the early goal. Not looking good for Zimmerman with the Nashville SC player set to be switched.

No spot kick for Canada and we're back underway again.

Zimmerman too is being treated and seems to have a problem with his shin.

The Toronto FC man is in trouble and needs medical attention as the Mexican referee talks to the VAR booth.

Call for a penalty for Canada as Laryea is clipped by Zimmerman in the box.... VAR to take a look

As things stand... Group B live table

Canada tonight in their all white away kit with the US in their new-ish red and blue striped effort with blue shorts.

A significant setback for Les Rouges who saw how the US split the Canadian defense open with three passes needed for Shaq Moore to drive home from close range.

Goooooool. The US take the lead in 26 seconds and it's Moore who taps home from close range to open the scoring

Off we go in Kansas Cty...

Tonight's match official is Mexican Andonai Escobedo

The teams are on the Children's Mercy Park with kick-off imminent

Both the USA and Mexico started as pre-tournament favorites but Canada, Costa Rica and Honduras will all fancy their chances to deliver a surprise.

The game will be underway in 5 minutes of so despite the published time of a 5pm (ET) start time

It's a hot evening in Kansas City with a current temperature of 29 C / 81F.

Big crowd in the Children's Mercy Park for tonight's Group B climax as both the US and Canada will want to finish on top of Group B

The other Group B game taking place tonight sees Martinique face Haiti with both sides pointless after two games played. That match is taking place at the Toyata Stadium in Frisco and we'll bring you the half and full time score.

Pre-match analysis: Greg Berhalter (US coach) First of all, I'm really happy that Canada’s in the final qualifying group,” said Berhalter in Saturday’s matchday -1 press conference. “They've done a great job of getting to this point, and I'm not happy because I want to face them, I'm happy for the group, for the players. It's a lot of players that we're familiar with, we’ve got a lot of respect for those guys. It's been nice seeing them grow over the last five years, and they've arrived to this point and I think it's a good team.”

Pre-match analysis: John Herdman (Canada coach) “It is a big match against USA and the boys will be all in. The first part of our mission was qualification to the Quarterfinals which we achieved, so now the next part of the mission will be to win the group and we will be focused on that heading into an exciting match against USA".

Costa Rica or Jamiaca awaits Canada and the US in the quarter final stage of the Gold Cup with both sides probably anxious to avoid the stronger fancied Ticos from Central America.

Here's how the Group B table looks ahead of the final games tonight

Both Canada and the United States have an 100% record with two wins from two in their Gold Cup opening games with The Canucks topping Group B by virtue of goals scored.

Canada bagged four goals in their wins over Martinique and Haiti respectively and a theoretically easier quarter-final tie will be the prize for the side that tops the group.

Gregg Berhalter's men go into the game as the fancied side with the US unbeaten against their neighbors from the North in their past four Gold Cup encounters. Historically the US are the stringer side having won 15 clashes between both nations and only losing 11. Nine meetings between the USNMT and Canada have ended all square.

'Les Rouges' start with the following XI:

First up, the team news....The US side:

As has been the case with all Group B games, tonight's action takes place at Children's Mercy Park, home to MLS side Sporting KC and starts at 5pm ET/2300 CEST.

Hello and a very warm welcome to tonight's coverage of the final Group B game as the United States face Canada with top spot in the group on the line.

[footballghana]

Thomas Partey: Arsenal's £45m midfielder a 'physical marvel' who 'does everything well'

After joining Mallorca on loan from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2013, a 20-year-old Thomas Partey would always introduce himself with a smile and the same phrase.

"I'm Thomas Partey," he would say, "not fiesta!"

The play on words -fiesta means party in Spanish - immediately endeared him to his new colleagues. "Whenever our paths crossed in the years after that, he would always say that same thing and laugh," José Luis Oltra, Mallorca's manager at the time, chuckles down the phone. But it was Partey's footballing ability that made the most lasting impression.

Partey arrived on the island as a highly-rated but untested midfielder. He left it a year later having taken an important step on a road that would eventually lead him to the top. From Mallorca, he went to Almeria, again on loan, before returning to Atletico to become a key player under Diego Simeone.

Now, the Premier League beckons with Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta hopes Partey will transform his midfield and those who have followed his career from the start understand why.

Precision passing, tactically aware

At Atletico, his ability was apparent long before he was sent on loan. In fact, Javi Baños, a former youth coach there, only needed to see him play once, in a friendly for their U18s against Getafe, to be convinced that his trial period should be made permanent.

"You could quickly see that he was a player with attributes which were very advanced for his age," Baños tells Sky Sports. "Above all, it was the precision of his passing. He was very effective in terms of his delivery. He also covered a lot of ground and positioned himself well on the pitch tactically."

Until then, Partey had been playing for a side called Tema Youth in Ghana, where he came to the attention of an agent named Jose Jimenez, who offered to organise a trial for him at Atletico. Partey, determined to seize the opportunity, would later recall packing his bags and leaving without even telling his family.

It was a leap of faith but he would not regret it. Partey signed for Atletico soon after his trial and before long he was excelling in their academy.

"Atletico Madrid always have strong players in their youth teams," says Baños. "Over the years I was fortunate enough to coach guys like Lucas Hernandez and David de Gea. But the truth is that Thomas was a player who made the difference. He had great potential."

Partey was swiftly promoted to Atletico's Juvenil A (U19) side and soon enough Simeone and his assistant German Burgos became aware of the youngster's talents. At the end of his first year there, Partey even joined the senior squad on a pre-season trip to Colombia.

"He was a very attractive player to them because he was different for his age," says Baños. "He was a very disciplined player, as he is now, and he was very grateful and respectful too.

"I always remember that every day after training, he would shake your hand and thank you for the session and the advice you had given him. He has always been a very good player to have in the dressing room."

Those traits are now part of the appeal to Arteta, who values team spirit and togetherness highly, but for Partey at that age, the competition for places at Atletico was such that it was not easy to see a route into the first-team. Simeone could already call on experienced trio Gabi, Tiago and Mario Suarez in central midfield. Koke and Saul Niguez were next in line.

Learning on loan

So, at the start of the season in which Atletico would go on to win an historic title, Partey ended up joining Mallorca, who had just been relegated to Spain's second division after a 16-year spell in La Liga.

Partey's only previous senior experience had come with Atletico's B team in Spain's third tier but he quickly established himself there, displacing experienced club captain Jose Luis Marti in central midfield and going on to make 38 appearances over the course of the campaign, scoring five goals.

"He ended up being an undisputed starter," Oltra tells Sky Sports. "He worked hard and showed very good things."

For all his undoubted quality, however, Partey still had much to learn.

"There were times when he would lose the ball in dangerous areas, close to our central defenders," says Oltra.

"He found turning in that zone difficult and the first pass wasn't always easy for him. He made some errors but we were always on top of him, showing him videos. He was very receptive to our advice and to everything we tried to teach him.

"He already had a lot of great attributes, but he was a boy who wanted to grow and improve. He was an excellent professional, which is vital for any footballer. He looked after himself, he loved football and he lived a very organised life. Those factors have helped him reach the level he's at now."

Partey soon cut out the mistakes and there was a concerted effort to bulk up physically too. "He is a physical marvel now but he didn't have the strength he has now back then," adds Oltra. "He worked hard on that, and on his stamina as well. His ability to withstand pressure improved and soon he was able to do more things with the ball, like trying long-range shots."

That eye for goal would become a feature of Partey's game - "he now scores six or seven times per season, which is great for someone who starts the build-up play and operates in front of the defence," notes Baños - but the circumstances were not easy at Mallorca. Instead of the anticipated fight for promotion, the season became a brush with relegation.

The exposure helped Partey's development, though, and the same was true of his season with Almeria in La Liga. It turned into another battle against the drop - a battle they eventually lost - but Partey made 32 appearances, scoring four goals and impressing again.

"He's a boy who understands football well," reflected former Almeria manager Sergi Barjuan in a recent interview with El País. "I used him as an attacking midfielder, a central midfield and even a centre-back."

Partey was developing well, his ability to slot into different positions a reflection of his tactical intelligence, but back at Atletico the competition for places remained fierce. In the two seasons after his loan spell with Almeria, Partey made only nine La Liga starts for Simeone's side and many of them came on the right rather than in the middle.

Another player might have sought an exit. Instead, Partey resolved to prove himself.

"Thomas has good people around him," says Baños. "His agents always give him good advice and he's a player who knew how to wait for his chance. There were players who were ahead of him and he understood that. He is very serious player and what's important is that he's also a team player."

Breakthrough at Atletico and praise from Simeone

Partey's versatility has long been a useful asset to Simeone, but last season, following the departure of Rodri to Manchester City, the Ghanaian was finally able to nail down his preferred position in the side, as a deep-lying central midfielder.

The role came with considerable defensive responsibility but Partey continued to contribute in an attacking sense too.

"I think the thing he has improved most in recent years is his final pass," says Baños. "He is not just a defensive midfielder. He is now a more adventurous player, with freedom in his movements and scoring ability."

Oltra sums it up succinctly: "He's a boy who does everything well."

His completeness could be seen throughout last season but it was particularly apparent during Atletico's Champions League campaign.

Partey, who shone in both legs of the last-16 win over Liverpool, made more tackles than any of his team-mates during Atletico's run to the quarter-finals and yet also ranked top for chances created from open play and passes into the final third. Only two Atletico players attempted more shots.

It's little wonder Simeone has come to value him so highly. "Thomas is an extraordinary player," he said last year.

More recently, the Atletico boss added Partey is good enough to play for "any of the best teams in Europe". "Thomas is the one who best understands his position," he said. "The transition from defence to attack, shooting, scoring, providing assists and playing passes between the lines."

Suited to the Premier League

His Atletico team-mates feel the same way.

"I'd seen him play for Atletico but I didn't realise how good he is," said Kieran Trippier, who joined the club from Tottenham last year, during a recent appearance on The Beautiful Game podcast. "He's unbelievable, his physicality, how he breaks up play. Technically he's got everything. I don't think he would have a problem with the Premier League."

It's a view shared by Baños, who admits he would be happy to see him join Arsenal having also worked as a scout for the Gunners.

"I have always said that he is a perfect player for the Bundesliga or the Premier League because of his style of play," he says. "He is a player who is ready and well-suited to succeed at a club like Arsenal."

Baños can testify to Partey's leadership as well as his talent. Baños is involved at Alcobendas Sport, a fourth-tier club based in Madrid in which Partey and his representatives have a stake and where, with the 27-year-old's guidance, talented young players from Ghana and other African nations are offered the opportunity to launch their careers in Europe.

"He wanted to help others do what he did," explains Baños, "to bring over players from his country and give them the opportunity to succeed in Spain."

Partey has certainly made the most of his own opportunities. There is no question about that. But those mentoring duties will have to take a backseat now that a move to Arsenal has materialised. It is time for Thomas Partey - "not fiesta!" - to take the next step of his journey in the Premier League.

How Arsenal by-passed Atletico to land Partey

Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth explains how Arsenal dealt with La Liga, rather than Atletico Madrid, to seal the signing of Thomas Partey:

"A constant throughout this transfer window has been Thomas Partey. The one constant from the Atletico Madrid side was they would not be negotiating unless a club met the £45m release clause. The way the release clause works in Spain, Arsenal didn't have to negotiate directly with Atletico Madrid.

"All they had to do was get one of their lawyers or officials to go to the La Liga headquarters, put down £45m and they had permission to talk to Thomas Partey."

Source: skysports.com

source: https://footballghana.com/

[tactical-substitution]

The Konundrum of Kai Havertz

One of the principle things that differentiates a footballer from a writer, artist, or philosopher, relates to the significance of questioning and answering. Whereas in the latter examples, the very best ones tend to be characterized by the capacity to create puzzles and contradictions that invite further thought and insight, truly elite footballers are different; their presence on the pitch feels like a certain “this is just the way it is”. It can be surprisingly difficult to tactically analyze the Messis, Xavis, Ronaldos, and Lahms because the best footballers in a given generation excel so completely at their assigned tasks on the pitch that there are few questions left to ask. It is the great-but-problematic footballers who ellicit further reflection. It often ends up being the Sneijders and Goetzes and Balotellis who prompt fans to think and debate about exactly what they were good at, and why this was never enough to be “world class” footballers on a prolonged basis. If the former category could currently be said to consist of players like Kylian Mbappe, Virgil Van Dijk, and Kevin de Bruyne, it is unlikely that most football fans won’t already be thinking of someone who meets the latter criteria – a Romelu Lukaku, say, or a Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. It is obvious when watching some players play that there are things that they are capable of that few others would try, and yet actually fitting these players into the squads of clubs among the five or ten best in the world proves difficult. It is this space between manifest skillfulness and tangible skillset that would allow them to play at the absolute highest level that tends to illustrate what is required of the players for whom no such deficit exists, and creates a basis for scouting and player analysis at the level of potential Champions League winners.

Among younger players, little doubt exists as to the sufficiency of Kylian Mbappe or Jadon Sancho should a European giant wish to sign them – in virtually any tactical circumstances their technical and athletic gifts are enough to wreak havoc on any defense. These are the kinds of players who will set clubs back and arm and a leg, and be worth it. In this transfer window, there is perhaps no better example of a “great-but problematic” player attracting serious transfer interest than 20-year-old German international Kai Havertz, currently at Bayer Leverkusen. The young attacker has been seriously linked with the likes of Liverpool and Bayern Munich for months, though Chelsea have ostensibly lept to the front of the queue, having apparently only started on their spending spree with the acquisitions of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner. Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG, Juventus, Man City, and Man United have all been linked at least somewhat credibly with attempts to woo the young German. Whether he moves in this transfer window, and if so where, could come down to any number of factors: Will Bayern prioritize his signature because of his nationality, and will the player feel the same way? Will the desire the work with a celebrity manager like Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp be an incentive to push for a move to a particular club at a crucial point in the young player’s development? Maybe most germanely, who will actually be willing to spend the money should Leverkusen hold out for his buyout clause? In the cases of Sancho or Mbappe, nearly any fee or wage would be rewarded by a signing that is as close to a “sure thing” as exists; with Havertz, the risk seems to be far greater. Knowing why this is the case will be crucial for any signing club if they wish to mitigate that risk, and to not ensure that they have a player widely derided as a “misfit” or “flop” on their hands collecting high wages and attracting negligible transfer interest in two or three years’ time.

What makes Havertz a risky proposition relative to other putatively world-class youngsters is not a matter of talent or lack thereof – go watch a YouTube highlights video if you doubt he’s a marvel – but rather one of style and skillset. Analysts have observed that Havertz’s position could be thought of as a fairly orthodox and old-school number ten, which is a problem given that the clubs interested in him don’t necessarily play with tens. It is not simply that any one club incidentally does not currently play with a playmaker “in the hole”, but rather that the tactical dynamics of modern football have crowded such players out. Just look at the (mis)treatment of Mesut Ozil or Philippe Coutinho by fans compared to the universal adulation given to the likes of Thiago or Marco Verratti for their more “complete” midfield performances. Champions League holders and runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool are generally noted to play with a trio of “workhorse” midfielders supporting their adventurous fullbacks and explosive attackers, and have improved their fortunes dramatically since jettisoning Coutinho to Barcelona, while the player looks like a black sheep wherever he goes in spite of being a much more skilled and “watchable” player than current Liverpool midfielders like Jordan Henderson or Georginio Wijnaldum. Barca themselves were the best club side in living memory on the basis of the genius of midfielders like Xavi and Andres Iniesta on both sides of the ball, and were frankly foolish to regard Coutinho as a “replacement” for all of the things that Iniesta did on the pitch. Top teams attack, defend, and press as an organized unit, and it is hard to see a role for a “free” playmaker who cannot also cover spaces and defend individually in midfield, participate in the buildup of possession, and generally act as a multi-functional cog in a tactical system, or else play as out-and-out forwards stretching play, battling with defenders, and creating and scoring goals. Therein lies the rub for Havertz, who for all of his flashy ability does not really profile as the kind of player who can fill any of the roles in a truly modern football side that looks to dominate with and without the ball, at least without some development on his part, or some shoehorning and accommodating on the part of the team.

What it means to play as a number ten can be variable to different contexts, ranging from deeper-lying playmakers of the ilk of Carlos Valderrama, to creative attackers who would tend to play off of strikers or even as “false nines”, a la Francesco Totti. Havertz is much more in the latter mold, and in fact Totti is a decent comparison to his style of play. What Havertz is truly great at is using his balance, ball control, precise shooting, and passing range to conjure up “moments of magic” – high risk, high reward actions in and around the penalty box that if they work are very likely to lead to a good goal-scoring opportunity. In addition, his height and heading technique make Havertz an aerial threat if the ball is crossed to him. So far, so good – many analysts and pundits regard the scoring of goals as a tactical end worth pursuing. The problem, then, is that Havertz isn’t terribly good at doing much else. His one-on-one defending is nothing to write home about, he lacks the explosive pace to beat all but the slowest and most injured fullbacks if he ends up in a wide position, and he rarely involves himself in buildup play closer to his own goal. It is highly unlikely that he will get much faster, though he may well gain some physical strength and tactical intelligence – nevertheless, simply expecting the player to become a more solid defender or exert a more metronomic influence as he ages is frankly a gamble. If a big club decides to go in for Havertz they should be able to fit him into their plans commensurate to the amount of money they invest in him, and they should be able to do so now rather than in some ill-defined future where his game has become more balanced and less deficient. Accordingly, the thorny task around Havertz is determining whether his game, more or less as it currently exists, could fit into those of any of the superclubs he is linked with.

The most conventional possibilities for Havertz’s future are worth considering, and roughly align with the roles he has played at Leverkusen. He could play as a pseudo-right-winger, though this would necessitate an overlapping fullback or wingback to give width in attack. He is also possibly capable of playing as a withdrawn forward in the mold of Roberto Firmino, chipping in with a non-embarrassing goal tally but also pulling the strings creatively while the goalscoring burden is carried by wingers, a strike partner, or advanced midfielders. Neither of these are totally inconceivable, but unless Havertz irons out kinks in his game and broadens his skillset, they would necessarily pull teammates out of position to fill the gaps he leaves, potentially creating problems elsewhere on the pitch. Top managers quickly notice these kinds of things and are unlikely to be so impressed by his neat touches and controls that they don’t yank him from the starting XI in their quest for tactical impenetrability and balance. Another possibility is that Havertz will play as a “second striker” off of a more traditional number nine for the rest of his career. One system that could facilitate this would be some species of 4-2-4, with midfield areas occupied by a strong double pivot; another would be to position the wingers more conservatively so that the team lines up in more of 4-4-1-1. The former would be pretty absurdly attack-minded, perhaps resembling Pep Guardiola’s 2015-16 Bayern side when Kingsley Coman and Douglas Costa played high and wide, the fullbacks tended to assist the midfielders, and Thomas Muller (a German number ten a decade Havertz’s senior) played off of Robert Lewandowski. When fully functional, that side was mind-melting to watch, and Havertz might strive to emulate Muller’s successful interpretation of the attacking midfield role, with defenders never sure if he had dropping deep to create or darting to meet an aerial cross on his agenda. If Havertz were to play in the latter system, his role might be comparable to that of Antoine Griezmann at Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, or perhaps a frame of reference would be the function of Juan Mata, Eden Hazard, and Oscar for Chelsea under managers like Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte. The allure of this kind of role would of course be that Havertz is less likely to come across as a defensive liability in a system where virtually everyone is responsible for a great deal of defensive grunt work in one way or another and he is the primary creative outlet, constantly looking to locate himself in a point of weakness in the opposition’s structure, receive the ball, and then make the “magic” happen. Where problems come up is when one remembers how much running around the likes of Griezmann or Oscar always did. Even in a counter-attacking side, even if a player does much more than their fair share of creative passing and danger-creation, they will still inevitably be expected to harass opposition defenders and midfielders out of possession, and Havertz has not yet clearly demonstrated the stamina or the tactical intelligence to be apt to such a role.

One last possibility for Havertz would be to play as a kind of “false midfielder”. He could stand in midfield areas to make up the numbers and aid in a tactical plan to create numerical overloads in central areas, and then when able to get closer to goal, really start to add value. The problem here is that Havertz has not yet shown that he can become a safer, higher-volume passer at even the level of, say, David Silva or Isco. Those midfielders are nowhere near the central midfielders that they are attacking ones, and cannot resolve situations in congested areas through passing combinations at the level of their compatriots Iniesta or Xavi, but they can at least participate in such exchanges without constantly playing catastrophic sideways passes which result in counter-attacking opportunities for the opponent, and thereby justify their presence on the pitch for when they are able to be more useful in the final third. Is Havertz trustworthy enough to do so? If so, he has not yet shown it. With all of these hypotheticals, it is not outside the realm of possibility that the player will simply develop his game through practice, coaching, and the last embers of puberty, and be able to play them satisfactorily, but this seems like too speculative an expectation to ground such a large financial outlay in. Havertz is who he is right now, and should be scouted for his demonstrated skillset rather than based on wishful thinking. If a club is to justify the purchase of Havertz, then they may have to fundamentally rethink the kind of player he is, and re-rationalize how they will fit him into their plans.

What clubs should expect to get should they bid for Havertz, is a kind of very expensive water-carrier. When most football fans hear that phrase they likely do not think of a player of Havertz’s qualities. French attacker Eric Cantona infamously used the epithet to describe his international teammate Didier Deschamps, as a kind of tongue-in-cheek way of belittling his compatriot’s contribution to the collective effort. Other players who tend to come to mind as “water carriers” might be Marcel Desailly or Claude Makelele. What all of these players have in common, besides their nationality, is a particular skillset, which was as narrow as it was well-executed. These midfielders had the match-intelligence to step up and engage opponents at the right times without getting caught out of positions, assisted defenders at risk of being over-burdened, covered for teammates who may have been out of position, were precise in challenges, could effectively mark dangerous opposition players as effectively as a center-back, and were mobile enough to cover ground and arrive at the right time and place to slow down or stop opposition attacks or win the ball back. In possession they were all fairly conservative, prioritizing consolidating possession and passing to teammates in space over attempting any risky passes or skills on the ball. They are greats of the game because they “carried the water” for more flashy teammates who were given more license to improvise and take risks closer to the opposition goal, by performing these kinds of simple actions with great competence and consistency. Clearly this does not sound like the kind of player that Havertz is, and in fact quite the opposite, but what if there is more than one way to carry the water?

If the main impression that most fans have of Cantona’s famous phrase is that it describes the duties of a defensive or holding midfielder, there is perhaps another interpretation of it that should be considered, which has more fidelity to his intentions with the quip: a “water carrier” is a player who performs a narrow range of mechanized actions to support the team, in contrast with teammates whose roles entailed doing more different things, in a greater variety of situations, in order to really unlock games and break down an opposition. In Cantona’s time this was arguably a fairly accurate rendering of the dynamics of how a footballing side functioned – midfielders and defenders tended to keep a compact shape closer to their own goal, and tens, wingers, and center-forwards were given the task of breaking down those compact structures with “moments of magic”. In such a (simplified, admittedly) context Havertz would be an absolute star with his skillset, as he would constantly have the game in front of him, virtually daring him to find a distressed point in an opposition’s defensive structure in which he could dribble, run into, or find a teammate with a through-ball. There is no doubt that defenders and midfielders would find it difficult to deal with Havertz’s clever runs, deft controls, and overall skillfulness for approximately half of a ninety-minute football match, and the onus would be on his “water carrier” teammates rather than him to do much of the serious running and remain positionally alert. Perhaps in such a situation Kai Havertz would truly be living high on the hog. Unfortunately for the young German, he was not even born at the time that that footballing milieu existed, and so must contend with the landscape of 2020.

When one watches the football sides of Guardiola, Klopp, Tuchel, Pochettino, or Sarri, it is pretty abundantly clear that the players are not divided into conservatively-positioned grunts and attacking artists running around at the will of their self-governing genius improvising ways to foil the defensive goons. It is a cliché to describe top-level sides in the modern game as “fluid” or praise their “discipline” and “organization”, but there is a good reason for that. Modern approaches are based on using all ten outfield players, and increasingly the goalkeeper, to circulate and advance the ball into positions of overloaded strength in possession, and stymy and harass opponents out of doing any of that out of possession. The number nine is the first defender, and the goalkeeper the first attacker, and all of that. It is somewhat difficult to see a place for a solitary magician like Kai Havertz in all of that, as modern footballing sides tend to rely on the industry and intelligence of their forwards to keep opposition defenders from building up attacks, and don’t tend to rely quite as heavily on one or two especially flashy players to break down defenses as sides of the past. For a modern superclub, an attack might look something like a left-sided midfielder and left-winger forcing an opposition defender to play an errant long pass by swarming them and giving them little option, a left-back retrieving the ball and playing it to the holding midfielder, who consolidates possession with a quick interchange with the right-back, allowing the right-back to engineer a free path close to the opposition penalty area where they can cross to whichever attackers or midfielders are able to plausibly compete for an aerial ball with the opposition defenders. In scenarios of this kind, Kai Havertz is unlikely to play much of a part, and if he does is unlikely to be doing anything that a less costly player with a different skillset would be unable to. This is before one considers his (relative lack of a) defensive contribution. In these kinds of tactically sophisticated, high-tempo “gegenpressing” encounters, Havertz begins to look like something of a flat-track bully and an anachronism rather than a superstar.

How, then, is Havertz to fit in to a modern footballing side, if at all? In the above scenarios, and indeed in the squads of big clubs like PSG, Juventus, and Bayern, midfielders (and increasingly fullbacks) are expected to have broad skillsets, and to be able to move and progress the ball in a variety of ways and to defend actively and passively, and indeed academies across the world are producing players who can “do it all” without any “master of none” caveats. Take potential Havertz destination Bayern for example: Austrian defender David Alaba, who has spent the bulk of his club career at left-back but was groomed for a kind of hybrid center-back/midfield role by Guardiola, and plays as an attacking midfielder for his country, plays as a center-back playing incisive long and short passes to start attacks, and uses his anticipation and speed to expertly mark opponents. Former right-back Joshua Kimmich has played in central midfield this season, and has arguably been the best player in his position in the entire world. Young Canadian winger Alphonso Davies has deputized at left-back, and, like Alaba and Kimmich, has been a strong candidate for the most effective and complete player in the world or at least the league in his position, despite it not actually being his position, using his lightning pace to monitor an entire side of the pitch, overlapping intelligently in attack and showing excellent reading of the game to make vital defensive clearances and tackles, all while looking frigidly cool in building up possession in conjunction with his more experienced comrades. These are as much the stars of Bayern’s juggernaut team as their vaunted forward players, along with the defensive likes of Niklas Sule, Benjamin Pavard, and Jerome Boateng. Whichever system Bayern choose to play, it is unlikely that Havertz would be their most important player or even particularly close despite playing in a role that would render him the traditional “star player”. What would the young German mark himself out as, then, were the Bavarian club to take a punt on him?

In the tactical schemes employed by top clubs of the 1990s, elite attacking midfielders of the ilk of Roberto Baggio, Zinedine Zidane, and Michael Laudrup were not only the “stars” of their club and national sides in terms of press attention and shirt sales, but were also typically the players who would quantitatively have a “starring role” in the sense of touching the ball with greater frequency and significance than teammates. Over the last two decades and under the influence of the “positional” approaches of Marcello Bielsa, Louis Van Gaal, and Guardiola, and the “counter-pressing” philosophies employed by Klopp, Roger Schmidt, and Ralf Rangnick, deeper-lying, less directly creative midfielders have emerged as the “protagonists” in matches where the majority of clubs prioritize ball retention in safe areas, and use structured possessional routines to both keep a compact defensive shape and manipulate the ball into dangerous areas. On and off the ball it has been midfielders such as Sergio Busquets and Mousa Dembele and, increasingly, defenders like Trent Alexander-Arnold and David Alaba who have not only spent the most time directly controlling the play of games, but also had to use the widest array of dribbles, passes, tricks, and controls to keep and manoeuvre the ball, and this has been by design. Even many smaller clubs have come to adopt this style of play, but, most relevant to the immediate future of Havertz, every title-chasing club across Europe with whom he has been linked play this way. Gone are the one-dimensional “water carrier” defenders and holding midfielders, and in their place a generation of deeper-positioned players with the skillsets of traditional number tens (many of whom in fact played in that role at youth level or earlier in their playing careers) have emerged. At the tip of the spear pace has been the attribute that most preoccupies top managers, whose obsession has been with using the coordinated movement of attackers to provide passing options and open up spaces for one another and for advancing midfielders and wingbacks or fullbacks. These attackers have found themselves in the role of “water carriers” for their more cultured teammates further back on the pitch, performing simple actions in a relatively mechanized way, but doing so at such a high level that the new breed of holding playmakers are able to use their broader skillsets to move the ball into areas which have been given situational tactical significance and danger by their water-carrying forward comrades.

If the modern “water carriers” are the quick and tricky attackers whose speedy movements create the chaotic conditions which their teammates exploit, then how is a player with little natural pace or explosive acceleration to distinguish themselves? This is the scouting question that lingers over Kai Havertz – his actual skillset looks quite narrow against a frame of reference where playmakers are expected to do their work in more congested and treacherous midfield areas, but if a club side were able to exploit the young German’s demonstrated capacity to pass creatively in and around the penalty area to its fullest extent, it might well be enough in and of itself to justify his presence on the pitch. The problem is that it is not immediately obvious how his skillset and limitations could be accommodated by the tactical schemes employed by the likes of Guardiola, Klopp, and so forth. In the case of a true two-way midfielder or an explosive winger, it requires little imagination to see how they would be “plugged in” to the kinds of tactical systems used by Man City or Liverpool – the dynamics of these systems are calibrated to balance the extensive skillsets of the star players against the intensive skillsets of the water carriers, albeit in a markedly different ways from the suberclubs of the 90s. In the case of Havertz, it is clear that he would end up being a “water carrier” in a limited role were he to wind up at either club, but decidedly murkier whose water he would be carrying, and what kind of intricate tactical scheme of delegating tasks would mediate this balance. Managers, scouts, and pundits understand the scouting question for an old-school defensive midfielder – will this player’s ability to mark opponents and plug gaps carry the water left at that club by its existing, defensively cavalier squad without creating an awkward stylistic disjunction? The same kind of scouting question will have to inform clubs as they contemplate allocating a large chunk of their budget towards Havertz – in what way can the existing or prospective squad play on and off the ball such that Havertz’s superior skillset around the penalty area will free up teammates to do all of the other important work which they are more suited to without having to worry about scoring and assisting goals as much as they might otherwise have to?

Such a question is radically different from the orthodox perspective from which clubs (as well as football journalists, fans, etc.) tend to approach scouting a “star” player like Havertz, but its pertinence is a consequence of the style of modern football. As Casemiro is a guaranteed starter at Real Madrid because his prodigious volume of tackles and interceptions mitigates his pedestrian on-ball skillset and “frees up” his more expansively-passing teammates, big clubs eyeing up Havertz must consider whether the routineness with which his movement, vision, and skillfulness make the difference in the final third can be utilized as a similar kind of mechanized action to Casemiro’s defensive interventions; such a question is not simply a matter of whether or not the scales can be balanced by such and such a teammate who performs an equal number of opposite actions, but a rather more dynamic one of what types of things a team’s midfielders, defenders, and strikers might suddenly be able to do on the pitch if they are safe in the knowledge that Havertz is reliably carrying the water around the penalty area. This is the kind of complex tactical question that elite managers and sporting directors get paid eye-watering wages to attempt to solve, though it may well be intractable to the point where Havertz is virtually fated to wind up at a club like Valencia or Leicester City in five years’ time. It is also a question with a crass quantitative dimension – if Havertz is only creating and scoring a few goals per league season then the truly big clubs needn’t ponder his unbalanced skillset at all, whereas if he’s directly responsible for two goals every game then all other more nuanced questions become moot in a much different way. In reality, Havertz is in double figures for combined expected goals scored and assisted in both of the last two Bundesliga seasons, and has gone one something of a finishing tear that has made him look like a seriously prolific goalscorer, but he is nowhere near the “get him at any price, figure out what to do with him later” levels of Messi or Neymar, or even Eden Hazard in an average season. Havertz is a seriously tidy-looking attacking midfielder whose flashy skills have led to tangible goal contributions which are nothing to shake a stick at, but he has not as of yet demonstrated that he can shoulder an attacking burden commensurate to the defensive one carried by a Casemiro or an N’Golo Kante.

Scouts, managers, and analysts will have to squint hard at the data and footage, and figure out a way in which Havertz’s skillset can be made to carry a little more water than it currently is - his height and precise heading technique, for example, could probably be exploited more than they are currently being. But this kind of conundrum casts a fog of doubt on the notion of splashing a hundred million Euros on the player – sure, he’s nice, but shouldn’t that kind of a cash outlay mean we don’t have to think so hard to figure out what to do with him? You scour a wine store for half an hour looking for an obscure Greek red on a clearance sale and pair it with precisely the right meal to get the most value out of your wine-buying dollar, but if you go and squander your money on a seventy-dollar Barolo you kind of expect that you’ll open it up and it will just be good – otherwise what’s the point? None of this is to say that Kai Havertz clearly isn’t worth whatever fee and wages a club ends up parting with to secure his services – he can do all kinds of exquisite things with the ball at his feet (and head) that look like the kinds of things that players do in the highlights footage from Champions League and World Cup knockout games. He can do, and has routinely done, the kinds of things that decide those kinds of games, sometimes against the kinds of defenders who try and stop a player from doing them. But rather than looking at him as the next Baggio, Totti, or even Muller, big clubs across Europe should consider the sense in which Cantona belittled Deschamps for doing such a narrow range of mundane things, and stick to the mantra that if they end up buying a water carrier, it is the rest of the squad and the manager who will end up carrying him. If Havertz can end up doing as few things as well as Deschamps did, he will turn into a footballing legend like the current France manager, but if he doesn’t turn out to live up to the “as well as” part then he will only ever be the kind of player who fans and pundits describe as “fun to watch, but limited.”

If the phrase “it is the water carrier who is really the one being carried” doesn’t evoke the image of a white-haired Shaolin monk in a Shaw Brothers film or the sound of a bong gurgling in the bedroom of some philosophy undergrad, then maybe a more traditional brain-teasing dialectic will do the trick – “the more that things change, the more that they stay the same.” When one frames Havertz’s skillset as being that of a traditional number ten, he is cast as an anachronism. When football fans of a certain age hear the phrase “number ten” they are likely to think of big 90s Serie A clubs, and the likes of Baggio, Totti, Veron, Zidane, or Riquelme. Footballing reactionaries sick of the ultra-disciplined grimness through which a club like Liverpool can optimize small advantages and secure a string of one-goal victories on a march to domestic and continental glory might well fantasize about a career path wherein Havertz loafs around at the big Milan and Rome clubs and Fiorentina, playing in a way that gets described as “languid”. In this scenario none of these clubs ever hire a “modern” coach or sporting director, or at least nobody more progressive than Sacchi, and the footballing landscape in Italy is fixed to a particularly simplified representation of the league two or three decades ago. He might even be able to show up drunk, as many football writers seem to insinuate that Andrea Pirlo did when they make gratuitous references to his wine connoisseurship as some kind of synecdoche of his “elegant” and “old-world” style of play. All joking aside, there is a credible case to be made that Havertz’s skillset make him something like a genuine anachronism – he’s likely fitter and certainly has more video analysis sessions under his belt than the old school number tens, but this hasn’t ironed a marked stylistic resemblance out of him. Where this begins to look like some kind of big conundrum is when one looks at where he plays, and who he plays for: Havertz has a starring role at an exemplary progressive, data-driven, modern pressing football club, stewarded by a well-regarded “gegenpressing” manager with stylistic roots in the Holland/Ajax “total football” philosophy.

If Havertz were to play as a “traditional” number ten, more or less singlehandedly acting as a creative outlet in an otherwise defensively rigid unit then he would likely end up under a manager like Mourinho or Simeone, playing the central playmaking role in a 4-4-1-1 or 4-2-3-1 system. It is possible that he would wind up in a system with a three-man defensive line and wingbacks behind him were he to play under the likes of Nuno or Antonio Conte, just as the number ten playmakers in football’s bygone era may well have played in both back-three and back-four systems, but like those players he would expect to play a creative role in front of a well-drilled unit that no one would describe as “fluid”. At Bayer Leverkusen, Havertz has played a non-negligible number of minutes as the team’s sole attacking midfield, in a “free eight” role (similar to the “false midfielder” roles of Kevin de Bruyne and the Silvas at Man City) alongside Julian Brandt, as a central striker or false nine, and in a pseudo-right wing role, and has generally looked very good wherever he has played while never having a hugely different role or set of jobs on the pitch or displaying a different skillset more suitable to the position which he is ostensibly playing. He looks like a classy player wherever he plays, but he always looks like Havertz. This positional carousel is operated by manager Peter Bosz, who has set the team up with back-three, back-four, and back-five defensive systems and rotated his midfielders and attackers significantly, giving minutes to all members of Leverkusen’s impressively deep squad. Bosz seems determined to extract serious contributions from his entire diverse cast of players, and has demonstrated a great talent for devising tactical plans that allow basically any combination of them within reason to be on the pitch at the same time and function according to his broader tactical principles. Havertz will be moved around to accommodate this or that attacking partner, but rather than shining by playing the position in an orthodox manner, much credit should go to the manager for setting up the team in such a way that they are collectively able to engineer the kinds of situations in which Havertz is able to do Havertz stuff.

On paper, the fluid and modern tactical schemes employed by Bosz at Leverkusen could hardly resemble the rigid systems that brought success to managers like Lippi, Trapattoni, or Hitzfeld less, but in a very real sense he has simply found much different means to the same end of accommodating his star playmaker. For the number tens at the superclubs of the 90s, positional freedom and the license to move to where they could do the most damage with the ball was a key condition that allowed them the autonomy to control attacks. At Leverkusen, Havertz similarly tends to “go where the action is”, insinuating himself at the center of counter-attacks and picking up pockets of space in which to pick apart deep-lying defensive blocks when his team have established stable possession in the hopes that a teammate will find him so that he can execute the kinds of high-risk manoeuvres which he is so good at. The boy is not going to drag a full-back very far with an off-the-ball run or physically intimidate an opponent into coughing up the ball in a dangerous area, but let him roam around looking for ways to solve attacking problems with the ball at his feet and he’ll eventually figure something out. In previous footballing contexts, players of Havertz’s ilk would accomplish this with the help of a tight-knit lineup behind them playing in, let’s say, two banks of four, with one or two forwards making attacking runs for them to pick out. At Leverkusen, as in hyper-modern Bundesliga-standard football generally, Havertz does not have as fixed a formation supporting him, but his teammates are essentially trying to accomplish the same kind of support structure as were those of Zidane or Veron, but simply doing so in a more sophisticated and convoluted way.

It makes a certain kind of intuitive sense that in a footballing milieu where the significance of pressing and collective actions on and off the ball have been elevated, and successful sides are more thoroughly drilled than ever with the assistance of video analysis and even the literal use of drone footage, the high-level task of having a bunch of unit of outfield players supporting one “star” player would require a more positionally fluid set-up than the traditional formations. In fact, going back to the earlier discussion, it is not difficult to see how the “stars” would become marginalized and the players tasked with the increasingly byzantine task of freeing them up would increasingly take up the mantle of being their teams’ most significant contributors in this context. At any rate, when one watches Leverkusen play, it becomes clear that apart from Havertz’s colleagues in the attacking line playing in such a way as to maximize his options, the contributions of the players behind him on the pitch are absolutely crucial to his capacity to play the way that he does. Leverkusen have traditional defenders and hard-tackling, orthodox midfielders, but no mere “water carriers”. Bosz often plays with three players in the center-back position, but is disinclined to play three out-and-out center-backs, often preferring instead of play full-back Wendell or one of the identical-twin midfielders Lars and Sven Bender in the defensive band – like Bayern manager Hansi Flick, he clearly considers recovery pace and passing ability to be as important as the ability to win headers and make goal-line clearances in his defenders and is willing to play squad members “out of position” to accomplish this. Full-backs or wingers are often played in wide positions as is customary, but Bosz has shown a habit of playing four true central midfielders in his midfield line, giving a clear window into his tactical outlook and into his strategy for getting the best out of Havertz. Julian Baumgartlinger and Charles Aranguiz are the two most defensively-minded of Leverkusen’s midfielders, with Nadiem Amiri and Kariem Demirbay more obviously skillful technicians when they are tasked with making a creative pass or keeping the ball under pressure. All of the club’s primary midfield options, however, are well-rounded in their skillsets, in the same way that the defensive line are expected to be. All of Leverkusen’s midfielders are instructed to press in unison, play passing combinations, drop into the defensive line, and join the attack when the situation calls for it. When seven or eight players can collectively work at a high athletic and technical level to provide structure, make defensive interventions, create adequate spaces in wide and central areas, and so on, it becomes easy to see how a player like Kai Havertz is able to thrive.

Arguably the most analogous current side to Bayer Leverkusen playing at a high level are Atalanta Bergamo, managed by Italian veteran Gian Piero Gasperini. As with Leverkusen, Atalanta focus on attacking far more than they do on defending, and their roaming playmaker-attackers Josip Illicic and Papu Gomez provide reasonable points of stylistic comparison for Havertz. Within Atalanta’s tactical setup, the importance of midfielders Marten de Roen and Remo Freuler being able to undertake a wide variety of unglamorous tasks related to pressing, defending, ball retention and progression, and keeping a collective structural balance through correct positioning cannot be overstated; neither can the significance of the wide-positioned wingbacks, acting as defensive and especially offensive outlets capable of doing the tireless running that the team’s more technically proficient attacking midfielders are unwilling or unable to do. The team must constantly be able to make up the numbers in various areas of the pitch in order to function in passing, defending, attacking the opposition penalty area, and so forth. Illicic and Gomez are reasonably intelligent players, but Illicic in particular is not exactly renowned for his leopard-fast bursts of pace or tremendous workrate. Like Leverkusen, Atalanta play with anachronistic number ten players by screwing with the formula further back on the pitch, and may provide a window into what ought to be done with Havertz in the future. The problem lies in the fact that Atalanta are a “fun” side, but they are far from a “complete” side. The immense ability of Illicic and Gomez has made Atalanta into something of an offensive juggernaut to the point that they are reliable top-four finishers in Serie A despite having far from the fourth-largest budget in the league, but their presence creates a kind of chain of deferred problem that ultimately results in the club’s center-backs frequently chasing back in comical fashion or playing calamitous forward passes because they are isolated from their teammates. Will a team like Man City or Chelsea, whose problems this season have been much more with their defending than going forward, look at Leverkusen and Atalanta and their status as “entertainers” whose matches produce goals at both ends, and decide that Havertz is a prudent signing? It does not seem entirely likely.

Perhaps if a big club is to roll the dice on Kai Havertz, they should look to play with a support structure similar to that employed at Leverkusen, but simply have better midfielders and defenders than Leverkusen. This is probably not the kind of suggestion for which a sporting analyst in a big club’s employ can hope to receive a big promotion, but it may well work. Leverkusen have pretty talented players all over the pitch, but they do not have any one player as truly excellent as PSG’s Marco Verratti, Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal, or Chelsea’s Jorginho. It is well within the realm of possibility that a club that can afford Havertz can also afford the kinds of players who are so good that they can sufficiently control the aspects of the game that Havertz doesn’t, and allow him to do what he is exceptional at. The issue, given everything previously discussed, is with the proposition of outlaying such a large sum on the player. Why not simply cut out the middleman, sign some midfielders and fullbacks who can collectively do a reasonable amount of goal-creation and goal-scoring without Havertz’s presence on the pitch and be done with it – is there really a high-level system that is truly balanced in which there is really no substitute for a player of his skillset? After all, an industrious and athletic midfielder can create the possibility of a goal with a well-timed run, and a full-back can cross the ball with a meaningful chance of creating a good goal-scoring opportunity.

The scouting question returns to the one of whether Havertz’s gratuitously skillful on-ball ability makes him viable as a “water carrier” for world-class teammates who can do more than just create and score a decent volume of chances. If not, then surely it is the players whose skillsets are more well-rounded than Havertz’s who should be attracting the ridiculous fees rather than the young German. A more tantalizing question might be whether it is feasible for Havertz to do everything he has shown himself capable of doing around the penalty area at Leverkusen, do nothing more, and still have the rest of the team do plenty of solid attacking work in addition to that done by him rather than burdening him almost entirely with making the attack hum. All of this is of course contingent on the rest of the squad being capable of, firstly, feeding the ball to Havertz in the areas where he needs it, and secondly, doing the defensive and ball-progression work that are not really his forte. Any team with serious structural issues in their defensive and midfield areas should be looking nowhere near the youngster as his expensive purchase is highly unlikely to indirectly solve any issues in defense or build-up, and could quite possibly exacerbate them.

All of these questions could reasonably be rendered moot if Havertz simply broadens his skillset somewhat. It shouldn’t be presumed to be inevitable, but it’s far from unheard of for young attacking midfielders to pick up the aspects of the game which are more subtle than getting a shot away or looking for the killer pass. Genuinely top-tier central midfielders like Luka Modric and Andrea Pirlo initially profiled as classical number tens, and it is not too much of a leap of imagination to imagine the German’s balance and passing range being transposed to deeper areas on the pitch. A version of Kai Havertz who shows enough composure to regularly drop back and assist midfielders positioned deeper than him while also demonstrating the same skillset that he already has is basically Kevin de Bruyne. Then again, a version of Michel Platini whose body hasn’t gone downhill athletically over the past three and a half decades and whose reputation isn’t tarnished by a series of corruption scandals is basically peak Michel Platini. A disgusting, greasy broken Hollandaise that was instead emulsified properly by someone who knows how to cook is a delicious sauce. If clubs get too tempted by the prospect of the kind of player that Havertz could be if such and such conditions are met and base their decision to buy him on that, then they are buying the conditions along with the player, and the potential for an expensive mistake is very much baked into the structure of such a valuation.

Have the scouts for Europe’s super-elite considered all of this and analyzed it in greater depth and with more technical resources than has been done in this piece? Without question. Will this ensure that their decision to bid or not bid for Kai Havertz is the right one? Not necessarily. But regardless of what happens with the young player, consideration of who he is as a player right now, who he reasonably could be, and what kinds of conditions must be met for him to end up a success has facilitated a level of reflection on the nature of modern football that would not be the case with other higher-end players. What kinds of scouting questions need a club ask about Raphael Varane, say, if he’s unsettled in Madrid? He’s ridiculously quick, his positioning and decision-making are as good as it gets, he wins his aerial duels. There is no question, go all in for him. What about another 20-year-old Bundesliga sensation, Jadon Sancho? His quick feet, strength, and quick change of direction make him one of the most effective dribblers on the planet, and he’s demonstrated plenty of end product over the past two seasons in Dortmund. If you could use an attacking player and have the money, you go for him, little analysis is necessary. But human agency tends to orient itself towards problems, contradictions, and puzzles, and when a player is as manifestly brilliant as Kai Havertz is without necessarily fitting into any of the truly elite European superclubs, the urge to philosophize his situation takes over. It is this urge which will guide how clubs scout Havertz, and every other player under the sun, if they are to grab themselves a future superstar or at least a useful contributor and not another expensive disappointment.

[soccerdrawings]

10 Things To Know About Cool Pic Of Soccer Ball | Cool Pic Of Soccer Ball

LONDON -- Aback you watch Leeds United, it's sometimes adamantine to brainstorm that one of the best thrilling, activating and adamant teams in the country is managed by a affable 64-year-old who lives in a collapsed aloft a boutique in the baby Yorkshire boondocks of Wetherby, and sometimes holds apprenticeship affairs in the bounded Costa coffee house.

10+] Cool Soccer Ball Wallpaper on WallpaperSafari - cool pic of soccer ball | cool pic of soccer ball Marcelo Bielsa about absolved abroad from Leeds at the end of aftermost season. Their crumbling anatomy in the final weeks of the attack (stream Championship matches on ESPN ) and closing defeat in the playoff semifinal to Frank Lampard's Derby County meant they absent out on promotion, and it wasn't a accustomed that he would acknowledgment for a additional shot.But acknowledgment he did, to the joy of Leeds admirers who admire him for accessible reasons, but the blow of us should be admiring he ashore about too. As they showed adjoin Arsenal in their 1-0 FA Cup third-round defeat on Monday, they will not alone be aggressive should they ability the Premier League, but added chiefly for neutrals, they will be blood-tingling to watch.This bold acquainted beneath like a cup tie and added like a call for Leeds, or conceivably added accurately a accumulation advance that their advance attack ultimately won't be for nothing. It's abundantly boxy to adumbrate which teams that appear up from the Championship will advance and survive in the top tier: booty this season, for example, aback aftermost term's Championship winners Norwich are on advance for relegation, second-placed Sheffield United are benumbed aerial and Aston Villa, who fabricated it through the playoffs, are auctioning but befitting their active aloft water.- Beck a epitomize of Arsenal vs. Leeds United on ESPN Therefore you can't agreement that, should Leeds authority on (they top the Championship, nine credibility bright of third place) they will be automated successes, but you can agreement that they will enhance the analysis and anybody should be captivated to accept them.

10 Black Cool Size 10 Soccer Ball Children Kids Football Outdoor Sports Trainning From Wurobuhuan, $10.10 | DHgate | cool pic of soccer ball Apart from every aggregation they play, of course."They're a nightmare," said Arsenal administrator Mikel Arteta afterwards the game. "Playing adjoin them is like activity to the dentist. They're a abundant team. What they accept congenital there is powerful."Leeds should accept been at atomic 3-0 up at the break. They had taken 15 shots to Arsenal's three and would accept been out of afterimage if they had a bigger centre-forward than Patrick Bamford. They swarmed an Arsenal aggregation that seemed afraid at how acceptable they were, as if it hadn't occurred to them that a ancillary in the additional bank could be absolutely so dominant."I approved to acquaint them what to expect," said Arteta, who grew added and added agitated as the bisected progressed. "He shouted a lot," said Alexandre Lacazette about how the Arsenal drillmaster responded at half-time.2 Related

Glowing Soccer Ball - cool pic of soccer ball | cool pic of soccer ball From the advanced to the aback of this Leeds aggregation are players who will be, unless article goes wrong, stars in the top flight abutting season. Centre-back Ben White will comedy for England afore too long. Many anticipate Kalvin Phillips, their ice air-conditioned awning at the abject of midfield, should already accept done so. Jack Harrison is on accommodation from Manchester City and wouldn't attending out of abode in their squad. Mateusz Klich is a adamant attendance in midfield.And it's additionally account canonizing that this wasn't their full-strength team. Bielsa adequate babysitter Kiko Casilla and captain Liam Cooper, Stuart Dallas and Helder Costa were on the bank while playmaker Pablo Hernandez has been afflicted for a month. There were two debutants in the team, the 20-year-old midfielder Robbie Gotts and 19-year-old amateur babysitter Illan Meslier; both of them were absurdly composed for players so adolescent authoritative their aboriginal starts in such circumstances.A ambition acquainted assured as the aboriginal bisected progressed; it didn't come, but both home players and admirers were rattled. Not continued afore half-time, Sokratis Papastathopoulos had to appetite a area of the Arsenal abutment to calm bottomward afterwards they were black with how bound he was demography a chargeless bang in his own half. Panic was abutting to ambience in. You had to occasionally admonish yourself that this was Arsenal adverse a aggregation from the Championship.It helped that Arsenal were initially so passive, and that Granit Xhaka was accepting the array of bold that inspires acrid blame from the stands. He committed three, maybe four fouls that could calmly accept becoming chicken cards, gave the brawl abroad liberally, was apathetic to acknowledge to passes and about displayed such a accoutrements of calamity that you wouldn't accept been afraid if his shorts had spontaneously collapsed down.Maybe it's a little arbitrary to analyze the two sides. The aboriginal bisected was a bold amid a ancillary who accept accepted absolutely what they are and what their administrator wants from them for the accomplished 18 months, adjoin addition who've had three coaches this analysis and accept about started from blemish in the accomplished few weeks. Leeds were arena the array of football that Arsenal aspire to -- or should aspire to.

Soccer Ball Wallpapers Wallpaper 10×10 Cool Soccer .. | cool pic of soccer ball After the break, things alternate to the accustomed order. Arsenal woke up to the actuality they were arena a Premier League ancillary in all but name, and started arena like the Champions League aspirants they should be. Reiss Nelson arranged home what angry out to be the winner, a belligerent ambition that you would attempt to say they adapted at the time, but their second-half achievement was abundant added of the calibre you'd expect.But they weren't the aggregation that best of those present will bethink from this game. That was Leeds, who will about absolutely be aback actuality abutting season. In some respects it didn't amount too abundant that they lost; it was aloof as important that they showed they could alive with, and alike bigger a aggregation like Arsenal.Afterwards, Bielsa insisted that he could not "draw abstracts from one match," and acicular to a 4-0 preseason defeat to Manchester United as affidavit that they won't necessarily be this acceptable in every bold adjoin top-class opposition. But he did concede: "We showed we were able to exhausted our opponent."As they filed out afterwards the final whistle, defeated but happy, a accumulation of Leeds admirers sang, "Leeds are activity up." And they did so with gusto, safe in the ability that if and aback that does happen, they will attending like they belong. 10 Things To Know About Cool Pic Of Soccer Ball | Cool Pic Of Soccer Ball - cool pic of soccer ball | Pleasant to help my own blog site, in this occasion We'll show you concerning keyword. And from now on, this can be a initial picture:

Cool Soccer Ball Illustration — Stock Photo © Trimitrius .. | cool pic of soccer ball Why don't you consider graphic preceding? is usually of which wonderful???. if you're more dedicated thus, I'l d explain to you a few image again underneath: So, if you want to obtain all these wonderful images related to (10 Things To Know About Cool Pic Of Soccer Ball | Cool Pic Of Soccer Ball), click save icon to save these shots to your personal computer. There're available for download, if you'd rather and want to get it, click save logo in the article, and it'll be directly down loaded to your pc.} As a final point in order to grab new and recent image related with (10 Things To Know About Cool Pic Of Soccer Ball | Cool Pic Of Soccer Ball), please follow us on google plus or bookmark this blog, we try our best to provide regular up-date with all new and fresh pics. Hope you love keeping right here. For some updates and latest news about (10 Things To Know About Cool Pic Of Soccer Ball | Cool Pic Of Soccer Ball) shots, please kindly follow us on tweets, path, Instagram and google plus, or you mark this page on book mark area, We attempt to give you up-date regularly with all new and fresh shots, enjoy your surfing, and find the perfect for you. Here you are at our site, contentabove (10 Things To Know About Cool Pic Of Soccer Ball | Cool Pic Of Soccer Ball) published .  At this time we are pleased to declare that we have found an awfullyinteresting contentto be discussed, namely (10 Things To Know About Cool Pic Of Soccer Ball | Cool Pic Of Soccer Ball) Some people trying to find specifics of(10 Things To Know About Cool Pic Of Soccer Ball | Cool Pic Of Soccer Ball) and definitely one of them is you, is not it?

Cool Soccer Ball Wallpaper (10+ images) - cool pic of soccer ball | cool pic of soccer ball

Cool Soccer Ball Pictures | Soccer ball, Football wallpaper .. | cool pic of soccer ball

Cool Soccer Ball Wallpaper (10+ images) - cool pic of soccer ball | cool pic of soccer ball

Cool Soccer Ball Pictures | Soccer Ball Background For .. | cool pic of soccer ball

Amazon.com: Moslion Living Room Window Curtains, Cool Soccer .. | cool pic of soccer ball Read the full article

[junker-town]

Meet Sophia Smith, the 19-year-old phenom who’s the future of NWSL and the USWNT

The 19-year-old No. 1 overall pick in the NWSL Draft could be the future of the USWNT, and the Portland Thorns expect her to make an instant impact.

Sophia Smith doesn’t look like she’s running on grass, wearing cleats. She glides. Her movement and footwork resemble that of a figure skater. Trying to take the ball off her feet while she’s dribbling is like playing a rigged carnival game.

She’s a 19-year-old attacker with enough speed and skill that she could lean only on that and be effective, but she pairs those traits with tactical aptitude equivalent to many professional defenders. And on several occasions, she has outplayed the team that took her No. 1 overall in the NWSL Draft, the Portland Thorns.

“We’ve never been able to deal with her, playing against her when she was with the [United States] U-23s or U-20s,” Thorns head coach Mark Parsons told reporters after the draft. “We haven’t won many of those games when she was on the pitch, and she was often the reason.”

Smith has been assumed to be a future No. 1 overall draft pick since she was 16, well before she kicked a ball for Stanford. She always played up an age group, starring for the Under-17 national team at 15, then the Under-20 national team at 17. She was called up to a senior national team camp and scored for the Under-23s before she started college. Even if you’d never seen her play, it was clear that she had a pedigree to match any top prospect that came before her.

And yet, she’s taking an unprecedented path, a bit different from the three current USWNT players who turned pro before completing their NCAA eligibility. Lindsey Horan and Mallory Pugh skipped college soccer altogether, while Tierna Davidson had already played full national team matches before she made the decision to leave school early. Smith sits in the middle, a star for two years at the college level with no senior national team experience as of yet. Her immediate USWNT future is uncertain, even if she’s sure to have chances to prove herself to new coach Vlatko Andonovski over the next year.

Smith’s recent experience with the national team likely helped her decide the time was right to start her professional career. In December, she attended the USWNT’s Identification Camp, which featured college players and 14 professionals.

Smith discussed her future with Andonovski and USWNT general manager Kate Markgraf at that camp, but says they didn’t push her into any decisions, contrary to pre-draft speculation. “A lot of people thought that, but ultimately, it was just me following my heart and knowing what was best for me,” Smith said. She added, “This is the best time for me to take that next step and go to the next chapter of my life.”

The Thorns, who traded up to get Smith, did not need to make aggressive moves this winter. No one would have criticized the team for keeping most of its players, making a few low-key signings, and building on its four consecutive playoff appearances from within. But Parsons thinks Smith is a rare, exceptional talent, worth reshuffling his roster for. He gave up Emily Sonnett — a USWNT defender and former No. 1 overall pick herself — plus the rights to the No. 7 pick, No. 14 pick and Australia attacker Caitlin Foord, in order to draft Smith.

In college, Smith played alongside two-time Hermann Trophy winner Catarina Macario, one of the best players in college soccer history, and Madison Haley, who was also called into the USWNT’s December ID camp. Yet even with other stars around her trying to get their own shots off, Smith scored 17 goals in 21 matches last season, and produced about six shots per 90 minutes. Perennial NWSL Golden Boot candidates like Sam Kerr and Lynn Williams produced roughly four shots per 90 in their best pro seasons. Smith won’t match her college production in her first season of pro play, but it shows why she was so coveted.

Smith has the resume of a top prospect, but the thing that sets her apart, the reason the Thorns were willing to pay just about any price to get her, is her brain. There have been 19-year-olds with Smith’s measurable soccer skills before, but her personality and intelligence are rare for someone her age.

Parsons took the unusual step of going to that aforementioned December ID camp to get a closer look at Smith and Washington State forward Morgan Weaver, who the Thorns took No. 2 overall after another trade.

“I wanted to see who they talk to on the drinks break, who they get off the bus with. I wanted to see if they’re as special off the field as on the field,” Parsons said. His observations at the camp solidified his feeling that Smith had the personality to become a top professional player right away, and that the Thorns needed to trade up to get her.

“We were in a position to bring in a player that has a set of tools that not many other players have,” Parsons said. “Everyone will see her technical quality, her ability to create and finish, and score goals in multiple ways. Her athletic ability is unmatched. But that doesn’t matter if you don’t have the mentality and maturity that she already has. She’s got the most key things that we think make a special, world-class forward. We’ve been desperate for that for a long time.”

Smith’s understanding of what’s happening on the field is advanced. This interview, after her first college game, is an incredible example. Without the help of a coach, she identifies a shift in the opposition defense’s shape, and how she should have reacted to that shift.

The USWNT program has produced a lot of athletic superstar forwards who weren’t tactically intelligent until later in their careers. Mia Hamm is probably the most notable exception; she had an innate understanding of how to exploit space with off-the-ball movement in an era when tactical instruction in the women’s game was, sadly, not yet on par with the men’s game. Others made the most of their physical talents at the beginning of their careers before becoming complete players in their late 20s.

This trend is likely to change in the near future, starting with players like Smith. The USWNT is doing more video review with youth players than ever before, and the program’s coaches list “game understanding” first when discussing what they’re looking for in players. It probably also helped Smith that both Stanford and her youth club, Real Colorado, have a history of producing excellent professional players. That said, Smith has displayed an aptitude and predilection towards the tactical side of soccer that few players at her age could ever match.

“Sophie is in a place of being more immediately ready and Morgan [Weaver] is in a place of having incredible potential,” Parsons said about the two forwards he drafted, which is an incredible statement on its face, given the basic details of the two players. Smith is 19 years old, and not particularly big or strong. Weaver, meanwhile, is 22 years old, 5’10, and regularly bulldozed college center backs while carrying her team to four upset victories in the 2019 NCAA tournament. Portland is counting on at least one of the two producing in a big way next season.

Despite the Thorns’ consistent success under Parsons, the club has struggled to find the perfect fit for its striker position. Legendary Thorns and Canada forward Christine Sinclair has transitioned into an attacking midfield role as she has slowed down, becoming one of the best playmakers in NWSL. Denmark’s Nadia Nadim did an admirable job playing slightly out of position for a couple of years, but is probably better in a supportive role than she is leading the line up top. The Thorns hoped Switzerland international Ana-Maria Crnogorčević would be their missing piece, but she disappointed, scoring just six goals in two seasons. Midge Purce performed well when given chances at striker last season, scoring eight goals, but didn’t have the technical skills Parsons wanted for the role. He’s betting Smith has the exact right combination of speed, skill and intelligence to make his team better, after shuffling through predecessors who had no more than two of those three qualities.

Smith’s decision to turn pro is also happening at a critical time for the USWNT. Andonovski is happy with his options for the 2020 Olympics, but he’ll need to find some youth for his forward line heading into the next World Cup in 2023. Carli Lloyd is 37, Megan Rapinoe is 34 and four more of the team’s forwards are 30 or older. The USWNT will need to get younger starting in 2021. Giving playing time to young players will ensure they’re well-established and experienced in international play before the next World Cup rolls around, and Andonovski and Markgraf have clearly identified Smith as a leading candidate to move into the front line after the Olympics.

All of this is to say there’s a lot of pressure on Smith’s shoulders, but she isn’t showing any signs of being hindered by it. And perhaps more importantly, the experienced, qualified adults around her are convinced she’s ready for challenges well beyond those usually presented to people her age.

There are no sure things when it comes to evaluating teenagers in pro sports. There’s no accounting for injuries, setbacks in someone’s personal life, bad coaches or a person’s secretly held desire to do something else with their life. But Smith appears to be singular, both in talent and in character. She’s as mature, humble, confident and intelligent as 19-year-olds come.

It’s common to ask whether teenagers who take this leap are ready, but no one is questioning Sophie Smith.

[thisdaynews]

Liverpool v Man City: Why 3-5-2 could hold key for Pep Guardiola's side - Stephen Warnock

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/liverpool-v-man-city-why-3-5-2-could-hold-key-for-pep-guardiolas-side-stephen-warnock/

Liverpool v Man City: Why 3-5-2 could hold key for Pep Guardiola's side - Stephen Warnock

People are already asking: ‘How do you beat this Liverpool team?’ But I am sure Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will believe he has the answer on Sunday.

The Reds remain undefeated after 11 Premier League games and are six points clear of City at the top of the table. However, while their results have been extremely impressive, their progress this season has not all been plain sailing.

The biggest problems Jürgen Klopp’s side have had have come against teams using a 3-5-2 formation, with Sheffield United, Manchester United and even Genk on Tuesday in the Champions League being recent examples.

I am sure Guardiola has spotted it too, so it would not surprise me if he changes his side’s shape from their usual 4-3-3 for this weekend’s top-of-the table match at Anfield.

We know how hard it is to finish Liverpool off – they have not lost in the league since a 2-1 defeat by City at Etihad Stadium in January, and have earned a reputation for being able to fight back and win after going behind.

But Guardiola will have seen there is a way to hurt the leaders, and he knows the defending champions are better than the teams that have already tried that system and failed.

His players will be able to execute the plan better, because they are more comfortable on the ball when they are high up the pitch, and they are also more clinical to punish Liverpool when they get scoring opportunities.

So why wouldn’t he implement the same tactics, play with three at the back, and believe that City can become the first team to see the plan through?

Why does 3-5-2 work against Liverpool?

How Liverpool lined up against Tottenham on 27 October. Fabinho was rested for last week’s win at Aston Villa to avoid the risk of a booking that would have ruled him out of the City game. With Joël Matip injured, Dejan Lovren has been partnering Virgil van Dijk at the back.

Using a 3-5-2 formation against Liverpool’s 4-3-3 shape allows your two centre-forwards to run in behind, either on the left of the Reds’ defence in the channel between Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson, or on the other side, in the area around Van Dijk’s centre-back partner and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

That stops Liverpool’s full-backs from advancing and closing down their opposing wing-back, because they are thinking they cannot move too far up the pitch and leave the centre-half on their side isolated and/or forced wide.

The knock-on effect I’ve noticed in the past few weeks is that the opposition wing-backs progress further up the pitch, and that drags Liverpool’s midfielders and forwards deeper too.

So, while Liverpool are usually so dangerous – especially down the flanks – when they press and win the ball back high up the pitch, they have been left with much greater distance to travel when they get possession and look to attack.

That has left them needing to find a different approach to get forward and create chances. So far, Klopp has always found a way, but he has not taken on a team as good as City so far this season.

City usually line up in a 4-3-3 formation, like they did in their 2-1 win over Southampton last weekend, but against Atalanta at the Etihad on 22 October, they started their 5-1 victory by playing Fernandinho in between Benjamin Mendy and Kyle Walker in a 3-2-4-1 formation with Rodri and Ilkay Gündogan sitting in front of them

Guardiola has used three at the back before, most recently in the Champions League against Atalanta at the Etihad last month, and he has got some quality players to play as wing-backs.

Benjamin Mendy and Kyle Walker – when he’s not filling in in goal, obviously – are both extremely dangerous when they fly forward. Walker could also play as one of the centre-backs, if required.

From an attacking perspective, it would definitely work – we’ve seen it happen against Liverpool before.

Defensively? Well, City were not great when they tried a 3-5-2 shape against the Italian side, but they have not been too convincing at the back at any point this season.

John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi are both fit again now to play alongside Fernandinho and, with the right personnel, this might actually be a way for Guardiola to give his side a bit more security.

Media playback is not supported on this device

Champions League: Pep Guardiola praises Kyle Walker’s courage after stint in goal

Replay showed how close these sides are

I know Guardiola does not often worry about the opposition, or let them dictate his side’s tactics or team selection, but he did exactly that in this fixture last season – a cagey 0-0 draw at Anfield in October 2018.

City changed to a 4-1-4-1 formation in that game, with Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva, who are usually their wide men, staying very narrow, basically to try to outnumber Liverpool in midfield.

Their full-backs stayed deep and they also had Fernandinho sitting in front of the defence to stop the ball being played into the Reds’ front three.

That is another reason why I think Guardiola will adapt his approach this time and, like Klopp, he also has ways of changing things during the game if things are going wrong.

They are both very clever managers and Sunday’s game is probably going to change tactically six or seven times during the 90 minutes.

Whatever is happening, and whoever is in the ascendancy, it will just be a question of how quickly the other manager can change that situation.

It was a similar story when City beat Liverpool in January. I actually watched that game back in full this week, and there was very little between the teams.

A match of tiny margins – with the game goalless at Etihad Stadium in January, Sadio Mane hit the post and John Stones’ attempted clearance cannoned off Ederson and came within 11.7mm of crossing the line before the City defender hooked it away

City were dominant in possession in that match if you just look at the stats, but a lot of what they did was actually just Vincent Kompany and John Stones passing it around at the back.

The midfields nullified each other and City tried to target Dejan Lovren by setting traps when he was in possession. In contrast, they just left Van Dijk on the ball because they knew Lovren was the weaker of the two.

We will see more of the same on Sunday as both teams try to find any advantage, and it is going to be fascinating to find out which small margins decide the game this time.

Why Anfield will play its part

Liverpool are unbeaten in their past 45 home Premier League games, with their last defeat at Anfield coming against Crystal Palace in April 2017. In European competition, they have not lost since being beaten by Real Madrid in October 2014.

There has been a little bit of a war of words between the two managers in the build-up to the game as they try to get the psychological edge.

Where Liverpool definitely have the advantage is the fact they are playing at Anfield because I have seen a real difference in their mentality when they are at home, where they are on such a long unbeaten run.

I am not talking about the famous atmosphere as in the amazing way it helped them overcome Barcelona in last season’s Champions League semi-final, more the fact the crowd never gets on the players’ backs.

The biggest influence the Liverpool fans have had has come when things have gone wrong for their team. There has been no moaning or groaning about misplaced passes from the stands – instead it is more a case of ‘don’t worry, we will score soon’.

They get backed to the hilt, which is huge for any team. Along with their results, it has helped them almost feel invincible at Anfield – as if they are just going to roll teams over and that it is only a matter of time before they start playing well or get the goal they need.

Even if they fall behind on Sunday, Liverpool will still believe in themselves, and think they are going to get the job done.

Who makes your combined Liverpool-Man City XI?

How close are Liverpool and Man City to footballing perfection?

Stephen Warnock was speaking to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan.

Read More

[mhsn033]

Celtic & Rangers: Why does 10-in-a-row matter so much?

Media playback is just not supported on this diagram

‘Ibrox will most likely be furnace of a state if Celtic take dangle of the 10’

Ten in a row. The final in a single-upmanship within the excessive-stakes Venerable Firm competition.

The storied accomplishment of 10 successive titles has remained tantalisingly out of touch for every Celtic and Rangers.

Each and each beget faltered in their sole try at double-digit dominance. Now Celtic beget a 2nd go in 2020-21, having stretched their most modern jog to 9 when final season used to be ended early.

“The 10” – every a success it and trying to stop it – has severely change an obsession on opposite facets of the Glasgow divide. But why does it topic so noteworthy?

Lisbon Lions blaze a crawl

The benchmark used to be location by Celtic’s all-conquering Lisbon Lions. When Jock Stein’s men become essentially the most essential British membership to rob the European Cup in 1967, they had already embarked on an unparalleled home feat.

From 1966-74, Celtic won 9 consecutive high-flight championships and left an indelible stamp on the Scottish sport.

Alex Miller and Colin Stein had been portion of the Rangers side who halted their rivals’ speed, something Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox side are hoping to emulate 45 years later.

“The 10 is this kind of gargantuan deal because you is seemingly to be going to abolish historical previous as essentially the most essential crew to enact it. They money you build from soccer will go over time, nonetheless no person can put off away historical previous,” says Miller.

Stein, who scored the 1975 title-clinching goal in a 1-1 diagram with Hibernian, adds: “There used to be plenty at stake and it used to be this kind of aid, for the crew and especially the supporters.”

‘It be continuously about trying to outdo Celtic’

The Lions’ picture stood unmatched for 23 years. The tide began to turn when Graeme Souness’ arrival as player-supervisor at Ibrox ushered in a Rangers revolution of lavish spending.

By summer season 1997, the Ibrox membership – with Walter Smith at the helm – had been one instant of 10. This used to be an absurdly-proficient crew comprising the likes of Brian Laudrup, Paul Gascoigne, Ally McCoist.

Their momentum regarded unstoppable in opposition to a Celtic side that had won one trophy in eight years and had wonderful modified supervisor, appointing Dutchman Wim Jansen. Yet Celtic broke the monopoly, finishing two factors certain in Also can 1998.

Charlie Miller, real, regrets that Rangers would possibly not total the 10

That overlooked more than a couple of remains an extensive source of distress for aged midfielder Charlie Miller.

“The 10 comes down to Rangers and Celtic continuously trying to outdo every other,” the 44-300 and sixty five days-used says. “I’m restful sad to as of late we didn’t take dangle of that title. It used to be a combination of issues – accidents, Laudrup and Walter had every announced they had been leaving at the close of the season, Gazza used to be purchased.

“But we must always restful restful beget won it, we let ourselves down. I would not express the tension affected us; we extra expected to enact it, that used to be the disclose. We had been so on high throughout that era.”

‘Horrendous’ tension & keeping a legacy

In defying the potentialities to stop the 10, Celtic’s gamers had been feted as heroes by their success-starved fans.

Paul Lambert, a midfielder in that side, says the gamers saw it as their responsibility to safeguard the Lisbon Lions’ legacy. The stress of that become suffocating.

“That tension used to be horrendous,” says Lambert. “It used to be the toughest title I won because we had been a crew wonderful in-built a season.

“If Rangers lose 10 in a row now, the historical previous of Rangers is long gone. That’s the tension we had. John Clark, Billy McNeill, Bertie Auld, Ronnie Simpson, Jock Stein, Jimmy Johnstone, all those mountainous guys… did you need to be known for shedding their historical previous?”

Frail crew-mate Alan Stubbs has the same opinion: “It used to be essentially the most intense tension I’ve ever performed beneath. It wasn’t savory. The rollercoaster of tension Rangers are going to suffer this 300 and sixty five days will most likely be cherish nothing they’ve bump into.

“Rangers, after we stopped them, had been better than us. There are a total lot of similarities to this season.”

Lambert believes this season will most likely be a test of gargantuan test mental energy for Gerrard and his gamers.

“When you do not stop the 10, you is seemingly to be going to be remembered as a man who used to be portion of that,” he adds. “It be not down to skill, or not it is within the brain. Mentally can they handle it?���

Lisbon Lions captain Billy McNeill is commemorated in a statue out of doorways Celtic Park

How enact essentially the most modern gamers behold it?

As rapidly as Celtic had been crowned champions of final season’s curtailed Premiership in Also can, supervisor Neil Lennon’s solutions turned in the direction of the following advertising campaign.

Its significance is apparent to the aged captain, who used to be in payment for essentially the most essential three titles of Celtic’s most modern jog and has delivered the final two since returning to adjust Brendan Rodgers.

“Going for the 10; or not it is historic, or not it is momentous and intensely special,” acknowledged Lennon. “I comprehend or not it has been on the tip of a total lot of our supporters’ tongues and we’ll be going all out to enact it.”

Midfielder Callum McGregor says it would be a “terrifying success” must always restful Celtic succeed, adding: “We all know what’s riding on it this season. It could probably probably presumably be something I would be so proud of.”

Rangers are and not utilizing a predominant trophy since 2011, and beget fallen out of title competition put up-winter wreck in every of Steven Gerrard’s two seasons at the helm.

Striker Jermain Defoe, though, is convinced they are able to harness that disappointment.

“The staunch ingredient is that each person is aware of how gargantuan it is,” the aged England forward suggested the Pretty Game podcast. “I even beget sensed that within the pre-season, how exhausting every person is working.

“We don’t desire to abolish the an identical errors we made within the 2nd half of the season. I glean out about at the dressing room and I feel about we are in a position to go your total technique. We wonderful want to take into consideration we are in a position to enact it this 300 and sixty five days.”

What about the fans?

Celtic supporter Steven Murray, Uddingston, Lanarkshire

The 10 matters so noteworthy to me because I grew up within the era when Rangers won 9 and had been so ruthlessly dominant. The prospect of not ultimate equalling that nonetheless going one better is irresistible.

It could probably probably presumably also point out so noteworthy for Celtic’s ongoing upward trajectory and prestige, nonetheless the command nub of the topic is, for me, rooted in competition.

Rangers fan Andrew Dickson, Motherwell, Lanarkshire

I make not take into consideration 10 in a row formulation the an identical because it would possibly well beget performed if Rangers had been within the league right thru Celtic’s most modern speed.

It must always not be overlooked that Rangers had been not within the cease flight for four years and final season used to be ‘called’ in advance and controversially. This success pales in comparability to the old Rangers and Celtic 9-in-a-row wins.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3fVeaOG via IFTTT

[soccernetghana]

Ishmael Addo: Ghana’s Secret Weapon The World Never Got To Know

May 9 2001 – Kumasi Asante Kotoko had taken the lead well in that game. The Porcupines had it under control. They knew they needed just a few more minutes to hold on, keep their lines tight but their arch-rivals Hearts of Oak had other ideas. For them, the “Never say die” mantra had been ingrained in their DNA. Every player knew it wasn’t over until it was finally over. On 75 minutes, the Reds were still quite comfortable. Let’s paint a picture: A long searching ball that was meant to find Nana Frimpong had been hoofed up-field to Jacob Nettey. The captain kept the ball in his stride, beat his marker and hit it to the man who had endeared himself to the Hearts faithful, Emmanuel Osei Kuffour. Kuffour picked out Don Bortey, who in turn picked out Ishmael Addo with a dink of a pass from the outside of his foot but it is the next few seconds that would turn the game on its head and probably change Ghana football in many ways. Addo, at his prolific best, allowed the ball to roll instead of hitting it the first time and dummied the keeper, Osei Boateng, with his first touch before he slotted in with brazen precision. As he wheeled away in celebration, the Kotoko goalkeeper was hitting hard on the turf in disappointment. He looked up and then to his bench. He had let them down, but it was simply a look that many goalkeepers had on after facing Ishmael Addo: downcast, crestfallen and unable to make a proper reaction. Addo went on to score again in the 81st minute turning a near defeat into a Pyrrhic victory for Hearts – a victory that has been placed way down in the memory of Ghanaian football fans due to the unfortunate events after. But that was just who he was. Ishmael Addo – the goal machine. Addo made the dream move from the now defunct Tema Hearts Babies, a thriving colts team then, to Accra Hearts of Oak in one of the most interesting deals in Ghana football. A total of seven players including Joojo Bossman, who later went on to win the Confederation Cup in 2004, were transferred to the club for ¢300,000 then (Now, GH¢30). That was a harbinger for thing to come for Hearts. A Tema boy through and through, Addo had gone through a colts system that meticulously made sure that players were at their utmost best before the step up. At Tema Hearts Babies, Addo was just a few years ahead of his future teammate, Benard Don Bortey. Tema had already produced a flurry of players who had gone on to give fans of Hearts of Oak joy in the late ’80s. Ablade Kumah, Shamo Quaye, Nanabenyin Crentsil and Paul Adjoda became the backbone of the famous ‘musical’ youth team of the early ’90s. Addo recounts the impact that team had on him in his decision to choose Hearts. “I will put the Musical Youth from back in the day as one of the best squads because when I was a kid, I heard a lot about that group of players – how they were playing good, winning and all that,” Addo recounted. The move from Addo was made in 1997 while he was still in his teen years but it wasn’t until two years later, in 1999, that the stars will align for him to get his chance. Addo made his Hearts debut on January 31, 1999 in a game against Liberty Professionals – an off-season game in a gala that served as a curtain raiser for the league season. Then 16, all he needed was 26 minutes to announce himself to Ghanaians. Hearts won that game 1-0. The pacey young striker would go on to score in 3 out of the 4 games in the competition Hearts won comfortably after beating Goldfields in the final. A week later it was the proper league season and many who had seen him in the previous tournament were hoping they could catch another glimpse of the boy wonder in the league. Hearts’ first league game that year was against Afienya United – a game Hearts won 4-1 and Addo had scored after coming off the bench to replace diminutive midfielder Charles Allotey. Three games into the season, the boy wonder had scored in all and has already begun grabbing headlines. The passage of time can blur one’s memory but it is important to note that it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Addo at Hearts. He had come into a fold that had the previous season’s goal king in Joe Fameyeh, Ousmanu Amadu – who many Hearts fans loved – the target man Ibrahim Mugu and Ian Acquah, who played a fringe but important role upfront for the Phobians. Addo particularly had to rely solely on his ability, his pace, his instincts and the trust from coaches Ofei Ansah and Archibald Lamptey who helped him hone his skills to develop into the well-rounded player we saw years past. In his debut season, he went on to score 16 goals. Hearts were league champions that year but the dose of success they were having wasn’t good enough for them. They wanted more and in the next, which is the club’s most successful year ever, they built a commandeering attack that had Charles Taylor and Bernard Don Bortey alongside Ishamel Addo. That team, which went on typically to win the Champions League, the Super Cup, the league title and the FA Cup, was the famous ’64 Battalion’ team led by the late Cecil Jones Attuquayefio. Addo says it was more about him then, the fighting spirit he instilled in them, than what their abilities could actually handle. “Jones always said you had to be selfish. He always told us to be selfish in the sense that we should not allow our opponents to play. That’s all we were doing. We never wanted the opponent to play but we wanted them to allow us to play,” he cited that as the hold Jones had on them. The years have gone by quite fast but Addo still holds those moments in high esteem. When I asked how all that meant to him, he just let out that very coy smile and said: “I will probably use one word. That is to say I was fulfilled. I gave my best and my all to them when I was with them so I think my job was done and I did a good job with them.” The year that followed Hearts of Oak’s treble year was to be Addo’s most prolific year as a striker. It was harvest season for him. He played with the disregard for convolution. He had one job; a job that required him to put the ball at the back of the net and he understood his duties more than anyone in the Ghana Premier League. Nicknamed Enfant Terrible, Addo went on to score 22 goals in the league – a record that still holds today, 19 years after. No one has come close. It is lonely out there but Addo says that record gives him so much joy. “It makes me feel special because the league was there before I was born and then there has been some records that were set before I came along. So having the opportunity to have a record of my own in the Ghana League, that’s something I will always be proud of.” In his first three season at Hearts, he had scored a staggering 57 goals. How does one win so much at club level and not replicate the same form for the national team? How does it work? What happened to him? In detail, Addo played 9 times for Ghana – a national blunder that can never be corrected. A travesty of justice. But was Addo up to the task? Did he believe in himself to do it for his nation? Addo believes he should’ve scored more for the flag. Maybe if he had involved himself a lot more it could’ve been a different but could he have scored more for Ghana? “Yes. I think I should’ve but then you know we had these big stars. We are talking about big strikers who were playing in the Black Stars back then were exceptional because we had Augustine Arhinful, all the big names. Actually I had my chances and I took them so I wouldn’t regret anything that went on,” he said with a voice that made you realize a bit of disappointment in there. “It was a different playing style because it is a different coach coming in and we had a different coach back at Hearts of Oak so it was something different,” he continued. Addo played briefly in France with Bastia alongside Michael Essien after leaving Hearts on loan before moving to Maccabi Netanya in Israel. The years that followed were just drowned in peripatetic moves to different clubs where he didn’t have any titular role. He recounts his time out there. “I will probably say I did quite well when I left Hearts of Oak because I went to Bastia for a year. It was a loan deal so after that, the coach has to leave and all that. Because you know in Europe, it is all about coaches that sign players. “It was a good experience playing in Europe and all that but you know the thing is, the level of quality of football in Europe cannot be compared to none because the development of football in Europe is far far advanced than what we had in Ghana and what we still have in Ghana. It is all about discipline, dedication and hard work. It is not easy to play in Europe. “I had all these three qualities and that was the reason why I had the chance to play in the UEFA Champions League.” He returned to Hearts in 2006 to try to re-launch what then was a frustrating career. Back at his old stomping ground, he returned to good form. Not quite the form he showed in his early, formative years but there was a lethal striker in there. One thing never changed though. His love for playing against arch-rivals Asante Kotoko. Addo and Bortey have scored the most goals (6) than any other Hearts player in the premier league era against Kotoko. Addo believes games against Kotoko were some of the toughest for him. “With those two teams, it is like the history has always been there. The competition has always been there so when those two teams are coming together, it is like,’ If you’re not going in to win, then do not even go’,” he said. Kotoko vrs Hearts games then were always so heated it ended in fierce battles on and off the field. “It is a shame to let Kotoko win and it is shame for us to let Hearts win so that’s where this mentality of wanting to win comes in,” he continued. In 2008 when the second stint at Hearts came to an end, he moved to India to play for East Bengal FC and then returned after two years to Wassaman United. The steam locomotive was grinding to a halt at this stage. Addo scored 103 goals in 124 appearances for his beloved Hearts of Oak. As freakish as this stat may seem, he added 4 league titles, 2 FA Cups, the CAF Champions League and the CAF Super Cup to his laurels. As a striker he won 3 Golden Shoe awards for being the top scorer in the Ghana Premier League. It is a shame the world did not see much of him. It is unfortunate he could not represent Ghana more. However great Ishmael Addo was in the Ghana Premier League, he is still Ghana’s biggest football ‘could have been’.   By: Yaw Ofosu Larbi — 3news.com source: https://ghanasoccernet.com/

[soccerdrawings]

10 Simple (But Important) Things To Remember About Why Did The World Cup Trophy Change? | Why Did The World Cup Trophy Change?

A Manchester United fable has played bottomward the acceptation of the Reds' success on a all-around stage, accepting won the antagonism during his arena canicule

History of the Cricket World Cup - Simple English Wikipedia .. | why did the world cup trophy change? Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has caked algid baptize over Liverpool's Club World Cup success, insisting the clash "wasn't that serious" aback he was at Old Trafford.Liverpool aerial the bays for the aboriginal time in their history on December 18, assault Flamengo 1-0 afterwards extra-time in the final acknowledgment to a Roberto Firmino strike.The Reds acclaimed acceptable their third bays of 2019 in some style, and alike airish for archive pictures with the bays to mark the occasion.Scholes added a Club World Cup winners' badge to his bays chiffonier aback in 2008 while allotment of an all-star United band at the aiguille of its admiral beneath Sir Alex Ferguson.

Most countries back expanding 10 World Cup: FIFA | Soccer .. | why did the world cup trophy change? The ex-England all-embracing recalled the acquaintance during an account with BBC Radio Five Live, and couldn't abide demography a attenuate bash at Liverpool for their absurd celebrations afterwards acrimonious up an ambiguous allotment of apparatus in Qatar."Well you appetite to win it already you’re there but I don’t anticipate it was anytime article that we were atrocious to win," Scholes said.“Even now if addition said to you ‘What trophies did you win over the years?’ I don’t anticipate we’d acknowledgment the World Club Championship.“I absolutely don’t. I’m not joking, I’m serious!

Change to ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy Tour driven by Nissan .. | why did the world cup trophy change? “But you apperceive what, it’s like annihilation else, it ability booty added accent over the years.“It looks like Liverpool accept enjoyed it, they’ve acclaimed it and apparently will acknowledgment it and why not – but aloof aback we were arena it wasn’t that austere I don’t think.“But now you attending aback I accept you’re absolutely blessed but it’s not article you set out to do as a amateur I don’t think.”Scholes was again asked which meant added to him - Club World Cup celebrity or winning a bays at his bounded badminton club - to which he responded: “My badminton trophy!”

Where are the '10, '10 and '10 World Cup trophies held .. | why did the world cup trophy change? Article continues beneath Liverpool alternate to England at the alpha of the anniversary to activate affairs for a huge showdown adjoin Leicester at the King Power Stadium on Boxing Day.Jurgen Klopp's men showed no assurance of fatigue afterwards their exploits in the average east as they thrashed the Foxes 4-0, aperture up a 13 point advance over their rivals at Premier League acme in the process.United, meanwhile, managed to aces up a confidence-boosting 4-1 win at home to Newcastle on Thursday, bouncing aback acerb afterwards aftermost weekend's 2-0 defeat at Watford.

First World Cup Trophy invented 10? How Trophy Changed .. | why did the world cup trophy change? 10 Simple (But Important) Things To Remember About Why Did The World Cup Trophy Change? | Why Did The World Cup Trophy Change? - why did the world cup trophy change? | Encouraged to be able to my own weblog, with this time period I'll teach you concerning keyword. And after this, this is the primary photograph:

Cataday Crew on Tour : February 10 - why did the world cup trophy change? | why did the world cup trophy change? Why don't you consider photograph above? is actually that remarkable???. if you feel consequently, I'l m teach you some picture once more below: So, if you'd like to secure all of these fantastic graphics about (10 Simple (But Important) Things To Remember About Why Did The World Cup Trophy Change? | Why Did The World Cup Trophy Change?), press save button to save the photos to your laptop. They're available for down load, if you appreciate and wish to grab it, simply click save badge in the web page, and it will be immediately downloaded to your laptop.} Lastly if you like to receive unique and the latest picture related to (10 Simple (But Important) Things To Remember About Why Did The World Cup Trophy Change? | Why Did The World Cup Trophy Change?), please follow us on google plus or bookmark this blog, we attempt our best to offer you regular up-date with fresh and new pics. Hope you like staying right here. For some up-dates and recent information about (10 Simple (But Important) Things To Remember About Why Did The World Cup Trophy Change? | Why Did The World Cup Trophy Change?) photos, please kindly follow us on tweets, path, Instagram and google plus, or you mark this page on book mark area, We try to offer you up-date regularly with all new and fresh shots, love your browsing, and find the ideal for you. Thanks for visiting our site, contentabove (10 Simple (But Important) Things To Remember About Why Did The World Cup Trophy Change? | Why Did The World Cup Trophy Change?) published .  At this time we're delighted to declare that we have discovered an awfullyinteresting nicheto be pointed out, namely (10 Simple (But Important) Things To Remember About Why Did The World Cup Trophy Change? | Why Did The World Cup Trophy Change?) Many individuals trying to find specifics of(10 Simple (But Important) Things To Remember About Why Did The World Cup Trophy Change? | Why Did The World Cup Trophy Change?) and of course one of them is you, is not it?

FIFA World Cup Trophy - Wikipedia - why did the world cup trophy change? | why did the world cup trophy change? We propose a change to the fifa world cup... - Flat Earth .. | why did the world cup trophy change?

Cricket World Cup Trophy - Wikipedia - why did the world cup trophy change? | why did the world cup trophy change?

Manchester scientists solve mystery of World Cup trophy .. | why did the world cup trophy change? Read the full article

[lorenza2020]

woman arrested at mexico border with body

woman arrested at mexico border with body of 2 And in the end, well, he gets better.. In September, Virginia Tech announced its largest ever scholarship gift, $15 million from the A. If you're new to infusing and don't have a decent tea shop close by, this is the one we suggest you try first.. That may be a big reason why the company was rated the best of the worst in a recent study of NFL stadiums by RootMetrics, a company that tests mobile service quality nationwide. Any freeze now could kill the tender shoots and we need to keep our fingers crossed. Manage Subscription Vacation Stop Report a Delivery Issue Use EZ Pay eNewspaper Newsletters Mobile Alerts MC VIP Rewards Profile FAQs Subscriber TermsAllentown Bethlehem Area Easton Area East Penn Parkland Saucon Valley Nazareth/Slate Belt Whitehall Area Proms GraduationVarsity Phillies IronPigs Eagles Flyers Phantoms Athlete of the Week College Penn State Golf Auto Racing OutdoorsGo Guide App Things To Do Arts Theater Nightcrawler LV Music Restaurants Food Drink TV Watchers Lehigh Valley Insider Lehigh Valley Craft Beer MoviesVeg OutRetail Watch Consumer Real Estate Transportation Road Warrior Top WorkplacesFind a job Place an ad Listings Place an adThere's a shift in the market, however, towards more snacks made with "healthier" ingredients that provide us with fuel to keep going as well as being nutritionally packed and delicious.[More ] We taste tested the new foods at Allentown Fair. Cuyahoga Heights rallied to score two unearned runs in the top of the fourth inning on two uncharacteristic errors by the Lady Lion defense to make the score 3 2. On his way out the door with one of her favorite paintings, the son said, "See! Blood's thicker than water!" This to the woman who had given unqualified love to all of them for over 22 years.. Cities around the country are copying what Houston did to work on veteran homelessness. This can be done, he said, but it's expensive, and "it's particularly difficult to prove intent." Moreover, he said, coach outlet online defendants who can't afford an attorney are often given court appointed attorneys who "may not know what the right questions are or what information to be looking for.". Regardless, I am disgusted by and take full responsibility for the actions seen in the footage, as it goes against everything that we stand for in regards to responsible cow care and comfort. Kaiti White followed with another infield single to advance Gragg to second base. In addition to watching your own team's games, make sure to review upcoming opponent's prior games thoroughly to get a better idea of their tendencies, strategies, strengths, and weaknesses.[15]. Fort Saskatchewan had a two nothing lead over the Sherwood Park Flyers after 40 minutes.The tight checking continued in the third until Gustafson second of the game salted the game away and a 3 0 win for the Rangers.Fort Saskatchewan Ranger goaltender Carson Burkhart was solid in net, making 29 saves for the shut out. You need a coach simply because you need to be accountable to someone else when you don't get out there and apply yourself. On August 3, 1998, an administrative judge held a conference pursuant to G. Insanity is sometimes taught with a group of people, but the creator, Shaun T., provides a purchasable DVD that can be used at home. THUNDER BAY August weekends offer all kinds of opportunities to get out and enjoy the region. Are they choosing their partners in a bad way? Or are they continuing some pattern of thinking and behaving which is recreating the same kinds of conflicts with their partners? Perhaps they are doing both. Briles knew exactly what he was doing. I was at the Hilton of army bases. The team finished with a record of 24 6, winning 20 out of 21 games in one stretch. In the end, the best Chicago life coach for you will be the one you're most comfortable with.. Norse mythology is full of storytelling potential, and video games have no problem mining the rich lore. The Apollos' aggression, already elevated on the state stage, went up two more rungs. The second half started where the first left off as Saint Louis FC quickly doubled their lead when Hilton picked up the ball in the midfield and let loose from outside the box for his first goal of the season in the 48th minute. Senator Mark Warner continues travelling through Southwest and Central Virginia today. Several local police departments will be hosting their own National Night Out events. There is plenty of small fish also that are being taken on sluggos, small skirts trolled behind the boat, and even garfish trolled behind the boat on a bridle rig.. The doors leading into Oakland's Dragon Gate Bar and Grille feel like a portal. Open on Friday.. He has averaged 154 games a year at shortstop since the start of the 1996 season.. A group of local non profits are meeting coach outlet clearance today at noon to figure out how to coordinate efforts and resources in response to the recent 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Nepal over the weekend. On May 6th, City Council agreed on a mere $5.5 million in additional school funding.3 I do that quick math for you schools still need to cut $10.7 million from their operating budget to make ends meet. Singing with him will be his brother Peter Zelenchuk and his son Mykola Zelenchuk who plays the trembita, a traditional twelve foot long mountain horn. Elderly parents to care for? Into the bag.. He was also done by Gray for Leicester's first. Molly as always was incredibly helpful offering ideas that could help progress the page further, I also told her how much I enjoy generating content as I am passionate about creating pictures and videos.