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lunarcloak · 6 months ago

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I love this!! I remember when the concept of "New Gen 11" was first introduced, I was a little confused on whether they'd be able to interact with each other because they're basically supposed to be the best players in the newest generation for those particular spots on field, right? There's no real inkling that they've played together before.

But then Lorenzo seems to know Kaiser well enough that they can read other. Assuming that the teams have remained the same for atleast the past two years, if not longer, that means Real Madrid and Bastard Munchen MUST have gone against each other enough that Kaiser and Sae are familiar.

(I was honestly expecting Kaiser to make a comment to Rin about his older brother during the PxG match, but seeing as he's having a mental breakdown and there's no inkling-- there's no real foundation for this.)

But technically speaking, Sae's striker dream was crushed somewhere in that four year bracket. Judging by the timeline, Sae returns to Japan roughly a year or under two years from present date. Briefly, assuming, because the start of the series has him returning for a second time for his passport.

BASICALLY. All of this to say. The timeline would match up perfectly. I'd try to get it to match up better but we don't actually know for sure how old Kaiser is. I want to say he's maybe the same age as Sae, maybe a year older? But literally EVERYTHING points to the fact that they've played against each other atleast a handful of times.

YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE THIS REMINDS ME OF??

I can't remember the chapter, but at some point Ego makes that big speech about how a Japanese player is worshipped in the media as their next prodigal genius, and then they get crushed under European talents before returning to Japanese football to finish in some mid level national leagues. This is almost Exactly what Sae does, except Sae still has an ego, just that it manifests in a different way.

He's talented, and he knows it, so rather than opting to get crushed as a striker, he flourishes as a midfielder. This is why there exist parallels between Sae and Isagi.

But I am curious-- why do you think this strips us of a badass character? I'd like to pick your brain on that.

Besides, if Rin were to be the world's best striker, then he would also need the world's best midfielder too, you know.

This is so interesting because, the way Sae behaves once he gets back from Spain is literally the exact opposite of this. He tells Rin to stop playing football, to stop pursuing that dream-- and it really makes you wonder. Obviously Sae is not very open with his thoughts, and often contradictory in his speech and actions. (Hilarious example, but see how he talks to Shidou vs acts with Shidou in the U20 arc.)

If this is true, and Sae chose to stay as close to Rin through his dream, then that means Sae is as dependent on Rin as Rin is dependent on him. Honestly? i think that was exactly what Sae wanted to break when he got back from Spain. He's not quite succeeded yet, but I think in his mind he was doing it for the sake of Rin. Except I think he needs it too.

I just. I was really looking forward to Kaiser picking on Rin for being Sae's little brother in some shape or form, yknow?? If they had history, I feel like he'd be more crass about it. But of course at the moment he's not doing too well LMAO. But if it happens, then that will easily give us some more evidence to work off of.

I APOLOGISE FOR THE LONG REPLY REBLOG!! Your thoughts just sent my brain into analysis mode and I had to add on my ideas and interpretations. Hope you have a good day!!

It was the end of Ubers match when I first stumbled upon a tweet on Pinterest which sowed the theory of Kaiser destroying Sae's dream in my mind. And honestly, after this seeing panel:

I'm starting to believe more and more in that theory.

It was evident way before Ness's backstory that Kaiser is definitely NOT a newbie in the soccer industry which gives an ample amount of time for Sae to face Kaiser in a match considering Sae didn't return to Japan for straight four years.

And I highly think that Sae faced off Kaiser in the later moment of those four years.

Why?

Because:

He looked miserable when he first returned from Spain in comparison to his later return (almost a year later) from Spain:

And I do think that if you were to lose a long-term dream, then it'll show on your face much more during the earlier days rather than a year later when you get used to the feeling of losing your dream.

Further, Kaiser crushing Sae's dream fits well in two questions that revolves in my mind whenever I think about Sae's backstory:

Why Sae started hating his own country, Japan?

The above question can be modified as:

Why Sae started hating Japanese soccer players?

As I said in one of my previous posts, I do believe that when Sae stepped into Spain, he realised that he was the Frog in the well—he realised how vast the world is and that he wasn't as great of a player as he thought he was. He probably struggled a lot but was somewhat successful in maintaining a balance when Kaiser came in like a wrecking ball to strike the nail in the coffin.

Of course, considering Sae's personality, he would've surely put up a fight against Kaiser just like Isagi did, but unlike that blueberry boy, Sae was already very exhausted and sadly, after some time, he gave up.

Now to address the actual answer to the question: Sae hated how much Japan celebrated him when he was just a child. He was showered with the title of prodigy since he was a kid and he hated that his own country made him feel like he was someone special when in reality, he was just the best among the worst. Further, even if he wanted to be better, there was no one in Japan who could help him do that. He hated how he was made to believe by his country's people that he had what it took to be the world's best striker.

Kind of like a betrayal of some sort.

This gentle soul explained it very well too:

Also, a bit unrelated, but this panel piqued my interest:

German you say, hm?

Moving onto next question:

Why Sae chose to be a Midfielder then?

I have two reasoning for this question:

Firstly, what is the position closest to the striker? Yes, a Midfielder. So, by being a Midfielder, Sae is still trying to be as close to his dream as possible. It is his type of compromise.

Secondly, do you remember what Rin really liked? Yes, Sae's passes. And which position's main role is to pass? Yes, a Midfielder.

You getting me?

It's like Sae is trying to get some kind of closure by reliving those good old times when Rin and Sae played in the Kamakura United (their soccer club). Besides, if Rin were to be the world's best striker, then he would also need the world's best midfielder too, you know.

You getting me?

The only reason I don't want this theory to come true is because it kind of strips us off from an opportunity to get a new badass character.

I also don't want this theory to be true is because I'm solely holding onto this panel:

I'm desperately holding into this panel as a hope that Sae still cares for Rin.

After we got an insight of Kaiser-Ness relation in chapter 261, I can't help but fear that Sae may think of Rin in the same way—someone for his own selfish needs.

And if anything like this happens, I'll transform into the biggest Kaiser's hater alive. Even after chapter 261, I still somewhat defend him for his behaviour, but Itoshi brothers have been the closest to my heart—istg I'll rip Kaiser's hair from his scalp if the brothers' bond gets tarnished because of him.

That's all, I guess.

#blue lock #lune thinks #can i just say #OP your theories are like #such bangers every single time #ive been following em for quite sometime #i also wrote that gigantic Itoshi sib dissection after being inspired by your post #its just a TREAT to see work from you #keep doing the lords work #keeping analytic braincells such as mine #constantly fed #hope you have a good day!!#anyways hell yeah #while it would be absolutely brutal if this is true #it would be so intriguing ngl #HMMMM

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wwfshow · 2 years ago

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SURVIVING 2022: A WOMEN’S SOCCER PODCAST CONFESSION

Is October too early to write an end-of-the-year blog? You know the saying ‘When it rains it pours'? For me and this beloved women’s soccer podcast, 2022 was a torrential rainstorm.

So much so that I came really close to shutting down Women’s World Football Show. Yes, it’s true! Luckily (and I say that with a hint of irony – keep reading!), that didn’t happen. Here’s another saying that comes to mind when I think of 2022 – ‘If it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all!’

The year started inconspicuously enough with a look towards the future. We featured great guests with amazing and inspirational stories. We were looking forward to the Euros, the U20 and U17 Women’s World Cups, the NWSL season, two new expansion teams in the NWSL, Women’s World Cup qualifiers and yes the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Ah… those were great times!

By May, my focus was all but lost. After a devastating death in the family, I lost my job (yes, I have a real job – gotta finance this pod somehow!), and then a series of unluckiness pelted me like a blistering tornado.

Now, I’m not one to wallow in self pity and I know that even at my lowest, I have a lot to be grateful for. But the things that happened to me were just plain weird. And worst of all, it took my focus off the podcast.

For one, my Lucky Plant that I’ve had for at least 5 years, suddenly died (that should have been my first clue). Believe me, I did everything in my power to try to save it apart from giving it mouth-to-leaf resuscitation.

Then one sunny afternoon while I was walking in my backyard, I took a tumble and split my knee open on the pavers. I wasn’t even drunk! Just walking over to give one of my squirrels a few nuts. That turned out to require six stitches and the inability to walk up stairs in less time than it takes a snail to cross the street.

A few days before that, I stepped on something (again in my backyard) and spent two months trying to dig out whatever was impaled in my heel. Finally after months of pain and frustration, I dug out a shard of glass! When I saw that little sucker come out of my foot, I was elated. I felt like my luck was going to change!

Record scratch!!

Keep in mind, while all this was happening, Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC were playing matches right here in my hometown of Southern California. I missed more games than I attended and a bad case of FOMO set in. I had a hard time following the game, much less attending. That’s when the thought of shutting down WWFShow crept into my head.

One morning, I woke up with excruciating pain in my mouth. Oh noooo – not a root canal! It can’t be. First of all, since losing my job my state insurance was anything but stellar and I already had to pay through the nose for my knee incident. Come to find out it was a fractured root and the tooth had to go. Holy Moly!! What’s happening?

By this time, I was going on two months since our last episode. The thought of reaching out to anyone for an interview was way down on my list of priorities. Was episode 205 going to be the last? I couldn’t make that decision while I was in a state of bad luck (that’s what I was calling it).

Then, the thought came to me that maybe it wasn’t bad luck at all. Maybe, just maybe, it was my own mindset. I implanted a thought in my head and it affected everything around me. What was I doing wrong?

Well, first I was convinced of this idea of bad luck and had myself in a muddy ditch spinning my wheels. I had to stop pressing the accelerator. Get out and change my way of thinking.

The first thing I did was buy a new Lucky Plant. Yep – I had been looking at that old pot with two dead branches for months. I went to the supermarket and bought a new vibrant plant for $13.99. As I buckled that little fellow into the passenger seat and drove it to its new home, I felt an instant connection with it. “Nothing but filtered water and 70’s love songs for you my friend.”

Then I did what we all do when we’re feeling a little blue – I went on Amazon. After a little research, I found that Selenite Crystal helps calm your surroundings and brings tranquility while aligning chakras. Sign me up! So I bought an authentic Selenite Crystal Lamp. I’m a believer!

I’m also a believer in the power within. If there’s anything I’ve learned in my 120 years of living it’s that we have infinite power over our lives. Call it God, higher power, consciousness, love, peace, whatever. The infinite power is alive and well, if we stay focused on it. I know this because I’ve seen my life change by keeping attentive to it.

Losing sight of your inner strength is why most people walk around feeling lost, unconscious, or out of control.

We have it all here at our fingertips, but it takes work. I wasn’t doing the work. I was unconscious. Walking around in a funk – falling down, stepping on glass, grinding my teeth. Not being grateful.

That’s the other thing I rediscovered – practicing gratitude. I had a gratitude journal for years, then I kind of stopped. Why? Who knows. Life, no time, etc., etc.

Now, every night before I go to sleep I write in my gratitude journal. The interesting thing about having a gratitude journal is you intentionally go through the day looking for things to be grateful for. Gotta write that down tonight!

Such a powerful thing!

I’ve done a lot of other things to stay focused and happy, but this blog is already past my word-count minimum, so we’ll keep it to those few things.

What were the results of this changing mindset? As of this writing I don’t know. I feel like I’m getting my groove back. I’m happy and grateful. I thank God for all the things in my life – good and bad.

And as for the podcast? While I questioned the importance of the show especially in light of all the growth and success of women’s soccer, I realized that it’s still needed. For the two months hiatus, people were still downloading episodes. I mean really downloading – in large numbers.

Some of you listened to our most recent show, others dipped into older shows maybe catching up or re-listening. That made me realize that the little WWFShow podcast was still being enjoyed by listeners around the world. Still needed! That made me feel a great sense of pride and happy obligation.

The show must go on! At least for a little while. I've started attending more press conferences, scheduling interviews with players and people I know you’re going to love hearing from.

The end of 2022 is coming up fast but not without a changing mindset and a renewed energy. I’ll be writing more blogs as well with behind-the-scenes stories and more. I’ll also be doing some swag giveaways and putting out a monthly newsletter – so keep an eye out for all of that!

Another great saying I love is by Dr. Wayne Dwyer - “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

I’ve been looking at all the good luck and blessings I have and the view is amazing!

– by Patty La Bella

#womenssoccer #soccer #soccerpodcast #womensfootball #podcast

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akiharashizuka · 8 years ago

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Cardfight Vanguard G: Next turn 29 thoughts

Diffrider

There’s something interesting about the title. It is supposed to be read as “Diffrider”, however it is written with lots of kanji (and some hiragana), instead of the usual katakana. It’s not uncommon to see that in anime and manga. And the overall meaning is something like “Possession from another world”. That’s kinda what Different World Ride is all about.

Nice way to begin the episode with a beautiful piano melody. And we also get to take a look at Nome. Though, not much can be interpreted about him with only this scene...

His voice sounds familiar...*checks to see who is the VA* Tomokazu Sugita!? O_O Another big name joins the Vanguard cast. Just to give a few examples of his other roles: Joseph Joestar (Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure), Gundam Tanaka (Danganronpa), Karasuma (Ansatsu Kyoushitsu), Switch/Kazuyoshi Usui (Sket Dance), Gintoki (Gintama - haven’t watched that one yet but I know it’s very popular).

This episode sure is full of surprises. Didn’t expect to see Harmonics Messiah again. I mean, at the end of the movie, its card turned into Neon Messiah, so I’m a bit confused.

Leaving that aside, what it showed Ibuki is the main interest. Especially this:

That kinda looks like the Reverse energy thing. It is shown in Japan, so it’s most likely Shiranui.

Then Ibuki is woken up by Mamoru. Hmm, I’m thinking Mamoru might realize something is going on sooner or later.

Whoa O_O

I guess this picture was taken after Shiranui possessed Onimaru.

Pff Chrono exasperated that the investigation began because of a dream xD His reaction isn’t completely unreasonable though. And Aichi looks like he wants to calm him down, while Kamui tries not to laugh out loud xD Then Ibuki tells him to get down xD I wonder what Kai was tinkling about this situation.

Speaking of which, I re-watched the episode in Stride Gate in which Ibuki was driving with his broken arm and I realized that his car looked a lot different. So, this is most likely Kai’s car.

Back to the main topic, aside from convincing Chrono that it wasn’t a normal dream, we get some info on the Tatsunagi family. So Nome, the older brother, took over only recently and that because there were troubles during the last leader’s time. Yeah...things were indeed hectic when Takuto was around. But why did they wait so many years to change the leader? And usually the oldest sibling is the heir, so I’m guessing there was a reason why Takuto was made the leader instead.

Ok, Nome is a rather eccentric person, welcoming the guests with a party cracker, then he goes ahead and locks everyone in and turns a projector on.

I’m pretty sure the normal way is to tell the guests to take a sit, then bring some tea...

Trinity Dragon vs Kazuma and Taiyou xD The face Kazuma made when Tsuneto told them that the one with the most loses has to treat everyone to ramen is too hilarious.

Other than that, I’m glad that reminded us that team Striders got to participate in the U20 because they won against Trinity Dragon. And they put up a good challenge.

Now Chrono has to pay for ramen because he is skipping training xD That should turn out funny.

I’m confused as to why Kamui is kneeling down, but anyway.

This is the list with the qualified teams for the 2nd round. Since they are shown so clearly, thought I should present them all:

Team Diffrider

Team Toriaina/Triana (I have no idea what it could stand for...)

Boppin Rabbit (that’s kinda cute)

Team Baliastars (?)

Sheep's Head (what?)

Alpha Indy/Indi (I don’t know...)

Team Dead End

Team Moon...(sorry, I searched a lot, but I cannot find that last kanji and I don’t get why...)

Ribros (?)

Demise Neo

Tulip Group

Team Troika (?)

Rummy Labyrinth with Saya

Jaime Flowers

Fukuhara High School Vanguard Club

Striders

Sorry...I wished I could make it more accurate...But hope I managed to give a good idea of their names. Surely, most of them aren’t relevant, so it’s just “out of curiosity” kinda ting.

I think some of these were mentioned in past episodes, when the MC was speaking in the background. Also, the official spellings will most likely be revealed in the future for most of these.

But anyway, let’s go back to the main topic.

Ryuzu, what have you done...To think that the Different World Ride is an aftereffect of the Stride Gate. And the Void might be trying to use that. It’s not confirmed, but after seeing that black and red energy thing, I can’t think of something else.

So both sides need to agree for a Diffride. I guess that was the case for Miguel, Verno and Saori. And, it doesn’t seem like their original personality is completely gone. Or at least I hope so because Verno and Saori seemed interesting and I’d be disappointed if only their units are like that. However, Shiranui just went ahead and possessed Onimaru.

That should turn out interesting. The opening pretty much hints that Kazuma will find out about this (along with Shion and Tokoha) and most likely will want to bring his brother back and show him that he is over what happened in the past and how much he had improved over time. Who knows, maybe Onimaru (the real one, not Shiranui) himself felt guilty about Kazuma quitting.

I liked how Kamui compared the units to tourists xD Ok, I know he was being serious and slightly annoyed, but Nome’s answer just cracked me.

Kai’s reaction to hearing about Chaos Breaker was exactly as I expected. And the flashbacks from Link Joker started flowing in my mind...

So far, I like the contrast between Nome and Takuto. Takuto got involved in pretty much everything, but Nome is completely detached, as he is just an observer. I think he does have a good point.

I’d also like to point out the cards shown behind him: Chronojet Dragon, Altmile, Ahsha, Luard, Gurguit, Vanquisher, Gavrail, Battle Sister Madeleine, Scharhrot and Harri. So, Try3 plus their teams and Luna’s avatar. Ok...Nightrose at least should be there as well...I don’t know if I saw it right, but there seemed to be more cards, but Nome turned and his head might be blocking them. So, it might have been there.

I can’t let this episode pass without mentioning that Psyqualia is still around.

I was a bit disappointed that Kamui’s team didn’t make it to the 2nd round, but finding out that he didn’t want to pass in the first place makes me feel better. Hmm, I wonder how Emi and Nagisa took it.

Ibuki was basically telling him to go and enjoy the tournament, even with all this happening. Of course, when it’s time to act, he won’t be left out. He’s such a good guy.

First off, Tsuneto just declared Final Turn against Kazuma o_O Kina wanted to see how it will turn out, but then Chrono shows up and we do have a Chrono vs Kazuma match after all.

I like how Chrono said that the reason he wants to defeat Shiranui in the first place is to pay him back.

If they hadn’t shown the table a bit earlier and Kamui (who is still underage) wasn’t there, I would have thought they passed out because they got drunk. Or maybe Kai just defeated them one after another.

Knowing these people, they probably had fun and argued until they got tired xD

Speaking of Kai, he seems like he has something to do.

And there’s an Ibuki vs Aichi fight going on. I don’t really have anything to say about it.

Hmm, so Aichi will return to America and gather info. I don’t really see what’s the pint, considering that the Diffride occurred in Japan. Unless there are more people who experienced it. But he also wants to see the 2nd round, so the writers won’t get rid of him so quickly.

Since I watched the episode early in the morning, I thought I was half-asleep and still dreaming when this showed up. Even now, when it’s afternoon and I’m fully awake, I can’t believe Ibuki can make this kind of expression xD

This! This was my favorite part in the entire episode. I love this turn of events, with Kai helping Arata and Makoto to search for Noa. Of course, he has his own reasons because of what happened in the Link Joker arc and this is part of his redemption. But these two also have the right to know what happened to their teammate.

What made this moment even more special is that Kai, with his not so great social skills (I’m not one to talk though...) just went to them and said: Let’s go and search for Noa, while Arata and Makoto are just staring wide-eyed at him xD I bet they are thinking stuff like “What is Toshiki Kai from the Euro League doing here?”, “Why does he know about Noa?”

Hopefully, next week we get an expansion on this scene.

The preview showed a Try3 meeting and a bit of Verno vs Taiyou. That’s a fight I’m really looking forward to.

That "Chrono was overcome by tears of joy as he was holding his wallet" though xD Poor Chrono was still made to treat everyone to ramen.

#cardfight vanguard g next #cardfight vanguard g next spoilers #Akihara's random opinion thing

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thetoptwoinches-blog · 8 years ago

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Wales – A look to the future

So Wales did it! They out-battled Ireland and won an incredible test match. I was in the ground and can honestly say that, to a man, I’m chuffed for the players.

Howley had made a bold call by selecting the same 23 as he had against Scotland and – other than a couple changes brought on by injury – the same as against both Italy and England.

As many a fan and pundit has said, his decisions have been ‘vindicated’.

But, at what cost?

Wales have used 26 players so far in this tournament, and used only 7 others across the entire November period (not a single one of those uncapped).

In fact, as I’m sure many saw (and were equally shocked by) on Scrum V, Wales have only handed out 3 new caps since the 2015 RWC – 4 fewer than Scotland, 9 fewer than England, and a whopping 16 fewer than Ireland.

Giving youth a crack used to be a staple of Warren Gatland’s system (think Prydie, Amos, Robinson, and co.), but since the RWC Quarter-Final defeat almost exactly 18-months ago, Wales have gone more into their shell than ever.

Granted, not every experiment has worked – but that’s the point of an experiment; you devise a hypothesis, you test it, and then you see the results. If one Will Harries-shaped test doesn’t quite work out, another George North-sized one might just do the trick.

It’s through mixing things up and throwing people in the deep end that we learn whether they can swim – or else you could end up with an injury-ravaged squad at a World Cup, and find out that all you’ve got is a bunch underdone back-ups, ready for nothing more than the paddling pool.

So why then, have we been so reluctant to hand caps out to youngsters since the world cup?

Well, Jiffy raised one train of thought during Sunday’s Scrum V: this is a winning business, and the players currently out there are the best ones for the job.

Ok. That could well be true. But, as Gwyn Jones rebutted, there is simply no way of knowing that for sure unless risks are taken and players on the fringes are given a go – at least for more than a token couple of minutes at the end of games.

Second line of thinking: Rob Howley is the Interim Head Coach – it is not his responsibility to aide Warren Gatland’s long-term player growth; it is his role to hold the fort and hope they win matches.

Personally, I think anyone that truly believes this is a fool!

OF COURSE it should be Howley’s job to think about blooding in these players, as he’s the one that has to coach them to the next World Cup. And he must know himself, that at our current rate, he’s at serious risk of working with yet another under-baked squad (from a depth perspective) come World Rugby’s next showpiece event, only 2 and half years away from now.

So, looking forward then. Where and when do we get the low-to-no capped players out on to the park for a chance to get some genuine game time, in test match environments?

Well this summer’s tour of the Pacific Islands should certainly act as a start, and, while Tonga and Samoa aren’t exactly tier-one nations, you best believe that they will both be 100% fired up to smash any and all Welsh youngsters straight back to that paddling pool they came from.

The New Kidz on the Block

So who are these wondrous youngsters set to breathe new life into a stagnating Welsh squad, I hear you ask? Well, I just so happen to have pulled together the following (entirely subjective) list of players, aged 23 and under who could well do just that:

Ospreys

Nicky Smith, 22 – 10 caps

A well-established name at regional level, Smith started the first match of the Six Nations and has deputized well for Rob Evans throughout the rest of the tournament. With Evans pushing hard for a Lions spot, Smith could well be a Wales starter again this summer.

Rory Thornton, 21 – 0 caps

Brought into Wales’ Six Nations training squad, Thornton is still yet to play for the full test team – but the 6 ft 7” lock has already made over 50 Ospreys appearances, and looks nailed on to get his first cap soon.

Adam Beard, 21 – 0 caps

Having partnered Thornton in the engine room for Ospreys and at Wales u20s level, we’ll hopefully see their partnership start to blossom at international level soon. 6 ft 8” Beard is a Charteris-type lock, with a serious set of maul-stopping telescopic arms on him.

Olly Cracknell, 22 – 0 caps

The Leeds-born, former Wales u20s backrow has kicked on massively at Ospreys this season. He seems equally adept at 6 or 8 and has developed into a hugely destructive tackler and ball carrier. Expecting big things.

Sam Davies, 23 – 5 caps

Well, what else is there to say about Sam Davies at this stage? Is having another superb season for the Os and should have been given much more game time for Wales than he currently has. The former junior world player of the year seems to have the full package as a 10, and should start for Wales this summer

Keelan Giles, 19 – 0 caps

The kid! Giles burst on to the scene last season for the u20s, scoring 5 tries to help them on their way to Grandslam success. He was then brought into the Wales training squad out in New Zealand last summer, and has taken to the professional scene this season like a duck to water, scoring 12 tries in 12 games so far. The lightening-quick wing should have been blooded in the autumn, and should start this summer.

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Dafydd Howells, 21 – 1 cap

Made his Wales debut on the Japan tour 4 years ago and has pushed on massively this season, scoring 9 tries in 19 games. Along with Giles, Ospreys have 2 very exciting young wingers and Howells should expect another call up this summer.

Owen Watkin, 20 – 0 caps

I love the look of this lad. He’s strong, fast, and distributes well – basically everything you want from a centre. Playing across 12 and 13 last season, Watkin put in a string of impressive performances in the Pro12, as well as being a key member of the Welsh u20s Grandslam team. A bad knee injury during pre-season means he’s not featured at all this season, but hopefully he can come back smoothly in the very near future.

Kieran Williams, 19 – 0 caps

Neck on the line a bit with this one, as I’ve only seen him play 4 u20s matches. But what a 4 matches they’ve been. Williams has already scored 5 tries this tournament and looks a serious prospect at 12. Like Watkin, he’s strong and quick, and is already being likened to Welsh rugby royalty, Scott Gibbs.

Scarlets

Steff Evans, 22 – 0 caps

One of many exciting young Welsh back 3 players, Evans may be top of the pile in the Welsh selectors’ minds. He’s already racked up 50 Scarlets caps and has 6 league tries to his name so far this season. A long way from the biggest player in world, Evans is still a tough little nut! Should have been given some game time this Six Nations – near-certain to play this summer.

Rhys Patchell, 23 – 4 caps

How is this guy still only 23?! Patchell made his Cardiff debut in 2011 and he’s been balling away ever since. Can dip in and out of form, and is, at times, guilty of looking for the miracle pass too often, but there’s no doubting his quality. A move to Scarlets this summer has helped him get regular game time at fly half, but a bad injury back in January has somewhat curtailed that progress. If fit, he’s more than likely to travel as back-up 10.

Will Boyde, 22 – 0 caps

Kind of come from nowhere this season, Boyde has become a regular in Scarlets’ dynamic back row. He’s big, strong, good over the ball, and has proved a useful try-scoring threat, to boot. Faces strong competition for places, but could well break into the Wales setup in the next couple years.

Dan Jones, 21 – 0 caps

Was the starting fly half for the Wales u20s Grandslam side, and has deputized superbly for the injured Patchell so far this year. Jones seems to have a good head for managing games (as proved when he masterminded Scarlets 21 point comeback away to Munster) and has a boot as reliable as Leigh Halfpenny’s circa 2013. In my opinion, the 2 other fly halves already listed are still a good bit ahead of him, but with 2 years on both of them, there’s no saying he can’t push them for a spot over the next few years.

Cardiff

Ellis Jenkins, 23 – 3 caps

A former Wales u20s captain, Jenkins is an all-action jackler, whose already got more than 50 Cardiff Blues caps. Was called up for Wales’ tour to NZ after Lydiate’s injury and made 3 appearances off the bench against the All Blacks. No doubt a talent, but in a crowded position, he could well struggle to break into the Wales setup again.

Tomos Williams, 22 – 0 caps

Opened the season well, starting the first two matches and scoring against Edinburgh. Has, at times, found minutes hard to come by, despite some patchy form from Lloyd Williams, but looks a livewire when he’s on the park. He’s fast, delivers the ball quickly, and generally keeps defenses honest – his only problem is there’s about 10 other scrum halves in Wales that do the same thing. Will probably find his breakthrough hard to come by.

Rhun Williams, 19 – 0 caps

Highly rated young full back, Williams is a key member of the Wales u20s setup, and has also broken his way into the Blues side this season – scoring 4 tries in 8 matches so far. Pacey, got a great step, picks good lines, counters well – he’s definitely got all the makings of a very good 15.

Corey Domachowski, 20 – 0 caps

Only just broken in to the Blues side, this kid looks like he could be the real deal at loose head. A tank of a lad, he recently went toe-to-toe with Munster for 75 minutes and did not look out of place. Wales aren’t blessed with heaps of quality young props, so the earlier we can get this lad exposed to an elite environment, the better.

Dragons

Hallam Amos, 22 – 11 caps

Broke into the Welsh team when he was about 12 years old and injuries have been the only thing holding him back since. Was the starting winger for the opening 2 world cup games, but a nasty shoulder dislocation in the England match ended his tournament, and he then did the same injury against Australia back in the autumn. Hasn’t played since and will be in a race against time to be ready for the summer, but he’s got a very bright future (if he can stay fit).

Ashton Hewitt, 22 – 0 caps

This lad has been one of the few bright sparks for the Dragons over the last 2 seasons – 7 tries last year and 5 so far this season (not bad going when you consider how little the Drags create chances), Hewitt has got gas to burn and is a very exciting prospect. Was called up to the Six Nations squad, but a return from concussion has resulted in zero playing time. While he is doubtless a talent, he’s competing with a lot of talented wingers, and he’d be below both Giles and Evans in the pecking order, for me.

Harrison Keddie, 20 – 0 caps

Insanely bright prospect, Keddie – with his barnstorming carrying ability – was the standout performer as Wales’ u20s clinched the Slam last season. He’s progressed to make 16 appearances for the Dragons this season (mostly from the bench), and will surely cement down a starting no. 8 spot in the next year. The u20s championship has been, without doubt, a bit of a red herring in the past, but hopefully Keddie has the long-term quality to prove the exception, rather than the rule.

Tyler Morgan, 21 – 3 caps

Signed a National Dual Contract in 2014, started a World Cup Quarter-Final in 2015, and yet he’s still only 21! Morgan, a little like Amos, has had some bad luck with injuries, but he’s no doubt incredibly talented for his age. I must admit, I’m yet to see him have a game that makes me think “wow, this kid has got it!”, but you don’t receive those kind of accolades, at such a young age, unless you’ve got the potential to be a serious player. Playing in a team like the Dragons isn’t going to help any back’s cause, but hopefully Morgan finds a way of growing to the level expected of him there.

On to the summer…

Much like the summer tour of Japan in 2013, I believe we can expect Wales to take a very inexperienced touring side, with there being a good mix of young players and those that have been on the fringes of selection for a few years. As with the 2013 tour, I’m sure there will also be some more experienced campaigners who – though they may not have a nailed down Wales starting spot – are able to add the on/off-pitch expertise of 1st team regulars (e.g. Samson Lee and my tour captain, Jake Ball).

The only downside of this tour? The lack of a Head Coach that the fringe players can really make an impression on – as, unlike the rest of the home nations’ teams, the Welsh lads will be left with Wales’ 3rd in command to impress. It’s not overly fair on those that have been waiting for their chance, but make an impression, they must!

Have a look at the potential summer tour squad I’ve selected below and let us know if you strongly agree / disagree with any on the list.

Couple notable mentions from those selected:

Ashley Beck – delighted to see him back fit and influencing games for Ospreys week-in-week-out. It seems like an eternity since he’s had a run of games, and with his ball-playing ability at 12, he could well be the man to push Scott Williams for a Wales starting spot in the future.

Thomas Young and James Davies – both been in outstanding form for their clubs all season, but unfortunately they happen to play in arguably Wales’ strongest position. Hopefully both can get a chance to make their debuts this summer and impress forwards coach, McBryde.

And, just as an added bonus, here’s my team to face Tonga on June 17th:

Smith, Dacey, Lee, Thornton, Ball, Cracknell, Young, King; A. Davies, S. Davies, Giles, Beck, Morgan, Evans, Amos

Parry, Gill, Andrews, Hill, J. Davies; Habberfield, Patchell, John

Thoughts and feelings, as always, more than welcome (https://twitter.com/TheT2I)

Lloyd Jones, TT2I

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soccernetghana · 4 years ago

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The impact of Coronavirus on Ghanaian female players

Ghana’s elite women’s football league was getting all the accolades in the 2019/20 season after an exciting first round with a total of 56 games, 156 goals, 3 Hat-tricks and 4 Hauls. Lovers of women’s football were looking forward to the second round of the league before the global outbreak set in, plunging a lot of Ghanaian players into a depressive phase due to the suspension of football activities in the country. With Ghana’s case count of over 8,548 with 3,132 recoveries and 38 deaths as of June 03, 2020, 21:51 GMT, some Ghanaian women players have shared some insights into how they are keeping it all together. Elizabeth Addo Elizabeth Addo, captain of the Ghana’s senior national women’s team, is currently in the country after winning quadruple with Chinese Women's Super League side, Jiangsu Suning in 2019; she urges her fellow female players to continue with their individual training at home and to adhere to preventive measures to avoid contracting the virus. “The Coronavirus disease is very serious and cases of infections keep increasing. I pray we all take it serious and protect ourselves from it by adhering to all preventive measures”-she stated. “Thankfully and I am doing well and adhering to all the safety precautions . Everything is slow for me because of this pandemic—we can’t train as a group like before but I am doing my own training to keep fit . I will advise my fellow players to continue training at home. I pray to God and ask for healing for all affected souls and also protection for us who have not been affected. God be with us all. Helean Obeng Prison Ladies FC’s forward, Helena Obeng has revealed in a her recent interview on Otec FM that she is gaining weight as a result of the suspension of the league. “I’m growing fat because I lack training time due to my job. Eating and sleeping have been a routine thing after work. The break has really affected us because we need new stamina to deliver when the league resumes.” Obeng was part coach Yussif Basigi’s team who played in the 2018 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in France. Milot Abena Pokua Hasaacas Ladies FC’s Milot Abena Pokua had a wonderful first round of the season, netting 10 goals with 10 assists to emerge as one of the top scorers of the league. She cautioned the public to stay safe. “We should follow the steps that they have been telling us--wash our hands with soap under running water and also social distancing. We pray that the sickness will go for us to have our freedom.” Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus, I have been worried because we are just home with no active football. I was winning awards and scoring goals week in and week out but because of Coronavirus, everything has changed drastically.No active football and we cannot even train as a team anymore because of the ban on social gathering.” “I am doing my personal training at home mornings and evenings to keep fit and in shape. I can only pray and hope for this virus to leave us soon for our game to resume. I believe things will get back to normal” she added. Leticia Adjei Captain of Samaria Ladies FC, Leticia Adjei in an interview with NBSports Live also bemoaned the effect of the global pandemic, covid-19 on women football in the country. “When football comes to an unexpected halt, female players suffer the most because without frequent training it is very difficult for girls to come back fit” she said. “As we are experiencing this ban on social gatherings I am doing my best at home to keep fit and not to gain too much weight even though it is very difficult. I hope football comes back soon,” she said. Cynthia Adobea Prisons Ladies FC and Black Queens defender Cynthia Adobea admits how impossible it’s for her to find time and train due to her work as a Prisons Officer. “Since the first round came to an end, I’ve not trained because I always go to work. When we start training, I know it will affect me so i have to catch up. If I have to train twice a day I’ll do so to get my fitness back.” “I plead with the WPL Board and the GFA to try and resume the league because as ladies we gain a lot of weight when we stay at home for long,” she pleaded. Sylvia Nelson Immigration Ladies FC striker, Sylvia Nelson says she is restricted to training at home, which something is not effective compared to team training. “Yes, it is often difficult to train by myself. I sometimes feel lazy to train but I try as much as possible because I cannot stay without training too,”. Faustina Kyeremeh Her fellow teammate, Faustina Kyeremeh however thinks otherwise regarding training on their own at home. “As a player, even if there’s a ban on social gathering it does not mean that I have to sit idle at home not training or keeping fit. I train on my own because as a professional player, I need to be in shape. I don’t have to wait for someone to tell me to train before I do.”-she stated. “I personally I believe starting the league afresh after covid-19 is the best option. I don’t think we should continue where we stopped. I pray we can overcome this global pandemic soon for things to go back to normal” she added. President Nana Akuffo has given a go ahead to some sporting disciplines to resume their training. Football was excluded from the list of sports allowed to return to training under phase one of the easing of restrictions imposed. The Minister of Youth and Sports, Isaac Asiamah, said the protocol to be observed before football games as well as operational costs per game are huge to consider right now. “We have had several engagements on the way forward regarding our football. I charged the NSA boss to look at playing games in empty stadia cross the country. The figure he stated presents a huge challenge because its not only about going to play but putting in place and observing all these precautionary measures” he revealed. “It’s risky putting players in hotels and getting them on board. How do you disinfect the various stadia across the country?.These aren’t the only things, but testing is key because you need to test each player.” “These are the issues that we are considering and the figure that came from the NSA is about GHC 60,000 per match.” GFA’s Move Not knowing when the Women’s premier league will resume, the Ghana Football Association led by President Kurt E.S Okraku on Thursday 21, May, 2020 held a fruit-bearing discussion with officials of the English Football Association and the British High Commission via Webinar. The parties discussed varied topics ranging from Women’s League football structure, understanding of women’s football in Ghana, strategy, challenges and opportunities. Aside the GFA President, the GFA was represented by General Secretary Prosper Harrison Addo, Deputy General Secretary Alex Asante, Madam Hillary Boaten (Chairperson of the Women's Premier League Committee) and her Deputy Rosalind Amoh. Others included Cleopatra Nsiah Nketiah, Esq. – Attorney/Women’s Premier League Committee/Women's Club Owner and Barbara Yankah - Secretary to the Women’s Premier League Committee. British High Commissioner to Ghana H.E Iain Walker and Jasmine Griffiths - Head of Strategic Partnerships and Diaspora Relations were on hand to represent the British High Commission Accra in the discussion. National & International Women's Football Development Manager for the English FA, Rachel Pavlou led a three-member team during the discussion. The team also included Maria de León – Senior International Relations Manager and Siobhan Burke – International Relations Manager. By: Ayishatu Zakaria Ali @ayishatu_ on twitter source: https://ghanasoccernet.com/

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torentialtribute · 5 years ago

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How have England’s U20 World Cup winners progressed and will they be the stars of 2022?

Two years ago the English lions won the Under 20 World Cup with a 1-0 win over Venezuela in South Korea

Gareth Southgate & # 39; s party tried and failed to match that performance in Sportsmail takes a look at all 21 members of the Paul Simpson team to see if they will

<img id = "i-4ef71854a2ba3260" src = "https://dailym.ai/2Xkalt9 11/17 / 14654704-7127967-image-a-1_1560269848136.jpg "height =" 429 "width =" 634 "alt =" Two years ago, the Young Lions of England won the U20 World Cup with a 1-0 win over Venezuela " blkBorder img-share "

Two years ago the English Young Lions won the U20 World Cup with a 1-0 victory over V enezuela"

Two years yellow the English Young Lions won the U20 World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Venezuela

Freddie Woodman

Since winning the Golden Globe in the 2017 tournament, the goalkeeper has made his first team

Woodman & debut camera against Luton Town in the third round of the FA Cup last year, but he has only since made three other performances for the Eksters.

Future potential

Woodman saved a penalty in the U20 World Cup Final against Venezuela and was named in the U21 team for Euro 2019 last month.

Woodman also has the right mentors to guide him through his career while his father is the former North stopping place Andy Woodman and his godfather is none other than the English boss Gareth Southgate.

Qatar-bound in 2022?

The 22-year-old needs a regular first-team football this season to show what he has been doing for England since U16 level and has gained experience with four loan periods that he could be a future England keeper but 2022 may be too early.

<img id = "i-3da75ee24d80b802" src = "https://dailym.ai/2F3u2yo image-a-3_1560269910949.jpg "height =" 417 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-3da75ee24d80b802" src = "https://dailym.ai/2WgE5KP /11/17/14654730-7127967-image-a-3_1560269910949.jpg "height =" 417 "width =" 634 "alt =" Since winning the Golden Glove in 2017, Freddie Woodman made his debut for Newcastle "Freddie Woodman his debut for Newcastle

Since winning the Golden Globe in 2017, Freddie Woodman made his debut for Newcastle

The Manchester United goalkeeper has enjoyed two successful loan periods at Shrewsbury Town and Sheffield United since the summer of 2017.

Henderson particularly impressed between the sticks then the Leaf es last season the promotion to the Premier League ended.

Earlier this year he reportedly attracted interest from Bayern Munich, Juventus, Arsenal and Tottenham.

Future potential

He managed to exclude his opponents 21 times in the course of the 2018-19 campaign, giving him a clean slate of 45, Saw 3 each earn a cent.

United & # 39; s current number 1 David de Gea managed to manage only seven clear rounds and allowed 13 extra goals than Henderson.

The Premier League club is very close to the 22-year-old and he gets a new contract with Old Trafford before returning to Bramall Lane next season.

Henderson was selected for the English U21 euro later this month and if it continues to produce as it did and United & # 39; s first is

I want to go to Qatar,

<img id = "i-e1f65a396a98c37f" src = "https://i.dailymail.co. uk / 1s / 2019/06/11/17 / 14654734-7127967-image-a-5_1560269948838.jpg "height =" 431 "width =" 634 "alt =" Man United goalkeeper Dean Henderson enjoyed a successful spelling at Sheffield United loan spell on Sheffield United

Man United goalkeeper Dean Henderson had a successful play on Sheffield United

Luke Southwood

[21459002] The 21-year-old goalkeeper is currently paying his profession with Reading U23 & # 39; s and spent the second half of last season on loan to Natio nal League side Eastleigh.

Sportsmail reported in March that Hull prepared a summer promotion for Southwood. Qatar-bound in 2022?

] Southwood is far below the pecking order of the goalkeeper and it is very unlikely that he will invade the English team within three years.

Twenty-one-year-old Luke Southwood is currently trading with Reading U23s "

Twenty-one-year-old Luke Southwood-old Luke Southwood is currently paying for his exchange with Reading U23s"

Twenty-one-year-old Luke Southwood is currently paying for his exchange with Reading U23s

this week .

After joining the Toffees Academy, at the age of nine, Kenny played 40 times for the first team, including 13 games from the previous campaign.

The 22-year-old played every minute when England U20s it WK in South Korea lifted and has every chance to become a major player for Everton and England.

If he was the first choice at Goodison Park, Kenny would have a chance to join England for the World Cup in 2022. However, he has strong backs ahead in Kyle Walker and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

<img id = "i-4b2b70e3644cf48d" src = "https://dailym.ai/2ZnxnQy image-m-9_1560270104977.jpg "height =" 518 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-4b2b70e3644cf48d" src = "https://dailym.ai/2WgE5KP /11/17/14654838-7127967-image-m-9_1560270104977.jpg "height =" 518 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-4b2b70e3644cf48d" src = "https: //i.dailymail. co.uk/1s/2019/06/11/17/14654838-7127967-image-m-9_1560270104977.jpg "height =" 518 "width =" 634 "alt =" Jonjoe Kenny joined Bundesliga outfit Schalke for a season-long loan from Everton this week

Jonjoe Kenny joined the Scheske Bundesliga outfit on a long-term loan from Everton this week

Callum Connolly

True is he now?

Ever since success with U21 of England in 2017, the Everton defender has enjoyed loan games at Ipswich, Wigan and Bolton.

[21459005]

Connolly is a flexible player because he can play completely on the back and middle but also offers an option as a defensive midfielder.

Qatar-bound in 2022?

Everton & # 39; s Callum Connolly made 33 Bolton appearances in the championship last season.

Everton & # 39; s Callum Connolly made 33 contests for Bolton in the championship last season

His temporary period with Derby under manager Frank Lampard previous campaign was a crucial season in his development.

He made 55 appearances when the Rams narrowly missed out on Premier League promotion after losing to Aston Villa in the final play-off championship.

Last month: & # 39; He has always been a really athletic boy who would not fail in that, m You certainly had to work technically to get to the level that it is now.

& # 39; It's hard to be a young central defender, but his reading of the game and athletism to get out of trouble is fantastic. & # 39;

Qatar-bound in 2022?

Tomori was called up for the U21 for the euro this summer and if the 21-year-old continues to develop and manages to break into Chelsea for the first time, he may be on Southgate's radar

Fikayo Tomori was called up this summer for the U21 team for the euro "class =" blkBorder img-share "/>

up to the English U21 squadron for the euro this summer "

This summer, Fikayo Tomori was called up for the euro to the English U21 squadron

Jake Clarke-Salter

Where is he now?

Another Chelsea player who has been on loan for the past two years.

Clarke-Salter joined Leonid Slutsky, who worked with several of the Blues academics when he was in charge of Hull Future Potential

Clarke-Salter is a fast back center that does not panic and has long been recognized as one of the young players at Stamford Bridge able to put it into the Premier League

Like Tomori, the 21-year-old has been called up for the U21 team for the euro this summer and as he continues to move forward, he makes the move to the first Chelsea team that he may be in Southgate & # 39; s spirit.

<img id = "i-6b1e861372584a9c" src = "https://dailym.ai/2F4MlD2 -7127967-image-m-13_1560270289244.jpg "height =" 502 "width =" 634 "alt =" Jake Clarke-Salter from Chelsea is a fast middle back that doesn't panic. Salter is a fast middle back that doesn't panic "

Chelsea & Jake Clarke-Salter is a fast middle ridge that does not panic

Ezri Konsa

Where is he now? after success with the Young Lions.

The defender came through the Charlton rankings alongside Joe Gomez from Liverpool and Ademola Lookman from Everton.

He played 47 games when Brentford won eleventh place in the championship last season.

Both Liverpool and Everton were enthusiastic about the highly valued middle half before moving to Brentford. Qatar-bound in 2022?

The 21-year-old was named in the U21 squadron for the tournament this summer, but other players will lead him in when it comes to the World Cup in 2022.

<img id = "i-92323e0624931f22" src = "https://dailym.ai/2ZlDXXy" height = "423" width = "634" alt = "Ezri Konsa (C) made the switch from Charlton to Brentford a year after success with Young Lions

Ezri Konsa (C) made the switch a year after success with Young Lions Charlton to Brentford "

from Charlton to Brentford a year after success with young lions

Where is he now?

The 22-year-old made 19 appearances in the Premier League's debut against Newcastle, just a few months after the elimination of the World Championship with the young lions. total for Spurs including two Champions League outings.

He made a mistake

He made a mistake. which led to Ousmane Dembele opening the score but admitting that he & # 39; had learned a lot about myself & # 39 ;.

The experience of playing for a top club in the Premier League and Champions League will be useful to him.

Qatar-bound in 2022?

Although he has played in Europe again, it will be difficult for him to go further than Alexander-Arnold and Walker. Kyle Walker-Peters made his first start in the Champions League against Barcelona in December "

Kyle Walker-Peters made his first start in the Champions League against Barcelona in December"

Kyle Walker-Peters made his first start in the Champions League against Barcelona in December Fry featured in 39 games for Middlesbrough's previous campaign,

The middle ridge has attracted interest this summer from the Premier League division Burnley.

Ben Gibson & # 39; s move to Turf Moor in 2018 gave Fry the chance to impress. push for the playoffs last season until he sustained an injury in April that condemned him from the rest of the campaign.

He will have to continue to grow and the development of the World Championship in 2022 is likely to come too soon.

Featured in 39 games for Middlesbrough

<img id = "i-a873e6b0c8aab896" src = "https://dailym.ai/2I9yFsG 17 / 14655020-7127967-image-a-16_1560270400389.jpg "height =" 463 "width =" 634 "alt =" Dael Fry (L) played in 39 games for the last Middlesbrough campaign and delivered four assists) in 39 games for Middlesbrough

Dael Fry (L) in 39 games for the last campaign in Middlesbrough and four assistants

2017 triumph – first to Aston Villa and then to Sheffield Wednesday.

He is fast

He is quick and awkward and impressed when he got his first Spurs start four years ago, but his career seems to be stuck and I have to return to regular football.

Qatar-bound in 2022?

With the will of young people like Callum Hudson-Odoi and Jadon Sancho, Onomah is far below the pecking order.

<img id = "i-1daecb685271ae01" src = "https://dailym.ai/2ZnxoUC image-a-30_1560270809120.jpg "height =" 421 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-1daecb685271ae01" src = "https://dailym.ai/2WgE5KP /11/17/14655196-7127967-image-a-30_1560270809120.jpg "height =" 421 "width =" 634 "alt =" Joshua Onomah was quick and impressed when he first handed him Spurs starting four years ago

Joshua Onomah is quick and impressed when he first handed him the Spurs start four years ago

Ainsley Maitland-Niles

The 19-year-old played for Arsenal as a right back towards the end of last season.

He made 31 appearances for Unai Emery & # 39; s latest campaign when they reached the final Europa League.

Future potential

Maitland-Niles is pacey and offers a good option on the right-hand side in the event of an attack.

He has the potential to become an important player for the Gunners in the coming years.

Qatar-bound in 2022?

He has a tough job in his hands with Alexander-Arnold and Walker already in front of him in the right back position. Aaron Wan-Bissaka of Crystal Palace is also a promising full support. Ainsley Maitland-Niles made 31 appearances for the latest Unai Emery & # 39; s Arsenal campaign.

Maitland-Niles made 31 appearances for Unai Emery & # 39; s Arsenal- silk last campaign

Ainsley Maitland-Niles made 31 appearances for Unai Emery & # 39; s Arsenal silk last campaign

since two years ago with England.

The 21-year-old made 17 appearances for the magazines during a half-season at the club.

Future potential

Dowell is talented but has found it difficult to break into the first team of the Toffees, playing for the club five times in five years.

Qatar-bound in 2022?

Probably not in Sout's plans hgate in three years due to the players in front of him and his lack of experience.

<img id = "i-49bc8d698bdca5f8" src = "https://dailym.ai/2F7vgZv -7127967-image-a-20_1560270552443.jpg "height =" 439 "width =" 634 "alt =" Midfielder Kieran Dowell is a talented but has found it difficult to break into the first team of the Toffees.

Midfielder Kieran Dowell is talented but has found it difficult to break into the Toffees.

at Fulham and Reims since winning the World Cup in 2017.

Ojo scored one goal and provided one assist in 18 appearances for the final match of League 1 outfit

Sportsmail earlier this week reported that Ojo this summer is a target for the Rangers of Steven Gerrard.

Future potential

[1 9459013] Bound in Qatar in 2022?

The position is very competitive and currently Eye is not in the picture.

<img id = "i-339043b2fca2ab4c" src = "https://dailym.ai/2I9yFsG 17 / 14655252-7127967-image-a-21_1560270608246.jpg "height =" 429 "width =" 634 "alt =" Sheyi Ojo in Liverpool has enjoyed loan games at Fulham and Reims since winning a World Championship spells at Fulham and Reims since winning the World Cup

Sheyi Ojo in Liverpool has enjoyed loan games at Fulham and Reims since winning the World Cup

The 21-year-old seemed to be making progress.

The 21-year-old seemed to be making progress on Sunderland, Rangers and most recently at Reading under Gerrard in Ibrox before returning to the Reds in December when he made 28.

Future potential

[1 9459013]

Central midfield is a very competitive position with Anfield and so Ejaria has to go somewhere else to continue.

Back to Reds in December "

<img id =" i-4ff0f5b32276d33f "src "https://dailym.ai/2ZnxprE" height = "413" width = "634" alt = "Ovie Ejari seemed to make progress at Ibrox before returning to Reds in December "class =" blkBorder img-share "

Cook covered the young lions until two years ago, Cook is a player who has continued to improve. The 2018 World Cup and Southgate identified him as a future member of his side and he was also named on England's standby list for the tournament last summer.

In December the midfielder of Bournemouth was excluded from the he rest of the season after breaking his previous cruciate ligament against Huddersfield.

Future potential

Cook experienced an impressive season until the last campaign, playing in 13 of the 15 games of the Premier League of Cherries.

He could become a key figure for the Cherries as soon as he returns from an injury.

Qatar-bound in 2022?

Cook has a very good chance of being included in the England squad for the World Cup of Qatar

<img id = "i -ceea400418b68a2e "src =" https://dailym.ai/2F8pDtM "height =" 420 "width =" 634 " alt = "Lewis Cook (R) has a good chance of being included in the Team of England for World Cup Qatar (R) has a good chance of being part of the team of England for the World Cup of Qatar"

Lewis Cook (R) has a good chance of being included in

The attacker made the World Cup of Qatar

After a successful loan period in 2018 he switches to Blackburn from Newcastle.

Last season, he achieved nine goals and delivered five assists at Ewood Park.

After reaching his youth through the youth at Newcastle, the 22-year-old played only 21 times for the Magpies.

Armstrong was an unused substitute

in the U20 final and it is extremely unlikely that he will enter into the plans of the Three Lions. After a successful loan period, Adam Armstrong made the switch to Blackburn from Newcastle.

[1945905] Adam Armstrong made a move to Blackburn from Newcastle after a successful loan period

Adam Armstrong made a move to Blackburn from Newcastle after a successful loan period

followed by a move from the Reds to Bournemouth.

He made only 10 appearances for Cherries' latest campaign with Callum Wilson and Joshua King for the 21-year-old pecking order.

The batter is fast, can keep the ball up and defend defenders in the air. He showed signs of promise with the Reds, but had to play more often.

Qatar-bound in 2022?

Solanke has been included in Aidy Boothroyd's U21 squadron for the euro and has three years in Southgate for a striker to defend his case

Dominic Solanke is included in the U21 squadron of Aidy Boothroyd for the euro this summer "class =" blkBorder img-share "Aidy Boothroyd & # 39; s U21 squadron for the euro this summer"

Dominic Solanke is included in Aidy Boothroyd & # 39; s U21 squadron for the euro this summer

He scored on his debut for the club after coming off the bench against Borussia Monchengladbach.

In just half a season, Lookman made an impression when he settled five times and delivered four assists in 11

He scored one goal and contributed two assists in 24 appearances for the Toffees last season.

Kijkman is quick and direct, but has not been effective since he returned to Goodison Park.

Southampton reportedly focuses on a £ 20 million summer move for Lookman.

Qatar-bound in 2022?

Kijkman has the potential to be a huge threat, but he has yet to reach it and is likely to be overlooked in 2022.

Ademola Lookman is fast and directly, but he has not been effective since he returned to Everton "

<img id =" i-162803b2abdb01f3 "src =" https://dailym.ai/2Xkalt9 11/17 / 14655290-7127967-image-a-26_1560270712793.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" Ademola Lookman is fast and direct but has not been effective

developed into Everton & # 39 ; s main striker.

Marco Silva, the boss of Toffees, gave the 22-year-old the opportunity to become the club's No. 1 last season.

Future potential

Calvert-Lewin linked the best recurring goalscorer of his career to eight last campaigns and also contributed three assists in 38 games. ] He has a basis to be a striker who scores nearly 20 goals every season.

As Solanke is included in the U21 squadron for the euro and with potential room in the Southgate team for a striker, he has three years to make a claim.

England's competition winner Dominic Calvert-Lewin has evolved into Everton & # 39; s main striker "Lewin has evolved into Everton & # 39; s main striker

English competition winner Dominic Calvert-Lewin has evolved into Everton & # 39; s head striker Chapman has helped Blackburn get promoted from League One during the 2017-18 season and reunited with the club Harry Chapman

on a permanent deal from Middlesbrough in January 2019.

However, I only made two replacement appearances in the championship last season.

The 21-year-old fought for playing time and was not present in England in the tournament two years ago.

He will start looking for more opportunities at Ewood Park next season .

Qatar-bound in 2022?

Chapman has earned only 10 caps for the English youth teams. It is very unlikely that it will be close to England in three years. Harry Chapman (L) helped Blackburn get promotion from League One in the 2017-18 season

Harry Chapman (L) helped Blackburn gain promotion from League One during 2017-18 season

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#How have England’s U20 World Cup winners progressed and will they be the stars of 2022?"

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MLS Newsstand – June 7, 2018

June 7, 20182:28PM EDT

MLS Newsstand – June 7, 2018

MLS Articles

Yoshi Yotun, Andy Polo Peru World Cup call-ups a big deal for MLS

ESPN – June 6, 2018

Every time a World Cup rolls around, it is interesting to see how much MLS is represented on the world’s biggest stage. In doing so, it’s no surprise to see that the CONCACAF nations, even with the United States men’s national team not competing in Russia, will once again make up the majority of MLS player representation at the World Cup beginning later this month.

This part is typical. What is rare, however, is seeing MLS players from CONMEBOL nations in the 32-team tournament.

Dating to 1998, just four MLS players have ever been part of a final 23-man CONMEBOL team’s roster. It started with NY/NJ MetroStars midfielder Marcelo Vega (Chile) and Miami Fusion midfielder Carlos Valderrama (Colombia) at France ’98 and didn’t happen again until Brazil 2014, when Chivas USA forward Oswaldo Minda and Toronto FC goalkeeper Julio Cesar played for Ecuador and Brazil, respectively.

That brings us to Russia 2018, where for the first time a CONMEBOL team will boast two MLS players in its squad, as Peru boss Ricardo Gareca has announced that Orlando City midfielder Yoshimar Yotun and Portland Timbers midfielder Andy Polo will be making the trip to Russia.

MLS is a league that has enjoyed a heavy influx of South American players of late, with 30 joining the league over the winter, bringing the total to 79 at season’s start. In that respect, there is a feeling that the World Cup calls for Yotun and Polo are the first major milestone for the league in this era, one that’s heavily influenced by South American talent. Most important for the league, though, is that these two players stand to play big roles in Russia.

Yotun’s value to Peru is well known. Deployed in a central role by Gareca, Yotun is a midfield anchor and produced a number of brilliant performances in the 18-round, heavyweight fight that is CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying. The peak was Peru’s 0-0 draw vs. Argentina last October in Buenos Aires, when he helped stifle Lionel Messi and the Albiceleste attack.

Yotun brings the same work rate to Orlando’s midfield while adding a bit more in attack for head coach Jason Kreis — especially from the penalty spot, where he is a cool two-for-two this season. Yotun arrived in Orlando only last season and fit into Kreis’ system like a glove, adjusting to the league “quickly, if not quicker than any person I’ve ever coached,” Kreis noted following April’s 3-2 win over San Jose.

It’s the type of experience that could lay the groundwork for more players from Peru’s golden generation to head to MLS.

“Being here in MLS has been the best decision I have made,” Yotun said via a club interview. “The league is very good and very intense, you run a lot, you play a lot, the intensity has risen. Orlando has helped me greatly.”

Unlike the 20 starts Yotun has accumulated in Orlando over the past two seasons, Polo has just six starts in Portland, but it’s no coincidence that the Timbers’ uptick in results this spring coincided with Polo’s return to the lineup, as Portland has won the past four games in which he has started.

Polo also has the luxury of playing the same position for both club and country — the left side of midfield — and that is bearing fruit for the Timbers. Portland fans are just now starting to see what Polo can bring to the table, the most notable examples being the 1-0 win over the Seattle Sounders on May 13, then his finest outing of the season six days later in a 2-1 victory over Los Angeles FC, in which the Morelia loanee tirelessly outdueled his LAFC players counterparts.

Peru fans saw the same bite in seven World Cup qualifiers and in Peru’s memorable 1-0 win over Brazil in the 2016 Copa America Centenario.

While he has yet to show his offensive punch in Portland, the 23-year-old Polo is a reliable scorer in a Peru shirt, having scored in official matches at the Under-15, U17 and U20 levels. With a goal in the World Cup, he could become the first Peru player to score in all four categories.

While it might not register as much as a Zlatan Ibrahimovic signing, there is a long-term significance in the Peru calls for Yotun and Polo, with the rest of CONMEBOL realizing that a path to a World Cup dream can be fulfilled in MLS.

Toronto FC looks to extend domination of Union

FOX Sports – June 6, 2018

With defending MLS Cup champions Toronto FC still trying to get their season on track, a journey to face the Philadelphia Union on Friday night in Chester, Pa., may be a welcome prospect.

Toronto (3-7-2) is unbeaten with a 6-0-2 record in its last eight league meetings against Philadelphia (5-6-3), a stretch that includes a 3-0 victory in Toronto just over a month ago.

“I think it’s taking each game as it is and trying to execute on the day,” said Toronto FC coach Greg Vanney. “There’s no real specific reason. I think they’re a good team, but I think we match up pretty well in terms of the guys we have.”

Italian playmaker Sebastian Giovinco has scored six goals and added two assists in seven matches against Philadelphia, including one of each in that win in May.

But instead of proving an early turning point in the Reds’ season, that decisive victory lingers as a rare reminder of the dominance Toronto was capable of in 2017.

An injury-plagued TFC side has gone 1-3-1 since, and last weekend gave back a three-goal lead in a 3-3 draw at Columbus Crew SC.

Forward Jozy Altidore and defenders Drew Moor and Chris Mavinga are among those who remain injured and unavailable this week.

“Nothing is just as simple as missing guys,” Vanney said. “I think collectively our mentality to protect our box and not allow teams to get into our box has to be a little stronger. And that’s how we defend from front to back.”

Meanwhile, Philadelphia was unbeaten in four matches before a bizarre 3-1 loss at Atlanta in which two ejections saw the Union quickly reduced to just nine men.

Midfielders Haris Medunjanin and Alejandro Bedoya were ejected, and they’ll have to serve suspensions in Friday’s game against Toronto.

However, midfielder Borek Dockal believes Philadelphia will still be able to create opportunities, in part because of how they were able to respond and keep last weekend’s match respectable

“If we are going to play like we’ve played the last couple of games, we’re definitely going to create some chances,” said Dockal, who has two goals and five assists in his last five matches. “And hopefully I’m going to come to some chances also.”

The question is whether Philadelphia can stifle Giovinco on the other end.

“Giovinco is a great player, smart,” said Philadelphia goalkeeper Andre Blake. “We just have to try to limit him as much as possible, try to stop his source of getting the ball, and see how much we can (force) him to play it back, which I think is going to be very difficult. But I think it’s a task, and we’re up for it.”

Common goal: how soccer helped heal the area at the centre of the LA riots

The Guardian– June 6, 2018

South Los Angeles is a 51 sq m grille of concrete and asphalt, spread flat below the sparkle of Hollywood and the towers of downtown. Early city leaders wrote racist covenants forcing black people and Latino immigrants into the blocks of south LA – not-so-subtly barricading them from the opulence beyond.

Twice in the last 52 years, south LA has exploded into days of fiery riots following incidents of police brutality. The most recent, in 1992, erupted at the intersection of Florence and Normandie Avenues, roughly the area’s geographic centre, after the police beating of an unarmed man, Rodney King, was captured on video. The riots lasted for nearly a week, leading to 12,000 arrests and exposing the world to LA’s complex and violent tangle of gangs, who still patrol much of the area today.

Less than two miles from this fateful intersection sits the Algin Sutton Recreation Center. From the air, it is like a tiny, almost imperceptible square of green in south LA’s uniform grey. For years, Algin Sutton was a magnet for gangs. According to police maps, seven gangs – including LA’s largest, the 18th Street gang – claim the area as their own. The park’s main feature, a giant field ostensibly set up for soccer, was a pit of dirt, gravel and broken glass.

“Imagine a boat with a hole in it, that’s what that park was – a big hole in the boat,” says George Weaver, the program director at Brotherhood Crusade, an organisation dedicated to helping the underserved in south LA. “Someone had to figure out how to fix the [park’s] community so the community could thrive.”

Weaver, however, did not think he was the one to fix it. It was 2012, and he and Ed Foster Simeon, head of the US Soccer Foundation (USSF), were casting about for a place to test an unusual hypothesis: could soccer stabilise a volatile neighbourhood?

Algin Sutton, with its threadbare pitch and violent history, seemed too big a risk. Its empty baseball field and basketball court, built by well-meaning local professional teams, stood as broken reminders of previous attempts at revival.

Then a boy appeared. He was no more than 10 or 12, Foster Simeon recalls, and approached them.

“Are you here to do something about the soccer field?” Weaver remembers the boy asking. “We’ve been waiting.”

Foster Simeon and Weaver looked at each other they knew they had found their place.

For the next year, the pair worked to build that soccer field. They got some help: the USSF, along with the Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy, contributed $ 200,000 (£149,000); Brotherhood Crusade came up with another $ 600,000. By 2014, a full-size turf field had been constructed, along with metal bleachers, a fence and rows of stadium lights.

But instead of simply laying turf and slapping a sign on the pole, they also implemented the USSF’s youth soccer curriculum, called Soccer for Success. A free, two-hour after-school program, it involves coaches teaching skills and mentoring children in small groups.

They hired and trained coaches, and bought uniforms and workout equipment. Brotherhood Crusade opened a summer school, offered tutorial services for classwork, ran classes about nutrition and even provided free healthcare for their families through the nearby St John’s Hospital.

“Some people just want to build a soccer field,” Weaver says. “What we are trying to do is build more than a soccer field. We are trying to build a community.”

On the day of the opening, something strange happened: the gangs stayed away. It was as if the new soccer field – filled every afternoon with coaches and kids – had created an invisible barrier. Algin Sutton had become a place they decided to leave alone.

Weaver says they told the older gang members that he and the soccer foundation weren’t trying to drive the gangs away. Rather, they were trying to build a refuge – one where everybody, including the gang members’ families, could feel safe. He says they understood and respected the goal to create something good in their neighbourhood.

He remembers the moment he knew he had succeeded. It came one afternoon as he sat behind two women watching their children play. One mother had a Pirus street gang tattoo, the other had markings of the Hoover Criminals. By gang code, he says, they shouldn’t have been in the same park, let alone sitting side by side at a soccer game. Yet the field had suspended those edicts.

“In gangs you can’t be caught slipping,” Weaver says. “You can’t be caught in the wrong neighbourhood. But for their kid …”

In a city like LA, which is only 30% white, there are many neighbourhoods like the one around Algin Sutton that lack places for African American kids to play soccer.

The USSF tries to solve this problem by building smaller “futsal” fields in urban areas, and using their Soccer for Success program to introduce kids from underserved communities to the sport. Foster Simeon’s belief is that if kids in these neighbourhoods start playing soccer, the game will thrive in their communities much the way it has in wealthier areas. His partnership with Weaver is unique because Brotherhood doesn’t run sports programs. But, he says, “when they saw the curriculums and the outcomes we were getting they understood. All they care about is helping the kids.”

The conditions that led to the 1992 riots remain, he says. South LA remains a depressed desert in a booming city. Three-quarters of its residents are considered low income. Investment is sparse.

“Their story is very much tied to the 1992 riots,” Weaver says of the local community. “It’s a big deal to have a field built at Algin Sutton. They build fields every day in the suburbs, but not here. All we are doing is helping young people understand that they have value too.”

One recent evening, Weaver stood at the north end of his field and smiled. The park, once overrun with gangs, was alive. The field’s lights blazed bright. Two local teams of Latino teenagers played on the turf. Behind him the basketball courts and jungle gyms were packed. Families lingered on the pavement. Two women sat behind a card table selling cookies. A man sold ice cream from a makeshift cart attached to a bicycle.

“This is actually the only park in this section of the city, which is why the gangs used to come here,” says one of the youth coaches, Leo Hill. “Now the gang activity has just dropped. I think they saw there was a different crowd here. I guess the park was so nice they didn’t want to mess it up.”

U.S. Soccer officially hires Earnie Stewart as first general manager of men’s team

Yahoo! Sports- June 6, 2018

Earnie Stewart’s hiring as general manager of the U.S. men’s national team finally became official on Wednesday, a little more than a week after Yahoo Sports reported that the parties were finalizing a deal.

A three-time World Cup player for the U.S. who won over 100 caps during his 14-year international career, Stewart begins his new job on Aug 1. He’ll remain in his current role as sporting director of the Philadelphia Union in MLS until then. The 49-year-old previously held executive positions with Dutch clubs AZ Alkmaar, NAC Breda and VVV Venlo.

“With his breadth of experience as both a player and a technical director, Earnie is the ideal leader to guide the long-term success of our men’s national team program,” U.S. Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro said in a press release. “This is a further step in our commitment to ensure that soccer operations are run by soccer experts.”

The GM position was created by the federation’s board in the wake of the USMNT’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, which kicks off this month. The first order of business for Stewart will be to find a new head coach. That process had been overseen in the past by USSF CEO Dan Flynn and then-president Sunil Gulati. Cordeiro succeeded Gulati in February after Gulati decided not to run for reelection.

“Having played for the U.S. men’s national team, I’m honored by the opportunity to return to help lead this rebuilding phase,” Stewart said in a statement.

“We have a tremendous amount of young talent and passion in the U.S., and I’m ready to jump in, hire a new head coach and build a culture of success, with the ultimate goal of the U.S. men’s national team becoming a world champion.”

The U.S. men have been led since November by interim manager Dave Sarachan. Sarachan, who is not considered a contender to coach the team permanently, took over after Bruce Arena resigned.

Born to a Dutch mother and an American serviceman father and raised in the Netherlands, Stewart was chosen from a field of about 10 candidates. The search was conducted by a six-person committee comprised of Flynn, former national team players Carlos Bocanegra and Angela Hucles, USSF technical officers Nico Romeijn and Ryan Mooney and marketing chief Jay Berhalter.

The men’s GM won’t oversee youth national teams. Stewart will be responsible solely for the senior squad. But he will work closely with youth technical director Tab Ramos to implement a consistent style of play through the ranks.

“Building a culture is something that you have to do together,” Stewart said. “It’s not one person or two people. It’s actually sitting down and having conversations with the coaches of the U.S. youth national teams.”

Familiarity should help. Ramos and Stewart have known each other for decades and were teammates at the 1994 and ’98 World Cups.

“Based on the profile of the position and the required skills, Earnie is a natural fit,” said Romeijn.

And it seems to be a dream job for Stewart, who left the Netherlands for Philadelphia three years ago with an eye on influencing American soccer.

“It’s the top of the pyramid in my profession — in my book, this is the highest that you can achieve as a sporting director,” he said. “I’ve worked very hard to have this opportunity. When it came, it was something I could not turn down.”

D.C. United survives in penalty kicks to advance in U.S. Open Cup

Washington Post– June 5, 2018

The early stages of the U.S. Open Cup are license for MLS coaches to set alternative lineups and partnerships. Matches fall amid the stress of league assignments and, until the tournament brackets narrow and a trophy comes into view, personnel decisions require balance.

So it was Tuesday at Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds as D.C. United opened its campaign in this charming, 104-year-old tournament. With a mix of regulars and reserves, United carried itself adequately most of the evening, but after failing to stretch the lead and conceding a late equalizer, D.C. defeated second-division North Carolina FC, 4-3, on penalty kicks.

Ian Harkes scored in the first half for United, but Marios Lomis answered in the 83rd minute for what will go into the record books as a 1-1 draw.

In the tiebreaker, while United converted all but one, D.C.’s David Ousted made one save and watched another attempt hit the frame. Bruno Miranda’s conversion in the fifth stanza secured passage to the round of 16, June 16-20 against an opponent to be determined by Thursday’s draw.

“Welcome to the early rounds of the Open Cup,” said Ben Olsen, United’s relieved coach. “The trick is to always survive them. We got through it.”

Just barely. The visitors — who are struggling in the United Soccer League and had defeated two amateur teams to advance in the Open Cup — were outmatched all over the field and posed no danger until the last 20 minutes. United, though, lulled itself into a false sense of security and failed to close out the match in regular time.

“We should’ve been up two or three nil at that point,” Ousted said. “I’m glad we got out of it and are still in the Cup.”

This Open Cup date lacked the fervor at this stage last year, when an amateur side from Baltimore, Christos FC, attracted an overflow crowd to SoccerPlex and tested United much of an electric night before running out of gas, 4-1.

Tuesday’s crowd was much quieter; announced attendance was 3,118 but actual turnout was probably half that. The biggest commotion came when stray shots sent children scrambling like kittens on a grass hill behind one goal. In extra time, player interaction was audible to most of the remaining spectators.

“They always unfold this way,” Olsen said of the early rounds. “And there are a whole bunch of factors: There are 150 people in the crowd; you’re mixing players up; [the opponents are] playing maybe one of the most important games of their season. It all adds up to early Open Cup stuff.”

With regular season trips to Seattle and Toronto approaching, Olsen saved some regulars and inserted players needing competitive minutes. Dane Kelly, a prolific scorer for years in the lower flights, made his first start for United. Harkes, Miranda and Jalen Robinson were also given a chance

United went ahead in the 25th minute when a burst of pressure resulted in a flurry of opportunities in the penalty area, the last stabbed in by Harkes from close range.

D.C. kept an iron grip on the match while probing for a second goal that would have settled the outcome against a toothless foe. Joseph Mora set up Kelly for a near-post header, but Alex Tambakis made a fine reflex save.

North Carolina gained traction and confidence. And in the waning moments, the visitors drew even when D.C. failed to clear a corner kick. From the top of the penalty area, Lomis turned on the ball and drove a low bid into the near corner.

Ousted came to the rescue in the 30-minute extra time with a superb save on Daniel Rios’s threat from distance.

“We had to stay positive and know our time was coming,” Harkes said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t come until penalties.”

In other matches, United’s USL affiliate, the Richmond Kickers, was crushed by MLS’s Philadelphia Union, 5-0. MLS’s New England Revolution lost at USL’s Louisville City, 3-2. The other 13 games are Wednesday.

Orlando City rolls to U.S. Open Cup win over Miami FC

Pro Soccer USA– June 6, 2018

HIALEAH, Fla. – It wasn’t a league match, but Orlando City got its first win in a month.

And it was a much-needed win the club hopes will be a spark for future success after a four-game MLS losing streak.

The Lions opened their U.S. Open Cup run with a 3-0 victory over Miami United at Ted Hendricks Stadium Wednesday during a fourth-round match that got heated toward the end. A few brief scrums ended with players needing to be separated – by Orlando City midfielder PC – and a Miami United assistant coach was sent off in the 71st minute.

“I’m pleased, obviously, to get a result that wasn’t easy,” said Orlando City coach Jason Kreis. “I mean, this is a very difficult field to play on. As you can see, the ball was all over the place. It’s small and you knew there were going to be a lot of physical confrontations.

“I’m very, very pleased we got the win to advance and I’m even more pleased that we got out of here with no injuries.”

Kreis said he put out the lineup he though would get Orlando City the win on a turf field in Hialeah over an NPSL side. Outside of the usual starters, Stefano Pinho played up top of the Lions’ 4-3-2-1 formation, PC got the start on the left wing, RJ Allen was back at right back and Dillon Powers was the second defensive midfielder alongside Uri Rosell.

Pinho finally got his second goal of the season in the 37th minute of the match. Midfielder Sacha Kljestan found right back RJ Allen in the penalty area after some solid build-up play and Allen’s low cross connected with Pinho, who calmly finished the sequence to open the scoring.

After going scoreless through 10 MLS appearances since scoring a match-tying goal in stoppage time against D.C. United, Pinho was glad to finally finish another chance.

“It’s amazing,” Pinho said. “It’s a great feeling for me. I get more confidence to play more and to help the team for the next game.

“Before I came here, I put in my mind, ‘Today, I want to score.’”

The match also marked the return Orlando City captain and centerback Jonathan Spector – he was the one who started the build-up play that led to Pinho’s goal. Spector found Kljestan, who traded passes with Josue Colmán before Kljestan got the ball to Allen.

“It wasn’t here just to get minutes,” Spector said. “I wanted to contribute, so it was good to be able to do that.”

He added, “I’ve been doing it long enough where I’ve had some long-term injuries before, unfortunately, but it’s part of the game. You get used to it. I just felt really good. Comfortable and really happy to be back.”

Spector said he thinks he’s close to being able to play a full 90 minutes. Prior to Wednesday’s match, he hadn’t played since April 8.

Centerback Chris Schuler also got his first match minutes since breaking his left arm against the Chicago Fire two weeks ago and he was his usual physical self. In the 57th minute, he collided with a Miami United player, who ended up on Schuler’s back in the penalty area. He shrugged off the contact – and the player – and got back into Orlando City’s defensive half.

Powers doubled Orlando City’s lead in the 53rd minute. Kljestan sent a cross to the top of the penalty area, Powers took a touch, then smashed it home with his left foot. That goal was followed by one from PC in the 61st minute – Kljestan assisted on that one, too.

Kljestan’s three-assist night was the first for an Orlando City player since Brazilian legend Kaká did it on Sept. 25, 2015, against the New York Red Bulls.

The goals by Powers and PC were the first ones scored by either player in an Orlando City uniform.

“All three goals, good finishes,” Spector said. “It’s good to get on the scoresheet in that fashion. I think we had some good movements with the ball. Kept the ball really well. Made them work defensively. We got the reward for it.”

Next, Orlando City will take a chartered flight to Vancouver for a Saturday match against the Whitecaps. That match will be followed by one in Montreal against the Impact on Wednesday. The club continues Open Cup play in the Round of 16 — the draw for the next round is on June 7.

“It sets the tone for this trip,” Spector said of Wednesday’s win. “It’s a long road trip for us and it really sets the tone. Hopefully it will be the catalyst for the next couple of games we have in Canada.”

Red Bulls knock NYCFC out of the US Open Cup again

New York Post– June 6, 2018

Sure, New York City FC are property of City Football Group, but they have been owned by the rival Red Bulls.

For the second straight year, the Red Bulls knocked NYCFC out of the U.S. Open Cup. And they rolled to a 4-0 laugher for the second straight meeting (the first an MLS contest on May 5). This one was a fourth-round U.S. Open Cup beating Wednesday night before a crowd of 9,496 at Red Bull Arena.

“It’s a frustration. … We make it really difficult for ourselves,” said NYCFC coach Patrick Vieira, whose team fell to 3-8-1 all-time against the Red Bulls and was taunted with chants of “Who’s your daddy?”

The Red Bulls got a brace from Daniel Royer and goals from Victor Bezecourt and Aaron Long, along with a clean sheet from keeper Ryan Meara. Bezecourt, Long and Meara are products of the USL Red Bulls II squad.

The Red Bulls and NYCFC are philosophic opposites: the Red Bulls’ high press versus NYCFC’s pretty soccer; the hosts’ player development against the visitors’ reliance on pricey imports such as David Villa.

For the second straight year, the Red Bulls, who reached last year’s U. S. Open Cup final, knocked NYCFC out of a competition that allows just five internationals.

NYCFC lost Rodney Wallace and Ronald Matarrita to international duty and Cedric Hountoundji to injury, and their lack of depth and young U.S. players hurt. The Red Bulls were missing Kaku, Tyler Adams, Tim Parker, Michael Murillo and Fidel Escobar, but eight of their starting 11 had benefited from seasoning with Red Bulls II, including six this year.

“It was a great night. This tournament means a lot to us and we want to make another run. It’s a chance to win a trophy,” Meara said. “Being so close last year, almost being able to taste it and losing, that sticks with us. It’s another opportunity and we’re going to put our best foot forward.”

NYCFC have lost all four Open Cup games in their history, and until they get a second team to develop their youngsters, they will be working at a disadvantage.

“Look at the defense between the two teams. Both teams had players who didn’t play often, but they look more sharp than us. The reason is they have the B team [that] allows those players to play every week,” Vieira said. “It was quite difficult for [our youngsters] because they didn’t play so many games. … What’s important for us is to try to have the second team which will allow those young players to play.”

Bezecourt scored 1:56 in. Teen defender Hassan Ndamn, in his first start with the big club, saved a Villa shot off the line. Long headed home a Marc Rzatkowski corner in the 52nd minute. Royer added goals in the 87th and 89th minutes. But this one was less about stars and more about development. It’s part of the reason Red Bull is unlikely to pay $ 20 million for Huracan’s Ignacio Pussetto.

“I challenged the team before the game,” said coach Jesse Marsch, who reports claim could be headed to RB Leipzig. “It’s a derby and a chance to showcase our team and our club and what we do here. No doubt our players went out and did that.

“So big sense of pride. … We are at the forefront of player development in this country. There’s no question.”

The Red Bulls will learn their fifth-round foe in a draw at 11 a.m. Thursday.

Minnesota United FC prevails in PKs over FC Cincinnati in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup

Cincinnati Enquirer– June 6, 2018

Penalty kicks can be a cruel bedfellow for a soccer club. Futbol Club Cincinnati learned that the hard, uncomfortable way Wednesday against Major League Soccer’s Minnesota United FC.

Minnesota dispatched FC Cincinnati from a fourth-round U.S. Open Cup contest via a penalty-kick shootout, 3-1, before a crowd of 15,486 at Nippert Stadium.

The shootout followed 120 minutes of scoreless play between the MLS and second-division United Soccer League side.

The visiting “Loons” took an early advantage in the shootout by converting each of its first three spot kicks while Cincinnati made just one out of four tries.

Michael Lahoud scored FC Cincinnati’s third attempt after Kenney Walker and Sem de Wit both missed.

Cincinnati goalkeeper Spencer Richey made a save to briefly stave off the loss but Nazmi Albadawi missed the club’s fourth kick, which was tipped wide by Minnesota’s Bobby Shuttleworth, to seal the hosts’ fate.

FC Cincinnati was eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup by virtue of the defeat and saw its all-time record in the competition fall to 8-3.

“Really proud of our group of players for how they performed through the course of the 90 minutes, 120 minutes,” FC Cincinnati head coach Alan Koch said. “They went out and did everything they were asked them to do. A lucky bounce here or there and who knows? Maybe we win the game in 90 minutes… For a second-tier club, to be quite honest, to go play like that against an MLS group where I don’t think you could really tell the difference of who was in the first tier, I’m very proud of our group of players.”

It’ll be a Bessler family reunion when RSL, Sporting Kansas City meet in the U.S. Open Cup

Salt Lake Tribune– June 6, 2018

The Beslers went through a lot of garage doors. Just about every month one of the three boys put a dent in the door with a ball or broke a window with a puck.

“My parents were not too happy about it,” Sporting Kansas City captain Matt Besler said. “I’m sure they’re OK with it now.”

A couple decades later, two of their sons are playing professional soccer, and on Wednesday Matt and Nick have the chance to face each other in a competitive match for the first time. Real Salt Lake takes on Sporting Kansas City at Rio Tinto in the fourth round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.at Rio Tinto in the fourth round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

“I’m going to for sure try to win bragging rights,” Nick said.

Even as kids Matt and Nick were often on the same team against their middle brother Mike and one of his friends. They all played organized sports, but together in the back yard or the driveway they added twists to classic games.

Jumping on the trampoline turned into a contest for who could make the best catch as they tossed the football around. They added a three-point basketball shot to street hockey. When one of the brothers missed a shot in HORSE, instead of getting a letter he had to complete a dare, like closing out his mother’s email while she was working.

The Beslers were always competitive, but Matt had never prepared himself for the possibility of facing Nick in a professional game.

“I don’t know what to expect or how I’m going to feel,” Matt said of Wednesday’s match.

With six years separating them, for Matt and Nick to play each other several factors needed to work in their favor: they both had to be good enough to go pro, and then Matt needed to play long enough and Nick needed to rise through the ranks quickly enough for their careers to overlap. Miraculously, that all happened.

Matt, captain of Sporting Kansas City, has spent the entirety of his decade-long career with his hometown club. The center back also has earned 47 caps with the United States national team.

Nick, 25, was selected fifth overall in the 2015 SuperDraft. He spent the first three seasons of his professional career in the USL, first with Portland Timbers 2 and then with the Real Monarchs.

Traditionally a defensive midfielder, Nick made his MLS debut as a center back in RSL’s 3-0 win over Colorado on April 21. He has made eight appearances since.

The weekend of Nick’s debut was a busy one for the Beslers. The night before, his parents Greg and Diane watched from the Children’s Mercy Park stands as their eldest son tied Kerry Zavagnin’s club record for starts (228) and set a new record for minutes played (20,551). The next morning they flew to Salt Lake City to watch their youngest son kick off his MLS career.

But that kind of travel was the usual for Greg and Diane. They had done something similar when Matt’s wedding fell on the night before Nick’s NCAA championship match with Notre Dame. (“I don’t think they slept at all,” Matt said.)

“They’re definitely the biggest supporters for all three of us,” Nick said. “The stories that they’ve had and the commitments that they’ve made and gone through with are pretty cool.”

The Besler brothers’ dynamic has changed with age. Matt has a family of his own, and he and Nick spend their MLS seasons in different states. Mike took a different path and is now a history teacher.

“At the same time when we still get together there’s a lot of those [same] elements in play,” Matt said.

Take Christmas a couple years ago for example. The Besler brothers and their father decided to go to the gym to play a friendly game of basketball as a family.

“It turned unfriendly pretty quick,” Nick said.

He and Mike teamed up against Matt and Greg. Matt and Nick guarded each other, and at one point Matt almost clocked Nick in the jaw with his elbow as the SKC center back drove to the hoop, according to Nick.

Nick joked if they got on the field at the same time Thursday, they’d try to at least keep elbows away from the face.

RSL is set to rotate in a young lineup for the fourth round Open Cup match in a brutal stretch of five matches in 15 days, making it likely that Nick will get on the field. Matt is traveling with Sporting Kansas City, and the defending Open Cup champions often put out first-choice lineups, even in the Open Cup. However, they have had an especially quick turnaround after beating Minnesota 4-1 Sunday.

U.S. Open Cup round of 16 draw: Louisville City to host fellow USL club Nashville SC

ESPN– June 7, 2018

At least one club from the second-tier USL will advance to U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals as Louisville City were drawn against Nashville SC in the round of 16.

U.S. Soccer conducted the draw on Friday, the morning after Nashville, whose owners were granted an MLS expansion team last year, advanced by defeating the Colorado Rapids.

Nashville SC will travel to face last season’s USL champions Louisville City, which ousted the New England Revolution on Tuesday night.

The draw was split into four geographic regions, so the winner will advance to play either Atlanta United or the Chicago Fire, who will meet in Georgia later this month.

In the West Region, the Sacramento Republic, the only other non-MLS club to reach the round of 16, will play at LAFC, while the Portland Timbers host the LA Galaxy.

The Houston Dynamo will be at home against Minnesota United in the Midwest Region while FC Dallas travels to Sporting Kansas City.

And in the East, the Philadelphia Union will host the New York Red Bulls while Orlando City visits D.C. United.

Atlanta, LAFC, Houston and Philadelphia will host quarterfinal games in July should they advance.

Series:

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MLS Newsstand – June 7, 2018 was originally published on 365 Football

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thrashermaxey · 7 years ago

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Ramblings: Avs and Flyers Stay Alive, Jets Knock Off Wild & Post-Hype Sleepers

The Flyers managed to go into hostile territory on Friday night and stave off elimination. They were boosted greatly by the return of top line pivot, Sean Couturier who ended up potting the game winning goal with just 1:15 to play in regulation to stun the home crowd.

It was an all around poor play by the Penguins as a weak clearing attempt ended up on Couturier's stick who launched a 50ft wrister that Matt Murray should've had.

The Penguins came out flat in this one and were lucky to get out of the first period down 1-0 as Claude Giroux potted his first of the playoffs to get the monkey off his back. The Pens outshot and outchanced the Flyers in last 40 minutes but Michael Neuvirth stood strong and made 30 stops in the 4-2 victory – including a five-bell save against Sidney Crosby with the net empty and under a minute to play.

Expect Neuvirth to start game six.

Evgeni Malkin left the first frame after landing awkwardly as he attempted to dump (or maybe slewfoot?) Jori Lehtera.

{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Malkin hurt after Lehtera falls on his leg <a href="https://t.co/ZRZMVD3fNX">pic.twitter.com/ZRZMVD3fNX</a></p>— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteBlackburn/status/987476207032852481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}

The big Russian returned to the game to begin the second frame and still managed to play over 20 minutes. That likely indicates he should be good to go back in Philidelphia for game six but we'll await word.

For the first time (sort of) in their franchise history, the Winnipeg Jets are off to the second round. The city of Winnipeg hasn't celebrated a playoff round victory since 1987 and they had the barn rocking!

Connor Hellebuyck posted his second consecutive shutout to finish off the Wild in five games, however this one was never really in doubt as the Jets jumped all over Devan Dubnyk by scoring four goals on 10 shots in the first 12 minutes of the game to chase the Minnesota netminder.

After welcoming back Josh Morrissey from his one game suspension, Nikolaj Ehlers was a late scratch on Friday evening. It was Bryan Little coming up from the third line centre position to play RW on the second line and replace the speedy Dane.

Jacob Trouba played a very strong game, potting the game-winner just 30 seconds into the game and stifling the Wild attack with regularity. Expect this man to get paid this summer after signing the two-year six million dollas bridge deal after the holdout two seasons ago.

Nashville was back home and looking to match the Jets by dispatching their opponent in five games. It appeared that they were being afforded a nice boost by facing Andrew Hammond in net for the Avs – a guy with just one regular season start this season.

However, Hammond and the Avs were up to the task in the first two periods, going blow for blow with the Preds. The Hamburgler made several big saves to keep the game scoreless after 40 minutes.

With under 10 minutes to play, Nick Bonino redirected a juicy rebound off his skate and past the Colorado netminder. The play was originally disallowed for kicking but upon video review, was awarded as a good goal.

Six minutes later, Nate MacKinnon displayed all the patience in the world to draw everyone and their dog to him before dishing over to Gabe Landeskog for the empty-net tap in.

{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">What a play by <a href="https://twitter.com/Mackinnon9?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Mackinnon9</a> to set up <a href="https://twitter.com/GabeLandeskog92?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GabeLandeskog92</a> and it's a tie game again. <a href="https://t.co/3La8AvGePa">pic.twitter.com/3La8AvGePa</a></p>— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHLGIFs/status/987545350960533504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2018</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}

The Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen line has a combined 17 points in the five games thus far.

With a 90 seconds remaining, The Avs completed the comeback when Sven Andrighetto buried a rebound on a two-on-one past Pekka Rinne.

Andrew Hammond was the obvious first star of the night as he finished with 44 saves to record his first career post-season victory and his first NHL win since 2015-16. Game six goes Sunday back in Colorado.

{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Your Lady Byng Trophy finalists are <a href="https://twitter.com/Barkovsasha95?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Barkovsasha95</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/WKarlsson71?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WKarlsson71</a> and Ryan O'Reilly. <br><br>The winner will be chosen in <a href="https://twitter.com/Vegas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Vegas</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AwardWorthy?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AwardWorthy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLAwards?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLAwards</a> <a href="https://t.co/nWnJLBYQCw">pic.twitter.com/nWnJLBYQCw</a></p>— NHL (@NHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHL/status/987466047488917504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}

It's hard to really complain too much about these three, but it's difficult not recognize Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Just one defender (Brian Campbell 2011-12) has won the award in the last 54 years. You didn't misread that. Before Campbell, the last blueliner to take home the Byng was Red Kelly back in 1953-54.

{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Random Lady Byng thought: <br><br>Marc-Edouard Vlasic played 1800+ minutes this season, over 1400 of which came at 5v5 going head to head with the other team’s best players, and he only got called for 2 minor penalties. <br><br></p>— Filipovic Forsberg (@DimFilipovic) <a href="https://twitter.com/DimFilipovic/status/987466741339996160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2018</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}

Vlasic did have three misconducts which clearly took him out of the running, but maybe we need to start weighting the penalty minutes defenders compile vs forwards in this award category.

Tough news out of Washington as Andre Burakovsky has been ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs. It was announced on Friday that he'll need surgery.

You'd think this would mean more opportunity for Jakub Vrana, but with Burakovsky out last game it was Chandler Stephenson stepping up to the second line to flank Nicklas Backstrom and TJ Oshie. It sure appears that Barry Trotz is completely uninterested in giving the talented Czech winger a real look amongst the team's top six forwards.

For my weekly prospects dump, let’s just remind everyone how everything Elias Pettersson touches this year turns into a point. The lanky Swedish forward has continued to abuse the SHL as he now sits as the playoff point leader with 14 points in 11 games – this after leading the regular season in points and breaking the regular season U20 points mark. His Växjö squad leads Skellftea 2-0 and have outscored them 11-0.

Pettersson now sits in a tie for second all-time in U20 SHL playoff scoring with – surprise, surprise, Henrik and Daniel Sedin. Here’s hoping Skellftea can win a game and give him at least three cracks at breaking the record.

Pettersson should be considered an elite asset to own in keeper leagues and will be a frontrunner for what’s shaping up to be a terrific 2019 Calder class featuring: Miro Heiskanen, Rasmus Dahlin, Andrei Svechnikov, Eeli Tolvanen, Casey Mittelstadt and more.

Here’s a glimpse at what he’s been up to in the SHL playoffs thus far:

{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> prospect Elias Pettersson's goal from the second period <a href="https://t.co/Jm3hR7qMNh">pic.twitter.com/Jm3hR7qMNh</a></p>— Ryan Biech (@ryanbiech) <a href="https://twitter.com/ryanbiech/status/986329514883108869?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2018</a></blockquote>

{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Elias Pettersson <a href="https://t.co/G5BC6pA1hW">pic.twitter.com/G5BC6pA1hW</a></p>— C More Sport (@cmoresport) <a href="https://twitter.com/cmoresport/status/986308301897064451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2018</a></blockquote>

{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Elias Pettersson just took his team to the SHL Finals after this overtime beauty vs Malmö. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a><br><br>( C More) <a href="https://t.co/alwjg9u1cu">pic.twitter.com/alwjg9u1cu</a></p>— Robert Söderlind (@HockeyWebCast) <a href="https://twitter.com/HockeyWebCast/status/983018758766723073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2018</a></blockquote>

I was on Sportsnet650 Thursday evening digging into the 2018 NHL crop as well as some talk around the Canucks’ prospects whom I cover over on DobberProspects.

Have a listen

{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I chatted with <a href="https://twitter.com/DanRiccio650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DanRiccio650</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/Sportsnet650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sportsnet650</a> last night discussing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/2018NHLDraft?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#2018NHLDraft</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canucks?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Canucks</a> prospects. I come in around the 8 minute mark<a href="https://t.co/pV7pv3O1jk">https://t.co/pV7pv3O1jk</a></p>— /Cam Robinson/ (@CrazyJoeDavola3) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrazyJoeDavola3/status/987408511649726465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2018</a></blockquote>

In the lead up to fantasy drafts, it’s always important to begin mining for talent from various places. You don't need me to tell you that its paramount you hit on your first few picks. Miss in the first round and you’re usually destined for a less-than-desirable finish. However, it’s the work done in the middle to late rounds that often win a championship and the research throughout the offseason will help determine who and why you may select a player.

We at DobberHockey often speak of the value associated with the ‘post-hype sleeper’. These are players who fall into two categories:

A highly regarded prospect that hasn't taken off as expected after several seasons

A player who witnessed a ‘boom’ campaign then followed it up with regression.

These players, when targeted correctly, can be value picks that have the potential to propel your squad deep into the fantasy playoff season.

Here are a two names to keep an eye on:

Dobber’s surrogate son, Cam Atkinson has long been a player that people expected a breakout from. In 2016-17 that potential was realised as he blistered through the first half of the season at a point-per-game pace before steadily cooling in the back 40. He still finished with a very respectable 35 goals and 62 points in 82 games and after seeing his point-per-game mark improve in each of the previous four seasons, people were drafting him to replicate his performance or even improve on it.

As we know, 2017-18 wasn’t as kind. The diminutive forward limped out of the gate with just 13 points in his first 32 games and was waiver fodder for many leagues. If the cooling towards the end of 2016-17 was a warning sign for the following season, than what Atkinson has done down the stretch this year may be telling for 2018-19.

Atkinson was red-hot to finish his regular season, recording 14 goals and 25 points in the final 22 games and is keeping that spirit alive early in these playoffs. He managed to produce a ton of shot volume throughout the entirety of the season, landing ninth in the league with 3.6 shots-per-game and averaging over four shots per contest during the final quarter.

Some additional fodder for the fire is the familiarity he and his line mates will continue to build. Pierre-Luc Dubois had a terrific rookie season and has gotten better with each passing game. His potential to be a legitimate number one centre is palpable. Furthermore, Artemi Panarin may have just had the most quiet 82 -point season in recent memory (although Mikko Rantanen could give him a run for his money in that regard).

Panarin was expected to see his production dip away from Patrick Kane but instead it grew. Players will often need a settling in period with a new squad so we may not have seen the height of Panarin’s greatness yet.

Those three should be viewed as a potential elite top line next season.

People will inevitably see Atkinson’s 46 points and expect him to be a borderline addition to a team, but as an astute manager, you’ll have read this and seen the warning signs that may indicate otherwise. Target him in the proper spot and reap the rewards.

The next player I want to discuss is Dylan Strome. Long has it been foretold that Strome would be a franchise pivot. His size, skill, pedigree and production at every rung on the developmental ladder has indicated as much. However, he’s yet to establish himself as an everyday NHL’er while those selected around him in the 2015 draft are thriving in the league. People lose patience on young players quickly, and at age 21, many folks are already writing Strome off.

Now, as a someone who fancies himself as having a keen eye for talent evaluation, the knocks on Strome are valid: He doesn’t play with enough pace at even-strength and can’t wheel back to make up for the odd mistake off the puck.

However, what he can do is distribute the puck like few players. His vision, reach and touch are splendid and if surrounded by the right players and the right systems, he still has an extremely high season.

Many people were quick to give up on Mark Scheifele after being returned to junior for both his draft-plus one and draft-plus two campaigns and his skating was questioned at the time as well. I’m not saying Strome is destined to end up as a Scheifele-level talent, but that’s the ceiling.

After producing 53 points in 50 AHL contests, Strome closed out the regular season with the Coyotes and put up eight points in the final 10 games while seeing just 13:30 of ice time – 1:39 of which came on the power play, while skating alongside Max Domi and Zach Rinaldo at even-strength.

Looking deeper into his even-strength numbers, Strome was a positive possession player with an iCF rating of 53 and had 11 takeaways to only two giveaways.

Arizona has invested a great deal in his development and the promising final months for the Coyotes' season illustrates a team that is ready to take the next step towards pushing for a wild card spot. Strome becoming an impactful pivot for them and allowing Derek Stepan to handle the heavy defensive minutes allowing Strome and Keller can run a bit wild would be the perfect breeding ground for success.

Strome’s draft stock will be low this year, but he’s a breakout player to watch.

That's all for this week. Thanks for reading and feel free to follow me on Twitter @CrazyJoeDavola3

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-philly-stays-alive-jets-knock-off-wild-post-hype-sleepers/

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megadarkbouquettidalwavethings · 7 years ago

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Phil Neville: England women head coach sorry after ‘sexist’ tweets criticised

Neville has been appointed on a deal until 2021

New England women’s head coach Phil Neville has apologised for past controversial tweets about women.

The ex-Manchester United defender, 41, was named Lionesses boss on Tuesday but was accused of making sexist comments on the social media site in 2012.

In one tweet, he suggested women would be too “busy making breakfast/getting kids ready” to read his messages.

Neville said his comments were not “a true and genuine reflection of either my character or beliefs”.

Sports minister Tracey Crouch called his past remarks “ill-advised”.

Former England full-back Neville takes over from Mo Marley, who had been in interim charge since Mark Sampson’s sacking.

In a statement released by the Football Association, he added: “I am fully aware of my responsibilities as the England women’s head coach and am immensely proud and honoured to have been given the role.

“I am now looking forward to the future and will work tirelessly to try and help bring success to the team.”

It is understood the FA was aware of Neville’s tweets before his appointment.

FA urged to charge Neville

Campaigners have criticised the appointment of Neville, who has coached at former club Manchester United, Valencia and England Under-21s but has only managed one game – at Salford City, a team he co-owns.

And equality group Kick It Out has asked the FA whether it will level a disciplinary charge against Neville for appearing to make “misogynistic and sexist comments”.

Meanwhile, sports minister Crouch said: “While it is not my job to pick England managers, the FA needs to ensure that it has transparency around the process so that fans and football stakeholders alike are confident in it.

“It is right that Phil Neville has apologised for his ill-advised, historical remarks. Sexism of any kind must not be tolerated.”

Neville deleted Twitter account

Neville’s appointment produced a mixed reaction, and after saying on Twitter how “proud and honoured” he was to take on the role, he quickly added “see you all soon” after past tweets came to light.

In posts dating from 2012, he had said: “Morning men, couple of hours cricket before work sets me up nicely for the day.”

When people responded asking whether he would address women, he clarified in another post: “When I said morning men I thought the women would [have] been busy preparing breakfast/getting kids ready/making beds-sorry morning women!”

Other users picked up on comments Neville had made when interacting with his sister and with his wife – and one in which he joked he had “just battered the wife”.

After those posts gained thousands of retweets, Neville then deleted his account, which had 1.6 million followers.

Neville’s contract runs through to the end of the 2021 Uefa Women’s European Championship campaign.

But he will first lead the Lionesses – ranked third in the world – at the 2019 World Cup in France, where they will be among the favourites.

‘Kick in the teeth’ – Appointment criticised

Kick It Out chief Roisin Wood said the organisation had serious concerns over the appointment “of someone with no record of management or experience in women’s football” and would be making representations to the FA.

The Women’s Sport Trust said: “To see a high-profile, former professional footballer virtually parachuted in to such a significant role in football without the level of experience required, undermines the coaching pathway and will be a blow to hundreds of football coaches, both male and female, currently working towards their badges at all levels.”

A statement from the Women In Football group said it felt like “a kick in the teeth to the team” and added that just 17% of professional sport coaches in the UK were female.

But the England men’s manager Gareth Southgate told the BBC there had been “a very thorough process around applications and interviews” for the women’s job.

“I guess, how do you get that experience without an opportunity? I wish him well, first and foremost,” he said.

“Hopefully for them now, as a team, everybody can start focusing on the football and how they progress.”

Neville (left) was part of David Moyes’ backroom staff at Manchester United and stayed when Ryan Giggs was appointed interim manager in April 2014

Neville was also backed by his former United team-mate Ryan Giggs, recently named boss of the Wales men’s team despite limited managerial experience.

“That’s what you’ve got to come to terms with when you get these sorts of jobs – a bit of flak – but all I can say is I’ve known Phil for a number of years, and he’ll do a really good job,” he said.

Analysis

BBC sports editor Dan Roan

Yet again the FA are under fierce scrutiny over a managerial appointment that threatens to become another farce.

In 2016 the governing body faced questions over its due diligence when Sam Allardyce was sacked after just one match in charge of the England men’s team following a newspaper sting.

Last year Mark Sampson was dismissed as England women’s manager for “inappropriate & unacceptable” behaviour with female players in a previous role. That – along with the crisis sparked by Eni Aluko’s racism allegations against him – meant the appointment of his replacement was crucial. The FA simply had to get it right.

Yet here we are, with Neville incredibly forced to apologise for sexist and ill-advised tweets – including one appearing to make light of domestic violence against women – on his first day in the job.

The FA needs to explain why – if they knew about these tweets before hiring him – they failed to foresee the controversy they would inevitably generate. And both they – and Neville himself – might want to front up and explain themselves at a proper press conference before the situation spirals out of control.

‘Lack of suitable female candidates’

The former Manchester United and Everton midfielder played 59 times for England and has won 10 major trophies, including six Premier League titles.

But his first taste of women’s football will involve taking on the top two teams in the world – United States and Germany – plus France, in the She Believes Cup, starting on 1 March.

Predecessor Sampson was sacked from his position following evidence of “inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour” in a previous role.

Under Sampson, England reached the Euro 2017 semi-finals, losing to eventual winners the Netherlands, having come third at the 2015 World Cup – their best finish at the tournament.

Former England women goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis would have preferred to see a woman appointed as his successor, but believes there were no suitable candidates.

“I think they shouldn’t hire someone just because they’re female,” she told BBC Radio 5 live.

“Phil Neville doesn’t have that senior level management experience but what he does bring is pretty unique.

“He trained and played as a top-level player in an era when Manchester United won everything. He has that level of excellence that the players will thrive on.”

Phil Neville met the England team at their training camp at La Manga in Spain this week

Another former England goalkeeper, Pauline Cope-Bonas, was far more critical of Neville’s appointment.

“He got it because of his name,” she said. “No disrespect to him and I’m sure he’ll go on to do a good job purely because he’s got world-class players there. They don’t need to be coached, they just need to be managed.

“A lot of people are disappointed because probably he hasn’t been to a women’s game. He’s never worked within the women’s game and that’s the crux of it.

“It is different. We deal with emotional things, women have women’s problems, monthly problems, relationship problems. “

Former England defender Danny Mills called it a “left-field” appointment.

“What has happened to the FA Player Pathway? St George’s Park was supposed to be promoting coaches from within,” he said.

“Phil has never been a number one anywhere else before. He’s now going into a team that’s third in the world. How can he just jump above everybody else?”

What are Neville’s credentials?

Neville, who has a Uefa Pro Licence and lives in Valencia, was an assistant to England Under-21 boss Stuart Pearce in their disappointing 2013 European Championship campaign.

He joined David Moyes at Old Trafford, where he lasted the 2013-14 season, despite the Scot being sacked.

His next top-level coaching job was at Valencia in Spain’s La Liga, where he was appointed coach in July 2015 and left soon after brother Gary was dismissed as manager following a run of three wins in 16 league games.

Neville’s experience and knowledge of the women’s game is understood to be limited.

Emma Hayes, Nick Cushing, Laura Harvey and John Herdman all dropped out of the running

Who were the other candidates?

The FA was keen for a woman to replace Sampson but was forced to look elsewhere after early potential appointments dropped out of the running.

Chelsea boss Emma Hayes pledged her future to the club, and former Arsenal head coach Laura Harvey took up a new role with the Utah Royals in the US.

Englishman John Herdman was also a contender prior to being named head coach of Canada’s national men’s team after more than six years in charge of the country’s women’s team, and Manchester City boss Nick Cushing was interviewed but signed a new contract with his club.

Marley also applied for the role having spoken of her desire to give the England players “stability”, but later withdrew from consideration.

Marley will now return to leading England women’s development teams, including taking a squad to this summer’s U20 World Cup.

During her time in charge, she led England to victories in World Cup qualifiers against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Kazakhstan – in which they scored nine goals and conceded none – as well as a friendly defeat by France.

The post Phil Neville: England women head coach sorry after ‘sexist’ tweets criticised appeared first on Breaking News Top News & Latest News Headlines | Reuters.

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sportsleague365 · 8 years ago

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Game to watch – Liverpool vs Middlesbrough It would be lovely if I’d had a choice between three or four matches, but really it comes down to this. After a season during which the battle for a top-four place has been more competitive than ever more, it seems fitting that this is the only storyline left unresolved. We’ll ignore talk of a Champions League play-off because it makes my brain hurt, and instead focus on the simple fact that if Liverpool can beat Middlesbrough at Anfield, they will be back in the Champions League for only the second time in eight seasons. It should be a doddle. Middlesbrough have won one away league game this season, at Sunderland. They have scored ten times away from home, compared to Liverpool’s 42 in the league at Anfield. They have been relegated, and are coasting towards the Championship. Middlesbrough do not need this; Liverpool do. And yet those home supporters filing into Anfield will be haunted by The Fear, certain that if an early goal does not come then they will find their opponents impossible to break down, and then find themselves vulnerable to set pieces. They will know that Liverpool have been at their best this season when blending freedom and intensity against those at the top of the league, teams who want the ball as much as them. Liverpool have been at their worst when facing lower-ranked teams happy to camp in their own penalty area, but with a quick winger and a capable centre forward. That describes Middlesbrough perfectly. For a manager who is constantly touted to be on the edge of crisis, this is a suitable end to Jurgen Klopp’s first full season in charge at Anfield. Win and he will have succeeded, achieved the highest reasonable expectation for Liverpool’s season, taken his club back into the Champions League and can move into this summer optimistic of landing most of his transfer targets. Lose, and the knives will again be out in certain quarters. Liverpool will end the season with nothing but Thursday night football and transfer targets may again choose to go elsewhere. Still, at least Arsene Wenger would be happy. Players to watch –Harry Kane, Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku I’ll level with you, I wrote this on Thursday afternoon: ‘With frightfully little to be sorted out beyond Liverpool’s attempt to beat Middlesbrough, all eyes turn to the race for the Golden Boot. I’d always assumed that players weren’t particularly bothered by the award, but that doesn’t seem to be true. In front is Romelu Lukaku, stuck on 24 goals for a while and facing a trip to Arsenal on the final day. Score once and he will surely at least claim a share of the trophy, but fail to do so and Harry Kane and Alexis Sanchez could both catch Lukaku.’ Yeah they bloody could. Kane’s majesty on Thursday means he has one hand on the honour, despite missing two months of the season through injury. Unless Sanchez or Lukaku do something silly (and would you really back against Kane doing something silly against Hull?), he’s going to win another bloody gong. He really is the real deal. Team to watch – Manchester United I promise that’s not a sick joke, given the dreary fare of Wednesday night. It was no shock to see Manchester United play with overwhelming apathy against Southampton – Jose Mourinho promised as much – but it still jarred against our hardwired expectation of United to see them so unarsed. Mourinho has promised more of the same at home to Crystal Palace on the final day, spreading several thick layers on top of his already obvious digs at the Premier League and pleas for sympathy. “I hope that Big Sam shows he’s a good friend and they go slow. He tells Zaha to go slow, he leaves Benteke at home. I hope he goes soft on us.” Mourinho said. It’s impossible to to read that while wincing at how much it is dripping in classic Jose. The result or performance against Crystal Palace doesn’t really matter, but it will be interesting to see how difficult it is for Mourinho to conjure up a good performance against Ajax on Wednesday without taking any form of momentum from their previous matches. Mourinho is a man for finals, but he must accept his own role in United’s league season drawing to tedious end. Surely he must want to end on a high before flying to Stockholm? It also gives those players picked on Saturday a chance to show their manager than they can be trusted, either on Wednesday or beyond. Marcus Rashford can tell you all about the importance of youngsters impressing on their first starts. New TV customers can continue to enjoy great entertainment with award-winning dramas, must-see series and comedies when they Join Sky TV and get 33% off selected Sky TV Bundles for 18 months. This offer is live untilmidnight5th June. Click here. Manager to watch – Arsene Wenger Given his continuous refusal to clarify his future, it seems unthinkable that this could be Wenger’s last ever match at the Emirates Stadium and his last ever Premier League game. We have repeatedly read headlines that Wenger will leave in the summer, yet it certainly sounds as if he is making plans for at least another year. Given that a majority of Arsenal supporters do not wish Wenger ill but would like him to move on, that says little for the club’s estimation of the thoughts of those fans. We saw a boycott at the Emirates on Tuesday with at least ten thousand empty seats, and the mood on Sunday will also be interesting. There is certainly no sense that they are waving fondly goodbye to their manager as he walks off into the sunset. Should Arsenal qualify for the Champions League, Wenger will at least be able to enjoy post-match celebrations that will cloud any protests over his retention as manager. Yet if, as is likely, Arsenal are consigned to the Europa League, Wenger’s PR bluster about it not being a disaster will fall on angry ears. It’s hard to see this ending well. Football League games to watch – Bradford City vs Millwall With the FA Cup final at Wembley next Saturday, the League One play-off final has been moved to this weekend. I’m happy with that, as it means we do not have a Football League-free weekend and an English football-free Saturday. Bradford and Millwall finished fifth and sixth in League One this season, but beat Fleetwood and Scunthorpe in their respective semi-finals. Having finished fourth in 2015/16, Millwall will have been hoping for a top-two place but would take promotion at Wembley to regain their place in the Championship after two years. Bradford lost only four times in the league but turned victories into draws far too often to merit automatic promotion. They haven’t been in the second tier since 2004, but under new owners Edin Rahic and Stefan Rupp are finally on an upward trend. Ticket prices are low, community schemes are thriving and a city is back in love with its club. European game to watch – England U17 v Spain U17 Juventus can win the Serie A title and Real Madrid can do the same in Spain, but there is only one game in Europe you should watch this weekend. On Friday evening, England’s exciting Under-17 team play Spain in the European Championship final. The final! We say this so, so often but, win or lose, this team really does need to find a pathway to competitive, top-flight football. Jadon Sancho of Manchester City is the star, but how does he get past Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane or Kevin de Bruyne? Twelve of the 18-man squad are at current top-six clubs, so how do they make it without being loaned out three or four times until their entire appetite for the profession is eroded away? This team is a fresh, forward-thinking, exciting group of players that are now favourites to be champions of Europe for the third time in seven years. Now try and tell me there isn’t a problem with pathways to the top. Where is Mike Dean this week? “Who’s got the big game? Mike’s got the big game,” Dean can be heard chanting to himself in the shower. ‘Oh boy, Michael, Martin and Anthony are going to pretty pissed off that they have missed this one,’ he thinks to himself. ‘Imagine me giving a penalty in the last minute, West Brom scoring and sending Swansea City down. I’d have to scale a fence and run away, like the referee in that old Nick Hancock clip.’ Dean got dried and dressed in double quick time, pointing at himself in the mirror before giving a brief motivational speech and smiling at the memory of making that ‘Pep talk’ joke to Guardiola. You could tell he was laughing inside. Having walked downstairs slowly, touching the ceiling above as he passed like they do at Anfield, Dean entered the kitchen to find his wife already with a mouthful of toast. She was reading the paper. “Hey darling,” she exclaimed, crumbs going everywhere and prompting Dean to mime booking her for reckless making of mess. “It’s a shame that there is nothing on your game today, isn’t it?” “BE QUIET,” Dean shouted. “Any more dissent and I’ll give you a second yellow. It’s an important day. Swansea could go down.” “No Mike, I’m right. It says here that Swansea are on 38 points and Hull City 34. It’s all over.” Dean turned from the kitchen, flounced out of the front door and sat in his car, moodily munching on a Frosties cereal bar. Why did she always have to ruin it? Why did she always have to spoil his fun? It’s the last day of the season. It’s Mike Dean day. At least f**king pretend. “And it does matter what I do,” Dean said out loud involuntarily. He pulled his thick Laws of the Game book from the glove compartment, and looked up ‘points deductions’ in the index… Ten live matches to watch England U17 vs Spain U17 (Friday, 7pm, British Eurosport 2) Argentina U20 vs England U20 (Saturday, 8.30am, British Eurosport) Bayern Munich vs SC Freiburg (Saturday, 2.30pm, BT Sport Extra 1) Bradford City vs Millwall (Saturday, 3.00pm, Sky Sports 1) Napoli vs Fiorentina (Saturday, 7.45pm, BT Sport 2) Juventus vs Crotone (Sunday, 2.00pm, BT Sport ESPN) Liverpool vs Middlesbrough (Sunday, 3.00pm, Sky Sports 1) Watford vs Man City (Sunday, 3.00pm, Sky Sports 2) Malaga vs Real Madrid (Sunday, 7.00pm, Sky Sports 3) Lazio vs Inter Milan (Sunday, 7.45pm, BT Sport 1) Writer to watch – Daniel Storey The post Big Weekend: Klopp, Wenger, Kane, Lukaku, Sanchez, Dean appeared first on Football365. #BigWeekend #ChampionsLeague #JoseMourinho

#BigWeekend #ChampionsLeague #JoseMourinho

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