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writercole · 3 years ago

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In Vino Veritas

Squares filled: In Vino Veritas @anyfandomangstbingo Words: 644 Warnings: I am not responsible for your social media consumption. Angst. Drinking. Drunk confessions. End of a relationship/marriage. Mentions of Cheating. Credits: Header by me // No beta A/N: My first attempt at a Peaky fic! I hope this captures the essence of Tommy well enough that it becomes a fan favorite. Inspired by ‘What Sober Couldn’t Say’ by Halestorm. Season 3 and 4 minor spoilers.

Y/N paced across the floors of Arrow House, collecting all of her belongings into her suitcases. As she packed, she drank more and more gin, getting drunker and more confident. Her husband had been seen with May Carleton, looking very cozy as they were kissing in her barn.

She’d talked to Tommy about it before and he swore that nothing was going on and that nothing would ever happen. He swore that he loved her still, that he’d loved her since before the war. Every kiss he gave her, every time he made love to her convinced her that it was true. That he really did love her.

But every time they talked it out at night, the next morning there was a huge fight where he’d throw his whiskey glasses and tea cups, shattering them on the wall as he yelled. Slamming doors when he stormed out in a huff.

But Y/N was done. She was done with the way that everything had become more frequent, the questioning, the fighting, the wondering, the heartache. The sound of a door closing softly alerted her to the return of her husband, hours before she expected him.

“Y/N, darling, what are you doing?” he asked.

“Leaving,” she answered without turning around, packing her clothes with one hand and drinking from the bottle of gin with the other.

“Why?”

“Because you’re fucking another woman, that’s why.”

The silence in the room was deafening. When Y/N turned around, she saw Tommy hanging his head with his hands in his pockets. She nodded with a grimace, taking another swig of gin.

“Not even denying it. Great, Thomas. Great. Thanks for that,” she spat.

“I’m not denying it because regardless of what I say, you’re not going to believe me,” he retorted as he lifted his head and met her gaze.

“No, you’re not denying it because it would be a lie. Not like it would be the first time you lied to me,” she scoffed, her words beginning to slur.

“Y/N, would you put the bottle down? We can talk about this tomorrow after you get a good night’s sleep and sober up,” he attempted to persuade her.

“Not happening, Thomas. I’m done. Besides,” she shrugged, “not like I can say this sober.” She lifted the bottle to her lips for a drink, only to find that it was empty. She pouted at the empty glass decanter and tossed it to the side, flinching when it shattered across the floor.

Thomas’s piercing blue eyes watched her, filled with sadness and regret. How had he let himself fuck up the one good thing in his life? He knew he should fight for her, he knew that he should express the hurt he felt but he couldn’t. He had failed her and he had to live with it.

He crossed the room to stand in front of her and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry. Truly. I’ll call John to take you wherever you want to go. You shouldn’t be driving like this,” he whispered, kissing her on the forehead. “Goodbye, Y/N.”

He exited the room and left Y/N alone, standing amidst her suitcases. She finished her packing at the same time that John knocked on her door with a sad smile. He helped her bring her bags downstairs and load them in the car.

With one last look over her shoulder, she bid Arrow House and Tommy Shelby goodbye.

Tommy watched her climb into the car and drive away with a sadness that he couldn’t explain. He stood at the window for hours, just staring, not focusing on anything but the sinking feeling in his stomach.

It was probably best that she left before finding out about the black hand. It would protect her in the long run.

#peaky blinders #tommy shelby #cole writes #any fandom angst bingo #tommy shelby x reader #angst #song fic #song inspired #bingo fic

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365footballorg-blog · 7 years ago

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MLS players named to 2018 FIFA World Cup squads

May 14, 20181:30AM EDT

LAFC right back Omar Gaber and Orlando City center back Amro Tarek have made the cut for Egypt’s 29-man FIFA World Cup provisional squad announced Monday.

Egypt national team head coach Hector Cuper will select his final 23-man World Cup roster from this group. While provisional rosters are due to FIFA on May 14, participating teams have until June 4 to finalize their final 23-man squads for the tournament. The 2018 World Cup kicks off on June 14 and Egypt play in Group A against Russia, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.

Both Gaber and Tarek were involved in MLS Week 11 action on Sunday and both went the full 90 minutes. Gaber featured at right back for LAFC in their 2-2 home draw against NYCFC. Meanwhile, Tarek and Orlando City were on the losing end of a 2-1 result against rivals Atlanta United FC.

Seattle Sounders center back Kim Kee-hee was not named to Korea Republic’s provisional roster.

Among other squad news, former NY Red Bulls forward Tim Cahill was included in Australia’s 32-man list announced back on May 6.

2018 FIFA World Cup Provisional Rosters:

Group A: Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay Group B: Iran, Morocco, Portugal, Spain Group C: Australia, Denmark, France, Peru Group D: Argentina, Croatia, Iceland, Nigeria Group E: Brazil, Costa Rica, Serbia, Switzerland Group F: Germany, Korea Republic, Mexico, Sweden Group G: Belgium, England, Panama, Tunisia Group H: Colombia, Japan, Poland, Senegal

MLS players on 2018 FIFA World Cup squads:

<!– HIDE TEAMS ATL TO HOU

Atlanta United FC

Player/Position Country Dates Miguel Almiron (M) PAR Mar. 27 at USA Andrew Carleton (F) USA U-20 March camp Chris Goslin (M) USA U-20 March camp Darlington Nagbe (M) USA Mar. 27 vs. PAR Romario Williams (F) JAM Mar. 25 vs. ATG (56 min)

Chicago Fire

Player/Position Country Dates Nemanja Nikolic (F) HUN Mar. 23 vs. KAZ (76 min); Mar. 27 vs. SCO (7 min) Matt Polster (D) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH Brandon Vincent (D) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH

Colorado Rapids

Player/Position Country Dates Marlon Hairston (M) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH

Columbus Crew SC

Player/Position Country Dates Zack Steffen (GK) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH; Mar. 27 vs. PAR Wil Trapp (M) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH; Mar. 27 vs. PAR Gyasi Zardes (F) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH

D.C. United

Player/Position Country Dates Paul Arriola (M) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH Russell Canouse (M) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH Oniel Fisher (D) JAM Jan. 30 at KOR; Mar. 25 vs. ATG (90 min) Ian Harkes (M) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH Dane Kelly (F) JAM Jan. 30 at KOR; Mar. 25 vs. ATG (87 min) Ulises Segura (M) CRC Mar. 23 vs. SCO (DNP); Mar. 27 vs. TUN (33 min) Zoltan Stieber (M) HUN Mar. 23 vs. KAZ (DNP); Mar. 27 vs. SCO (DNP) Bruno Miranda (F) BOL Mar. 22 at CUW (78 min); Mar. 26 at CUW (25 min)

FC Dallas

Player/Position Country Dates Tesho Akindele (F) CAN Mar. 24 vs. NZL (20 min)

Houston Dynamo

Player/Position Country Dates Adolfo Machado (D) PAN Mar. 22 vs. DEN (90 min); Mar. 27 vs. SUI (90 min)

END HIDE TEAMS ATL TO HOU –>

Player/Position Country Latest Omar Gaber (D/M) Egypt Named to 29-man provisional roster on May 14

<!– HIDE TEAMS LA TO NY RED BULLS

LA Galaxy

Player/Position Country Dates Giovani dos Santos (F) MEX Jan. 31 vs. BIH Jonathan dos Santos (M) MEX Jan. 31 vs. BIH Ola Kamara (F) NOR Mar. 23 vs. AUS (90 min); Mar. 26 at ALB (DNP) Emrah Klimenta (D) MNE Mar. 23 at CYP; Mar. 27 vs. TUR

Minnesota United FC

Player/Position Country Dates Michael Boxall (D) NZL Mar. 24 vs. CAN (90 min) Francisco Calvo (D) CRC Mar. 23 at SCO (12 min); Mar. 27 vs. TUN (90 min) Christian Ramirez (F) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH Rasmus Schuller (M) FIN Mar. 23 vs. MKD (90 min); Mar. 26 vs. MLT (DNP)

Montreal Impact

Player/Position Country Dates David Choiniere (M) CAN U-23 January camp Raheem Edwards (M) CAN Mar. 24 vs. NZL (15 min) Thomas Meilleur-Giguere (D) CAN U-23 January camp James Pantemis (GK) CAN U-23 January camp Michael Petrasso (D) CAN Mar. 24 vs. NZL (45 min) Samuel Piette (M) CAN Mar. 24 vs. NZL (90 min) Shamit Shome (M) CAN U-23 January camp Saphir Taider (M) ALG Mar. 22 vs. TAN (DNP); Mar. 27 vs. IRN (DNP)

New England Revolution

Player/Position Country Dates Juan Agudelo (F) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH Cody Cropper (GK) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH Krisztian Nemeth (F) HUN Mar. 23 vs. KAZ (45 min); Mar. 27 vs. SCO (32 min) Kelyn Rowe (M) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH

New York City FC

Player/Position Country Dates Ronald Matarrita (D) CRC Mar. 23 at SCO (DNP); Mar. 27 vs. TUN (DNP) Alexander Ring (M) FIN Mar. 23 vs. MKD (DNP); Mar. 26 vs. MLT (DNP) Rodney Wallace (M) CRC Mar. 23 at SCO (26 min); Mar. 27 vs. TUN (DNP)

New York Red Bulls

Player/Position Country Dates Tyler Adams (M) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH; Mar. 27 vs. PAR Fidel Escobar (D) PAN Mar. 22 vs. DEN (90 min); Mar. 27 vs. SUI (DNP) Kemar Lawrence (D) JAM Jan. 30 at KOR; Mar. 25 vs. ATG (90 min) Michael Murillo (F) PAN Mar. 22 vs. DEN (90 min); Mar. 27 vs. SUI (45 min) Tim Parker (D) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH

END HIDE TEAMS LA TO NY RED BULLS–>

Orlando City SC

Player/Position Country Latest Amro Tarek (D) Egypt Named to 29-man provisional roster on May 14

<!– HIDE TEAMS PHI TO VAN

Philadelphia Union

Player/Position Country Dates Andre Blake (GK) JAM Mar. 25 vs. ATG (90 min) Mark McKenzie (D) USA U-20 March camp Haris Medunjanin (M) BIH Jan. 28 at USA; Jan. 31 at MEX; Mar. 23 vs. BUL (45 min); Mar. 27 vs. SEN (30 min) Matthew Real (D) USA U-20 March camp CJ Sapong (F) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH

Portland Timbers

Player/Position Country Dates David Guzman (M) CRC Mar. 23 at SCO (56 min); Mar. 27 vs. TUN (DNP) Andy Polo (M) PER Mar. 23 vs. CRO (DNP); Mar. 27 vs. ISL

Real Salt Lake

Player/Position Country Dates Danny Acosta (D) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH Justen Glad (D) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH Brooks Lennon (M) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH Albert Rusnak (M) SVK Mar. 22 vs. UAE (90 min); Mar. 25 vs. THA (82 min)

San Jose Earthquakes

Player/Position Country Dates Harold Cummings (D) PAN Mar. 22 vs. DEN (DNP); Mar. 27 vs. SUI (90 min) Anibal Godoy (M) PAN Mar. 22 vs. DEN (90 min); Mar. 27 vs. SUI (90 min) Nick Lima (D) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH Vako (M) GEO Mar. 24 vs. LTU (83 min); Mar. 27 vs. EST (90 min)

Seattle Sounders

Player/Position Country Dates Jordy Delem (M) MTQ Mar. 24 vs. TRI (23 min) Jordan Morris (F) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH Cristian Roldan (M) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH; Mar. 27 vs. PAR Gustav Svensson (M) SWE Mar. 24 vs. CHI; Mar. 27 at ROU Roman Torres (D) PAN Mar. 22 vs. DEN (DNP); Mar. 27 vs. SUI (90 min)

Sporting KC

Player/Position Country Dates Ike Opara (D) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH Daniel Salloi (F) HUN U-21 Jan. 28 vs. BIH; MAR 22 vs. CYP; MAR 26 at BEL

Toronto FC

Player/Position Country Dates Alex Bono (GK) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH; Mar. 27 vs. PAR Jay Chapman (M) CAN Mar. 24 vs. NZL (DNP) Marky Delgado (M) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH; Mar. 27 vs. PAR Ashtone Morgan (D) CAN Mar. 24 vs. NZL (59 min) Justin Morrow (D) USA Jan. 28 vs. BIH Jonathan Osorio (M) CAN Mar. 24 vs. NZL (90 min) Tosaint Ricketts (F) CAN Mar. 24 vs. NZL (70 min)

Vancouver Whitecaps

Player/Position Country Dates Kendall Waston (D) CRC Mar. 23 at SCO (DNP); Mar. 27 vs. TUN (90 min)

END HIDE TEAMS PHI TO VAN –> #post-bottom {display:none;} .card-container, .card-header, .card-body {float:left;position:relative;} .card-container {width:100%;} .club-logo, .club-name {display:table-cell;vertical-align:middle;} /* .card-container {-webkit-border-radius: 3px;-moz-border-radius: 3px;border-radius: 3px;box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.12), 0 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,0.24);transition: all 0.3s cubic-bezier(.25,.8,.25,1);margin:15px 0 25px 0;padding:24px 20px 16px 24px;} */ .card-container {margin:15px 0 25px 0;} .club-logo img {width:34px;height:auto;margin-right:10px;} .club-name h2 {margin:0;} .card-body {width:100%;} .card-body p {margin:0;} .node-post .card-body p.card-links a {color:#e22319;} .node-post .card-body p.card-links a:hover {color:#e22319;border-bottom:1px solid #e22319;} .node-post .card-body table {font-size:0.92em;} @media screen and (max-width: 730px) { .card-body ul {padding-left:30px;font-size:0.90em;} } @media screen and (min-width: 731px) and (max-width: 1120px) { .node-post .card-body table th.player {width:205px;} .node-post .card-body table th.country {width:30px;} } @media screen and (min-width: 1121px) { .node-post .card-body table th.player {width:205px;} .node-post .card-body table th.country {width:30px;} }

<!–

Stay connected: Get access to breaking news, videos, and analysis from North America’s best soccer reporters via “This Week in MLS” newsletter or using our FREE mobile app.

–>

Stay connected: The all-new, completely redesigned, FREE official MLS app is your best mobile source for scores, news, analysis and highlights. Download: App Store | Google Play

#block-block-188 {padding:0;} #stay-connected {border-top:1px solid #ebebeb;margin:20px 0;} #stay-connected p {margin:0;color:#4d4d4d;line-height:1.5em;} @media screen and (max-width: 730px) { #stay-connected {padding:8px 6px 0 6px;width:100%;} } @media screen and (min-width: 731px) and (max-width: 1120px) { #stay-connected {padding:8px 6px 0 6px;width:100%;} } @media screen and (min-width: 1121px) { #stay-connected {padding:8px 6px 0 6px;width:708px;} }

MLSsoccer.com News

MLS players named to 2018 FIFA World Cup squads was originally published on 365 Football

#2018 #Fifa #named #players #squads #world

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flauntpage · 7 years ago

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Tim Weah Has the Talent—and the Pedigree—to Save U.S. Soccer

American soccer fans disillusioned by their country's failure to qualify for next summer's FIFA World Cup may soon be shouting a new four-letter word at their TV screens. At the Under-17 edition of the sport's showpiece tournament this past month in India, printed on the back of the USA's Number 10 shirt was a small word with big connotations: WEAH.

For anybody who has followed global soccer for more than a few seasons, the surname will immediately strike a chord. It will also prompt a pair of questions, the answer to both of which is yes.

Yes, Timothy Tarpeh Weah, the leggy young man wearing the binary numbers on his back, is the son of George Weah.

And yes, he too has an eye for goal.

"King George" was a Liberian forward named World Player of the Year in 1995. During an 18-season career, he made a living tearing past sorry defenders to score almost 200 goals, collect league titles with Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan, and be crowned Africa's best player three times. After winning the FA Cup with Chelsea in May 2000, three months after the birth of his second son, he celebrated on the pitch at Wembley with a t-shirt that read: "I believe in God, Timothy."

George, who is a presidential candidate in Liberia, was born in Monrovia and grew up playing with a worn-out ball in the city's slums. "Timmy" (as his friends call him) was born in New York after his dad met wife Clar while opening a bank account in the Big Apple. Young Tim was, in his own words, "kicking a ball from the moment I was born" and went on to captain New York's BW Gottschee, despite being a year younger than his teammates.

"It was around then that I really thought I can be something; that I can make a name for myself," Weah told VICE Sports in Delhi. "Usually a parent wants their child to be exactly like them, but my father gave me the freedom to be myself and play my own game, so I've never really felt any added pressure.

"Actually, sometimes going into games, opponents would tend to say 'Oh, his father was the best player in the world,' so they'd get a little bit scared. I've always tried to use that to my advantage."

At 13, Weah joined New York Red Bulls, but spent the summer in London training with Chelsea, whose defender Mark Guéhi remembers him as "a special player" and "always a big attacking threat." An offer from the London club never materialized, but soon after, during a trial with French side Toulouse, Weah caught the eye of PSG scouts, who invited him to join their U15 side.

Weah's older brother, George Jr, had played for the Parisian side's second string and helped his younger sibling with the cultural transition. Tim settled quickly: In his first full season, he scored a hat-trick in the UEFA Youth League — the age-group equivalent of the Champions League—and later notched five goals in a single match during a youth tournament in Qatar.

"It was a big challenge for Tim," says John Hackworth, the USA U17 coach. "When he went there, he spoke no French at all, but he worked hard on it and was fluent within five months. He's very proud of that because while his name might have gotten him in the door, he had to do the work and earn the contract himself."

In July of this year, he signed his first professional deal, tying him to Paris until 2020. He is now focused on breaking into the first-team squad by the end of the year, an ambitious goal given the wealth of attacking talent at the Parc des Princes. Exactly one month after signing his contract, Weah watched excitedly as PSG—owned by the Qatar Investment Authority and recognised as one of the game's richest clubs — bought Neymar Jr for a record $260 million fee. A few weeks later, another marquee deal was agreed, 18-year-old Kylian Mbappe joining from Monaco for an eventual $210 million.

"I don't think it will be hard for me to break into the team because I am very versatile," says Weah, who shares his father's room-warming smile as well as his confidence. "I can play on the wing, I can play through the middle, you can play me anywhere. But just being around those type of players is awesome, and with Neymar being my favorite player, it would be very cool to play alongside him. It's the same throughout the squad though, be it Mbappe or [Edinson] Cavani—just learning from those kind of players is really important for a young player like me."

Weah has so far trained only with the first-team substitutes, but at PSG's U19 level he continues to display his old man's knack for finding the net. In September, against Celtic in the UEFA Youth League, he scored the winning goal in a 3-2 victory. His leaping, pinpoint header was more than a little reminiscent of his dad.

"Since his move to PSG, he has grown in all areas," says Andrew Carleton, an international teammate who has played alongside Weah since they were 13 years old. "He's gone from a player who was always really good but sometimes inconsistent, to becoming a more consistent player and someone we can rely on, game in, game out."

Measuring six-foot, one-inch and boasting the build of a sprinter, Weah runs ostrich-like with his chest slightly ahead of his feet. It gives the impression even his own legs can't keep up with his desire to get to where he's going. In India, he was deployed as a left winger and became the first American male to register a hat-trick in a knockout-round at a World Cup. His second of three against Paraguay in the Round of 16 was an audacious right-footed strike from distance.

"He is a young man who can take it as high as he wants," says coach Hackworth. "He has the potential, he's certainly a fantastic athlete, and he's dedicated to being a very good pro. I think it's just a matter of time. He is still a young man with a lot to learn, but he has so much potential. He's a wonderful example to others too: works hard, takes everything very serious, and is a pro off the field."

That professionalism quickly became apparent at the World Cup. From the day the USA squad arrived, pumped full of anti-malarial drugs, Weah was the player most sought after by the swarms of Indian press. While his hat-trick only served to increase the hype, he remained obliging, graciously answering the same banal questions about his father that follow him everywhere. Even after the US were eliminated by eventual winners England in the quarter-finals, he fronted up once more, taking time to discuss not only the disappointing result, but also his future, faith, and family.

Unlike many of this young US team, Weah's parents did not travel to India. His father was busy campaigning in Liberia—he faces a run-off on November 7 after obtaining a plurality in last month's election. He lost a similar run-off in 2005, but has spoken often about how much he learned from that first loss and how it has prepared him better for this campaign.

It is a lesson the young Weah has taken onboard. The U17s defeat to England hurt, but much like the senior team's failure to qualify for Russia, he says it will only motivate him to train harder, play smarter, and ultimately win more games when his turn comes around.

"It's true," he says, "sometimes you learn more from a defeat than a victory. We fought until the end and I hope to be back at a World Cup with the U20s or maybe the first team. It's all up to God and I know I still have a lot to work on, but discipline, dedication and desire will get me to where I want to go. Of that I'm sure."

Tim Weah Has the Talent—and the Pedigree—to Save U.S. Soccer published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

0 notes

amtushinfosolutionspage · 7 years ago

Text

Tim Weah Has the Talent—and the Pedigree—to Save U.S. Soccer

American soccer fans disillusioned by their country’s failure to qualify for next summer’s FIFA World Cup may soon be shouting a new four-letter word at their TV screens. At the Under-17 edition of the sport’s showpiece tournament this past month in India, printed on the back of the USA’s Number 10 shirt was a small word with big connotations: WEAH.

For anybody who has followed global soccer for more than a few seasons, the surname will immediately strike a chord. It will also prompt a pair of questions, the answer to both of which is yes.

Yes, Timothy Tarpeh Weah, the leggy young man wearing the binary numbers on his back, is the son of George Weah.

And yes, he too has an eye for goal.

“King George” was a Liberian forward named World Player of the Year in 1995. During an 18-season career, he made a living tearing past sorry defenders to score almost 200 goals, collect league titles with Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan, and be crowned Africa’s best player three times. After winning the FA Cup with Chelsea in May 2000, three months after the birth of his second son, he celebrated on the pitch at Wembley with a t-shirt that read: “I believe in God, Timothy.”

George, who is a presidential candidate in Liberia, was born in Monrovia and grew up playing with a worn-out ball in the city’s slums. “Timmy” (as his friends call him) was born in New York after his dad met wife Clar while opening a bank account in the Big Apple. Young Tim was, in his own words, “kicking a ball from the moment I was born” and went on to captain New York’s BW Gottschee, despite being a year younger than his teammates.

“It was around then that I really thought I can be something; that I can make a name for myself,” Weah told VICE Sports in Delhi. “Usually a parent wants their child to be exactly like them, but my father gave me the freedom to be myself and play my own game, so I’ve never really felt any added pressure.

“Actually, sometimes going into games, opponents would tend to say ‘Oh, his father was the best player in the world,’ so they’d get a little bit scared. I’ve always tried to use that to my advantage.”

At 13, Weah joined New York Red Bulls, but spent the summer in London training with Chelsea, whose defender Mark Guéhi remembers him as “a special player” and “always a big attacking threat.” An offer from the London club never materialized, but soon after, during a trial with French side Toulouse, Weah caught the eye of PSG scouts, who invited him to join their U15 side.

Weah’s older brother, George Jr, had played for the Parisian side’s second string and helped his younger sibling with the cultural transition. Tim settled quickly: In his first full season, he scored a hat-trick in the UEFA Youth League — the age-group equivalent of the Champions League—and later notched five goals in a single match during a youth tournament in Qatar.

“It was a big challenge for Tim,” says John Hackworth, the USA U17 coach. “When he went there, he spoke no French at all, but he worked hard on it and was fluent within five months. He’s very proud of that because while his name might have gotten him in the door, he had to do the work and earn the contract himself.”

In July of this year, he signed his first professional deal, tying him to Paris until 2020. He is now focused on breaking into the first-team squad by the end of the year, an ambitious goal given the wealth of attacking talent at the Parc des Princes. Exactly one month after signing his contract, Weah watched excitedly as PSG—owned by the Qatar Investment Authority and recognised as one of the game’s richest clubs — bought Neymar Jr for a record $260 million fee. A few weeks later, another marquee deal was agreed, 18-year-old Kylian Mbappe joining from Monaco for an eventual $210 million.

“I don’t think it will be hard for me to break into the team because I am very versatile,” says Weah, who shares his father’s room-warming smile as well as his confidence. “I can play on the wing, I can play through the middle, you can play me anywhere. But just being around those type of players is awesome, and with Neymar being my favorite player, it would be very cool to play alongside him. It’s the same throughout the squad though, be it Mbappe or [Edinson] Cavani—just learning from those kind of players is really important for a young player like me.”

Weah has so far trained only with the first-team substitutes, but at PSG’s U19 level he continues to display his old man’s knack for finding the net. In September, against Celtic in the UEFA Youth League, he scored the winning goal in a 3-2 victory. His leaping, pinpoint header was more than a little reminiscent of his dad.

“Since his move to PSG, he has grown in all areas,” says Andrew Carleton, an international teammate who has played alongside Weah since they were 13 years old. “He’s gone from a player who was always really good but sometimes inconsistent, to becoming a more consistent player and someone we can rely on, game in, game out.”

Measuring six-foot, one-inch and boasting the build of a sprinter, Weah runs ostrich-like with his chest slightly ahead of his feet. It gives the impression even his own legs can’t keep up with his desire to get to where he’s going. In India, he was deployed as a left winger and became the first American male to register a hat-trick in a knockout-round at a World Cup. His second of three against Paraguay in the Round of 16 was an audacious right-footed strike from distance.

“He is a young man who can take it as high as he wants,” says coach Hackworth. “He has the potential, he’s certainly a fantastic athlete, and he’s dedicated to being a very good pro. I think it’s just a matter of time. He is still a young man with a lot to learn, but he has so much potential. He’s a wonderful example to others too: works hard, takes everything very serious, and is a pro off the field.”

Unlike many of this young US team, Weah’s parents did not travel to India. His father was busy campaigning in Liberia—he faces a run-off on November 7 after obtaining a plurality in last month’s election. He lost a similar run-off in 2005, but has spoken often about how much he learned from that first loss and how it has prepared him better for this campaign.

It is a lesson the young Weah has taken onboard. The U17s defeat to England hurt, but much like the senior team’s failure to qualify for Russia, he says it will only motivate him to train harder, play smarter, and ultimately win more games when his turn comes around.

“It’s true,” he says, “sometimes you learn more from a defeat than a victory. We fought until the end and I hope to be back at a World Cup with the U20s or maybe the first team. It’s all up to God and I know I still have a lot to work on, but discipline, dedication and desire will get me to where I want to go. Of that I’m sure.”

Tim Weah Has the Talent—and the Pedigree—to Save U.S. Soccer syndicated from http://ift.tt/2ug2Ns6

0 notes

365footballorg-blog · 7 years ago

Text

Armchair Analyst: Forever orange, purple resilience & more from Week 1

March 5, 20181:17AM EST

So this is a fact I’ve been dying to address for monthsyears two decades. A big part of my dream for what soccer is in America (and Canada – I dream of Canada too, I swear it) is “let’s be a league that not only buys the best players, but also builds the best players right here at home.”

It’s not just because I love the idea of having been on the ground floor for the beginning of MLS and then potentially get to watch it grow into something globally recognized for its quality. It’s not just because I love to see good soccer, or that I’m naturally drawn to “potential,” as are so many of you.

It’s all that, but it’s also that I literally do not see a path toward becoming the best league in the Americas if we do not first become the best developmental league in the Americas. That means buying the likes of Milton Valenzuela and Jesus Medina, both of whom had sterling debuts in big Week 1 wins. It also has to mean building our own great players via our academies and the USL/PDL partnerships that MLS teams have worked so hard to make viable and valuable over the past half-decade.

Progress has been slow:

MLS does a really bad job of playing young American players. Like really bad. Also, before you ask, no it’s not improving – has been about 2%-3% for a number of years. pic.twitter.com/oV0zfPDBpr

— Alex Olshansky (@atosoccer) January 10, 2018

Here is the good news: In Week 1, domestic players aged 21 and under played 4.11 percent of available minutes. That includes a couple of Canadians (Alphonso Davies and David Choinière) as well as Sounders Homegrown Handwalla Bwana, who’s been here a decade, has a green card and is on his way to US citizenship. You may not count him, but for all intents and purposes he’s a local.

Now, the absence of minutes for a few notable, high-upside youngsters justifiably frustrated folks in Atlanta and Dallas, and even if Paxton Pomykal and Andrew Carleton had played, the number would not be high enough yet for my liking. I’d eventually like to see MLS end up somewhere between La Liga and the Bundesliga in terms of minutes earned by the U-22s.

But progress that lasts tends to be progress that’s incremental. Week 1 was a good first step.

Road to Nowhere

We spent a good chunk of time on Saturday dissecting exactly how Atlanta were just asking to be dissected by Houston in the Dynamo’s 4-0 win. They had a d-mid but they played him at center back; their nominal Defender of the Year (that’s the Andrew Wiebe curse) played awful and then got hurt; and their midfield, which I and everybody else has been harping about all preseason, was a “c’mon just drive right through” zone.

It was bad and they were unprepared and they’ve got to move Jeff Larentowicz back to the 6 and Tata Martino has to develop Miles Robinson and even if those two things happen it may not be enough because I still don’t see how Darlington Nagbe fits.

Here, we talked about it a bunch:

But none of this matters if Houston aren’t utterly and ruthlessly prepared. They knew Atlanta were going to try to possess through the middle so they drew a nice mid-line of confrontation – this wasn’t bunker ball from the Dynamo – and forced turnovers in spots where they could get out on the break. And when they did break, they broke together, which you can see in the assist numbers: Each of their first three goals had both primary and secondary assists.

This wasn’t just “kick it out to Alberth Elis and let him run,” and anyone who characterizes it as that should be mocked, ridiculed and generally shunned from polite society.

So how did they dominate so thoroughly? By shutting off any/all outlets for the Dynamo backline:

These are all the passes by ATL’s CBs. That’s Parkhurst with the lone wolf pass into the box. Reams of turnovers for the other two guys who started. pic.twitter.com/HPRS8O4hyZ

— Matthew Tomaszewicz (@shinguardian) March 3, 2018

(Green arrows are completed passes, Red incomplete)

As my old podcastmate went on to point out, incomplete passes from the central defense are invitations to get out into transition. Houston took those invitations time and again during the first half-hour, looking remarkably like the 2017 version of Atlanta against, I don’t know, the Revs or Galaxy or something. It was eerie.

Houston aren’t, I don’t think, deep enough to be great — though they showed off some depth yesterday when Darwin Ceren came in early for the injured Juan David Cabezas at d-mid. Nonetheless they’re going to be very good because they’re smart and well-drilled, and in Elis they have at least one game-changing attacker (Mauro Manotas is knocking on the door to make it two).

As for Atlanta, I’m not about to mash the panic button. I think they’ll end up being fine because they have so much talent, but the biggest part of the next month has to be Martino making the right personnel adjustments, and Nagbe in particular being more assertive about getting into spots and being available to receive outlets.

Seen and Not Seen

If Houston’s dominance was the first story of the regular season, Orlando City’s rebuild has to claim its spot as one of, if not the biggest story of the off-season. They went out and got players young and old(ish), pulled from college and USL and NASL and the Bundesliga and North Africa and MLS and memories of MLS Cup champions past.

And then they went out in Week 1 and played without about half those guys. Sacha Kljestan was suspended and Pierre da Silva was suspended and Josue Colman was hurt and and Uri Rosell has been in the country for about 45 minutes and Lamine Sané just wasn’t quite ready to go. So Jason Kreis – who, for the second straight year kept preseason prep under wraps – had to go with a fairly makeshift XI, and just to increase the degree of difficulty had to do it a man down for the last 50 minutes.

The early returns for OCSC, who played in a diamond (praise be) with rookie Cam Lindley doing very Wil Trapp-y things at d-mid, were good. They eschewed the pointless long-balls that plagued them last year, they had a clear level of defensive buy-in from everyone who took the field (a big change), and they got a resilient and ultimately point-saving performance from Justin Meram:

(Also worth mentioning they have Joe Bendik, whose penalty save was freaking heroic in the 1-1 draw).

Part of this falls on D.C. United, who never really took advantage of their, uh, advantage. At halftime they talked about getting on the ball and spreading the Purple Lions out, but never evinced any sort of plan to do so after the break and were reduced to a bunker for the final 20ish minutes. This is not how an 11-man team punishes a 10-man team with possession:

For a team a man up and a goal up, @dcunited’s pass map for the last 20 minutes vs. @OrlandoCitySC was a cry for help (and structure).

The road point is nice but that’s a catastrophe. pic.twitter.com/EsFVzwCjrb

— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) March 4, 2018

So neither team will leave this game entirely happy, nor will they leave entirely unhappy. OCSC did, after all, cough up two points to a conference foe at home — but did so while fighting back in dramatic fashion after playing most of the game a man down. D.C. did, after all, concede a soft, late equalizer — but still took a road point.

For now, for both, it’s enough.

A few more things to ponder…

8. 18-year-old Anthony Fontana got the game-winning goal for Philly in their 2-0 win over the visiting Revs, who had both their center backs sent off and were only spared from an embarrassing scoreline by some shoddy Union finishing.

Fontana was clever about getting into attacking spots, and C.J. Sapong was simply relentless about creating those attacking spots for everybody around him. Sapong had a goal, an assist, and drew the game-changing straight red on Antonio Mlinar Delamea. He’ll never be the most clinical of finishers, but it’s exciting to imagine what he’ll be able to do in attack this year now with more quality around him.

7. There was obvious quality on display in Toronto, with the shock being it was the visitors who put on the clinic. Federico Higuain continues to be the smartest player in the league. When he moves, it’s not just to get open, but rather to shift the entire defense:

Columbus are going to be good. The 2-0 win they took from BMO Field was not a fluke.

6. Nor was the 3-2 win San Jose took from visiting Minnesota United. The Quakes were vicious in attack through 80 minutes and fully deserved their 3-0 lead, then repeatedly fell asleep and lost track of Kevin Molino over the last 10 as they nearly surrendered it.

The Loons played a lot better once Collen Warner came on the field.

5. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Sporting KC won the expected goals battle but lost the game. It was actually fairly close on xG (1.49-1.42 as per Opta), but NYCFC finished their chances while SKC fluffed theirs in a 2-0 win for the visitors.

Sporting crossed the ball 24 times, which is a very high number that they exceeded only once last year. That’s a bad strategy for a team with no particularly gifted headers of the ball in attack, and speaks to the lack of ideas they had moving forward.

NYCFC, meanwhile, looked very good.

4. Speaking of gifted headers of the ball… Kei Kamara, goal No. 99 followed by our Face of the Week via his celebration with Davies:

The cross, the header, the dance moves!

Kei Kamara opens his account for #VWFC.#VANvMTLhttps://t.co/z9IemFerad

— Vancouver Whitecaps (@WhitecapsFC) March 5, 2018

Wakanda forever.

In general crossing is a low-percentage play, and I thought Davies (who was wonderful, and will almost certainly be on the Team of the Week) was too happy to settle for crossing the ball instead of driving into the box on the dribble and trying to combine. This is a habit of the ‘Caps, to be honest.

But there’s a difference between bending in an early ball when your target forward has found a pocket of space away from the CBs and driving in a cross against a packed-in defense. As Davies matures he’ll better understand those margins, and become even more of a weapon.

Which is freaking scary because, at 17, he was the best player on the field by a mile in Vancouver’s 2-1 win over the Impact.

3. FC Dallas played much better in their 1-1 draw vs. RSL than they had in their midweek CCL disappointment against FC Tauro. That said, they still got ripped up in transition a few times, and still had trouble finishing.

Through 270 minutes there are no signs Los Toros Tejanos have figured out what killed them in 2017.

2. The Galaxy, on the other hand, have found at least a partial cure for their suffering of the past year, picking up a 2-1 win over visiting Portland on Sunday night. It was not pretty from either team, and LA were absolutely holding on for dear life at the end. They also lost Romain Alessandrini to what appears to be a hamstring strain.

But they got Sebastian Lletget back, got three points, and got a goal from center forward Ola Kamara.

As for the Timbers, I’m going to wait to reserve final judgement, but my guess is the 4-2-3-1 is not long for this world. Based upon what we saw Sunday and during preseason, Gio Savarese is going to have to go in a different direction.

1. And finally, our Pass of the Week goes to Carlos Vela, who looked the part of a superstar in LAFC’s franchise-opening 1-0 win at Seattle:

LAFC weren’t perfect, but they were brave in how they played out of the back, they got an outstanding performance form Tyler Miller, and they got three points on the road in their debut game. Bob Bradley seems to know a thing or two about winning with expansion teams.

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Armchair Analyst: Forever orange, purple resilience & more from Week 1 was originally published on 365 Football

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