Posts Tagged ‘Soccer’

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Lions Don’t Lose Sleep Over the Opinions of Gazelles, Zebras, and Certainly not Sheep

Wednesday, September 8th, 2021

by B. Austin

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In the UEFA European Championships, these four young men missed penalty shots that would have advanced England’s Men’s Senior National Futbol Team, the Three Lions.  Terrible mistake on their part…horrible…and they deserve criticism.  However, it took a dark and nefarious turn when 100’s of thousands, if not millions on social media, turned to racist banter and hateful speech towards them.  It got ugly.  None of these dudes are over 25 years of age.  They are all TOP players in the world as young men.  But what stood out to me was Bukayo Saka.  He is, or was, a 19 year-old, Nigerian-born superstar (20 years old, as of the release of this article), left back and midfielder for Arsenal, and is 6 years older than my 13 year-old son, who I post way too much on Al Gore’s internet.  The grace, poise, and maturity with which he has handled interviews and the racist trolls on the internet is utterly amazing.  They ALL have handled it with amazing grace, composure, and dignity.  But this dude Saka was a teenager at the time.  All of this lends to my question: What should athletes do in the face of such vitriol?  Is playing for these countries (of birth, youth, or migration) in your best interest, especially when you can trace your lineage to a place that isn’t going to dehumanize, disrespect, or hate you?

Missing a penalty is a terrible thing for a footballer.  It shows a lack of focus and preparation.  However, Pele, Messi, Ronaldo (both of ’em), Ronaldinho, Neymar, Zidane, Henry…hell, many players have missed throughout their careers.  Jordan, Kobe, (Lord knows) Lebron, Steph, Dame Dolla, all have missed free throws.  So we know in the grand scheme of things it has nothing to do with where their careers end up.  These misses will be an anomaly and erased in history, as these players continue their ascension to the pantheon of greats.  And who knows, maybe a seat at the “Table of Gawds” awaits them.  But you know what isn’t an anomaly?  You know what isn’t going anywhere?  You know what will be around 20, 30, 50, 100 years from now?  Racism.  Racist abuse.  Racism in sports.  These young men will face this for the remainder of their careers, whenever they mess up or make a mistake…or…just whenever fans feel like taunting.

 

B. Austin, of War Room Sports
#Futbol #BlackPower #EndRacism #RacisminFutbol #raheemsterling #marcusrashford #JadonSancho #BukayoSaka #Soccer

#FutbolBeenBlack #SoccerBeenBlack #UEFA #europeanchampionship #EURO2020 #FourLions

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Megan Rapinoe: One of My New Favorite Athletes

Monday, July 8th, 2019

by Gus Griffin

gus

 

 

 

 

United States' Megan Rapinoe celebrates after scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot during the Women's World Cup final soccer match between US and The Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, July 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) ORG XMIT: XAF175

United States’ Megan Rapinoe celebrates after scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot during the Women’s World Cup final soccer match between US and The Netherlands at the Stade de Lyon in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, July 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) ORG XMIT: XAF175

I am not a soccer fan.

I could not explain the basic rules of the game, nor tell you much of the history, other than Brazil holding the most World Cups.

While I understand it to be the world’s most popular sport, I really cannot provide a comprehensive explanation as to why.

And yet with all my superficial understanding of the game, the one thing that I am crystal clear about is my admiration for Women’s American Soccer star Megan Rapinoe.

Who is Megan Rapinoe? She grew up gay in Redding, California, which is just north of my birth town of Sacramento. While I know nothing about growing up gay, I do know Northern California. Aside of the San Francisco Bay area, it is culturally California’s version of “Middle America” and the South. It is politically an oasis of red among a sea of California blue. It is unabashedly pro-Trump.

Rapinoe was also the first white athlete to follow Colin Kaepernick’s lead and kneel during the national anthem in 2016. Her stance made such an impact that the U.S. Soccer authorities implemented a rule that mandated standing. So she has continued her protest by refusing to sing the National Anthem.

It was not a one time, “follow the trend” stance. When recently asked about being invited to the White House if the women win the World Cup, Rapinoe responded, “I doubt we get invited and even if we do, I would not go ‘to the fucking White House’.”

Some will say she is one of many that have rejected such invitations under the current administration. What makes her stance so admirable? For me the answer is the potential greater Black LGBT alliance. This is important because one of the most reliable tools the empowered use against the masses is “divide and conquer”. We can certainly continue to struggle for Black liberation on our own. And we will. LGBT can do the same for their human rights. I am sure that it will. The same can be said of undocumented citizens, labor, and a number of other marginalized demographic groups. But we would be much stronger working in coalition with others as opposed to working in silos.

While I am sure there are racist factions among the LBGT community, I am far more familiar with anti-gay bias among Black folks. They fall into one of two categories: ideological bigots, which are divided between the Evangelical or Nationalist factions; and the simple garden variety bigots. The primary reasoning seems to be the notion that comparing the LGBT movement with the Civil Rights movement trivializes our struggle. It is true that no two movements are exactly interchangeable. It is also true that the mere option of non-revelation is a tool that most Black folks have never had to combat the terrorism that we have endured. LBGT have such a tool.

Rapinoe acknowledges the distinctions when she said, “I haven’t experienced racial profiling, police brutality, or the sight of a family member’s body lying dead in the street. But I cannot stand idly by while there are people in the country who have had to deal with that kind of heartache”.

That, in my mind, is what an ally sounds like, and her actions have been consistent with her words.

What remains a mystery to me is the basic question around homophobia, for which I have yet to get any rational answer: How does the relationship, love, or even just sex, between consenting adults adversely affect your life? On the movement level: How does rejecting willing allies advance our agenda?

From my experience, the answers to these questions have routinely been based primarily on bigotry masquerading as cultural nationalism or religious integrity.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising in New York City. It is considered to be the moment when a culmination of police brutality led the LGBT community to say enough is enough. And therein lies the basis for alliances. The same state sponsored harassment that LBGT was subjected to at Stonewall harassed Black folks in Selma, Alabama in 1965 and undocumented immigrants today. Those who use homophobia as a tool to stigmatize and oppress, often do the same with racism. Those who use racism often do the same with xenophobia. Those who use xenophobia often do the same with misogyny. The tools of oppression are equal opportunists in protecting the interests of the empowered class. Thus we must have the same openness in accepting willing reciprocal alliances. We need not have the exact same experiences. We only need to recognize injustice because as Martin Luther King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.

It is against this backdrop that Megan Rapinoe and many others from the LGBT community have expressed a desire to align with other struggles for human rights. It is only reasonable that they expect reciprocal solidarity for their human rights. If you have an issue with that, their sexual orientation isn’t the problem. You are!

 

Gus Griffin, for War Room Sports

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Posted in General, Gus Griffin, Soccer | 3 Comments »

The World Cup, Africa, and Why I Wish Serena Would Not Bow

Saturday, June 30th, 2018

by Gus Griffin

gus

 

 

 

 

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Even as a casual soccer fan, it is hard for me to watch the World Cup, the most popular sporting event worldwide, without wondering what could be for African Nations. Despite African-born or heritage players on many teams, especially European teams, no nation from Africa has ever won the cup. Despite the events’ widely acknowledged greatest player in its History, Brazil’s Pele, being himself of African descent and forecasting that an African nation would win the cup by 2000, none have even made it to the semi-finals.

But why?

Some will cite a structural reason that is clearly biased toward Europe.  There are 54 countries in Africa and yet it is only allocated five slots in the World Cup tournament. Conversely, Europe has 50 countries and gets 13 slots.

Still, others will cite the same ole dog whistle analysis to explain why African countries have not succeeded to the level of its enormous talent and resources; bad governance, undisciplined players…blah, blah, blah. I do not contend that none of those are factors. I actually would agree that bad governance compounds the issue. I only argue that they are not at the root. At the root are the same factors responsible for the continent’s underdevelopment in general and that is the exploitation by foreign interests, especially Europe.

For a point of reference, look at how U.S. baseball pillages Latin American baseball talent…compound that worldwide and that is what you have with European countries and the African soccer players.

To be fair, European countries are not the only culprits. Qatar has recently indulged as well, under the guise of humanitarian motivations with its Aspire Academy, which recruits young African soccer players to their country in their effort to build a World Cup contender.

However, my primary focus is Europe, due to its wider history of exploiting Africa for both human and material resources, and the wealth it accumulated as a result.

SWThat brings us to Serena Williams and the pending Wimbledon Tennis tournament. She has won this tournament seven times, and each time before being crowned is “required” by tradition to do some curtsy to the Queen of England. It strikes me as bowing and I have always had a serious problem with that practice.

The Industrial Revolution would have been impossible without the wealth generated by slave labor. Britain’s major ports, cities, and canals were built on invested slave money. Several banks, to include Barclays, as well the Church of England built their wealth on the slave trade of African free labor. In other words, the ancestors of Serena Williams.

Indeed, as the great scholar Eric Williams illustrates clearly in “Capitalism and Slavery”, you cannot speak of one without speaking of the other.

Please save the tired apologist responses such as, “We cannot rewrite history”. Rewriting history is not the issue. Collecting on the debt is. We validate this right for the decedents and survivors of the Holocaust, as well we should. However, when it comes to African people, we adapt the “let bygones be bygones” approach. This mindset was on blatant display when the British offered to “lend” Nigerian art back to Nigeria…art it stole during the colonial era.

Let that sink in for a moment.

That is like a crackhead carjacking you and then offering to lend you your own car.

I know that Serena refusing to bow to the Queen of England will not address the massive debt owed to African people by England. I just want the issue raised in the consciousness of the world and she would have the platform to do just that.

My thinking on this issue was greatly influenced by a dear friend and mentor who passed away last Saturday. Macheo Shabaka introduced me to the concept of Pan Africanism, which insist that we of African descent, regardless of where we were born, are still Africans, and obliged to act on her and her people’s behalf. If we don’t, who will? Were he still alive, he would agree with me when I say that Serena Williams should not bow to the Queen of England. In fact, the Queen and all of England should bow to her and all of Africa and her peoples.

 

Gus Griffin, for War Room Sports

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ARSENAL AND BARCELONA: SIMILAR STYLE OF PLAY, TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHIES

Monday, March 13th, 2017

by Nwaji Jibunoh

Nwaji Blog

 

 

 

 

Arsenal-vs-Barcelona

During the first games of the Round of 16 Tournament of the UEFA Champions League, we saw two clubs; Arsenal and Barcelona (two clubs with a history of being purists when it comes to the execution of the Total Football strategy, otherwise known as “Jogo Bonito”- The Beautiful Game) getting completely hammered in the first legs of their games. Barcelona lost 4-0 to Paris St. German (PSG) and Arsenal lost 5-1 to Bayern Munich.

Now, both Bayern Munich and PSG are leaders in their respective leagues in Germany and France and their results from the first set of games not only proved how good they are but it also showed how impossible it would be for any team to recover from those first two heavy defeats to progress beyond this round, given the aggregate formula used in European Football.

So come games 2 and Mission Impossible. Sport writers and pundits had already written off Barca and PSG coming into these games with insurmountable odds. What happened next completely defines the philosophies of both clubs.

Arsenal Football Club located in London, England is one of the oldest clubs in England, having joined the English Football Association in 1893. Since 1996, Arsene Wenger has been managing the club and is responsible for bringing the Jogo Bonito Total Football style to Arsenal. Such style focuses on dominating possession during a football game, intricate passing in all directions, and capitalizing on the point of maximum opportunity to score goals. This style over the last 20 years has seen Arsenal rank among the most successful clubs in England and Europe.

Barcelona Football Club, located in the Catolonia region in Spain have been a global powerhouse in Sports for decades, but more so over the last 10-12 years when the initial foundation work of Legendary Coach John Cryuff grew exponentially under Frank Rijkaard and succeeding coaches. The Barcelona system has been so successful that not only because has it seen them dominate Spain and Europe, but it has also ensured that regardless of whoever is at the helm of affairs, the winning formula and mentality continues. Barcelona, very much like Arsenal, also rely heavily on dominating the possession game, intricate passing, and the capitalization of scoring when the opportunity is created, versus when the opportunity randomly presents itself.

So here you have two powerhouses of European football who mirror each other in terms of their style of play and how they are coached.  And here you have two powerhouses of European football going into their second games of the round of 16 after having suffered “insurmountable” losses in their first games. How both teams responded has completely redefined their genetic makeup.

Arsenal came into this game after having lost 3-1 to Liverpool FC only a few days prior. Spirits were low and the general attitude for Game 2 was just to make the score line respectable. Barcelona on the other hand, led by the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez, and Iniesta, had a hint of belief over accomplishing mission impossible. Their two games leading up to the rematch with PSG saw them thrash Sporting Gijon 6-1 and Celta Vigo 5-1. This meant that they were going into their showdown with PSG having scored 11 goals over two matches. They needed a miraculous 5 unanswered to progress to the next round.

So come match day and the ensuing series of events, Arsenal travelled to Germany to take on Bayern Munich and Barcelona hosted PSG at home.

The Arsenal v Bayern Munich game saw a deflated and demoralized team who started well by scoring first, but then capitulated once The Bavarians equalized. Arsenal got absolutely thumped by the exact same score line to the first game, 5-1. After a while the players looked like all they wanted to do was go home.

However, the Barcelona v PSG game saw a Barcelona team come out from the very beginning looking to shoot their shot against all odds. They didn’t particularly play well and some players (including Messi) looked out of sorts. But the deep-seeded philosophy/belief was evident that night, especially in the opening minutes. Barcelona need to score 5 answered goals in order to progress to the next round.

The plan was in motion and Barcelona were getting closer and closer. They had scored 3 answered and were feeling the impossible was inevitable. It wasn’t until Edson Cavani scored a wonder goal for PSG that brought things back down to Earth. PSG felt that they were in the clear and it appeared to the Barca players that this mountain they needed to climb only got much higher. So at this point, Barca now needed 3 answered goals. 8 minutes were remaining and only divine intervention could get Barca through, and divine intervention manifested itself in the form of Neymar. First it was a free kick…GOAL. Then a penalty…GOAL. Then at the death of it all, a sublime pass again from Neymar to Sergio Roberto slides the ball into the net…GOAL.

The unimaginable had happened. Barcelona, through sheer grit and determination pulled off an impossible comeback.

What Barcelona did was solidify their philosophy as a team that will never give up, which is ironically the final ingredient that defines Jogo Bonito. An ingredient missing with Arsenal when it was required.

Two teams who share similar philosophies but two teams who will forever define greatness differently. We can blame the coach and the execution of the game strategy etc, but at the end of the day history always vindicates those that pursue greatness.

Well done to Barca….and on to the next one in this legendary story.

 

Nwaji Jibunoh, International Correspondent for War Room Sports

Located in Lagos, Nigeria, Nwaji Jibunoh is War Room Sports’ International Soccer Contributor.  Nwaji also contributes commentary on U.S. sports from an international perspective.  He’s an Atlanta Falcons fan, Howard University alum, and former tight end for the North Atlanta High School Warriors.

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LEICESTER CITY, STEPH CURRY, AND THE ALL MADRID FINALS II

Monday, May 16th, 2016

by Nwaji Jibunoh

Nwaji Blog

 

 

 

 

As we get into the business end of the sports season, you find that times are changing with some intriguing accomplishments occurring.

Denver's stingy defense helps "The Sheriff" ride off into the sunset a champion. (Photo courtesy of FoxBusiness.com)

Denver’s stingy defense helps “The Sheriff” ride off into the sunset a champion.
(Photo courtesy of FoxBusiness.com)

In the 2015/2016 sports calendar year, we have already seen Peyton Manning and The Denver Broncos crowned Super Bowl Champions after an incredible defensive display against the Cam Newton-led Carolina Panthers.

In as much as the lead up to the Super Bowl was quite exciting and the emergence of Cam Newton as an elite Quarterback was something to note, special mention needs to go out to other fascinating accomplishments occurring in other sporting events.

EPL Champions - Leicester City

EPL Champions – Leicester City

Let us begin with the English Premiership. At the conclusion of the 2014/2015 season, a little known club located in the East Midland of England finished in 14th place in a league with only 20 clubs. A little known club that nobody truly ranked and were given a whopping 5000/1 Odds to win the title the following season. That little known club are currently the champions of England and that little known club is Leicester City. To put things in context, let us use a case study for the odds that the bookies put in play at the beginning of the season. A lifetime Leicester City supporter put a 50 pounds ($30) bet on those odds of 5000/1 to win the title. That lifetime supporter cashed out on a take home prize of 250,000 pounds ($166,000). What has been accomplished by this club who had a spending budget of 52m pounds ($32.5M) in comparison to the likes of Manchester City (411m – $274M), Manchester United (391m – $260M), and Chelsea (298m – $198M) is something that has never ever been witnessed in British football. Leicester City took advantage of a slow methodology of playing every single game to win and taking advantage of lackluster performances from the other big clubs. Credit goes out to their manager (Claudio Ranieri) and star players James Vardy (who only a few years ago was combining his playing time while working part-time as a technician making medical splints) and Riyad Mahrez (a relatively unknown Algerian now among the English Premier League elites).

As we talk about this great accomplishment in sports by Leicester City, we cannot go any further without mentioning what Wardell Stephen “Steph” Curry has done in the NBA this year. Let us look at some quick numbers to put things into perspective. In the 2014/2015 season where he was crowned MVP and also won the NBA championship, his numbers were as follows:

Regular Season – 23.8 ppg. Playoffs – 28.3 ppg. Total number of three pointers made – 286.

This season, his numbers are:

30 ppg and he made 402 three pointers. I will say that again….402. The only other player to come close was Ray Allen with 289 and we all know him to be a three point genius. Steph Curry has

Stephen Curry hoists his second consecutive MVP trophy prior to Game 5 of the second round of the Western Conference Semifinals vs. the Portland Trail Blazers at Oracle Arena. (Photo courtesy of Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

Stephen Curry hoists his second consecutive MVP trophy prior to Game 5 of the second round of the Western Conference Semifinals vs. the Portland Trail Blazers at Oracle Arena.
(Photo courtesy of Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

completely redefined basketball and the point guard position, and he makes shots from pretty much anywhere he wants to. He controls the tempo of the court and pulls out perimeter defenders, allowing other players such as Klay Thompson and Draymond Green to make significant contributions. The Conference Finals this year will see some exciting matchups with Golden State taking on Oklahoma City Thunder as perennial All-Stars (Curry, Thompson, Green, Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka) will dominate the highlights in the best of 7 series. On the East Coast, it looks like Cleveland with Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, back at this stage of the competition healthy, will compliment the enigma that is LeBron James. We will most likely see the Cavs steamroll pass the Toronto Raptors to meet the best of the West.

UEFA Champions League Final - Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid - May 28th, 2016

UEFA Champions League Final – Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid – May 28th, 2016

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid both finished in second and third positions in the Spanish La Liga. They were edged out by Barcelona but not before Barcelona suffered successive defeats to both clubs in the El Classcio and Champions League semifinals. These two clubs are Spanish power houses and are getting ready to battle it out in the Champions League Finals. This is not the first time we are going to have an “All Madrid Final”. In 2014, we saw these two clubs battle it out with Real Madrid emerging victorious. The Star man then and now and 3 time Ballon D’or (World Footballer of the Year) recipient, Cristiano Ronaldo is of course the centre of attraction. The last time these two teams met, Ronaldo was breaking records with an astonishing 51 goals. He has achieved that milestone again this season and goes into this final fully charged and poised to pick up his 3rd UEFA Champions League trophy. It will not be easy as Diego Simeone and his Atletico Madrid team, that play a high tempo coordinated style of Spanish football, will be looking to get revenge against their 2014 finalist fellow city rivals. These two teams have already met twice this season with Atletico winning one game and the other game ending in a tie. The UEFA Champions League Final which will be played at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy will be an explosive encounter come May 28th.

All in all, it has been an exciting year so far with so much more to play as we have the NBA Finals, UCL Finals, and the European Championships.

Sports fans, eat your heart out as the games will always continue to bring nothing but sheer entertainment and exhilarating excitement….

 

Nwaji Jibunoh, International Correspondent for War Room Sports

Located in Lagos, Nigeria, Nwaji Jibunoh is War Room Sports’ International Soccer Contributor.  Nwaji also contributes commentary on U.S. sports from an international perspective.  He’s an Atlanta Falcons fan, Howard University alum, and former tight end for the North Atlanta High School Warriors.

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MY WORLD CUP IS BACK: The Raw Emotions of the Beautiful Game

Friday, June 20th, 2014

by Nwaji Jibunoh

Nwaji Blog

 

(Image courtesy of SoccerLens.com)

(Image courtesy of SoccerLens.com)

The year was 1982 and among my earliest memories in life. My twin brother and I struggling for space on our father’s lap as he attempted to balance the two of us while he watched the Brazilian squad of that year play possibly some the finest football the world had ever seen. That team consisted of the great Socrates, Zico, and Juninho. Players that mesmerized opponents with the Samba style Jorgo Bonito. Brazil was knocked out that year by a well-disciplined Italian team that would eventually go and win the World Cup, but what they did for me as a toddler was instantly convert me to a worshipper of the sport.

Subsequent tournaments such as Mexico ’86, Italia ’90, USA ’94, France ’98, South Korea/Japan ‘02 brought out the best players the world ever saw. What we also began to see as the years stacked on were the overt corporate commercialization of the sport and the introduction of prima donna global stars that had bigger personalities than the actual tournament itself. By Germany ’06 and South Africa ’10, players were no longer going to the World Cup for the same reasons that generations did before them. It became one big party, an opportunity to showcase to the world pure individualism. The core elements of the game were lacking, and it was starting to turn into pure entertainment. Yes, there was good football, I cannot lie (The ’06 final between France and Italy was quite epic), but something was missing. I did not feel the uncanny attachments and sheer euphoria I used to experience from days gone by.

Fast forward to Brazil 2014 where the beautiful game returns to the spiritual home of football. The games are being hosted in a country that produced the one and only Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, the Royal Prince of this Sport, a record holding 5-time champions, and a team that combined the musical sensation Samba into the very fabric of their playing style.

We are only in the group stages, and we have already witnessed some of the finest football, ecstasy, and euphoria that this tournament has produced in the last 24 years. I honestly do not know if the game being played in Brazil is the reason for what we are witnessing or if players’ donning the colors of their national team is bringing the sexy back.

So far, we have seen absolutely sensational goals and goal celebrations. Let me quickly point out the Colombians. Every time they score, I honestly do not know what to expect, but their rhythmic Latin American inspired dance moves invigorate my soul each and every time. We are watching the Dutch National Team; La Orange returning to their Johann Cruyff philosophy of Total football by being the team of the tournament so far with comprehensive victories against current holders and two-time Euro champions Spain and a dogged Australian side. The German national team bringing their machinery of efficiency by blowing out a star studded Cristiano Ronaldo led Portuguese team. Then of course, we saw the USA national team beating the Black Stars of Africa Ghana in the game of the tournament so far. The US coming into their own despite heavy hating from individuals like myself, showing that yes indeed they belong here. We saw Lionel Messi finally walking into his own destiny and leading the Argentinian national team to victory. England being England as usual by underachieving each and every tournament, and then there was Mexico holding down the indefectible Brazilian, led by Neymar da Silva Santos in an Iron Clad match where their Goalie Ochoa becomes a cult legend.

My World Cup is back, because the Raw Emotions are back. We are seeing fans in the stadium weeping when their National Anthem is played. We have superstar players literally going bananas when they score goals and are instantly besotted by the enormity of the situation that they find themselves in. We are witnessing the relatively unknowns becoming Gods overnight. We are watching the Beautiful Game!

YES, YES, YES, MY WORLD CUP IS BACK!!!!!

 

Nwaji Jibunoh, International Correspondent for War Room Sports

Located in Lagos, Nigeria, Nwaji Jibunoh is War Room Sports’ International Soccer Contributor.  Nwaji also contributes commentary on U.S. sports from an international perspective.  He’s an Atlanta Falcons fan, Howard University alum, and former tight end for the North Atlanta High School Warriors.

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USA vs Ghana: Upon Further Review

Wednesday, June 18th, 2014

by Veree Bampoe-Addo

veree blog

 

 

 

 

 

USA vs. Ghana (Image courtesy of mlssoccer.com)

USA vs. Ghana
(Image courtesy of mlssoccer.com)

Finally had a chance to take another look at Monday’s World Cup opener for USA and Ghana – let’s be honest, it’s hard to thoroughly analyze a game while having a few cold ones at the bar. Great football game overall, big win for USA, here are some final notes:

  • USA was pretty much on their back heel most of the game especially in the 2nd half but the defensive effort was impressive. The USA defenders marked the Ghanaian forwards well and managed to frustrate them. Ghana was actually exhausted in search for the elusive equalizer.
  • USA played pretty well on offense the few times they actually did have possession up front. They created the more threatening chances and most of their shots were quality looks. Only 8 shots the entire game but 7 of them were on goal.
  • USA needs to figure out how to maintain possession a little more – while it’s not “everything”, it helps if you can control the flow of the game a little bit. That would also help them create more chances and take some pressure off the defense. Maybe a different formation? Would be good to see Bradley more involved.
  • Ghana was the better team on Monday – unfortunately it comes down to the ability to put the ball in the net and they couldn’t do it; was kind of like the 2010 Quarterfinal between Netherlands and Brazil.
  • Ghana attempted a ridiculous amount of shots and yet weren’t able to cash in. They need to work on finishing because they definitely won’t get that many chances vs Germany on Saturday.
  • Starting lineup for Ghana was very questionable. Kwesi  Appiah had months to tamper with it and it doesn’t seem like he’s figured it out yet. Kevin Prince Boateng didn’t have a good game but his presence opened things up for the other forwards once he entered the game; he looked rusty and struggled to get with the flow of the game – attempted a few wild off-target shots. He’s better off in the starting lineup.
  • Goals: Both Clint Dempsey and Andre Ayew’s were World Class finishes. Hell of a set piece that set up the game winner for Brooks.
  • Man of the Match for Ghana was #7 Christian Atsu – a star in the making, great facilitator, had a key moment where he switched direction on Damarcus Beasley and sat him right on his butt – shows how dangerous he can be.
  • Man of the Match for USA was #13 Jermaine Jones in my opinion – made some key tackles, assisted on some of the better looks and seemed to be a part of every play.
  • USA’s preparation has to be in question – Altidore and Besler both pulled hamstrings. Are you kidding me? They knew that conditions would be humid, makes you wonder what approach they took in warm up drills leading up to the game.
  • Coach Kwesi Appiah will need to make major line up adjustments going into the Germany game on Saturday – he should consider benching John Boye, Johnathan Mensah and GK Adam Kawarasey for terrible mistakes they made on the field – they weren’t ready for the big stage.
  • I love the confidence that Klinsmann has this young team playing with. They believe in what they’re doing and despite talent limitations, they’re in a position to advance if they can get a few good bounces vs a vulnerable Portugal side on Sunday.

 

Veree Bampoe-Addo of The Sports Forum, for War Room Sports

 

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The Gaffer & Hooligan Blog: CONCACAF Standing Strong

Wednesday, June 18th, 2014

by Kamal Hylton

Kamal Hylton Blog

 

 

 

 

Gaffer & Hooligan logo

 

Being a writer and podcaster that mainly covers MLS and CONCACAF, I’m taking a fair bit of pride in how well the region has done so far at the 2014 World Cup.
(Image courtesy of IslandMix.com)

(Image courtesy of IslandMix.com)

Not the most heralded of regions compared to UEFA (Europe) or CONMEBOL (South America), currently CONCACAF are 3-1-1 in the tournament. A record that is highlighted by Costa Rica’s 3-1 win against Uruguay, USA’s 2-1 win over Ghana and Mexico’s 0-0 draw over tournament hosts Brazil.

I’ve already touched on the Costa Rica game in my last Gaffer and Hooligan blog, but that was more from a Uruguay perspective.

The Ticos pulled off what has to be the shock of the tournament, not only winning but completely outplaying a far more talented side like Uruguay. Earning three huge points has turned Group D on its head, star forward Joel Campbell coming up big and helping set the table for what was to come.

Another big result for CONCACAF came Monday evening, USA picking up a much needed three points against Ghana.

John Brooks’ eighty-sixth minute winner is one of the moments of the tournament so far. The timing of his headed goal, his reaction after scoring and the numerous vine videos on social media of American Outlaw supporters groups all over the country going crazy will be a standout moment for me when the World Cup is over.

USA vs. Ghana was billed as a “must win game” for two reasons, as the Stars and Stripes attempted to get revenge on its African rivals for defeating and ultimately eliminating them from the last two World Cups. Other results also worked in the Americans favor, knowing there’s now a huge opportunity with Germany defeating Portugal 4-0 in the earlier group match.

Mexico followed up its 1-0 win over Cameroon with a credible 0-0 draw over Brazil, getting an otherworldly performance from goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.

Standing tall under fire from the Brazilian attack, he kept his second clean sheet. Setting up El Tri very nicely for its final group match against Croatia next week.

Coming into the tournament, few will have had any CONCACAF teams advancing to the next round in their brackets. However, if the teams continue to perform there’s a chance that the region could see three of its four teams move on to the knockout rounds.

While some fellow Canadian National Team fans can’t bring themselves to cheer for CONCACAF rivals [particularly Honduras after losing 8-1 in World Cup Qualifying] or don’t see the regions success reflecting on or helping Canada in anyway, I take the opposite approach.

The further USA, Mexico and Costa Rica [or even Honduras if they play better] go there’s a better chance big teams around the world will look at CONCACAF players and more fans [particularly in North America] will be drawn to watching its national team, players or even local club on a more regular basis.

Be sure to keep up with my World Cup experience on the War Room Sports Blog and catch the Gaffer & Hooligan World Cup mini-shows on the War Room Sports Podcast Network.

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Posted in CONCACAF, FIFA, General, Kamal Hylton, Soccer | 1 Comment »

One Nation, One Team, #LanDone

Saturday, May 24th, 2014

by Veree Bampoe-Addo

 

Landon Donovan (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

Landon Donovan
(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

USMNT supporters were outraged Thursday afternoon when the final 23-Man World Cup roster was revealed. None of us expected this. The most notable player we were all expecting to see wasn’t a part of it. Imagine in 1992 seeing the final Dream Team roster set for Barcelona without MJ? You get the point. Considering the man’s contributions to the growing of US Soccer (Google his accomplishments), he deserves to be on the roster. I’m a big fan of Klinsmann – I followed his career in the 90’s when he made monumental contributions to the success of the German National Team but this move leaves a dark spot on his coaching resume. Being Ghanaian, born here in the States, I support both USMNT and Ghana when it comes to international soccer (imagine the conflict I’ve had the last 2 World Cups). However this move Klinsmann pulled makes me not even want to root for USA in this World Cup…. definitely made it a lot easier for me to root against them when they play Ghana in the opener on June 16th. A power struggle is the only reasonable conclusion I can draw when you take 18-20 year-olds with less than 5 caps combined over Donovan. I’m surprised that the U.S. Soccer Federation concurred his decision. How can you go into this tournament without your icon, proven veteran, the most accomplished player in your program’s history, and fan favorite? I understand Landon going on hiatus during the qualifiers last year didn’t help his case, I also understand he’s 32, and doesn’t have the speed and endurance like he did 4 years ago – I sort of realized that in the last friendly match vs Mexico a few months ago when he subbed in late in the game. He didn’t look sharp but that may have been him not having sufficient playing time to warm up. The least Klinsmann could have done would be to add him as a reserve, even on the bench. His invaluable experience would serve this team well from a mentoring standpoint.

A good World Cup team consists of the right combination of veterans and young players. Only 5 (Beasley, Bradley, Howard, Altidore and Dempsey) of the USMNT’s 23 players have previous World Cup experience. At age 33, Klinsmann captained the German National Team in the 98 World Cup, so at age 32, you would think Landon Donovan has at least 1 more WC left in him. Our program here is not as prolific as Brazil’s who can turn over their World Cup roster every 4 years and yet compete at a high level. I remember ramblings about Ronaldinho not being a part of their 2010 team. With or without Donovan, USA has a tall order being in the “Group of Death” with Germany, Portugal and Ghana. The youngsters just might be intimidated by being in the presence of the top players in the World – Ronaldo, Essien, Ozil, Muller, Nani etc… Landon is on the same plateau as the aforementioned so I like USA’s chances better with him on the roster. It’s disappointing that this happens at a time where interest in U.S. Soccer is rapidly expanding (credit Donovan’s notoriety among the fans as well as “The Outlaws”) – fans will be turned away, ratings and merchandise sales will be also be affected. I started to call World Soccer Shop to cancel my Jersey order after I heard the news – but ultimately decided against it. I’ve seen several marquee players play in their last World Cup Tournament late in their career (Maradona, Henrick Larsson, Zidane) so a part of me is not accepting that we’ve seen the last of Landon Donovan in a World Cup. Didier Drogba and Miroslav Klose will both be 36 when the tournament commences but made their respective national teams’ final cut. Depending on what Donovan does in the next 4 years, there’s a possibility that he gets a call up for the 2018 World Cup at age 36, Klinsmann’s contract will be up by then. Also who knows what will happen between now and kick off on June 16th. Just saying, it could happen. I don’t believe “Lan-done”.

 

Veree Bampoe-Addo of The Sports Forum, for War Room Sports

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Posted in FIFA, General, Soccer, Veree Bampoe-Addo | No Comments »

RACISM, REACTIONS, AND THE NEED FOR CONTROLLED EMOTIONS IN SPORTS

Monday, February 10th, 2014

by Nwaji Jibunoh

Nwaji Blog

 

 

 

 

 

(Image via footbasket.com)

(Image via footbasket.com)

This past week, a lot of us who watch sports with the enthusiasm of addicts witnessed what went down with Marcus Smart during the Oklahoma State vs. Texas Tech game, where he was shown to shove a fan after he tumbled into the crowd after trying to block a shot. There have been several blogs, comments, and discussions about what caused a 20-year-old NCAA player to push a fan after being in close proximity with him. The overriding conclusions that have been put out there are that the Texas Tech fan, namely Jeff Orr, used a racial slur towards Marcus Smart, prompting him to do what he did out of disgust and annoyance at what was said.

A tearful Mario Bolatelli (Image via SportingNews.com)

A tearful Mario Bolatelli
(Image via SportingNews.com)

Also, within this very interesting week in sports, in the Serie A in Italy, we witnessed Mario Bolatelli break down in tears during the AC Milan vs. Napoli game, where AC Milan lost. At some point during the game, Bolatelli was subbed and was subsequently taunted by the notorious Italian fans that were making monkey gestures and noises. Whether or not this is the reason why Mario broke down on the sidelines is debatable. There are reports that he shed tears due to the sheer level of racism he had to endure and has had to endure his whole career, being an African who only knows Italy as him home. There are other reports that he shed tears because he was disappointed with his play and wasn’t too happy that his team was losing.

These two situations remind me of two other Soccer players, Samuel Eto’o and Kevin Prince Boateng, who while playing in Spain and Italy respectively, both walked off the field due to incessant racial abuse from the fans in two different games. In the case of Kevin Prince Boateng, the game had to be abandoned because his teammates walked off with him.

These scenarios always bring about the question of what is the right reaction from multi-million dollar athletes (with the exception of Marcus Smart, of course, who is still a collegiate athlete) who are subjected to such abuses. Are they meant to just sit there and take it and carry on with the task of what they are paid to do, which is to simply play the game? Or, are the regulatory bodies in various sports meant to intervene and ensure that there are hospitable environments in stadiums and arenas across the world, so that super star athletes do not have to endure the whims of fans who decide to be ignorant?

In my opinion, the onus remains with the athlete in reference to how he controls his emotions. At the end of the day, it is a game we are talking about. Somebody calling you the “N word” or a “bloody African monkey” cannot warrant a justifiable reaction out of you, especially when the prospect of your actions can affect the overall harmony of any team. Case in point, Marcus Smart (the outstanding player for Oklahoma State) has now been suspended for 3 games. Samuel Eto’o and Kevin Prince Boateng were heavily fined for their actions. The reasons being that there are overwhelming precedence’s for how an athlete is meant to behave, especially during game time. Any violation of that leads to consequences. A fan or group of fans provoking you does not unfortunately override that precedence.

Amateur and Professional Athletes, regardless of their background, need to come to the realization that these remarks, as horrific as they are, cannot and should not affect them in any way, because it is never personal. Why would you allow your emotions to go haywire because some overweight coward decides to be ignorant towards you? A coward that will never earn the kind of money you are earning. A coward that may never achieve in life what you have achieved as an athlete.

The need for targeted emotions and controlled reactions towards fans in sports is necessary because it all becomes too distracting when an inconsequential moron like Jeff Orr gets notable mention because he successfully pushed Marcus Smart’s buttons.

The irony is that the hearts and minds of people like that and those fans in Europe will probably never change. The only change I will ask of professional athletes the world over is to actually stop giving a damn and just play the game to the best of their ability, entertain us all, and go home with your fat salaries.

 

Nwaji Jibunoh, International Correspondent for War Room Sports

Located in Lagos, Nigeria, Nwaji Jibunoh is War Room Sports’ International Soccer Contributor.  Nwaji also contributes commentary on U.S. sports from an international perspective.  He’s an Atlanta Falcons fan, Howard University alum, and former tight end for the North Atlanta High School Warriors.

 

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Posted in Basketball, General, International, NCAA, Nwaji Jibunoh, Soccer | No Comments »

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