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Where does US Soccer Go from Here?

 The U.S. men’s soccer team are now out of meaningful international competition for some time so what does the team do now?

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After an embarrassing defeat to Trinidad and Tobago in the CONCACAF and not even qualifying for the Fifa World Cup, the USMNT (U.S. Men’s National Team) is lost.  They have no one steering the soccer ship as National Team coach Bruce Arena resigned following the team’s failure to qualify.  They are now out of meaningful international competition for some time so what does the team do now?

 

Enter former French National team and PSG coach Laurent Blanc, who is now being considered for the job.  ESPN’s Jonathan Johnson reported that the team is interested in Blanc and he is receptive to the idea of molding the team.  If he is given the job he will have an uphill climb to restore the team to a respectable level but he will have almost total control.

 

Blanc has been out of work since he left PSG last year after taking that team to three Coupes de la Ligue titles in three years.  He is a winner who does nothing but builds competitors and we think his hiring would be amazing for the USMNT.

 

The USMNT has never been a force in the World Cup but hiring a coach like Blanc would be a good step in the right direction.  In the 2012 UEFA World Championships, he coached France all the way to the quarter-final stage where they lost to the eventual winners, Spain.

 

The US is a country of untapped soccer talent since the sport is still not as popular as football, basketball, and baseball.  The USMNT is an exciting team to coach with budding superstars like Christian Pulisic and a cast of intriguing talent.  It all depends on who the team decides to hire to steer them in the right direction.

 

Some like former USMNT star Taylor Twellman think Blanc is a poor choice to lead the squad into the future.  

He states on Twitter that “Laurent Blanc would be a poor fit for the USMNT IMO. For a start, he admits himself that he likes coaching teams ready to succeed.”

That is a good point because the USMNT is nowhere near ready to compete on a major level like Blanc’s last few coaching spots.

 

On the other hand, grabbing a coach with Blanc’s prestige and swagger would be a great coup for a struggling team and demoralized fan base.  Seriously, what do soccer fans in the US think?  They can’t be happy about this entire situation, especially after the Klinsmann years.  

 

I honestly have no clue why the team hired Arena again, but what do I know?

 

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Lionel Messi Decides Barcelona’s Future This Coming Summer

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Barcelona’s legendary star, Lionel Messi, shares that he will decide his next career move in summer. Messi nearly departed the Nou Camp after he successfully submitted a request transfer in summer. However, he opted to remain at the club. Josep Maria Bortomeu pointed out that Messi had to pay the €700 million release clause before he would be given the right to do so. Bortomeu’s words were said during an interview, alerting Manchester City as they were involved in Messi’s decision to either stay or move on.

“Nothing will be crystal clear before the end of the year. I’ll wait until the season is over.  What matters now is thinking about the team, finishing the year well and not being distracted by other things, shared Lionel Messi. “I don’t know what will happen. I’m focused on what we have here and battling for whatever we can. “I’m not thinking about how the year will end. As of today, it wouldn’t be wise for me to say what I’m going to do because I don’t know,” he continued.

While Messi declined to speak further about his next career move, he spoke fondly of his close friendship with Paris Saint-Germain’s forward, Neymar, as he mentioned that he would also want to have a chance to join the Major League Soccer (MLS) games. “I’ve always had the dream of playing in another league, in the United States,” Messi explained. “Maybe it will happen, doesn’t have to be right away. Today I am just focused on these next six months.”

He went on to speak of a possible Barcelona reunion with his friend Neymar. “It’ll be difficult to bring in players because the funds aren’t there. We’ll have to bring in plenty of top players to get us competing on all fronts again and they come at a price. Neymar would be extremely expensive. How would the club pay PSG for the transfer (of Neymar)? The situation will be tough for the new president, who will have to be intelligent and get everything in order. Changes will be needed for him to do well,” Lionel Messi speculated. “I don’t know if Neymar said that (that the two would play together next year). You’d have to ask him about what he said. We do chat sometimes and we are in touch,” he added.

Speaking of Luis Suarez, Messi also shared how he felt about Barcelona selling the striker to Athletico Madrid despite the fact that the club was one of their biggest rivals. “What they did seemed crazy to me, because of how he left. He left for free, paying him his contract and a team that fights for the same thing as us,” Messi lamented.

Although Lionel Messi plans to make his future career decisions at the end of this season, fans are still glad to have him around. Surely, wherever he decides to go and whatever options he chooses to go with, he will still be one of the main Barcelona star players for many of his avid fans.

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Messi Follows Maradona’s Skills and Goals but Has His Preferred Lifestyle

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Lionel Messi is the sole athlete to deserve being compared to Diego Maradona. Avid fans assert that Messi follows Maradona—or, at least, is very similar to the late athlete. In Sunday’s game against Osasuna, Messi dedicated his 4-0 win to Maradona.

The two Argentine iconic athletes are, in fact, very dissimilar in character. However, they are both very fond of Newell’s Old Boys. During the said Sunday event, Messi pulled up his shirt to show the black and red colors of the Rosario Club and then he pointed to the sky.

Messi follows Maradona, literally, since Maradona was Argentina’s captain during the 1986 World Cup victory in Mexico which was a year after Messi was born. Messi, as a fan, also attended Maradona’s 1993 club debut at Newell’s Stadium.

During Sunday’s game, Messi did a similar dribble across the edge of the field prior to reaching the top area—a move that Maradona previously did during an event against Emelec. That move wasn’t the only one that proves the fact that Messi follows Maradona in so many ways.

Messi’s moves against Getafe during a 2007 game echoes Maradona’s moves against England during the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup event, an event that is also commemorated for Argentina’s ‘Hand of God’ goal. This spectacular move was delivered by doing a dribble past the goalkeeper plus an iconic slide on the ground prior to letting the ball finally trickle into the awaiting net.

Indeed, Messi follows Maradona as the pair are both known to have a low gravity center, an excellent passing vision and range, and that famous left foot. Nonetheless, their characters are entirely disparate.

Maradona was known for his off-field preoccupations. He deftly craved being in the spotlight. He was Argentina’s beloved hero as many of his fans defied the restrictions and fear of the COVID-19 virus as they mourn his passing on Wednesday at the age of 60.

Although Maradona did not win Europe’s topmost club prize in his lifetime, he victoriously grabbed a UEFA CUP win and even a couple of Serie A awards. He was also the 1986 World Cup’s most dominant player.

Messi, on the other hand, is the all-time top scorer of Argentina. His team, however, lost to Germany during the 2014 World Cup finals. He also was part of the losing team in a couple of Copa America finals due to penalties they incurred.

“Maradona is definitely the best player I ever saw, but Messi fans shouldn’t get angry about that because he lives in a different era. But you could put Maradona alongside 10 broomsticks and he would still make the team win,” Alberto Fernandez, Argentina’s president, shared during an interview earlier this year.

Former athletes, however, do not know who to choose as the best. However, many fans agree that even if Messi follows Maradona in so many aspects of his career, both are labelled as Argentina sports heroes who can never be forgotten or replaced.

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Sports World Today Still Heavily Affected by Covid-19

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The unprecedented outbreak of the novel coronavirus badly impacted the normal sports routine worldwide. Massive suspension and cancellation of various sports events were initiated in a move to curb the rapid transmission of the deadly virus earlier this year. Let’s take a look, however, at the condition of the sports world today.

In the world of basketball, Mississippi coach Kermit Davis unfortunately tests positive for COVID-19. His condition might result to him being placed at the sidelines when the season finally begins. The news was announced earlier on Tuesday, adding that Davis will undergo a second test. If he, however, tests positive again, he will be forced to opt out of the Rebels’ first couple of games as he will be required to go through self-quarantine at home.

To offset his absence, though, Ronnie Hamilton is expected to play as head coach during the upcoming home events on November 25 and 26. The Rebels are scheduled to go against Central Arkansas and Jackson State on the said dates. To soften the blow, Davis will be allowed to watch through the practice sessions and even contact the team via virtual means.

During the scheduled basketball season opening, the Indiana Hoosiers won’t have the usual live audience to cheer them on. According to school authorities, the stands will indefinitely remain empty. Nevertheless, officials plan to work closely with local health authorities and the campus and Big Ten leaders to find out when fans can be permitted to enter the Assembly Hall.

The sports world today is anticipating the time when new normal protocols will provide them easier gameplay. As for the Hoosiers, they are used to having the biggest basketball student fanbase.

To stem the lack of live audience, the university plans to put cutouts for sale. These cutouts will be placed on the empty seats. They will be priced at US$25 a piece with the option of having either women’s coach Teri Moren or men’s coach Archie Miller autograph these cutouts which will, then, be sent to the fans who purchase the tickets. Also, ticket buyers are guaranteed to avail of refunds or simply avail of the different options via the varsity club’s online site.

As for Tennessee Tech, the school is presently undergoing a difficult time with regard to their attempt to begin their women’s basketball season. Vanderbilt cancelled their game and then Chattanooga followed suit.

On Tuesday morning, Vanderbilt announced the necessity of cancelling their game against Tennessee Tech that was scheduled for November 25 due to the sudden occurrence of positive tests among their athletes. Following that announcement, Chattanooga made a similar call, stating the need to halt activities for a two-week quarantine. The said move resulted to the cancellation of their schedule games against Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech.

Indeed, the sports world today is still reeling from the hideous impacts of the unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak. At present, it is not only basketball events that are being cancelled and suspended. Several other sports are being halted, as well, as sports authorities struggle to find a way to conduct their events while observing the new normal protocols.

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