February, 2015: Thierry Henry is gone. With Raul and the Cosmos, David Villa and NYCFC now on the scene, the Red Bulls’ monopoly on the New York market is done and dusted. And, to boot, the front office decided, to many fans’ chagrin, to fire long-time coach Mike Petke. So, it would seem, the season… Continue reading New York Red Bulls: Top of the East (!!..!?)
Author: Elliott Niblock
PFA Player of the Year Award: Favorites and Outsiders
The Professional Footballers’ Association announced their nominees this week for the PFA Player of the Year award, the Premier League’s equivalent to an MVP in American professional sports. And (cue shoddy Hollywood imitation) the nominees are: Diego Costa, Eden Hazard, David De Gea, Alexis Sanchez, Harry Kane, and Philipe Coutinho. So, who among them looks… Continue reading PFA Player of the Year Award: Favorites and Outsiders
Jürgen Klopp: Loyalty, Success…England?
Borussia Dortmund manager Jürgen Klopp confirmed on Wednesday that, at the end of this season, he’d be leaving the club. Having seen talismanic players Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski leave recently at the very end of a campaign, Klopp told the media he “chose this time to announce it because in the last few years… Continue reading Jürgen Klopp: Loyalty, Success…England?
Héctor Bellerín: A Meteoric Rise
At the beginning of the 2014/15 campaign, there was a 19 year old defender in Arsenal’s ranks that had many Gooners buzzing, a lad who, despite not having yet donned the cannon on his chest in a first team match, seemed poised to make a real impact in the squad. Go back to August 2014,… Continue reading Héctor Bellerín: A Meteoric Rise
Is Europa League Qualification Worth It for EPL Clubs?
The recent NIT Tournament Champion; last season’s winningest Triple-A baseball team; the Junior Varsity conference title; few people remember who lost and who won within the second-best competition in any given arena. But when it comes to the world’s most popular game, is the Europa League—the second tier below its most illustrious club competition, the… Continue reading Is Europa League Qualification Worth It for EPL Clubs?
Vancouver: Soccer City, BC’s New Talisman
For soccer fans in Vancouver, this year looks to be remarkable. It’s been known for some time that their city will play host to the Women’s World Cup Final this summer, but what we didn’t know, is just how good their resident MLS side, the Vancouver Whitecaps, would be in 2015. The answer, at least… Continue reading Vancouver: Soccer City, BC’s New Talisman
Portland Timbers Lackluster Start, and the Designated Player Rule
From your daughter playing Little League Baseball, to your alma mater’s football team, no one wants to see a team they support at the bottom of the league—even early on in the season. But for members of the (in)famous Timbers Army, that’s precisely where they find themselves heading into the fifth match of the season,… Continue reading Portland Timbers Lackluster Start, and the Designated Player Rule
Southampton Saints: A Phoenix in the Champions League?
At the beginning of this season’s Premier League campaign, Southampton FC looked like anything but a front-runner. Having lost a troika of quality players to Liverpool—Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, and Rickie Lambert—Calum Chambers to Arsenal, and Luke Shaw to Manchester United, the Saints’ core had departed, and prospects for a second strong campaign were given… Continue reading Southampton Saints: A Phoenix in the Champions League?
Revs, Fire Get First Victories, Dallas Stay Top: MLS Review, March 28 – 29
Although FC Dallas dropped points for the first time this season, their scoreless draw against Seattle still saw them stay undefeated, and remain the top team in MLS with 10 points. At the other end of the spectrum, Chicago Fire entered the weekend without a single point, but took all three from their match against… Continue reading Revs, Fire Get First Victories, Dallas Stay Top: MLS Review, March 28 – 29
MLS Conferences: How Much Better is the West?
The human mind is drawn to dichotomies. Apples and oranges; night and day; Yankees vs. Red Sox. In MLS, few single local rivalries reach the fever pitch of other, longer standing grudge matches in American sports (with the probable exception of Seattle and Portland; any rivalry that elicits chants of “We eat children!” can’t be… Continue reading MLS Conferences: How Much Better is the West?