Author Archives: Mathew Bluestein

Grading the Revs offseason so far

As I’ve already mentioned, this offseason was one of, if not the most important offseason in Revs history. And it has also been one of the best offseasons for the team as well. Coming into the offseason, the team needed help defesivley and offensively, and they got both. They needed a goal scoring striker, a number 10 to replace Lee Nguyen, and a winger to replace Kelyn Rowe. It seems as if they have filled all of those roles in 2019. But how good did the team do in each category?

Goal Scorer: B-

The revs were desperately missing an attack last year. They never really had a solid goal scorer they could rely on. They acquired Juan Caicedo to play striker, who will hopefully step up and be the Revs new goalscorer. Caicedo is big, and will definitely have a big presence in the box this year, but his track record is the difference between his B- and a B+. So far Juan seems to be having himself a decent preseason with the team, only time will tell if he continues his form in the regular season

Play maker: B+

To replace Lee Nguyen, and his number 10 role with the team, the Revs have brought in Spanish playmaker Carles Gil as a DP player. As it stands, Gil is lining up to be the new number 10 for the Revs, unless they end up bringing in another attacker, in which case Gil will likely move to right wing position. Revs were also linked with Spanish player Bojan Krkic.

With Gil New England is set to have a decent attacking midfield as he posses a lot of skills the team has lacked in recent years. So why a B+? Gil is, for the most part, an unknown player to most. He certainly won’t be a reason to go to games alone. He is a skillful player who did very little with his short time in the premier league. After a few loans and his team getting relegated, he moved to the second division in Spain, which is still a high level, but not a guaranteed difference maker. Gil will have a lot of hype to live up to with the Revs.

Right Wing: C-

As of now, there isn’t a guaranteed spot for any player at right wing. The position is up for grabs, hence the low rating for it. The position could fall to as many as 5 players: Diego Fagundez, Justin Rennicks, Tajon Buchanan, Juan Agudelo or Dejuan Jones. While any 5 of those players could play the position, they will be fighting for minutes. Of the 5, Justin Rennicks would probably be the most suited for the spot as it is his most natural position, and has the most experience playing it. As mentioned earlier, the team could also sign a new player to take the spot or move Gil there. If this were to happen the grade could go up, but for now they get a C-.

Left Back: A-

Is Edgar Castillo the best left back in the world? Not even close. Is he one of the best left backs in MLS? Yes. If Castillo can stay healthy at the nimble age of 33 in 2019, the Revs will be solid at the left back position. This is a spot they have really struggled to fill the past few seasons. Castillo has been rated as the top 5 left backs in MLS the last few years for Colorado, if he can continue that form, our left back problems could be over. The only problem remaining at left back is their depth. The only other left back under contract with the team is Gabriel Somi. But Somi has been very vocal about wanting to leave due to lack of playing time. However, with the European transfer window closed, he most likely won’t be moved until the summer.

Center back: D+

Revs made no change to their Centerbacks beside trading former club captain Claude Dielna. The team currently only has 3 center backs under contract. This isn’t good if one of them gets injured. The team has however recently been linked with two American center backs who currently play for QPR in England. The two wouldn’t be starters, but they would be low-risk options for depth. If a player were to be unavailable for whatever reason, one of the two could fill in. Currently, their starting center backs will most likely be Michael Mancienne and Antonio Delamea or Jalil Anibaba. This isn’t the worst pairing, but it’s the same groupings that helped the Revs conceded 55 goals last season.

Overall: B+

Coming into the offseason, the Revs had 5 major needs to improve the team, and so far they have acquired 3 of the 5, and 4 if you count the Justin Rennicks signing. With the European transfer window coming to a close, the Revs have a lot of potential to snag up some players in Europe in the next few weeks including another max salary player as club president Brian Bilello hinted at. The Revs have definitely had one of the best if not THE best offseason in their 23 year history. Now, they have to prove it on the field

Tips for writing an essay for class

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One of the main challenges of parenting awakening the students desire to learn and also explore the discovery and express. Technology makes life simpler in a lot of different ways and also education has been revolutionized into the best technology driven world. Online writing and education is a great way to attend college or teach your children from the home. Computers allow for huge advancements and drastic changes to how live and manage the lives. People can also manage their work remotely and then start online business interact in new ways.

Writing may be applicable, good authentic or may not but if you hire then it is guarantee your teachers and checkers definitely like, so you can hire from https://writingcheap.com/.

More practice

Basic thing is more professor of education and reviewed around the books of studies and on how to support the students developing and important writing skills. Experts was trying to reply the age and is best to leave students and learn writing naturally. Instructors who require their students to complete the essay writing dedicate many hours each semester to reading. For other part students want constructive feedback on their writing and often express frustration and one they find instructors.

Development and communicate for better learning

Criteria will support you be like consistent and then fair like possible and when evaluating the group of students papers. Developing and with the use of criteria is especially valuable and then co teaching a course or when asking arguments to grade papers for the course completing and essay writing. There are shared criteria for good writing of essay and apply across academic disciplines and each discipline also certain standards and conversations that shape writing into the discipline.

Planning with the brainstorming

One of the main requirements for an essay is absolutely cohesion. If you assign a topic and let your kid write whatever comes into their mind. It is the way that is why so important and to start the process with the planning and brainstorming. It is the one of the most effective online tool for us. It asks the writer to create a few sentences for each of the section of the papers and then it offers criteria of effective essay writing learning.

Resisting the temptation to edit

Moreover you mark all the mechanical errors and may overwhelm students with so many marks that they will get trouble determining what to take focus on writing the assignment or the paper. Instead of marks a few examples of repeated mistakes and errors and direct students to attend to those kinds of errors. It is simply put to correct the students and at sentences level accurately. Basically resistance the temptation obtained to transfer ideas.

Giving opportunities to revise

If you want about students to improve their writing and giving them opportunities to applying and they have learned from the comments and to new. You should also decide right before the course begins whether will allow students to revise their papers and. If on the time such revisions must be turned in and after the papers handed back and how will grade the revisions of essay.

What’s Next For The Revs?

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The MLS offseason is in full swing, and its time for the New England Revolution to get going. They will start what is arguably the most important offseason in their recent history. After missing the playoffs for three years in a row, the team has a lot do to compete in 2019. So what exactly do they need to do?

Playmaker

The Revs haven’t had any real and consistent playmakers ever since they traded Lee Nguyen. The lack of one has really played a big role in their downfall. Nguyen, who occupied the teams #10 role in 2017, was replaced by a few players with no real results. First, it was Diego Fagundez who started in the number 10 role, but throughout the year Kelyn Rowe occupied it, as well as Guillermo Hauché; none of whom were ever a consistent starter or consistent producers. The Revs need someone who can make plays, create, and score goals. Now with Rowe and Hauche gone, the team has the assets to get a new playmaker, but will they?

Center back

For the past 2 years, the biggest defensive need for New England has been leftback. Last year Gabriel Somi was supposed to be the answer, but that move flopped. This year they have gone out and gotten Edgar Castillo. While his age might be unappetizing, he’s a proven MLS leftback that can help this team if he stays healthy. Now that the Revs have wrapped up the left back position, center back becomes their defensive priority. Their backline may have been the most inconsistent back line in MLS last year. Every week brought a new pairing. The Revs need a new center back to play with Michael Mancienne to solidify the backline.

Goal Scorer

The Revs have struggled to find a pure goal scorer arguably since the days of Taylor Twellman. Kei Kamara was the last decent goal scorer they could rely on, and he was viewed as a bust. The Revs have lacked a pure goal scorer they can rely on to score 15 goals a year for a while. In fact, the last person to score more than 15 in one season was Lee Nguyen in 2014 when he scored 18.

The Revs have already gone out and signed Columbian Juan Caicedo. While the signing has been generally viewed as good, Caicedo has never had a season with more than 15 goals. The Revs are also rumored to be signing forward Justin Rennicks to a Homegrown deal. However, there still is no guarantee he will be producing as much as the Revs need from a striker.

Club president Brian Bilello has said the team plans on signing some high salary players, and possibly a few Designated players. Although the past has shown us the Revs’ spending doesn’t always lead to quality. It will be interesting to see how the Revs utilize the rest of the offseason and see who comes in.

What Went Wrong For The Revs?

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The simple answer is a lot. but to get the true answer, we have to dive in a little deeper. There are a few elements that caused the Revs to drop from 4th place to missing the playoffs, but were only going to discuss the top 5.

Missing a True Leader

New England Revolution defender Chris Tierney (8) salutes the fans after a match. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s start off simple. The Revs came into the season with Claude Dielna as their captain. That didn’t work out as he was quickly replaced. Overall the Revs used a total of 7 different players as captain throughout the season. And arguably their best candidate for the role got hurt, and it’s no coincidence the team went downhill after Chris Tierney got hurt. Perhaps Tierney’s lack of presence made things a little harder for the team. Tierney is the teams most veteran player so he definitely served a purpose in the locker room. It might not be the biggest reason for their failure, but their lack of leadership from a true leader really killed the Revs mentality this season.

Rookie Mistakes

This was Brad Freidel’s first ever head coaching job. As experienced a player he was, he was still learning on the job this year. With that said, he’s bound to make mistakes. Whether those mistakes be signing the wrong players, not enough players, making wrong substitutions or not making enough substitutions. Freidel will use this season as a learning experience and should only get better from here. This will be an important offseason for Freidel as he will have to try and win back some fans and convince others that next year will be different. The last thing the Revs want to deal with right now is a fourth consecutive season without playoffs. The front office SHOULD be more determined than ever to fix things.

Road Woes

It sounds like a broken record at this point. The Revs still can’t win road games. It doesn’t matter what league you’re in, 5 road wins in 3 years is unacceptable. Sure the Revs got more points on the road this year than last year but that’s not good enough. Add this together with the fact the team only won 7 home games, they were doomed to fail. In the past 2 years, the Revs have lost 7-0 to Atlanta, 6-1 to Orlando and 4-1 to Real Salt Lake on the road. Not only were these games embarrassing, but they all also came at pivotal times of the season where the revs would have to win to make the playoffs. Performances like these can not, and should not be tolerated. Plain and simple, the Revs need to figure out why they can’t win on the road and fix it.

New England Revolution forward Cristian Penilla (70). Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Loss to LA

Yes, it’s stupid to blame the failure of a whole season on one game, but a game like this is morally devastating. It seems like every year the Revs lose one game that sends them down a downward spiral. Last years game was the 3-3 draw with Seattle and LA this year. To be winning a game going into the 90th minute after you were down a man for the majority of the match has to be a thrill. But when you crap the bed and allow 2 goals in extra time, yes, its tough to get over. The Revs were on a roll going into the game, but afterward, they went on a crash course. After that loss, they didn’t win a home game until October.

Team Wasn’t Good Enough

Plain and simple this team was not good enough. They didn’t sign the players needed to finish out the season in the summer and didn’t do enough in the winter. Right now, this team only has 4 key players for their future, and 2 of them are on loan. With a squad that was constantly getting rotated around, everyone was fighting for minutes. On top of that, for the majority of the season, the team lacked depth. All around the team wasn’t good enough. Next season will fall on how the front office turns this team around come this offseason. Expectations should be high, now it’s time for the ownership to show they care. For a team that has missed the playoffs now 3 years in a row, ownership has done nothing to improve it so far.

This offseason should be the most important one for the Revs front office in the last 4 years. If they do nothing, they are really gonna start to lose fans if something doesn’t change.

What Happened To Claude Dielna?

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Everything seemed to be looking up for Claude Dielna coming into 2018. He was the highest paid defender in the league, and potential and expectations were high. He was quickly named the captain of the squad during pre-season, further pushing the high expectations he had. He started off playing decent with the exception of the red card on opening day. But now he seems to have no part in this team, so what happened?

Playing Ability

Up until now, we can only really speculate what happened. There really is no definitive answer.

You can’t really say he was benched due to poor form because he wasn’t in any particular bad form. In fact, according to whoscored.com, Claude Dielna was the Revs best defender this year with a 6.73 rating. In comparison, Michael Mancienne had a 6.71 rating, Anibaba a 6.61 and Delamea had a 6.66 rating. The only “defender” to have a higher rating than Dielna was Andrew Farrell who had a rating of 6.89. But Farrell plays a more attacking position than Claude.

There were also reports that Spanish La Liga side Real Betis are interested in signing him this offseason. So here are the top 3 reasons why Claude Dielna may have been benched.

3. Off-Field Incident

Anyone who has seen Claude play on the field knows he’s bound to get into trouble. This year alone he has 4 yellow cards and 28 total fouls in just 17 games. So there’s a definite possibility his lack of discipline got him in trouble with Brad Freidel. Perhaps he said something to the coach or maybe even another player that coach didn’t like that got him put on coach’s naughty list.

It’s no secret that Freidel seems to hold a grudge. In his first game ever, Toni Delamea got a red card in the 24th minute and it took Toni over 2 months just to get back on the field.

If there was a feud, it seems that Brad Freidel is the one who’s holding back as Dielna took to Twitter to explain his side of what might be going on in a tweet he quickly deleted, saying, “…I am ready to play for Coach whenever my name is called upon.”

If there was a feud, Freidel isn’t ready to get over it yet.

2. Not Good Enough

I know I said earlier that statistically, Doielna is the Revs best center back, but maybe the reason is as simple as Brad Freidel doesn’t think Claude is good enough for this team.

The only problem with this theory is that when a team has only won two home games since June and is struggling as bad as they are, it’s hard to not be good enough. In the offseason, Freidel made it clear he wanted to bring in his own guys and seeing how Claude isn’t one of “his guys,” perhaps he thinks playing Claude could do more damage than good.

It could also be that Freidel just values the other options he has more.

1. Money

Knowing Robert Kraft, this is probably the most likely reason. Before Michael Mancienne, Claude was the highest paid defender on the team, and at on point the whole league. In that ginormous $900,000 contract, there is most likely a few bonuses and clauses.

Perhaps the Revs are keen to play him because they don’t want to trigger a clause that will give Claude a big payday. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing depending on the clause.

Any potential clause could range from triggering a 1-year contract extension to triggering a big cash bonus. It is entirely possible there is a clause to give Claude a contract extension and Freidel has decided he doesn’t want to bring Claude back so he decided to bench him.

Either way, it seems as if Claude’s time here is up, and with his contract expiring at the end of the season, I doubt we’ll see him in a Revolution jersey next year.

Who Is the Greatest Footballer of All-Time: Lionel Messi

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International championships or not, Lionel Messi is the greatest player to ever live. There is no one better. While some will argue Cristiano Ronaldo, or argue Diego Maradona is better. They are sadly mistaken. With Messi’s hat trick today, he has 48 career hat tricks and eight total in the Champions League, which gives him one more than Ronaldo’s seven. There is only one Messi and the world may never get someone quite like him ever again.

Messi’s Accolades

Let’s start with his club awards. Since 2004, Lionel Messi has brought nine La Liga championships in 14 years. That’s a 64% winning rate for him. In the five years, he didn’t win the league, Messi and Barcelona were the runner-ups four times. In Messi’s 14-year career with Barcelona, he has come in first or second place 13 out of 14 years. Messi has also helped bring Barcelona six Copa del Rey championships, two runner-ups, seven Spanish Super Cups, four UEFA Champions Leagues, UEFA Super Cups and three FIFA Club World Cups. That is a total of 32 championships for club. In comparison, Cristiano Ronaldo only has 25 total championships, and he has played for four different teams over his 16-year career. All of that only makes up Messi’s club championships. For is individual honors he’s won five Ballon d’Or, been the runner-up five times and came in third once. He’s won FIFA World Player of the Year once came in second twice, Won the World Cup golden ball and the FIFA Club World Cup golden ball twice. In terms of championships, no one even comes close to what Messi has accomplished over his 14 years career.

Stats

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Lionel Messi also has the stats to back up his accolades. Just for Barcelona, he has made 643 appearances scored 558 goals and registered 215 assists. That is only 17 goals less than Christiano Ronaldo, who has two years in hand on Messi. If you think Messi won’t score 17 goals in two years, you have never watched Lionel Messi play. Messi also has a higher goal per game average than Ronaldo with an outstanding 0.87 goals per game compared to Ronaldo’s 0.75 goals per game ratio. Now for internatonal play. Yes, Lionel Messi has never won any International competitions, but that doesn’t take away from his stats on the national team. In 128 caps he has scored 65 goals and tallied up 40 assists. Ronaldo might have better stats than Messi in some departments, but there is no doubt that Messi will eventually catch up to the majority of what Ronaldo has done. No matter where Messi plays, he dominates the field like no other athlete ever has. And that is why messi is the greatest footballer of all time

Who Would You Want at Your Side for a Bar Fight: Boston Sports Edition

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Patriots: Rob Gronkowski -By @Boston_sports18

If I had to pick a Boston athlete to win a bar fight, it’s got to be Gronk. Rob grew up in a house with four brothers, and each has gone pro. They pushed each other every single day, making Rob an absolute beast.

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Gronk’s father had them all on a training regimen at an early age. This eventually led Gronk to become arguably the best TE the NFL has ever seen. He has incredible blocking skills and unmatched work ethic. While running with the ball after the catch, forget about bringing him down without a cheap shot to the knee. He’s known for swatting linebackers and corners off of him like annoying mosquitoes at a BBQ. Gronkowski finished one block to the point he actually threw the defender off of the field into the media section. “I had to throw him out the club,” Gronkowski said after the game. THIS IS THE GUY I WANT.

Keith Bedford Boston Globe

Besides Gronk’s football toughness, I’m pretty sure he can hold his own at the bar. He’s also good friends with WWE star Mojo Rawley, who Gronk has actually been training with. Last year Gronk even stepped into the ring. He got into a three-point stance and clotheslined another wrestler. Real or fake, Gronk is an animal and would be my top choice of Boston athletes to have in a bar fight. Tough, big and known to party. For me, this is an easy choice. It’s Rob Gronkowski.

Bruins: Zdeno Chara -By @TheBigBlue30

If I am picking any Boston sports athlete to win a bar fight, it is without a doubt Boston Bruins defenseman and Captain Zdeno Chara. At 6’9″ and over 250 pounds, Big Z is a physical powerhouse. If you follow him on Instagram, you would know how much of freak of nature the guy really is. His workouts put superheroes to shame, whether he is climbing up a 30-foot rope and back down in the blink of an eye, riding the Tour de France every summer, or shoulder pressing over 400 pounds. Chara is a physical specimen, unlike any other human being. The scary part, however, is that Chara’s physique and fitness are the least of people’s worries. His father is a former Olympic Roman Greco wrestler, which Big Z has been practicing since a young age.

On top of all that the guy is a genius. He earned a financial planning diploma from Algonquin College in Ottawa in 2015, and took classes at the University of Harvard over this past summer. There is a reason why nobody in the NHL fights Zdeno Chara. Just ask former NHL winger David Koci, who Chara beat so bad in a fight you would have thought he was making a blood donation to the Red Cross. In conclusion, if you don’t pick Zdeno Chara for a bar fight, you are just downright stupid.

Celtics: Marcus Smart -By @jackbuffett_

If I’m picking one player from the Celtics to have my back in a bar fight, I have to choose Marcus Smart. No matter what situation I’m getting into, if he’s on my side, he’s going to fight. Doesn’t matter how many guys, how big, how menacing, Smart will challenge each and every one of them. Ever seen an altercation during a Celtics game? Every time, without fail, Smart is either the one causing it or the first one to a teammate’s defense. It also helps that Smart is the most all-out hustle player on the team, so I’d assume he’d take the same attitude in a bar fight. Smart is an incredibly passionate player. Some players on the court are always emotionless- that’s never him. No matter what he’s doing, he’s going to get super into whatever that activity is. It also helps that Smart is built like a tank at 6’4″, 225 pounds, and absolutely ripped. If I get one phone call to fight some guys at a bar, it’s to Marcus Smart.

Red Sox: Joe Kelly -By @_porchie

BOSTON, MA – APRIL 11: Tyler Austin #26 of the New York Yankees fights Joe Kelly #56 of the Boston Red Sox during the seventh inning at Fenway Park on April 11, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

If I were to pick any Boston Red Sox player to be on my side in a bar fight there would only be one option. Joe Kelly would totally have my back! Did you see not only the way he taunted Tyler Austin, but throw him down and was ready to beat him down. If it wasn’t for Aaron Judge that man would probably not be alive right now! He has the fire and intensity that I would want in my corner 100%. That’s why my pick is Joe Kelly.

Claude Dielna Working Out | Photo Credit | Claude Dielna

Revolution: Claude Dielna -By @Marbies3762

While Claude Dielna is only 6’0″ tall and only weighs 190 pounds, he can pack a punch. Anyone who follows him on Instagram knows when he isn’t at practice he is in the weight room. There are plenty of taller guys on the Revs that could be good picks as well, but none are as good as Claude. He has a much different work mentality than everyone else on the team. When he leaves practice, he trains at home. If he isn’t playing in a game, he is training. When Claude goes to Chipotle, he orders double meat. Every game he plays, he out muscles and throws guys to the ground. In a bar fight, there’s no doubt that Claude would go off. The guy is jacked. Without a doubt, when it comes to bar fights, he’s the guy I want by my side.

Scouting Report and Interview w/ Revs Academy Prospect Nick Woodruff

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Nick Woodruff grew up in Attleboro Massachusetts. He started off his soccer career just as any other kid would. He began playing club soccer around 5 or 6 years old for his local soccer team. After that, Nick played club soccer from age 10 to 13 before joining the Revs academy at 14. Nick made 17 appearances for the U14 team and was eventually named the captain before being called up to the U16s. There, he made 27 appearances and another 35 appearances as the captain. Later that year he would be voted player of the year by his fellow academy players. Between 2015 to 2017 Nick made 51 appearances with the U18 team before ultimately committing to Michigan State.

College (so far)

Nick Woodruff on Defense | Photo Credit: Quinn Bezenah

After redshirting his freshman year, Woodruff has played in all 4 of Michigans State’s games, going the distance in 3 while adding a 110 minute outing vs Tulsa. He takes his soccer career very seriously and expressed his desire to one day sign a professional contract with the MLS. He would be honored to don the Revs jersey and play in front of his friends, family, and New England supporters. Over the summer, Woodruff joined the first team for 4 weeks of training which he said was a great learning experience. There isn’t many things that Nick can’t do on the field. He strives in a variety of different categories, but he and I both agree that passing is his strongest attribute. When I asked him what he thought his weakest attribute was, he gave a very strong and encouraging answer.

“I have made some huge strides on 1v1 defending over the last year but that being said I think I just need to grow in every aspect of my game and strive to get better everyday. I want to keep pushing my limits and each training and game is a new challenge. You can always get better and im very hard on myself. I watch every little detail on film and try to learn.”

His natural position is at center back, but in his younger days he played CDM, which is what plays this year. At 6’2″ Nick is not a small guy. He is always in the box for corners and is a big target. The one goal he scored this year was off of a loose ball corner that found him at the back post. Nick likes to compare himself to Diego Godin, saying that he likes to play with “controlled aggression, patience, and calmness on the ball, & try to be the best leader I can be.”

MSU Pregame Huddle | Photo Credit: Quinn Bezenah

Nick Woodruff’s Scouting Report

One thing to note is that Nick is 19 years old. His passing is amazing. But just how good is it? In the 4 games he has played thus far this year his accuracy hasn’t dropped below 90% in a game. He already has an assist, as well. When he was younger he was called into training centers but says the national team hasn’t called him lately.

“At one point that was a big goal of mine but now im focused here at MSU and I’m hoping to sign a professional contract and then would love to eventually play for the national team. But all in all im committed to the process and just look to take it one day at a time.”

Overall, Nick is a great athlete and has a bright future ahead of him. He’s trained with the academy, he trained with the first team, now it’s his chance to impress at the collegic level. So without further delay, here is my scouting report on Michigan State and former Revs academy Defender, Nick Woodruff.

Passing: A+

Marking: B+

1v1 Defending: C+

Shooting: B

Heading: B

Nick Woodruff Giving Instructions | Photo Credit: Yours truly

Mid-air battles: A-

Communication: A

Pace: A-

Vision: A

Strength: A-

Clearing Ability: A

Defending Set Pieces: B

Overall Grade: B+

New England Stands With #SaveTheCrew

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Times are difficult in Columbus right now. It has been almost a year since the first reports came out that team owner Anthony Precourt intended to move the team to Austin. While the Save The Crew movement is as strong as it ever was, Columbus has been hit with some roadblocks. For people hearing about this for the first time, the Columbus Crew was MLS’s original team. They built the first Soccer dedicated Stadium in MLS and have been there for over 20 years. Team Owner Anthony Precourt doesn’t find that the team is making him enough money, so he wants to relocate the team to Austin. Now you may be wondering “how is this different from a team relocating in say the NFL?” To answer that question and find out why we should #SaveTheCrew, we have to dive in deeper.

The #SaveTheCrew Movement

Photo Credit: SB Nation

To anyone who is new to this movement, it’s not just a hashtag. It’s not a few hundred people tweeting angrily at the ownership. It’s a whole community that involves all the fans from every team. I recently spoke with David Miller, who is spokesperson for the Save The Crew movement. This is what he had to say.

“Save The Crew is a representation of the Columbus community standing up to fight for what’s right. MLS has long said that these teams are part of the community and we are fighting for that. We are showing the soccer world what the sport means for us, and we will Save The Crew.”

The idea of a team in the US relocating due to lack of profit isn’t new. Teams have been doing it for decades now. With soccer, however, this is a brand new concept. Even international football has, for the most part, avoided moving franchises. There is a reason for this. Soccer is a completely different culture than other sports because fans are the most important piece of a club’s identity. When an owner tries to put profits before the fans, it doesn’t go over well. MLS fans were quick to come forward with the statement “if they can do this to Columbus, it can happen to any of us”.

Fan Support Has Been Phenomenal

The Columbus Crew fans have made this into a full-on movement. Together they have gathered up public support, gotten the local government involved who have launched lawsuits, and they now have the entire MLS community behind them. The movement has gotten over 10,000 signatures on a pledge to buy season tickets under new ownership, have acquired 300+ business partners and allies, and most impressively have created their own new stadium rendering. Banners can be found at every stadium pledging support to the movement. There have been protests at other teams’ stadiums, such as the Patriots’ own Gillette. The message is clear- MLS fans want the Crew to survive. Because you can’t hate a team if they don’t exist.

Austin FC

Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated

On Wednesday, August 22nd, Precourt Sports Ventures unveiled the name and logo of the pending MLS expansion side. In my own personal opinion, I found the logo and name to be rather silly. People were quick to point out similarities between the Austin logo and a Tifo that Crew fans displayed last year. It would seem as if Austin is trying it’s best to troll Crew fans, although that could never be proven. Obviously, anything that can be seen as progress in Austin isn’t good for the Crew, but Columbus officials are still optimistic about keeping the Crew in Columbus. MLS Commissioner Don Garber has said it would be more ideal to keep the Crew in Columbus, but has done very little to show that he actually means this. And by very little, I mean nothing.

Like I’ve said, the Crew has been here since day 1. Getting rid of them would not be good for the sport or the identity of MLS. Soccer should not be run with a business mentality, it’s not like other sports. The fans give their all for the club, and it’s up to the owner to give just as much back. If attendance is bad, the owner is not doing something right. It’s up to the owner to fix it, not pack everything up and relocate the team. With that being said, I speak for all of New England and for all of us here at BSE when I say that we stand with you Columbus. You would fight for us, so we fight for you. Together, we’ll #SaveTheCrew

Photo Credit: Doug Buchanan

Photo Credit: @cutlinejoe

Lionel Messi’s Impact On The World Is Unparalleled

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The Messi effect is one that has impacted people worldwide. Whether it be attracting crowds, inspiring children, or jersey sales, people can’t seem to get enough of the Argentinian phenom. There’s a reason why Lionel is very often, and rightly so, involved in the talk to be the greatest football player in the world.

Messi’s Reputation is Worldwide

Messi has spent his entire career in Barcelona, but he is still world renown. He has led the world in jersey sales the last few years and is followed everywhere. No matter where he plays, a crowd will follow at the sound of his name. A big example of this was in 2016 at Gillette Stadium, a place that barely averages 20,000 spectators for MLS games. In 2016, Argentina played Venuzuala and sold 59,183 tickets. Being in attendance myself, the commotion every time Messi touched the ball was absurd. People rose out of their seats when he took a corner. Messi is just one player on a team, but it doesn’t take an expert to know he is the centerpiece.

There have been borderline riots over people who have been mistaken as Lionel Messi. In 2017, a 25 year old student in Pakistan was detained for disturbing the public because he looked like the star. Who could forget the 6 year old boy who gained fame after making a makeshift Argentina jersey out of a plastic bag? Lionel went on to walk out onto the pitch with the 6 year old during a friendly in Qatar.

Respect

Lionel Messi has turned himself and his team into a tourist attraction. In fact, some people claim Messi ruined the atmosphere of Barcelona games by turning Camp Nou from a football stadium into a tourist attraction.

The coversation about Messi cannot be had without mention of his undeniable rain of success. He has notched nine league championships, six Spanish cups, five Ballon d’Or, and many more championships. His claim to fame is much deserved. There’s a reason why Messi is the highest paid athlete in the world, earning $84,000,000 a year. The fact that Messi started off in Barcelona’s academy team and has been a member of the Barcelona squad his whole career is just icing on the cake.