Best lax player ever. Top 10 Lacrosse Legends: The Ultimate List of Greatest Players

Who are the most legendary lacrosse players of all time. How did they impact the sport. Which era produced the most influential lacrosse stars. What makes a lacrosse player truly legendary.

The Evolution of Lacrosse Legends: From Wooden Sticks to Modern Marvels

Lacrosse, a sport steeped in history and tradition, has seen its fair share of legendary players who have left an indelible mark on the game. From the wooden stick era to the modern offset plastic stick age, these athletes have not only excelled on the field but have also contributed significantly to the growth and development of the sport. Let’s dive into the world of lacrosse legends and explore the top players who have shaped the game we know and love today.

Wooden Stick Era: The Pioneers of Lacrosse Excellence

The wooden stick era represents the roots of lacrosse, where players showcased their skills using traditional equipment. During this time, several players emerged as true legends of the sport.

Jim Brown: The Undisputed Legend

Jim Brown stands tall as the most iconic figure from the wooden stick era. Why is Jim Brown considered a true legend in lacrosse? His impact on the sport was so profound that rules were changed due to his on-field exploits. Brown’s athleticism and skill set were unparalleled, earning him legendary status not only in lacrosse but across multiple sports.

Richard ‘Dick’ Garber: The Father of New England Lacrosse

Dick Garber’s contribution to lacrosse extends far beyond his playing days. How did Garber influence the sport in New England? As a four-sport athlete at Springfield College, Garber chose lacrosse over baseball, eventually becoming the driving force behind the sport’s growth in the region. His 45-year coaching tenure at the University of Massachusetts created the legendary “Garber’s Gorillas” legacy, which continues to inspire players today.

Lee Pinney: Grassroots Growth and Dedication

Lee Pinney’s impact on lacrosse goes beyond his playing career at Cornell. How did Pinney contribute to the sport’s expansion? By transforming his farmland into lacrosse fields, Pinney fostered the growth of youth and adult lacrosse leagues in Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. His dedication to the sport is evident in his continued participation in organized lacrosse well into his 60s.

Plastic Non-Offset Era: Revolutionizing the Game

The introduction of plastic sticks without offset heads marked a new chapter in lacrosse history, bringing forth players who would redefine the sport’s techniques and strategies.

Gary Gait: The Innovator

Gary Gait’s influence on lacrosse is nothing short of revolutionary. What makes Gary Gait a lacrosse legend? His introduction of the “Air Gait” move changed the game so significantly that rules had to be adjusted. Gait, along with his brother Paul, brought the Canadian Box style of play to the forefront, demonstrating that dominant-hand play could be highly effective. His success at every level of the sport and involvement in equipment evolution cement his status as a true lacrosse icon.

John Fay: Speed and Innovation

John Fay’s unique approach to the game set him apart during the plastic non-offset era. How did Fay’s playing style influence lacrosse? Known for using a stick with an extremely shallow pocket, Fay could finish plays with unparalleled speed. His contributions extended beyond the field, as he played a crucial role in advancing lacrosse-specific uniforms through his company, Atlantic Sportswear.

Dave Pietramala: Defensive Mastermind

Dave Pietramala’s impact on lacrosse defense cannot be overstated. How did Pietramala change the defensive aspect of lacrosse? His innovative style of play revolutionized defensive strategies, earning him recognition as one of the best defensemen in the sport’s history. Pietramala’s influence continues to shape how defense is played in modern lacrosse.

Plastic Offset Era: The Modern Legends

The introduction of offset plastic sticks brought about a new era of lacrosse, characterized by increased shot power and accuracy. This period saw the rise of players who would take the sport to new heights.

Paul Rabil: The Face of Modern Lacrosse

Paul Rabil has become synonymous with modern lacrosse excellence. What makes Rabil stand out in the contemporary lacrosse scene? His combination of size, speed, and skill has set new standards for midfielders. Rabil’s impact extends beyond the field, as he has become a prominent figure in promoting the sport and professionalizing lacrosse through initiatives like the Premier Lacrosse League.

Lyle Thompson: Redefining Offensive Creativity

Lyle Thompson’s playing style has captivated lacrosse fans worldwide. How has Thompson influenced offensive play in lacrosse? His exceptional stick skills, vision, and creativity have redefined what’s possible on the offensive end. Thompson’s Native American heritage and his commitment to honoring the sport’s roots while pushing its boundaries make him a unique figure in lacrosse history.

Kyle Harrison: Versatility and Leadership

Kyle Harrison’s impact on lacrosse goes beyond his on-field achievements. How has Harrison contributed to the growth of lacrosse? His versatility as a midfielder and his leadership both on and off the field have made him a role model for young players. Harrison’s efforts to increase diversity in lacrosse and his involvement in growing the sport globally have solidified his status as a modern legend.

The Impact of Lacrosse Legends on Equipment Evolution

The evolution of lacrosse equipment has been significantly influenced by the sport’s legendary players. How have these athletes shaped the development of lacrosse gear?

• Wooden Stick Era: Players like Jim Brown showcased the potential of traditional equipment, inspiring future innovations.
• Plastic Non-Offset Era: Gary Gait’s playing style led to advancements in stick design to accommodate more dynamic movements.
• Plastic Offset Era: Players like Paul Rabil have worked closely with equipment manufacturers to develop sticks that enhance shot power and accuracy.

This collaboration between players and equipment makers has led to continuous improvements in stick technology, protective gear, and overall performance equipment.

Legendary Coaches: Shaping the Next Generation

Behind many great players stand exceptional coaches who have played pivotal roles in developing talent and advancing the sport. Who are some of the most influential coaches in lacrosse history?

1. Bill Tierney: Revolutionized collegiate lacrosse with his success at Princeton and later at Denver.
2. Cindy Timchal: Pioneered women’s lacrosse, leading Maryland to multiple national championships.
3. Dom Starsia: Built a lacrosse powerhouse at Virginia, nurturing numerous All-Americans and future pros.
4. John Danowski: Continued Duke’s lacrosse success while emphasizing character development.

These coaches have not only won championships but have also shaped the values and playing styles of generations of lacrosse players.

The Global Impact of Lacrosse Legends

Lacrosse legends have played a crucial role in expanding the sport’s reach beyond its traditional strongholds. How have these players contributed to the global growth of lacrosse?

• International Competitions: Participating in and promoting world championships and international tournaments.
• Clinics and Camps: Conducting training sessions in emerging lacrosse markets.
• Professional Leagues: Establishing and supporting professional leagues in various countries.
• Media Presence: Utilizing social media and traditional media to increase the sport’s visibility worldwide.

Through these efforts, lacrosse legends have helped introduce the sport to new audiences and inspire players across the globe.

The Future of Lacrosse Legends: Emerging Stars

As lacrosse continues to evolve, new players are emerging who have the potential to become the legends of tomorrow. Who are some of the rising stars in lacrosse that could shape the future of the sport?

• Trevor Baptiste: Dominating the faceoff X and redefining the importance of the specialist position.
• Taylor Cummings: A three-time Tewaaraton Award winner pushing women’s lacrosse to new heights.
• Michael Sowers: Setting new standards for offensive production and creativity.
• Myles Jones: Combining size, speed, and skill to dominate the midfield position.

These players, among others, are not only excelling on the field but are also actively involved in growing the sport and inspiring the next generation of players.

Preserving Lacrosse Legacy: Halls of Fame and Museums

The contributions of lacrosse legends are immortalized through various halls of fame and museums dedicated to the sport. How do these institutions honor the greats of the game?

• National Lacrosse Hall of Fame: Recognizing players, coaches, and contributors who have significantly impacted the sport.
• Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame: Honoring those who have excelled in or contributed to lacrosse in Canada.
• Lacrosse Museum and National Hall of Fame: Showcasing the history of the sport and its legendary figures.
• Regional Halls of Fame: Celebrating local heroes and their contributions to lacrosse in specific areas.

These institutions play a crucial role in preserving the rich history of lacrosse and educating future generations about the sport’s legends.

The Role of Lacrosse Legends in Youth Development

Lacrosse legends have a significant impact on youth development within the sport. How do these iconic players contribute to nurturing young talent?

• Youth Clinics: Conducting training sessions to teach fundamental skills and advanced techniques.
• Mentorship Programs: Providing guidance and support to aspiring players.
• Equipment Donations: Supplying gear to underprivileged communities to increase access to the sport.
• Motivational Speaking: Inspiring young players through talks and appearances at schools and clubs.

By engaging with youth players, lacrosse legends help foster a love for the game and contribute to its long-term growth and sustainability.

Lacrosse Legends and the Media: Increasing Visibility

The relationship between lacrosse legends and media has played a crucial role in increasing the sport’s visibility. How have legendary players utilized media platforms to promote lacrosse?

• Television Broadcasts: Providing expert commentary and analysis during game broadcasts.
• Social Media: Engaging with fans and sharing insights through platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
• Podcasts: Hosting or participating in lacrosse-focused podcasts to discuss the sport in-depth.
• Documentaries: Participating in films that showcase the history and culture of lacrosse.

Through these media engagements, lacrosse legends have helped bring the sport to a wider audience and increase its popularity.

The Impact of Lacrosse Legends on Rules and Gameplay

Throughout the history of lacrosse, legendary players have often been catalysts for changes in rules and gameplay. How have these players influenced the evolution of lacrosse regulations?

• Offensive Innovations: Moves like Gary Gait’s “Air Gait” led to rule adjustments to maintain competitive balance.
• Defensive Strategies: Players like Dave Pietramala’s style of play influenced how defensive rules are interpreted and enforced.
• Equipment Regulations: As players pushed the boundaries of stick technology, rules were adapted to ensure fair play.
• Game Pace: The speed and skill of certain players have led to discussions and changes regarding shot clocks and other pace-of-play rules.

These rule changes, often inspired by the exceptional abilities of legendary players, have helped shape the modern game of lacrosse.

Lacrosse Legends and Cultural Significance

Lacrosse has deep cultural roots, particularly in Native American communities. How have legendary players contributed to preserving and highlighting the cultural significance of the sport?

• Honoring Traditions: Players like Lyle Thompson have used their platform to educate others about the Native American origins of lacrosse.
• Cultural Ambassadors: Many legends serve as bridges between traditional lacrosse communities and the modern sport.
• Promoting Inclusivity: Efforts to increase diversity in lacrosse often involve legendary players as advocates and role models.
• Heritage Games: Participation in and promotion of events that celebrate the cultural heritage of lacrosse.

By emphasizing the cultural importance of lacrosse, these legends help maintain a connection to the sport’s roots while fostering its growth and evolution.

The Business of Lacrosse: Legends as Entrepreneurs

Many lacrosse legends have transitioned their on-field success into successful business ventures within the sport. How have these players contributed to the lacrosse industry off the field?

• Equipment Companies: Developing and endorsing lacrosse gear and apparel.
• Training Programs: Creating instructional content and running lacrosse academies.
• League Ownership: Investing in and managing professional lacrosse teams and leagues.
• Technology: Developing apps and software to assist in player development and game analysis.

These entrepreneurial efforts by lacrosse legends have not only provided post-playing career opportunities but have also contributed to the overall growth and professionalization of the sport.

Lacrosse Legends in International Competition

International competitions have provided a stage for lacrosse legends to showcase their skills on a global scale. How have these tournaments impacted the legacies of great players?

• World Championships: Performances in these events often cement a player’s status as a legend.
• Olympic Recognition: Efforts by legendary players to gain Olympic status for lacrosse.
• Cultural Exchange: International competitions allow legends to interact with and inspire players from different countries.
• Skill Showcase: These events provide opportunities for innovative techniques to be displayed and adopted globally.

Participation in international competitions has allowed lacrosse legends to leave their mark on the global stage and contribute to the worldwide growth of the sport.

The Legacy of Lacrosse Legends: Inspiring Future Generations

The impact of lacrosse legends extends far beyond their playing days, shaping the future of the sport through their ongoing influence and inspiration. How do these iconic figures continue to mold the next generation of players?

• Role Models: Young players often emulate the playing styles and work ethics of legendary figures.
• Coaching and Mentorship: Many legends transition into coaching roles, directly shaping future talent.
• Philanthropic Efforts: Establishing foundations and programs to provide opportunities in lacrosse for underprivileged youth.
• Advocacy: Using their platform to address important issues within the sport and society at large.

Through these various channels, lacrosse legends ensure that their impact on the sport continues long after their playing careers have ended, fostering a rich and enduring legacy for future generations to build upon.

WINNER: Top 10 Lacrosse Legends

LAS strives to give away as much sweet gear as possible to our loyal readers, so first off, we want to thank everyone for getting involved in all our recent contests. They’ll keep coming all throughout the Fall! In fact, we might even have another one later today! Another caption contest perhaps?

For now, let’s focus on one of the most significant contests LaxAllStars.com has ever orchestrated – our search for the best list of Top 10 Lacrosse Legends.

THE SETUP

A few weeks ago, Connor Wilson presented his list of Top 10 Lacrosse Player Legends and it generated some serious attention in the lacrosse world. Some people respected his list, while others thought it was pure blasphemy. Hey, to each their own! All the feedback got us thinking about how we could shed more light on this controversial conversation, and next we asked LAS readers to share Your Top 10. Boy did you deliver!!!

This contest was a pleasure to be a part of, and we’re glad so many well-informed individuals stepped up to the plate and took a stab at challenging Connor’s original list. All the lists submitted were fantastic, but three stood out to us – not only for their player selections, but also for the reasons supplied. Each one was well thought out and made for a great read.

This sweet lid was on the line. Who’s taking it home?

THE VOTING

We published all 3 lists on our site last week (Finalist #1, Finalist #2, Finalist #3), and we challenged YOU & THE ENTIRE LACROSSE COMMUNITY to choose which list featured the most accurate line-up of greatest lacrosse players of all-time.

Voting was simple – Click the Facebook “Like” button on the Top 10 List post you think is the best. The finalist with the most votes would win a brand new LAS Cascade Pro7 Helmet and so much respect that their list would go down in history as LaxAllStars.com’s official list of Top 10 Lacrosse Legends.

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN

In the end, it was reader Paul Jones who came out victorious! His list featured the top 3 players from three different eras – Wooden Stick, Plastic Non-Offset, and Plastic Offset – and a #1 greatest lacrosse player of all time. It’s an aggressive list that clearly deserves a lot of respect in the lacrosse community. After all, it’s the people’s choice!

A huge congratulations goes out to Paul, one LaxAllStars.com’s most loyal readers. We’re proud to announce you as the winner!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Here is my submission for the Top 10 contest, as arranged by wood, plastic (non-offset) and plastic (w/offset). My list may be a little different because it includes many players based in New England (for obvious reasons), but also those who helped grow the game. Here it goes!

WOODEN STICK ERA

1. Jim Brown

A true legend no matter who you ask. If they know he played lacrosse, they have heard at least one story about him. Rules were changed due to things he did on the field. Legendary athlete status, hands down

2. Richard ‘Dick’ Garber

Four sport athlete at Springfield College, who dropped baseball to play lacrosse. Called the ‘Father of New England Lacrosse’. US Lacrosse Hall of Fame member. 45 year coach of University of Massachusetts lacrosse. Created mystique of ‘Garber’s Gorillas’ which still exists today. Lacrosse field at UMass named after him. Son Ted still coaches and grandson Brett was All American in high school and college (UMass) and plays for the Rochester Rattlers

3. Lee Pinney

Played for Cornell during the early 60s. Farm owner in Somers, CT who stopped planting a portion of his crop fields to make lacrosse fields. Responsible for growth of youth and adult lacrosse leagues in Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. At 60+ years old, still puts on the equipment and plays organized lacrosse in the PVLL men’s league in Connecticut, this past season with the Boondock Saints. US Lacrosse Connecticut Chapter Hall of Fame

PLASTIC NON-OFFSET ERA

1. Gary Gait

Revolutionized the sport with one move (Air Gait) and rules were changed due to his play on the field. Along with brother Paul, helped introduce Canadian Box style of play, and showed even Roy Simmons Jr that you could play with dominant hand only and still be very effective. Has won at EVERY level and style of play. Involved with evolution of equipment as well. Now coaching and teaching the game

2. John Fay

UNH (New Hampshire) player and then US National Team in early 80s. Known for playing with almost no pocket on his stick, so he could finish faster. All-World selection after 1982 world games. Got into sales and marketing of uniforms through his company Atlantic Sportswear, who helped push the envelope with lacrosse specific uniforms. Still plays, and can run with almost anyone still

3. Dave Pietramala

Revolutionized the game with his style of defense. One of the best defenseman ever, known as the originator of the take-away defenseman. Standout as a player at John’s Hopkins and now head coach at JHU. Reinstilled winning tradition at JHU, and has won 2 Division 1 National Titles as a coach. The first person to win D1 titles as both player and a coach.

PLASTIC OFFSET ERA

1. Matt Striebel

2x All American from Princeton, also won 2 National Titles and runner-up once. Also played varsity soccer all 4 years. 3x US National team member, has been on 2 gold medal winning teams. Has won at every level he has played. Now involved coaching and teaching with Trilogy Lacrosse. Infectious personality who has a pure love of the game. Plays midfield, even though still one of the oldest players in MLL.

2. Paul Rabil

Whether you love him or hate him, he is the new FACE of lacrosse. Made the swim move popular as a go-to dodge. The guys just flat out wins wherever he plays…JHU, US National team and hopefully with the Boston Cannons in 2011. Endorsement deals with all sorts of companies, both in and out of the lacrosse industry…a marketing machine and a lacrosse playing machine.

3. Mikey Powell

4x All American, 4x D1 Attackman of the Year, 2x National Title, 2x winner of the Tewaarton Trophy (only multiple winner so far), ’06 All World player for US National team, Syracuse All-time points. Does anything more need to be said? He broke the mold…undersized by lightning fast. You can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him!

#1 GREATEST LACROSSE PLAYER OF ALL-TIME

Matt Poskay

As a high school player held the national record for goals scored with 362 (and held the record for almost 10 years), 2x National Champion with Virginia, 2010 MLL Player of the Year AND MLL Offensive Player of the Year. Part of Trilogy coaching staff. Named new head coach at Wagner College. In addition to everything he has done on the field, he has battled and WON his fight against testicular cancer. Herculean at a minimum. Lance Armstrong is legendary for winning the Tour de France after fighting TC…and Poskay should be held in the same regard, having beaten TC before the 2010 season.

Matt Poskay was a unique #1 choice! Props!

The Top 20 Professional Lacrosse Players (Right Now)

(Photo courtesy of PLL)

Professional lacrosse is at a crossroads. With the creation of the PLL and the continuation of MLL, there are now two outdoor professional lacrosse leagues vying for the attention of fans around the country and all parts of the known world. As such, we have been tasked with determining which players have played their absolute best in these first few months of both the PLL and the MLL seasons.

We have made this list in an effort to shine a light on those players that have risen to the challenges presented to them in this key moment in time. The process was [not] simple: create a top 20 from scratch, exchange those lists with one another, argue about who and why we made those choices, inject stats into the discussion, start over, exchange lists again, argue, and write it all up for your consumption.

We understand you will all have a myriad of reactions to this list. Feel free to ask questions and make comments, but also obey the rules of ranks: if you think another player should be on this list, you must take a current player off of it. Thank you for reading and please enjoy the top 20 pro lacrosse players in the world (right now). Oh, and do your worst #TeamWhatAbout. We are ready for you.

20. Jake Froccaro, PLL, Chaos

He’s had perhaps the stealthiest rise to prominence in the past three years; Froccaro has become the poster child for the benefit of the rule changes in the PLL. He is the second-leading scorer from the midfield (behind the Archers’ Tom Schreiber) with 22 points. He’s also refined his game to make an impact right out of the box, in transition or at the end of the shot clock. In MLL, Froccaro fought for touches and was tempted to take more risks as a result. In the PLL, he has blended his willingness to take big shots with a team-first mentality to reach the next level of his development as a player.

19. Mark Cockerton, MLL, Boston Cannons

People don’t give enough credit to off-ball players. It’s easy to catch and shoot, right? Actually, it’s not. The shooter’s burden is to not only catch and release, but also absorb the inevitable punishment of the recovering defense. In that respect, Cockerton is a straight-up assassin and as such is exactly what Boston needs him to be. He is tied for second in the MLL in total goals with 26, one goal behind league leader Lyle Thompson.

18. Jack Concannon, PLL, Atlas

In all reality, there are several goalies who have held the position of “top goalie” this season in both leagues. It’s sort of like when Mr. Burns from “The Simpsons” longevity was explained by all of his diseases getting stuck in the doorway of his body so one couldn’t emerge and deal a fatal blow. Goalies, it seems, are the talented viruses of professional lacrosse. The goalie position often rewards its younger talent with interminable apprenticeships or death by firing squad, but Concannon has stood tall since his 20-save performance that kicked off the PLL season back at Gillette Stadium.

17. Jarrod Neumann, PLL, Chaos

Neumann is shooting 50 percent on 2-pointers so far this season, canning four of his eight attempts from distance. Which, statistically, amounts to Neumann scoring a goal every time he shoots even when he misses. It’s amazing he still manages to get free for snipe attempts in transition, but that’s just part of what makes him an elite player. Defensively, teams deal with him by throwing blind picks at him — some legal, some not — but Neumann has greatly improved against the pick-and-roll in the first half of this season. In fact, it seems like Neumann improves every game in one aspect or another, which is a hallmark of truly great players at any position.

16. Michael Ehrhardt, PLL, Whipsnakes

The alteration of the PLL playing field has served as a fork in the road for the LSM population; from defensemen running the ball up themselves to goalies clearing directly to attackmen, it’s been easy to get lost in the wash. Ehrhardt, however, has been a model of consistency at the position, not only harassing the opponents’ top midfield threat but continually participating in the Whipsnakes transition game as well.

15. Matt McMahon, PLL, Archers

The Chrome went from posting a record high 19 goals against the Chaos to a record-low seven goals the following game, and a significant portion of that disparity was achieved thanks to the defensive efforts of Matt McMahon. The vocal field general for one of the most turnover-inducing teams in the league, McMahon directs the Archers’ slide packages, sends opponents’ sticks to the ground, and (although it’s definitely not recommended) has even jumped in the cage to make a few saves.

14. Bryce Young, PLL, Whipsnakes

Young excels in the oft unheralded; his sliding presence and defensive rebounding alone were just about enough to justify his placement on this list, let alone his on-ball defense. He recently updated his PLL resume with face-off wing and transition play, his versatility leading to a goal and an assist last weekend against the Chaos.

13. Trevor Baptiste, PLL, Atlas

“Value over replacement” gets paraded through the streets like a Mardi Gras float these days, but before sports debate fatigue prompts you to disregard the concept entirely, take a moment to appreciate that Trevor Baptiste’s face-off percentage has remained about 10 percent higher than his closest competitor throughout much of the season. With Greg Gurenlian taking limited draws against the Atlas last weekend, Baptiste was instead forced to battle a duo of poles with no objection to treating him like a pinata at every possible opportunity. He adjusted accordingly and still finished 20 of 31 with 12 groundballs, extraordinary for most yet fairly standard for Baptiste.

12. Jules Heningburg, PLL, Redwoods

Heningburg (along with Connor Fields) leads the league with 18 goals, despite spending the first few weeks of the season trying to fit with a Whipsnakes team that didn’t really need the help. Since joining the Redwoods lineup, Heningburg has been given the platform to shine as both a facilitator and a one-on-one dodger, an opportunity he has fully embraced.

11. Garrett Epple, PLL, Redwoods

Once upon a time, Notre Dame defensemen were the nadir of the pro lacrosse world. They were viewed with the same disdain as system quarterbacks who can only operate out of the shotgun. It was unfair, but ultimately elitism and reputation give way to effectiveness and all it took was a bunch of modern-day Golden Domers to smash that stereotype. Epple is the second generation of that movement. He is able to throw hammer checks and rib-splitting hits in addition to far-above-average stick skills, which, to be fair, were the sticking point.

10. Justin Guterding, PLL, Chrome

Guterding’s best attribute as a professional lacrosse player is his game sense. It is, at the time of this writing, unparalleled in the field version of the game. With Guterding, there is no wasted movement, no over carrying, no unnecessary flamboyance — there is only the excellence of execution. The non-Canadian Bret Hart of the PLL, Guterding is respected by every other player on the field to the point where defenders argue about who has to cover him. They know that if they slide off of him that a goal is the most likely result, usually of the highlight variety.

9. Bryan Cole, MLL, Atlanta Blaze

Now that he’s been given the time and roster space to do so, Cole is absolutely thriving this summer with the Blaze. Quick enough to buckle defenders with wing dodges and physical enough to jockey for position near the crease, Cole is a key contributor to the highest-scoring offense in the MLL, scoring 24 goals while shooting an absurd 57 percent. A wrecking ball given human form, Cole is having a career year in the ATL.

8. Zach Currier, MLL, Denver Outlaws

The true do-it-all midfielder died with Jay Jalbert…Until the entire concept of what that means was torn apart and re-forged by the tiger-blooded engineer that is Zach Currier. Like his former teammate Tom Schreiber, Currier was underrated as a prospect in his first pro season. Early on, he was seen by some to be a part-time FOGO that had the ability to contribute on offense and defense. A jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none. Well, turns out those people are idiots. Currier isn’t a modern-day Swiss army knife; he’s a modern-day Swiss army.

7. Connor Fields, PLL, Chaos

Is there a greater success story in lacrosse than Connor Fields? He played the better part of two seasons at Albany with what amounts to a peg leg. Dude was [figuratively] a pirate that almost stole the Tewaaraton. Now he runs with the power of two fully functional lower appendages and is the talisman of the entire Chaos team. He would be much higher on this list were it not for his turnovers, but with the way that his team plays, turnovers seem to matter less than his role as the leader of that deadly offense. Expect Field’s assist totals to increase once the attack spots around him begin to crystalize.

6. Marcus Holman, PLL, Archers

From the negative-angle shot that kicked off the season to the casual two-pointers we saw last weekend, Holman has found seemingly endless ways to produce. Time will tell if the whole long-distance thing was a limited engagement or a wave of the future, but even if we fail to see it again with any degree of frequency, Holman remains one of the game’s top GLE dodgers, righty set shooters and sneaky powerplay finishers. Too specific? Holman is still nasty on or off ball in a way that people somehow still underestimate.

5. Rob Pannell, MLL, New York Lizards

A year ago it would be unthinkable to exclude RP3 from the top three. A laborious start to the 2019 campaign, amidst rumors that he would sit out the summer and sign with the PLL next year, has seen Pannell’s stock fall, but not to the point where his bandwagon is bereft of passengers. Some of the greatest athletes of our time have rough starts. It’s not like RP3 came into camp and tried to play himself into shape. No, he had to adjust to an entirely new team, a new coach and a new reality.

4. Randy Staats, MLL, Atlanta Blaze

If you’re wondering why Staats is this high on the list you have not been watching Major League Lacrosse this summer. Staats has been considered one of the best attackmen in pro lacrosse for a few seasons now, but this year he has truly ascended to a higher plane of offensive wizardry. The difference between this and years past? After spending each season of his career relegated to secondary or tertiary option status, Staats has finally received the keys to an offense of his own. Now that’s he’s the one calling the shots, he’s leading the league in both assists (24) and points (40).

3. Matt Rambo, PLL, Whipsnakes

Nothing about Rambo makes any sense. It’s like the city of Philadelphia birthed the perfect avatar for their brand of, well, everything. Seriously, how does Wawa not sponsor him? What are you guys doing over there? At least name a sandwich after him. People focus too much on his physique when they should be focusing on how damn good he is at picking apart defenses with his feeding ability. Rambo leads the PLL in assists with 17 and overall points (30). In this, the most important year of professional lacrosse in the history of the concept, he is having his best season ever.

2. Lyle Thompson, MLL, Chesapeake Bayhawks

In years past there was a measurable adjustment period for Lyle after his NLL commitments ended and he re-entered the MLL. Not on his end, but his teammates’ — Thompson has to actually slow down when he plays field lacrosse. Not his movements or actions, but his mind. Players usually have to adjust to where they should be, but this season they were ready and so was Lyle. With that apparent seamless adjustment has come an avalanche of points; Thompson leads the MLL in scoring with 27 goals and 13 assists.

1. Tom Schreiber, PLL, Archers

The No. 1 player on this list should come as no surprise to anyone that has been paying attention to the pro game for any length of time. He is the gold standard for excellence at his position in the most unique way possible. Schreiber combines the playmaking skills of great soccer No. 10’s like Diego Maradona and Andrea Pirlo with the throwback pass-first sensibilities of basketball point guards like John Stockton and Jason Kidd. You’re shaking your head, but you’re wrong; if anything, those examples are far less hyperbolic than you think — they might even understate his impact. Just ask his peers. If we named any other player at this top 10 spot we’d get more roasted by them than any of you reading this. Schreiber averages nearly 4 points a game and is the first player that the opposition plans to stop…they just can’t. That’s why he’s No. 1.

Have we seen the best ever?

Have we seen Connecticut’s best team ever?

Is Darien the best team we have seen in Connecticut high school lacrosse?  When asked that very question Darien coach Jeff Brameier said, “We’ll let the bloggers and the pollsters figure it out, but in my history book, they’re going on top. ”  Because I’d hate to disappoint the coach, let’s dive and blog away…. I would agree with Coach, this team was special if not the best certainly up there in the top two or three team ever in the state!

Darien was only the sixth team in Connecticut High School history to go undefeated, the last being the Darien 2005 team.

It might help to take a look at the other undefeated teams in state history

• New Canaan 1982 Undefeated but not sure of record.

• New Canaan 1990 18-0 No National Ranking Available

• Wilton 1995 was 22-0 Ranked 2nd Nationally

• New Canaan 2003 22-0. Ranked 18th Nationally

• Darien 2005 23-0 Ranked 8th Nationally

So is Darien 2014 the better than the above undefeated teams?  Let’s take a look.

According to Nike/Us Lacrosse Darien 2014 is ranked 1st in the Northeast Region, 5th Nationally behind Boys Latin, Culver Academy and Malvern Prep. And Georgetown Prep (Question being ranked behind 19-1 Georgetown Prep.) and won the FCIAC Championships as well as the Class M Championships.

They dominated the out of state teams like Yorktown (11th Nationally), St. Anthony’s (15th Nationally), Manhasset and Niskayuna all of which considered top teams nationally certainly backs up the premise that 2014 was the best team ever.

The Blue Wave defense was extraordinary giving up an average of 4.43 goals per game behind Evanchik, Hamernick, McCarthy and Hufford. Darien was no slouch on the offensive end averaging 14 goals per game in one of the stingiest leagues in the country behind players like Lindley, Cornell, Burgoyne, Reed, Minicus and Kniffen.

But, what impressed me most about this 2014 Darien Team was the way they played together – unselfish – disciplined and confident.  The team was a “team” yes they had some terrific players but they didn’t have one or two standout players it all just worked as well oiled machine each player embraced their role.   Darien’s confidence level was not that of a cocky one, it was calming and focused. They always felt as though they were in control and could win the game.  Coach Brameier said, “this is a team that has a mission” which could be felt in each time they stepped on the field – never panicked and always comfortable in their game.

So back to my original question, is Darien best we have ever seen?  I think they certainly have to be considered as one of the best, an argument can be made for Wilton’s 1995 team that ended the season 22-0 ranked #2 Nationally, but one could argue Darien is in a different pool than 1995 Wilton.  In 1995 there were a hand full of teams in Connecticut that had real established programs – 2014 there 87 teams and growing, more FCIAC parity and greater out of state competition – so I would vote for 2014 Darien as the best team in CT Lax History, OK, 1995 Wilton was pretty good too.

5 Tips to Be a Better Lacrosse Player

It’s easy to lose sight of the little things in lacrosse amid all the instruction, practicing and games. But as Coach Gafner, lacrosse coach and author of CoachGafner.com, points out, sometimes those little things go a long way in making a better player. Here are five things Gafner thinks players need to consider as they work to improve their lacrosse performance:

Attitude

As you enter this season you have to have the right attitude. You have to be willing to learn and ready to listen. If you have the right attitude, you will do a lot more of the small things without knowing it. I have one player on my team last year that had the best attitude. It took me over a year to realize that it was his attitude that was the reason for his improvement.

Work Ethic

If you are willing to put in the hard work, then the results will show. A part of your work ethic is practicing the right way. You need to be aware of the time you have to get better and use it well. I understand you have a lot going on with your life, but when you make time to practice or have practice, use that time to the fullest.

Last year at the start of my season the guys on my team wanted to goof around a lot. I didn’t mind it sometimes. But they didn’t want to goof around during a drill or a time when we had to be productive. Some of the biggest improvers on my team last year were players that had a great work ethic. So, adjust your work ethic to make the most of this season.

Ability to Understand the Game

A problem with a lot of new teams or teams that aren’t on the east coast or teams that aren’t successful is they just don’t understand the game that well. Everyone that plays lacrosse should always be learning about the game.

That goes for coaches too. To understand it, you have to learn why teams do things. For a lot of newer and unsuccessful teams, they don’t understand the right way to play the game because they don’t have the talent or personality to play lacrosse the right way. So, the first thing to do to understand the game is to ask questions to other coaches or players.

After that, watch a lot of lacrosse games to analyze what the teams are doing and why. And if you do understand the game pretty well, you need to help your teammates get a better grasp.

Communication

This is another area that you can always improve your game by being a better communicator. It is easy to think for yourself, but to play team defense takes a lot of work and communication. This communication develops on the practice field and translates to the game field the better you are at it.

I also think you need to work on your communication with your coaches too. If you don’t understand something they want you to get, talk to them about it when they have free time. They will help, because they are teaching you something for a reason–which is to improve your game and help the team win.

If you communicate with your teammates off the field, your team will get better faster. Keep the communication lines open so that your teammates know they can call on you for help, too.

Don’t Take Things Personal

Trust me–a good coach should tell you things that are going to make you mad. But, do not take it personal. As a coach I do want the players to like me–that’s how I get them to push it when practice is rough. But some players need to hear things about their game.

For example, I always tell players to scoop a ground ball with two hands. We had a couple of kids I will yell at about this. I hope they didn’t take it personal. I was just trying to make them and the team better. This is a good thing to know: you kids might think us coaches are out to get you but we aren’t. We just want to help.

Try to improve in these five areas and I know your lacrosse game will improve greatly. But, you have to bring the same passion to these five tips, if you want them to work.

For more great lacrosse tips, check out CoachGafner.com

Who is the Richest Lacrosse Player? The Answer Might Surprise You! – LaxWeekly

If you are a lacrosse player or fan, you might wonder, “who is the richest lacrosse player?” I have asked the same question myself, and today I wanted to find an answer. After a few hours of research and digging, here are the richest lacrosse players. 

The Richest Lacrosse Player Ever – Joe Tsai (Net Worth $12.7 Billion)

Joe Tsai is the co-founder of Alibaba Group, the “Amazon of China.” Now he owns the Brooklyn Nets and participates in several other business ventures. 

Tsai first started playing lacrosse when he was 13 for the Lawrenceville school in New Jersey. He went onto Yale and played lacrosse all four years. Check out some of his highlights!

Tsai is a very active member of the lacrosse community. He owns the San Diego Seals, a box lacrosse team for the National Lacrosse League. In addition, he made investments in the Premier Lacrosse League and regularly contributes money to the Yale Men’s Lacrosse team.  

Joe is widely regarded as an extremely giving, likable character in the sports world, and lacrosse is lucky to have him as such a great ambassador for our sport. 

The Richest Active Lacrosse Player – Paul Rabil (Net Worth $1 Million – $5 Million)

If you have been playing lacrosse for any amount of time, chances are you have heard of Paul Rabil. He is considered to be the best lacrosse player in the world, and through his performance he has garnered several high-profile sponsorships from the likes of GoPro, Red Bull, etc. He also has his own company called Rabil Ventures that makes investments in various startups. 

Most recently, he co-founded the PLL (Premier Lacrosse League) with his brother Mike Rabil. Together they are building the top professional lacrosse league in the US, and this venture has certainly elevated his status beyond just lacrosse. 

Other Rich Lacrosse Players

Meg Whitman (Net Worth $4.9 Billion)

Meg Whitman is an American business executive and one of the most powerful women in the world. She used to play lacrosse for Princeton and graduated from there in 1977. After graduation, she went onto have an extremely successful corporate career and is currently the CEO of Quibi. 

Unfortunately Meg is not super active in the lacrosse community. I’m sure with everything that she does in her life, it’s hard to find time for lacrosse to fit in. It’s still pretty cool to think that a billionaire and famous figure in the world picked up a lacrosse stick!

Chase Coleman III (Net Worth $4.5 Billion)

Coleman is a hedge fund manager and investor, founding Tiger Global Management in New York City. Chase graduated from Deerfield Academy and went on to co-captain the Williams Men’s Lacrosse team in 1997. 

If you search the internet, there is very little information on Coleman. He seems to be a very private person and little is known about him beyond his investing career. Still pretty cool to think this guy played lacrosse at some point though. 

Jim Brown (Net Worth $50 Million)

I don’t think Jim Brown needs much introduction. He’s considered one of the greatest football players of all time, and it is widely known in the lacrosse community that he played lacrosse for Syracuse. Imagine you are a defender matched up against JIM BROWN! I would just get out of the way and let my goalie try to save his shot!

Brown loves lacrosse. He is known for saying, “I’d rather play lacrosse six days a week and football on the seventh.”

He is still active in the lacrosse community and attends games and talks to several high-profile lacrosse players regularly. 

Bill Belichick (Net Worth $35 Million)

Once again, I don’t think Belichick needs any introduction. He’s one of the greatest football coaches of all time, and he’s been a huge ambassador for the sport of lacrosse. 

Lacrosse runs throughout the Belichick family, with his daughter Amanda as the head coach for the Holy Cross Women’s Lacrosse team and his two sons playing college lacrosse. Bill himself played for Wesleyan and was even a volunteer high school lacrosse coach after graduation.  

Bill is good friends with Paul Rabil and also has been seen attending Johns Hopkins games. 

Erika Nardini (Net Worth $10 Million)

Nardini is the CEO of Barstool Sports, a popular sports media company that has seen unprecedented growth over the past few years. She started playing lacrosse as a sophomore at Colby College in Maine. 

Nardini has been great for the sport of lacrosse and is good friends with Paul Rabil. She also has had other lacrosse players come into the Barstool office. Fun fact: Popular Barstool Sports podcast Pardon My Take owns a PLL Lacrosse team, Waterdogs LC. 

Chris Hogan (Net Worth $6 Million)

Chris Hogan is a wide receiver in the NFL and has played for the Patriots, Bills, Panthers, Dolphins and more. He attended college at Penn State and played lacrosse there before transferring to Monmouth to pursue a football career. 

Chris is active in the lacrosse community and consistently shows his support for lacrosse on social media.  

Is Matt Rambo the greatest lacrosse player to ever come out of Philadelphia?

Matt Rambo wouldn’t be Matt Rambo if during one of the most rewarding moments of his life he didn’t do something memorable. Rambo was one of five finalists for the 2017 Tewaaraton Award — college lacrosse’s Heisman Trophy — standing there on stage last Thursday before a huge crowd at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C. 

When they called his name as the winner, Rambo, the two-time Maryland All-American from La Salle High School, walked up to the podium to give his acceptance speech.

There was just one problem — Rambo forgot to pick up the heavy wooden-based Tewaaraton.

“I didn’t know what to do, so they called me back to get the trophy,” recalled Rambo, laughing. “I was kind of numb hearing my name called. On a personal level, I didn’t think anything like this was supposed to happen to me. I thought by the time I got out of Maryland that I could be on a team that could win a national championship. What happened to me, what happened at Maryland is something that won’t sink in for a while — and something that I’ll never forget. It changed my life.” 

Rambo wasn’t supposed to last at Maryland, let alone excel and graduate. He’s done a lot of growing up and now he’s recognized as the nation’s best lacrosse player, arguably the greatest player in the history of the storied Maryland program and he could be the best lacrosse player the Philadelphia area has ever produced.

He’s going to turn 23 next month and he’s already a lacrosse legend in the area. 

“I knew the talk that people (from the Philadelphia lacrosse community) didn’t think that I would last at Maryland, they thought I’d flunk out or get in some kind of trouble there,” said Rambo, who did have to overcome some off-field trouble stemming from an altercation in College Park back in October 2014. “But I know who I am and there will always be haters out there criticizing. I heard it. I used it as motivation. Someone is always going to say something.

“In time, it didn’t really bother me. I didn’t care. It gave me that edge to prove people wrong. I did a lot of growing up, and that came from La Salle and the people at Maryland. The older I got, the more responsibility they gave me. I was able to handle it.”

Rambo did.

He led Maryland to the No. 1 overall seed and Big Ten Championship for the second straight season. He was the 2017 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and two-time USILA All-America selection. Competing against the nation’s top-ranked strength of schedule, Rambo led the Big Ten in both points (4.5 per game) and assists (2.2 per game). He finished his senior year with 42 goals and 45 assists for a prodigious 87 points, capping what’s turned out to be an illustrious career at Maryland.

Matt is the all-time points leader, and being the first to win the Tewaaraton was big, too, but winning the NCAA championship places Matt in a special area.

A career that wouldn’t have been nearly as successful without Rambo’s combination of natural skill, hard work and ability to deliver when his team needed him the most.

“There were a number of things that make Matt special,” Maryland head coach John Tillman said. “Obviously, he has some natural gifts. He’s a big, strong, powerful guy. He has great instincts and he developed a very strong skill set, which is a tribute to his hard work. When he’s on the field and playing, he’s very competitive. I think the things that helped Matt was the bigger the moment, the bigger Matt played.

“He was never afraid of the big moment. He relished that. The great players all have that, and to me, somewhere along the way, whether it was his family, his Dukes club team, his coaches at La Salle, it’s something he picked up. It wasn’t arrogance or cockiness, it was this confidence that when his team needed him, it was Matt saying, ‘I got this guys, follow me.’ He was never intimidated by the moment. “

Last month, Rambo graduated with a degree in American studies. He’ll be pursuing a professional career in the sport and was drafted No. 3 overall by the Charlotte Hounds of Major League Lacrosse, after a senior year in which he became Maryland’s first Tewaaraton winner, the Philadelphia area’s first Tewaaraton winner, and closed his career as Maryland’s all-time points leader with 257 points (155 goals and 102 assists). 

More importantly, he was the offensive hub on a team that reached four straight Final Fours and finished by winning Maryland’s first NCAA championship this year, breaking a 42-year spell, dating back to when Frank Urso, Garnet Valley’s head lacrosse coach and another Maryland lax legend, led the Terrapins to the 1975 national championship.

“That’s what meant the most to me,” Rambo said. “What I’m going to miss most is being with the guys. We had a great team that could laugh at each other and really enjoyed being on the field together. It’s all about the hard work we put in for a common goal. We knew the pressure we were facing, but this was a group that could laugh and not take too many things seriously. That helped us.”

And according to his coach, in addition to a knack for delivering in the clutch, Rambo also has a sense of humor that helped cultivate his team’s easy-going attitude. 

“Matt has a playful nature about him, and it’s probably why the young guys gravitated towards him,” Tillman said. “For a guy who has built a really strong reputation as a very good player, Matt measured people of whether they were good people or not. 

“We spend a lot of time together. It is a long year and having those moments when Matt made us all laugh, that helps the journey. He had a good sense of lightening the mood, but never really crossing the line. He never made it a clown show. 

“He’s a pretty special kid. ”

* * *

University of Maryland Athletic Department/Courtesy

Matt Rambo celebrates during Maryland’s win over Navy.

Matt Kinnear, the editor-in-chief of Inside Lacrosse, has seen the maturation of Rambo in his four years at Maryland, and has known him since he played locally for La Salle. Kinnear places the Glenside, Pa. native in the discussion of the greatest players to ever come out of Maryland. 

And that’s some high praise for an everyman with a blue-collar upbringing trying to make it in a sport that’s perceived to be elitist.

“Matt was the one who was able to bring a national championship back to College Park after 42 years, so that’s a big chip in his corner when it comes to talking about the greatest players that have ever played at Maryland,” Kinnear said. “Matt is the all-time points leader, and being the first to win the Tewaaraton was big, too, but winning the NCAA championship places Matt in a special area.” 

Coming out of La Salle, there was a big debate who was the No. 1 recruit. Rambo was so highly thought of throughout his high school career, but when he got to college, Inside Lacrosse ranked Rambo No. 2 behind Jordan Evans of Syracuse. A big part of that really had to do with the type of player Rambo was. Compared to Evans, Rambo’s skill set seemed limited — at that point. Evans was more your prototypical quarterback, whereas Rambo was able to overpower kids at the high school level. 

Would his game translate to the major college level?   

Rambo, who is listed at 5-foot-10, 210 pounds, is a left-hander with a wicked shot. 

Matt’s certainly in that argument with the greatest players to ever play in the Philadelphia area, and he’s a legend… 

“Matt added so much to his game, where people weren’t sure whether or not he was able to do that,” Kinnear said. “That’s what has been the most remarkable part of Matt’s career. He became more than a guy with a big shot and a big body. His vision has improved greatly every year, and he was able to feed. And his personality became his greatest strength. Matt can be kind of goofy, he’s a gregarious, laid-back personality and it’s what this Maryland team needed. That’s been a key asset for Matt and the program.

“You really saw with Matt someone who grew from a high school kid into a grown man in his four years at Maryland, and that couldn’t have shown any more than in Matt’s interactions with Fionn Crimmins (a 7-year-old batting Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia). Matt was Fionn’s hero. Whose jersey number did Fionn wear? Matt’s No. 1. He proved to be the character guy—and when it mattered most, he was the key leader on that team.”

Maryland lacrosse is on the same pantheon as Michigan or Ohio State football, Duke or Villanova basketball, an in-crowd program where things are taken seriously.

“Matt’s certainly in that argument with the greatest players to ever play in the Philadelphia area, and he’s a legend that is in the argument with Brian Dougherty (Episcopal Academy, Maryland—1995 NCAA Tournament MVP), Billy Miller, out of Episcopal, a world-team player, Tucker Durkin (La Salle and Johns Hopkins)” La Salle coach Bill Leahy said.  

“Matt is definitely in that category of great player to ever come from this area. You’re a Tewaaraton winner—that’s big stuff, especially when you’re the first, like Matt.”

Follow Joe on Twitter: @JSantoliquito

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Playing from X – LAXPlaybook

One of the unique aspects of lacrosse is the amount of area in play behind each team’s goal. In a number of other sports, such as basketball and soccer, there is no room to operate behind the goal. In lacrosse though, there is a 15-yard separation between the back of the cage and the end line, so offensive players make use of this area for dodging and feeding.

Whether you’re an attackman or a midfielder, the area behind the goal is prime real estate for any offensive player. This guide helps you sharpen your skills and explains how to carry the ball down to X where you can add a whole new angle to your offensive game.

Stick Security

In general, the best defender on each team guards the offensive player that plays behind the goal. If you play attack, you’re going to be marked by a long-pole who throws vicious checks and tries to dislodge the ball from your pocket. Regardless of your position, though, protecting your stick and keeping possession of the ball is very important when operating around X.

The first step to better stick protection is to switch to a one-handed cradle when carrying the ball or engaging a defender on a dodge. This technique allows you to cradle parallel to your torso while keeping the stick tighter to the body. Additionally, one-handed cradles give you a bit of extra space to operate because you can use your free hand.

More Protection, Less Options

Keep in mind that one-handed cradles take away your ability to feed or shoot. You’ll have to place your bottom hand back on the stick while protecting yourself from the defender(s) when you want to feed or shoot the ball. It’s not going to be pretty if you are double-teamed with only one hand on the stick. More often than not, you will end up on the ground with your stick by your side and the other team breaking up-field with the ball. No one wants to hear the dreaded “Yard sale!!!” call from the fans and other team. Here are a few tips to avoid turning the ball over:

• When dodging from X, make your move and keep your body between your stick as you get past the first defender.
• Put your bottom hand back on the end of the stick once you’re in the open field.
• Keep the stick tight to your body and keep your eyes looking up-field to ensure that no slides are coming your way.
• Be ready to get rid of the ball in a hurry, and know where your help is on the field as they wait for the ball.

Feeding Areas

Operating behind the cage is an extremely effective offensive approach that creates opportunities to feed the ball. The player at X is the quarterback of the offense, and should be looking to feed the ball rather than score. Similar to how a point guard in basketball will probably get crushed by a huge shot blocker if he drives deep into the lane without passing, an X attackman will likely lose the ball if he doesn’t feed it to a teammate. Take advantage of the defense as they slide, and rack up the assists once you beat your defender.

The area directly behind the cage is not a good spot for feeding because the goal itself and an active goalie can interfere with feeding lanes. However, a world of opportunities opens up for you when you get to the sides of the goal. Beating your defender to either side while pushing towards the cage should trigger a defensive slide. The slide will either come from the crease or from an adjacent defender. Assuming you don’t have the time or space to get to the front of the goal, ready yourself to quickly pass the ball to the area where the defender is sliding from. Do your best to make eye contact with any potential recipient of a feed, and don’t be shy about throwing a hard pass that won’t get picked off.

Look for the Two-slide

With a crease slide, there should also be a 2-slide coming from the backside of the play. Your first look is always to feed the crease, but a good defense will have that covered in time. This makes the offensive player whose defender is the 2-slide the most dangerous man on the field. If the 2-slide gets to the crease in time, look to make a star-pass over the defense to the backside midfielder who should be standing wide open ready to take a time and room shot.

Against an adjacent-sliding defense, your feeds should be to the wing attackmen. Pushing cage to either side of the crease, look to draw a wing defender and immediately dump the ball to an attackman either setting up for a quick time and room shot, or on a backdoor cut behind his defender to the crease area.

Inverts

Attackmen aren’t the only players who can set up shop behind the net. Sometimes coaches will call for an invert play, where a midfielder carries the ball down below goal line extended (GLE) and looks to exploit a mismatch against a short-stick defender.

Amazingly True Story

There hasn’t always been a crease-diving rule in NCAA lacrosse. That is, not until the Gait brothers made it to Syracuse in the late 1980’s. Gary Gait first pulled off the famous “Air Gait” in a 1988 NCAA quarterfinal game against the University of Pennsylvania. Running directly at the back of the goal, Gary Gait jumped towards the top crossbar and stuffed the ball under the bar before his feet hit the ground.

This goal counted since it crossed the plain of the goal line before his feet touched down in the crease. It earned the nickname “Air Gait” because Gait’s silhouette looked exactly like that of Michael Jordan in his signature pose. Crease dives are now illegal in NCAA lacrosse.

The first key to capitalizing on an invert is to make sure the other offensive players occupy their defenders and make it difficult for the defense to slide to the ball. Players off the ball should be cutting into space and making sure their defender has to honor them as an offensive threat. Standing around and watching the ball takes someone completely out of the play and essentially nullifies the advantage the offense has in the mismatch.

Once your offensive teammates are set, follow these tips to find your way to the cage off an invert:

• Look to get topside on your defender: Short-stick defenders have a tough time using leverage to prevent an offensive player from getting topside.
• Scan the field: Keep your eyes up, even if you’re bull dodging through a defender. Defensive help can come at any time and you must be ready to move the ball.
• Master the inside roll: With defenders doing everything they can to prevent you from going topside, a quick inside roll can get you to the cage in a hurry.

Play with confidence if the coach calls your number on an invert. Clearly, the coach feels you can exploit a weak defender and set up the team with a good goal-scoring chance. Keep in mind the tips discussed here, and the rest should take care of itself. Remember, feeding is easiest when attacking the goal from behind, so always make it your number one priority to set up teammates for success with a nifty feed.

X Marks the Spot

Playing behind the goal means understanding how to work at X — everything starts there. Dodging your man, readying to feed, and pressing cage all starts at X. Watch and study premier attackmen, and you’ll notice that they do most of their damage immediately after going through the X spot. Work on your game and learn the intricacies of playing behind the goal, and it will make you twice the player you were before!

90,000 Team of the best players of the Premier League. The most adequate in recent years – On the spirit of the times – Blogs

The English players’ union (PFA) has chosen the symbolic team of the Premier League season. The shortest possible commentary on what happened is from Vadim Lukomsky.

This is the most adequate symbolic team in recent years. Not a single hard fail. I’m not talking about taste – it can always be turned on for a couple of positions. At least there are no players who had a weak season (Ivanovic and Coutinho – 2014/15, De Gea – 2016/17).In theory, you can find fault with the lack of a defensive player, but this is a typical feature of the symbolic teams, and no one really pulls.

David De Gea (Manchester United). Great season Spaniards. In terms of direct hitting, this is the best goalkeeper season in modern history.

Kyle Walker (Manchester City). Thanks to Pochettino and Guardiola, in a couple of years he went from a typical English log to an English version of Philip Lam.This compliment is not mine, but Guardiola’s. Perhaps the highest possible praise for the full-back from Pep. Now Kyle is really the best in his position.

Nicholas Otamendi (Manchester City). This guy also has a German counterpart – Jerome Boateng. Technically powerful CZ, who relied on intuition before meeting Pep, and now has learned to understand football. Otamendi not only adapted to the Spaniard’s pressure support requirements, but also scored a lot for the defender (4 goals).

Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham). The best central defender of the Premier League. Several Tottenham fans that I trust put Vertongen ahead of Kane and Eriksen this season. I readily agree. Incredible stability and a bunch of correct decisions without the ball.

Marcos Alonso (Chelsea). It seems that he got into the team because of his performance and because none of the top left-backs had an unambiguously powerful defensive season.City played with a false fullback, the manner of stable Ben Davis is too faded for such teams, Robertson did not immediately make his way to the base. The rest of the candidates from the grandees did not have the best season.

Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City). The most important player in the team that goes to the points record. The best assistant in the league.

David Silva (Manchester City). This season he set an incredible record with 26 consecutive victories in all tournaments. This has not been possible for anyone in the history of English football.This perfectly underlines his importance for the brightest team of the year. All this against the backdrop of a drama with the premature birth of a son.

Christian Eriksen (Tottenham). Master of obtaining bonus points through long-range strikes. Since the moment Christian moved to England, this cheat does not work for anyone more often (even taking into account the selected goal). But more importantly, he is Tottenham’s most important player when the team is on the ball. The Dane is particularly tough this season with 60.8 assists per game – more than ever. The serious progress of “spurs” in positional attacks is directly related to this fact.

Sergio Aguero (Manchester City). For the first time in my career I got into this team. This is an absolute tin! Stupid in every sense. Firstly, it’s stupid that a player of his performance has never hit before. Secondly, it’s stupid that I ended up in the wrong position during the season, when I lost my place in the squad several times. Perhaps Raheem Sterling would have looked more logical (even if not formally on his flank).

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool).It is going to update the Premier League performance record, and is likely to update the record for goals excluding penalty kicks (31 at Suarez 2013/14). And he’s not even a center forward.

Harry Kane (Tottenham). Englishmen, they score a lot. And if Bobby Firmino had been put in, Tottenham would have filed an appeal – and they would have put Kane anyway. So everything is correct.

Photo: Gettyimages.ru/Dan Mullan, Laurence Griffiths; REUTERS / Andrew Boyers / Action Images

Where Mad Money Comes From: 9 Questions About Football Finances

August 30, 2017

Photo Credit, Getty Images

Huge, fantastic, sometimes just crazy money changes hands football world every summer.Will Barcelona set a new record by buying Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool? Is there a buyer with deep pockets for Chelsea outlaw Diego Costa?

The best clubs strive to get the very best players. The best players and their agents are looking for the best deal. And the clubs that are forced to sell their best footballers are doing everything in order not to sell too cheap.

A year passes, and history repeats itself – despite the fact that the players sign contracts for up to five years.

What’s going on with the finances of world football? Where does that kind of money come from? Why are players getting more and more expensive every year? And how did all this financial and sports orgy begin?

Let’s figure it out.

Is money really that crazy?

Yes, you can’t say otherwise. Judge for yourself: Brazilian superstar Neymar recently left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain for € 222m ($ 265m). This is more than double the previous transfer record, when Manchester United paid 105 million euros for the Frenchman Paul Pogba.But that record was set quite recently, last year, and then it seemed that nothing would surprise the fans. But no.

The point is that there is no ceiling that limits the spending of football clubs. What awaits us in a year? Or maybe a new record will be set today or tomorrow, in the last days, in the last hours of the transfer window?

What do they pay for?

Football is a global business and the best players change jobs all the time.David Beckham, for example, has played for clubs in Britain, Spain, USA, Italy and France throughout his career. Professional footballers sign contracts for a certain number of years – up to five. If a player is bought before his contract expired, the new club pays compensation to the old one.

Photo author, Getty Images

Photo caption,

Will the record set this summer when PSG bought Neymar from Barcelona for 222 million euros?

When do the transfers take place?

This happens twice a year.According to FIFA rules, there are two periods per year during which clubs can buy foreign players. These periods are called transfer windows. The longer window is in the off-season, the shorter one is in the middle of the season, in winter.

Dates are more precisely defined by the football associations of specific countries. In many European countries, the summer transfer window closes on 31 August. In the US, it already closed on 9 August.

The player is bought – that’s all?

No. The footballer, his agent, the club and the lawyers who serve them are starting to work on a new contract, which will spell out the salary and all kinds of bonuses. Players undergo medical examinations and physical tests.

If a hitherto unknown injury is detected, this affects the amount of compensation. (The transfer can generally fail due to reasons of unsatisfactory form or the state of health of the player – Rev. )

How much to whom?

The same amount of 222 million euros is not paid to Neymar. PSG pays Barcelona football club. Technically speaking, they paid for the clause in Neymar’s old contract, which provided for compensation – that same $ 222 million.

According to a number of sources, part of this amount – 38 million – will be received by his father, his agent and several other people for helping to make the transition of a football player.

PSG will then pay Neymar a salary – about 45 million euros per year before tax (and hope to earn money from his name and image).

The rights to the image of a football player usually become one of the central issues when negotiating the terms of the contract. Typically, clubs claim the exclusive right to control which footballer’s images appear in advertisements and PR materials.

But the players do not want to completely lose the right to dispose of the opportunities to make money on advertising. Therefore, trade begins, which could lead to the fact that the proceeds from the use of the footballer’s image are split in half between him and the club.

In the case of Neymar, things are even more complicated. Barcelona have said they intend to sue him for breach of contract as he already received some bonus payments for a five-year renewal of his contract last year.

The Spanish club demands from the football player 8.5 million euros in damages, plus the return of the bonus, the amount of which has not been disclosed, plus 10% of the interest from that undisclosed amount.

Where does this money come from?

There is a lot of money in football. The income of the 20 richest clubs in the world (all of them are European) in 2015-2016 amounted to 7.4 billion euros (according to the auditing company Deloitte).

The biggest revenues are from Manchester United (689 million euros). 43% of this amount came from sponsorship contracts and the sale of souvenirs (PSG will not miss this opportunity – we must expect that the Parisian club will fill the world with T-shirts with the inscription “Neymar” on the back).

TV rights sales accounted for another 39% of DOJ’s revenue, while ticket sales accounted for only about 18%. This does not include transfer proceeds, but of course clubs also make money from player sales.

Photo author, Getty Images

Caption,

Clubs earn a lot from selling merchandise

Has it always been this way?

Previously, this was not expressed in such impressive numbers. Until 1995, many European clubs had a quota for foreign players.

In 1995, the so-called Bossman rule came into force (after the court’s decision in the case of this Belgian footballer – Note translator ), a law in force in the EU countries, which, among other things, canceled all restrictions on the number of football players from other EU countries. (And in general, the entire previously existing European transfer system was recognized then illegitimate – Ed.)

After that, European football turned into an ordinary international market, with accompanying competition.The amounts paid for the transfer of players have steadily increased – as, in particular, the number of foreign players in the English Premier League. By 2016, about 70% of the players in this league were foreigners.

Today, the strongest clubs continue to grow rich. The growing income from TV broadcasts is one of the reasons for this. In 2016, 20 English Premier League clubs signed a three-year contract for £ 10.4bn ($ 13.4bn) with broadcasters. It became the most profitable media deal ever made in professional football.

In the UK, BT and Sky are now paying the Premier League over £ 10m ($ 12.9m) to broadcast each match.

Such income will inevitably affect the amount of transfer transactions. Last year, for example, according to FIFA, English clubs spent more money on buying players from abroad than ever – $ 4.79 billion, an average of $ 328,000 per transfer.

Is this good or bad?

Many people think that expensive transfers are bad for football.The International Federation of Professional Footballers’ Associations, FIFPro, for example, called Neymar’s transfer destroying competition.

“Football is increasingly becoming the domain of a small group of wealthy, mainly European clubs,” said FIFPro General Secretary Theo van Seggelen.

Uncontrollably rising transfer payments have caused the balance of competition to be destroyed, he said, because only a few of the strongest and richest clubs – Manchester United, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich – can afford to buy elite players. …Therefore, they dominate their leagues, and poor clubs cannot compete with them.

However, FIFA data suggests that expensive transfers are not the most common thing. In fact, only 14% of all last year’s transfers in the world were paid of any kind. The rest of the transfers were free – the players simply expired their old contract, and they transferred to another club.

Photo author, Getty Images

Photo caption,

Who will buy Lionel Messi? You will have to pay only 300 million euros for it…

Will Neymar’s record be broken?

Lionel Messi in his contract with Barcelona has a clause on the possibility of paying compensation in the amount of 300 million euros. So Neymar’s record does not look so impregnable.

Leicester’s Brendan Rogers is the perfect coach for Manchester United. Will help Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo

The main question of football November – where to find the perfect coach? Barça turned to legend, Tottenham reverted to the option they had considered before Nuno Espiritu Santa, and Newcastle brought in the most stylish coach from the British hinterland. On November 21, Manchester United faced a dilemma, where they fired Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

In 2017, StatsBomb rolled out instructions on how to competently hire a football coach. Portal author Ted Nutson regretted that clubs chose coaches for reputation, advice from managers and agents, and past successes. In fact, the criteria should be as follows:

• Is the coach suitable for the current tasks of the team?
• Is the coach’s tactics consistent with the club’s philosophy?
• Did the coach’s previous teams really show quality football?
• Does the club have enough money to meet the manager’s requests?
• Is a coach suitable for the club based on personality?
• Does the manager speak the dominant language among the players?
• How well does the coach communicate with the players and the management?
• Does the coach know how to develop young footballers?

English Championship

Manchester United face multi-million dollar losses after Solskjaer’s resignation. Why?

YESTERDAY AT 11:46

In the case of MU, some of the criteria disappear right away. The Manchester club will definitely invest any money in the coach, if only the coach is competent. Solskjaer has not yet developed a strict team style, so the new specialist will easily reconfigure the players to suit their personal philosophy. United need a systems manager who takes over mid-season, works with legends and youngsters at the same time, communicates skillfully with the players and prepares for the big challenge.

Manchester United

Photo: Getty Images

One of the candidates for the Manchester United position is Brendan Rogers. The main quality of the Irishman is adaptability. Leicester have adjusted to their opponents both in defense and attack. In the Premier League-2021/22, the team used seven schemes – only Brighton and Aston Villa have more. Basic reform – moving from two center-backs to three.

In the fall of 2021, Leicester ran 749 minutes with two centerdefs and 383 with three. In the 2020/21 season, Rogers’ throws were caused by injuries: defenders Wes Fofana and James Justin dropped out. Despite the damage, the 2016 champions closed the campaign with the sixth Premier League team in xG admission (47.07).

Leicester entered a defensive crisis in the 2021/22 season. The team fell to eighth in the league in terms of expected goals from opponents (18.71) and conceded 21 goals – worse only than Norwich and Newcastle, which occupy the 19th and 20th slots in the table. The injuries of Justin and Fofan were added to the injuries of Nampali Mendy with Johnny Evans and the weak performance of the newcomers: if the transfer of Ryan Bertrand was assessed by The Guardian slightly positively, then the transfer of Yannick Westergaard did not make sense.

Before the international break, Rogers hoped to readjust his tactics and develop off the ball. Upon returning to the club, the players received 0-3 from Chelsea, but Brendan is insured by previous successes.

Brendan Rogers & Pep Guardiola

Photo: Getty Images

Beyond defense, Rogers has done well with management at Leicester. A prime example is the relationship with Jamie Vardy.

Before Brendan, the team was led by Claude Puel. Leicester’s management fired the Frenchman in February 2019.The winter month began for the team with a 0: 1 defeat to Manchester United. After the final whistle, the coach congratulated Paul Pogba. The director of the broadcast immediately showed Vardy: the striker scolded the coach surrounded by partners.

“Vardi and I have a great relationship. Jamie is always angry after a defeat – that’s normal for a footballer. I would punish a player whom I suspect of disrespect for myself or the club, ”Puel fought back after the game. Two months before the defeat, Vardy said that the Frenchman’s tactics were not suitable for him.

Under Puel’s supervision, Jamie has scored 23 goals. With Rogers, Vardy repeated the statistics twice as fast: in 25, not 51 games. “Brendan is great. He came to Leicester with an idea of ​​what he wanted, and the players immediately picked up fresh ideas. Rogers is incredibly good at personal work with the players, ”the striker praised in April.

At Manchester United, Brendan will once again face the legendary forward for the club, who has passed over 30. It’s about Ronaldo. According to an insider from the Telegraph, the Portuguese was eager to save the team and was more active than others at the last meeting with Solskjaer.It is not clear whether Krish and Ole had a fight, and Vardi is not like Ron in style, but Rogers gained the most important experience with the legend and left pleasant emotions.

Jamie Vardy and Brendan Rogers

Photo: Getty Images

Another important Rogers skill is working with youth. Brendan always pulls youngsters into the base, gives game minutes and develops them from a football point of view. Examples were found at both Leicester and Liverpool.

• Raheem Sterling. At the age of 17, he struck 24 matches in the Premier League, at 19 – already 35.All under the direction of Rogers.
• Philippe Coutinho. Came to Brendan’s Liverpool at 20. In his first full season, he received 33 games in the Premier League.
• Emre Can. The first season at Liverpool ran back at 20 years old – Rogers immediately entrusted 27 league matches.
• Jüri Tielemans. With Puel played 13 Premier League games, in the first full season Rogers – 37.
• Harvey Barnes. At the age of 21, he clocked 36 games in the championship.

Manchester United -2021/22 is played by 20-year-old Mason Greenwood, 21-year-old Jadon Sancho and seven footballers aged 22-25.Over the course of his career, Rogers has pushed and developed young players – and will certainly help the Manchester players.

To summarize, Rogers is the best candidate for a coaching position at Manchester United. Brendan is a concept coach who loves tactical flexibility and is ready for a fresh take on a top club based on his success at Leicester. The Irishman is adept at working with players on an individual level and helping young people. Finally, the coach has a mid-season appointment experience and a Premier League background – an important advantage over rival Zinedine Zidane for a spot in Manchester.

The only problem is that after being defeated by Chelsea, Rogers said he wanted to stay at Leicester. “MJ” needs to be pushed.

While United is looking for a new coach, Michael Carrick is leading the team. The Englishman’s problem is a modest experience, like that of other former assistants to Solskjaer. Perhaps Ole was fired by Point xG. What if Manchester United management was inspired by the release of new coaches in Europe?

All text digits are taken from UnderStat and FBRef.

Football

FIFA has announced the players and coaches nominated for The Best

YESTERDAY At 20:24

English Championship

Solskjaer cried in a farewell interview after leaving Manchester United

11/22/2021 At 06 : 03

Recognition of weak players

Recognizing weak players

Given that our main profit comes from the fish, it is extremely important to quickly identify these opponents. There are many different signs that you can call someone a bad player.

The main signs of a bad player

Limps :
Basically, a good player should never limp. This is the simplest pointer that you can start using right away with an isolation raise.

Min-raises :
Except in special situations (preflop against short stacked players or postflop in big pots), there is nothing good about min-raises postflop.

Preflop statistics :
High VPIP, low PFR, large gap between VPIP and PFR, high cold-call percentage, low 3-bet percentage, showdown too often, very low win at showdown (indicates that the opponent is “phone”), too high win on showdown (indicates that you will be able to bluff him often), strange indicators of aggression (for example, on the flop 3.0, on the turn 1.3, and on the river 4.0).

Hands at showdown :
Watch out for hands you didn’t play for bad hands.

Side Signs of a Bad Player

Disabled option “automatic setting of blinds” :
If your opponent hesitates every round with the posting of the blind, then he, apparently, does not even know about this function. This is probably an inexperienced player.

Partial stack :
Most good players are bought full stack, so if you notice that someone is incomplete (but not a professional shortstack), then they are probably a weak player.However, some decent players buy for a stack equal to the fish’s chips, so as not to lose more in the game with strong opponents. Thus, you should pay attention to this circumstance – it is likely that there is a fish at the table, since the regular plays with such a stack.

Chatting a lot :
Most strong players keep their emotions in check, preferring not to express them in chat. In addition, they simply do not have enough time for this.

Summing up, it should be noted that you need to constantly keep in mind all these signs that determine the weak players. As soon as you recognize a fish, instantly mark it with a color (almost all poker rooms have this feature) and describe the factor behind this conclusion.

90,000 Bayern fans: “Potentially, Dynamo is stronger than Benfica and even the current Barcelona

The Germans were pleased with the result of the match against Dynamo, but noted that the quality of the game leaves much to be desired.Also, many admitted that the referee should have put a penalty on Buyalsky and were surprised that even VAR did not notice the violation in this episode.

In general, the fans of “Bayern” noted that they were waiting for a difficult match, and when they saw the snow, they realized that it would be even more difficult. They are happy that the team won, but disappointed with the next injuries and the weak play of the reservists. In “Dynamo” Shaparenko and, to a lesser extent, Tsygankov were noted, who caused a lot of problems for the defense of “Bavaria”. The Germans also praised Dynamo, which has finally shown that it can play attacking football.

Oliver : Lewandowski’s spectacular goal and Neuer’s equally spectacular miss. Perhaps this is the only thing worth discussing in this match. “Dynamo” really wanted to at least play a draw, but the level of their players is too low even to cope with our substitutes. But the reserve players of “Bavaria” showed why the club needs to seriously think about the transfer policy and stop taking it is not clear who, in the hope that these players will someday grow into high-class players.

Markus : The arbiter didn’t judge very well today. It seemed that he sympathized with “Bayern” and this is wrong. The penalty was rather into our goal, but it’s strange that even the VAR referees didn’t see anything. In any case, “Bavaria” should not be helped, we are capable of winning anyway. Especially for opponents of this level.

Hidde: Dynamo liked Shaparenko, a nice player. There is a technique, a vision of the field, he is not greedy with transfers. But it lacks confidence and courage.He could have been taken to Bayern, a good player could have grown out of him. At Dynamo, he probably reached the ceiling. Tsygankov also showed himself well. Something like Yarmolenko.

Krystian: I hope that we will never see Bayern again in this line-up, especially the second half is worth mentioning. Unfortunately, the reservists showed their worst side. Many mistakes, little creativity. This is not the level that suits Bayern.

Jeffe : The quality of the game is poor.I think that the quick goal, cold and snowy weather, as well as the lack of real motivation affected. After the second goal, it was clear that there would be no intrigue in the match. And then there’s the injury we hoped to avoid. The Ukrainians made us happy in the second half. At least it was interesting to watch football.

Hamza: Most memorable is Neuer’s epic miss. It seems that he was trying to help Dynamo score the first goal in the Champions League. Played surprisingly poorly today.Constantly hitting the ball at Dynamo players. I have not seen so many mistakes from Neuer in one match for a long time.

Elf: Potentially Dynamo is stronger than Benfica and even the current Barcelona. If they had played more daring football, they would have taken second place in the group without any problems. It is surprising that the coach of “Dynamo” puts buses in every match, having excellent attacking players. Lucescu has always seemed to me to be an overrated coach who is very far from top specialists.

Lamp: Initially it was clear that the game would be mediocre.The team has already secured a place in the playoffs, problems with the line-up, unfavorable weather and not a very good field. The victory was in the class. It’s just a pity that injuries were not avoided again. “Dynamo” finally remembered that they need to score.

Kamel: Dynamo can play attacking football. Of course, today, and “Bavaria” played poorly in defense, but I was surprised by the Ukrainians. Why didn’t they play like that in previous matches? And then it was impossible to watch their game in Munich, this is anti-football.Today, it was as if another team entered the field.

Froki: It seems that Bayern is constantly playing on the “both will score” bet. For a long time they left Dynamo players on the flanks and let them feel free there. The goal was brewing, so no one was surprised that we conceded again. Here you should rather be glad that you missed only once. It could have ended much worse, the Ukrainians had scoring chances, but fortunately they do not have enough good players to realize these chances.

Julian : Despite all the criticism today, the team should be commended. In the end, we won against a highly motivated opponent, while facing more problems and injuries, and the match took place at low temperatures on a bad field. Although we were practically the first in the group, we still won. Respect for the team!

Karvinen: Fortunately, we still won, but we could have gotten three points much more easily. After the second goal, it was as if we stopped and invited the Ukrainians to score the first goal of the season.And they happily went to attack. But at the same time we “forgot” to launch counterattacks. One of Bayern’s worst wins this season.

Ralz : Bayern played even better in the drifts than when the snow was cleared. Seriously, the second half turned out to be a failure. Dynamo deserved to play a draw today, but they simply do not have players who can score a goal. If Dynamo had Lewandowski or Coman, the Ukrainians would have won the match.

Gladiator: Thank you Dynamo for playing attacking football and making our defense work hard.To be honest, after the second goal our team stopped and this is wrong. If Dynamo players were a little more accurate or of a higher level, they would have played a draw. And that’s at least. At “Bavaria,” one can only praise Lewandowski, Coman and Davis. Neuer played surprisingly poorly.

Justin: Bayern played 50% of their capacity. Someone was saving energy, someone was afraid of being injured on such a bad field, and someone simply did not have the motivation. Unfortunately, we do not have a normal reserve.And this is the main conclusion after the match. And so, a regular victory in the class against a weaker opponent. I think that even if Dynamo equalized the score, Bayern would have no problem to go ahead and score the third goal.

Mannan : There are many arguments in favor of such a weak game: coronavirus, problems within the team, an away game in cold Ukraine, super-high motivation of the opponent, as well as the lack of real motivation for Bayern. These are all objective reasons. But what I cannot understand and accept, because this is such a weak game after the second goal.You win 2-0 and you must control the course of the match. Instead, constant mistakes on the defensive, Neuer’s terrible play, weak offensive play. As if in the second half came not “Bavaria”, and “Augsburg”, which hoped to somehow keep the winning result.

Yuskai: The usual victory for Bayern, when there is no particular motivation. Nobody will remember such a game, of course. They will talk and forget about 30 minutes after the match. What is there to discuss? “Dynamo” really needed to win, and they woke up only after the second goal.And even then, rather, “Bavaria” fell asleep or froze.

Avalos: Weak defensive play stems from the fact that over the past years Bayern have lost many players who know how to link defense and attack. Wingers are good, but we need a player of the level of Thiago, Kroos, Xabi Alonso, and so on. A person who will stop other people’s attacks and disperse ours. For some reason, “Bavaria” began to freely let go of these players and not look for a replacement. Müller and Goretzka are players of a different plan.

Wiesel: It’s scary to imagine what will happen when Lewandowski stops scoring. Now the whole “Bavaria” is based on this player. But how much more is left for him to play at this level: a year or two? What’s next? I don’t see anyone who could replace Lewandowski and this is sad. We will not be able to buy Holland, and there are no other players of this kind in Europe.

Pirza: Nagelsmann noted after Tsygankov’s game, but we have enough wingers in our team. But I liked Shaparenko much more.And such a footballer of “Bayern” would be very helpful. The guy keeps the ball at his feet and moves perfectly across the field. He has great talent and at Bayern he could continue to develop. That’s just how much Dynamo wants for him? A player of the level of Shaparenko costs 40-50 million euros.

Rajaun: We played at the same level as in the match against Augsburg. The difference is that today it was enough to win, as the opponent was very weak. And in the Bundesliga, even outsiders would take advantage of our defensive failures.Therefore, it can be noted that “Bayern” go to the playoffs from the first place, but with such a game we are definitely not favorites in the Champions League.

Football news from Russia, Europe and the world 11/23/2021

Byshovets about the unwillingness of coach Vernidub to work in Russia: this is an expression of patriotism

A native of Kiev, former head coach of the USSR national football team Anatoly Byshovets told RIA Novosti that he understands the patriotic position of the Ukrainian specialist Yuri Vernidub, but sport should be separated from politics.

The head of the Moldovan “Sheriff” Vernidub on Nobel Arustamian’s YouTube channel said on Tuesday that he would not consider options for working in Russia. In the current Champions League, Sheriff beat Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk. During his football career, Vernidub played for Zenit St. Petersburg in 1997-2000.

“My family and I do not separate ourselves from Ukraine and our ancestors, there are no former Kievites,” Byshovets said. “And, of course, we empathize with what is happening in Ukraine.It’s hard to get over the fact that there is a war going on and people are dying. There are circumstances and this, apparently, caused some decisions. You can sacrifice your principles, but not when your loved ones suffer. I think that the words of Yuri Vernidub are sincere in terms of the expression of patriotism. I know his human qualities, but his views are a personal matter. But I think that sometimes circumstances play an important role. “

” You can follow strict principles and sacrifice yourself, but why risk your loved ones? Nobody will do it, – added the interlocutor.- Vernidub’s position on Ukraine is clear to me and nothing else can be expected. A Ukrainian, like a Russian, cannot fail to be a patriot. I think this is a human position, but there are certain circumstances for this. This is an expression of patriotism. But I don’t think it should be about sports. ”

The ex-head coach of Zenit noted that Vernidub as a player made a significant contribution to the formation of the team.

“ When I coached Zenit, Vernidub played a big role – noted Byshovets.- This is due to his professionalism and the fact that the aura in the team united the players. I watched his work in Luhansk and how he works at Sheriff. I have the satisfaction of what he does. ”

RMC Sport: Lyon court sentenced a fan to a suspended sentence for throwing a bottle at Payette

Lyon Criminal Court sentenced a fan who threw a bottle at Marseille footballer Dimitri Payet during a match championship of France with “Lyon”, to six months probation for two years, according to RMC Sport.In addition, the court banned the fan from visiting Lyon’s home stadium for five years. The prosecutor requested six months in prison. The defense side said that they were satisfied with the outcome of the case. The incident occurred on Sunday at the start of Matchday 14 of League 1. During a corner kick, a Lyon fan threw a bottle that hit Payette in the head. The referee decided to interrupt the meeting and take the teams to the locker rooms. The game has not been resumed. The stewards detained the fan and handed him over to the police, he was taken into custody.Earlier, the French Professional Football League (LFP) announced the temporary closure of the stands of the Lyon stadium for spectators after the incident with Payette. The LFP has opened an investigation into the episode. The final decision on the issue will be made on December 8.

Daniele De Rossi left the Italian national football team and will continue to work in the youth teams

Former Roma captain and 2006 world champion Daniele De Rossi, who until recently was part of the coaching staff of the Italian national team, will continue to work in the youth national teams, according to the official website of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).The professional who left the coaching staff of Roberto Mancini to complete the training course for a coaching license of category A, will be the technical coach of youth teams aged 15 to 20 years. De Rossi joined the coaching staff of the first team in March, having signed a contract until the end of the European Championship, in which the Italian team won gold medals. De Rossi is the 2006 World Champion and the 2012 UEFA European Championship finalist with the Italian national team. De Rossi spent almost his entire football career at Roma, for which he played from 2002 to 2019 and with which he won two Italian Cups (2007, 2008).Before retiring, the midfielder played one season at Boca Juniors and won the Argentine Championship.

Rubin CEO Saimanov: satisfied with the results of the first round, Slutsky has full carte blanche

Rubin Kazan CEO Rustem Saimanov said he was pleased with the team’s results in the first half of the Russian football championship. After 15 rounds, “Rubin” under the leadership of head coach Leonid Slutsky scored 22 points and is ranked eighth in the standings of the Russian Premier League (RPL).”Yes, I am satisfied with the results of the first round. I always want more, but I am satisfied. In principle, these intermediate results fit into our strategy for this year. Of course, Leonid Viktorovich has complete carte blanche, of course, he has complete confidence in him,” Saimanov in an interview with a RIA Novosti correspondent. Slutsky has been working at Rubin since December 2019.

The Danish national football team has become a nominee for the FIFA Fair Play prize for helping Eriksen

Football players, members of the medical staff and staff of the Danish national team have become nominees for the FIFA Fair Play prize at the end of 2021, according to the official website of the International Football Federation.

FIFA noted the behavior of the team’s players, staff and medics during the heart attack incident of national team captain Christian Eriksen during the UEFA EURO 2020 match against Finland (0-1). As noted in the release, doctors saved the life of a fainted footballer by doing artificial respiration. Eriksen’s teammates covered him with themselves from prying eyes and video cameras.

Italian coach Claudio Ranieri, who coached Sampdoria last season, asked the Genoese players to organize an honorary corridor for Inter Milan players.The club won the Italian Champions Cup after playing against Sampdoria.

The third nominee for the Fair Play prize was Scottish captain Scott Brown. He wrote a letter of encouragement to Rangers footballer Glenn Kamara following the racially motivated story of Slavia Prague player Ondřej Kudela.

FIFA has also announced the top three contenders for The Best FIFA Fan Award. The first nominees were the fans of the national teams of Denmark and Finland.They supported Eriksen following the incident during the EURO opening match and held a roll call in the stands in his honor.

The second contenders are German football fans who organized a fundraiser, food and other relief supplies for the flood victims in Germany in July. The third contender was 11-year-old England cheerleader Imogen Pavorth-Heidel. She organized a flash mob that raised more than £ 7 million to support workers who have suffered serious losses during the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns in the country.

Zenit in Sweden defeated Malmö in the UEFA Youth League group stage match

Zenit St. Petersburg players beat Swedish Malmö away in the UEFA Youth League group stage match (players under 19). The meeting of Group H, which took place on Tuesday in Malmö, ended with a score of 3: 1 in favor of the guests. The winners were scored by Alexander Sandarchuk (60th minute), Roni Mikhailovsky (66) and Kirill Khvastukhin (87). The match of the youth team was watched by the head coach of Zenit Sergei Semak.Zenit won a second victory in five group matches, again beating Malmo.

Rustem Saimanov: Shatov will continue his career after a break, I’m sure

Rubin’s general director Rustem Saimanov expressed confidence that footballer Oleg Shatov will continue his professional career after the break. Shatov, 31, last week terminated his contract with Rubin and announced that he was suspending his career. “He suspended his career, so, of course, he will continue it. No, we did not agree that he would continue it with us, he himself will decide where he will continue it.If he decides with us, then with us, if in another place, then in another place. It was this conversation that we had after he announced the decision. I hope that he will play, I am almost sure of that, “Saimanov said in an interview with RIA Novosti. “Zenith” will be difficult to get points in the away meeting with Swedish “Malmö”, forward Artem Dziuba is too slow to score in the Champions League, former head coach of “blue-white-blue” Vlastimil Petrzhela told RIA Novosti.“Zenith” on Tuesday will play on the road with “Malmö” in the match of the fifth round of the group stage of the Champions League. The game will start at 23:00 Moscow time. After four rounds, the Petersburgers have three points, they are in third place in the group. Loser of four matches, “Malmö” is ranked fourth. “I think Malmö is the favorite. The game will take place in Sweden, it is very difficult for all opponents to oppose Malmö away. They are very good at home. I think that a draw will be a great result for Zenit. a point is good.“Zenith” looks very good in the Russian championship, but in the Champions League does not achieve almost anything. In Sweden there will be a completely different match, there will be no such game as with “Malmö” in St. Petersburg. “Malmö” will play differently, so I have doubts, “- said Petrzela. The Czech specialist noted that he was skeptical about the possible appearance of Dziuba in the main squad of“ Zenith. ”“ As for Dziuba, then, of course, he needs to show himself in Sweden. But it is easier for him to play in the Russian championship. In the Champions League, when he has to show his skills, it is more difficult for him.I’m afraid he’ll be slow if he plays. He’s slow in the Champions League. In any case, we will root for Zenit today, “Petrzhela noted.

The RFU ESC considers it a mistake Kukulyak’s decision not to remove Zainutdinov in the Sochi-CSKA match

Chief arbiter of the 14th round match of the Russian Premier League (RPL) Between Sochi and CSKA, he made a mistake by not removing the army player Baktiyor Zainutdinov from the field in the second half, according to the expert referee commission (ESC) under the president of the Russian Football Union (RFU).The meeting “Sochi” – CSKA took place on the Black Sea team’s field on November 6 and ended with the score 4: 1 in favor of the hosts. The main referee of the match was Evgeniy Kukulyak. The episode with violation of the rules by Zainutdinov, which, in the opinion of the ESC, should have ended with the removal of the soldier, occurred at the 63rd minute, the appeal to the ESC came from the Sochi club. “The decision of the ESC is motivated by the fact that the attacking CSKA player Baktiyor Zainutdinov, having entered a single combat for the ball with an opponent in a high jump at speed, made a knee contact to the opponent’s head.This could jeopardize the safety of an opponent with the possibility of serious head injury. The CSKA player sees his opponent well and did nothing to avoid this contact in the head, “- says the commission’s report published on the official website of the RFU.

Anatoly Byshovets: Spartak can beat Napoli in the Europa League

Moscow “Spartak” against the background of progress in the game and problems with the opponent has reason to count on victory in the group stage match of the Europa League with Italian “Napoli”, former head coach of the USSR and Russian national football teams Anatoly Byshovets told RIA Novosti.

Match of the fifth round of the group stage will take place on Wednesday in Moscow. In the second round, Spartak won 3: 2 in Naples.

“Spartak” has already won against “Napoli”, and tomorrow we need a victory, – said Byshovets. – The defeat of the opponent in the Italian championship and the problems with Insigne, the best player and the team captain (who will not play in Moscow), give grounds for optimism and the chances of winning. “Spartak” looked quite convincing in the match with “Krasnodar” in terms of physical readiness.And glimpses of the game were already visible, which put aside the hopelessness that worried before. “

” And the extension of the coach (Rui Vitoria) until the end of the winter part of the Russian championship confirms this, – said the agency’s interlocutor. – The game with Krasnodar showed that certain changes have taken place within the team. And the situation with the coach, perhaps, somehow united the Spartak players.

The expert believes that a lot will be determined by the strategy chosen by the management of the Italian club.

“How important is it for Napoli to continue playing in the Europa League and how will it affect the fight for the Scudetto?” Byshovets continued. the weather will also play a role – in favor of the Spartak team. I watched the match between the youth teams of Russia and Spain and saw that it was quite difficult to adapt to the cold. I did not recognize the Spanish national team – however, against the background of our well-played team. ”

Sergei Semak is present at the match between Zenit youth and Malmo in the UEFA Youth League

Zenit head coach Sergei Semak, together with the coaching staff, attended the match of the St. Petersburg club’s youth team in the UEFA Youth League against Malmo, Sweden. site “blue-white-blue”.Zenit meet on Tuesday against Malmö in the UEFA Youth League group stage. After the first half the score is 0: 0. The main team “Zenith” on Tuesday will play on the road with “Malmo” in the match of the fifth round of the group stage of the Champions League. The game will start at 23:00 Moscow time. After four rounds, the Petersburgers have 3 points, they are in third place in the group. Loser of four matches, “Malmö” is ranked fourth.

“Sheriff” coach explained why he would not work in Russia: Ukraine gave me everything

Head coach of Moldavian “Sheriff” Yuri Vernidub said that he would not consider working in Russia.In the current Champions League, Sheriff beat Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk. “Am I considering options with work in Russia? No. Since 2013–2014, no. This is my right, my choice. I don’t want to talk a lot about it. Firstly, I would never have done this, because I was born in Ukraine. And this country gave me everything that I have at the moment. I am very grateful to her, and I love her very much. And I am ready to go for it to the end. I will never have a different opinion. And secondly , my father, who no longer exists, would never have understood this.That’s all, “- said Vernidub in a video on Nobel Arustamyan’s YouTube channel. During his playing career, Vernidub played for Zenit St. Petersburg from 1997 to 2000.

Napoli forward Victor Osimkhen was fractures of the facial bones

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen underwent surgery for multiple fractures of the facial bones and will miss about 90 days, according to the website of the Italian football club. Osimhen was injured on Sunday in the Italian championship match with Inter (2: 3) hitting heads with Nerazzurri defender Milan Shkrinjar.It is noted that the Nigerian is doing well, in the coming days he will be under the supervision of doctors. Osimhen due to injury will miss including the Europa League match with Moscow “Spartak”, which will be held on Wednesday in Russia. The Nigerian forward is Napoli’s top scorer this season, with nine goals in 14 appearances.

Inter players Sanchez and De Vrey will not play against Shakhtar in the Champions League due to injuries

Defender Stefan de Vrey and forward Alexis Sanchez will not be able to help Inter in the Champions League group stage match against Shakhtar Donetsk “said the head coach of the Milan club Simone Inzaghi.

Inter on Wednesday will host Shakhtar in the fifth round of the Champions League group stage. On Sunday, the Milan club beat Napoli for the first time in a Serie A 3-2 season.

“On Sunday it was a difficult match, some problems arose. In particular, (Nikola) Barella and (Joaquin) Correa asked for substitutions. (Hakan) Chalhanoglu received a yellow card at the end of the first half, and with the score 3: 1 I also solved it Knowing that (Edin) Dzeko had recently experienced difficulties and had not played, and (Martin) Satriano was disqualified, I kept these circumstances in my head.Tomorrow we will definitely not see the injured de Vrey and Sanchez on the field, but we are counting on everyone else. Let’s see how the recovery goes, “Shakhtar’s website quotes Inzaghi.

Inter, with 7 points, is second in the Champions League group. Shakhtar are on the last line of the quartet with 1 point. The first meeting of the teams September 28 in Kiev ended in a draw – 0: 0.

“Tomorrow is very important for the club and the fans, because one of the main tasks has to be solved.When I came to Inter, at the first press conference, one of the goals I set was to return to the 1/8 finals of the Champions League. The game with Shakhtar is in many ways decisive for us, since in the last round we are going to travel to Madrid and I would not like to postpone the task for this game. But Shakhtar are also a high-level opponent who can put us in a difficult position. We are preparing for the fight in the most thorough way, “the coach added.

Leipzig coach Marsh and goalkeeper Gulachi will miss the match with Club Brugge due to coronavirus

Leipzig head coach Jesse Marsh and team goalkeeper Peter Gulachi have tested positive for coronavirus, according to the website of the German football club.Marsh and Gulachi are isolated and will miss the Champions League group stage round 5 away match against Belgium’s Club Brugge on Wednesday. Marsh’s assistant, Leipzig coach Marco Kurt also did not go to the game due to a case of coronavirus infection in his family. The Leipzig press service notes that all players and staff of the club are either vaccinated or have been ill with COVID-19. Instead of Marsh, coach Achim Bayerlorzer will be in charge of Leipzig in the match against Club Brugge. Leipzig are last in Group A of the Champions League with 1 point, Club Brugge are third with 4 points.

Vitoria: “Napoli” will show a serious game with “Spartak” from the first minutes, it will be difficult

Players of “Spartak” will face a strong rival in the group stage match of the Europa League in the person of Italian “Napoli”, the head coach of the Moscow team Rui Vitoria said. Spartak will host Napoli in the fifth round of the Europa League group stage on Wednesday. “In the last game (in the Russian championship against“ Krasnodar ”- 1: 2, – approx.) We showed not the best result, now we want to give a good answer.Everyone is ready to play. We had very good chances against Krasnodar. Only small nuances led to defeat. We will continue to work. As for Napoli, we will face a very strong opponent. They play seriously from the first minutes, there will be a difficult meeting. We need to concentrate on the game, because any minor nuances can lead to a difficult situation at the gate, “Vitoria told reporters. In the second round of the Europa League, Spartak defeated the Italian team away with a score of 3: 2.“We were the first team to beat Napoli. I admire the opposition’s performance. This is a very strong team of the highest level. The level of play will be high. We need to be concentrated,” added the coach. “Napoli” after four rounds is in the lead in group C, gaining seven points. The second place is taken by the Polish “Legia” (6), the third – the English “Leicester” (5). “Spartak” (4) takes the last line.

Rui Vitoria: Hendrix has already started training, we hope for an early return

Spartak footballer Jorrit Hendrix recovered from his injury and returned to training, head coach of the Moscow team Rui Vitoria told reporters.In early November, the Dutch midfielder dropped out due to Achilles tendon inflammation. Spartak will host Italy’s Napoli in the fifth round of the Europa League group stage on Wednesday. “(Ruslan) Litvinov and (Zelimkhan) Bakaev will be able to play tomorrow and help us against Napoli. As for Hendrix, he has already started working on the field. We hope to see him back soon,” Vitoria said. “Napoli” after four rounds is in the lead in group C, gaining 7 points. The second place is taken by the Polish “Legia” (6), the third – the English “Leicester” (5).“Spartak” (4) takes the last, fourth place.

Rui Vitoria on a possible resignation from Spartak: my mission is to prepare the team for a new game

Head coach of Spartak Moscow Rui Vitoria, answering a question about a possible resignation, admitted that he works in his position with great love for the club … The Portuguese specialist took over Spartak in May 2021. The Red-Whites are in tenth place in the Russian Premier League (RPL) standings after 15 rounds. On Wednesday, the team will host Napoli in the 5th round of the Europa League group stage.“From the first day I have been working here with great love for the club. My mission is to prepare the team for the next game. The future is what will happen tomorrow. his possible retirement.

Spartak player Nail Umyarov: we are motivated by the fact that we have not won for a month and a half

The football players of Spartak Moscow for the Europa League match against Italian Napoli are motivated by a series of no wins lasting a month and a half, said the red-and-white midfielder “Nail Umyarov.Spartak will host Napoli in the fifth round of the Europa League group stage on Wednesday. “We are all professionals, we are preparing from game to game. We are in a positive mood. We want to win,” Umyarov said at a press conference. of course, it inspires hope. It’s good that we achieved a result there. We will try to achieve it here as well. ” In the second round of the Europa League, Spartak defeated the Italian team at a party with a score of 3: 2.

Rui Vitoria: if Spartak needs to talk to Tedesco, then we will “. Spartak will host Napoli in the 5th round of the Europa League group stage on Wednesday. Earlier, the head of the press service of the “red-white” Dmitry Zelenov said that Tedesco is a welcome guest at the Spartak arena at any time.“I only think that we need to prepare the team for a serious match. If we (with Tedesco) need to talk, we will do it,” Vitoria said at a press conference.

Dembele and Dest can help Barcelona in the game against Benfica

Barcelona footballers Ousmane Dembele and Serginho Dest have recovered from injuries and can play in the Champions League match with Portuguese Benfica, according to the website of the Spanish football club. Barcelona announced on November 4 that Dembele and Dest were retired indefinitely due to injuries.Dembele has played only one match for Barcelona this season, Dest had 13 meetings. The Champions League match Barcelona – Benfica will take place on Tuesday in Spain and will start at 23:00 Moscow time.

Spalletti said that Russian football has much to strive for

Russian football has much to strive for in comparison with European, as well as Italian, said the former head coach of Zenit St. Petersburg Luciano Spalletti, now heading Napoli. On Wednesday, “Napoli” in Moscow in the Europa League match will play with Moscow “Spartak”.“As for the level of Russian football, if we compare it with European, then there is always something to strive for, as well as Italian. Here we have a lot of similarities. There are very strong teams in Russia, but in general, if we are talking about the general level, there is where strive, “Spalletti said at a press conference. “Napoli” after four rounds is in the lead in group C, gaining 7 points. The second place is taken by the Polish “Legia” (6), the third – the English “Leicester” (5). “Spartak” (4) takes the last, fourth place.”We do not want to postpone the issue of reaching the playoffs for the next round, we want to solve it now,” Spalletti said.

Napoli footballer Juan: cold weather will not affect the game with Spartak

Cold weather will not create problems for Napoli footballers in the Europa League match with Spartak Moscow, said Italian club defender Juan Jesus. “Napoli” on Wednesday will play on the road with “Spartak” in the fifth round of the group stage of the Europa League. The Italian club is leading in Group C with 7 points.The second place is taken by the Polish “Legia” (6), the third – the English “Leicester” (5). Spartak (4) is in last place. “I have played in Russia several times. I don’t think the weather will have any effect. We will warm up well and there will be no problems. The important thing is how we play. We want to win and secure our way to the next round as soon as possible.” – said Juan Jesus at a press conference.

Carrera: “Spartak” has already proved that it is possible to stop “Napoli”

Former head coach of the Moscow football club “Spartak” Massimo Carrera told RIA Novosti that the “red and white” have already proved that it is possible to stop the Italian “Napoli”.The Europa League group stage match will take place on Wednesday in Moscow. The upcoming meeting will not play the top scorer “Napoli” Victor Osimhen, who received multiple fractures of the facial bones in the 13th round match of the Italian championship with Milan “Inter”, held on Sunday. “It will be a tough match. Spartak have already proven that you can stop Napoli. In the second round of the Europa League, “Spartak” achieved a strong-willed victory over “Napoli” away with a score of 3: 2.After four matches, the Neapolitan club with 7 points is in the lead in Group C. Spartak (4 points) is in last place.

Napoli striker Lorenzo Insigne will miss the match with Spartak

Napoli striker Lorenzo Insigne will miss the match of the fifth round of the Europa League group stage with Spartak Moscow, according to the website of the Italian football club. Insigne did not fly to Moscow due to tendinopathy of the right knee. Earlier it became known that the team’s top scorer Viktor Osimhen and defender Andre-Frank Zambo-Angissa will miss the game against Spartak due to injuries.Neapolitan footballers Alessandro Zanoli and Matteo Politano are on self-isolation due to the coronavirus. The Europa League Group C match between Spartak and Napoli will take place on Wednesday in Moscow and will start at 18:30 Moscow time. In the first meeting of the teams, held in Naples on September 30, the “red-white” won 3: 2. Insigne has scored five goals in 15 appearances for Napoli this season.

PSG have included Sergio Ramos in the squad for the match against Manchester City

French football club Paris Saint-Germain have included Spanish defender Sergio Ramos in the squad for the first time.PSG on the official website has published a list of players who will travel to England for the Champions League group stage match with Manchester City. Ramos, who joined the Parisian club in July as a free agent, has not yet made his debut for the new club due to injury. Last week, the 35-year-old Spaniard began training in the general group. Manchester City will host PSG in Matchday 5 of Group A in the Champions League on Wednesday. The British lead the group with 9 points, the French club is the second (8 points).

Ibrahimovic admitted that he deliberately hit Azpilicueta

Striker of the Swedish national team and Milan Zlatan Ibrahimovic said that he deliberately hit the football player of the Spanish team Cesar Azpilicueta in the World Cup qualifying match. On November 14, the Spanish national team defeated the Swedish team with a score of 1: 0 and directly qualified for the World Cup. During the game, Ibrahimovic stabbed Azpilicueta in the back. The Swede received a yellow card and will miss the first play-off match for the right to play at the World Cup in Qatar.”I did it on purpose. I’m not ashamed to say it because he acted stupidly towards our player. It was stupid, but I would still do the same so that he understands – you shouldn’t do that, you won’t have enough the courage to do it against me, but I will show you what will happen if you do it to me, “- quoted by Ibrahimovic Guardian. “It was not a very good thing on my part, but I would have done it anyway. It’s not that I miss the play-off. The point is for the guy to understand that you can’t mock someone who fell.Do not attack a dog that cannot answer. Attack someone who can do something. It’s too easy to hurt my teammates, they are 20 years old, they are very kind guys. Hope he understands now. I did a stupid thing, but I will do it again, 100% “, – said the Swedish footballer. The draw for the play-off matches for the right to go to the World Cup will take place on November 26.

Spartak said that they are always waiting for Tedesco at the team’s matches

Former the head coach of Spartak Moscow, Domenico Tedesco, can come to the team’s stadium at any time, Dmitry Zelenov, head of the press service of the Moscow football club, told RIA Novosti, commenting on the possible appearance of a German at the Europa League match against Italian Napoli.”Tedesco is a welcome guest at our stadium. He can come whenever he wants and always count on a warm welcome. We are waiting for Domenico to play in the presidential box,” Zelenov said. Spartak will host Napoli in the fifth round of the Europa League group stage on Wednesday.

Portuguese Dias will judge Lokomotiv and Lazio in the Europa League match

Portuguese referee Artur Dias will work in the match of the fifth round of the Europa League group stage between Lokomotiv Moscow and Lazio Rome, according to the UEFA website.The meeting of the teams will take place on Thursday in Moscow. Lokomotiv is fourth in Group E with two points, Lazio is second with five points. Turkish Galatasaray is in the lead in this quartet with eight points. Dias will be assisted by the referee’s assistants – Rui Tavares, Paulo Soares, the video assistant referee – João Pinheiro, the video assistant referee assistant – Tiago Martins, the fourth referee – Hugu Miguel (all – Portugal).

Sergei Ivanov has been appointed for the Europa League match between Rapid and West Ham

The Russian team of referees led by Sergei Ivanov has been appointed for the Europa League match between Vienna Rapid and London West Ham, according to the UEFA website.Group H’s fifth round meeting will take place on Thursday in the Austrian capital. Together with Ivanov, his compatriots will work at the game: assistant referee – Roman Usachev, Valery Danchenko, video assistant to the referee – Vitaly Meshkov, video assistant assistant – Vladimir Moskalev, fourth referee – Vladislav Bezborodov.

The media told how much Manchester United will have to pay PSG for the transfer of Pochettino

English football club Manchester United will have to pay French Paris Saint-Germain compensation in the amount of about 10 million pounds (about 12 million euros) for the transfer of the head coach of the Parisians Mauricio Pochettino, according to the Mirror.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left the post of Manchester United head coach on Saturday. According to media reports, the management of the English club wants to see Pochettino in this post. In addition to him, the list of candidates includes Brendan Rogers (Leicester) and Eric ten Hag (Ajax). Pochettino took over at PSG in early January, and in July the Argentinian extended his contract with the club until the summer of 2023. To get the Argentine coach now “Manchester United” need to pay the Parisians compensation in the amount of about 10 million pounds, if the English club decides to wait until the summer, the amount will be almost halved.If Pochettino leaves, Zinedine Zidane may become the new head coach of the Parisians. According to Marca, the PSG players are already discussing the appearance of the ex-coach of Real Madrid in the team.

Defender Ivan Ordets signed a new contract with Moscow “Dynamo”

Ukrainian defender Ivan Ordets signed a new contract with Moscow “Dynamo” until the end of the 2023/24 season with the possibility of extending the agreement for one more year, according to the website of the football club. The 29-year-old’s previous contract expired in the summer of 2022.Ordets became a Dynamo footballer in the summer of 2019. During this time, he played 64 matches and scored five goals.

A life match for Semak. Why “Zenith” only needs a victory over “Malmo”

A RIA Novosti correspondent in the agency’s blog talks about why the game with “Malmo” in the Champions League will be decisive for the head coach of “Zenith”.

Sergei Semak came to Zenit in May 2018 and in three seasons led the team to the gold medals of the Russian Premier League three times. Skeptics say that with such a line-up as that of the “blue-white-blue”, any coach could dominate the Russian championship.Even someone from hockey, like Andrei Nazarov. Motivate strong players and prepare shelves for indoor trophies.

This completely ignores the fact that Mircea Lucescu and Roberto Mancini failed in Zenit before Semak, and Andre Villas-Boas, beloved by fans, in his last season became the third with Hulk, Axel Witsel and Esekiel Garay.

You can also remember that Semak started with uncontested Elmir Nabiullin on the left flank of the defense, Miha Mevley in the center of defense and Ernani in the center of the field.Doubtful kit for super composition.

Yaroslav Rakitsky, Vilmar Barrios and Serdar Azmun came only in the winter of 2019 and were the creatures of Semak’s headquarters. All cool Brazilians appeared in St. Petersburg already in the era of the current coach. In fact, it was Semak who put together the current superteam. Therefore, claims to his victories in the RPL look ridiculous. Yes, the coach took advantage of the great opportunities of the club, but for some reason his predecessors did not use it.

The problem is that the dominance in the RPL is not enough for the St. Petersburg fans.Seven goals against Spartak are pleasant exactly until you get four from Juventus in Turin.

Yes, the current “Zenith” is really inferior to “Chelsea” and “Juventus” in terms of capabilities, about the same as the conditional “Wings of the Soviets” are inferior to him. In London, Petersburgers looked like Samara on Krestovsky – they fought with all their might, showed good football, but in the end they still lost.

It is objectively early for Zenit to go to the Champions League playoffs – it will be a pleasure for two matches with a predictable ending.Even at the best of times, the “blue-white-blue” twice flew to the 1/8 finals of the main European tournament from “Benfica”.

At the same time, this season “Zenith” received a royal gift at the draw – from the fourth basket he got not someone like “Milan”, not an evil and collected “Sheriff” and not even “Young Boys”, but only “Malmö” “. Objectively, this is the weakest opponent of all possible.

The Swedes approached the fifth round with a load of four “dry” defeats, with a goal difference of 0:12 and a 0: 4 defeat from Zenit in St. Petersburg.In an amicable way, such passengers should be taken and beaten in class and without emotion.

True, the times of easy victories in Europe are already in the past for all our clubs. Yes, and “Zenith” Semak has a personal problem – in 15 away matches in Europe, the team scored zero victories. The most significant achievement is the draw with Lyon in September 2019. After her – seven defeats in a row, including 0: 3 from “Brugge” in a key game of the last Euroseason.

After home 4: 0 in the game with “Malmö” “Zenith” to reach the European Spring, most likely, will be enough and a draw or even defeat in less than four goals.It is unlikely that the Swedish club will be able to catch even a point in Turin. And the Petersburgers will have a chance to gain points in the game with the unmotivated Chelsea.

Just against the general background, another away defeat from the weakest opponent will look just awful. Why go to the Champions League if you can’t take all the points from the Swedes? What are the chances of advancement in the Europa League playoffs if there is no rival of the level of “Malmö”?

That is why the victory in Sweden is extremely important for Semak.For the peace of mind of the fans and the leadership, for the confidence of the players, for the foundation for the future, after all.

Gerrard has banned Aston Villa players from a number of products

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This is all the main news of Russian and world football for 23 November.

90,000 match highlights 19 November 2021

In fact, a duel of the base with yesterday’s youth team of Kiev, and at the same time a rehearsal before returning to the more difficult Champions League battles. The match, like the online broadcast of Chernomorets – Dynamo on Football 24, started at 19.30. Lucescu’s team, without the disqualified Sidorchuk, Zabarny and Shaparenko, sought to rehabilitate themselves after the first defeat in almost a year in the UPL. Odessans, the backbone of which are rented Dynamo, could boast of a 3-match unbeaten run before the reporting match. Another interesting point: in 2 previous away duels against the “sailors” the Kievites then still under the leadership of Khatskevich scored only 1 point.

Chernomorets – Dynamo: online broadcast of the UPL match

First hit in just 9 minutes.Shkurin and Buyalsky played well, Andrievsky banged from 20 meters past the gate. Dynamo began to enter the penalty area more actively after the first ten minutes, which it actually slept through. Shkurin is one of the main characters. Andrievsky famously threw almost into the goalkeeper’s room, Ilya shot higher from the summer. Bilovar, seen in the company of Igor Surkis’s daughter, firmly put his foot in the fight against Buyalsky. Further, the rented Dynamo player has already brought the moment to the gates of the citizens of Odessa. Shkurin picked up Christian’s unsuccessful discount, Buyalsky extended it, and Tsygankov shot the barbell from a few meters.

Dubli Vitinho and Buyalsky and Kulach’s debut goal in the video review of the match Chernomorets – Dynamo – 1: 6

“Sailors” snarl, but it does not come to blows. The fourth corner from Kiev in 24 minutes, however, from the standards of sharpness is still not enough – only a blocked shot by Kendzera, here Bilovar has already played reliably. The first blow of Chernomorets on the 26th. The ball was thrown up to Tlumak, and another player rented from Dynamo struck near the post. A couple of active outings by Karavaev.The people of Kiev, finally, began to spin combinations as fast as required. Odessans fought back with their last bit of strength, but Shakhtar’s ex-midfielder Vachiberadze threw Buyalsky under attack, and Vitaly did not forgive.

Another black-and-blue gift. The goalkeeper made a mistake when trying to start the attack with a short play through a pass, Vitinho was taken one on one with Varakuta – the goalkeeper helped out. Dynamo’s Kuzik gave a not very successful pass to Vachiberadze. Another loss under pressure. Shkurin rolls under attack, Vitinho effectively spins from outside the penalty area.The attacking triangle, actively supported by Buyalsky, does not raise any questions today. Another confirmation in the 37th minute. Vitinho and Shkurin issued a double. Tsygankov started off well and continued the attack, the Belarusian threw it forward, having issued 2 assist, the Brazilian already drove into the empty ones.

The second blow from Odessa brought a debut corner. Bugai earned, and after serving, he dropped the rented Dynamo player Isaenko to 5. The first hit of Chernomorets is the first goal. Buschan appealed for a very long time to some Sanya (apparently, Andrievsky), so that he would pay attention to the player to the right.I didn’t get through. K – concentration. The reservists of Lucescu did not show themselves in the best way – Andrievsky on the close stand and Shepelev released their players in the goalkeeper’s room. The last stroke of the first half – Dynamo hit 10. Buyalsky famously punched in touch after Karavaev’s pass at the tempo, but minimally twisted.

Nominal hosts changed pairs in midfield during half-time. Nikolay Mikhailenko and Sergey Kravchenko came out instead of Yuri Tlumak and Beka Vachiberadze. Garmash took the break instead of Shepelev.Instant punishment from Lucescu? Once again, the Kievites confused the “sailors” with their laces in the penalty area. Those knocked out for good luck, and there Garmash with his masterpiece cannon. A twisted super strike from 30 meters. Andrievsky sent a bomb in the style of Ronaldo from the time of Real Madrid from a free-kick – Varakuta barely parried.

Garmash earned a penalty after Buyalsky’s kick-off. VAR was checking the episode for a very long time, about 5 minutes. Dynamo legends in the stands no longer hold back their laughter, because this is some kind of parody. The hit in Kuzik’s hand was, why should it take so long to check? The offside was drawn only, but it is not noticeable either.They still do not allow to break through, Alexander Shandor still points to the mark. Third double of the match! After Shkurin’s assists and Vitinho’s goals, the Ukrainian Vitaliy also scored two goals.

Vitinho, and on the second floor he wins the fight after a corner kick, the goalkeeper parries, but on the far post they do not allow to finish. Buyalsky also makes an assist, but Kulach, who replaced Shkurin, loses the duel face to face with the goalkeeper. Kadiri becomes the 6th Dynamo player, appearing on the pitch in the form of Chornomorets.Replacement of Dubko, who belongs to Vorskli and is not very confident in the center of defense. Vitinho created a moment for Mikolenko’s strike – it was very close to 1: 6. This is the last action of the Brazilian, who lost his place on the field of De Penet. Antyukh replaced Tsygankov also in the 73rd minute. Biloshevsky replaced Bragara. Already 7 rented Dynamo players are in the game at the same time.

Lednev instead of Buyalsky on the 77th. Vitaly gave Garmash the captain’s armband, which he had inherited from Tsygankov. Dynamo’s game fell apart after the leaders were replaced.Chernomorets even ran out to counter. Biloshevsky passed, Mikhailenko missed the opportunity to shoot from several meters. In the next attack Lednev rolled back, De Pena served, Kulach scored his debut official goal for Dynamo. Lucescu is constantly shouting something to his players from the technical area. The Romanian coach does not allow the team to stop.

Antyukh throws from the right semi-flank, Garmash shoots from several meters, another goalkeeper save. Mikolenko prevented Lednev from hitting a little more accurately from the firing range.Bugai and Kravchenko did a good job from afar – higher. Kulach, even from offside, did not convert De Pena’s cross to a murderous position. Although the offside position was invented by the linesman. Garmash cut a pass to the forward of Dynamo across the entire field. Kadiri cleaned up and then did not let Lednev break through. Dynamo again beat Shakhtar by 3 points, but the Pitmen have a game in reserve with Rukh.

Children in the worst defense of the season fell apart, is anyone surprised?

Chernomorets had the penultimate results in all indicators in the defense sector.Only the conceded goals and conceded xG of Mariupol looked worse. After today’s game, Odessans are absolutely the worst. At the same time, Moroz’s team is in the top 6 in terms of the aggregate quality of created chances. Chernomorets made the task of Dynamo as easy as possible. For the first half an hour, Lucescu’s charges suffered even with their yesterday’s understudies. Then the inhabitants of Odessa began to attack in a disastrous way, playing from their own goal and giving balls to the leaders of the favorite attack.

Similarly, Vorskla almost trapped herself before the international break.Then there was enough class, experience and luck. Today, children’s mistakes suddenly opened the gates and scope for the people of Kiev. It is difficult to say what has influenced more here – much more intense pressure from champions or less reliability of the “sailors” redoubts. The game was actually done in 10 minutes. Today the residents of Odessa did not have a chance to survive. Although at a certain point in the attacks they ran out even better and looked like a more lively patient.

In addition, three of the four most expensive rented Dynamo players did not play, and the reason for their absence is a complete mystery.Was Dynamo so afraid of the presence of Tsitaishvili, Smirny and Vantukh, a trio worth 2.2 million euros according to Transfermarkt? Some kind of absurd situation. Both Shakhtar and Dynamo would only win if they played against the strongest versions of their “farms”. And the most promising talents from yesterday’s youth teams would also have won. But their bosses are so feuded for these guaranteed € 30-40 million from UEFA for the Champions League that they do not trust each other and are afraid even of their shadow. Consequently, one can only dream of a truly fair game.Good. However, let’s then, without excuses, that the weak level of the UPL interferes with our giants in the Champions League, ok?

Vitinho and Shkurin with unexpected achievements. Even Kulach scored, but Garmash on fire

The rival is the rival, however, some points need to be noted. Kiev was enchanting as it wanted. Garmash scored from 30 meters. Vitinho scored only the third double of goals scored in his career, also placing a beautiful can from afar. The 22-year-old Brazilian already has more goals than all of the team’s rated strikers combined (2v4 healthy players).Shkurin gave 2 pretty free assists and became … the best assistant in the Ukrainian Premier League. Olivier Till also has 5 assists, but much more playing time. Ilya made a rather ambiguous impression, like all Dynamo forwards, except … Garmash. Like Ramirez or Kulach, to say nothing of Supryaga, these goals and assists do not give an unequivocal guarantee either for the base or for the performance of higher tasks than beating modest teams from the UPL.

Lucescu’s casting continues, but every center loses the competition to the 31-year-old veteran.Shkurin looks the best in the game and is half a step ahead of Ramirez. But this is momentary, and tomorrow the Romanian mentor will change his mind again. And he will look at such a Denis, who has already played 3 positions in the season. Fake nine, attacking midfielder and eight. And everywhere he surrenders, as few people do. This legendary renaissance, if sustained at least until the summer of 2022, will remain in the history of the club. In the top 5 scorers of the UPL 2021/22 there are three Dynamo players at once. Tsygankov is the best sniper of the Ukrainian season, although he gave a penalty today for Buyalsky to move up to 2-3 place.The third is exactly Garmash (7 goals scored). The player who scored 8 times in the previous 3 seasons in the Premier League.

Are they scaring Bavaria or is it all very sad with the UPL?

Always before European competitions I want to naively hope and believe Lucescu’s words that this is it – the team just trained very well, is gaining and is ready to give out a new level of intensity. Buyalsky, Tsygankov, Vitinho, Garmash, Kendzera, Karavaev and Mikolenko really look very decent.Shaparenko, Sidorchuk and Zabarny rested after the national team. Perfect alignment. But how many times have we already been caught in these traps?

It doesn’t matter at all that today Bayern lost to one of the main outsiders of the Bundesliga, and Dynamo bombed the fighter for survival in Ukraine. On the contrary, it only scares you more.