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(05/02/18 2:19am)
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
The women’s and men’s tennis teams have concluded their seasons this week, both ending on bright notes.
During the last week of the season, the men won both games against Ramapo College and State University of New York at Oneonta, while the women won only game during the week, against Oneonta.
The men took on Ramapo College on April 24 at the College’s outdoor tennis courts. They started in fantastic fashion, winning all three doubles match-ups by a score of 8-3.
Junior Matt Puig paired up with sophomore Thomas Wright as they defeated Ramapo’s Willen Feygin and Adam Patrovics. Juniors Omar Bokhari and Tim Gavornik then teamed up to defeat Mike Abelev and Kevin Ilinets. Freshmen Sean Reilly and Andrew Mok won against Chris Yip and Brendan Hines.
In singles competition, Puig came out on top against Ramapo’s Adam Patrovics in straight sets 6-2 and 6-1. Gavornik also defeated Kevin Ilinets in straight sets, 6-1 and 6-1, before Wright got the better of Brendan Hines, 6-0 and 6-1. Junior Achyuth Balijepalle confirmed the victory for the Lions with a straight set victory over Chris Yip, 6-1 and 6-2.
The victory over Ramapo College snapped a four-game losing-streak for the men as they headed into their final match of the season against Oneonta. With both the men and women playing on Saturday, April 28, the Lions celebrated Senior Day by congratulating five seniors and sending them off with victories.
In the men’s game, Lions took two of the three doubles matches. Puig and Wright earned their second victory as a duo for the week by defeating Oneonta junior Nicholas Fox and sophomore Marco Ammirati 8-3. Bokhari and Gavornik then earned a 8-4 victory over seniors Zach Lasky and Timothy Distler to give the Lions the lead going into singles.
In singles, the Lions managed to earn five victories from the six matches played, all in straight sets. Junior Mitchel Sanders began proceedings, defeating Ammirati 6-2 and 6-2. Puig then earned a victory over Lasky before his doubles partner Wright confirmed a victory over senior Cole Laffitte. Gavornik and Balijepalle then finished the game with defeats by Fox and freshman Riley Smith respectively.
The Lions concluded their season by defeating the Oneonta women 9-0. In doubles, juniors Alyssa Baldi and Sneha Rangu continued their impressive partnership with a dominating 8-0 victory over Oneonta’s freshman Mya Lipscomb and sophomore Danielle Swierczyna. Senior Maddy Stoner partnered with junior Grace Minassian to defeat freshman Julieta Eulau and senior Samantha Felice 8-3. Finally, senior Danna Tsay teamed up with sophomore Audrey Chen to earn a 8-0 victory over freshmen Gianna Papini and Dorothy Zeisler.
In the singles competition, the women won all of their matches in straight sets. Rangu defeated Eulau while her doubles partner Baldi won over Swierczyna. Stoner then completed her college tennis career with a victory over Papini, 6-0 and 6-2. Senior Brittany Reedman also concluded her tennis career with the Lions with a victory over Oneonta junior Michelle Halpern (6-1, 6-2).
Minassian and Chen then concluded the perfect day for the Lions with victories over Mya Lipscomb and Samantha Felice respectively.
“This was a great season for us on many levels,” said head men’s and women’s tennis coach Scott Dicheck. “I am really proud of our seniors as well, they have worked really hard during their time with us.”
The men concluded the season with an 8-6 record while the women finished with a 13-1 record, including nine 9-0 victories.
(04/24/18 8:19am)
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
Despite earning a 9-0 victory against Stevens Institute of Technology on Wednesday, April 18, the women’s tennis team lost its first game of the season when they fell to the University of Mary Washington, 7-2, on Saturday, April 21. Meanwhile, the men dropped both of their games.
At the outdoor tennis facilities, sophomore Audrey Chen and freshman Andrea Giacobbo completed a doubles sweep with an 8-3 victory.
Senior Maddy Stoner then took the spotlight as she picked up her 100th career victory for the Lions. She partnered with junior Grace Minassian for an 8-0 win. Meanwhile, junior duo Sneha Rangu and Alyssa Baldi continued their fantastic partnership this season with a commanding 8-0 doubles victory.
In singles competition, the women claimed all six matches in straight sets and clinched a 9-0 victory. Rangu and Minassian both outlasted their opponents, and senior Brittany Reedman won in two 6-0 sets.
Stoner then managed to notch her 101st victory as she defeated Stevens’ freshman Chelsea Braithwaite in 6-2 and 6-0 sets. Baldi and Chen then finished the game for the College, finishing the singles competition with a pair of wins.
Baldi credits the team’s supportive dynamic for its success.
“I think it comes from how close we are as a team,” Baldi said. “Even though there is a certain amount of players from each grade, we are all really close and bring a lot to the table together.”
The team then endured its first loss of the season against the University of Mary Washington on Saturday, April 21.
In doubles competition, the team dropped all three matches. Stoner and Minassian were defeated 8-3 by Mary Washington seniors Ashley Barrow and Kait Brogan. Rangu and Baldi endured their first doubles loss to Mary Washington sophomore Rachel Summers and senior Caroline Mosberg, 8-3. Giacobbo and senior Danna Tsay also suffered an 8-3 loss against Mary Washington senior Brittany McBride and junior Danielle Mirabella.
In singles, only Reedman and Rangu could salvage a win for the Lions. Reedman managed to win in straight sets over Mary Washington senior Hannah Jabusch while Rangu defeated Brogan in straight sets as well.
The men also struggled against Stevens on April 18. The afternoon began brightly for the College as they won two of their three doubles matches. Junior Matt Puig partnered with sophomore Thomas Wright to defeat Stevens senior Danny Polk and freshman Bryan Szayna, 8-6.
Juniors Tim Gavornik and Omar Bokhari then worked together to take an 8-1 doubles victory. In singles competition, the Lions struggled and lost all six matches to ultimately lose, 7-2.
The team’s downturn continued against the University of Mary Washington as it lost, 6-3. Gavornik and Bokhari were the only winners at doubles, with a closely contested 8-7 matchup against Mary Washington freshman Moses Hutchison and junior Matt Miles.
Going into singles competition, only Puig and Gavornik gathered victories for the Lions. Puig won a close match against Mary Washington sophomore Joseph Brown in 7-6 and 7-5 straight sets while Gavornik won in straight sets over Mary Washington sophomore Michael Fleming.
Both the men’s and women’s tennis teams will seek to amend their mistakes and finish their seasons strong when they take on the State University of New York at Oneonta on Saturday, April 28 at the outdoor tennis facilities starting at 10 a.m.
(04/17/18 5:57am)
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
With the end of the season closing in, both the women’s and men’s tennis teams played one match on the road in Salisbury, Maryland, against Salisbury University on Sunday, April 16.
The women managed to continue their 11-game winning-streak, with their 8-1 victory against Salisbury. The men couldn’t replicate the same success, falling with a final tally of 5-4.
Unlike previous matches, both the women’s and men’s games began with the singles matches due to weather conditions.
Junior Sneha Rangu began the proceedings for the women, winning her match in straight sets. Senior Brittany Reedman also won her match in straight sets against Salisbury.
Junior Alyssa Baldi and sophomore Audrey Chen continued the singles success by winning against Salisbury’s players in straight sets. Senior Maddy Stoner then won her match against Salisbury freshman Sydney Soto in three sets. After splitting the first two sets, Stoner clinched the victory in the third set, 10-4, to give the College a 5-1 lead going into doubles.
In doubles competition, the Lions swept all three of their matches. Rangu and Baldi continued their undefeated partnership, winning 8-3 over Salisbury. Stoner then partnered with junior Grace Minassian to win 8-6.
Freshman Andrea Giacobbo and Chen then partnered up to wrap up the doubles competition, defeating the Salisbury pair of junior Taylor Cooper and senior Sage Cole, 8-3.
In the men’s game, the Lions managed to win three of their six singles matches. Juniors Mitchel Sanders and Tim Gavornik managed to earn straight set victories. Sophomore Thomas Wright then got the College’s last win in singles, defeating junior Kelson Weber in three sets.
In doubles competition, the men won only one of their three matches. Gavornik partnered with junior Omar Bokhari to defeat the Salisbury duo of freshman Stefan Hein and Weber, 8-6.
The defeat dropped the men to six victories and four defeats this season.
Both the women and men will compete in two games this upcoming week. On Wednesday, April 18, the Lions host Stevens Institute of Technology at the outside tennis facilities at 3 p.m. They later host the University of Mary Washington on Saturday, April 21 at 1 p.m.
(04/10/18 5:28am)
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
With only a couple of weeks of the season left to play, the women’s tennis team continued its undefeated season last week, earning two victories. At the same time, the men’s team claimed two more wins before enduring a 6-3 loss against New York University on Sunday, April 8.
The women began with a sweeping 9-0 victory over the State University of New York Geneseo at home on Friday, April 6, before defeating Ithaca College, 7-2, Saturday, April 7.
Against SUNY Geneseo, the women dominated in doubles competition, winning all three matches in straight sets. Juniors Sneha Rangu and Alyssa Baldi continued their perfect partnership, taking an 8-2 victory.
Senior Maddy Stoner then partnered with sophomore Audrey Chen to claim an 8-0 victory. The last doubles match resulted in a forfeit, which gave the College a 3-0 lead going into singles.
In singles competition, the women won all five matches in straight sets. Rangu defeated Salzano in straight sets of 6-0 before senior Brittany Reedman defeated Lam-Tran in 6-2 and 6-1 sets. Stoner then earned a victory over Dana Sorrentino while Baldi also won in straight sets, 6-0, over Gretchen Ayoub. Sophomore Sondra Lionetti wrapped up the victory for the Lions, taking a straight set victory, which was Lionetti’s first ever collegiate win.
The next day, the women hosted Ithaca College. Like the day before, Rangu and Baldi continued their unbeatable partnership, taking an 8-5 victory over Ithaca sophomore Brianna Ruback and freshman Sara Steinberg. Chen then partnered with freshman Andrea Giacobbo for an 8-1 victory. Meanwhile, Stoner partnered with junior Grace Minassian but the duo fell short, as they lost, 8-6, to Ithaca junior Caroline Dunn and junior Kathryn Shaffer. In singles, the women managed to win five of their six matches, with all victories coming in straight sets.
“They’ve been playing very well,” said head coach Scott Dicheck. “We got some big matches coming up against teams that are nationally ranked so we got some challenges ahead of us but up to now we’ve been playing great.”
Meanwhile, the men began their week with a dominating 9-0 victory at Muhlenberg College on Friday, April 6. In doubles, junior Matt Puig partnered with sophomore Thomas Wright to earn a 9-8 victory. Juniors Omar Bokhari and Tim Gavornik won, 8-1, which was followed by another victory with the same score from sophomore Gokul Murugesan and freshman Sean Reilly, giving the College a 3-0 lead going into the singles competition.
In singles, junior Mitchel Sanders, Bohkari and Gavornik all won their matches in straight sets. Wright then defeated Muhlenberg sophomore Alex Dagilis before junior Achyuth Balijepalle and freshman Andrew Mok both claimed wins.
The next day, the men edged out Ithaca in a close 5-4 victory. Sanders and Murugesan earned a 8-0 doubles victory against Ithaca sophomores Minos Stavrakas and Colten Lavery, while Gavornik and Bokhari won, 8-1.
In singles, Gavornik, Wright and Balijepalle were the winners for the College, with all three winning their matches in straight sets.
The Lions hosted New York University at the Mercer County Park Commission Tennis Facility. Unfortunately, the men couldn’t make it three victories in a row, as they fell 3-6.
In doubles, Sanders and Reilly were the only victors for the College, winning 8-7. In singles, only Puig and Gavornik could earn victories, both earned in three hard fought sets.
“We’re feeling really confident,” Puig said. “We really competed hard these last couple of days. We’re just going to try to keep the momentum that we have been building over the last couple of weeks and carry it into a tough match coming up this weekend.”
Dicheck looks forward to the team having much needed rest after a busy week.
“We know three in a row is a tough schedule, especially since one of the games was a snow out that we had to redo,” Dicheck said. “I thought the guys played well all weekend. You want to go 3-0 but you go 2-1, but we’re happy. The guys will now get rested up and should be ready for next week.”
The women play their next home match against New York University on Thursday, April 12, starting at 3 p.m. at the outdoor tennis facilities. Afterward, both the men and women travel to Salisbury, Maryland to play against Salisbury University on Sunday, April 15.
(04/03/18 6:56am)
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
Following two wins last week, the women’s tennis team earned their seventh straight victory when the Lions defeated Wilkes University, 9-0, at the Student Recreation Center on Thursday, March 29.
The match started with the doubles competition where junior Grace Minassian and senior Maddy Stoner kicked things off for the Lions with a 8-4 victory. Meanwhile, juniors Alyssa Baldi and Sneha Rangu continued their undefeated partnership, winning 8-2. Sophomore Audrey Chen and freshman Andrea Giacobbo won, 8-1, against Wilkes to finish the doubles sweep.
The Lions continued dominating in the singles competition. Rangu began by taking a straight set victory in 6-0 and 6-3 sets. Minassian then won her match in straight sets before Stoner won with 6-2 and 6-0 sets.
Baldi, Chen and senior Brittany Reedman rounded out the victories for the Lions with all three also earning straight set victories.
With the victory, the women remain undefeated with an 8-0 record while also improving to 68-4 in all singles and doubles matches dating back from the fall season.
While the women only had one game, the men’s team played two games, losing 6-3 at Haverford College on Wednesday, March 28 before defeating Wilkes University, 7-2, on Thursday, March 29 at the Recreation Center.
In doubles competition, the men lost two of three matches before going on to lose four matches in singles.
Juniors Omar Bokhari and Tim Gavornik managed to earn the Lions’ only doubles victory over Haverford sophomore Raja Arul and junior Nick Sweeney by a close score of 8-7.
Gavornik was also one of the two Lions players to earn a victory in singles, winning in three sets. Sophomore Thomas Wright was the other singles winner for the College against Haverford, winning in straight sets.
On Thursday, March 29, the men returned home, where they hosted Wilkes. At the doubles competition, the Lions won two of their three matches before winning five of six matches in singles.
Bokhari and Gavornik won another doubles match when they defeated Wilkes’ senior Andrew Neidig and freshman Larry Scartz, 8-4. Junior Matt Puig and Wright also proved to be a successful duo, winning 8-4 over Wilkes senior Artyom Nabokin and junior Braddock Chow.
Gavornik then won his fourth match of the week when he defeated Neidig in straight sets during singles. Puig also won his singles matchup, defeating Nabokin in straight sets as well. Wright then won his match in three sets before junior Mitchel Sanders won in three sets over Wilkes. Finally, junior Achyuth Balijepalle wrapped things up for the Lions, earning the final victory against Wilkes.
Following the two matches this week, the men move to four victories and two defeats on the season.
Both the men’s and women’s teams have two scheduled matches this week.
The women will remain at home as they take on SUNY Geneseo on Friday, April 6, at 4 p.m. before taking on Ithaca College on Saturday, April 7.
The men will go on the road to play against Muhlenberg College on Friday, April 6, before returning home to take on Ithaca College, on Saturday, April 7 at 11 a.m.
(03/27/18 3:17am)
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
Continuing where they finished last semester, the women’s tennis team began their spring season with two massive victories over Rider University, 8-1, and Swarthmore College, 6-3, while the men’s team suffered its first defeat of the season to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 8-1.
A great week for the women’s side began on Thursday, March 22, defeating Rider University, 8-1, at the Student Recreation Center.
The Lions had a strong start in doubles, winning two out of three matches. Senior Maddy Stoner partnered with junior Grace Minassian to defeat their opposing Rider duo, 8-4. Juniors Alyssa Baldi and Sneha Rangu then worked together to claim an 8-2 win.
In singles competition, the Lions managed to win all their matches in straight sets. Rangu won her match in 6-1 and 6-2 sets while her fellow teammate, Baldi, emerged victorious with 6-1 and 6-0 sets.
Stoner won her match in 6-2 and 6-0 sets while her teammate Minassian beat her opponent with scores of 6-1 and 6-3. Meanwhile, sophomore Audrey Chen narrowly earned a victory over Rider freshman Sydney Jeffrey, 8-7. Finally, senior Brittany Reedman secured the victory for the Lions with 6-1 and 6-2 wins over Rider.
Two days later, the Lions traveled to Swarthmore, Pennsylvania where they took on Swarthmore College. This would prove to be a challenge for the College as Swarthmore is ranked No. 40 nationally, according to the Oracle/Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division III women’s national team rankings. However, the Lions managed to claim victory, 6-3.
“We knew it would be a hard match,” head coach Scott Dicheck said. “The ladies stepped up and played extremely well.”
Similar to their previous win, the Lions ended the doubles competition with a 2-1 lead. Rangu and Baldi continued their unbeatable partnership, taking a very close 8-6 victory over senior Rachel Bronkema and junior Arya Jemal. With the victory, Rangu and Baldi now have seven victories with no defeats as a tag team, which impressed their head coach.
“They were down 6-4 and then came back the last four games against a very good team,” Dicheck said. “I was very impressed. They are both experienced players and the two of them have really built really good chemistry as a duo.”
In singles competition, the Lions found it tough against their nationally ranked opponents. Minassian and Stoner suffered defeats in their matches against Swarthmore senior Anna Scheibmeir and sophomore Audrey Haring, respectively. Despite the defeats, the Lions managed to earn four wins and the overall victory.
Dicheck was satisfied with the team’s strong performance.
“It felt like we were in control throughout the match,” Dicheck said. “I felt really good with that performance.”
Unfortunately, the men’s tennis team could not replicate the women’s effort as the team endured its first defeat of the season against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Sunday, March 25, at the Recreation Center. RPI is currently ranked No. 27 in the nation according to Oracle/ITA Division III men’s national team rankings.
The Lions started well at the doubles competition. Juniors Omar Bokhari and Tim Gavornik earned a 8-7 victory against RPI freshman Clay Thompson and Brian Niguidula. From then on, the Lions couldn’t earn a single victory.
The Lions lost two doubles matches before being swept in all six singles matchups. The team put up a good fight as Gavornik, along with junior Matt Puig and senior Chris D’Agostino managed to take a set in each of their matches.
With the defeat, the men’s tennis team improve to a 3-1 record while the women’s team maintains a 2-0 record.
Both the men’s and women’s teams go on the road to take on Haverford College on Wednesday, March 28. They then return to the outdoor courts to compete against Wilkes University on Thursday, March 29.
(03/06/18 8:17am)
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
The men’s tennis team began their season with a pair of wins at home, defeating both Dickinson College, 9-0, on Saturday, March 3, and Franklin and Marshall College the next day, 7-2.
“This was a great start for us,” said head coach Scott Dicheck. “We are very optimistic about the season. The toughest problem we’ve had to start the season is a lot of injuries, but the leaders we have on the team helped us through.”
Junior Matt Puig was one of the top performers for the Lions against Dickinson College. Forming a partnership in doubles competition with junior Omar Bokhari, both Puig and Bokhari went 8-0 in their game against senior Nick Reese and junior Derek Chen of Dickinson.
Afterward, senior Chris D’Agostino teamed up with junior Mitchel Sanders as they defeated the Dickinson duo of seniors Samuel Loring and Shawn Diniz by 8-5. Junior Tim Gavornik and sophomore Gokul Murugesan won their game, 8-1, over Dickinson freshmen Joey Bolanos and Vincent Tover Dias.
In the singles competition, Puig earned a straight set victory over Chen, winning both his sets 6-0.
Sanders managed to get the better of Diniz, winning both sets, 6-2 and 6-3. Bokhari defeated Loring in two sets, 6-2 and 7-5.
Gavornik and junior Achyuth Balijepalle respectively won their singles matches over Bolanos and Reese. Murugesan also won his singles match in three sets over Dickinson’s Bryce Perritt, losing the first set 4-6 but bouncing back in his next sets for 6-4 and 10-7 wins.
The next day, the Lions cruised to a 7-2 victory over Franklin and Marshall.
For the second match in a row, the Lions won all three doubles competitions. Puig and Bokhari continued their cohesive partnership with a 8-3 victory over junior Zack Levin and senior Will Samuels of Franklin and Marshall. Gavornik and Murugesan also partnered up for their 8-5 win over opposing sophomore Andrew Pace and junior Isaac Salas. Sanders and D’Agostino rounded out the doubles matches for the Lions as they won a close match against Franklin and Marshall senior Jack Rothman and freshman Sam Bellersen, 9-7.
In singles competition, Sanders continued his stellar performance as he defeated Rothman in two sets, 7-5 and 7-6. The Lions did suffer two defeats against Franklin and Marshall, the first of which came when Puig went down against Salas. Salas won the first set, 6-3, before Puig won the second, 6-4. In the third and deciding set, Salas came out on top, winning 7-5.
Murugesan took the Lions’ second defeat when he lost in straight sets against Pace. Despite Murugesan trying his best to outdo his opponent, he lost the first set 7-6 and the second set 6-3.
Despite the two losses, the Lions did manage to earn three wins which led to their victory over Franklin and Marshall. Bokhari defeated Levin in two sets, 6-2 and 6-3. Gavornik won his game against Bellersen in two sets, 6-3 and 6-4. Finally, Balijepalle won his game against Samuels in three sets, winning the first, 6-3, before losing the next set, 5-7 and finally winning the last set, 10-7.
After earning two victories, the Lions will return to training as they prepare to play New York University on Thursday, March 8 at the Recreation Center at 4 p.m. The team will then return to the Rec Center for another match against Goucher College on Friday, March 9 at 4 p.m.
(12/06/16 5:25am)
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
The soccer world woke up to the most dreadful news imaginable on Tuesday, Nov. 29: A flight carrying the Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense crashed in Colombia just outside of Medellin.
Of the 81 people on the flight, which included players, coaches, journalists and airline staff, only six survived.
Goalkeeper Jackson Follmann and defenders Alan Ruschel and Norberto Neto were the only three players who managed to survive from the crash. The team’s main goalkeeper, Marcos “Danilo” Padilha, also initially survived the crash and was sent to the hospital; however, he soon succumbed to his injuries and died.
Chapecoense was traveling to Colombia to face off against Atlético Nacional on Wednesday, Nov. 30, in the first leg of their Copa Sudamericana final matchup, the second biggest international club competition in South America.
Chapecoense, who plays in the top-tier Brazilian soccer league, Serie A, managed to qualify for the final of the Copa Sudamericana on Wednesday, Nov. 23.
The matchup against Atlético Nacional was set to be the biggest soccer match in team history for Chapecoense. The team, founded only 43 years ago, comes from the impoverished city of Chapeco, in the south Brazilian state of Santa Catarina.
It was only as far back as 2009 when the team was still playing in the fourth-tier of Brazilian soccer. At that level, teams are not even considered to be semi-professional. The team managed to gain promotion to the third-level, Serie C, and then to the second-level Serie B in 2012. After one season, Chapecoense was promoted to the top-tier Serie A.
In only five seasons, the club went from being an amateur team to playing and competing in the same league as some of Brazil’s most famous soccer teams. They went from sharing the field with players who were not professional to playing with former Brazilian greats such as Ronaldinho. Only one word could describe the journey of the club — fairytale.
The Copa Sudamericana match-up was to be the pinnacle of the team’s fairytale. Now all of that will be remembered as what could have been and how much these two matches meant to the players and to the community they represented.
“The dream is over,” said Plinio David de Nes Filho, chairman of the club’s board, to Brazil’s TV Globo. “Yesterday morning I was saying goodbye to them. They told me they were going in search of the dream, to make this dream a reality. Now, it’s gone.”
Since the horrific crash, there has been an outpour of support for the club. All South American soccer matches that were to be held that week were suspended. Many Brazilian soccer teams took to social media and changed their profile pictures to a black version of Chapecoense logo while also offering to loan their club players from their teams. Many teams also called for the Brazilian soccer federation to exempt Chapecoense from relegation for three seasons so that the club could properly get back on its feet.
Support for the club also extended beyond South America with moments of silence before matches around the world. Many teams also wore black armbands while several Brazilian players playing abroad commented about the tragedy.
Finally, on Wednesday, Nov. 30, the day in which Chapecoense were supposed to play against Atlético Nacional, more than 45,000 fans arrived at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot, the stadium the match would have been held at, in order to honor those who lost their lives. Shouting and chanting in the same vein as they do for their own team, the Atlético Nacional fans started to sing “Força Chape”.
Meanwhile, FOX Sports Brasil honored the journalists who worked for the network and who were on the ill-fated plane, decided to broadcast a black screen which said #90MinutesofSilence at the time the match would have taken place.
In the end, nothing can be done to bring those who were lost but it is through these tributes that they will be remembered. For Chapecoense, the only thing they can do is move forward. They can do this knowing that the entire soccer and sporting world are behind them.
(09/26/16 9:52pm)
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
Not long after calling for “lone wolf” attacks, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (IS) might have obtained what it wanted from Dahir Adan, the suspect of an attack in Minnesota last Saturday, Sept. 18.
According to BBC, Adan, who was a 22-year-old Kenyan-born Somali man, was shot and killed by an off-duty officer after stabbing eight people at the Crossroads Center in St. Cloud, Minn., which is located 70 miles from Minneapolis. According to officers, none of the injuries sustained by victims were life threatening.
Adan, who was identified as the attacker by his father, reportedly entered the mall at around 8 p.m. dressed in a security uniform and made references to “Allah” before starting his attack. According to St. Cloud Police Chief Blair Anderson, Adan asked at least one person if they were Muslim before starting his attack, according to CNN.
Ashley Bayne, a mall employee, was visiting a coworker at the time of the incident, according to CNN. “All of sudden, chaos just broke out,” she said the day after the attack. “There was a bunch of people running into the JC Penney’s mall entrance, and they were just screaming that someone was going around the mall stabbing people, and that there was blood everywhere. It was just honestly a really scary experience.”
IS was quick to claim that Adan was one of the group’s soldiers, but the FBI have said that they could not find any link between Adan and IS. “We still don’t have anything substantive that would suggest anything more than what we know already, which is this was a lone attacker,” Anderson told CNN. “And right now, we’re trying to get to the bottom of his motivations.”
According to the New York Post, IS is known to have claimed responsibility for past attacks that were not planned by the organization themselves.
In response to local reports that identified Adan as a Muslim, members of the Muslim community held a conference the day after the attacks. They expressed their grief and called for unity among all Muslims and non-Muslims.
Since the attack, there has been a major concern about backlash toward Muslims, especially in St. Cloud, which is home to one of Minnesota’s biggest Muslim immigrant populations. However, the St. Cloud community has experienced conflict from both Muslims and non-Muslims.
“We are also concerned about the potential backlash,” said Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations chapter in Minnesota, according to CNN. “We understand in St. Cloud, there is more anti-Muslim organizing and we hope they do not use this incident to divide... our community.”
According to BBC, all but one of the victims have been released from the hospital. Meanwhile, the FBI is calling the attack “a potential act of terrorism,” but have not released any more details.
(09/20/16 12:05am)
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
After more than five years of conflict between the forces of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria and opposition rebels, fighting in one of the most war-torn nations over the past half decade has come to a halt.
In what many experts are hailing as a breakthrough, the United States and Russia came to an agreement on Saturday, Sept. 10, to put the peace process in Syria back on track, which includes a ceasefire.
Al-Jazeera reported that the deal agreed upon by Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov aims to start turning the West Asian nation toward a proper political transformation.
The nationwide ceasefire began across Syria on Monday, Sept. 12, at sundown. The main belligerents in the conflict, the forces of al-Assad and the U.S.-supported opposition, are the ones targeted by this ceasefire. According to CNN, the ceasefire will be difficult to implement due to the numerous other groups involved in the Syrian conflict.
The ceasefire created a seven-day period that will allow for aid to enter the Syrian city of Aleppo, which has recently faced numerous attacks. According to CNN, this will also include forces to pull back from Castello Road, a key access route into Aleppo.
Once the ceasefire was implemented, the United States and Russia began preparations on the creation of a Joint Implementation Center, which involved information sharing, such as which areas are controlled by which groups, according to Al-Jazeera.
Additionally, Russia is expected to keep their Russian-made Syrian air force planes from attacking opposition controlled areas as part of the arrangement, according to Al-Jazeera. Meanwhile, the United States has committed to help weaken the al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.
The Syrian opposition has welcomed the ceasefire, but only “if it is going to be enforced,” said Bassma Kodmani, a member of the High Negotiations Committee, on Saturday, Sept. 10, according to CNN.
“When the cessation of hostilities was installed in February, the opposition — 100 groups — respected it. It was violated by the regime,” Kodmani said. “So a return to a cessation of hostilities has been our demand.”
The agreement for a ceasefire has also been highly welcomed by the United Nations and the foreign ministers from the United Kingdom, Turkey and Germany.
According to Kerry during the ceasefire announcement on Friday, Sept. 9, this latest attempt at a ceasefire relies heavily on the goodwill and trust of those involved.
“If the plan is implemented in good faith, if the stakeholders do the things that are available to them, this can be a moment where the multilateral efforts at the diplomatic table, the negotiations could take hold, and you could really provide the people of Syria with a transition,” Kerry said, according to CNN.
However, despite the ceasefire being active after a week, Russian officials on Friday, Sept. 16, said that rebel groups have increased attacks in Syria during the week, according to BBC. Russian generals have called on the United States to act on these attacks or to be responsible for the the collapse of the ceasefire.
(09/19/16 9:30pm)
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
After the women’s tennis team’s 8-1 victory against William Paterson University, they managed to clinch their 34th consecutive New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) title and continue their 171-match winning streak against NJAC competition along the way.
The NJAC title now means the Lions have automatically qualified for the NCAA Division III tournament next year.
“We’re very excited to win the NJAC and earn a berth for the NCAA tournament next May, and in the process, continue our winning streak,” head coach Scott Dicheck said.
Coming into this week, the Lions had three matches against NJAC opposition. The first two matches were comprehensive 9-0 victories for the Lions, while the final match against William Paterson was very close to being perfect.
The first match took place on Tuesday, Sept. 13, against Rutgers University-Camden. The match proved to be nothing that the College could not handle, as they dominated their opponents in both singles and doubles competitions.
Sophomores Katelyn Hojeibane and Emily Szkudlarski won their matches in straight sets, while juniors Brittany Reedman and Maddy Stoner and seniors Katie Buchbinder and Anna Prestera did the same.
In doubles, all three pairs of Lions won their matches, 8-0. Stoner partnered with Reedman, while Prestera partnered with Buchbinder. Hojeibane partnered with sophomore Mackenzie Holleran to finish the rout for the College.
The Lions second match saw the team return home to face off against Kean University on Friday, Sept. 16. The result and performances mirrored the matchup against Kean earlier in the week. Sophomores Sneha Rangu and Alyssa Baldi returned to the courts and won their matches in straight sets. Meanwhile, Reedman, Stoner, Szkudlarski and Prestera continued to perform well against Rutgers-Camden.
The story remained the same in doubles play. Rangu and Baldi returned as a pair to win their match, 8-0, while Stoner and Prestera, as well as Hojeibane and Holleran, won in the same manner, 8-0.
With the team in such fantastic form, confidence was high going into the last NJAC matchup of the year against William Paterson University. However, unlike the previous two matches, the College’s victory was not a straight 9-0 victory, but 8-1. The small blemish for the Lions was when Rangu was defeated in her singles matchup after a tough encounter. Reedman, Stoner, Baldi, Prestera and Buchbinder managed to continue the domination from the College.
In doubles play, Rangu managed to put the singles matchup behind her as she and her partner, Baldi, managed to win their match 8-0. Meanwhile, Stoner partnered with sophomore Grace Minassian and won their match 8-3, while junior Danna Tsay and Prestera finished the day with a 8-0 victory.
Following the matches, Dicheck was very satisfied and credited his entire team and their spirit throughout the season.
“We have a very talented group of players. Total team effort lead by our captain Anna. I was quite happy with our wins and our margin,” the coach said. “We have a roster of 15 and from day one of pre-season they have been good. Day in and day out in practice, they get good practice against their teammates, and that makes them better.”
The team has regionals coming up next week before they resume their season in March 2017. In a reflection of the fall season, Dicheck said all goals were fulfilled.
“Our goal coming in was to win the NJAC and to earn a NCAA berth,” Dicheck said. “Our second goal was to do well in tournaments, so we can do well in regionals next weekend. Looking forward to going up there.”
(09/14/16 11:51pm)
After opening the season with two victories and a defeat, the women’s tennis team entered its second week with hopes to channel newfound motivation.
On the heels of a close 4-5 defeat against Wellesley College, the Lions returned to the court on Wednesday, Sept. 7, to play Stockton University in what would be the first of four straight days of tennis for the Lions.
The Lions entered their match against Stockton University with a 166 match winning streak against New Jersey Athletics Conference (NJAC) opposition. They extended that streak in impressive fashion with a 9-0 shutout.
The next day, the Lions traveled to take on another conference rival, Ramapo College, where they again dominated their opponents with another 9-0 victory.
The Lions concluded their winning week by hosting New York University (NYU) in the Lions Kickoff Tournament. The College managed to come out on top over its visitors during the two-day invitational tournament, 13-2, which improved the overall record to 4-1.
During Wednesday’s NJAC match against Stockton University, the Lions won in both singles and doubles, with all six singles competitions being decided in straight sets.
Sophomores Sneha Rangu and Alyssa Baldi joined junior Brittany Reedman and seniors Anna Prestera and Katie Buchbinder to win their matches in straight sets for a 6-0 shutout of the singles competition. Junior Maddy Stoner also won her match in straight sets, 6-0 and 6-1.
In doubles, Rangu and Baldi teamed up to win their match, 8-0, while sophomore Grace Minassian and Stoner won their set, 8-1. Prestera and junior Danna Tsay then concluded the day for the Lions with an 8-2 victory.
Against Ramapo, the Lions continued where they left off the previous day. Rangu, Reedman, Baldi and Prestera all won their singles matchups in straight sets, 6-0, while Stoner and sophomore Emily Szkudlarski won their first sets, 6-1, before winning the second sets, 6-0, each.
For doubles, Stoner partnered with Minassian to win their set, 8-2, while Rangu and Baldi won theirs, 8-0. Prestera and freshman Audrey Chen won their set, 8-1, to finish off the 9-0 win for the College.
Following two dominant victories, the women returned home to take on NYU in the Lions Kickoff Tournament. Baldi led the way, as she won all four of her matchups — two in singles and two in doubles. Rangu was Baldi’s partner in the doubles competition.
Reedman and Prestera also secured two singles victories each. Unlike the previous two matches this week, the Lions did not win any straight sets 6-0, but that did not deter the side from winning the singles competition, 9-1.
The same story occurred in doubles competition, where the girls had to fight for their victory. Minassian and Stoner’s matchup went down to the wire, as the two won their match, 9-8. Baldi and Rangu won both of their doubles match ups, while sophomore Katelyn Hojeibane partnered with Chen to win their set, 8-3, and secure the victory for the College in the two-day invitational tournament.
“We’ve worked very hard on the court this week and it paid off today,” coach Scott Dicheck said about the matches against NYU. “Hopefully, we can take the confidence we have gained this week and build on it.”
The Lions (4-1) will finish this upcoming week at home against Kean University and away against William Paterson University.
(09/05/16 11:08pm)
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
In search of their 34th straight New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) crown, and with hopes to build on last season’s undefeated record in conference play, the women’s tennis team began the 2016-17 season with a win in the opening matchup on Friday, Sept. 2, away from home against Rutgers-Newark, 9-0.
Following their victory, the Lions returned to action at home on Sunday, Sept. 4, in an interconference matchup against Wellesley College. Despite their great start just two days prior, the Lions lost in a closely contested 5-4 defeat, making their record 1-1 for the first week.
During Friday’s season-opening matchup against Rutgers-Newark, the Lions dominated their hosts in both singles and doubles competitions, with all six singles competitions being decided in straight sets.
The Lions were already heavy favorites coming into this encounter, with the women’s team recently earning the top spot in the NJAC Preseason Poll after its undefeated 6-0 season last year in conference play. That record also extended the team’s winning streak to 165 matches in all NJAC matches. With the NJAC containing seven colleges, the Lions earned all seven first-place votes.
Returning all-conference players sophomore Sneha Rangu, junior Brittany Reedman and senior Anna Prestera managed to win their matches comprehensively 6-0 in both sets. Sophomore Alyssa Baldi and senior Katie Buchbinder also managed to win their matches in straight sets, 6-0.
Sophomore Emily Szkudlarski was the only player to not win both her sets, 6-0. The sophomore instead settled for a 6-1 victory during her second set against Rutgers-Newark’s Nell Karpinski, after winning 6-0 during the first set.
In doubles competition, the Lions continued their dominance over Rutgers-Newark, winning all three matchups. Sophomore Grace Minassian and junior Maddy Stoner — both returning all-conference players, as well — combined to earn the College an 8-1 victory while Rangu partnered with fellow sophomore Baldi to gain a 8-1 victory.
Prestera and junior Danna Tsay’s 8-0 victory in their match concluded the team’s 9-0 rout of their hosts.
On Sunday, the Lions were back in action against Wellesley College. Coming into this match, Wellesley was 2-0 after earning victories over Stonehill (5-1) and Smith (8-1) on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
The match, which began with doubles, unfortunately saw the Lions unable to express the same level of dominance as they did against Rutgers-Newark. Going into singles play, the College found themselves down, 2-1.
Prestera and Tsay were the only pair to win their match-up, coming out 8-3 winners. Rangu and Baldi, as well as Minassian and Stoner, were not able to replicate that result. They lost their matches 8-6 and 8-4, respectively.
Despite the negative doubles results, the Lions were able to match up closely against Wellesley in singles play. Rangu came out on top in two sets (6-4, 6-2) along with Baldi (7-5, 6-0), while Prestera rallied after losing her first set. She secured victory in three sets (3-6, 6-2, 6-0).
Despite their valiant efforts, Reedman, Stoner and Szkudlarski could not save the Lions from their first defeat of the season.
The Lions (1-1) will return to action on Wednesday, Sept. 7, at home in a face-off against Stockton University before going off to Mahwah to take on Ramapo College.
(05/04/16 10:49pm)
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
Ansar al-Islam, a Bangladeshi militant group with close links to al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the killings of a top gay rights activist and his friend on Monday, April 25, in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka.
Xulhaz Mannan, an editor for the country’s only LGBT magazine, and his friend, Tanay Mojumdar, were hacked to death, allegedly by members of the militant group.
Ansar al-Islam admitted to the killings of Mannan and Mojum- dar through Twitter. They claimed to have done it because Mannan and Mojumdar were working “to promote homosexuality... with the help of their masters, the U.S. crusaders and their Indian allies,” BBC News reported.
Despite claiming responsibility, the assertion could not be verified, according to BBC News.
This attack occurred only two days after a university professor was killed by suspected Islamist militants on Saturday, April 23.
According to NPR, Mannan worked for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and was editor of the country’s only LGBT magazine, Roopbaan.
Following his death, USAID released a statement that read, “Today, USAID lost one of our own. He was the kind of person willing to fight for what he believed in, someone ready to stand up for his own rights and the rights of others.”
Mannan was also responsible for organizing a rally for LGBT youths called “The Rainbow Rally” on Thursday, April 14, the Bengali New Year. According to the New York Times, a friend of Mannan, Sara Hossain, said that Mannan had received death threats from those who opposed the rally.
Tanay Mojumdar, the other victim in these killings, was openly gay and was a leader in the fight for LGBT rights, according to a British photographer who wished to not be named, CNN reported.
The two were not romantically involved with each other, according to the photographer.
According to CNN, Monday’s at- tack followed several others in Bangladesh since 2013. At least 20 people — including professors, secular writers and bloggers, foreigners and members of religious minorities — have been killed in attacks blamed on Islamist militants over the last three years.
The Bangladeshi government has so far disputed the claims by the Islamic State or al-Qaeda linked groups for the attacks BBC reported. Instead, the government puts blame on opposition parties or the local Islamist groups.
Despite the government’s direction of blame, Bangladesh, a sunni-dominated nation, will hear backlash how the government does not do enough to protect minority groups — if the killings do not stop.
(04/26/16 4:21pm)
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
Armed men from South Sudan have killed around 140 people, including women and children, and kidnapped a number of others in a cross-border raid in Ethiopia last Friday, April 15, according to the Ethiopian government, the African news website TesfaNews.net reported.
The perpetrators from South Sudan were part of the Murle tribe, according to the Daily Telegraph. The tribe is based in the western South Sudanese state of Jonglei and often raids Ethiopia to steal cattle.
“The attackers came from South Sudan and killed civilians, including women and children,” minister of communications Getachew Reda told the Associated Press.
“The Ethiopian defense force is currently chasing after the perpetrators. Our defense forces have so far killed 60 members of the attackers.”
Reda also added, according to The New York Times, that the attackers did not have links to South Sudan’s government or its rebel fighters and that Ethiopian forces might cross into South Sudan to pursue the gunmen.
The attack took place in Jakawa, a village in the Gambela region of Ethiopia, according to Reda.
A number of children were abducted and taken into South Sudan, he told The New York Times.
Gambela, the region that is approximately 30 miles from the South Sudanese border, is home to the Nuer, one of the two main ethnic groups within the country. The Gambela region is also the home of thousands of refugees from South Sudan who fled the country after war broke out there in December 2013. It is also the home of armed and dangerous Ethiopian and South Sudanese groups that attack government installations and soldiers, according to the New York Times.
The Daily Telegraph reported that Ethiopian “forces have been in pursuit of the attackers and they decimated scores of them,” Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesman Tewolde Muluteg said, according to the Telegraph.
Muluteg would not say, however, whether or not the Ethiopian forces have crossed the South Sudan and Ethiopia border, according to TesfaNews.
“I have no details on this. This is a developing situation,” Muluteg said. “In border areas, cattle frauds and raids are not uncommon. Of course, something of this magnitude is different.”
Many of these raids have occurred in the Gambela region since South Sudan won independence from Sudan in 2011, the Daily Telegraph reported. Since its independence in 2013, the country went to war and thus set off a cycle of retaliatory killings that sliced the poverty-stricken country along ethnic lines.
The Daily Telegraph reported that more than 150,000 South Sudanese people have fled their homes due to the violence that has occurred in the country and over 2 million people have been displaced since the war began.
Ethiopia has been heavily involved in the South Sudan peace process over the last year, according to the Daily Telegraph, due to the risk that the conflict in South Sudan could destabilize Gambela further and cause more raids and cross-border attacks.
(04/19/16 9:29pm)
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
An explosion and wildfire caused from a botched fireworks display killed 113 people and injured over 500 at a Hindu temple in the southern Indian state of Kerala on Sunday, April 10.
The explosion occurred at the Puttingal Temple in Paravur, Kollam district, approximately 40 miles north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram, according to BBC News. The deaths were caused from the blaze that ensued and the collapse of an office building and a storage shed at the temple.
The fireworks exploded as over 10,000 pilgrims were visiting the temple to celebrate the end of a seven-day Hindu festival for the goddess Bhadrakali. Along with the temple, around 150 houses near the temple were badly damaged by the explosions, Reuters reported.
“Our house is unlivable. Everything is blown off. If we had stayed in our house last night, we would have all died,” local resident Anitha Prakash told BBC Hindi.
According to the Chief Minister of Kerala Oommen Chandy, the explosion and subsequent fire began after sparks from the already-lit fireworks ignited another set of firecrackers in the temple.
Emergency vehicles were slow to arrive at the temple because of a power outage at the temple, BBC News reported. Bulldozers were used by rescue teams to clear the area and look for survivors.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew to Kerala the next day and visited injured victims and family members. According to CNN, he said that the incident in the state was “heart-rending and shocking beyond words.”
According to the International Business Times, the Kerala government ordered a full investigation of Sunday’s incident after district official A. Shainamol stated that the temple was denied permission to use fireworks for the celebration.
Since the investigation began, seven of the 10 people who were wanted following the incident surrendered to police, International Business Times reported. According to officials, the people are board members at the temple and are currently being investigated.
Police officer Gupakumar said the seven board members were taken into custody late at night on Monday, April 11, after a two-day manhunt, the Associated Press reported. Earlier, the police had questioned five workers from the company that supplied the fireworks. The five workers were eventually released.
The Associated Press reported that, if convicted, the members stand a chance of being charged for attempted murder — a life imprisonment charge — and illegally storing explosives.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, one of the two main political parties in India, requested that district officials organize prayer sessions to pay homage to the victims and for the speedy recovery of the injured, according to CNN.
(04/12/16 4:18pm)
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
The fate of Brazil’s president, Dilma Rousseff, is becoming bleaker as the days pass.
On Wednesday, April 6, special investigator Jovair Arantes pushed forward the notion that Rousseff, who has been the president since 2011, should be impeached after evidence emerged that she violated fiscal laws, BBC News reported.
In his nearly 130-page report, Arantes said, “there is serious evidence of illegal conduct of the president. This shows serious enough to authorize the installation of an impeachment process.”
Rousseff, who was appointed to a second term as Brazilian president in October 2014, is accused of exploiting and influencing budget accounts in order to increase spending during her campaign and shore up votes. Since allegations were revealed, she has denied any wrongdoing and has called the impeachment effort a coup, according to BBC News.
“Impeachment without proof of a crime is what? It is a coup,” Rousseff said late last month, CNN reported.
Along with the accusation of manipulation of funds since the start of her second term, Rousseff’s presidency has been marred by many serious allegations, which have seen her approval ratings among the Brazilian population fall to just above 10 percent, according to CNN.
In early 2015, protests broke out all around Brazil over Rousseff’s alleged involvement in the Petrobras scandal, which included corruption and bribes against the state oil company. The protesters called for Rousseff’s impeachment, since she was the chairwoman of Petrobras at the time of the alleged corruption. However, according to CNN, Rousseff denied her involvement in the scandal.
Rousseff was also questioned over her decision to appoint former Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as her chief of staff. The appointment of Lula, who was questioned by investigators a few days before the appointment in a corruption investigation, lead many to believe that Rousseff appointed Lula to shield him from prosecution, CNN reported.
Along with allegations of corruption and cronyism, Rousseff has also been battling the outbreak of the Zika virus and an unready Olympic Games, which, despite being scheduled for this August, still has facilities under construction.
Despite any evidence against her, Rousseff has struggled to maintain leadership and power in Brazil. According to the Wall Street Journal, Brazil’s largest political party, the Brazil Democratic Movement Party, voted to split its association with the government last month. The split from the Brazil Democratic Movement Party meant that Rousseff had to pander to smaller parties in order to gain support and vote against impeachment. The 65-member congressional committee is scheduled to decide on Monday, April 9, whether to continue the impeachment process. The Chamber of Deputies, also known as Brazil’s lower house, will then have a final vote around Tuesday, April 17. According to the Wall Street Journal, if two-thirds of the 513-member house votes in favor of impeachment, the proceedings will move forward with a trial in the Senate.
(04/12/16 4:16pm)
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
The United States is known as a growing power in soccer. The country established itself as a World Cup regular in every tournament and the MLS rises in quality and popularity every season. However, recently, for those following the sport in America, times are not well.
The U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team is struggling through the World Cup qualifiers. In only the first round, the team has drawn against Trinidad and Tobago before losing to Guatemala, 2-0. The team recently beat the Guatemalans, 4-0, at home, but the previous two results meant that any result that wasn’t a victory would have seen the U.S. in serious doubt of qualifying for a World Cup. At the same time, the United States Under-23 (U-23) men’s national soccer team failed to qualify for the Summer Olympics this summer in Rio, losing to Colombia in a qualifying playoff in a self-destructing nature last Tuesday, March 29.
This is the first time since the 1960s that the U.S. failed to send a soccer team to the Olympics in consecutive tournaments. Many critics of U.S. Soccer have put the blame for the blunders of both the national team and the U-23s on U.S. Soccer’s technical director and Jurgen Klinsmann, the national team coach. He is being held accountable for turning a team that used to be known for using its speed and grit to grind out wins into a team of players that can’t complete simple passes anymore.
The head coach, hired in 2011, along with his reported lofty salary and promise to fans that he would bring about a change in the style the national team plays, has not bought him any friends.
Is it right to blame Klinsmann or is the problem going on in American soccer deeper than him? Critics like to compare this U.S. team to the one that played in the World Cup in 2010 under head coach Bob Bradley. Bradley’s team was lead by a core group of experienced veterans in defense and goal while also containing players that were in their prime, who played well for their teams in Europe. The current team does not have players who are currently succeeding in Europe. In addition, the core teammates of the 2014 World Cup, which included goalkeeper Tim Howard and captain Clint Dempsey, have declined rapidly, with no one able to step up to replace them.
Critics have also lashed out at Klinsmann over his comments in the past. He was interpreted as saying that players should opt to play in Europe, rather than in MLS, Klinsmann said in a team interview. However, is there anything wrong with that? In the past, the best American soccer players have been those who were playing with European sides.
The quality of the leagues in England, Germany, France, Spain and Italy are better than that of the United States, so having players from there is a benefit. Even now, the top players for the U.S., such as John Brooks, Fabian Johnson, Geoff Cameron, Bobby Wood and Aron Johansson, play in Europe, while two former top players for the team, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore, seem to have regressed since coming back to MLS.
Klinsmann also commented in a post-training interview about the youth structure in the United States for developing players. MLS and U.S. Soccer has not developed a good prospective American player in a while. Currently, the best prospects for the country reside in European academies. The top prospect, Christian Pulisic, plays for Borussia Dortmund while other prospects, such as Emerson Hyndman, Ethan Horvath, Rubio Rubin, Desevio Payne and Gedion Zelalem, all reside abroad.
The only prospects developed and discovered on American shores recently were Matt Miazga and DeAndre Yedlin, who played for the New York Red Bulls and Seattle Sounders, respectively. Both players now reside abroad and there doesn’t look to be any player currently in the MLS who could follow in their footsteps.
On the bright side, the MLS is trying to make a change. The league recently added minor-league affiliated sides to create a bridge between professional and youth soccer. A couple years ago, the U.S. Soccer development season expanded to a 10-month season, coach licensing courses were made stricter and more aligned with European standards and MLS added some roster rules to make the league more competitive.
Many of these new implementations were proposed by Klinsmann, the man who is currently being disparaged by the U.S. Soccer media. Presently, things with American soccer do not look good and it is under Klinsmann, but U.S. Soccer media and fans need to realize that this is all part of a process to modernize and revitalize the league.
The U.S. Soccer team still has a massive chance of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup and, if what Klinsmann proposed does come to fruition, not only would fans need to worry about the team qualifying, but also competing to win the whole tournament.
(03/03/16 1:53am)
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
Entering its 21st season, Major League Soccer (MLS) has finally reached the age where it can legally drink in the United States. The league, which was launched in 1995, has endured an interesting 21 years, from being in danger of dissolving in the early 21st century to signing world superstar David Beckham in 2007 and now, having 20 teams with four more on the way.
The league will kick off the season on Sunday, March 6, with the first match taking place between the New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC. MLS, unlike other soccer leagues around the world, follows the American sports model. The 20 teams are divided into two conferences of 10 teams each. At the end of the regular season, the top six teams in each conference qualify for the MLS Playoffs, in which standings are based on who gained the most points throughout the season. Each team earns three points for a victory, one point for a draw and zero points for defeat.
Coming into the 2016 season, a lot has changed. The offseason saw the departure of United States international player Omar Gonzalez, as well as Seattle Sounders fan favorite Obafemi Martins, to teams abroad. Despite these departures, the league signed upcoming American international Jordan Morris, Albanian international Shkëlzen Gashi and former Chelsea player Ashley Cole.
The reigning champions from 2015, the Portland Timbers, have seen some significant turnover. Known for their harsh-sounding supporters, the Timbers qualified for the playoffs with relative ease and imposed themselves well in the final, taking a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Crew. The team has changed a bit since its triumph, with several players, such as Will Johnson, Maxi Urutti and Jorge Villafana, moving on to greener pastures. However, the team has kept its spine intact with last season’s top-scorer, Fernando Adi, and fan favorites Diego Valleri and Liam Ridgewell extending their contracts. There are strong signs that the team could potentially put up a solid title defense.
Other than the Timbers, the Western Conference in MLS is looking as strong as ever. The league’s superstar team, the LA Galaxy, has strengthened after being eliminated early in the playoffs last season. The signings of Cole, as well as Jelle van Damme and Nigel De Jong, can help solidify an already strong team. Seattle Sounders could also put on a challenge, despite losing its main striker from last season. Like the Timbers, the Sounders squad has retained its star players and will rely on United States captain Clint Dempsey to push the team this season.
Sporting Kansas City is another team that looks to be strong, despite its lack of roster movement. The team’s biggest move was last season’s newcomer of the year, Krisztián Németh, leaving for Qatar. Finally, FC Dallas will be the favorite to end mid-table in its conference after the team retained its young core from the previous season.
The Eastern Conference will also see the Columbus Crew look to avenge its runners-up position last season. Craig Berhalter’s side does not have any “big-name” players, but they possess cohesive chemistry throughout, as shown last season. The team’s only main loss was defender Emanuel Pogatetz, but the team has buffered with MLS veterans Connor Casey and Corey Ashe, as well as Ola Kamara, an international from Norway.
One of the main rivals for the Crew will be the Red Bulls, the Supporters Shield champion from last season. The team, which was tipped to fail last season, defied the odds and won the Eastern Conference. The club’s biggest loss was American hotshot Matt Miazga to English Premier League side Chelsea. However, the team was quick to replace him with Ghanian international Gideon Baah. The Red Bulls also hope for more production from 2015 mid-season signing Gonzalo Verón. The Argentinean showed flashes of quality last season, but this season, he will have a full pre-season under his belt.
Along with those two, the Montreal Impact will be an unpredictable entity this season. The Impact, which relied heavily on Didier Drogba last season, had to fight hard to retain its star man for 2016. The amount of effort he gives the team will be telling for how the Impact will perform during the season. Toronto FC will also be a force, with MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco returning and the Canadian side addressing its weaknesses over the offseason, mainly in its defense.
Last season’s expansion teams, New York City FC and Orlando City SC, will look to make the playoffs for the first time, but neither side has been active this offseason. Orlando signed Antonio Nocerino to help in their defense and they have retained the Rookie of the Year Cyle Larin, but the club will still be reliant on Ricardo Kaká to help Larin. New York City FC’s only difference this season will be having its two marquee men, Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard, for a full season, but the team has failed to address its holes in defense.
Overall, expectations will increase for certain sides while others will see fans disgruntled from the start. The quality on the field has increased with every season and there’s no doubt the 2016 season will be no different.
(02/23/16 9:55pm)
By Rohan Ahluwalia
Staff Writer
An All-Star game, which features the best athletes a sports league has to offer, is ingrained into the American sporting landscape. There is an All-Star game featured in the leagues of the four major sports in the United States — football, baseball, basketball and hockey. Each one has its differences, though each game is exciting for not just the die-hard fans, but also the casual onlooker.
Recently, the National Basketball Association (NBA) held its 65th All-Star Game. The game wrapped up the All-Star Weekend, which includes the celebrity game, the three-point competition and the rising stars game. The NBA Slam Dunk Contest featured players using equipment, such as hover boards, to perform their thrilling and astonishing dunks while the All-Star Game itself featured star players such as Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook and Indiana Pacers forward Paul George, who swept the crowd off its feet.
Surely, as an event, one would think the NBA has the best All-Star game of the five major sports. The NBA All-Star Game is an event which stretches from Friday to Sunday, while the other sports do not nearly have the amount of glitz and glamour associated with their events. However, despite the successful event, it is still Major League Baseball (MLB), with its Midsummer Classic, that leads the mantel when it comes to the most viewed All-Star game.
Despite drawing at a record-low, the 2015 MLB All-Star Game still outdrew all the other All-Star games. The 86th Midsummer Classic, which took place in Cincinnati, averaged 10.9 million viewers on FOX. This drew over 2 million more viewers than the second most viewed All-Star game, the Pro Bowl, and dwarfed the NBA All-Star Game’s ratings.
Many analysts and sports journalists have pointed to the fact that the MLB All-Star Game occurs during a period where there aren’t any other sports in season, which allows for its constantly decent ratings. The Midsummer Classic occurs in early July, when the NBA and National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs have already concluded in June and while the NFL is mid-way through its off-season. This makes the MLB All-Star Game the only professional sporting event going on at the time, giving the sport an advantage.
The MLB All-Star Game is also the finishing event during the couple of days that include the Futures Game and Home Run Derby, which complement the All-Star Game. The game provides an incentive for the league (American or National League) that wins the game — the winning league takes home field advantage during the World Series that occurs during the fall.
While the MLB All-Star Game and the NBA All-Star Weekend can be called successes in terms of the ratings they bring in or the glamour they add to their sport, the other major sports don’t seem to have the same impact.
The National Football League’s Pro Bowl is the second most-viewed All-Star game, but it has also been debated among sports fans and analysts whether or not the game should even exist in the first place.
The majority of the 86 players selected for the event declined the invitation, while the players that did accept the invitation are questioned on whether they actually tried on the field or if they really just wanted the free invitation to Hawaii, where the game takes place. The ratings may justify the existence of the Pro Bowl, but as a sporting spectacle, the future of this game gaining attention seems unlikely.
Meanwhile, the NHL All-Star Game draws the lowest ratings in professional American sports, having only 2 million people watch it in 2015. The league does feature a skills challenge and, most recently, decided to split the All-Star Game into a four-team series featuring all the divisions in the league. Despite the changes, the game is still underwhelming in comparison to the other sports’ All-Star games.
However, the NHL recently received a one-time boost for its most recent All-Star Game, which drew 1 million more viewers than the 2015 All-Star game. This rise in viewership could be attributed to the recent controversy surrounding Pacific Division All-Star captain John Scott, who was fan voted into the game, despite the NHL asking him to decline.
Overall, the All-Star game is something well-entrenched in the American sporting landscape and while some can falter to please, others can thrill. The NBA All-Star Game grows its appeal through the stardom and the circus-like skill events, while the MLB’s Midsummer Classic can still receive good ratings due to its timing in the sports calendar. Meanwhile, the Pro Bowl rides on the popularity of football, while hockey has more room to grow its All-Star Weekend.
Which one is the best? The answer is subjective based on what one considers when thinking of an All-Star game. Each can still deliver something for the die-hards and the casual onlookers, and that is the beauty of an All-Star game, the spectacle of a sport — it is a game anyone can enjoy.