Culture

Four years ago, Taylor Twellman went down in U.S. sports media history with his epic rant screaming “WHAT ARE WE DOING?!” to anyone who would listen after the USMNT failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. On Wednesday night, the sports media reaction to the Americans returning to the World Cup was far more muted, almost apathetic in many cases. SportsCenter in particular buried the news deep in its flagship Scott Van Pelt broadcast.  

African footballers have been migrating overseas since the 1920s, when French leagues attracted some West African players. The migration of African talent to Europe intensified from the 1980s to the 2000s as football became more globalized and economically viable.

Thousands of African footballers have since found their way to Europe. Many have succeeded in carving a niche for themselves, like Abedi Pele, Didier Drogba, George Weah and Samuel Eto'o. The performances of these stars have reinforced the perception that the African continent has some of the best football talent.

Social media is often a horrible place, I think we can all agree. But sometimes it gives us wonderful moments of schadenfreude, moments when we can step back from an argument and be oh so happy we’re not involved. There was one such popcorn-grabbing moment this weekend when Ashlyn Harris and Trinity Rodman got into a Twitter feud after their respective clubs played on Friday.

What ingredients make a team great? Is it the best players? The best coaches? The best gear and training facilities? What makes a great team work is great teamwork, plain and simple. 

No one player is going to win a game, let alone a championship, not even the fancy pants who paid $600 for his designer boots. More than any other sport, soccer requires every player on the pitch work together to accomplish a goal, whether it’s scoring a golazo, keeping a clean sheet or winning a trophy.