A quick refresher: USWNT star Megan Rapinoe chose to join other athletes in kneeling during "The Star-Spangled Banner". We first saw Rapinoe participate in the silent protest on September 15, 2016, and that was not the last of it. Various athletes are refusing to stand during the anthem to draw attention to racial injustice in this country.
So you’re the kid on the team with a slender, 5-foot-something frame and weight that falls right in the middle of the 50th percentile for your age. You’ve heard the words “scrawny” and “toothpick” tossed around by coaches when discussing your physique. However, as a product of your natural build, you also possess pace, good foot speed and decent technical ability.
Repetition, repetition, repetition. You always hear professional athletes talking about getting their "reps" in, as they put in countless hours behind the scenes to truly become masters at their craft. But not everyone has a personal trainer or coach giving them a training regimen to follow, and a common message from coaches to young, aspiring athletes is to spend time outside of practice honing your skills.
Want to learn how you can make Jerome Boateng fall down like a stiff log, or walk past Real Madrid’s defense? Check this out.
Borussia Dortmund beat Manchester United 4-1 as the Red Devils kicked off their tour of China in Shanghai. Two goals from Gonzalo Castro, a goal from Ousmane Dembele and a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty did the trick for Dortmund, while ex-Dortmund player Henrikh Mkhitaryan pulled one back for United against his old club.
The Homeless World Cup, which took place in Glasgow this year, finished up on Saturday. Mexico won both the men's final and the women's final, as the men coasted by Brazil 6-1 while the women beat Kyrgyzstan 5-0.
At this point, you might be asking yourself: "Wait. What's a Homeless World Cup?" Allow us to enlighten you.
The Mexico national team has become, in recent years, a fertile ground for European scouts to find promising talent. Of course, Chicharito is the most famous example, but the likes of Hector Herrera, Jesus "Tecatito" Corona, Miguel Layun, Andres Guardado and Hector Moreno have not only found success, but have become integral to their respective clubs.
Many people give credit to the rise of Chicharito for shining the spotlight on Liga MX as a spot for promising talent, but in reality, more credit should be given to the sustained success of the Mexican youth.
Euro 2016 is over. It's all over. Tell us it isn't so.
Now that we have finished weeping uncontrollably and cursing the inevitable passing decay of time, we've been able to look back fondly at that magical month in France. All the surprises, all the snoozefests, the wardrobe malfunctions, the hooligans, the Irish lullabies, the pyrotechnics and of course, the tears. It's all been so great.
Not too long ago, the whole world was fixated as a handful of Chinese Super League clubs raided European teams for talent during the January transfer window. These weren't just over-the-hill players looking for one last paycheck. These were world-class players in their prime.