Articles
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Scouting Report: Justin Kluivert
Justin Kluivert is at the tender age of 18 years old and already has a lot of billing to live up to in his short career as a footballer. There is no doubt that his career won’t be the same as any other normal football player’s career. Not only was he born with a silver…
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The Rebirth: Barcelona Under Valverde
After a hectic summer market, including the loss of Neymar to Paris-Saint-Germain for the modest sum of 222 million euros, the Catalan club was expected to struggle this season. What could we expect with a new coach, new recruits and a new system? After half the season, I think everyone is unanimous about how Barça…
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The Peculiar Case of Maksim Shatskikh
September 17, 2002. It was one of those rare times in Malaysia where I would get to watch Dynamo Kiev in action. The opponent of the day was Newcastle United, managed by the late Sir Bobby Robson. A friend of mine was skeptical of my choice, noting that there were far more star-studded Champions League…
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Americans Abroad: Christian Pulisic
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far it is possible to go.” – T.S. Eliot. The odd case of Freddy Adu exposed Americans to the danger of overhyping talent – and they didn’t like it. Starting an MLS game at 14 and destined for stardom across the waters,…
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Marco Reus & The Fight Against a Series of Unfortunate Events
There aren’t enough of them, especially in the ever polarizing age of social media, but every few years there appears a player who is loved and adored by all (most) football viewers. Ronaldinho, Philip Lahm and Andrea Pirlo are all players of the same generation who got respect even from rival fans. Marco Reus falls…
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Why Mauricio Pochettino could be a mismatch for Real Madrid
While it was only a single Harry Kane goal that separated Tottenham from Arsenal at Wembley, the gap should have been much more than how much it was. Despite that, Mauricio Pochettino seemed overjoyed with yet another North London derby win. He was relishing it just as much as he has relished the past ones.…
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Antonio Conte: A Tactical Disasterclass
Leaving the Etihad Stadium yesterday made me question what exactly was the point of the team travelling up. It was a gloomy Manchester afternoon, with rain pouring down, the perfect setting for the display which had just taken place. A lack of desire, ambition and direction from the man once loved by Chelsea’s fans, only…
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Oleksandr Zinchenko’s Unexpected Breakthrough
“Zinchenko is talented, but he must be realistic. He must get the experience and game practice. He can only play for Manchester City on his Playstation”. Former Liverpool and Ukraine striker Andriy Voronin said these words about Manchester City’s attacking midfielder turned left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko, who is flourishing with regular appearances for Pep Guardiola’s high-flying…
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La Liga Scout: Rodri
The main talk so far this season in La Liga has been the undefeated run of Ernesto Valverde’s Barcelona, Real Madrid’s slightly improved since the start of the year or the impressive revival of Valencia under Marcelino. However, the acceptable work of Javier Calleja’s Villarreal has certainly gone unnoticed by the Spanish media. Villarreal were…
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Feyenoord: How to Fix the Downfall of a One Season Wonder
On June 6, 1944, the Allies invaded Normandy. On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell down. And on May 14, 2017, Feyenoord finally won the league. After years of desperation, failure, and near bankruptcy, Feyenoord managed to win their first league title of the century, in one of the most hectic and intense seasons…
