sign in sign up
<<
Home , Bethany Balcer, Houston Roughnecks, Kristie Mewis, Mallory Pugh, Vlatko Andonovski, Zions Bank Stadium

A look into Superbowl Fifty Five

Superbowl Sunday was unlike any we had ever seen before. Instead of a sold-out stadium of raving fans, they were limited to only 30,000 people. People wore masks and parties were limited in size or didn’t even happen at all. Big companies like Budweiser didn’t run their annual ads, instead choosing to donate that money towards COVID-19 relief. The halftime performance was much more toned down than in the past with fans not being able to come onto the field for the performance. High numbers of celebrities that normally filled the stands were replaced with cardboard cutouts. Overall the night was entertaining with the game, the performance, and of course the commercial.

Amanda Gorman in the video of her poem before the game began

The night began with Amanda Gorman, a known activist, and poet, speaking during the pregame show. At only 22 she is breaking boundaries being the first poet to speak at the Super Bowl which she hopes will inspire others to continue to break boundaries. Prior to her performance, Gorman tweeted, “Poetry at the Super Bowl is a feat for art & our country, because it means we’re thinking imaginatively about human connection even when we feel siloed.” She performed a poem by the name of Chorus of the Captain in honor of three honorary captains that were selected. All three were regarded as pandemic heroes: a -based teacher named Trimaine Davis, who provided laptops and internet connections for students working from home during the lockdown, an ICU worker in Tampa Bay named Suzie Dorner, and a Marine veteran from Pittsburgh named James Martin, who founded the Wounded Warrior Project to help vulnerable children. After speaking at the 46th inauguration, she was invited to speak at the Superbowl due to her incredible voice and the power of her words. It was a chance to unite people and bring light to those who are working tirelessly to provide for their students, the country, and their families. In order to bring the poem to life even further, songwriter and producer, Rostam, set the poem to a piano composition.

Singer H.E.R during her performance

Erich Church and Jazmin Sullivan fist-bumping after their performance

Following her performance grammy-winning artist, H.E.R. performed “America the Beautiful” before Jazmin Sullivan and Eric Church came together to sing their own rendition of the national anthem. While both these performances occurred, Warren Snipe, an ASL performer, signed along.

When the game finally started it was a momentous occasion for many reasons. It was the first time that a team played in their home stadium for the actual Superbowl game. This Superbowl was also Tom Brady’s tenth appearance and he was seeking out his seventh win. As for the Chiefs, they were attempting the impressive feat of being back-to-back champions, an achievement that would have made history for the team. Although the game did not ultimately go in the favor of the Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes played one of his best games, throwing a perfect pass while parallel to the field at one point. The final score saw the game to be 31-9 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning the Superbowl and Tom Brady winning his seventh ring. With Brady winning this game he now holds more Superbowl trophies than the New England Patriots, the team where he used to play, and won most of his trophies.

Tom Brady and Gronk celebrate the win

Women broke all kinds of barriers last night at the big game, which is a welcomed change to a league that has been dominated by men. On the staff of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Lori Locust, a defensive line assistant, and Maral Javadifar, assistant strength and conditioning coach marked history as the first time two women were coaching the game. Before 2015 there were no women coaches in the NFL but this past season marked a record eight women as coaches. It shows that the representation of women in sports truly does matter in order to continue inspiring other women and young girls to chase their own dreams. Another moment of history that occurred last night was Sarah Thomas is the first woman to be a referee in a Superbowl game. She became a regular referee in 2015 but was not a ref during a playoff game until 2019, and in those four years, she had to tuck her ponytail away. Before making her way to the NFL Sarah Thomas officiated college games, her first bowl game being in 2009, and her first Big Ten stadium game in 2011. Now 47, she is showing young girls and boys all over that they can do whatever they want, including refereeing in a man’s game. More and more women officials have been popping up and demonstrating their own skills which is so important.

Seen: Sarah Thomas, Lori Locust, and Maral Javadifar paving the way for women in the NFL The Weekend backed by his dancers during the Halftime show

The Superbowl Halftime show presented by Pepsi was a new and unique experience. The Weeknd put on a dazzling performance singing many of his hit songs like “Can’t Feel My Face” and “Earned It”. He and each of his background dancers dressed in red and black suits. The dancers also had white bandages on their faces, along with a white mask, in homage to his album After Hours. The performance used many light displays, beginning with a large choir and instrumental section resembling the Las Vegas strip. At one point the stage parted and he went inside and a gold set of tunnels. The camera spun in all different directions creating an interesting illusion that there was more space than there actually was. The Weeknd and all his dancers finally entered the field where they broke into fun and almost chaotic dancing to match his hit, “Blinding Lights”. Unlike in years past, he did not have a surprise guest join him for the show, stating that beforehand because he wanted to ensure COVID safety by only having his production team there with him. A quick view of the commericals that showed

Then there was of course everyone’s favorite part of the evening: the commercials. The commercials were star-studded with actors like Ashton Kutcher, Matthew McConaughey, Will Ferrell, Mila Kunis, comedian Awkwafina and singer Bruce Springsteen all appearing. According to reports CBS, who hosted the Superbowl, charged 5.5 million dollars for each 30- second ad. “DoorDash” had a fun commercial with Daveed Diggs singing a new rendition of The Neighborhood from Sesame Street with Big Bird playing a major role in the commercial. While some commercials were funny like “Drake from State Farm” where Drake was the double for Jake from State Farm, others were heartwarming. The Toyota commercial was a definite tear-jerker featuring American Paralympic swimmer Jessica Long. The ad depicts her life from her adoption story to where she is today, a 13-time Paralympic Gold medalist. Oatly, a company that sells oat milk, had its CEO sing a song about how there was no cow milk and although it was laughable they sold out t- shirts and I can honestly say that I too wanted to go buy one. Overall the commercials this year were pretty solid. You can watch all the commercials here: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/07/super-bowl-2021-commercials-li ve-coverage.html

Overall the night was fun, fresh, and exactly what everyone needed, a bit of normalcy with the excitement of the halftime show and commercials. The Superbowl thanked the health care workers, inviting out 7,500 vaccinated workers to honor them. They still had regular fans in attendance, with one escaping onto the field for a mad dash to the endzone, but it wasn’t the normal numbers as to be expected. Here’s to Tom Brady not winning another Superbowl and hopefully, packed to the brim stadium next year to cheer on new teams to a win.

My Role Model: Lionel Andres Messi

Lionel Andrés Messi is a leader and a role model because he always helped his teammates during practice. Messi is a great mentor. He gives players tips and tricks, passes the ball to them in games so they can get better.

He’s affecting the choices I make in soccer for me to become better at the sport and be a professional soccer player one day.

Taken from https://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/reading-lionel-m essi.php

Lionel Andrés Messi , born on 24 June 1987, is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for Barcelona and the Argentine national team. He is one of the best football players of his generation and is frequently considered as the world’s best contemporary player. , who’s playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona.He received Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21 and won both by the age of 22. At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency, which is a medical condition in which the body does not produce enough growth hormone and whose treatment necessitates a lot of money. He left Rosario-based Newell’s Old Boys’s youth team in 2000 and moved with his family to Europe. As Barcelona offered treatment for his growth hormone deficiency. Making his debut in the 2004–05 season.He broke the La Liga record for the youngest footballer to play a league game, and also the youngest to score a league goal. Major honours soon followed as Barcelona won La Liga in Messi’s debut season, and won a double of the league and Champions League in 2006.

The USWNT Return to Camp

Just last month the Women’s National Soccer Team held a ten-day-long training camp in , Colorado. This was the first time the entire team had been together since the She Believes Cup in March of 2020. The new player roster consisted of 27 players, many being younger and newer faces.

Coach Vlatko Andovoski said, “Getting the National Team back together brings us relief and excitement, and I’m thankful for all the work done behind the scenes to make this happen” Even with notable players like , , , and not available for the camp as they were playing overseas in Europe’s Women League there was still buzz around the camp. Rose and Sam are both signed on for short- term contracts with Manchester City while Tobin and Christen are signed with Manchester United. Also missing from the usual list of call-ups were and Mallory Pugh, who are both currently undergoing recovery from injuries they sustained earlier this year. , a very well known face and name for the team, opted out of the camp due to COVID concerns. was also missing because of playing overseas and the birth of her daughter only six months ago. The camp focused on getting to know the new faces and getting back into the swing of team training; therefore, there were no international games during this camp.

The roster created for the camp consisted of four goalkeepers, ten defenders, seven midfielders, and six forwards. For many of the players like Bethany Balcer and Catarina Macario, this was their first senior team call up. There are four college players on the roster: Mia Fishel, Naomi Girma, Jaeilin Howell, and Catarina Macario. With the Pac-12 Conference potentially pushing women’s soccer to the spring due to the pandemic, the two Stanford players and UCLA’s Fishel have not played any matches this fall. On the other hand, all the players coming from the NWSL have played a series of games in both the month-long challenge cup tournament and the four-game fall series. Even the Challenge Cup proposed difficulties with how Coach Vlatko and his staff could easily scout out new players. Some players like and Kealia Watt were getting their chance to shine again after playing on youth teams but never quite making the senior team as a regular. Kristie Mewis, who has fifteen caps with the National Team, was a standout in both the Challenge Cup and Fall Series. The coaching staff wanted to see that players were pushing themselves even in this not so a conventional year. Pictured: Coach ready and excited for the camp to begin

In an interview done with The Atheltic, Coach Vlatko Andonovski said, “That’s why watching the game live — or if not live, in technical footage — is extremely important. When we’re watching the game, if Kristie is the point of focus, then we usually have one person following her the whole time, regardless of where the ball is. We have one person that is generating notes about her movement and her decision in proportion to the ball, in regards to the opponents and her own players.” The technical aspect of games, when watching footage and watching live, was something crucial that staff focused on. In order to make sure players are fit and ready to be called up, coaching staff spent hours watching the footage of games and talking to players one on one. This is all done with the idea of getting new faces into the team so that they could deepen the player pool for the future. Pictured: The first day back to full team training and already running drills

“We’re looking forward to getting this group together in Colorado and we really like the mix of players as far as age, experience level, and positions,” The camp staff wanted to use this opportunity to give players who were succeeding with their club or their college the chance to really step up in the high-intensity environment that is the senior team. He felt that there was no better time than the October camp because with some regulars missing it left many spots open to younger players who are being integrated into the program with retirement hedging for several players.Andonovski also states, “We have a lot of uncapped players and a few who have had the chance to earn a few caps, but we know that deepening our player pool is important as we head into 2021.” Pictured: Goalkeeper staying sharp with her skills

Deepening the pool of players, especially younger ones, going into another cycle of Olympics and World Cups is extremely crucial to the future success of the team. According to a study done by ESPN just after the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the average age of the team was 28.7. While that may not seem old, the world of sports is harsh on the players with constant matches and injuries. The USWNT is a very dominant team, however, other nations are beginning to catch up because of their incorporation of youth into the teams. Youth on the senior team is something that the national team has lacked, most players not coming in until they were twenty to twenty- one. The youngest player on the team who capped for the senior team was Mallory Pugh and she was only seventeen when that happened. In comparison to other nations, like Canada and Australia, they had players getting their first caps for the team at just fifteen years old. Coming into a new era of the USWNT with coach Vlatko Andonovski there was a big hope that the introduction of younger players who were ready to play at the highest level would occur. So far he has been succeeding, inviting many college players, the youngest being nineteen. In the October training camp, the average age dropped by two, becoming 26.5. The USWNT is still one of the older national teams however, Vlatko and his staff are clear that as time goes on more and more younger players will be seen.

Due to the COVID pandemic, coming into this camp was very different than normal for all the players and staff. Before players even left for the camp, they had to be tested for COVID and show a negative result in order to be permitted. When the players arrived in Denver, they went straight to get a rapid test and a second test that took twenty-four hours for results. They were sent to isolate themselves in their rooms while they awaited the test results. No one was allowed to interact with each other until after everyone’s negative test results came back. On the first night of camp, the welcome meeting was conducted over a Zoom meeting to address all of the protocols that included wearing masks unless players were on the field, washing hands at least once an hour, and completing the disinfection of all equipment after use. Players’ temperatures were frequently taken and they were only allowed to leave the hotel to go to the training facilities where they were kept under close supervision.

Pictured: Coach Vlatko Andonovski talking to the team after a training session In order to make sure no one tested positive camp had very strict guidelines but it went off without a hitch. The medical staff made it very clear that the safety of the players was of the utmost importance. Dr. George Chimpas, who also worked with many of the players in the NWSL, stated, “We’ve worked hard to make sure our players and staff are aware of all our strategies and protocols so they will feel safe in the environment. We all have our responsibilities individually to execute the proper maintenance of the environment, but collectively as a team, we all need to work together to make sure we can have the safest and most productive camp in October, as well as for events moving forward.”

After the COVID tests came back, the players trained in small groups, called pods, to make sure everyone got acclimated with one another as well as to ensure the safety of the players and staff for the first few days. The coaching staff was out on the fields for nearly seven hours with all the different pods, but they said they were just happy to be back coaching and watching players. They then got into full team training with drills going off as if it were any normal camp. The only noticeable differences were the masks and gloves that the coaching staff had to wear. To ensure safety when they weren’t on the pitch, players were given assigned seats for eating and for meetings that were socially distanced. All the players valued their opportunity to even be at a camp in the midst of the pandemic so all the precautions were taken very seriously.

Over the week many COVID tests were taken but because of all the protocols ensured to keep everyone safe there were no worries. By the end of the ten days, no one had tested positive. The camp gave the coaches and staff an excellent view of new players, especially going into this Olympic year. Pictured: Ashley Sanchez and Jaelin Howell, both earning their first senior team call up

Fred Dean, Pronounced Dead

Fred Dean was a very talented NFL player who was a part of the 49ers. On October 14, 2020, Fred Dean unfortunately passed away due to the coronavirus at the age of 68. According to his former teammate, Dwight Hicks, Dean was hospitalized and placed on a ventilator in intensive care. That Wednesday, he was pronounced dead in his home state of Louisiana.

Fred Dean was a loving father, son, husband, and huge inspiration to many people. There are 5 children who survive him and a wife who does so as well. Dean helped lead his team into two Super Bowl victories in 1982 and 1985. Dean was a defensive end for an entire decade. He was a two-time first team All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowler. In 2008, Dean was added into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.

To honor Fred Dean, the players of the 49ers wore their helmets with #74 decals to their game against the Rams. Fred Dean is not the only celebrity who has passed away due to Covid-19, there have been many more passings due to this devastating virus.

For Young Teens The “Weight” Is Over

Many people believe that kids should be at least 18 to start weight lifting, but that belief is completely false. People who say that are just inexperienced. If this was true, about 75% of all body builders would be in crutches right now. Most body builders begin their training during puberty or around 14 years old and if this was bad for them, they would not make it to adult competitions.

I have been weight lifting since I was 14 and during that time, I went through 2 stages in my life. First I went from chubby to skinny. Then I went from skinny to muscular. I started to workout and I gained about ten pounds of muscle. If doctors were right about waiting to train until 18 years of age, then I would be disabled by now.

So, When is the best time to start weight lifting? Whenever you feel healthy enough to give it your all! Covid Affects Fall Sports at MRHS

After convincing the school board on Thursday, September 10th to allow student athletes to participate in fall sports, the season finally began. With the exception that all precautions necessary to protect athletes from Covid-19 are taken, the season should be business as usual.

The battle to participate in these sports began before the start of the school year. Students took it upon themselves to create an online petition in favor of having fall sports and more than 600 signatures were collected. Letters were also sent to the Board of Education in support of the keeping the fall season and coaches expressed how many life changing opportunities student athletes would be given if the sports were allowed to continue.

Because of the pandemic, there are many precautions that were put in place to protect the students and those around them. The student-athletes have to wear masks before and after practice and whenever they aren’t performing physical activity. Another precaution is that all equipment has to be sanitized before and after use. The threat of having the sports taken away is very real if the students-athletes and/or coaches don’t comply with the precautions and rules set in place for the safety of everyone on campus.

Aside from the girl’s volleyball team, which has been postponed to next spring, Manchester student-athletes are happy to have the opportunity to participate in fall sports. So get out there are support you MRHS fall athletes! COVID Comes to the Olympics

With the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, many athletes are feeling the effects. Although it is understandable as to why it was postponed, it does not make it any easier. In a New York Times, video Olympic and Paralympic athletes shared their feeling about the games being pushed back another year. The 2020 games were going to be huge with the introduction of a few new sports, such as skateboarding and surfing. A lot of athletes were going to make their Olympic debut not only in the games but for their sport. Although that could still happen in 2021 it does introduce many setbacks that the athletes do discuss.

For athletes who are constantly at training, competitions, or flights to places, it’s been a huge adjustment for them to stay home. Its a total learning experience to revamp how you train in limited space because not everyone has big backyards. With training facilities being closed staying in top Olympic shape is an even bigger struggle than would normally be seen. People have had to convert garages, living rooms, and even balconies into workout spaces. Stairs are being used for running drills and household objects are being used to practice footwork. Although there has been a massive shift many athletes seem to understand. Right now is not the time to be resentful because we can’t control what is going on.

For many of the athletes, they are glad to be home right now. When you’re competing you are constantly traveling and this allows for a little down-time. It also allows for people who might not have been in top shape due to an injury to recuperate and come back stronger. All of the athletes were grateful that they’re even able to continue training in any capacity while being home and although it’s not the summer they planned you just have to keep pushing forward. It is being looked at as “delayed not canceled” because the Olympics are still going to happen. Although it’s hard right now, and quite frankly is very upsetting, it’s important to look at the positives which the athletes have been sure to highlight.

In the New York Times video, they showed the various athletes from all over picking up new skills. A handful of them learned instruments and produced some music. Some simply had family game nights or hung out with siblings in the backyard. No matter what they are going to keep training, keep pushing, and take this time to grow even more so we can bring home gold next Summer.

As positive of an outlook that they had, I do feel like if I were in their shoes I would be lost. When you dedicate your whole life training for this one moment and things shift it can be very disheartening. I mean I was upset about the 2020 games being postponed and I’m not even an athlete. However, I do think that the athletes in the video, many of whom would have played in the games for the first time as their sport was introduced, had a very good look at things. I definitely would be upset about the postponement at first but as they said it’s important to keep training and moving forward so we can get to those 2021 games. It’s hard to adapt when all you know has been changed to what the new normal is, especially when no one saw it coming. Yet, all these athletes seem unfazed as they keep up with their training. Instead of sights set in 2020, they’re now set in 2021.

All I can say now is that the 2021 games are going to be bigger and even better. These athletes are going to come back stronger and ready to fight for gold. I can truly say I am beyond excited to see how the 2021 Olympics happen. The competition is going to be fierce and these athletes are going to be nothing short of prepared. Bring on the games and the gold. And as always Go USA! NWSL: First American Pro Sports League Running Again

The NWSL, National Women’s Soccer League, was very vocal about wanting to get their players back on the pitch as soon as possible. It was announced on May 27 that a tournament, deemed the Challenge Cup, would be taking place in starting on June 27. A lot of fans speculated if it was worth it to host this tournament, especially when COVID worries are still high. However, Commissioner of the league, Lisa Baird, reassured everyone that at the core everyone’s safety is the most important. The event is hosted by Secret, the deodorant brand, and P&G. To ensure the safety of the players and staff, only essential personnel will be allowed to be in Utah for the tournament. All nine teams are only allowed 35 people at most, a roster of 28 and then seven staff members. It makes it a bit more tricky to manage the player’s minutes and ensure no one gets hurt because there are fewer players in attendance.

In a press release, the NWSL announced that “The format of the tournament will feature the league’s nine clubs each playing four games in the preliminary rounds to determine seeding. The top eight teams will advance to the quarterfinals, when the tournament becomes a knockout competition.” The Semi-Final and Final will be played at Rio-Tinto Stadium and will be hosted by Budweiser, one of the league’s newser sponsors but a long time supporter of women’s sports. The final game is expected to be played on July 26, a month after the tournament kicks off.

The tournament was cleared by the Utah Governor, Gary Herbert, and many people who live in Utah have nothing but praise for the tournament occurs. It is a great way to draw attention to women’s soccer and really sports in general as sports slowly begin to come back. The NWSL owners and commissioner worked closely with the players association to make sure that everyone was happy with the way the tournament was being run as well as that they felt safe. However, the most important thing is that players feel safe which is why they can opt-out if they really want to. Along with that, the mothers in the league are being provided with child care in Utah so that they don’t have to leave their kids home if they don’t have someone to watch them. For those that choose to opt-out because of the health risk, having children, or even just not wanting to play right now, they will still be compensated and provided with their in-season homes that are often paid for by the teams. When in Utah all team members and staff will be supplied with a living space, transportation to training, and other costs they need to be covered. Commissioner Baird stated that they will get whatever the players need because their comfort is essential.

As for the safety aspect of things, the NWSL began again in a series of phases as most institutes have. Phase one included individual training at facilities. For most teams, time slots were filled in with when they came in and players were assigned a quadrant on the field. The only people were medical professionals and the players. Along with that players were required to bring their own equipment to play with. Phase two was unique to each team in regards to when it would happen. It introduced small group training, no more than 8 players, however, coaches were also allowed to be there to advise. Before this was allowed each player was tested to ensure no one was positive for the virus. Once that went smoothly for a week the teams could then slowly shift into full team practices with all essential staff there as well.

Each team member and staff were required to be tested before full team training could take place and if all tested back negative they were good to go. Most teams are back to full team training now with most players saying they are happy to be back on the field. Players and staff are required to show up to training with a mask on, they are checked for fever by a medical professional and are required to remain a bit distanced in the locker rooms, however, things are on a much better track than they were a month ago. Phase four of this plan is the tournament. Two days before the team depart for Utah they are to be tested for the virus. As well as that, teams are also taking chartered flights to Utah and using team vans in Utah to ensure that everyone is kept secluded mostly to their team. Each team will be staying in an apartment complex where they will be provided with everything they need as well as a means to stay busy since they are being encouraged to not leave unless for training or games.

Overall the players seem excited to be training again and ready to get back on the field with their teammates. The first game kicks off on June 27, 2020, at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah. The teams were drawn for their seed on CBS sports live stream to determine who would play who. The first game of the 25 game series will be between NC Courage v. Portland Thorns FC and can be watched on CBS. The rest of the games will be available on CBS All Access which is six dollars a month and would cover the whole tournament. The championship game will also be aired on CBS. For more information and the playing schedule head over to nwslsoccer.com.

XFL Star: P.J. Walker

Phillip Walker nicknamed “PJ”,is an quarterback for the Roughnecks of the XFL. Walker was born in 1995 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He attended Elizabeth High School. During his Junior Year, Walker threw for 2,168 yards and 18 touchdowns, while going 120- of-189(63.5) in passing percentage. Following the completion of his high school career, Walker chose to attend Temple University, under head coach Matt Rhule.

Indianapolis Colts

On May 3, 2017, Walker was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent. He was waived on September 2, 2017 and was signed to the Colts’ practice squad the next day. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Colts on January 1, 2018.

On September 1, 2018, Walker was waived by the Colts and was signed to the practice squad the next day. He spent time on and off the Colts practice squad before being released on December 26, 2018, but was re-signed three days later. He signed a reserve/future contract on January 13, 2019.

On August 31, 2019, Walker was waived by the Colts and signed to the practice squad the next day, only to be released two days later.

Houston Roughnecks

Walker joined the newly-formed XFL for the 2020 season. The Pittsburgh Steelers called the XFL office to ask if they could sign Walker for one week ahead of their matchup with the Ravens in October 2019, as Walker was a similar player to Ravens starting quarterback Lamar Jackson. The XFL blocked the signing, as Walker was already under contract with the league. Before the 2020 XFL Draft on October 15, 2019, he was allocated to the Houston Roughnecks.

In the Roughnecks first game against the Los Angeles Wildcats, Walker tossed four touchdowns, helping the team win a 37–17 victory against the Wildcats. He was named the league’s first ever Star of the Week for his performance.

Women’s Soccer Olympic Qualifying

The 2020 Summer Olympics are fast approaching. The Tokyo Games are just six months out with the opening ceremony beginning on July 24th. The schedule is jam-packed with all different athletics on showcase right up until the closing ceremony on August 9th.

In order to participate in the Olympics, qualifying rounds occur. They determine the fittest and most eligible teams to play in the games. This ensures it’s full of the fiercest competitors in the world. In the coming summer months, the United States Women’s National Soccer team has a huge task at hand. Since they won the 2019 World Cup, they are under pressure and have their eyes set on gold in Tokyo.

The first set of Olympic qualifying women’s soccer games is taking place in then the semi-finals and finals of the qualifying tournament will be in California. Eight different nations are being represented in this tournament but only two will end up qualified to be part of the Olympics. The CONCACAF (an acronym for the region from which the teams hail) games will include, the United States, Canda, Saint Kitts and Nieves, Jamaica, Haiti, Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica. These eight teams were broken into group A and group B. The first and second place teams, from each of the groups, will play in a semi-final round. The winners from each semi-final game are the two teams that will advance to the 2020 Olympics. Group A consists of players from the United States, Haiti, Panama, and Costa Rica. Group B is made up of Canada, Saint Kitts and Nieves, Jamaica, and Mexico.

The game series kicked off on January 28th with the first game taking place between Panama and Costa Rica. The final score was 6-1 in favor of Costa Rica. The Costa Rican team heavily dominated the game having nearly double the number of shots and passes. They also dominated possession which made it easy for them to gain the win in the end.

Later that day, the United States played against Haiti. In the first 90 seconds of the game, Christen Press scored for the U.S. putting them in the lead. It was the team’s first game back since October so their goal-scoring didn’t soar, but by the end of the game, the U.S. had won 4-0. , Carli Lloyd, and all scored goals, too. By the end of the match, Rose Lavelle earned a yellow card for three consecutive fouls and there were a bunch of minor injuries on Haiti’s side making their trainers very busy.

The next set of games was played on January 29th with the first game of the day being Canada vs. Saint Kitts and Nieves. Leading up to this game there was huge talk about Christine Sinclair, the Canadian team captain, breaking the record for all-time international goal scored. The record was set and held by Abby Wambach with 185 goals in her career. Going into the game, Sinclair had 184 goals so she just needed two ore to pull ahead. A few minutes into the game Canada was awarded a penalty kick which Sinclair took. That marked one more goal for her. Just moments later, she scored a second goal of the match giving her just what she needed to pass the scoring record. In celebration, her teammates lined up like bowling pins and she pretended to score a strike. Sinclair now holds the most international goals scored of all time in both men and women’s soccer. The rest of the game was pretty uneventful for Saint Kitts and Nieves but Canada seemed to try as hard as they could to rack up the score. In the end, Canada won 11-0. Right after that game, Mexico played Jamaica. It ended up being a 1-0 game, the only goal of the game being scored in the 35th minute. For the rest of the game, each teams’ stats were very similar, 9-10 when it came to shots, 3-4 when it came to shots on target. However, possession did favor Mexico most of the game which is how they pulled out the win.

After the first round of games, Costa Rica leads Group A and Canda leads Group B by a large margin of 11-1 in goal differential.

The second round of the group stages kicked with Haiti vs. Costa Rica. This game was very rough right off the bat with a yellow card being given out just 13 minutes into the game. As the game progressed, three more yellows were given out, two to Haiti and one to Costa Rica. The star of this game was Raquel ‘Rocky’ Rodriguez who scored both goals for the Costa Rican team. Haiti had 7 shots, 5 of which were on target but unfortunately, they were not able to convert any of them to goals. Costa Rica was definitely on top of things with higher passing accuracy and fewer fouls. Haiti tried hard but overall their play was slightly out of sync which is what ended up leading to their loss.

The next game played was the USA vs. Panama. When the lineup for this game was released, many fans of the USWNT (US Women’s National Team) were confused because it strayed from the typical lineup; however, the group of girls dominated. The final score of the game ended up being 0-8 in favor of the U.S. and Lindsey Horan made a huge impact on this game by scoring three goals, one being a hat-trick, as well as having many shots on target. The goalkeeper of Panama, Yenith Bailey, was subbed off the field at the 33rd minute shortly after a head collision with Jessica McDonald from the U.S. team. It was released that Bailey fractured her face and is now out for 4-6 weeks. Tobin Heath came in at the 75th minute and scored at the 79th with an impressive goal that she didn’t even have to look at the goal to make. Saint Kitts and Nieves played Mexico next in a game that ended 6-0 with Mexico coming out the winners. In the first half of the game, Mexico was able to score four on Saint Kitts goalkeeper. Mexico played heavy in the game keeping Saint Kitts on their toes as they took 26 shots, nine of them being on goal. Mexico had more passes and overall more possession of the ball which is how they were able to stay on top of things and control the game in their favor. At the 62nd minute of the game, a yellow card was given to Rebeca Bernal of Mexico.

Canada then went on to play Jamaica where they won 9-0. Jamaica’s captain was given a yellow card roughly 30 minutes into the game. The star of this match was Canada’s Jordyn Huitema who scored five goals in the time she played. Jordyn is only 18 but has been with the national team for a while but this was her stand out moment. Of the six shots that Jordyn took five were converted to goals. Canada had a much higher pass accuracy and overall had more passes than Jamaica did throughout the whole game.

The next two games, Panama vs. Haiti and the U.S. vs. Costa Rica, ended in the same score of 6-0. Out of those teams, Haiti and the United States were able to pull out the wins. During the Haiti game, two yellow cards were given out to Panama in the second half of the match. Overall Haiti had better stats keeping more possession of the ball as well as a clearer pass accuracy which aided them in pulling out their win. Of the eleven attempted goals that Panama had, six were on goal but the Haiti keeper was able to keep them out.

The United States vs. Costa Rica game was played at a very fast pace with the first goal being scored only four minutes into the game by Christen Press. By the end of the game, Press had scored one more. Samantha Mewis also scored two with Lindsey Horan close behind with one goal. At the 62nd minute, a yellow card was given to a Costa Rican player. The USWNT heavily dominated the game having 20 shots compared to Costa Rica’s zero shots. The US had more than 50% of the ball possession which easily allowed them to make runs up the field to score. In the end, the USWNT was able to pull out a win which was not a major shock to viewers of the game who watched the US control it.

The rest of the tournament can be watched on Fs1 or Fs2. The CONCACAF youtube is also live-streaming the games.

Go MRHS!!! Check out the Fall Sports Schedule

Scroll down to see the full Fall Schedule. Then come on out and support your favorite sport!