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calciopics · 3 years

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Kylian Mbappé is Born to Run

The France forward grew up in the suburbs of Paris, steeped in the culture of football. At 22, the World Cup-winner is already a global superstar, and only now entering his prime. Will Euro 2020 be the moment when he overtakes Messi and Ronaldo to become recognised as the best player on the planet?

Kylian Mbappé was 18 when he walked into the changing room of the French national team. “It’s very difficult,” he recalls, “because great players don’t want to give you their place. That’s what makes them great players. They especially don’t want to give you their place if you arrive with the label of ‘Future Great Player’.” Within a year, Mbappé and France had won the World Cup in Moscow.

Three years on, we are talking in a room of his mansion in the leafy, old-money streets of Neuilly, just outside Paris. It isn’t even his home; he bought it to house his foundation, which offers after-school activities to rich and poor children alike. In conversation, Mbappé resembles a veteran TV presenter more than a young footballer. He makes short speeches in complete sentences, as precise in his footing as he is on the field. He sits as straight-backed as he runs. His expressive face keeps breaking into smiles: he likes talking, and is almost unburdened by the usual footballer’s fear of saying the wrong thing.

His burly father Wilfried sits beside us, but only once during the interview will he feel impelled to intervene. Meeting Mbappé, you come to understand how he hit football seemingly already fully formed. At 22, he has achieved more than most great players ever do. Can he take one more step and become the world’s best footballer?

His story starts 10 miles and a universe away from where we’re sitting today. His hometown, Bondy, is a multicultural suburb just northeast of Paris that looks as if someone plonked a Soviet town on top of an ancient French village. The old church is surrounded by fast-food joints and fading 1960s’ apartment blocks, one of them now adorned with a giant mural of Mbappé.

His parents grew up in Bondy: Wilfried, of Cameroonian origin, and Mbappé’s mother Fayza, of Algerian descent. Mixed marriages are common in the Parisian suburbs, the banlieues, but the couple did have to defy some local disapproval.

If a wannabe footballer had to choose the ideal place on earth to grow up, it might have been the Mbappé home in Bondy. Mbappé’s father and uncle were both football coaches, and Fayza, who ran after-school activities, played handball in the French first division. His parents had adopted an older boy, Jirès Kembo Ekoko, who went on to make a long career as a journeyman professional footballer. “I didn’t bring a new passion into the family,” Mbappé says with understatement.

He grew up practically inside the local football club, AS Bondy. “In the Parisian suburbs there are football fields everywhere,” he enthuses. “People here live for football. I was born with the sports ground facing my window.” It’s no wonder, he adds, that Paris’s suburbs are perhaps the deepest talent pool in global football, producing players such as Paul Pogba, Blaise Matuidi, N’Golo Kanté and Riyad Mahrez.

As a non-white kid from the suburbs, did Mbappé always feel accepted as French before he became a French icon? “I’ve always felt French. I don’t renounce my origins, because they are part of who I am, but I’ve made my whole life in France, and never at any moment was I made to feel I wasn’t at home here.” In the banlieues, he says, “We have a love of France because France has given to us and we try to give back to it.”

Mbappé’s parents made him take school seriously, and he was also a not-very-talented flautist at Bondy’s conservatory, but football came first. At AS Bondy, he says, “My father was my coach for 10 years. He helped construct the style of player I wanted to become. But I never felt the pressure of, ‘You have to become a footballer.’ Above all, it was a passion.”

Tagging along with his dad and uncle on their coaching jobs, the child acquired an unusual gift: he became a footballer who thinks like a coach. “Very young, I was always in the changing rooms, listening to the tactical talks and the different points of view, because football is made up of different viewpoints. I learned to have this tolerance, and I think it helped me, because being a coach is putting yourself in somebody else’s place. I think I have the gift of doing that. It helps in football, because if you’re a player, generally you think about yourself, about your own career. I can see, for instance, when something in a game is frustrating a team-mate. I can put him at ease.”

When you’re in the World Cup final, you’re convinced you’re going to win. You walk onto the field, the trophy is there, and you tell yourself it is impossible the other team will take it

Mbappé turned out to be that perfect sporting combination: a natural who is coachable. “He assimilates advice quickly. You ask him something once, and the second time he does it,” Antonio Riccardi, his former youth coach at AS Bondy, told me. Even as a child, Mbappé was an efficient footballer: decisive, never just decorative.

By adolescence, he was being courted by the big European clubs, which all keep close tabs on the Paris region. He visited Chelsea, and celebrated his 14th birthday at Real Madrid, which cannily found him the perfect babysitter: the club’s then assistant coach Zinedine Zidane, the greatest French footballer. When Zidane offered Mbappé a lift in his fabulous car, the overawed child offered to take his shoes off first.

The Mbappés sifted the countless offers and chose Monaco, where the route to the first team looked shortest. Mbappé arrived there, he says, “with my [footballing] baggage well filled.”

Kids in performance-sports families learn that they never arrive. Each step up is just another learning opportunity. In Monaco’s first team, the teenaged Mbappé encountered the veteran Colombian striker Radamel Falcao, freshly returned from unhappy loan spells with Manchester United and Chelsea.

“He was a star,” says Mbappé, “but he had a desire to transmit. He was like a teacher to me. He’s someone who always wants to score, but he left me the space to express myself. He’s very cool in front of goal, calm in his game, and he transmitted this serenity that I didn’t have, because I was young, excited and wanted to go at 2,000 kilometres an hour.”

The kid who didn’t yet have a driving licence scored 15 league goals in his first professional season to help Monaco win the French title in 2017. He added six more in the Champions League knockout rounds. He also passed his baccalauréat, France’s equivalent of A-levels.

Mbappé marvelled at the tension on the faces of other professionals, because he didn’t feel it himself. Everything came easily to him, without great sacrifice, he has said. When I ask about stress in a profession of hypercompetitive men, he shrugs: “Daily life is easy.”

His vertical ascent didn’t surprise him; it just happened a bit quicker than he’d expected. But others were stunned. Here was something new: an 18-year-old complete forward. Built like an Olympic sprinter, Mbappé ran upright, looking around him. He could dribble, cross and shoot. He was more advanced than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo had been at 18.

How does he describe his style? “The modern attacker who can play anywhere,” he replies. He explains that forwards used to be specialists: “There’d be a number nine, or number 11, or number seven.” Mbappé, though, is the all-in-one. “I think my CV can speak for me. I’ve played alone up front, I’ve played on the left and the right. In all humility, I don’t think it’s given to everyone to change position like that every year and keep a certain standard of performance at the highest level. That didn’t fall from heaven. If I speak of the baggage given me in my teens, it’s all there.”

In one regard he has always been unequalled: the counterattack at speed. He says, “I’ve managed to work on my weak points but above all to perfect my strong points, because I was always told that it’s through your strong points that you’ll exist.”

In March 2017, Mbappé became the youngest player in 62 years to debut for France. Five months later, his hometown club Paris Saint-Germain agreed to sign him for a fee of £166m. He drew on his childhood experiences to navigate two alpha-male changing-rooms. At PSG, his good English and Spanish helped him deal with foreign team-mates. With Les Bleus, France’s assistant coach Guy Stéphan told Mbappé’s biographer Arnaud Hermant: “He knows the codes of the changing room. At table or in the bus, he doesn’t just sit somewhere randomly. For a youngster, he isn’t timid or introverted. He expresses himself.”

By summer 2018, picked for the World Cup in Russia, Mbappé was comfortable enough to claim the blue number 10 shirt — previously worn by Zidane and Michel Platini — and to say in public that he was gunning for the trophy.

“I went to play the matches calmly like I always have. I didn’t want to change just because it was the World Cup,” he says. “We were lucky to have a young squad. We were totally carefree, just a band of mates.”

Hang on, surely a football team isn’t really a band of mates? “No,” he acknowledges. “Just like the baker doesn’t get on with all bakers. You don’t have to eat with your team-mates every evening to win.”

In the World Cup round of 16, his two goals and a 37kmph gallop through Argentina’s defence made his global name. The night before the final against Croatia, he admits, “I was a bit stressed. I didn’t manage to sleep much. But the nearer the match came, the less stressed I was.” Before kick-off he was joking in the changing room. Stéphan recalls: “He experienced the final as if it were a PSG-Dijon game.”

Mbappé says, “When you’re in the World Cup final, you’re convinced that you’re going to win. Even the Croats were convinced they were going to win. You walk onto the field and the trophy is there, between the two teams, and you tell yourself it’s impossible that the other team will take it. That’s why there’s such disappointment afterwards if you don’t win.”

Half of Bondy gathered in front of a giant screen to cheer on the commune’s own “Kylian national”. Scoring in France’s 4–2 victory, he seemed to have reached his career apogee aged 19. He didn’t see it like that. Interviewed the night of the final, he described winning the World Cup as “already good” but only a start.

The next day, as the Bleus’ bus edged along a packed, ecstatic Champs-Élysées, writes Hermant, the ice-cold kid mused to the French Football Federation’s president Noël Le Graët: “Was all this really necessary?”

Mbappé explains now: “For me, it wasn’t an outcome, a finality. I don’t think of that trophy now at all. I don’t look at pictures of the World Cup before going to sleep. Honestly, it’s people on the street who come up and say, ‘You’re world champion, merci, merci.’”

He understood that his early triumph had upset football’s all-important hierarchies. Returning to PSG, he immediately reassured Paris’s Brazilian star Neymar: “I’m not going to walk on your flowerbeds. I’ll be a candidate for the Ballon d’Or [the award for world’s best footballer] this year because you won’t be, but I promise I don’t want to take your place.”

Soon after, he took the World Cup trophy to Bondy, where thousands came out to greet him. “It was a way to say, ‘Thank you.’ I’ve never forgotten which soup I have eaten. So it was important for me to return there after my first World Cup and first international title.” (Note that word, “first”.)

France’s coach, Didier Deschamps, recalls falling into “physical and moral apathy” the season after he lifted the World Cup as a player in 1998. Did Mbappé experience a hangover? He grins: “I finished as best player in the league, highest scorer, best young player, I was chosen in the team of the season, and we won the league.”

Winning the World Cup made Mbappé a national hero. Does he consider himself a star? “I think so. If your face is everywhere in the city, everywhere in the world, that’s for sure. Being a star is a status, but it doesn’t make me a better person than others.”

He lives like a luxury prisoner, who cannot leave home without being mobbed. “It takes an organisation just to go out,” he says. He has joked that when his future children ask him about his youthful adventures, he won’t have any.

“A fan gives you enormous love,” says Mbappé carefully, “but sometimes maybe an excess of love, and he might not respect your intimacy. We give our lives to the people, because we give them pleasure every three days, and we give them our time. It’s impossible to hope for a normal life, but just a little respect for one’s private life isn’t too much to ask for, I think.”

As a young man of non-white origins, he has a particular vulnerability with the French public, one-third of whom voted for the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the run-off of the presidential elections in 2017. Even so, he has begun to speak out against police violence.

“I took time to start talking about it, because I wasn’t ready,” he admits. “I had a lot of things to digest: my change of status, my new life. But I have always opposed all types of violence.”

When I note that French police violence is disproportionately directed against people of non-white origins from suburbs like Bondy, his father stirs from his silence: “We’re not answering that. You’re orienting it as if the violence were only against people from the banlieues, which is false.”

In high-level football, nobody will make a place for you. Ego, self-love, isn’t just the caprice of stars. It’s also the will to give the best of yourself

French fans like their stars humble. Mbappé has explained “the French mentality” to Neymar, who favours a bling-bling, poker-playing party lifestyle. Mbappé says, “In Brazil, they are more festive, in France more serious. Here it’s not considered good to display your passions. People will think he’s neglecting PSG because he plays poker. I think he has begun to understand that. At first it was hard for him because he experienced it as an affront. When he arrived, they put his face on the Eiffel Tower, and six months later they’re asking him why he’s playing poker. In France, people know what you have but they don’t want to see it. They just want to see you playing football, smiling.”

But Mbappé believes humility isn’t enough. He thinks great footballers need big egos. “In high-level football, nobody will make a place for you or tell you that you’re capable of things. It’s up to you to persuade yourself that you are. Ego, self-love, isn’t just a caprice of stars. It’s also the will to surpass yourself, to give the best of yourself.” Every time he walks onto the field, he says, he tells himself, “I’m the best.”

In truth, he knows he isn’t the best — Messi and Ronaldo are better. “It’s not only me who knows that,” he laughs. “Everyone knows it. If you tell yourself that you’ll do better than them, it’s beyond ego or determination — it’s lack of awareness. Those players are incomparable. They have broken all laws of statistics. They have had 10 extraordinary years, 15.”

Still, he admits: “You do always compare yourself with the best in your sport, just as the baker compares himself with the best bakers around him. Who makes the best croissant, the best pain au chocolat? I watch matches of other great players to see what they’re doing. ‘I know how to do this, but can the other guy do it too?’ I think other players watch me, too. I think that pushes players to raise their game, just as Messi was good for Ronaldo and Ronaldo was good for Messi.”

Does Mbappé compare himself with the other great forward of his generation, Borussia Dortmund’s Norwegian Erling Braut Haaland? Mbappé’s reply sounds a touch patronising: “It’s his second year, we’re getting to know him. It’s the start for him. I’m happy for him, for what he’s doing.”

The more you become an important person, the more duties you have. I’m no longer the little kid. I’m Kylian Mbappé

In this elite individual competition, the top spot may be coming free. Messi (34 this month) and Ronaldo (36) are “nearer the end than the beginning”, acknowledges Mbappé. In February, his hat-trick helped PSG thrash Messi’s Barcelona 1–4 at the Camp Nou. “The best match of my career,” Mbappé says, “because it was complete. I helped my team both offensively and defensively, and I succeeded in the creation and finishing of my moves, in one-against-ones. I won 90 per cent of my duels, if that stat is correct. All match, I never had a moment when I felt extinguished.” He then scored two at Bayern Munich, before PSG fell to Manchester City.

Some opposing teams now rearrange their entire tactical systems to combat the Mbappé counterattack. “There are quite a few anti-Kylian plans every match,” he says. “It means I’ve been recognised as a great player. It requires you to have multiple strings to your bow. I like that, because I adore challenges.”

Surely he’s now too big a player for the French league? He umms and aws: “France isn’t the best championship in the world, but it’s my responsibility, as a flagship player, to help the league grow.” Yet he may well leave this summer, to Real Madrid or England. The decision, perhaps the biggest he’ll face in his career, will be made inside his family. Almost uniquely for a star footballer, Mbappé doesn’t have an agent, just lawyers.

At 22, he considers himself an experienced footballer. He says he and Neymar “are now the two natural leaders” of PSG. When he kicks off the delayed Euro 2020 with France in June, it will be with more responsibility than at the World Cup. “The more you become an important personality, the more duties you have. I’m no longer the little kid. I’m Kylian Mbappé.”

Kylian Mbappé’s prime may have already arrived. Fast strikers usually peak between 20 and 24. A Euro and a World Cup within 18 months, while France’s generation of 2018 remains almost intact, may be his best chance to make football history. What are his career ambitions? That smile again: “To win everything.” (Esquire Magazine)

#kylian mbappe #Mbappe #AS Bondy #AS Monaco FC #france national team #world champion 2018 #paris saint germain #PSG #football #fussball #foot #fodbold #futbol #futebol #soccer #calcio

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stretfordender · 6 years

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In the days leading up to the world cup I had what you might call a nineties renaissance. I read All Played Out by Pete Davies, watched One Night in Turin, changed my tumblr url to garylineker, sang World In Motion too many times to count. Tried to get my hands on an Italia ‘90 kit, although that was slightly too expensive.

I wasn’t born, in 1990. Forget understanding football or thinking about identity, I didn’t even exist. And in the twenty-eight years since then my parents got married, I’ve been born, gone to uni, graduated, gotten a job – and England still hadn’t ever gotten close to a world cup semi-final again.

It’s showed, over the years; shit tabloids writing shit takes, fans lashing out, the manager’s job becoming untenable, the players so abused it wasn’t even a moment of pride anymore. People forget that Gareth Southgate wasn’t supposed to be here; Big Sam Allardyce getting sacked led to even more grumbling. There was the group stages of 2014, and Iceland. When Harry Kane was appointed captain I thought oh, dear. Is there nobody else left? No one thought anything of us, not even ourselves.

There is vitriol in supporting England. There is banter and there is pure hatred. Even before this game I saw a billion 'anyone but England’ posts, rooting against us just because, drudging up the colonial past (strangely enough, the meeting of ex-colonial powers France and Belgium was perfectly all right, and I’m sure that if we had made the final, people would still have been rooting for France regardless). People even hate 'it’s coming home’ purely because we have a belter of a song. Like we aren’t allowed to sing to celebrate when every other country is.

So, going into this tournament: young squad, inexperienced manager, some very big teams with very big guns. The usual Ronaldo and Messi hype. I remember the end of the England managers documentary, Henry Winter looking at the camera and saying: if Southgate slips up against Panama –

No one thought we were going to be here four weeks later. No one.

Okay, it’s been a crazy world cup. Big guns falling left and right. And okay, we got the 'easier’ side of the bracket, although how you can call teams that beat Argentina or Mexico 3-0 'easy’ I don’t get. But that doesn’t negate the fact that we came into this, all of us, expecting to lose early. And we didn’t. We outlasted Germany, Spain, Argentina, Portugal, Brazil. We won a penalty shootout for the first time since – I couldn’t even tell you when, and it’s certainly the first time at a world cup. We scored a last-minute goal in our first game. John Stones scored two goals. John Stones!

Every step forward was another fever dream. Every song in the street, it was nearly complete, it was nearly so sweet. (Yes. I did that.) It’s Coming Home was only ever a joke, mind – it’s impossible to explain British humour – but through all the memes we knew what it really meant: the hope and the buoyancy and the people dancing on the streets. Cars honking England chants, people ditching Wimbledon and Justin Timberlake concerts to catch the games, concert organisers panicking because BST was on the same time as the final. The lift football provided even as the country continues to fall apart. The five minutes after Trippier’s goal where everything seemed almost unreal.

We didn’t ever really expect 'it’ to come home – Three Lions is a football song from 1996 and it was written because football was, quite literally, being played in the country where the rules were codified. The phrase referred to a geographical happenstance, not an arrogant declaration, as it seems to have been misread by so many jeerers and naysayers. And even then it doesn’t matter what it means. It was being able to say it four weeks into the world cup that counted.

And that mood? Four weeks into the world cup? When customarily dirges have already been playing for days and newspapers have been crowning the latest scapegoat (Sterling, I’m sure, this round)? When the St George’s bunting in the supermarkets would have been taken down by now and no one would be talking about football till the league started again?

Instead: still buzzing, still wearing England kits, still painting red and white on your face, still singing, still hoping. Still dreaming. I came to an epiphany recently: the 'no more need for dreaming’ from Three Lions '98 isn’t saying that we don’t need to dream any longer because there’s no point; it’s that we don’t need to dream because we’re so close.

We were so close. We came from nothing we were so close. Everyone thought we were a joke we were so close.

This experience has been one of the best experiences of my life. I never thought we’d be here, still, but this team gave everything – goals, incredible saves, savage blocks, waistcoats – everything and more. This team played like they wanted to win. And when it mattered this nation got behind them, in a way it hasn’t been for a long time. My friend told me a story of seeing an old lady on the tube listening to Three Lions on her phone.

That, to me, is the most important thing. Of course it’d have been better if we’d won. Of course. But when are you going to see something like this again? Arsenal fans declared their love for Spurs players; Spurs fans for Liverpool players; Liverpool fans for United players? People actually thinking all right, now, we’ve a shot, people actually getting excited about international football instead of moaning about friendlies and breaks, players wanting to play for their country instead of trying to squirm out, a manager believing in his lads and making sure they believed in him?

We’ve got one more game to play. I’m sure that the lads are going to go for it like champs. When they come home they’re going to be treated like champs. No one is going to forget the summer of '18 (unless, of course, 2022 happens!); no one is going to forget the wild, mad, defiant, euphoric, roaring journey. No one is going to forget that feeling immediately after Trippier’s free kick.

In 1990, twenty-eight years ago, Pete Davies wrote:

Life, like football, is a game of ninety minutes. You get your span allotted, you do your best – and at the end, you’re all played out.

And though that end be cruel as hell, there’s no one can fault you for trying all you can until it comes.

Well, we’re all played out, but no one can fault this team for trying all they could until it came. I am only proud and happy that we were here, once, now.

And for all you jeerers and naysayers and critics and skeptics and scoffers and mockers, lean in close and listen hard, because I’ve got one more thing to tell you:

It’s coming home.

#vomits okay i'm done i'm out i'm fine #rach on crack

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tkmedia · 3 years

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Man Utd need Ndidi, and a solution to the Haaland problem…

Your mails don’t have to be about Man Utd but keep them coming anyway. Send mails to [email protected]… Haaland sorted Erling Haaland to Chelsea? Simple! Dortmund want to keep him for another year. Chelsea want to pay up now to avoid a bidding war next summer when Haaland’s release clause kicks in. There’s a simple solution! Why don’t Chelsea give them £100 this summer to buy him but then loan him back to Dortmund for the upcoming season. Dortmund get what they want and Chelsea get what they want. Bing! Bang! Bosh! Thanks. Tim (CFC) Ireland Varane and Sancho not enough As happy I am at Manchester United signing Varane – with weeks left in the transfer window no less – I still don’t believe there will be a massive difference. Unless a top class defensive midfielder is signed, it will be more of the same… flattering to deceive. Varane is used to be playing with top level defensive midfielders both at Real and for France. I wonder how shocked he’ll be when he has McFred infront of him running around looking busy but not actually defending anything. With Leicester signing Soumare you’d think they are already ready for Ndidi leaving. Perhaps we could test the waters? I also would not mind Kessie from AC Milan who i watched run our midfield over two legs. Just keep Declan Rice away from Old Trafford. Longsight Lad F365 Says: Ole can’t go balls out with Varane alone The Pogba conundrum A lot of people have surmised that Paul Pogba has played well in multiple teams, such as Juve and France, or he has only played well when supported by high class talents. Some may say that the quality on offer in Italy is not as good, or perhaps the quality when he was there. Some may say that next to Kante, any midfielder will look better. So let’s break it down. Truth goes first. Pogba left England at a young age and went to Juventus. He joined the Italian champions, who would win the title in each of his four seasons. This is where the Real/Mythical Pogba was born. All action midfielder, very dynamic, given a license to roam and capable of a nice thunderbastard. Here, he flourished. This is true. During his career representing France, he has lost the Euro 2016 final at home to Portugal, and won the 2018 world cup vs Croatia. For France, he has looked almost as dangerous as he did for Juve, despite playing in a more tactically disciplined role. He is tasked with pulling the strings and sending those long balls for Mbappe, Griezmann and Dembele to chase. His first 3 games of the Euro’s showed exactly what he is capable of. This is true. At United, he doesn’t appear to be the Real/Mythical Pogba, why? Like most things, the proof lies in the details. At Juve, he had the honor of having the leadership and skills of Buffon in nets, a back three of Chiellini, Bonucci & Barzagli, flanked by Lichsteiner and Alex Sandro, with the mercurial Pirlo in front of them to protect. Alongside Pogba, were the box-to-box abilities of Vidal/Marchisio. This gave Pogba an outrageous amount of protection, while at the same time allowing him to be the man to dribble forward with the ball, take that long shot, attempt those long passes, safe in the knowledge he has an army of experienced defenders behind him. It made him worth 85M. Now, for France he does not appear to be as dynamic or dangerous, but not one bit less necessary for the team. With the previously mentioned three, and others, Pogba does not need to make the runs forward he would normally do at Juve. He is instead tasked with using his passing range and carrying the ball forward. It has evidently worked and it has evidently not. He has won the WC, His mistake cost them in the last Euro’s. For protection here, he has Lloris in nets, Varane and Kimpembe/Umtiti at CB with Hernandez and Pavard at fullback(Two defenders who can play CB) and he would partner with Kante and Matuidi(World cup winners) or just Kante( Euros). United in this time has not come close to either team’s level of quality when it comes to adequate protection for a player like Pogba. He has never had a midfield partner to the standard of Pirlo/Vidal/Kante and he has not had the quality of experience at the back either to match Chielini/Bonucci/Varane. This year may be different. If United could sign, let’s say, Ndidi. Pogba would have an experienced goalkeeper, experienced quality CB’s and fullbacks, midfield partners who have the discipline to protect him and forwards who will move into the spaces necessary. However, PSG would be the better choice for him. He has the quality goalkeeper in Donnarumma, a back three of Ramos, Marquinhos and Kimpembe. Bernat and Hakimi at fullback are great options. Gini can be their Vidal, Veratti can be their Pirlo. Add in the forwards, Neymar, Mbappe and Icardi, and you have a team that can more than match the ability of his successful Juve side. This all leaves us with the feeling of why? Why create all of this for just him? Well, you have to watch him to understand. Those first three games for France at the Euro’s. That run of form after Mourinho was sacked, where he scored and assisted 8 in 5 games. At his best he is an unstoppable machine capable of the delicate, and the dangerous. All you need to do is to listen to pro’s talk about playing against him to get it, and then watch his highlights for your eyes to get it too. That said, he is also such a liability, and this is why I would prefer to see him in that PSG team. United should use those funds to replace him with a solid CDM and a dynamic midfield passer, a la Scholes. He is a liability because he has often had brain farts at major moments, in major games. His giving away and taking of penalties record is horrible. Like at this Euros, when you take away the box-to-box partner he needed for the WC, even just Kante can’t save you, and he made Danny Drinkwater a 35M Midfielder. He does the magic many cannot, But in a team where Bruno is our main performer, there is not much space for the luxuries of Paul Pogba. You will get the screamer, and then be turned into a screamer, for his efforts. Calvino Rashford’s decision Can’t say I agree with JB. Rashford definitely looks like he’s been carrying an injury for some time to me. As for saying that if it was actually something wrong, you’d just get it fixed… it would be nice if it was that clean cut, but that’s just not how surgery works. I don’t know exactly what the nature of Rashford’s injury is, or what the surgical solution is, but the surgery could have a less than ideal success rate, it could only be a partial solution, it could leave the recipient with permanent (but lesser) pain in the affected area, surgery may only offer a temporary solution to an inherent problem that will eventually recur… There are plenty of reasons why a young guy may want to reflect on a choice between managing an injury versus going under the knife, or the exact timing of the surgery. But really, why is it such a big deal if the club was less than truthful in order to protect the player? Maybe it is made up and the issue is a sensitive one that the player doesn’t want widely known – like the early days of Darren Fletcher’s ulcerative colitis, or a mental health issue… Or maybe they are just making it up to alleviate pressure around bad form; sounds a perfectly valid tactic to me… what, if anything, is wrong with him isn’t really anyone’s business but his and his employer’s. Why don’t the press call them out on their BS? Probably because it isn’t newsworthy… Andy (MUFC) Wednesday’s PM Mailbox: How did a ‘useless PE teacher’ sign Varane? Lamela was a ‘liability’ and… Straw grasping Biscuit Dave – do you work in PR or marketing? There’s some wonderful creative framing going on in your description of United’s key players this morning. Listen, I get United are delighted to have finally signed a defender who looks competent in all areas of play rather than just a selected few, but to describe him as ‘the most successful centre back under 30’ is clearly heavily caveated so as to avoid anyone who didn’t hoover up Champions League medals at Real for most of the last decade, and even then you have to limit the age range so as to exclude his way more successful defensive partner. England’s best centre-back? John Stones is clearly why you’ve switched from ‘most successful’ to (a very subjective) ‘best’. John Stones might occasionally drop a bollock, but Maguire is always slow and one-footed. I know who I’d rather have. And to finish, a wonderful combo designed so as to exclude any striker under the age of about 29, yet not position Cavani behind of any of those he’s being compared to – ‘one of the best centre forwards in Europe over the last 10 years.’ Yeah, he’s been one of the best over that timeframe, but you’d probably find few outside of Salford who’d rate him above the other obvious names in that bracket such as Ronaldo, Lewandowski, Muller or Benzema. Even the intro to the group of players includes ‘(on paper)’. Absolute joyous and meaningless nonsense, and why I love the Mailbox. Jonny (on paper, one of the best bearded players over 6 foot tall between the ages of 42-45 in my street) Dance …Oh Biscuit Dave, I just have no idea how Ole gets these players to sign for the club with the highest wage bill in the country. Maybe he sent them a VHS of the time he did that tap in. And as for best English centre back, I think Joe Gomez (PL, CL) might have a word with Maguire(…….). United are back at the big boy table now. No more playing for nil nils or bragging rights when the leagues already lost. Ole has to do what only a small handful of managers have ever done and beat Pep in the league. No excuses now. Not injuries, not VAR, not playing on Thursdays after Christmas. He’s been spending like Man United, he needs to win like Man United. That means the league. United fans would do well to let their team do the talking on the pitch this season. Next year has to be their year. Anything else would be a failure for them. Alex, South London Ole: the good, the bad, and the ugly The Good: Ole took over a toxic situation from a toxic man in Mourinho. He was seen as a short term option to raise morale and see out the season. He nailed it, so much so, United gave him the job full time. I was concerned about this as Pochetino seemed like the better option. But I am not Ed Woodward, so I just had to sit back and hope for the best. What I did know was that we had a former player in the hot seat, we had a manager that fully understood what a successful United is, and the importance of sticking to the United way- Fast, attacking football, with local youths reperesting the club. It is a manager who has won trophies as a manager( Albeit in Norway, that said, his side were not favourites) From the get-go, you could tell the players where in a more comfortable environment, and happier for it. The results were not bad and by the end of his first full season, we had finished in the top 3, and reached 3 semi-finals. Last season we went a step further in both regards, finishing second in the league and reaching the Europa final. Despite a loss in the final, progress was definitely made. He has improved players as well. Greenwood has come on leaps, the best we have seen from Pogba has been on his watch. He added Maguire and AWB to make a sh*t defence solid, and he has them consistently getting high ratings without it really being noticed. His transfers have been the best since Fergie has left. He signs players that we need, but who also appear to have the right mental capacity to be a United player. Maguire, Fernandes, AWB, Varane, Sancho- These are all amazing players, but more importantly, the types of players we have needed and missed out on/Never went for. Tactically, he has beaten the best, and last season’s sensational comebacks should be seen as proof of this, instead of it being another ‘luck’ stick to beat him with. The Bad: I feel bad saying bad things about him, but then when I think about it, there is not much bad to him. He is nice and friendly, he doesn’t abuse, belittle or blame his players. You could say that tactically, he is maybe not as seasoned as your Mourninho’s or Pochettino’s, and he does not appear to have a preferred system such as Pep or Klopp. But Pep aside, not one of them was successful last year. You could say his use of substitutes can improve, as we learned in the lost final. We also learned in that game that, on occasion, he can be like a deer in the headlights when the opposition is delivering a masterclass. His interviews- this is where I think most people get their feeling for Ole, from. He just doesn’t scream anything, it’s never really emotional, engaging, or inspirational. He does not say anything truly wild or thought provoking. He just….is. The Ugly: The ugly I find is in his presence, so many are frustrated. It’s like your ex dating some really nice guy. You don’t want to like him, and he has given you no reason not to, but you still do. I don’t even think a trophy would do it, unless it is the league, and in a convincing way. But already people are saying he should win the league with this team, so we will see. He took over United in a similar way to that of Klopp at Liverpool. He achieved better success in his first full season than Klopp did in his. His second full season ended up in a losing european final(Albeit the Champions league for Liverpool) and a higher league finish than Liverpool. He is currently on an upward trajectory that should be seen as highly positive, yet, perhaps because he doesn’t have a thrilling tactical system and perhaps a slight lack of ‘Charisma’, he is being seen as lucky or unfit for purpose. Luckily, the United board does not. Calvino (His spending is about on par with Klopp in that time too)

Rule changes Three rule changes to improve “The Game”. 1. Stop the clock when the ball is out of play (e.g., throw ins, corners, subs, goal kicks). Simple…removes doubt, rewards playing. No stoppage time and reduce the 90 minute game time if needs be. Probably advanced by many others before me, but let’s ease into this. 2. Introduce sin bins. We need a card between the yellow and red (e.g., orange). The reason players “take one for the team” (e.g., yellow card with little time left to play), is because the balance between reward and punishment is…unbalanced. “Tactical fouls” go against good play/skill and are only supported by idiot hipsters (e.g., “Chiellini on Saka, is brilliant defending”. Nah, it’s cheating). Deliver the punishment within the game the crime occurred, and create jeopardy for cheaters. 3. Make VAR reviews the decision of managers or captains. I think most people want good skill and fairness, not decision making perfection/porn – they are different and the latter does not exist…as far as I’m aware. No fan wants to “cheat” their way to a win (think Henry handball against Ireland, Lampard’s phantom goal against Germany or Maradona’s handball), particularly in a significant game. But do we really care that a marginal offside or free-kick occurred 2 minutes before a goal? I don’t…get on with it, play on, tackle, defend. Use the tennis review model (i.e., 2 reviews per set and you keep them if you get your review right) to remove the obvious and impactful mistakes, but don’t make a video referee the central character in a game of physical skill. If you like decision based dramas, go and watch A Few Good Men. Dissecting grey areas is dull, futile and comes at the cost of the overall shape and integrity of the game. If Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan, or Liverpool 4-3 Newcastle is less likely with VAR, then remove it until you have something that doesn’t make it so (N.B., I am a football not Liverpool fan). Last thing… We are all controlled by others…ultimately high finance, PR, and Government, in some shape, form or collaboration. Moments of joy are few and far between. I don’t think we should allow The Man to place himself in front of one of the few moments of uncontrived joy left…put that power in the hands of your “elected” managers and captains, make it part of the game…and most importantly deliver fairness not officiousness. Nick (not The Man) P.s. Imagine Wenger/Mourinho/Fergie/ arguing they thought the ref had a bad game after they called 2 decisions wrong themselves… Already seems worth it. Non-perfect perfect goals Adding to Paul from Brussels mail about perfect goals that come out of left field where there looks to be no chance to score, my favourites are the goals from players that rarely get close but suddenly spot an opportunity. When they score there is this look of bewilderment followed by sheer joy, it’s the pure fun you have playing as a kid. As I am biased, check out Makelele’s goal against Spurs. Not only a great goal but he just stood still for a split second before realising he’d actually scored, and the reaction from the rest of the team says it all. Blue Chelsea Blue Read the full article

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junker-town · 4 years

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What is the world’s best soccer rivalry?

Photo via Getty Images / Illustrated by Karyim Carreia

We discussed our favorite rivalries from best ever to most underreated.

While rivalries are a staple of literally every sport, a solid argument can be made that no group of fans has embraced them quite like soccer. There are, of course, plenty of local “derbies” around the globe, but what differentiates soccer is how many of the rivalries are international.

In honor of Rivalry Week, we recently assembled some of the greatest soccer minds from around SB Nation to discuss their favorites.

Here is who participated: Donald Wine II, Stars and Stripes FC Gill Clark, Barca Blaugranes Kudzi Musarurwa, Dirty South Soccer Rob Usry, Dirty South Soccer Mark Kastner, Sounder at Heart and Liverpool Offside Eugene Rupinski, FMF State of Mind Aaron Lerner, The Short Fuse Tito Kohout, (Viola Nation) Brent Maximin (The Busby Babe)

El Clásico might be the best rivalry overall but does it ever live up to the hype?

Donald Wine II: The history between Real Madrid and Barcelona is off the charts, and it, to me, is the biggest and best in the world. Each match is epic, features some of the world’s greatest players, and is never short of drama. What other match have people scrambling to find out how to obtain beIN Sports for one day?!

Gill Clark: The thing is it very, very rarely fails to deliver. There are almost always goals (this season’s 0-0 was the first since 2002 — almost 20 years) and usually a red card or two and sometimes even a pig’s head chucked from the stands.

Donald Wine II: When you think about some of the world’s greatest players of all time, many of them have played in this rivalry: Leo Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Figo, Samuel Eto’o. I remember a few weeks ago we were doing that game of name a starting XI with greats that didn’t play for the same club, and Real and Barca blew everyone’s starting XIs up, lol.

Eugene Rupinski: For people who swear sports aren’t political, they should look into the history of Barça-Real Madrid. It’s part of what makes it such a big deal.

Aaron Lerner: Yeah — there are big time politics wrapped up in El Clásico, and that gets pretty ugly. Catalan separatism versus Francoist-influenced Spanish nationalism is still very much alive and kicking.

Donald Wine II: Hell, the 0-0 draw that was mentioned was postponed from its original date because of Catalan protests that threatened the security of the stadium. It ended up being played in December instead of October. They’re also two of the richest clubs in the world, and they consistently earn the most revenue.

On an internal SB Nation survey Boca-River showed up a lot, even though it’s probably a rivalry that a lot of general sports fans don’t know about. Anyone want to explain what makes it special?

Kudzi Musarurwa: The passion from the fans and the players is something that’s barely replicated anywhere else in the world. When people say football can be life or death, I always think of this rivalry and agree.

Rob Usry: There’s no doubt that Boca-River is a fantastic rivalry, but at what point can a rivalry be too intense? I feel like if there’s a legitimate threat of someone dying anytime the two teams play then it might be too out of control.

Aaron Lerner: The level of hatred between Boca-River and their fans is off the charts. Not to glorify supporter clashes in any way, but that derby led to wide-scale riots and a match being moved literally out of the country.

Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images

Mark Kastner: Didn’t they have to move the final between them to Madrid last year?

Aaron Lerner: Yes. They moved it across a literal ocean.

Donald Wine II: Boca-River is INTENSE as hell. You can feel the passion in any stadium. It may be too intense. It’s because of these matches that Argentina banned fans at away matches nationwide. But, that passion can be felt in your soul through your TV set or computer.

Eugene Rupinski: CABJ vs. River is probably the biggest rivalry on this side of the planet. It’s gotten very ugly at times, but it is an unfortunate reflection of the passion and intensity of the fans. Everyone knows the weight of those games; the players, fans, hinchas, fans across the globe and casual observers. You know how much that game means when it comes around.

Aaron Lerner: River Plate-Boca Juniors is intertwined with soccer identity in Argentina. You may have your own team, but you’re for one or the other. It touches politics, economics; that derby has tendrils wrapped up in everything in the country.

Donald Wine II: Also, I think sometimes the stadiums and atmosphere can help make a rivalry. When someone asks for a list of stadiums they most want to see a match in, La Bombonera is on just about everyone’s list. When someone asks for a list of stadiums they most want to die in, is at the top of everyone’s list.

Brent Maximin: Boca vs. River is the derby that is on most football fan’s bucket list. The history of the fixture, the relative quality of both teams over the years, and of course the fan experience.

What are the best rivalries on the women’s side either on the international or club level?

Donald Wine II: The USWNT’s biggest rivalry is Canada, then Mexico. But lately they haven’t been great rivals because they get smoked all the time. I will say, budding rivalries are forming with England and France, though.

Eugene Rupinski: The thing with international women’s soccer is that the US has almost always been the top dog and there’s been a rotating cast trying to knock them off but no one has been able to sustain it.

I think one to watch will be the US vs. Mexico. The US is unquestionably the best in the world and it’s not really close. Mexico though has put a lot of money and time and effort into growing and professionalizing the women’s game and it’s starting to pay off. Players are going to Europe to play and Mexico has also utilized the US collegiate system and dual nationals to bolster the program.

Aaron Lerner: It’s more of a past rivalry now, but on the women’s side, I’d shoutout Norway-U.S.A. Norway handed the USWNT their first big defeat on the international stage (and went on to win that ‘95 Women’s World Cup). For a few years, they were a bonafide rival to our women, and that rivalry served as my introduction to women’s international soccer.

Kudzi Musarurwa: During the Pia days, the USWNT’s rivals were Sweden. That rivalry lasted until last year to be honest.

Rob Usry: France/USWNT is my personal favorite. Feel like every game between them is top quality. But I can’t justify it as the best since it’s still fledgling.

Or USWNT vs. US Soccer.

Donald Wine II: LOL, he’s right though.

Tito Kohout: To piggyback on Rob, really any women’s team against the absurd levels of incompetent sexism rampant throughout the sport.

For the women in Serie A, I’ll submit Fiorentina-Juventus. The men’s side carried over, plus there’s the fact that Fiorentina had the first pro(-ish because Italy) women’s team attached to a men’s club and won a bunch of trophies before Juve added one of their own, outspent them, and have become the best team on the peninsula.

Donald Wine II: Real Madrid just picked up a women’s team last year, and it was officially renamed Real Madrid last week. When I last spoke with club president Florentino Perez last summer, he said the club’s intent was to put €20 million into salaries for the women’s team in an effort to be on the level of Barca and Atletico Madrid immediately. So, look for those rivalries to grow in intensity.

Eugene Rupinski: I think Tigres vs. Monterrey is probably the best though. They average a crazy amount of fans, and have won more stars than other team in Liga MX Femenil.

Photo by Andrea Jimenez/Jam Media/Getty Images

Mark Kastner: Liverpool Women vs. Fenway Sports Group (the club’s owner).

Aaron Lerner: Michelle Akers vs. anybody who tried to come through the center of the U.S. formation.

What are your favorite international rivalries?

Mark Kastner: Messi-era Argentina vs. trying to win a big tournament has been very enjoyable. It always starts with promise but ends up in crushing defeat

Tito Kohout: Most of the South American ones feel really intense to me, especially the ones involving Argentina and Brazil.

Brent Maximin: Argentina-Brazil. Even if it very often failed to live up the hype, those two nations live and breathe football and for decades each has claimed to have THE best player of all time. THE number 10.

Donald Wine II: US-Mexico is my favorite, but other great ones are Argentina-Brazil and England-Germany, though with England-Germany, we don’t get it as often.

Gill Clark: I go with Netherlands vs. Germany because they really can’t stand each other.

Ronald Koeman wipes his bum with Olaf Thon's West Germany shirt at Euro ’88.. IMAGINE THAT HAPPENED THESE DAYS pic.twitter.com/tcX8iqtBiA

— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) June 10, 2016

Rob Usry: I tried to think of one that isn’t obviously biased. But couldn’t come up with one. Mexico-USA is always high stakes and intense (unless it’s a cash-grab friendly). The bragging rights for each set of fan bases is precious. Surely there are better quality rivalries in Europe and Brazil-Argentina is great. But Mexico-USA is just a step below the World Cup as far as importance goes.

Tito Kohout: I think that all of the ones that involve crazy non-sports relationships (USA-Mexico, Ireland-Northern Ireland, DPRK-South Korea, Greece-Turkey, etc.) are probably the craziest to me just because of all the off-field stuff that gets packed in too.

Feel like any UEFA matches involving England could get really weird after Brexit, too.

Gill Clark: England vs. Argentina is probably worth a shout. There’s the Maradona handball, the Beckham sending off, Michael Owen’s goal (22 years ago today!) and obviously the history between with two countries.

Tito Kohout: I think part of it is that internationals are less common and that the quality of play is frequently lower because they don’t have as much time to train together, too. Seems like it leads to a lot of really tense, ugly games. Not sure if those result in more fan badness than really “good” games, but that’d be sort of interesting to look at.

Kudzi Musarurwa: Ooo, I just remembered a major international one-two: Egypt vs. Algeria or Egypt vs. Tunisia. I remember the AFCON held in Egypt (iirc) and it was the fiercest international rivalry I’d seen in a long time. Those countries hate each other

Donald Wine II: The North African ones are great. Throw in the Nigeria-Ghana-Ivory Coast-Cameroon battles that have been around forever. Ghana, FWIW, might be America’s second rival if you poll fans.

Australia-New Zealand back in the day when they both ruled Oceania.

What are some other rivalries we love?

Liverpool vs. Manchester United

Mark Kastner: Liverpool vs. Manchester United is a derby that transcends just football. It’s two cities that have a lot in common but have some very distinct differences in their approaches to life and football. Both teams have dominated English football during different decades, defining what we think about the game. The matches themselves are always really tense and full of passion. It’s wild that we’ve only ever had one title race between the two teams.

Liga MX’s América vs. Chivas

Eugene Rupinski: For me, it’s Liga MX’s América vs. Chivas. The two clubs who have more stars on their shirt than anyone else. The two most watched clubs in North America. It’s the cultural rivalry between Mexico City and Guadalajara and the rivalry of a diverse lineup against one made entirely of Mexican players with the pageantry of the American Super Bowl (at least) twice a year. Is it the fiercest in the world? No. Is it the most hyped? No. But it is the one that to me is the best because of what it means to so many in both the US and Mexico.

What about some underrated rivalries?

Donald Wine II: For an underrated rivalry, gimme the Soweto Derby (South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs vs. Orlando Pirates). Kaizer Chiefs is a team with American roots (the founder named it after the Atlanta Chiefs, who he left Orlando Pirates to play for before returning to South Africa to start the Chiefs) and each match is fierce on the field and in the stands.

Mark Kastner: Notable shout for Portland vs. Seattle in MLS. Any time you have a player rip up a referee’s notebook IN A GAME, the rivalry must be intense.

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Tell us about your favorite rivalries in the comments below!

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kristablogs · 4 years

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The next generation of race car drivers started out as gamers

Getting ready for the raceway increasingly means cutting your teeth on virtual tracks. (The Voorhes/)

James Baldwin’s confidence overtakes his ability midway through his fourth lap of Silverstone Circuit. The track, home to the British Grand Prix and among the most famous in racing, features a tricky series of sweeping curves best approached with a delicate balance of gas and brakes. Baldwin, however, attacks them at 110 miles per hour, risky given the damp morning’s freezing cold. His tires skate across the slick pavement and he careens onto the grass. After hitting the brakes, he cranks the shuddering steering wheel to the left, turning into the skid. The car skitters for several seconds and just misses a wall, but the move arrests his slide and gets him pointed the right way. Baldwin exhales, downshifts, and roars back onto the track. Within moments he reaches 110 again for the sprint down a short straight, then heads into the next turn. Chastened, he takes this one at a more prudent velocity.

The 22-year-old Brit watches this drama not through the visor of a helmet, but on the screen of a racing simulator. Baldwin is among the best esports drivers in the world, one of several dozen who earn a living competing in the digital domain. Now he’s preparing for his professional motor-sports debut on a bona fide road course.

Baldwin earned his shot a few months earlier, when he won the second season of World’s Fastest Gamer, a reality television series that saw 10 would-be Mario Andrettis compete for the chance to go wheel-to-wheel with seasoned pros. They raced on virtual and physical asphalt and dirt tracks and faced a series of challenges designed to test their problem-solving and leadership skills. When filming started in October 2019, Baldwin hadn’t done much more real-world driving than tooling around town. Fourteen days later, he crossed the finish line at Las Vegas Motor Speedway doing more than 130 miles per hour in a machine he called “fast enough to be scary.”

That isn’t as foolhardy as it might sound. Hyper-realistic driving games and hardware that mimic the sensation of hurtling around a track have made it possible to go racing with minimal experience in a proper car. Research suggests that the skills needed to master titles like Gran Turismo or Forza apply to competing in events like the 24 Hours of LeMans, one of the most grueling contests in motor sports. Baldwin now joins a handful of sim hotshots who have made that jump, something you don’t see in other sports, says Darren Cox, who launched World’s Fastest Gamer after a career in the auto industry. He notes that people who excel at, say, playing soccer on their Xbox aren’t going to find themselves appearing in the World Cup. “You can’t kick a ball around in FIFA and become the next Ronaldo,” he says.

The line between the virtual and real worlds began to blur in 2008, when Cox launched GT Academy, a TV program that turned gamers into drivers. When the show’s inaugural winner went on to finish second at LeMans in 2011, Formula One, Nascar, and other leagues started paying attention. Several have since joined the automakers that compete in them to launch online teams and tournaments in a bid to attract new drivers and, more importantly, fans. Many involved see gamers crossing over in greater numbers within the decade.

Not everyone believes the next champions will emerge from the world of esports, however. Skeptics argue that the physical and mental demands—let alone the inherent feel for the machinery—needed to compete at the upper echelons require experience, not simulation.

Baldwin is determined to prove them wrong. After winning his shot, he started working with a coach to hone the skills to handle the 700-odd-horsepower McLaren he’ll drive throughout Europe sometime in 2020. As he clocked hours in the simulator and miles around Silverstone, the COVID-19 pandemic put the date of his debut on hold. Nonetheless, Baldwin will spend the intervening time enduring an arduous schedule of workouts to prepare his body—and mind—for the challenges ahead. “This has been my dream since I was a kid,” he says. “Because of my esports experience over the last couple of years, I believe I will be able to compete at a very high level in the real world.”

Esports ace James Baldwin with the McLaren he’ll drive in his live racing debut. (The Voorhes/)

On a bright, clear morning in November 2019, Baldwin and three other finalists on World’s Fastest Gamer stood on the pavement of Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The circuit, 20 minutes northeast of the Strip, has seen Nascar drivers approach 200 mph, but no one had any illusions of reaching such a number during the 22-minute dash that would determine the show’s grand prize winner. Moments later, Baldwin pulled a helmet over his spiky blond hair and folded himself into a sleek fiberglass-bodied racer called a Mitjet EXR LV02.

The pack sprinted away from the starting line. Californian Mitchell de Jong led for two laps before Baldwin squeaked by. He ruthlessly built a 10-second lead—forever in auto racing—by the time the checkered flag waved. Cox congratulated him as he climbed from the cockpit, sweaty and elated. “We’ve just watched a group of kids, most of whom had never raced a car in their lives, get into a superfast sports car and dominate this track after just two weeks of practice,” Cox said.

Baldwin began training for his big-time debut two months later. He started at Brands Hatch Circuit, near London, before switching to Silverstone. The track is not far from where he grew up watching Formula One, the pinnacle of motor sports. At an age when most kids learn to ride a bike, he begged his mother and father to let him take up karting, often the first step toward a career as a throttle jockey. As hobbies go, it’s not cheap—a few thousand for a decent machine, and, at the uppermost levels, as much as six figures in expenses each season. Still, they relented, and over the next several years Baldwin did well enough to move up in 2015 at age 17 to a larger, more powerful ride in the Formula Ford division. He entered four events in six months, compiling a decent record but spending $20,000 doing it. “My parents were like, ‘We have to stop now,’” he recalls after a session in the simulator at the track.

Baldwin switched to playing the racing sim Project Cars in his bedroom when he wasn’t in a classroom studying engineering. The title is among the most popular in a genre that dates to 1974, when people used to drop quarters into Atari’s Gran Trak 10 arcade game, which featured a genuine steering wheel, shift lever, and pedals. Despite the realistic hardware, the experience was more Mario Kart than Indy 500. That remained the norm until the mid-1990s and the debut of seminal titles like Gran Turismo, Grand Prix Legends, and others that featured lifelike physics, environments, and driving techniques.

The rise of online gaming in the early 2000s has allowed players to compete against each other, more like they would on the track. Dabblers get by with consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but hardcore competitors often favor computers with peripherals like a steering wheel, shifter, pedals, and seat. “Once I transitioned to a more realistic simulator, not only did I get faster, but I had more fun,” Baldwin says.

He started entering tournaments and in 2018, at age 20, joined Veloce Esports, a gaming team in London. He quit school, and within a year ranked among the world’s top competitors in Project Cars 2, prompting Cox to offer him a spot on World’s Fastest Gamer.

Cox grew up wanting to try karting, but turned to video games because his parents couldn’t afford it. He studied politics and economics in college before going to work for Renault and then Nissan, where he led its global competition operation. The automaker launched a marketing campaign with Gran Turismo in 2006, and Cox invited aficionados of the game to lap a track with professional drivers. “Some of the instructors came up to me after and said, ‘You know, a bunch of these guys can really drive,’” he says. “That was my light bulb moment.” Seeing a chance to cultivate talent and attract new racing fans, in 2008 Cox launched GT Academy, an unprecedented television series in which Gran Turismo players competed for a seat on Nissan’s racing team. The show, filmed in Britain, ran for eight seasons, aired in 160 countries, and drew 100 million viewers at its peak.

A new generation of drivers are getting their start on consoles instead of racecars. (The Voorhes/)

It also launched several careers—impressive, given that most contestants had never climbed behind the wheel of anything faster than the family hauler. The show’s first winner, Lucas Ordóñez of Spain, has since competed in 112 events and racked up 21 top-three finishes, including two at LeMans. Jann Mardenborough earned his driver’s license just two years before winning season three. Nissan spent six months preparing the Brit for the 2011 24H Dubai endurance race, where his team placed third. He’s been at it ever since. “The transition from the virtual to the real world felt completely normal,” says Mardenborough, who now competes with Kondo Racing in the Japanese Super GT series. “Being a 19-year-old at the time probably helped; I didn’t have the self-preservation part of my brain telling me to back off.”

The pivot could not have come at a better time. Formula One saw viewership in Britain, where most teams are based, plummet 24 percent between 2018 and 2019. Nascar has lost more than half of its live and TV audience since 2014. The sport is on a “constant quest” to counter declining viewership, and “esports presents an intriguing opportunity to access a potentially valuable new demographic,” according to a 2017 report by Nielsen analysts. The tactic worked for soccer. A 2016 University of Michigan study cited the success of the FIFA game franchise as a factor in the sport’s surging popularity in the US.

In 2015, Cox founded his own outfit, which joined the Canadian firm Torque Esports in 2017. One year later, he launched World’s Fastest Gamer. The first season aired on ESPN and CNBC. Some 400 million people tuned in, and Rudy van Buren of the Netherlands won the grand prize: a job as a simulation driver for McLaren Racing, helping perform virtual tests of its Formula One cars. Impressive, but Baldwin will face the ultimate challenge of driving a McLaren 720S GT3 for Jenson Team Rocket RJN in the 2020 GT World Challenge endurance championship series. “Of course people in recent years have been on a similar journey, going from esports into the real world, but no one has gone in at the level of racing we are,” Baldwin says. “I am determined to show what is possible.”

Given Baldwin’s resolve to prove he can handle a $600,000 carbon-fiber rocket on wheels, it is perhaps ironic that he still spends much of his time in a simulator. But then, so do many pros. Teams at every level rely on the machines, which can cost as much as eight figures, to precisely replicate navigating any course, in any conditions. They allow drivers to acquaint themselves with a car or track and help engineers analyze vehicle performance. The technology is so precise that it has in many cases largely replaced expensive physical testing.

That explains why Baldwin’s training relies so heavily on it. If he isn’t in his rig at home, he is squeezed into the form-fitting seat of a simulator built by Allinsports, an Italian firm founded by a former Formula One engineer. His hands grip a steering wheel flanked by gearshift paddles (the computerized controls long ago replaced conventional stick shifts), and his feet depress gas and brake pedals. His eyes rarely leave the curved 48-inch screen before him. The hardware, about the size of a recliner, sits in the corner of a conference room overlooking Silverstone.

An off-the-shelf program called rFactor 2 allows Baldwin to experience nearly any circuit in the world, in any of dozens of cars. He can adjust his ride’s suspension, tune its engine, even customize the paint job. The software models factors like the damage tires sustain in a skid and how traction varies as the rubber wears and pavement conditions change. The system uses these calculations to provide surprisingly tactile feedback. The steering wheel shudders and vibrates, the brake pedal demands a firm push, and, like the McLaren he’ll drive, everything requires a deft touch to avoid a stall or spin.

James Baldwin practicing in a racing simulator. (The Voorhes/)

Evidence suggests the skills Baldwin has honed in the digital realm will serve him well as he crosses over. Cognitive psychologists at New York University Shanghai and the University of Hong Kong showed that gamers are much better than other people at processing visual information and acting on it. They also found that driving sims can help anyone “significantly improve” those abilities in just five to 10 hours, leading the researchers to believe that such software could be effective training tools. Their 2016 study builds on work by Daphne Bavelier and Adrien Chopin, cognitive neuroscientists at the University of Geneva and the Sorbonne in Paris, respectively; their 2012 inquiry revealed that playing titles that feature highly dynamic situations and demand rapid decision-making can improve perception, attention span, and spatial cognition. Chopin has little doubt that esports players can become racers, given the authenticity of the vehicles, environments, and controllers. “Because of these characteristics, it is essentially the same task,” he says. “What you learn in the game should be transferable.”

Still, Baldwin knows he must hone his abilities through real-world experience. He’s lapped Silverstone in several cars, learning how to handle them at racing speeds. (So far he’s achieved 170 mph.)

This past March, he spent two days zipping around Circuit Paul Ricard in France in the McLaren. “The team was very happy with my performance,” he says. “They said my pace and consistency were great. And I didn’t crash, which was a massive tick in the box for them.” Naturally, he crammed for that test by driving a virtual version. Still, Baldwin concedes there are some things a simulator can’t prepare him for. “A real car is hot, it’s sweaty, it vibrates,” he says. “It sounds silly, but you don’t actually realize this until you get in and start driving.”

Beyond heat and noise, gamers have a lot to learn. They often miss subtle signals from the tires and suspension that can help them go faster and avoid problems, says Ross Bentley, a coach who has trained them. And while esports drivers possess excellent reflexes, concentration, and hand-eye coordination, they often lack the fitness long stints at speed require, says Mia Sharizman of Renault Sport Academy, the automaker’s driver recruiting program. During a race, competitors can lose several pounds, experience as much as five times the force of gravity, and endure heart rates as high as 170 beats per minute. “You need to be able to have core and neck strength to withstand the extreme G-forces, leg strength for the braking, and, most importantly, mental fortitude to be able to function while knowing that your life is at risk,” Sharizman says. “It’s extremely difficult to replicate that type of scenario and environment.”

Fortunately, Baldwin has some appreciation of this from his childhood racing experience. He’s working with Simon Fitchett, who has spent seven years training Formula One drivers, to prepare his body and further sharpen his concentration. “It’s hard to focus my mind sometimes,” he says. But the greatest challenge may lie in mastering fear, something Juan Pablo Montoya, whose long career includes stints in Formula One and Nascar, saw competitors struggle with while he was a judge on World’s Fastest Gamer. “A fast corner in a simulator is nothing. You press a button and you try and you try until you get it right,” he says. “When you’re doing 150 or 180 miles per hour on a track in a corner and you have to keep your foot down, the reality sets in. That’s when you’re going to start seeing the difference between the guys who can make it in reality and the guys who can only make it in esports.”

Baldwin will face that test when he finally rolls up to the starting line at Brands Hatch Circuit outside London, fulfilling a childhood dream. He has no doubt he’ll pass. “As long as I’m finishing first,” he says, flashing a cheeky grin, “then it should all be good, right?”

This story appeared in the Summer 2020, Play issue of Popular Science.

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scootoaster · 4 years

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The next generation of race car drivers started out as gamers

Getting ready for the raceway increasingly means cutting your teeth on virtual tracks. (The Voorhes/)

Esports ace James Baldwin with the McLaren he’ll drive in his live racing debut. (The Voorhes/)

A new generation of drivers are getting their start on consoles instead of racecars. (The Voorhes/)

James Baldwin practicing in a racing simulator. (The Voorhes/)

This story appeared in the Summer 2020, Play issue of Popular Science.

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torentialtribute · 5 years

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Ada Hegerberg’s Women’s World Cup boycott has divided a nation but is about more than equal pay

When the final whistle went on at The Eagle's Horst stadium in Holland on July 24, 2017, Ada Hegerberg had had enough.

Then, aged just 21, the talented striker was ready to quit the national team. One month later, she did just that.

Norway had failed miserably at the European Championships finishing bottom of Group A without a single point or goal to speak or on their return home.

After a disastrous 2017 Euros, Ada Hegerberg decided to quit the Norwegian national team

Now, Norway are competing at the 2019 World Cup without the world's best player in the side

But this decision to step away was about what Hegerberg later clarified as a 'lack of respect' towards the women's team, in comparison to the men's.

On the face of it, casual fans assumed pay was the issue. In 2017, the Norwegian Football Federation signed an agreement on equal pay with the country's male and female players. And yet Hegerberg is still not making herself available for selection for the national team.

In her mind, the failure at the Euros highlighted how far down the priority list the women's team was and despite her age, she was never going to shy away from speaking her mind.

One anecdote from the Euros that has proven to be Hegerberg's burden in Norway red and blue was the women's team given one shirt each for the tournament. Add into the story that the boots arrived arrived in the wrong size for players and it became clearer and clearer to the Lyon striker that someone needed to make a stand.

Nobody watching the national team in France this month can do so without thinking or Hegerberg. If it were Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo the demand to see them appeased and reinstated would be overwhelming.

Then again, both Messi and Ronaldo would not have been asked if they could work when collecting the Ballon d'Or award – as Hegerberg was.

The fact that a 23-year -old striker who boasts 14 trophies and was the first ever recipient of the female Ballon d'Or may never appear for the country again taints events like the World Cup. Fans because to see the best face and the best with Hegerberg watching from afar, that is simply not the case.

The 2017 Euros was littered with controversy including the squad only having one shirt each

A month after Norway's group stage exit, Hegerberg posted a statement to reveal she quits

In an explosive interview, which ran just before the World Cup, with Norweg ian outlets Josimar and Morgenbladet Hegerberg opened up on her fight and how 'nightmares' finally pushed her away from playing for Norway.

' At so many camps. I have been mentally broken, "she said. "It has been a deeply depressing feeling.

ADA HEGERBERG

2010-11 : Kolbotn (31 apps, 15 goals)

2012 : Stabaek (26 apps) , 33 goals)

2012-14 : Turbine Potsdam (33 apps, 14 goals)

2014-19 : Lyon (154 apps, 184 goals)

2011-17 : Norway (66 caps, 38 goals)

'I had nightmares after being with the national team, you shouldn't have things like that. If you want to get anywhere in life you have to make choices. ”

Hegerberg, a long-term girl for the NFF and Norwegian football, has a number of supporters for the cause but Real Madrid's Martin Odegaard recently made his feelings clear, helping divide a nation on whether it was good or a betrayal from Hegerberg.

"Maybe you can find something better to do than destroy the national team's preparations for the World Cup?" the midfielder said on Instagram.

'They have qualified for the World Cup with their country (among the greatest things a footballer can experience) and they have already had enough negative attention. They deserve better.

'That you choose to do an interview like this is completely incomprehensible. The timing is terrible. The choice not to play for Norway is yours, but respect Norway and our national team. It's enough now. ”

Speaking to fans living in Norway, Odegaard's response represented the isolation Hegerberg finds herself in. For the best female player on the planet, she finds herself out on her own in the fight to bring equality.

The 23-year- old has gone on to establish herself as the best and won the 2019 Ballon d'Or

But after an interview in Norway was published ahead of the World Cup, she was with criticism from Real Madrid midfielder Martin Odegaard about the timing of the article

Twenty-two-year-old Trondheims-Orn defender Ina Lundereng Varhus does not have the financial support to commit to football full -time right now – an issue that troubles Hegerberg – instead of balancing studies with football as she strives to make the national team.

For Varhus, Hegerberg is nothing short of a 'hero' to her and many others.

"The mood [in Norway] is split," she tells Sportsmail . "I support Ada for the fight she does on behalf of the rest of us.

" The culture starts at the top of the organization, and they need to recognize women's work and put some effort into giving us the opportunity to develop as footballers. I am dreaming and working to be a full-time professional and want to be one day in the national team.

'Ada is a hero because she is tough enough to fight against it and she has got the position to be heard. '

Hegerberg has spent the last five years at Lyon where she has developed into the finest footballer in the world. A hat-trick in the 2019 Champions League final showed the immense talents on the biggest stages.

And so to see many of Lyon team mates take on her former Norwegian team mates last week in a World Cup match without her involved, for many, it simply did not sit right.

The NFF admit they are 'sad' by the situation and that their 'is always open' for her if she changes her mind.

Fans are split with many backing her cause but others see it as a betrayal not to feature

At club level, Hegerberg feels valued and is reaping the rewards having won 13 major titles "class =" blkBorder img-share "/>

At club level, Hegerberg feels valued and is reaping the rewards having won 13 major titles

In a statement the NFF said: "For a while, we lagged behind in the internat ional competition. We were lax for a little while, for a few years. A weak Euro in 2017 was a clear expression of that.

'The evaluation after this championship triggered a series of development processes that ended with seven victories or eight possible in the qualification of this summer's World Cup – with victory over the current European champions Netherlands in the decisive match.

'We would have liked Ada to join in. However, she has been clear, and we must respect that. Our desire and hope for the future is she will change her mind. Both the national team manager and the elite director have been in dialogue with her and our door is always open if she wants to. "

Speaking at the Oxford Union last month, Hegerberg admitted she is unlikely to be at the NFF's by in the near future but never say never.

One thing is certain, if she continues to dominate the women's game, winning all the individual braces, the absence becomes more and more inexpensive for those who can make change.

She netted a hat trick in Lyon's recent Champions League final win against Barcelona

But Hegerberg can only watch as a team mates go for World Cup glory this summer

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uzhcaitlyn0643-blog · 7 years

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PS4 FIFA 18

Fundamentally, essentially the most expensive model was the one which supplied one of the vital with all of the bundle. Super Deluxe was included with forty FUT Jumbo High quality Gold Packages that have been employed twice per week over the length of 20-weeks, three complement FUT Staff of the Week loan gamers, nine match FUT mortgage objects and customized FUT kits. One more factor to check ahead to along with the launch of "FIFA 18" could be Brazilian striker Ronaldo, the return of one in all FIFA's legends. In a movie leak positioned on Reddit, commentators could also be seen mentioning the elegance in Barcelona of Ronaldo. More details regarding "FIFA 18" and its explicit blemishes might presumably be introduced within the EA affair during the Electric Leisure Expo (E3) in June. Thursday, June 6. EA Accessibility customers can get to get pleasure from the game earlier, while non-members can get their practical the general recreation by the end of September. FIFA 18 vs FIFA 17: What’s New is a publish by Josh Smith from Gotta Be Cell. That is what’s new inFIFA 18. EA builds on the swap to Frostbit with upgraded player models and more reasonable in-recreation animations — and that’s simply the beginning of the brand new FIFA 18 features. That is how the FIFA 18 vs FIFA 17 comparability stacks up as we be taught in regards to the upgrades EA is delivering this fall. While we're still studying about new FIFA 18 features, this will make it easier to determine if FIFA 18 is value shopping for, or if it's best to choose up FIFA 17 at a low cost. One of the largest issues with sports activities video games is that EA will merely deliver a roster update and some minor changes. By letting you understand how FIFA 18 vs FIFA 17 stack up, you can also make a judgment call on whether or not the upgrades are value paying for. The FIFA 18 release date is September 29th, but when you buy the particular edition, you'll be able to play on September twenty sixth and you get other bonus objects.

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Hi guys, I'll be performing some coverage on what I think should be the upgrades/downgrades on gamers for FIFA 18. So none of those are official ratings, simply what I believe needs to be the rankings.. Let's begin out with Real Madrid! In fact this depends as well on if the Champions League and/or La Liga can be won, but I feel some gamers undoubtedly deserve a up/downgrade already. G. Bale from ninety to 89/ninety. (Did not really lived up to what the followers expected this season. Was truly actually necessary at first of the season when Ronaldo did not make plenty of targets, Bale helped the workforce rather a lot along with his headers.. Pepe from 88 to 88. (Really stayed on that top stage of defense. I think he isn't that Pepe anymore from 4 years in the past who was labeled as the "dumb defender", this season for example he solely had 1 yellow card in all leagues! For players that play dirty, this implies that you will get much more slack from followers. Lastly, the game is also adding many more smaller options resembling fast substitution, simpler penalties and in addition a new sort of tackle. While these options is perhaps onerous to get used to at first, they're positive to make the FIFA 18 gaming experience far better. FIFA's primary on-line gaming mode is ready to be again as soon as once more in FIFA 18 and it is predicted to be higher than ever. Prior to now, the Legends have been solely available to Xbox customers however that can now change and PlayStation and Computer customers will also have access to this characteristic. Furthermore the Legends have now changed their title to the Icons. New Icons can be available in FIFA 18 which were not seen prior to now and these include Argentinian champion Diego Maradona, Frenchman Thierry Henry and Brazilian Ronaldo. The Journey mode by which the participant would take control of a upcoming player, Alex Hunter, and stay his life on and off the sector.

Even should you don’t observe soccer, you most likely recognize the name Cristiano Ronaldo. The world’s finest player fuels the biggest leap forward on the pitch that we’ve ever delivered. We're extremely excited to companion with Cristiano – working with him we learned so much about his unique play fashion and what makes him so particular. In fact, FIFA 18 will even be getting a special Renaldo Edition. A player this nice deserves one thing particular too: the FIFA 18 Ronaldo Edition. EA also dropped a FIFA 18 teaser trailer, and dang, this recreation is wanting nice. Sure, EA could have prettied the footage up somewhat, but this isn’t pre-rendered. You may tell this at the least began as gameplay footage. In fact, the spotlight of the trailer is an uncannily reasonable shot of Ronaldo’s face. EA has pulled forward of their "realistic sweat" battle with 2K Games! Yet another bit of exciting information for PS4 homeowners – FIFA Ultimate Workforce Legends, which have been renamed "Icons," will now not be Xbox One exclusive.

It's a serious subject brought when people compare FIFA versus PES as PES developers Konami have the very best league competition on the planet. EA ought to buy out the clause Konami has with UEFA even when it costs them some huge cash. It wouldn’t be troublesome for EA to earn the cash again since the have EURO Cup, Champions League and Europa League in the sport. Yes, it’s fancy but we hate it. There are lots of people on FIFA neighborhood that need the previous Penalty Kick style again. There has been a lot of misses already which has led to tons of broken controllers, particularly when you find yourself enjoying a ranked match. We would like to see tons of recent celebrations added in FIFA 18. The variety of signature celebrations is rising and never to say the generic celebrations that most players use. The sport development committee should assume about how so as to add an increasing number of celebration for a single participant. WHEN CAN I PRE-ORDER FIFA 18? Fifa 18 is accessible for pre-order proper now. The PlayStation Retailer and Xbox Retailer have all editions listed, while Computer avid gamers can get reduced costs through Origin. The 'Legacy Edition' can be accessible for PS3 and Xbox 360 gamers. WHAT CONSOLES WILL FIFA 18 BE Launched ON? Older consoles - PS3 and Xbox One - and Nintendo Change is not going to have the ability to run 'The Journey' as the Frostbite engine is simply too highly effective. WHEN WILL THE DEMO BE Released? If you treasured this article and also you would like to obtain more info relating to when does fifa 18 come out (http://www.wandaverna.viamagus.com/blog/The-newest-version-of-FIFA-should-be-nothing-short-of-this.html) i implore you to visit our own internet site. If previous years are something to go by, the Fifa 17 demo might be launched about two weeks before the complete sport. Circle the week commencing September eleven in your calendar and we should not be too far off. WILL 'THE JOURNEY' BE Again? Our development workforce in Vancouver is delivering deeply modern new experiences throughout this yr's sport. WHAT'S NEW IN Ultimate Crew? The massive information forward of Fifa 18 is EA Sports activities ditching Legends - Final Crew's retired footballers - for multi-platform Icons. Initially solely accessible to Xbox One in Fifa 17, now all gamers will be able to stretch the legs of some of the sport's biggest past names. Who's THE Cowl STAR? After Marco Reus triumphed by way of a fan vote last 12 months, Cristiano Ronaldo has been picked by EA Sports. He turns into the third player - after Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi - to be the cover star for before Fifa and Pro Evolution Soccer.

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