Nick Lanier: Soccer Writer

A while ago, I wrote an article stating that I felt Brazil coach Tite was foolish for naming more than half of his World Cup roster very early into 2018, months before the tournament begins. The reasons I cited for this were vast. For one, injury and form should determine who is selected to the 23 man roster for the World Cup in Russia. Moreover, by telling other coaches a large number of your selections early on, teams who will be facing Tite’s side early on in the group stage will have much more time to plan and create strategies to try and dismantle what is a very strong and talented Brazilian side. Having watched Brazil end Germany’s 22 game unbeaten streak, and completely dismember host nation Russia in the last few days, Tite might not have been as foolish as I first thought. In actual fact, what he’s been up to might just be genius. Firstly, by telling people that he knows 15 of his 23 man squad already, an attitude of mutual trust between Tite and the elite 15 is instilled.

Playing for ones’ national team is a true honor. Tournaments such as the World Cup are renowned for being a showcase of the world’s top talent. In preparation for the World Cup and other similar tournaments, many nations play one another in so called friendly or exhibition matches. With the result meaningless, they are used as opportunities to test out new players or tactics that might be used in the upcoming major tournament or qualification matches, the results of which are critical. These matches are very useful, and nations should continue to organize international breaks with the domestic club leagues to ensure that club soccer does not stray too far out in front of the international game. The issue with these friendlies, for fans anyway, is that the matches often fail to live up to expectations. The players on show are, on paper, their nation’s best. International friendlies however, are riddled with poor defending, lackadaisical passes, and awful performances from top player

Liverpool and Egypt striker Mohamed Salah has had an incredible season so far. Current top scorer in the EPL, and in Europe altogether, Salah has finally found the form that he was touted to hit during his season with Chelsea, much to their dismay. The Egyptian was also successful during his time in Italy, but his latest triumph and dominance is definitely his best yet. It is not just his goal scoring that has been of value to his club and country. Salah has something about him that brings a group together. Everyone knows of Liverpool’s defensive issues this year, and even with the signing of Virgil van Dijk, this problem has persisted. However, what we have seen from Salah is his ability to hold others accountable for their actions, and he has been responsible for bringing out the best in not only his strike partners but other players too. This is something that few players have the ability to do, further showing Salah’s growth as a player, as well as a teammate and person. Also from

Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic has stated that he had made key decisions regarding his starting XI for the group stage games in Russia, but added that he is not sharing these names and formations with the media as the tactics and personnel are subject to change due to form and injury.  Whilst there is no true “group of death” at the World Cup this time around, Group D is perhaps the closest. As mentioned in my previous article about Messi and Argentina, this particular group of teams is very intriguing, also featuring Iceland and Nigeria. There are a vast range of playing styles and tactics that will be on show in Russia, and this group is a perfect showcase of that. Argentina are an attacking powerhouse, Nigeria have speed and strength in abundance, Iceland are perhaps the hardest working team on the planet, and Dalic’s Croatian outfit have some of the greatest playmakers, and are a very well organized team. The man is therefore very smart in choosing to not reveal anything just yet,

Had it not been for the great Lionel Messi, Argentina would likely not be at the World Cup. Qualification from CONMEBOL is difficult for anyone, but for Argentina to put themselves in the position they did was surreal. The South American side have been a staple of almost every World Cup, but for a while it looked like they would miss out. Qualification was rocky to say the least. With poor defending at key moments, and a lack of a solid midfield partnership, Argentina sat towards the bottom of the qualification standings for weeks. It was only a Messi masterclass that pulled them up the table, and onto a plane to Russia. From this, many have said that Messi will be integral to Argentina’s success at the World Cup. I disagree. Messi will be influential and give his all every game. This is a given. Even in a dead Argentina team, Messi was living and thriving. That’s just who he is. Messi’s humility, dedication, and passion for his club and country is what allows him to be as successf

Currently, European champions Portugal, led by star man Cristano Ronaldo, are 28/1 to win the World Cup. This sounds a little strange, as teams such as Belgium and England, who have not had anywhere near the recent continental success, along with Argentina who barely managed to qualify, all have much better odds to leave Russia with silverware. This may be due to the fact that a Portuguese team led by an aging Ronaldo will have to play exceptionally well to achieve success on the world stage. Nobody can argue that Ronaldo isn’t talented, nor can they argue that he cannot be a game changer, even at 33 years old. At perhaps his penultimate World Cup, this is really his last chance to truly be a star, taking the tournament by storm. The trouble is that Portugal really have struggled when Ronaldo hasn’t been performing. Portugal managed to reach the semi finals of the European championship without winning a game during regulation time. This suggests that their defense is talented led b

As of yesterday, the Greek Super League has been suspended indefinitely. This decision comes after the PAOK FC owner ran onto the field, after a decision did not go his team’s way, toting a gun. Greece’s prime minister stated that the league will not restart if “ there is not a new, clear framework agreed to by all so we can move forward with conditions and regulations.” In a World Cup year, this means a lot for players who play in the GSL whose national teams will be playing in Russia in a few months time. Whilst Greece failed to make the World Cup, the GSL has many players who will be hoping to make their national teams’ roster. Many people do not think of Greece when thinking of great leagues, however they have some fantastic teams such as Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, AEK Athens, and the aforementioned PAOK, all of whom have featured in the Champions League or Europa League with various levels of success. In turn, these teams often attract quality players from all around the world

This week, PSG we’re knocked out of the Champions League by a rampant Real Madrid team 5-2 on aggregate. Despite looking powerful, PSG simply were complacent over both legs, and even an under firing Madrid team were easily able to punish them. With so many stars, and so many national teams with deep pools of players, will this affect players chances of making their respective team’s squads for Russia? The first player to analyze is teen superstar Kylian Mbappe. The young winger has impressed the world in the last year, and PSG were quick to make his loan move from Monaco permanent. Mbappe has speed, skill, youth, and a soccer brain on his side. However, his inexperience was truly exposed in the two legs against Madrid, lacking defensive awareness, as well as showing moments of rashness and selfishness on the ball. France are arguably the team with the most players to select from, with a popular graphic on social media showing four French sides (ie. 44 players), all with the capabil

In Euro 2016, many were shocked to see Iceland, who have a population of less than 350,000 people, qualify for the tournament. Iceland have never had a terribly good team in the past. Nevertheless, it would be exciting to see a new team in such a prestigious tournament. The rest, we all know, is history. Iceland shocked the world by not only progressing from their group, which included snatching a point from eventual winners Portugal, but also putting out England, and playing very well in a defeat to France. Led by captain Gylfi Sigurdsson, the Icelandic team out hustled and out performed many opponents, and showed that they should be taken seriously. Despite this, many people thought the Euros would be a fluke for such a tiny nation. Boy were they wrong. By qualifying for the World Cup this year, Iceland showed that they are slowly becoming stronger and stronger, and that their feat at Euro 2016 was anything but a fluke. They are definitely a humble outfit, learning from their

Italian defender Davide Astori sadly passed away at just 31 years old. The Fiorentina captain was one of the best defenders in Serie A, playing for other teams such as Cagliari, Roma, and AC Milan, even acquiring 14 caps for the national team. Astori was a tall, powerful defender, who would frighten any attacker. He was quick and smart, able to lead either a three or four man defense. Astori tragically passed away of a suspected heart attack in his hotel room before his sides upcoming game. His team were warming up on the field when they got the terrible news, and many players left the field in tears. He leaves behind a wife and a young daughter.  The club statement read “ Fiorentina is profoundly shaken that it finds itself forced to announce that its captain Davide Astori has died, hit by a sudden illness.  For this terrible and delicate situation, and above all out of respect for his family, we appeal to the sensitivity of everyone."  Serie A postponed all of this weeke

With the start of the tournament roughly 100 days away, many fans can barely contain their excitement. I am one of these people. Growing up, I have actively watched only the past 3 World Cup’s in any great detail. During this time, I was able to witness things that only strengthened my passion for the game of soccer. The 2010 World Cup in particular had some terrific games. For all of these major tournaments, I would have a wall chart and would buy various books relating to the games that would take place over the four week period. I even bought a vuvuzela in 2010, and a string of flags of the competing nations in 2014. It’s safe to say that my passion has only grown. Soccer is unlike any sport, in that as a fan, you are one of hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Granted, here in the US there are numerous sports that have a much larger pull and popularity than soccer. To be honest, this is not a drawback at all. Rather, it is an opportunity to not only interact with peopl