Nick Lanier: Soccer Writer

Just a quick update on the types of topics I will be reporting about over the next few months.  I will aim to limit the scope of my writing to international soccer, however I will speak of important events as they relate to the World scene, as they arise. One example of this may be the US soccer federation presidential election, as well as any key injuries, suspensions, and general performances of certain players and teams in domestic club games.  Statistically, readers do not enjoy article of great length, therefore I will try to keep each piece concise and to the point, whilst still presenting facts and my analysis in detail. Moreover, I will be aiming for a minimum of 4 posts a week, with an attempt to post everyday; life may get in the way sometimes. Upon the announcement of the final rosters for the tournament, I will break down each team and state my opinion as to how they will fare in Russia. Not so much a prediction, more of an analysis of how they will ne...

As any soccer fan will explain, in a major tournament, there is often one particular group dubbed “the group of death”. The phrase is in reference to the fact that any of the groups members have the potential of advancing to the knockout stage of the competition. There are many examples of this in the past few major tournaments, both for club and country. However after the draw was made for Russia, no one group seemed overly difficult. Whilst there will be many tough matches in the various groups, no single group stuck out like is normally the case. This is perhaps because the group of death for this tournament is instead made up of Chile, Italy, Netherlands, and the USA; namely, the teams who failed to the qualify for the tournament. With 2018 the final tournament with the traditional 32 team format, it will likely be the last time that teams of this quality will miss out on such a prestigious tournament. Still, one must not ignore the fact that these teams, all of whom have great...

In 2010, we had the first World Cup to be held in Africa. We had extraordinary crowds, packing stellar stadiums, witnessing incredible games. From Tshabalala’s opener, greeted by a chorus of vuvuzelas, to Iniesta’s trophy clincher, 2010 was certainly one to remember.  2014 brought the tournament to the nation that has won the most trophies in history; Brazil. The iconic Maracana was home to some tremendous fixtures, and across the nation, and world, soccer fans were treated to upsets, nail-biters, and blowouts; all the perfect makings of a great tournament. We were also witness to perhaps one of the most shocking games in recent World Cup recollection, that is, the 7-1 abuse of the host nation by eventual winners Germany. Ruthless, Löw’s side picked apart their opponents with precision, and had a tournament to remember for decades to come. Russia are this years hosts for the World Cup. Not the first name one thinks of when asked for a soccer mad nation. However, it may be b...

Greetings, I am Nick, and I am an avid soccer fan who has a passion for writing. I have created this blog to collate my thoughts and opinions on a variety of soccer related topics. I love to discuss my passion with others, and hope to inform, inspire, and entertain. A little about me; I am a college student from Texas, and have played soccer for around 15 years. I have had the opportunity to play not only in the US, but in Europe too. This has allowed me to learn a variety of different playing styles, and gave me the chance to play with players from all different walks of life. Having grown up in the Mecca of soccer (the United Kingdom), I believe that I have valid insight into the beautiful game, and one day hope to to report professionally for a news organization. As 2018 is a World Cup year, naturally now is the time to take a chance and begin writing in depth. During the tournament, I hope to produce quality pieces surrounding each match day, and to write to tell others of how I...