by Logan Butts | Jun 11, 2014 | Opinion, Sports
After four long years of waiting, the 2014 FIFA World Cup will finally be kicking off Thursday afternoon, and soccer fans everywhere are rejoicing. With the hopes of an entire nation on their back, 32 teams will be travelling to Brazil with their 23 best players in tow. All will be in pursuit of the most prestigious championship trophy in all of sports. I will be highlighting some key players and teams to watch whether you are a die-hard soccer fan or a relative newcomer to the sport. I will also be making my prediction for who will come out on top. Players to watch: Leo Messi, Argentina: The winner of four FIFA Ballon d’Or awards in a row from 2009-2012 (soccer’s equivalent to an MVP award) is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game, despite only being 26 years old. Although he has dominated for his professional team FC Barcelona, he has struggled in international competitions. This may be his best shot at the elusive World Cup trophy. Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal: The reigning FIFA player of the year, like his rival Messi, has seen success in international competitions fall just short of his grasp. Can the two-time Ballon d’Or winner put Portugal on his back and carry the team deep into the tournament or will we see a flame out in the group stage? Gianluigi Buffon, Italy: Heading into his fourth and likely final World Cup, many consider Buffon the greatest goalkeeper of his generation. Buffon and teammate Andrea Pirlo are the only two remaining members of Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning squad. The two will...
by Hunter Patterson | Mar 28, 2011 | News Slider, Sports
On Tuesday the U.S. Men’s National team will host Paraguay on LP Field at 7 p.m. Today, however, the teams might be practicing on Lipscomb’s campus — at least that’s what the rumor mill is churning out. Sources say that the Paraguay team is practicing on campus today for certain, but no time has been given. There have been no confirmations that the U.S. team will practice here. [Check back later today for photos from the practice(s). If they happen, we’ll have the photos here first!] Last time the U.S. men’s national team visited Nashville, young striker Jozi Altidore scored three goals in the win over Trinidad and Tobago. Altidore, 21, is looking to make more of an impact on the team leading up to the next World Cup. Altidore failed to score in the 2010 World Cup, hosted by South Africa. On Sunday there had been over 20,000 tickets sold for the game in downtown Nashville tomorrow. While that is down from the 2009 World Cup Qualifier of 28,000, those were the numbers that the city was planning on. The U.S. team recently played superstar Lionel Messi’s team from Argentina. The U.S. came from one goal down in the second half to bring the game to a 1-1 draw. Youthful forward Juan Agudelo scored for the U.S. team following a free kick. If you happen to be going to the game, make sure you arrive early. There will be throngs of people downtown, and parking is as bad as ever with the new convention center being built. There’s also a Nashville Predators game downtown tomorrow, which will only...
