Youth Sports Are Back!
Wednesday March 10, 2021
California Set to Reopen MLB Stadiums, Allow Limited Return of Fans
Enrique Medina for El Paisanno Media The reopening of stadiums will force fans to order food and other necessities right from their seat.
Enrique Medina Broadcast Director
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t was announced Friday by California officials that the state will allow people to attend Major League Baseball stadiums again and other outdoor entertainment venues. Friday’s announcement came with the news that the reopening and new rules take into effect starting April 1. With the reopening, it allows the Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels, and Los Angeles Dodgers to reopen their ballparks. Despite the huge announcement, the plan will only take into effect those living in California. In other words, only fans from California will be allowed to attend these stadiums. Teams have up to this point been notified to only sell tickets to those who live in the state. The reason being in an attempt to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and limit the mixing of people from other states who may potentially bring the virus with them. Amongst the plan to reopen, it is important to be reminded of the California colored-tiers which do take an effect on the reopening plan. The purple tier, the most limiting, followed along by the red, orange, and then yellow tier before normalcy. In the reopening plan announced Friday, those counties in the purple tier will only allow 100 @elpaimedia
people in stadium. The red tier will allow 20% capacity, followed by 33% capacity in the orange tier, and 67% in the yellow tier. A reopening plan set in the purple tier would only allow teams to sell tickets within the county regionally. Meanwhile, all other tiers allow for California MLB teams to sell tickets statewide. As for food/concessions, they will not be allowed in the purple tier, but limited in the others to only at spectator’s seats. Specific rules that teams may want to enforce, will be up to each team separately. As for concessions, the Oakland A’s already announced they will allow fans to order from their phones. This will be delivered into their seats. As for other teams as well, given the plan, no fans will be allowed to pay with cash. So, for those who may not have a debit card, they may make a purchase to use one for that game to order whatever they need. It was also announced that teams will only be allowing fans to go to games in small groups. Along with that, no tailgating will be allowed. The plan is set just in time for MLB Opening Day which is set to be April 1. Up to this point, only the A’s, Padres, and Angels announced they will have fans back for Opening Day. As for the Giants and Dodgers, both start the season away from California. They announced they will release plans in further detail at a later date.
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Luke Perez Reporter
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arch 4, 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom and his administration settled a lawsuit from high school athletes across California which cleared outdoor and indoor sports to return. Even with new guidelines and rules, schools, players, and parents are happy that sports are back. Nicholas Gardinera, a senior high school football player from San Diego and his dad were the main plaintiffs in the lawsuit. It started when a judge in San Diego ruled against Newsom in favor of reopening high school sports and San Diego highschools got to start up again. Soon after, other lawsuits began to stack up and Newsom gave in. Their argument was simple: if college and the pros
are able to proceed with restrictions and new rules then so can high school sports. The new rules for student athletes include weekly testing and a negative result two days before their game. Once COVID-19 cases in the country start declining to seven out of 100,000, outdoor sports won’t have to test weekly. Indoor sports like volleyball and basketball will continue weekly testing until local case rates drop to less than one in 100,000. Other new rules are the ban of indoor team dinners and film studies, no sharing equipment, and coaches and players who aren’t competing must wear a mask. For the parents of the student athletes, only four members of the player’s family can attend a game. Family members will not be tested before
Student athletes at West Covina High School resume baseball practice as Covid-19 cases decline.
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Vol. 62 Issue 1
admittance but are to keep social distance during the game. For students, it is still unclear what the rules will be for them to attend their school’s games. Ultimately, it will be up to the school districts’ and state rules that will determine the rules for family, fans, and students who want to attend the games. As of right now, California is in the red tier for COVID-19. With high school sports making a comeback it’s only a matter of time till schools themselves reopen. With these new rules for high school athletes, there’s a possibility sports for middle schoolers and younger can start up again. Even though county public health departments could still enforce stricter rules and some counties have yet to agree with the new rules, this is a huge win for the youth of California.
Raymond Luna for El Paisano Media
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Saudi Arabia's Prince Ordered the Death of Washington Post Journalist
News Editor
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n intelligence report declassified by the Biden administration on Feb 25 confirms the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was ordered by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Prince Muhammad bin Salman ordered the murder of Khashoggi in Istanbul, Turkey in Oct 2018. The Prince has the final say in practically every aspect of his kingdom, including intelligence and security firms. This means the assassination of Khashoggi was at the very least approved by him. Khashoggi was a columnist for The Washington Post living in self-exile in the United States. He often criticized the Salman regime for it’s corruption and human right violations. His outspokenness was the most plausible reason for his assassination, According to The Guardian, Khashoggi was in Istanbul to finalize his marriage with his Turkish fiancé, Hatice Cengiz. He needed to obtain confirmation of his divorce with his previous wife from the Saudi consulate. Turkish Police told the Middle East Eye Khashoggi was apprehended by members of the Saudi security team while waiting to speak to divorce officials. Among them were personal bodyguards of the Crown Prince. Audio record-
Photo Courtesy of Reuters.com
Former President Doald Trump with Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman at a G20 summit in Japan. Trump has Bragged he saved the Saudi Prine from political repercussions in the past ings show he was tortured and dismembered while still alive in the consul general’s office. His body was reportedly burned while a barbecue was hosted outside to cover up the smell. An anonymous source told MEE Khashoggi’s fingers were presented to the Crown Prince to affirm his death. The Saudi government held a trial for Khashoggi’s death since it happened on it’s consulates grounds. The Journalist’s family were not allowed to speak in court. Five people were sentenced to death for his murder but no names were revealed. The trial failed to
implicate high ranking Saudi officials who had part in the operation. The release of the report has lead to the creation of the Khashoggi ban. It will restrict visas of government officials and their families who are involved in the suppression of journalists or dissidents. Many, including Khashoggi’s fiancé, did not believe the ban was harsh enough punishment for the Kingdom. According to CNN, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was questioned by multiple reporters on why harsher penalties were not imposed on Saudi
Arabia. He responded, “what we've done by the actions that we've taken is really not to rupture the relationship, but to recalibrate it, to be more in line with our interests and our values,” he added, “and I think that we have to understand as well that this is bigger than any one person." Former-President Donald Trump has been a vocal supporter of the Crown Prince in the past. In Rage by Bob Woodward Trump boasted , “I saved his ass," He continued, "I was able to get Congress to leave him alone."
يجقشاخ دمحأ لامج Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi
13 October 1958 – 2 October 2018 Median, Saudi Arabia
Istanbul, Turkey
Assassinated for Dissidence
Donald Trump’s Tax Records now in Possession of Manhattan District Attorney Valeria Yanez Reporter
valeria.yanez4114@my.riohondo.edu
Lorenzo A rce News Editor
lorenzo.arce1393@my.riohondo.edu
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he District Attorney's Office of Manhattan has taken hold of ex-President Donald Trump’s tax records. District Attorney Cyrus Vance gained access to the documents after filing a subpoena last Monday. The subpoena will include access to Trump’s corporate and personal records that date back to 2011. Trump has refused to release his tax records for over five years. Vance declared reviewing the documents a long-term investigation. Claims regarding hush-money were discovered in the paperwork early on. Apparently, payouts were given on Trump’s behalf to multiple women to keep quiet regarding personal affairs. One of the women paid to keep quiet
was famous porn-star Stormy Daniels. She was paid $130,000 for hr silence, but she exposed im anyways. Trump has denied all allegations of affairs and has called all the women liars. According to Business Insider, at least 25 women have accused Trump of rape, including his exwife Ivana. Trump’s past comments do not help his claims of innocence. He once said on the Howard Stern Show, “I'll go backstage before a show, and everyone's getting dressed and ready and everything else. ...You know, no men are anywhere. And I'm allowed to go in because I'm the owner of the pageant. And therefore I'm inspecting it. ... Is everyone OK?” He continued, “ You know, they're standing there with no clothes. And you see these incredible-looking women. And so I sort of get away with things like that. But no, I've been very good.” Note, the show Trump is referring to here is the Miss Teen
Screenshot by Lorenzo Arce for El Paisano Media
Stormy Daniels appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2018 to discuss her sexual encounters with Donald Trump. He once threatened her infront of her infant daughter.
USA Pageant. Recent court files suggest one of the charges being brought against The Trump Organization is insurance fraud. Vance is also investigating if Trump is lying about asset value for tax benefits. Despite the recent allegations, Trump denies any wrongdoing and believes the prosecutors are biased against him. His tax records can unearth his buisiness dealings. According to The Washington Post, various shell companies, buisiness fronts that represent parties not wanting to be disclosed directly, have bought into large parts of his real estate buisiness. For instance, a Russian real estate firm bought 65 luxury in Trump's World Tower at once. Many large Russian buisinesses like this are tied to the Bratva, better known as the Russian Mafia. During Trump’s term in office in August of 2019, his lawyers argued to the Supreme Court
that he could not be investigated. The Supreme court denied this plea. The lawyers representing Trump said the subpoena was under bad terms. The Manhattan Judiciary Court denied their pleas. The Supreme court will not intervene in the DA’S Investigation . Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts said, “In our judicial system, ‘the public has a right to every man’s evidence.’ Since the earliest days of the Republic, ‘every man’ has included the President of the United States.” A publication of former president Trump's tax records has been sought after by his opposition for years. District Attorney Vance is in possession of the records, but according to New York law, grand jury hearings are confidential. Because of this, the public will not receive Trump’s tax records unless he is found guilty and they must be released to show the evidence brought against him.
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Northern California Now in Red Tier
Volunteers in McClellan Park in Sacramento County provididng vaccines to those who qualify for it
John Rodriguez Photo Editor
john.rodriguez5769@my.riohondo.edu
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outhern California is close to reaching the red tier to reopen. However other countries have a head start. Just a couple of days ago counties in Northern California have risen to red tier. San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Napa counties are some of the seven counties in California to be in the red tier. Red tier counties can soon and now plan to reopen indoor
activities. Activities such as indoor dining, movie theaters, and gyms may start allowing people inside. Restaurants in San Francisco have already begun to take advantage as they are allowing customers to dine in already. However most restaurants are still going to keep it to a limited amount of capacity and restrictions. Although southern California may not be in the red tier just yet, a fair amount of Covid cases are still decreasing. In the beginning of the year, California alone had new Covid cases of
45,868 on January 12, 2021. In a seven day average that was about 43,444 cases. On March 5th there were an average of 5,064 new cases that is about 4,448 cases in a seven day average. It is without doubt that the vaccines are playing a role in the number of cases decreasing. Many locations throughout California are allowing those who qualify to get a vaccine as long as they have an appointment. Locations such as McClellan park in Sacramento County have first dose appointments that started on March 1st.
Screenshot by John Rodriguez for El Paisano Media
California had a total number of 744,545 citizens take their first dose at least. 133,689 citizens had gotten fully vaccinated the same day. Fast forward to March 5th, 6,880,222 California citizens had at least one dose. Then on March 5th, 3,128,908 California citizens have gotten fully vaccinated. Even though Northern California has started to reopen, Southern California is not far off. The state of California announced on Friday that a lot of outdoor events may begin opening April 1st. Theme
parks such as Disneyland, Six Flags, and professional baseball games may allow a certain amount of capacity of people to attend. Universal Studios Hollywood is set to reopen with a food and shopping event on March 12, 2021. In the first week of March, counties in Northern California reached the red tier to reopen. We’ll see if Southern California is able to follow up on the first week of April.
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iCarly Comeback
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Cancel Culture Gabi Ortiz Reporter
gabi.ortiz3320@my.riohondo.edu
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Alyson Gonzalez For El Paisano Media
iCarly will be revived with the original cast Nathan Krest, Miranda Cosgrove, and Jerry Trainor. A lyson Gonzalez Print Editor-in-Chief
alyson.gonzalez0312@my.riohondo.edu
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n Five, Four, Three...Two..I know you see that there is a new iCarly! The 2007 Nickelodeon show, iCarly is coming back! It’s been 10 years since the last episode of iCarly aired on Nickelodeon. iCarly was created by Dan Schneider which began in 2007 and ended in 2012. The show is about a young teenager, Carly, who creates a web blog with her two best friends, Freddie and Sam. iCarly ran for six seasons and 97 episodes. It was a fan-favorite during the 2000s. The show starred Miranda Cosgrove as Carly, Nathan Kress as Freddie and Jeanette McCurdy as Sam. Cosgrove and Kress are set to reprise their
roles along with Jerry Trainor who played Carly's brother, Spencer. In February 2021, a teaser was released featuring Cosgrove, Kress, and Trainor only. McCurdy was not in the teaser. Fans have speculated that since McCurdy didn’t appear in the teaser, she will not return for the upcoming revival. Although McCurdy will not return because she has retired from acting. She has since moved into writing and directing. In a recent episode of Nathan Kress’ podcast, RadioActive Dads, Kress states “It doesn’t look like Jennette’s gonna be in the reboot of the show, at least for the first season.” He continues to explain, “I don’t think anyone totally knows. I know there’s a lot of theories … I don’t personally
know exactly. I talked with her a little bit. I think it’s just a personal decision and where she’s at and what she wants to do.” upcoming iCarly reboot will be aired on the upcoming video streaming service, Paramount Plus instead on Nickelodeon. Currently Paramount Plus is called CBS All Access. It will be written by the former Fraiser and Simpsons writer Jay Kogen. Trainor retweeted a statement by Kogen. The tweet reads “People were asking what I was doing. Now I can tell you. We get to make iCarly for ADULTS!" The reboot will be more mature because the audience members who watched the show as kids are now adults today. No release date has been set for the new iCarly reboot.
ictims of cancel culture have forever had their lives changed. The term originated from social media and its impact to “cancel” or determine that someone is “over.” Regardless of how or why a person is cancelled, its purpose is to hold them accountable. Racist comments, sexual allegations, and insensitivity to controversial topics are all reasons to be targeted. Allegations of sexual harassment, whether deemed true or false, will destroy not only the individual accused, but the people around them. Youtubers, actors, directors, professional athletes, etc. have been called out for past comments and actions. The backlash has prompted apology videos and statements expressing their regrets about their actions. J.K Rowling, James Charles, and Eminem some of the celebrities who are being condemned for their remarks online. Author J.K Rowling made anti-trans comments, Youtube makeup artist James Charles has been accused of grooming, and Eminem’s lyrics have been called into question. These are only a few names who have made the news in the past couple days. In 2016, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem.
Google Pulls the Plug on Stadia Brandon R amirez Opinion Editor
brandon.ramirez3017@gmy.riohondo.edu
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n February Google announced it would be closing Stadia Games and Entertainment after promises to revolutionize the gaming industry. Google will be laying off 150 developers after only 2 years with no first party games to show for. Google hired these developers to fulfill its promise of developing games. They were ultimately unable to manage the indefinite creative process of game development. After
sinking millions of dollars into Stadia’s games development, they pulled the plug before Stadia even had a chance. The issues with Stadia have compounded since it’s announcement in 2019. Unlike other of Google’s project’s, Stadia was released to massive fanfare. Many of the promises at the time seemed far fetched. Even today, as competitor Microsoft has also moved towards the cloud, to large swathes of the world cloud gaming seems like a pipe dream because of bad internet. In addition to the lack of any 1st party games,
Stadia had very little to offer. It was marketed as the cheaper, more versatile alternative to consoles. However, its lack of a subscription style service like Xbox Game Pass meant paying $60 for a new game on an inferior platform. Their mismanagement of Stadia goes further than this. Gaming insider and video game reporter for Bloomberg, Jason Schreier tweeted this regarding Stadia’s closing “Just to reiterate the absurdity of this thing: Sources say Google spent tens of millions of dollars -- the budgets of some major games
Kneeling during the pledge was his way to take a stand and protest against police brutality. Many Forty-Niners fans were outraged by Kaepernick. He was relieved of his position from the team and is now a free agent in the NFL. He was censored and “cancelled” by the league and its fans for highlighting a controversial issue on the field. Cancel culture and censorship go almost hand in hand. We share our opinions online and use it as a form of free speech. The liberty to speak our minds and relate to millions of people who share the same thoughts around the world. We use social media to post, share, and like our favorite brands, bands, and artists. It has fast tracked how news spreads. One click allows us to see who and what is trending, good or bad. Twitter has been one of the top social media apps to receive news updates. It helps users raise attention for social injustice and political issues and organize a call to action. Scrolling aimlessly on the app can lead to learning. The power the app has, has created a modern form of activism. Its presence and potential has left us in awe and fear. The work cancel culture has done is far from over. Its lasting impact continues to hold those responsible. It has taught us sensibility and self-awareness in a way that will never let us forget.
Photo Courtesy of Dronepier
Google's Stadia showcase at Gamescom Cologne in 2019. Exhibitions like this made bold promises early in Stadia's lifetime. Google clearly defined its expectations for the platform, but failed to meet them. -- PER Stadia port.” He continued, “Pay $20 million to Ubisoft to port Assassin's Creed and The Division Or Pay $1 million to 20 small developers to each build something cool, betting that at least one of them will be a hit like Stardew Valley or Valheim.” Google’s misplaced expectations and differing business model inevita-
bly left Stadia dead in the water from the start. Kotaku reported that Google may have also misled its employees. Their sources claim that management had apparently ensured its devel
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Bioware, EA, and The Future Of Single Player Games
Picture Courtesy of Bago Games
Bioware’s Anthem announcement at 2018’s E3 was a big deal for the company. Bioware’s reputation had wavered since it’s height in the early 2010’s. This new release would pioneer a new direction for the company while allowing it to maintain the RPG element they were famous for. Brandon R amirez Opinion Editor
brandon.ramirez3017@gmy.riohondo.edu
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’ve been on the edge of my seat over the past few weeks as games developer Bioware and publisher Electronic Arts decided on the future of their game Anthem. The 2019 release marked a low point for developer Bioware, who is known for their single player role playing games. Anthem was a move into multiplayer focused games that can be used as a service. By most metrics, it was also a colossal failure. Anthem released in a broken state, and was plainly unplayable for
many. In the almost two years since its release, not much has changed. Talk about its abandonment has continued since its launch. Anthem was not in a vacuum however. EA also produced Respawn’s Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order the same year. This single player game was opposite the results of Anthem. At the time, Respawn’s most recent games were multiplayer. Fallen Order met all expectations and illustrated the world’s maintaining interest in single player games. Fallen Order had sold more than 10 million copies. This dominating performance became very relevant
this year as many speculate it was the failure of Anthem and success of Fallen Order that pushed EA to refocus Bioware towards their upcoming sequel to their acclaimed series Mass Effect and their remaster of the original series. It’s good that this helped to refocus EA into supporting the development of single player games. However, given the EA business model it’s also concerning how this will affect future games.The fear stems from the growing trend in the games industry of games as a service. Creating a live service where a company like EA sells in game items and currency is well fitted
to online multiplayer games. This approach is seen a lot with EA Sports titles, where despite little improvement to the core game, the in-game transactions are prioritized. This doesn’t work as well with strictly single player games however. But the prioritization of maintaining a steady or prolonged stream of profit seemingly does. This is where things like Ubisoft’s heavily criticised “timesavers” come into play. Pay-to-win shortcuts for games you’re intended to play on your own like these serve as an example of possible ways game publishers can monetize single player games beyond
initial purchase. I feel like this is very concerning for the future of games because what may seem good to a lot of fans, like Bioware moving away from Anthem in favor of Mass Effect, might also mark a new emergence of trends that change the face of games for the worse. All by splitting development focus from the core game to both the core and its systems of monetization. Overall, I’m keeping my hopes and expectations low, as whatever the horizon holds isn’t as clear as it might seem at a glance.
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Barcelona Vs. Sevilla Copa Del Rey Semi Final Fernando R amos Sports Editor
fernando.ramos9660@my.riohondo.edu
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he 2020-2021 Copa Del Rey tournament has been seen as Barcelona's only real chance to get any silverware this season, after a humiliating defeat against PSG in the Champions League Round of 16 first leg which has them trailing 1-4, and a Atletico de Madrid side leading the race in league. Barcelona has been in serious turmoil over the last few seasons. With lack of recruitment and not having the same playing style which had led the great Barcelona sides in the past, Barca have not been the same from who they were 10 years ago. As well as poor manager signings after Luis Enrique which saw them sign Ernesto Valverde, Quique Setien and now Ronald Koeman, Barcelona fans are looking for things to change. A corrupt presidency which saw Barcelona’s former president resign and shortly get arrested, the incoming president has a lot of work to rebuild the European supergiant which is Barcelona and to try and con-
vince an unstable Lionel Messi to stay at the club. Barcelona has come off a season where they did not win a single competition they competed in and this year seemed to be no different. Barcelona’s road to the semi finals of the Copa Del Rey has seen a lot of close calls which almost had the blaugrana knocked out earlier in the competition. A close call against Granada and Rayo Vallecano, Barcelona had just managed to squeeze themselves into the semi finals of the Copa Del Rey. As they looked to face Julian Lopeteguis Sevilla side. Sevilla is a 5 time Copa Del Rey champion, they are no stranger to the competition and they look to knock out the 30 time Copa Del Rey record champions Barcelona. In the first leg of the semi final between Barcelona Vs Sevilla, Sevilla came away with the victory in the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Sevilla took the lead in the 25th minute after a goal from French center back Jules Koundé. They doubled their lead in the 85th minute by ex Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakatić. Sevilla go into the second leg with a two goal lead
In the second leg, Barcelona gave their fans a glimpse of what they are capable of doing. Barcelona needed to score 3 against Sevilla in order to move onto the final, however if Sevilla were to score one goal then Barca would need to score 4 due to the away goal rule. In the 11th minute of the first half, Ousmane Dembele scored an amazing goal from outside the box puting the game at 1-0. Barcelona had plenty of chances but were not able to put them away. In the 72nd minute, there is a penalty for Sevilla. If Sevilla score then the game will be put to rest, however Marc-Andre Ter Stegen saves the penalty from Lucas Ocampos. Barcelona still needed one more goal to send the game to extra time and in the 93rd minute the breakthrough finally came. An inswing ball from Antoine Griezman which was headed in by vertan Gerrard Pique. A dramatic final few minutes which saw the game end 2-2 going into extra time. A 95th minute winner by Martin Braithwaite gave the victory to Barcelona in one of the most dramatic semi final ties in recent years. Barcelona will face Athletic
Fernando Ramos for El Paisano Media
Barcelona forward Antoine Griezman crossing in a ball that led to the second goal for Barcelona scored by Gerrard Pique Club De Bilbao on April 17 as they look to become 31 time Champions of the competition.
WSL: Manchester City vs. Everton Mimi Castellanos Digital Editor-in-Chief
kelsiemimi.castellanos9937@my.riohondo.edu
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s Alex Morgan goes back to Orlando Pride, USWNT players Rose Lavelle, Sam Mewis and Abby Dahlkemper continue in Europe. On Sunday March 7, Manchester City went against Everton at the Manchester City Academy Stadium. While Lavelle and Dahlkemper are substitutions, Mewis makes a comeback from an ankle injury. With Manchester City winning their last four games, Everton is in for a treat to obtain their spot in the top five. With many international players, including the United States coming to play for Europe’s FA Cup, the UK’s Women’s Soccer League could gain more attention and strength than before. Everton start off the match with a long ball into Man. City territory. 6’ in, City makes their attempt forward. Lucy Bronze (20) does a quick 1-2 connection to Chloe Kelley (9) wide. Kelley passes back to Bronze as she looks to Mewis (22) for an option. USWNT player receives the short pass back attempting a cross into box but was denied by Everton’s defender, Danielle Turner (3). With a step too slow, Everton takes possession, counterattacking towards goal. Turner makes her run down the line looking for an option inside to box. With her guard down,
Mimi Castellanos for El Paisano Media
23-year-old Keira Walsh has been playing for Manchester City since 2014. Walsh also played for England's Womens U-17 national team and was added to their senior team in 2017. She participated in Englands SheBelieves Cup win in 2019 Kelley swoops in making a clean tackle securing possession once again for the “Sky Blues.” As the minutes pass, Bronze and Kelley favor the right side attacking. With many 1-2 passes down the line, they are constantly blocked by Everton. Everton possessing from the back, defender Gabrielle George (6) creeps up forward down the line. George and defender Megan Finnigan (20) create a fast wall pass away from the sideline and a through ball to French player and forward Valerie Gauvin (19) but miscommunication won
this play. 20’, Manchester City gets their first corner of the match. Sending the corner kick high into the box, Everton’s defense redirects is out of their box with a header. Former Man. City player Izzy Christiansen (8) quickly makes a touch to her Everton teammate clearing it away. With strong possession, City aggressively pressures. 25’ a free kick is awarded to City. Six-time WSL goal scorer Caroline Weir (19) steps up to the plate. Her kick hits the five-man wall. The ball spins backwards into the box as
Mewis anticipates the bounce. The American stretches to get a touch away from the Everton keeper but passes the open goal. Five minutes later, Bronze collects the ball, speeding down the sideline. Making a cross, keeper Ellie Roebuck (26) punches it away from her space. With no hesitation, Midfielder Kiera Walsh (24) maintains connection to Mewis. Mewis dribbles forward picking her head up and attempts a shot outside of the 18-yard box, going far right from the goal. Time flying, Manchester City remains in high pressure as Everton hold their defense in a strong position. With three minutes overtime and an unsuccessful cross from Manchester City, first half finishes remaining 0-0. With a surprising first half, Everton keeps their defense focus as the Sky Blues look for their match point. 67’, Manchester City builds their way from defense to midfield. Walsh distributes a clean through ball to forward Ellen White (18). White makes a breakaway as she shoots too far left going out of bounce. shortly after, City’s captain Stephanie Houghton (6) makes her 200th appearance in today’s match, sending a strong chip into the box. Forward Lauren Hemp (15) anticipates the ball. She attempts a bicycle kick skimming the outside top left corner. 76’, Everton has their second corner. Christiansen kick gets redirected outside
of the penalty area. Midfielder Hailey Raso (16) comes from behind and slams the ball for a shot right into Manchester City defense. 80’, captain Houghten sends a wide ball towards Hemp. Hemp collects and dribbles down the sideline. As she approaches the box, she makes a quick outside cut. Looking for an option she checks back to Walsh. Walsh makes a first touch shot, placing her goal on the low left corner. Manchester City is in the lead 1-0. Fired up, the Sky Blues continue to take chances. Yearning for more, City attempts another point. From midfield connecting to Kelley, she dribbles into the 18-yard box, curving her shot going straight to the keeper. With just four minutes of stoppage time, Manchester patiently keeps possession as time runs out. 93’ Everton gets their last chance and corner for a point. Corner kick flies into the box, but Manchester clears it out of the half. As the final whistle blows, Manchester City keeps at second place between Chelsea and Manchester United, winning this match 1-0.
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Ashley Leeper