ASPN Part 1

Let The Chaos Begin.. Again

Drama Meets Sports

By: Michael Porter Jr.

Photo credit: Michael Porter Jr.

2018 was an amazing year of soccer. The very solid but very underrated Croatia team went up against the giants, Les Bleus (France National Team), in an amazing final of the FIFA World Cup. At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Kylian Mbappé became the world’s newest soccer darling at the tender age of twenty. To the world, it was an amazing display of the beautiful game, but of course, in the United States of America, the game might not be as big as other sports. If you wanted drama, Major League Soccer was the soap opera that every soccer fan could ask for. From the first ever Los Angeles derby, with the Galaxy taking on LAFC and the debut of the icon Zlatan Ibrahimović, we turned around a 3-1 depict for the Galaxy into a 4-3 win, scoring one of the most beautiful goals of the years. All season, Josef Martinez, Atlanta FC striker, proved why he was chosen to be the league’s Most Valuable Player, as he took them on a run of dreams to the MLS Cup. You also had the intensity behind the Western Conference Final in Kansas

Photo Credit: Michael Porter Jr.

City, which had a trip to the MLS Cup on the line. Eventually, Kansas City was ousted by the Portland Timbers. A lot of eyes outside of the United States started to focus on what the league could become, because it was seen as a “Retirement League” for aging stars. This is starting to change for the better. The MLS are beginning to develop starts that are going to play in bigger league, like Miguel Almiron, who moved from the reigning champs to Newcastle United in the Premier League in England. Soccer in the US is The MLS are beginning to develop starts that are going to play in bigger league, like Miguel Almiron, who moved from the reigning champs to Newcastle United in the Premier League in England. Soccer in the US is becoming bigger and bigger every year and I am excited for what this season will bring. Will Atlanta repeat? Will Kansas City reign supreme once again? Will Philly be able to make that big step forward? Will Zlatan be Zlatan? I guess you will just have to watch and see.

-----------------------------------

Swing Rookie Swing

Royals see some new and old faces as 2019 spring training begins

By: Connor Wytko

After a dismal season, where they finished at the bottom of Major League Baseball, the Royals begin another spring training. With a team of young players such as Adalberto Mondesi, Brad Keller, and Ryan O’Hearn preparing to have big second years in the big leagues, the Royals are putting their efforts behind having a young and projectable team in 2019. Along with their young nucleus of players, the Royals have signed veterans such as Billy Hamilton and former ace Homer Bailey to assist the current veteran leadership of Danny Duffy, Salvador Perez and Alex Gordon. The current veterans have been with the team for a long time, and have seen them go deep into the playoffs. With the mix of new players, it appears the Royals’ front office is taking the rebuilding approach. They did not go after huge name free agents, but guys who can be brought in for relatively low contracts and have been tenured Major League players. Billy Hamilton comes by way of free agency and had back to back subpar years with the Cincinnati Reds, after being heralded as a prospect and young rookie for his blazing speed. Despite the deficiencies on the offensive side of the baseball, Hamilton still brings the great speed and above average defense in centerfield. The Royals are hoping he can revitalize his career at age twenty eight. Homer Bailey is a more heralded acquisition, as he saw a lot of success early in his career for the Cincinnati Reds, which earned him a 6 year $105 million dollar contract. Bailey was signed to a minor league deal, so the Royals are taking in a pitcher who had a very poor 2017 and 2018 season. They are looking for him to revamp his career in a pitcher friendly ballpark, and revamp a fastball that still averages a sizzling 93.8 miles per hour.

-----------------------------------

Emiliano Sala

The Skilled Fox in the Box

By: Mohammed Albader

At the beginning of his career maturity, a fateful crash ended his life. Emiliano Sala was a sensational player the locals loved and the international fans adored. His sporting career began at a young age and he progressed gracefully to the point of sparking interest in the English premier league. He was born in Argentina on 30th October 1990 and went by the name Emiliano Raul Sala Taffarel. He played youth football in Argentina, then joined Portugal’s regional leagues for a short period. Sala later began professional football in France with Bordeaux. He joined Nantes in 2015, which was his first permanent club. Nantes made him popular, as he made over 100 appearances in Ligue 1 and a successful goalscoring record. He appeared as the Nantes top goal scorer for 3 consecutive seasons. Sala’s play was energetic and confrontational. Sala often talked of Gabriel Batistuta, whom he considered as his idol in the world of football. Sala copied Batistuta’s style of play, which earned him the praise of “the skilled fox in the box.” The media equates Sala to Jamie Verdy, saying that he would have performed in a similar manner if he were an English player. Sala was known to play in wide spaces, a technique that earned him the name “the local Carlos Tevez” as he played for club Niort. Sala was a lively and light player whose resilience and reliability was unpeaceable. Looking at his matches, one cannot overlook the finishing ability portrayed with his head, hence showing perfect timing. Sala was showing progress and would have conquered his way to the top in the English premier league. However, nature is so cruel and had to take his life on the onset of a breakthrough. Sala’s dreadful crash on a light plane happened on 21st January 2019 as he was leaving Nantes to attend the first training session in Cardiff.