Last Thursday, the 2021 NFL Draft took place in Cleveland, Ohio. The highly anticipated selection process featured all quarterbacks being taken with the first three picks. After those picks, the draft was uncertain, and none of the chosen were considered a lock. Leading up to the draft, Eagles fans everywhere were very skeptical about what general manager Howie Roseman was going to do with the first-round pick and the draft overall. Given his recent track record of going against what most fans and experts had anticipated and missing on high picks, Eagles fans had every right to be skeptical for 2021. It was just last year when Roseman passed on wide receiver Justin Jefferson with the 21st pick, who most fans wanted and what most mock drafts had the Eagles selecting, and instead went with TCU wide receiver Jalen Reagor who wasn’t even projected to be a first-round pick. Who was picked 22nd overall? Justin Jefferson, by the Minnesota Vikings.

Roseman’s decision immediately backfired as Jefferson went on to have a historic rookie year breaking the record for most receiving yards by a rookie in NFL history, recording 1,400 yards, and making a Pro Bowl appearance. On the other hand, Reagor struggled to acclimate his rookie year fully and finished with 31 catches and 396 yards. The jury is still out on him for whether he can be an impact player for the Eagles. Due to this, the Eagles needed a wide receiver heading into the draft.

With the 12th pick in the 2021 draft, the Eagles were likely to choose one of the top receivers, but more likely the latter of the top three, given that two would probably go before the Eagles picked. That is precisely what happened. When it got to the ninth overall pick, LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle had already been selected. Holding pick number 10 was the Dallas Cowboys, followed by the New York Giants at pick 11 and then Eagles. Rumors were swirling before the draft that Giants would be very interested in taking wide receiver DeVonta Smith, the Heisman Trophy winner out of Alabama, with their pick after it was widely assumed the Cowboys wanted a defensive player. Before the Giants could even get the chance to pick Smith, Howie Roseman came to his senses. He negotiated a trade with none other than Jerry Jones to receive the Cowboy’s 10th overall pick in exchange for the Eagles’ 12th overall pick and a third-round pick.  With the 10th overall pick, the Eagles indeed selected Smith, the former Alabama teammate of the projected 2021 starting quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Howie Roseman finally provided Eagles fans something to celebrate instead of despair in an NFL Draft. Smith brings a different dimension to the Eagle’s wide receiver room that they haven’t had in a long time. He will immediately become the number one receiver on the team thanks to his elusive speed, route running and ability to catch the ball. Smith will always face questions about his size, 170 pounds, but make no mistake — Eagles fans can now rest knowing they now have a receiver with legitimate Pro Bowl potential who will contribute right away. At least rest for the first round.

Drexel’s softball team is in the middle of a busy season, with many impressive results behind them already. The ladies are currently 25-10 overall for the season, with a 10-7 away record and a 15-3 home record. With just May 8 and 9’s games against Towson before the CAA Championships from May 11-15 in Harrisonburg, Virginia, the Dragons are heading for a successful end to the season.

The start of the season faced a delay against Bucknell University, so the Dragons instead began their season on March 13 and 14 against Coppin State. The Dragons swept the two doubleheaders 11-1, 12-1, 15-0 and 15-2 to start their season strong. March 21 against Lafayette also saw a doubleheader sweep with 11-2 and 11-2 wins. March 25 against Saint Joseph’s saw the first doubleheader split for the Dragons, with a 7-3 win followed by a 2-6 loss. Not to be deterred, the Dragons quickly bounced back for a 12-2, 9-1 doubleheader win against La Salle on March 27. The following two matches to end the month of March against La Salle and Morgan State were postponed.

April saw a tougher start for the ladies in their first CAA match-up against Delaware. April 4 brought the first doubleheader loss to the Dragons with 0-13, 3-4 losses. However, the Dragons fought back the following day with a 5-2 win over Delaware. April 8 brought another doubleheader match against Howard, this time not a CAA match. The Dragons soared to 6-1, 8-5 wins. Following on from their success, on April 9 and 10 the ladies headed into another CAA match, this time facing Hofstra. Winning 8-5, 6-0 and 6-5 saw the Dragons ease into victories over the weekend. A rare doubleheader loss came on April 14 against Villanova, where the Dragons suffered defeat 0-2 and 5-6.

Back in business at another CAA match-up, the Dragons soared to a doubleheader win 5-3 and 8-5 against Towson on April 16. April 17, unfortunately, saw a 5-8 loss for the Dragons against the same team. April 21 came to a Dragon sweep over Penn 11-2. The postponed Morgan State match, rescheduled for April 22, led to a doubleheader split. The Dragons lost the first 8-13 but bounced back for a 7-3 win. Yet another CAA match-up against Delaware saw two wins and a loss for the Dragons on April 23 and 24, 9-0, 2-4 and 3-2. The final win came on Senior Day, and seniors Emma Dryden, Reilly Jo Swanson, Elena Woulfe, Brooklyn Daly, Megan Trivelpiece, Holly Bridgman, Kristi Dimeo, Carly Bowen and Hannah Walker were celebrated for their achievements as Dragons.

Moving quickly into April 28, the Dragons raced to an 8-5 victory against Saint Joseph’s. Delaware State’s match on the following day was cancelled. In the final CAA match before the upcoming Towson match, the Dragons faced Hofstra. A doubleheader split 0-10 and 6-2 on May 1 was followed by a win the next day, 6-5. May 4 saw yet another doubleheader split for the Dragons against the Princeton Tigers, 3-1 and 1-2. The Dragons will face Towson on May 8 and 9 before heading to the CAA Championships on May 11 in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The dust is settled, and after a formidable round of semifinals, the 2021 Champions League Final is set. For these two teams, an epic showdown in the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul awaits in three weeks, where the outright King of Europe will be crowned.

Manchester City (England) 2-0 Paris Saint-Germain (France) – Manchester City advance 4-1 on aggregate

In the first leg, PSG took the lead and dominated the opening half before Man City turned around their fortunes and came back to win 2-1. Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappe were all over the pitch at the start but were nowhere to be found as the match went on. Meanwhile, great play from Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez, as well as a bit of luck, saw Man City snatch the victory. Going to Manchester this week, PSG knew they needed another huge away win highlighted by an outstanding performance from their world-class attackers. However, their hopes were massively dented after it was announced Mbappe had picked up a calf injury and would not start if he can even play at all. Man City, who have never reached the final before, but have capitulated at the latter stages of this tournament on numerous occasions, was tasked with just keeping their composure to ensure their path forward. Overall, the odds were heavily in Man City’s favor, but PSG still could not be written off.

At the Etihad Stadium, the pitch was laden with a mixture of hail, snow and rain in an example of typical English weather, which also added a degree of uncertainty to this already exciting matchup. Even with Mbappe on the bench and Mauro Icardi in his place, PSG burst out of the gates and besieged their opponent’s net, earning a penalty for a handball Oleksandr Zinchenko. Although this was eventually chalked off after VAR showed the ball hit his shoulder instead. Despite having their backs against the wall, Man City professionally played out of the pressure. Then, a genuinely world-class longball from none other than Ederson Santana de Moraes, the goalkeeper, found Zinchenko in acres of space on PSG’s right flank. A low cross found De Bruyne in the center, but his shot was blocked, only to find Mahrez, who slotted the ball away at a tight angle. Just like that, Man City took the lead on the night and expanded their lead on aggregate.

Shortly after, PSG almost equalized when Angel Di Maria’s cross-connected with Marquinho Antonio De Mattos Filho’s towering header bounced off the crossbar. PSG almost scored again once Bernardo Silva lost the ball to Di Maria in a dangerous area. Catching Ederson out of position, Di Maria’s looping shot curled just wide. After that chance, PSG’s hold on the game waned throughout the night. While they would often get into good attacking positions, they did not have the innovative spark to create any clear chances while Man City defended as a unit and barred PSG from even getting near the goal. The Citizens were comfortable with the lead and were able to focus on suffocating the Parisians’ offense. When they had the opportunity, though, Man City was able to counterattack to devasting effect with PSG’s reliable keeper, Keylor Navas, stopping the game from getting out of hand.

Deep in the second half, a quick switch of play saw De Bruyne release Phil Foden to sail down the left flank full speed ahead. After a one-two play between the Englishman and the Belgian, Foden played a low cross across the face of goal to Mahrez, who expertly poked in his second of the night, leaving Navas no chance and solidifying Man City’s place in the final.

From that point on, PSG lost the plot as frustration took over. A sideline scuffle between Di Maria and Fernandinho Luiz Roza saw the Argentine sent off after he intentionally stamped on his Brazilian rival with the spikes of his cleats. Both Presnel Kimpembe and Danilo Luiz da Silva were lucky to escape a red card after terrible tackles on Gabriel Jesus. Subsequently, a series of harsh fouls and fights saw Marco Verratti, De Bruyne and Zinchenko receive yellow cards.

When the match ended, and tempers died down, Man City found themselves in the Champions League Final for the first time in their history while PSG fall just short of European glory yet again. Mauricio Pochettino and his players will be particularly angry with themselves considering how well they played in the first half of the first leg, only to ease their foot off the gas pedal, allowing Man City to overtake them in the tie. While Mbappe did not feature in the second leg, that is no excuse given the immense talent they have on display. Neymar and Di Maria had an abysmal game while Icardi was virtually invisible.

As for Manchester City, Pep Guardiola will be hugely relieved knowing he just pulled off one of the most significant victories of his tenure in England. De Bruyne, Foden, Ederson, Zinchenko, John Stones and Kyle Walker all had matches to remember, but Mahrez and Ruben Dias stole the show. Mahrez was undoubtedly the best player of this round, scoring twice this match, adding to his match-winner last week. On the other end of the pitch, Dias had possibly the best match of his entire career, completely shutting down Icardi and Neymar, blocking shots left and right, closing passing lanes and offering the critical leadership in the backline. After putting in great performances for his team every week, the tough Portuguese center-back has arguably been Man City’s best overall player this season.

Chelsea (England) 2-0 Real Madrid (Spain) – Chelsea advance 3-1 on aggregate

After a well-matched evening in Madrid last week, Chelsea and Real Madrid met again to decide who would meet Manchester City this year’s final. After Christian Pulisic’s calm and collected finish was equaled by Karim Benzema’s masterful volley, the score was set at 1-1 in a deserved draw for both sides. Chelsea had dominated majority of play, but Real Madrid was still in the match. Going into this week’s game, the odds were in Chelsea’s favor as they had the away goal but there existed a huge chance of a Real Madrid comeback considering their experience and the constant threat of Benzema.

While not as harsh as the weather in Manchester the day before, the visiting team was treated to a rather rainy English night as the showdown in London commenced. Chelsea started off having most of the ball, but it was actually Real Madrid with the bulk of the chances of goal. Toni Kroos and Luka Modric both had decent longshots that were saved by the goalkeeper, but it was a quick snapshot from Benzema that would have ended up nestling in the back of the net if not for a spectacular sprawling save from Edouard Mendy.

Minutes later though, the ever-present midfielder for Chelsea, N’Golo Kante, created space for himself by dribbling past Real Madrid’s players like practice cones before playing a swift one-two with Timo Werner. After getting the ball back, Kante sent a through ball to Kai Havertz who chipped Thibaut Courtois in goal. Unfortunately for Havertz, the ball rebounded off the crossbar; fortunately for Werner, he easily headed the ball into the empty net as Real Madrid’s defenders were caught sleeping yet again. While it was an extremely easy finish, someone still obviously needed to score it. Not to mention that Werner, who had a horrid time in front of goal, desperately needed this morale boost. With that goal, Chelsea went up 1-0, relatively against the run of play. Real Madrid almost immediately responded though, as a magnificent cross from Modric was met with a strong Benzema header. Mendy was up to the challenge once again and palmed the shot away with his quick reflexes.

By the time the second half started however, Chelsea turned it up a notch and completely bossed the match, restricting their Spanish opponents to only a few half-chances here and there. A minute after kick-off, a powerful cross from Cesar Azpilicueta found the head of Havertz who sent his shot cannoning off the crossbar for the second time on the night. Real Madrid were left totally exposed in the middle of the park as Chelsea players were able to find space and create chances while Real Madrid defenders were overwhelmed. A header from Thiago Silva sailed over the bar while Mason Mount had a close but off-target shot. Going right down the middle of the park, Havertz was denied a goal yet again following a superb save from Courtois before another great save stopped Kante from scoring as well.

Then, with less than 10 minutes to go, Pulisic subbed on and won a 50/50 ball in the air. Unsurprisingly, Kante picked it and passed it out wide to his American teammate. With a touch of class, Pulisic lured Courtois out of his goal before calmly leaving the Belgian goalkeeper on his backside and crossing the ball to Mason Mount who poked the ball into the wide-open net. With that goal, Chelsea had killed off the game and capped off an incredible performance. When the referee blew the final whistle, the match had ended 2-0 in a scoreline that was relatively flattering to Real Madrid who could’ve lost by a lot more if not for their keeper.

For Chelsea, this was truly a statement win. For a team that experienced an inconsistent start to the season resulting in a managerial change, the coach, Thomas Tuchel transformed this side into a serial winning team after only four months in charge. Mendy proved why he is one of the best keepers in England while the likes of Antonio Rudiger, Silva, Andreas Christensen and others have been stonewalls in defense. In midfield, Kante was absolutely amazing giving a man-of-the-match performance. While Kante’s defensive abilities are well-known, his playmaking skills were highlighted tonight as he created both of Chelsea’s goals. Mount and Pulisic were exceptional as expected, but it was the attack where Chelsea were shockingly outstanding. The summer signings in attack had often been the club’s weakness this season but Havertz played his best ever game in his Chelsea career up until this point. Werner wasn’t perfect on the night but he still scored the opening goal.

As for Real Madrid, this match proves that an experienced spine can only take you so far. As good as Benzema, Kroos, Modric and Sergio Ramos have been this season, they are all past the age of 30 and will not be around for much longer. The supporting cast has not been sufficient enough this season and one needs not look any farther than former Chelsea star, Eden Hazard, who was practically nonexistent this match. If Real Madrid want to surpass this level, as they did in years prior, Zinedine Zidane needs to invest heavily in this squad in the summer.

So now with that is said and done, Manchester City and Chelsea are set to face each other in three weeks’ time. This matchup is particularly interesting, not just because they are both English teams, but that they share a lot of recent history together. Back in January, Man City effortlessly took down Chelsea 3-1 in league play, which contributed to Frank Lampard’s sacking. But a few weeks ago, Chelsea narrowly eliminated Man City in the FA Cup semifinals 1-0. To add even more excitement to this final, Man City will play Chelsea in the Premier League this Saturday in a preview for the Champions League Final. Whether or not these matches will affect the final in a tactical or morale sense remains to be seen, but come the end of this month, the showpiece to decide the King of Europe awaits.

One month of the Major League Baseball season is on the books, and the Phillies find themselves at 14-15, a game under .500, yet are still second in the division and only a half-game behind first place. What was supposed to be the best division of baseball has come up short as there isn’t a single team with a winning record as of May 4.

The Phillies have shown plenty of talent and potential on the diamond, but haven’t been able to put it all together and get on a hot streak. After one month, let’s look at some of the positives and negatives for the Phillies as they gear up for May.

Positive: Zach Eflin has arrived

Zach Eflin has always shown potential; it was the consistency that raised questions on if he could be a vital member of the starting rotation. Well, the questions seem to be answered as Eflin has been as good as anyone could have hoped for. No one expects him to be an ace or even the number two starter, but he has become the solid number three the Phillies needed. Through six starts, he has a 3.49 earned run average and has pitched at least six innings every start. That means he’s working deep into ball games, which saves the bullpen, giving the Phillies a chance to win by preventing runs at a reasonable rate. The backend of the rotation still needs work, but with Eflin solidifying the third spot, the Phillies are going to be competitive in a lot of ball games.

Positive: Bryce Harper has been super productive

Bryce Harper has started off 2021 scorching hot and shown why the Phillies made him a franchise player in 2019. So far, Harper is batting .317 with six home runs and leads the National League in on-base percentage. Harper has always shown tremendous hustle throughout his career, but this year his hustle seems to be impacting the Phillies in a positive way more than in years past — he’s been stretching singles into doubles since Opening Day. What has taken him to another level this past month is his more straightforward approach that has allowed him to take the ball the other way more often without overswinging. Unfortunately, he missed time after getting hit in the face and now has a wrist injury, but if he can stay on the field and play like he has so far, he could possibly make a run for the MVP.

Negative: The defense

The defense has been a huge letdown for the Phillies this year. Just look at the game they lost to the Mets on May 2. Andrew McCutchen misplayed a flyball, Harper bobbled a ball, Alec Bohm and Eflin made errors and Rhys Hoskins lost focus getting a ball back into the infield which led to a run. All this allowed the Mets to score eight runs and get the win. If the Phillies are going to get anywhere they will need to tighten up their defense or else it will be a problem itself and be the cause of other problems.

Negative: A lot of cold bats

This has been a trend throughout the Majors as hitters try to get their timing down and the weather warms up. However, the Phillies have a lot of hitters struggling right now. Here are some of the Phillies everyday players and their averages: Bohm with .221, McCutchen with .176 and Roman Quinn with .116. The Phillies offense has struggled, as they rank 22nd in the league in runs, which could be an effect of having more pressure on the middle of the lineup. Look for the Phillies to try waking their bats, which may happen as they try to sort out their center field situation.

April has shown a lot of promise as well as raised questions, but it is important to remember it is only April. Baseball is a marathon and not a sprint. The Phillies find themselves in a great situation, as, even with much to improve, they are only a half game behind first place. May is going to be a critical month as a team tries to separate themselves from the rest of the pack in the National League East.

One of the biggest questions coming into the 2021 season for the Phillies was who would be the everyday center fielder for them. At the end of spring training, the Phillies were going to roll with Adam Haseley and Roman Quinn splitting time in the starting lineup until one of them won the everyday starting job.

Well, that plan didn’t go very well. Haseley struggled, going 4 out of 21 at the plate in nine games before leaving the team indefinitely for personal reasons. Former first overall pick Mickey Moniak was called up, and he struggled mightily at the plate. He was sent back down to the alternate site before the series at St. Louis, and Odubel Herrera was called up to make his highly controversial return to Major League Baseball.

That’s where the center field situation stands now as the Phillies try many different options to fill that spot with everyday caliber production. So far this season, Phillies center fielders are a combined 9 out of 80, which is a batting average of 0.113. There’s still a lot of season left, so what are the best options to solve the weakness in center field?

Why Quinn, Moniak and Kingery are not options

Here are three guys that have played themselves out of their opportunity to become an everyday starter for the Phillies. Quinn is batting 0.065 and has struggled to get anything going. The Phillies have given Quinn every chance to prove himself, but at this point, I think the Phillies should move in a different direction.

Quinn is your prototypical speed guy off the bench, and he is faster than Moniak, but Moniak can run, too. If Moniak is going to develop into what the Phillies think he can be, they have to keep Moniak up on the extensive league roster, which might mean Quinn isn’t on the roster. Moniak struck out 12 times in 25 at-bats and looked overmatched by big league pitching. Moniak needs to develop off the bench with at-bats at the Major League level before he can start.

Scott Kingery has gone downhill quickly as he tries to fix his swing and approach at the plate. According to Tom Housenick’s April 20 article for The Morning Call, Kingery was one for 26 with 12 strikeouts at the alternate site as he continues to struggle. Once Segura is activated, expect Kingery to be optioned down again.

Odubel Herrera

Herrera made his season debut in the series opener against the Cardinals, his first appearance for the Phillies since May 26, 2019. Herrera was dealing with a domestic violence incident that kept him out of baseball until now. He was an All-Star back in 2016, and this spring training showed that he has the potential to be as productive as he once was. Only time can tell if Herrera will return to his former self, but if he can, the center-field problem will be solved entirely.

Nick Maton

Maton was called up after Ronald Torreyes went to the injured list, and he had a chance to play because of injuries to Didi Gregorius and Jean Segura. It’s safe to say he has made the most of that opportunity, batting 0.440 with an OPS of 1.041 in 25 at-bats. Now, the possibility of Maton moving to the outfield is in play once Segura returns to the field. He’s been too productive with a bat to keep him on the bench, so a move to the outfield makes sense offensively.

Maton has shown great defense in the middle of the infield, so it will be sad to not to see him there, but the team will get a massive boost if he can defensively transition to the outfield. Maton started taking fly balls in spring training and continued at the alternate site. If Maton can continue developing in the outfield and the bat stays as productive as it has been, he could be the Phillies’ starting center fielder.

Starling Marte

Here is the blockbuster trade deadline option. Starling Marte’s contract ends after this year, and he finds himself on a Marlins’ roster (which is getting better but might be a year or two away from finishing their rebuild). By the trade deadline, if the Marlins don’t find themselves as playoff contenders and the Phillies’ center field hole continues to exist, this is a trade that makes sense for both teams even though they are in the same division. The Phillies would get a top-of-the-lineup center fielder with pop and a career batting average of 0.287. Add in two gold gloves, and Marte is a perfect fit. He’s a valuable asset, which means he is worth solid prospects. Don’t expect the Phillies to trade Maton, Alec Bohm, Spencer Howard or Bryson Stott, since Marte would be a rest of the year rental, but a trade package that includes Kingery or Moniak is possible. Whatever prospects the Marlins receive in turn could be used to help complete their rebuild down in Miami.

The Phillies can consider a few different options at center field. The best-case scenario is that they can find someone internally to play there instead of having to trade for Marte or anyone else. As the first month wraps up and the season heads into May, keep your eye on Herrera as he starts his tryout for the starting job.

Last week, the entire world of football was shaken to the core with the announcement of the European Super League. The backlash from fans and players alike was enough to stunt the project before it even started, much to the delight of football fans.

However, given that three of the four teams in the 2020-21 Champions League semifinals signed off to join the Super League, the idea of ending the Champions League in punishment to those three clubs was floated. Thankfully for us fans, that idea did not go through either, and the clubs will be punished through other methods, likely financial.

As for the rest of the football world, everything is back to normal. After a great weekend of games across Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League midweek matches have returned as well.

Real Madrid (Spain) 1-1 Chelsea (England)

The first semifinal of the 2020-21 Champions League season featured two teams who have surprisingly never played each other in the Champions League before, despite both sides being regulars in this competition.

While they have never played each other, Real Madrid and Chelsea share much history between them—namely, the players Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard, both former Chelsea players who now play for Real Madrid. Courtois left Chelsea on bad terms in 2018, becoming an unpopular figure among Chelsea fans, elevating his career in Madrid and solidifying his place as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Hazard, on the other hand, who is one of the club’s most beloved players. He left on a high note in 2019 but has since had a torrid time with Los Merengues due to repeated injuries.

Throughout the Champions League season, Real Madrid has not played the crushing attacking football of past iterations. Instead, they have relied upon the tremendous tactical awareness of manager Zinedine Zidane and the valuable experience of the squad. With players like Thibaut Courtois, Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Karim Benzema, the spine of this team has been phenomenal this season, which is more than enough to win the majority of games.

Chelsea, in comparison, has been very consistent, organized and resolute, conceding only three goals the entire tournament while outplaying most of their opponents this season in the Champions League. However, it can be argued that Chelsea has avoided all the elite teams besides Atletico Madrid, who played very poorly. Chelsea’s significant issue, though, is upfront. Summer signings Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz have yet to settle in the squad, forcing Tuchel to rely on his midfielders or backup strikers for goals.

When Real Madrid welcomed Chelsea to their home stadium, the Alfredo Di Stefano, in pouring rain, many expected a tight and tactical match with very few chances on goal. The opening half was the complete opposite, as Chelsea went right for their opponent’s throat. Amidst their constant pressure, Chelsea had the first real opportunity after a floated header from Christian Pulisic found Timo Werner, whose shot was saved by Courtois at point-blank range.

Shortly after, it would be the American hero himself, Captain America Christian Pulisic, who opened the score after his quick run behind was complimented by a pinpoint ball over the top by Antonio Rudiger. Real Madrid’s defense was caught sleeping as Pulisic settled the ball and dribbled past Courtois in goal before easily slotting the ball into the net. While Chelsea was in the driving seat, Real Madrid was clinical with their chances. Benzema hit the post with a long shot, and a few minutes later, a corner played short saw Benzema capitalize on a loose ball in the box with a beautiful acrobatic finish, equaling the score 1-1.

While the first half was exciting end-to-end football, both teams calmed down for the second half, which was more similar to how the pundits expected the match to be. In the final minutes, Real Madrid was the dominant of the two teams, but they could not find a winner and the match ended 1-1. 

Overall, Chelsea comes away with high hopes for the second leg. They played very well against Real Madrid, and Christian Pulisic clocked in with a man of the match performance. However, the problem up top for Chelsea persists and Timo Werner had an abysmal game, botching several great chances on goal.

As for Real Madrid, even though the advantage is with Chelsea with the away goal, this tie is far from over. Benzema is still dangerously ever-present, plus Eder Militao has been a formidable replacement for the injured Sergio Ramos. Not to mention, Real Madrid’s veteran midfield trio, while quiet today, can never be counted out. So as it stands on 1-1, Chelsea go through to the final, but expect that scoreline to change come the second leg.

Paris Saint-Germain (France) 1-2 Manchester City (England)

The next semifinal featured two teams that are actually very similar in their quest for Champions League glory. Both PSG and Manchester City were former mid-table to bottom half teams in their respective leagues before recent big-money buyouts from Gulf-state entrepreneurs saw them rise to unforeseen success.

While both have received much criticism from fans, it also undeniable that both teams have produced some beautiful football as of late. Although these two teams have dominated their domestic league, they have yet to convert that to European glory, with neither ever winning the converted trophy.

PSG was labeled perpetual bottlers after failing to reach the semifinals for seven consecutive seasons in epic fashion. Last season, PSG finally made it all the way to the final but were defeated by Bayern Munich. Man City have a similar record with a sole semifinal appearance in 2016 sandwiched in between eight capitulations in earlier rounds, with that loss to Real Madrid in the 2016 semifinals the farthest they have ever gone. After painful defeats in this competition last season, though, PSG and Man City have been outwardly motivated to silence the haters this time around.

Ever since Mauricio Pochettino came in to replace former manager Thomas Tuchel in January, PSG have adopted Pochettino’s style of play, which is very calculated but not overly defensive like others. After a shaky start in the group stage, PSG proved to be one of the better teams throughout the tournament.

Still, it always helps to have world-class talents like Neymar Jr., Kylian Mbappe, Angel Di Maria, Marquinhos and Keylor Navas among your ranks, who can win games on their own accord. However, PSG’s biggest weakness is that they seemingly rely on their big stars too often, and when they don’t show up, the rest of the team suffers. PSG has played well, but it seems that haven’t reached their full potential yet.

Manchester City is a different story, being arguably the most consistent team throughout the tournament. For a team that is known for their attacking prowess and their defensive frailties, Pep Guardiola completely rewired this team into an impenetrable juggernaut, playing with a strict shape and well-drilled squad, conceding only three goals prior to this stage. While the emphasis has been on tight control and keeping the ball out of the net, they still have not lost their scoring touch. Man City’s issues come in the form of target practice, though, as this team often creates many missed chances. While that was excusable in the past, it is more detrimental now, considering the defensive mindset of the team and the quality of opposition. Inexperience at this stage of the tournament and the trauma of past eliminations may play a factor, too. However, PSG are definitely not immune from that either.

In a stereotypical illusion of the phrase “a game of two halves,” PSG started the match on the front foot. Much like their tactical masterclass last round against Bayern, the Parisians let Man City keep the ball while hitting them on the counter. Yet again, Neymar was the creator, while Mbappe caused many problems on the wing. Ironically, it was the defender, Marquinhos, who opened the score with a glancing header following a corner. The Brazilian captain has made a habit of stepping for this club, scoring yet another vital goal. The half ended with PSG in prime position to score, causing Pep to reevaluate.

What happened in the second half is the cause of much debate. Whether or not PSG became too arrogant and possibly too complacent with their lead or Pep gave his squad a roaring motivational speech, the result was that the pendulum swung in the opposite direction, and PSG found themselves with their backs against the wall. Man City continued holding on to the ball, but PSG could not pull together any meaningful counters this time. Mbappe was suppressed, while Neymar spent most of his time rolling around in the grass.

The constant pressure finally paid off when Kevin De Bruyne sent a curling ball into the box looking for the head of Ruben Dias after the corner was played short. Dias, however, missed the ball and the PSG defenders failed to clear the ball. The confusion in the back meant goalkeeper Keylor Navas didn’t see the ball until it was too late and in the back of the net.

With the score at 1-1, Man City was emboldened to fight for more, yet they too did not seem to fully set into full gear. They would nonetheless cash in their luck after Phil Foden was fouled near the mouth of the 18. Riyad Mahrez stepped up for the free kick and whipped in a powerful shot at mid-height. In a moment of madness, PSG’s wall jumped, opening a perfect gap for the ball to slip right through, leaving Navas no chance before it flew right past him. Ironically, Algerian Riyad Mahrez, who was born in Paris, just scored to put his home club 2-1 down.

From then on, the Citizens froze their lead, restricting PSG to only half chances at goal. The night would go from bad to worse for the home team as frustration saw Idrissa Gueye take out Ilkay Gundogan with a terrible studs-up challenge. Gueye was sent off and will miss the next leg as well. For a team who has been habitually unlucky in this competition in years past, Man City finally had some luck of their own.

Going forward, Manchester City are definitely in the home stretch now with one foot in the final. All they have to do is secure at least a drawback in Manchester for the second leg. It is not completely over for PSG, though, and they will take solstice in the fact that they have actually failed to win the home leg in both their last two matchups before winning the away leg, sending them through. However, on both those occasions, the away leg was played first, meaning they traveled back home already with a lead in hand, unlike now.

Looking ahead to the next set of fixtures, it seems as of now we will have yet another all-English Final, but there are still many matches to play before anything is set in stone.

Drexel women’s field hockey team ended their season on April 22 in Newark, Delaware with a close 3-4 overtime loss to James Madison University in the first round of the Colonial Athletic Association Semifinals.

Despite this loss, the Dragons had a successful season with many notable wins and individual achievements. The end of the season, as always, also marks the end of a journey for many senior Dragons, who were celebrated at Senior Day April 9 on Buckley Field before the Dragons faced Northeastern. A 5-2 victory was a fitting way to see off seniors Emily Berry, Chandler McFeeley and Alexis Sokach.

The start of the Dragons’ season came on March 5 against La Salle after a postponed match against Saint Joseph’s. The Dragons won 2-0 at Buckley Field, with game leaders being freshmen Eline Di Leva with four shots and one goal; sophomore Gabriella Martina with two shots and one goal; and sophomore Cailey Lever with one assist.

Another postponed match against Monmouth led the Dragons into their second game of the season on March 14, away at Temple. The Dragons suffered their first loss of the season, losing 0-1.

Back into action on Buckley Field on March 21 against Hofstra, the Dragons bounced around for a close 2-1 win. Game leader Di Leva proved herself once again with four shots and two goals. Stephanie Oleykowski made one shot and one assist, Liz Chipman made one assist and Puk Thwessen made two shots.

Away matches proved to be tough this season, with a 1-2 loss to William and Mary at Williamsburg, Virginia on March 25. Drexel’s goal came from game leader Avery Powell, who also made one shot.

Just two days later, the Dragons reversed their loss away at Villanova, winning a close 3-2 match. The game leader was once again Di Leva with four shots, one goal, and one assist. Thwessen made three shots and one goal, Shannon Tringola made one shot and one goal, and McFeeley made one shot and one assist.

April brought many more match-ups for the Dragons. April 2 saw the first home loss up against James Madison, 1-2. Di Leva was the only Drexel player to score a goal for the game.

Another loss followed away at Hofstra on April 7 in an action-packed 2-5 match. Goals came from Martina and Emily Owens. The Dragons quickly bounced back at home against Northeastern on April 9 with a 5-2 win. Goals came from game leader Tringola, who scored twice, along with McFeeley, DiLeva and Powell.

The final home game of the season also marked Senior Day for graduating Dragons Berry, McFeeley and Sokach.

An away match against Delaware on April 16 proved too difficult for the Dragons with a 1-5 loss, Drexel’s goal coming from McFeeley. The final match before the CAA Semifinals was against Towson on April 18, which the Dragons won 1-0. Game leader Berry scored the only goal of the game and also made two shots. Thwessen made two shots and one assist, Isabel Jacobs made five shots, and Powell also made five.

5. Scottie’s Decision

Throughout ESPN’s fantastic documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls 1998 run to the title, Scottie Pippen has been seen as the fantastic player he was. In his interviews, we see Pippen describe tricky contract situations, college choices and more. Pippen looked like one of the biggest winners in The Last Dance. This changed Sunday night.

After Jordan retired in 1993 to play baseball, many looked to Pippen to take over Jordan’s role. In the 1993-94 NBA Playoffs, the Bulls found themselves trailing the New York Knicks two games to none. The Bulls were down by just one and had a shot to win the game. Bulls Head Coach Phil Jackson calls a timeout and draws up a play for Toni Kukoc to take the game-winning shot. Pippen was not happy. He thought he should get the last shot, not Kukoc. Pippen refused to play. The Bulls played the last play of the game, the most important possession of their season, without their best player. It was not a good moment for Pippen. Despite winning the game on the scoreboard, the Bulls really lost. The Bulls would lose the series. When asked about what happened, Pippen said he wouldn’t change a thing.

4. What Can’t MJ Do?

Getting back to Jordan’s 1993 retirement, the Bulls had just finished the (first) three-peat. Jordan’s father had just passed away, and he decided it was time to stop. Well, that didn’t last long (kind of). Jordan and his dad always dreamed that Jordan would someday make it in professional sports. However, they didn’t think he’d be the best player to ever step on the court; they imagined he’d be the best player to ever step on the diamond. Jordan’s dream was baseball.

When he retired in 1993, Jordan later decided to play baseball. He tried out and made the Chicago White Sox AA Team, the Birmingham Barons. Really, he should have been at a lower level, but those teams didn’t have the facilities to suit the medium storm that came with Jordan. He started his baseball career with a 13-game hit streak. He had over 50 RBIs. While he had some struggles, everyone around him said that someday MJ would have made the Major Leagues. But in 1994-95, the MLB went on strike and the season was ultimately canceled. That was it for Michael. He visited the Bulls a couple of times and rumors started swirling about his return. Those rumors proved true, and 21 months after retiring, Jordan announced his return in a way only he could do. Two words changed the league forever: “I’m back.”

3. Was MJ a Good Guy?

At the end of episode 7, we see the softer side of Jordan. If you haven’t seen the clip, it’s about two minutes long and you need to stop reading and go watch it.

Great, now that you’ve seen it, you can see just how emotional Jordan got. We only saw these emotions from home a handful of times, mostly after his father was murdered. Jordan describes how everything he did was to win, and even though it might have come at the cost of how his teammates perceived him at the time, you can’t argue with the results. After this conversation ended, Jordan asked for a break from the interview, and before he got an answer, the GOAT stood up and walked away. You could tell this question affected Jordan on a deeper level. For a man known for his relentless pursuit of excellence, Jordan has a soft side that we rarely get to see. He never truly answers the question which effectively is an answer in and of itself.

2. Don’t Mess With Mike

Jordan demanded perfection from himself and all those around him. He found anything that could motivate him. The Last Dance highlights LaBradford Smith, a Washington Bullets Guard who had his career moment one night against the Bulls. Smith could not miss. It was just one of those nights that every basketball player dreams of. He scored over everyone, Jordan included. He finished with 37 points on the night.

Lucky enough for him, they played the Bulls the next night. Even though the Bulls won the night before in Smith’s best game ever, Jordan vowed revenge. After the game, Smith told Jordan, “Nice game, Mike.” That was it. Jordan said he would score what Smith did in the whole game, in the first half. Jordan nearly did it. He scored 36 points in the first half, just one short of Smith’s 37. When The Last Dance directors asked Jordan about that, Jordan said that Smith didn’t say a word to him. Jordan would do anything to find that inkling of motivation. The intensity most only brought by others in the playoffs, Jordan brought nearly every game of his career. This is one of many things that set him apart.

1. There’s Nothing Like A Father-Son Bond

I mentioned earlier how Jordan and his dad dreamed that Jordan would play in the MLB. They were close. If you look at all of the championship pictures from the first three-peat, James Jordan is standing right next to his son. James Jordan tried to get to every Bulls game he could. He was Michael’s biggest fan and mentor. Jordan and his dad were closer than close.

In July 1993, James Jordan was driving home from a funeral. When he was too tired to continue driving, Jordan pulled over to take a nap. That is when two men approached the car and shot James Jordan. His body was found a month later, decomposed in a swamp. Though Jordan was thinking about retirement dating back to summer 1992, this is what many believe pushed him over the edge. On October 6, 1993, Jordan retired. James Jordan was a special man. Michael idolized his father and losing him changed his life.

The mistakes of goalkeepers are memorable: Rafinha accidentally passing the ball to Marco Asensio, giving him a clear path to goal; Sven Ulreich slipping and missing the ball, allowing Karim Benzema to easily score in the return fixture; Thibaut Courtois getting nutmegged by Lionel Messi, twice in the same game; Franco Armani parrying Ramon Abila’s shot and letting in the rebound in the Copa Libertadores Final; David de Gea spilling Ronaldo’s low shot in the classic Spain vs. Portugal tie; Fernando Muslera miscalculating Antoine Griezmann’s long-range strike; Aziz Bouhaddouz’s tragic diving header into his own net; Mario Mandzukic opening the score in the World Cup Final with his own header into the Croatian net and Hugo Lloris comically passing the ball straight to Mandzukic later on in that same match. And of course, the most famous of them all, Loris Karius’ infamous performance in the Champions League Final.

Throughout 2018, the biggest tournaments and competitions in world football were marred by a myriad of own goals, goalkeeper mistakes and defensive errors. But why is that? Obviously, mistakes happen; it’s part of the game, an unfortunate yet inevitable part of any sport, not just football. But 2018 took it to a whole other level. The frequencies of these mistakes were like no other year that I have seen. Not to mention that they occurred on the biggest stages in football, where the best football in the world is played.

To put it into perspective, the World Cup Final, Champions League Final and the Copa Libertadores Final all saw at least one goal as a direct result of a goalkeeping error. The 2018 World Cup Final in particular also saw the very first time an own goal was scored in the prestigious fixture. While Harry Kane went home with the Golden Boot for scoring the most goals at the 2018 World Cup, the real top-scorer was “Own-Goal” with 12 own goals scored at the World Cup, which is double Harry Kane’s tally of six. Compare that to the 2014 World Cup, where only five own goals were scored, and the 2010 World Cup, where only two were scored.

Prior to the 1998 World Cup, only 15 own goals were recorded in the entire World Cup history dating back to the first edition in 1930 (though this can partly be credited to FIFA clearing up the rules surrounding what counts as an own goal in 1997). This trend wasn’t unique to international football either. For example, in the 2017-18 Champions League season, FC Barcelona’s top scorer was Lionel Messi with six goals, but coming in close second was “Own-Goal” with five. However, in the season before in 2016-17, Barcelona only scored one own goal in the same amount of games in the Champions League, and three total the entire season in all competitions.

So what is the reason for all these blunders? That is a very complex question. In terms of own goals, it could have something to do with the way own goals are credited. In the era of VAR, higher quality cameras and more in-depth officiating, it’s possible that more own goals aren’t occurring, but rather more goals are just being counted as own goals. Only several years ago, goals scored due to a defection still went to the offensive player’s name, but nowadays, any slight diversion to the trajectory of the ball will see it go down as an own goal.

However, the 2017-18 Champions League did not have VAR, nor does VAR really accredit goals as own goals or not. It is ultimately down to the referee of the particular match and what he sees fit, yet there isn’t a specific reason why the referees would suddenly start calling own goals left and right. It will be very interesting to see if this upward trend continues when the 2022 World Cup comes around, or if the 2018 World Cup was just an outlier.

For both own goals and defensive errors, one could say that many teams, especially in the World Cup, emphasized set-pieces. VAR (first introduced in the 2018 World Cup) could also play into effect, as more fouls would be recognized and called, leading to more set-piece opportunities. Overall, set-pieces are more susceptible to lead to defensive or goalkeeper errors, by virtue of the simple nature of corners and free-kicks. When the ball in being pinged around at a high speed right in front of the goal, surrounded by more players than usual in open-play, mistakes are bound to happen. While one could argue that set-pieces may have been emphasized in 2018, set-piece goals have been a staple of football for decades now. Not to mention that most of the defensive mistakes and own goals in the big moments of 2018 did not occur during set-pieces.

For defensive errors and goalkeeper mistakes, one may argue that football playing styles moved towards being possession-based, requiring goalkeepers to play out the back more and sometimes even act as an extra defender. This definitely leaves goalkeepers in a position where they are more inclined to make a mistake, especially since the “sweeper-keeper” is a role that only a few of the top goalkeepers can fulfill. However, not all teams play like Barcelona, Manchester City and Spain. If anything, some would argue that most teams abandoned the Tiki-Taka-inspired style around 2013 or 2014 after Spain’s capitulation and Barcelona’s rejuvenation. And while a sweeper-keeper is no doubt an increasingly popular trend, not all the goalkeeper errors were due to the keeper playing out the back.

2014 was a great year for goalkeepers. Just look at Tim Howard breaking the record for most saves in a World Cup match when USA played Belgium; Guillermo Ochoa inspiring all of Mexico with his saves seemingly game after game; Rais M’Bolhi of Algeria holding off Germany; Keylor Navas earning a transfer to Real Madrid after his heroics for Costa Rica and Sergio Romero stepping up big for Argentina when most thought he wouldn’t. Then, of course, Manuel Neuer, who not only played an integral part in winning the World Cup for Germany but also finished third in the Balon D’Or rankings. Neuer was only several percentage points behind Lionel Messi, marking one of the few times in football history when a goalkeeper ranked in the top three of the Balon D’Or.

Compare that to the 2018 World Cup, where the only standout keepers, besides Golden Glove Winner Thibaut Courtois, were the lesser-known Kasper Schmeichel of Denmark and Alireza Beiranvand of Iran. Even Courtois, who had a doubtlessly great tournament, still does not eclipse the performances of many of the goalkeepers from the past World Cup. The only reason behind this dip in form is a coincidence. 2014 just happened to have a larger abundance of great goalies who played out of their skin, whereas 2018 had fewer great keepers and many good ones with bad or subpar performances.

Overall, coincidence may be the only answer to this overarching question of why there were so many own goals, goalkeeper mistakes and defensive errors in 2018. 2018 just happened to be a freak year, filled with comical and/or tragic mistakes by goalkeepers letting in shots or spilling balls, players booting the ball into their own net and sometimes even giving the ball to the opposing team. It happens.

In an offseason that has been entirely virtual for the NFL, a lot of big-name quarterbacks have switched teams. Among the quarterbacks that switched teams are Tom Brady (Buccaneers), Phillip Rivers (Panthers), Marcus Mariota (Raiders), Case Keenum (Browns), Jameis Winston (Saints), Teddy Bridgewater (Panthers) and Andy Dalton (Cowboys).

Notably absent from the list is the 2015 NFL MVP Cam Newton, who was released by the Carolina Panthers on March 24, 2020, after spending nine years with the franchise. The Panthers brought in new Head Coach Matt Rhule (former Temple head football coach). The new regiment in town was looking for their own player, so the Panthers decided to sign free-agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to a three-year $63 million contract. The Panther’s decision to release Newton is understandable because they were looking for a fresh start. On the other hand, the fact that Newton remains a free agent still is hard to believe.

Since entering the league in 2011 as the first overall pick, Newton has made three pro bowls, won an MVP award in 2015, led his team to the Superbowl in 2011 and has so far thrown 182 touchdowns. Not to mention Newton as a starter has a win-loss record of 68-55. That’s a very solid record for a quarterback. There are a number of quarterbacks starting in the league that don’t even come close to having the winning record that Newton has enjoyed.

Given Newton’s success as a starter, it’s hard to understand why other teams, such as the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars, have not reached out. The Steelers make sense for Newton to be a backup, as Ben Roethlisberger has been hit by the injury bug in recent seasons and the Steelers haven’t had success with unproven backups Mason Rudolph and Devlin “Duck” Hodges. The Jaguars also make sense for Newton because the only reliable quarterback on the roster is Gardner Minshew, who is entering his second season.

The team that makes the most sense is the New England Patriots. The Patriots are slated to have second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham to be the starter. Stidham for his career has only four passing attempts in the regular season. Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick is showing a lot of confidence in a player with zero NFL experience. Is Belichick showing faith in Stidham or ignorance towards Newton? Recently, an article from Fansided suggested that the reason for the Patriots not signing Newtown is because Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels is not fond of him. McDaniels has only enjoyed NFL success with Tom Brady as a QB, so he may want to weigh the Stidham vs Newton history.

There were reports that also suggested that Newton will only sign with a team if he’s promised the starter position. That notion was quickly shut down when NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported,  “He does want to be a starter, former MVP, he should be a starter, but the reality is that there just aren’t any starting jobs available, so now — maybe a little bit of a shift in philosophy here — my understanding is that Cam Newton has not ruled out taking a backup job in the right situation. It remains to be seen where and when that will be, but obviously, Newton is still unemployed and really only has two choices: take a potentially prime backup job right now or wait until another starter gets injured, which may or may not come.” (CBS)

Regardless of where Newton signs, that team will be getting an established veteran with starting experience and supreme confidence in his abilities.