Throughout football history, Juventus have always been one of the greatest and most prominent clubs in Europe, arguably the best in Italy. However, when compared to the rest of Europe’s elite, they have historically underperformed in the continent’s most prestigious club competition, the UEFA Champions League, winning it only twice, with the most recent being well over two decades ago. So why is that? Why does Juventus, one of the strongest teams in the world, have trouble capturing the European crown? Well, unfortunately for the Bianconeri fans, the answer to that question is long and complicated. But to fully understand Juve’s predicament, one must look back at their recent history.

The story begins that last time Juventus won the Champions League, and the only time they won the tournament in the current format, in 1996 when Marcello Lippi’s Juventus side overcame Louis van Gaal’s Ajax via penalty shootout. This final was actually the first in a string of three Champions League finals which Juventus reached from 1996 to 1998. However, they lost the other two to Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid, respectively. 

Over the next few seasons, Juventus would continue on as one of the best teams in both Italy and Europe. They even made the 2003 Champions League Final but they narrowly lost to Italian rivals, Milan after a penalty shootout. Even though they lost these finals, they still proved their European pedigree by making it that far. In 1997, Borussia Dortmund thoroughly outplayed Juventus, beating them 3-1 with their victory never in doubt. However, the 1998 Final was much different. Both Real Madrid and Juve were able to match each other’s might but neither team dominated. It was only a lone goal from Predrag Mijatovic that won the match for Real Madrid, but it must be said that the goal was shrouded in controversy and most likely would have been ruled offside in today’s game. As for the 2003 Final, the match was also very tight between Milan and Juventus with both choosing to defend more than attack. After a 0-0 scoreline, Milan eventually won on penalties but it should be noted that Juventus was without their star player, Pavel Nedved, through yellow card suspension, and in the penalty shootout, video replays later showed that Milan’s goalkeeper, Dida, was unlawfully off his line when he saved David Trezeguet, Marcelo Zalayeta and Paolo Montero’s penalties. 

So while Juve fans were justifiably angry that they just lost three Champions League Finals in seven years, one could also make the argument that they were extremely unlucky to lose the 1998 and 2003 Finals. And again, by simply making it to the final, Juve proved that they are one of the dominant teams in Italy. However, everything would change in 2006.

When the 2006 Calciopoli Scandal was discovered, the entire world of football was shaken to the core. Through tapped phone calls, it was found that several of Italy’s top teams had bribed referees among other offenses. Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio and Reggina were all handed strong punishments but Juventus suffered the worst, being stripped of their 2004/05 and 2005/06 Serie A titles while also being forcibly relegated to Serie B, Italy’s second tier of football. With this relegation, star players, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Patrick Vieira, Adrian Mutu, Lilian Thuram, Gianluca Zambrotta, Fabio Cannavaro and Emerson all left the club, and Juventus’ reputation along with Italy football in general, was tarnished forever. While Juventus would easily get promoted back to Serie A next season, it would take them about six years to fully become a force in Italy again and over a decade to retain their spot as a top club on the European stage. Some would even argue that Juventus still have never completely recovered from the Calciopoli Scandal to this day in 2021. 

After a string of disappointing seasons in Italy, Juventus turned a new leaf with Andrea Agnelli as their new chairman in 2010. This would be the turning point for the Bianconeri. When Antonio Conte was appointed head coach a year later, the future planning paid off. Despite not having a deep or excessively talented squad, Conte did what he does best and got the best out of his players. Juventus would go on to win the 2011/12 Serie A title, going undefeated the entire season, an Italian record. Juve would also comfortably win the Scudetto in the next few seasons, but while they were untouchable in Italy, this did not fully transfer over on the European stage. 

Returning to the Champions League in 2012/13, La Vecchia Signora deservedly made a deep run to the quarterfinals. Up until this point though, Juve had faced relatively easy opposition, so when they lined up against Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals, it was a hard wake-up call for the Italian champions. Bayern who would go on to win the tournament easily brushed aside Juve 4-0 on aggregate. The next season was even worse as Juventus was embarrassingly eliminated in the group stage. Antonio Conte made Juve’s problems very clear, they gave him enough money to win Serie A, but not nearly enough to take this team to the next level, European glory. Encountering these frustrations as well as a vacant spot as the manager of the Italian National Team, Conte left and was replaced by Massimiliano Allegri in 2014.

With Allegri though, clear progress was made in Europe. Juventus in 2014/15 had a perfectly balanced squad with veterans like Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo and Gianluigi Buffon, players in their prime like Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal as well as young talents like Paul Pogba and Alvaro Morata. With this team, Juve soldiered on to the 2015 Champions League Final surprisingly. While they did have an easy run to the semifinals in all fairness, they proved their credibility by defeating Real Madrid, the defending champions. And while they eventually lost 3-1 to Barcelona in the Final, there was a clear plan for the future, not to mention there is no shame in losing to Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez-era-Barcelona.

The next season, Juve faltered a bit, getting eliminated by Bayern Munich in the Round of 16. But again, Bayern was arguably the best team in the world at that time, besides Barcelona. And Juve did not exactly rollover either, coming back from behind to bring the tie to extra time, losing 6-4 on aggregate in the end. 

But with that result, Juve put all their eggs in the basket looking ahead to the 2016/17 Champions League title, spending big in the transfer window on Gonzalo Higuaín, Miralem Pjanic, Dani Alves and Medhi Benatia. The plan seemed to be working perfectly as Juve steamrolled all opposition, winning both Serie A and the Coppa Italia. In the Champions League, it was more of the same. With a brick wall defense, Juve conceded only three goals the entire tournament before the final, but up top, they were very clinical scoring when necessary, as evidence in their 3-0 revenge victory over Barcelona. 

When they journeyed on the 2017 Champions League Final, only one obstacle stood in their way, Real Madrid. Billed as the best attack vs the best defense in Europe, it was a match worthy of the occasion. Despite starting on the front foot, Juve found themselves behind after Cristiano Ronaldo’s counterattack goal. But Mario Mandzukic equalized with an outrageous overhead kick. Going into the second half, things were looking good for Juve, but all that optimism would go out the window as a Ronaldo-inspired Madrid side took their game to a whole other level, smashing Juve’s normally indestructible defense. The match ended 4-1 and Juve was left broken mentally as all that hard work still was not enough.

In the following season, Allegri and his men were able to regroup and try again, but the magic of the previous year was not there. Despite that, they still did just enough to top Napoli for the Serie A title and they went through the Champions League even without playing that well. In the quarterfinals though, they were drawn against a familiar foe, Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid. The first leg in Turin, Italy was a strange game. Overall, Juve were arguably the better team, but with Ronaldo putting his team on his back, he led Real Madrid to a 3-0 victory, scoring twice and assisting the third. The second goal of his being the famous bicycle kick that left Juve defender, Andrea Barzagli to shake his head in disbelief and even the Juventus fans to give a respectful round of applause. 

Juve were not out just yet and heading into the second leg in Madrid, they looked to achieve the impossible. Exposing Real Madrid’s defensive weaknesses, Mandzukic scored twice early on before Blaise Matuidi’s poach brought the score equal 3-3 on aggregate. With the momentum in Juve’s favor, it looked like only a matter of time before they grabbed the winner. But then suddenly, Real Madrid were awarded a penalty in the last minute. None other than the Portuguese superstar himself stood up to take it, before perfectly slotting into the net, sending the Spanish champions into the semifinals. 

Juve fans were devasted. Even more so as Real Madrid would end up winning the Champions League yet again. In the 2017/18 season, the other semifinalists were Roma who only got there after a shock result vs Barcelona, a still-maturing Liverpool, and an unorganized Bayern team. If Real Madrid had been eliminated by Juventus, there was a good chance that they would have ended up champions themselves. But yet again, Cristiano Ronaldo was the only thing standing in-between Juventus and the crown of Europe.

With that in mind, Juventus did the unthinkable in the summer of 2018. After he had already achieved everything possible in Madrid, Juve were able to convince Ronaldo to join their ranks, signing him for 100 million Euros in a blockbuster deal. While it took him a few games to adjust to the Italian game, it was only a matter of time for Ronaldo to start wheelbarrowing in the goals like usual.

But while Ronaldo himself was doing all he could, the supporting cast started to slack behind. In the 2018/19 Champions League, Juve topped their group despite several odd results. In the Round of 16 though, Atlético Madrid expertly defeated Juve 2-0 in the first leg. Thankfully for the Bianconeri, Ronald did what he was bought for and scored a hattrick in the return leg, sending Juve to the quarters where they would face a young and exuberant Ajax side. While Ronaldo would score two goals over the two legs, Juve would eventually lose 3-2 on aggregate after their arrogance let Ajax slip through. Yet again, the Italian giants stumble on the biggest stage.

After his relationship with the club and the fans went sour, Allegri stepped down opening the hot seat for Maurizio Sarri, who switched up Juve’s style by adding his own signature flair. Unfortunately for Juventus fans, things only regressed from there as the Bianconeri lost the Coppa Italia Final and just won Serie A by the skin of their teeth. All of that would’ve been forgiven had Juve won the Champions League though, but sadly that would go belly-up as well. After a decent group stage, Juve was drawn against Lyon, a much weaker opponent. However, with Juve’s sluggish play, the underestimation of Lyon and Lyon hitting great form at the best time of the season saw Juve lose on away goals. Ronaldo scored two beautiful goals once again, but it was not enough. 

After the fallout of the Lyon match, Sarri was sacked. The Juventus board gambled and appointed former player, Andrea Pirlo as head coach, in what would be his first-ever job in management. While Pirlo no doubt has the potential to be a world-class coach, this season would inevitably be a transitionary one as Pirlo finds his feet. Unsurprisingly taking time for Pirlo to mold the team into his image, Juve’s form has suffered in some ways and it looks certain they will not win Serie A, breaking their nine-title streak. In the Champions League, it was almost an exact repeat as Juve were not amazing in the group stage, but good enough to top their group. Drawing Porto, another weaker opponent in the Round of 16, many thought Juventus would rewrite the wrongs of last season. Instead, Porto played wonderfully and Juve played poorly. After a 2-1 loss in Portugal, the Italian side had all the work to do at home, and in a crazy game from minute one to 90, Porto did just enough to overcame their opponents on away goals with a 4-4 aggregate score. 

So whether it be the Calciopoli Scandal, Cristiano Ronaldo, poor planning, new managers coming in, or just plain bad luck, Juventus have continued on this painstaking journey for European glory, much to the joy of their Italian rivals. They have come ever-so-close on numerous occasions, but ultimately close only counts in horseshoes and hand-grenades as the famous saying goes. 

On a positive note though, not all looks bad for Juventus going forward as Andrea Pirlo’s plan for his new team begins to unfold. Hopefully, for their fans, Pirlo, who won the Champions League twice as a player, will provide the missing piece to the puzzle and help Juve take the crown.

Drexel women’s tennis started an exciting season with two wins over Seton Hall and La Salle. The ladies kicked off their season on March 12 at the Drexel’s Vidas courts. The team’s three previous matches against Army, Villanova and Temple were postponed due to rain and COVID-19 precautions. The Dragons had a close 4-3 win over Seton Hall, followed by a 7-0 sweep over La Salle. These impressive results reflect the pre-season training the ladies team has undergone and the preparation they have put into this delayed season.

Friday, March 12 at 1 p.m. saw the long-awaited opening match of the women’s tennis season at Drexel. Like most college sports, the team has faced many setbacks during the pandemic and they have been training hard in tough conditions for their return. Play began with the doubles matches, with a clean sweep of three Dragon victories. Drexel’s Salma Ziouti and Sarka Richterova beat Arina Gumerova and Minja Gligic 6-3 at the one seed. At the two seed, Cristina Corte Gonzalez and Tara Veluvolu won 6-4 over Aina Plana Ventosa and Hiba El Khalifi of the Pirates. Finally, Marta Martinez and Pauline Kharkover defeated Emily O’Donovan and Oliwia Kempinski 6-4.

Next up in the singles tournament, Salma Ziouti, Sarka Richterova and Pauline Kharkover all won their matches to secure the vital four points for the Dragons to take their win. At the number one spot, Moroccan player Salma Ziouti swept her opponent, Arina Gumerova, with a score of 7-5, 6-2. At the two seed, Sarka Richterova, originally from Czech Republic, also won her match 6-3, 6-1. Cristina Corte Gonzalez and Marta Martinez, both from Spain, suffered losses at the number three and four seeds for Drexel. The final and crucial win for the Dragons came from Pauline Kharkover, who won a thrilling 7-6 (8), 6-4 match against Emily O’Donovan. The Dragons walked away triumphant from their opening match of the season, ready for the following match against La Salle.

Over a week after their first match, on March 25, the Dragons were ready to go against La Salle, once again with the benefit of playing at home in the Vidas bubble. The doubles matches boasted two wins for Drexel. Spanish duo Cristina Corte Gonzalez and Isabel Cabrerizo beat Lauren Landstrom and Isa Leano 6-2. Marta Martinez and Pauline Kharkover cemented the Dragons’ doubles victories with a 6-4 win over Jazmin Walle and Aleks Nikolic of La Salle.

The singles tournament saw yet another clean sweep for Drexel’s women. Spanish junior Cristina Corte Gonzalez confidently beat La Salle’s Isa Leano 6-1, 6-2. Freshman Isabel Cabrerizo, also from Spain, defeated Lauren Landstrom 6-1, 4-1 in her Dragon debut. Junior Tara Veluvolu thrashed Jazmin Walle 6-1, 6-1 in a confident display. Sophomore Aida Garcia Mendez from Mexico made her mark in her Drexel debut with a sweeping 6-0, 6-0 victory over Aleks Nikolic. Both new players for the Dragons won their debut matches. Both Marta Martinez and Pauline Kharkover automatically won their matches due to a lack of players at La Salle. The Dragons finished with a 7-0 victory over La Salle and a 2-0 record for the season.

In other positive news for the Dragons, Salma Ziouti and Sarka Richterovawere named the Colonial Athletic Association Women’s Tennis Doubles Team of the Week for the week beginning March 15. Unfortunately, the women’s upcoming matches against Temple and Saint Joseph’s were postponed and canceled, but we can hope to see the Dragons back in action on April 2 against Towson, and then again against Temple on April 3, scheduled to be played on the Vidas courts.

After only a 60-game 2020 season, Major League Baseball is officially set for a full 162-game season and there is lots to be excited about. The ups and downs of a baseball season were missing because of the shortened schedule, but with a full season, there is a lot of time to monitor the MVP race, see standings change in each division and watch a true pennant race come to fruition. So, as the season starts let’s take a look at some predictions for the 2021 season.

American League MVP: Mike Trout

There’s no flashy or hot pick here. Trout is arguably the best player of all time and definitely the best player in the league today. He already has three MVPs and has finished in the top five of MVP voting every year of his big league career, except for 2011 where he only had 123 at-bats and didn’t qualify as a rookie. With a full season and the Trout’s consistency, there’s not much that can stop a healthy Millville Meteor.

National League MVP: Juan Soto

Juan Soto flat-out rakes, there’s no better way to put it. Mike Trout might be the best overall player in the league, but it’s not a stretch to say Soto is the best hitter in the game today. The last two years for the Childish Bambino have made him one of the most renowned faces of the game. After a 2019 World Series championship where Soto was a critical part of the Nationals’ success, he became a superstar in the game. In 2020, Soto missed time due to COVID-19 and still ended up leading the national league in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS. The argument can be made that if he did not miss time, then he would have been the MVP last year. Nonetheless, it seems like Soto’s time for the MVP to really solidify a three-year stretch as one of the game’s bests.

American League Cy Young: Hyun Jin Ryu

Ryu has become an ace starting pitcher over the last two years. In 2019, he led the entire league in ERA and finished second in the NL Cy Young Award voting. He then signed with the Blue Jays and there’s always a concern on how players will adjust with a new team. Well, Ryu just kept dealing and finished third in the AL voting. With the Blue Jays adding a lot of firepower to their offense, there will be less pressure on Ryu this year as he continues dealing his way to a Cy Young Award.

National League Cy Young: Blake Snell

Obviously, Snell’s biggest competition for this award will be Jacob deGrom, who’s always a frontrunner for this award. Even so, I think Snell is destined for a big season this year. He hasn’t been as dominant as he once was in 2018 when he won the award, but with the change in scenery, he could get back to his former dominance. There’s more trust between the Padres and Snell and he is going to pitch past the sixth inning of games for swinging friars. He won’t have to anchor the rotation by himself and there will be a ton of offensive support for Snell, which means a lot less pressure for him as well. I expect big things from Snell this season.

American League East Champ: New York Yankees

The Yankees need to stay healthy, and if they can, they have the potential to dominate the East. The Rays took several steps backward, even if it is the “Rays way” to trade away their best players. The Blue Jays will be a good team, but are still young and in need of a starter or two. The Yankees have their ace and added arms behind Gerrit Cole, including Corey Kluber and Jameson Taillon. The lineup is a powerful one that will drive in plenty of runs, of course, if they stay healthy.

American League Central Champ: Chicago White Sox

The White Sox are a very complete team. Their lineup has plenty of production with star sluggers. Lucas Giolito is getting better every year and they added the workhorse, Lance Lynn, behind him. The bullpen got even stronger with the signing of Liam Hendricks, so this is a very good Chicago ball club, in what I’d call a weak central division. The Indians are getting to take a step back and I am still not sold on the Twins being contenders from start to finish, so this is the White Sox division to lose.

American League West Champ: Oakland Athletics

The West will be up for grabs as it is a weak division. The A’s have nice pieces around the diamond, anchored by Matt Chapman and Matt Olsen. The loss of Marcus Semien hurt them, but they’ve since landed Elvis Andrus to help fill in at shortstop. They have quality pitchers and could always add another at the deadline. No matter what, the West will be a fun race to watch.

American League Wild Card #1: Toronto Blue Jays

As mentioned before, the Blue Jays are really young and full of expectations this year. They need to add pitching behind Ryu, but that doesn’t make them a bad team, just not as good as the Yankees. They are going to be a successful team that will make it to October.

American League Wild Card #2: Minnesota Twins

I’m still not sold on the Twins, but there aren’t many other great teams in the American League. Kenta Maeda has become a dominant pitcher in a short time and they have solid bats throughout their lineup. I see the Twins taking the second wild-card spot over the Astros, which may be their biggest competition.

National League East Champ: Atlanta Braves

There is so much talent on the Braves and they might start a real dynasty in the East. They have plenty of young arms led by Ian Anderson, Mike Soroka and Max Fried plus they added the veteran Charlie Morton to the rotation. The lineup speaks for itself: Freddie Freeman, Ronald Acuna Jr., Marcell Ozuna, Travis d’Arnaud, Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson. Plenty of pop in the lineup and a lot of pitching to go with it.

National League Central Champ: St. Louis Cardinals

The acquisition of Nolan Arenado took the Cardinals a level up. They could use some more acquisitions on the deadline to address any part of the team, because they could improve everywhere. However, Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt in the lineup and Jack Flaherty at the top of the rotation is not a bad start. It’s not a great division, so that might be enough to secure the central crown.

National League West Champ: San Diego Padres

The Dodgers were on another planet in 2020, but that was last year. The Padres can compete 1-5 in the rotation with the Dodgers; they also have a lineup that can put up runs with the Dodgers lineup. Every game will be a must-watch, but I like the Padres rotation a little bit more than the Dodgers and I think pitching is easier to sustain over hitting throughout a full season. Therefore, I’m giving the upper hand to the Padres.

National League Wild Card #1: Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers are still a powerhouse team in the league and will be a competitive playoff team. We might see a situation where the Padres and Dodgers have the best records in baseball and just happen to be in the same division.

National League Wild Card #2: Philadelphia Phillies

I expect the Phillies to turn the tides and end their playoff drought this year. I don’t think the Mets are going to be as favorable as everyone predicts, because it will inevitably take some time to get used to all the new changes. The Nationals are going to be a strong team, but they are getting older and will need to stay healthy. This year, there are no distractions for the Phils. In 2019, there were so many expectations for the Phillies as they brought in Harper and Realmuto. In 2020, COVID was a distraction itself and the bullpen let them down. This year, there are really no other distractions to stop them and they addressed the bullpen heavily. Phillies fans, this is the year to get excited about the Phillies again.

World Series Champions: White Sox over the Padres 4-3

The White Sox are a very complete team on the come-up last year and I think this is the year where they put it together and win a championship. I think the Padres pitching staff will take them far but in the end, but the trio of Giolito, Lynn and Dallas Keuchel can keep up and the offenses will match each other. So for 2021, I’m picking the White Sox to win it all.

Opening day is April 1 and the rivalries will start right away with the Yankees and Blue Jays matching up and the Phillies and Braves also playing each other. It will be a long season filled with homers, strikeouts and stolen bases that lead up to a trophy being handed out.

The Drexel Women’s Field Hockey team triumphed at their season opener against La Salle this past week. The Dragons won a confident 2-0, giving their long-awaited season off a roaring start Friday, March 5. Buckley Field may have been empty of supporters due to pandemic restrictions, but the ladies made a huge statement with this victory.

The Dragons experienced a few setbacks this year, with some members of the team absent due to COVID-19 regulations and matches being postponed. However, this made the team more eager to start off their season strong. The Dragons have been working hard in practice and remained positive leading up to this season. All members have followed COVID-19 precautions for a safe return to season, but they have been able to practice at Drexel’s facilities, along with many other of our athletics teams.

A crisp Friday afternoon at Buckley Field saw the beginning of the season for Drexel’s women. After their season opener against Saint Joseph’s was postponed, the team looked to start strong, although the game started off relatively slow with no goals for either team.

Drexel’s sophomore goalkeeper Megan Hadfield made herself known on the field with her save in the first half, which would be followed up by another stop-in-goal later in the game, making it the second shutout of her career for the Dragons. She proved strong over La Salle’s goalkeeper, Cassie Kincaid, who also made two saves despite the Explorer’s losing efforts.

The first goal and success for the Dragons came in the third quarter of the game. Freshman Eline Di Leva from the Netherlands used her defensive play to beat La Salle’s goalkeeper and put Drexel on the board, 1-0 up. Di Leva is one of five freshman additions to the team, alongside Adrienne Couteau, Shannon Tringola, Liz Chipman and Stephanie Oleykowski. Di Leva also adds to one of four players from the Netherlands, with the others being sophomore Amber Brouwer, sophomore Isabel Jacobs and junior Puk Thewessen. The team benefits greatly from having an array of players who can bring their expertise to the game.

No more goals came until the final minutes of the game, which picked up thanks to sophomore duo Cailey Lever and Gabriella Martina. Martina received Lever’s shot from the right side of the field and shot the goal successfully, ensuring a confident win for the Dragons.

In an interview with the Triangle, Martina said, “It was a great way to kick off our season, especially after our last season record. Half of our team was not able to be there so it really motivated us to get the win and made it even more impactful for us as a team.”

The March 10 match against Monmouth at Buckley Field has been postponed, but the Dragons are expected to play against Temple on March 14, then again at the Buckley Field against Hofstra on March 21. Both matches can be watched live on DragonsTV and Flosports.

25 years. That’s how long it has been since the Drexel Dragons Men’s Basketball team made an appearance in the NCAA March Madness tournament. In 1996, The Dragons made it to the second round of the tournament as a 12 seed, only to lose to Memphis. Fast forward to 2021, and the Dragons are finally heading to the big dance once again. Their season was impacted severely by COVID-19, causing the Dragons to have 12 games canceled—more than any other Colonial Athletic Association team in the conference.

Despite the number of games that Drexel lost in the regular season, they still managed to finish the regular season with an 11-7 record, which ranked sixth-best in the conference. This year’s tournament was held at James Madison University. Due to COVID-19, the only fans allowed to be in attendance were family members. In order to qualify for the tournament, all the Dragons needed to do was win three games in a row, which is exactly what they did.

In the quarterfinals, Drexel faced off against the third-seeded College of Charleston. Drexel got an 11-point lead going into the half, and Charleston simply couldn’t keep up despite, outscoring the Dragons in the second half. Leading the Dragons in this one was graduate student Zach Walton, who finished with a team-high 17 points. Walton hit a remarkable five of his six attempts from beyond the arc.

In the semifinals, the Dragons then matched up against Northeastern University, looking to advance to the CAA finals for the first time since 2012. Once again, the Dragons were led by Walton, who finished with a team-high 15 points.

Walton was one of four Dragons to score in double figures, along with rising freshman Xavier Bell (11 points), senior James Butler (12 points) and junior Camren Wynter (14 points). Vernon Butler, father to James, attended Navy from 1982-86, where he ranks second all-time in points scored (1,952) behind only NBA Hall of Famer David Robinson. On Monday night, Butler saw his son James reach 1,000 points in his Drexel career, while also moving into ninth place on Drexel’s all-time rebounding list.

Late in the game, Sophomore Mate Okros showed his sharpshooting ability as he hit back three-pointers, giving the Dragons a six-point lead late in the second quarter. The Dragons wound up winning 74-67, setting them up for a CAA title game against Elon University.

A recurrence throughout this tournament has been the Dragons’ exceptional three-point shooting, and that did not stop in the finals. In the first half, the Dragons were scorching hot from beyond the arc, going 6-11, including a buzzer beater step-back three-pointer by Walton at the end of the first half that gave Drexel a 32-27 lead.

Drexel got most of their scoring production from two unsung heroes—Mate Okros and Xavier Bell—who, after this CAA tournament, are now key players for Drexel. Okros finished the game as Drexel’s leading scorer with 14 points, going 4-6 from the three-point line and 3-4 from deep in the first half. Bell, named 2020 Mr. Kansas basketball, has played an integral part in Drexel’s run to the big dance since taking a spot in the starting lineup four games ago. On Tuesday night, Bell finished with 11 points on 4-6 shooting.

As a team, Drexel shot an incredible 10-17 from the three-point line. Another strength for the Dragons was their rebounding, as they led Elon in that category 39-26. Senior Tim Perry Jr. played a big part in Drexel’s rebounding, as he grabbed nine boards and added 6 points in just 10 minutes of play. Imagine what kind of numbers Perry Jr. would have put up if he had played 25 minutes? Head Coach Zach Spiker may consider giving Perry Jr. more time in the tournament in the event that the Dragons go up against a taller team.

It’s been quite the journey for Spiker as he finishes up his fifth season with the team. Whether it was masterminding Drexel’s historic 34-point comeback against Delaware on Feb. 22, 2018, or getting the Dragons to their first tournament appearance in 25 years, it’s safe to say the Spiker era at Drexel has been positive. Understandably, Spiker was overwhelmed with emotions after the Dragon’s 63-56 victory over Elon to go to the big dance.

“You can’t always control what happens to you, but you can control the circumstances,” Spiker said to the Inquirer. “[The championship] validates what we tell our guys.”

Now that Drexel has made it to the tournament, the team and fans must wait until selection Sunday to hear who they will match up against in the round of 64. Let’s hope the torrid three-point shooting and rugged rebounding will carry on from the CAA playoffs.

Until then, Drexel can let this victory sink in, as it has been a very long time coming.

The weather is warming up, and it’s officially baseball season. Spring training games are underway as the Phillies battle in Clearwater, Florida as a part of the Grapefruit League. As players fight to make the roster and earn roles for the regular season, here are the top ten players to keep your eye on this March:

10. Jose Alvarado

Alvarado, who is expected to be a critical piece of the Phillies bullpen this season, was electric in his spring debut. The Phillies brought him in for a needed boost in velocity, but his average fastball velocity was down from 97.1 in 2019 to 96.1 last year.

However, Alvarado brought the heat in his spring debut, as he only threw nine pitches in an inning of work, seven of which were sinkers that had an average speed of almost 99.0 mph. Two of those sinkers registered at 100 mph and 100.3 mph. He added another scoreless inning of work on Tuesday against the Blue Jays. If he can keep it up throughout the spring, it’ll be a sight to see how hard and effective Alvarado will be throwing in the summer months.

9. Chase Anderson

Anderson made his spring debut last Friday and pitched two perfect innings. To make his outing even more impressive, he only needed 18 pitches for those two innings, as he struck out three as well. It was more than a solid outing for Anderson, who battles for a spot in the rotation.

8. Scott Kingery

This is a critical spring for Kingery after coming off a 2020 season where he batted just 0.159. Kingery is competing for a starting job in center field, which currently is wide open. The competition just got a little smaller, too, as Adam Haseley strained his groin.

So far not so good for Kingery, however. He did hit a home run, which was nice to see, but he’s two-for-fourteen at the plate right now and has struck out seven times. If he wants playing time this season, he will need to turn things around fast.

7. Ivan Nova

The veteran righty got the start in the first game of the spring—and it went badly. He gave up five runs and only got one out. If Nova, who is a non-roster invitee, wants to make the Major League roster, he’ll have to prove his first outing was a fluke. He’s on the right track to do so; since his first outing, he has pitched four scoreless innings. Nova still has a lot of work to do to make the Opening Day roster.

6. Spencer Howard

Howard is one of spring training’s greatest questions. Will he be in starting rotation, or will he come out of the bullpen? There’s no question Howard is aiming for a spot in the rotation, and he’s off to a good start. He pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts, and his velocity was up at 96 mph in his spring debut. Keep an eye out on the Phillies top prospect, who looks to make an impact this year.

5. Alec Bohm

The Phillies phenomenon, Alec Bohm, came into this spring with high expectations after putting on muscle this offseason. Players and coaches have been impressed with how good he looked in Clearwater, and when the games started, he kept on impressing. Bohm hit a three-run home run to center field against the Yankees and has been hitting the ball hard. The biggest question surrounding Bohm is if he can be a reliable defender. He has looked solid with the glove this spring, which will hopefully carry into the regular season. Expect big things from Bohm this season.

4. Travis Jankowski

Coming into the spring, Matt Joyce was the clear favorite to come off the bench and add depth in the outfield. Joyce has played well, but so has Jankowski, who has made it a competition between him and Joyce.  Jankowski has an on-base percentage of 0.417 and is batting 0.364, including a triple, in 12 plate appearances this spring. Between Joyce and Jankowski, it’ll be interesting to see which lefty slugger will be on the Opening Day roster.

3. Rhys Hoskins

Hoskins had Tommy John surgery at the end of last season, but he should be good to go for opening day. He has been participating in games and seems to be on track with his recovery. Hoskins is a critical part to the Phillies offense, so hopefully he’ll be completely ready by opening day.

2. Odubel Herrera

Herrera still has a mountain to climb if he is to play in Citizens Bank Park again after his domestic violence incident. He’s off to a good start, however, and is playing a well rounded game. He has hit a home run, collected four hits in twelve at-bats, mixed in a stolen base and played stellar defense with a diving catch and an outfield assist. The chance that Herrera would make the opening day roster was slim to none coming into the spring, but now it shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone.

1. Mickey Moniak

Moniak is seizing the opportunity he has this spring. He is battling for a roster spot and has opened eyes with his efforts. Against the Yankees, he hit two home runs and has a double and triple this spring as well. In nine at-bats, he has five hits and is slugging 1.556. Moniak has put his name into the opening day roster discussions and, possibly, the center field competition as well.

Throughout the entirety of the 2020-21 season in world football, there have great highs and lows, big wins and letdowns, wonderful individual performances, magnificent goals and, of course, fantastic matches.

But today’s article will be focusing on the latter. There are doubtlessly many terrific matches missing from this list, but these were certainly five highlights of the season.

Honorable mentions: Inter Milan 4-3 Fiorentina, PSG 0-1 Marseille, Portland Timbers 1-1 FC Dallas, Aston Villa 7-2 Liverpool, Chelsea 1-3 Manchester City

5. Granada 3-5 Barcelona – Copa del Rey Quarterfinals – Feb. 3, 2021

It has not been the best season for Barcelona as they go through a transitionary phase. However, one thing will never change: Barcelona is a fun team to watch, and many of their matches this season could have been featured here.

While Granada is not one of Spain’s elite, they have proven over the past few seasons that they are a solid team who can beat anyone in the league on their day.

When the Copa del Rey quarterfinal matchup kicked off between Barcelona and Granada, it was the Southern Spanish underdogs who started off on the front foot, capitalizing on Barcelona’s defensive errors. Kenedy bundled the ball over the line before the veteran striker, and Roberto Soldado made the score 2-0 in the second half on the breakaway.

With less than 10 minutes left, Barcelona desperately attacked with all their might, but the ball simply did not go in the net. When it seemed Barcelona were out of the tournament, a cross from Lionel Messi found Antoine Griezmann, who was able to just about poke the ball into the net.

Then, two minutes into injury-time, the left-back, Jordi Alba surprisingly headed in Barcelona’s equalizer after Griezmann’s weighted pass. With the scores tied, the match went into extra time. Early on, Griezmann again stepped up for his team with another header, putting Barcelona up 3-2.

Granada were not going to let their opponents off easy as they eventually got a penalty—which Fede Vico scored—tying the match 3-3. However, in the second half of extra time, Barcelona’s quality really showed as a blocked shot from Messi was easily redirected into the net by Frenkie de Jong, giving Barcelona the lead once more. To add icing to the cake, a cheeky outside-the-boot cross from Griezmann found Alba again, who smashed the ball into the goal at the near post with a brilliant volley.

4. Palmeiras 0-2 River Plate – Copa Libertadores Semifinals – Jan. 12, 2021

For those who have never watched South American football, it is almost a completely different sport, with the level of passion by both fans and players unmatched anywhere else in the world. The second leg of the Copa Libertadores semifinal between Palmeiras and River Plate was a great example.

In the first leg, Palmeiras went to Buenos Aires and beat River 3-0 in their own stadium with a shocking performance. Despite being down three goals and away from home, River never counted themselves out and went to Sao Paulo expecting a comeback.

Perhaps too complacent with their lead, Palmeiras were the ones shocked this match as River came out the gates swinging. River took the lead after Robert Rojas’ header following a corner, and Rafael Borre shanked the ball into the net only a few minutes later, putting River up 2-0. With the match in their hands, they only needed one more goal to equalize.

However, that goal would painfully never arrive. In the second half, full-back Gonzalo Montiel scored a nice volley, but VAR disallowed it as part of the buildup seemed to be offside. Then, River was awarded a penalty after Matias Suarez was fouled in the box, only for the referee to reverse his decision as VAR said Suarez dived.

With only a few minutes left, Palmeiras held on for dear life as River had close chance after close chance. Unfortunately for the Argentines, none would find the back of the net and Palmeiras went through to the finals.

3. Juventus 3-2 Porto – Champions League Round of 16 – March 9, 2021

The most recent entry on this list, played only last Wednesday, was most likely the best match of the 2020-21 Champions League season so far. After a surprising win in the first leg of their Round of 16 matchup, underdogs Porto traveled to Turin to face the Italian giants of Juventus in their home stadium.

With a star-studded lineup. featuring players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Federico Chiesa, Paulo Dybala, Juan Cuadrado and Leonardo Bonucci, many thought that Juventus would ultimately reverse their 2-1 loss in the previous match. However, Porto thoroughly outplayed Juventus at the match’s start, troubling their opponent’s backline on numerous occasions while standing strong in defense themselves. 

Pepe, in particular, rolled back the years with a world-class performance from central defense. Porto actually opened the score when they were awarded a penalty, which Sergio Oliveira put away expertly.

Despite Porto dominating the first half, the second would go much differently. Federico Chiesa equalized for Juve and Porto’s striker, and Mehdi Taremi was sent off for an avoidable foul. With a wonderful header, Chiesa scored yet again, putting Juve up 2-1, and 3-3 on aggregate sent the match to extra time.

Not letting the momentum swing too far in favor of Juve, the Portuguese valiantly pushed onwards. Then, deep into extra time, Oliveira stood up for a free kick, far off from Juve’s goal. With an audacious and powerful shot, the ball snuck under the wall and into the net, giving Porto the crucial advantage.

The drama wouldn’t end there though as only two minutes later, Adrien Rabiot scored a header for Juve. However, it was too little too late; while Juve led 3-2 on the night, Porto went through with the away goals advantage in the 4-4 aggregate score.

2. Bayern Munich 2-1 Sevilla – UEFA Super Cup Final – Sept. 24, 2020

Being that the Super Cup is contested between the Champions League winners and the Europa League winners (Europe’s two top club competitions), great games are guaranteed—and the 2020 Final was no different.

Bayern Munich, the Champions League champions, were seen as the favorites but Sevilla, the Europa League champions, were no pushovers. The match started off with a cagey and disjointed atmosphere, and Sevilla exploited that when Ivan Rakitic was pushed in the box and Sevilla got a penalty. Lucas Ocampos scored, and Sevilla took the lead.

From that point on, Bayern viciously pressured Sevilla, attacking relentlessly, but Sevilla was able to hold firm for the most part. Before the first half ended, Bayern would eventually undo their opponents with a beautiful team goal, finished off by Leon Goretzka with a side-footed shot. 

After that, the match was anyone’s for the taking. Bayern continued to attack persistently, but Sevilla carved out their own chances on the counter. In the second half, Bayern thought they took the lead on two occasions with goals from Robert Lewandowski and Leroy Sane, but they were both ruled out for an offside call and a foul respectively. Sevilla had some great chances, too, but neither side was able to score and the match went to extra time.

Early into the first period, Sevilla had a golden opportunity to snatch a win after Youssef En-Nesyri sped away one v. one against Bayern’s keeper, Manuel Neuer. However, Neuer rushed out of goal and made a wonderful save after En-Nesyri’s shot was off-balance.

It was eventually Bayern who scored the elusive goal as a set-piece ricocheted the ball in Sevilla’s box before finding David Alaba, who lumped it towards goal. Sevilla’s keeper, Yassine Bounou, palmed the shot away, but Bayern’s experienced midfielder, Javi Martinez, was able to steer the ball into the net with his head, sealing Bayern’s win and defending their claim as the best team in Europe.

1. Ecuador 6-1 Colombia – CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers – Nov. 17, 2020

As mentioned earlier, South American football can be passionate and chaotic at times, but international football can be the same. South American World Cup qualifying is often characterized as the hardest in the world due to the talent level of the teams and the harsh climates. Even with all of that in mind, the final result of the Ecuador vs. Colombia match was expected by no one.

Despite Colombia having a run of bad form, they still possess one of the best squads in the world, headlined by superstars like James Rodriguez, Duvan Zapata, Juan Cuadrado and Luis Muriel. Even though Ecuador have a plethora of young talent, Colombia was still seen as slight favorites.

However, the match went the opposite of what was expected. From the first minute to the last, Ecuador ran riot over their Colombian neighbors. Ecuador would open the score only seven minutes in with Robert Arboleda’s swinging volley following a set-piece. Ecuador’s lead would be doubled two minutes later when Angel Mena capitalized on Colombia’s high defensive line.

From there on, Colombia’s defense absolutely collapsed, as Ecuador was easily able to just cross the ball into the box and find their players. Goals from Michael Estrada and Xavier Arreaga put Ecuador up 4-0 before the 40-minute mark. Although James was able to pin one back for Colombia with a penalty just before the half ended, all hope of a comeback was deflated after Gonzalo Plata scored an undeniably world-class goal with a curling longshot following a backheel assist from Mena.

To add to the craziness of the match, Plata celebrated his goal by taking off his shirt, forcing the referee to give him a yellow card. Given that Plata already had a previous yellow, he was hilariously sent off. In the 90+1 minute, Pervis Estupinan would tap in yet another goal for Ecuador, solidifying a statement win for this upcoming team in world football.

The NFL has announced next season’s salary cap will be $182.5 million—an 8 percent decline from this season. COVID had a significant impact on both team and league revenue. As a result, teams will need to restructure and release players to meet the reduced cap, and next week, teams will be allowed to contact free agents. Here are the top 10 NFL free agents:

10. Anthony Harris

Harris is a do-it-all safety. The Vikings weren’t as strong this year as they were in years past, Harris included, but the physical defender still recorded 104 tackles. At 29, Harris still has quality years left In him and, as one of the top safeties in the league, is a game-changer for whatever team signs him.

9. JuJu Smith-Schuster

The former Pittsburgh Steeler has massive upside. The Steelers maintained a deek-and-dunk offense this year, but JuJu still managed to put up 831 yards and 9 TDs on 97 catches. Though he may not be a true number one receiver, JuJu is one of the best number two receivers in the league – as we saw during his time lining up alongside Antonio Brown.

8. Hunter Henry

Before Henry tore his ACL, he was one of the best tight ends in the league. Now, a couple of years removed, Henry is still just 26 years old. Playing with a rookie quarterback hindered his statistical growth in 2020. However, Henry has incredible upside and is an instant starter wherever he ends up.

7. Joe Thuney

Thuney was one of the few bright spots on a poor New England team this year. A large but agile force on the left side of the line of scrimmage, Thuney has the potential to change the makeup of an offensive line. Look for him to sign with a run-heavy team, as he has struggled a bit in pass protection.

6. Yannick Ngakoue

Ngakoue starred on the Jaguars but spent 2020 in Minnesota and Baltimore. There, his production dipped a bit but remained well above the league average. A steady home will provide Ngakoue with the ability to dive deep into his bag of tricks to torment offensive lines.

5. Bud Dupree

The running-mate of NFL DPOY snub TJ Watt, Dupree had an incredible season in Pittsburgh before tearing his ACL. He established himself as one of the best edge rushers in the NFL and earned a payday that Pittsburgh could not provide. An athletic freak, Dupree is a quarterback pressure machine destined to rack up the sacks.

4. Aaron Jones

Jones nearly reached the 1,500 scrimmage yard mark this season with Green Bay. His second straight huge year puts Jones in line for a big paycheck. As one of the NFL’s top backs, Jones will be at the top of many team charts.

3. Shaquil Barrett

In 2019, Barrett led the league in sacks. He continued to bother quarterbacks all season long, including Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. Simply put, he is too expensive for the Buccaneers to keep. Barrett is not only among the best edge rushers in the league, but also among the best players in the league. No matter where Barrett goes, he will be battling for the league lead in sacks once again next season.

2. Kenny Golladay

Golladay often gets overlooked in the conversation of the NFL’s best wide receivers, partially due to his injuries and playing on a controversy-plagued Detroit team. Golladay, however, enters free agency at 27 years old and is a formidable number one option. Pair him up with another one of the league’s best, and you might have the best receiving tandem in the league.

1. Trent Williams

Even though Williams is 32 years old, he is still one the best tackles in the NFL. Allowing only one sack this season on an injury-plagued San Francisco squad leaves little to the imagination when it comes to discussing Williams’ skillset. The best free-agent available this offseason, Williams will sign the longest deal he can with his increasing age.

On the European scene, Spain is one of the major players. The Spanish League, La Liga, has been arguably one of the best in the world as of late, and Spanish clubs have dominated European competitions while also producing some of the most talented players.

However, this current UEFA Champions League season paints a very different picture. As we just witnessed in the first leg of each Round of 16 match, three of the four Spanish teams in the tournament lost their first leg. While these ties are not over and anything can happen, there is a decent chance that the Champions League Quarterfinals will feature no Spanish teams this year.

These results signal a progressive decline of Spanish clubs in recent seasons, leading many to conclude that we are witnessing the end of an era. But the verdict is still out: Is this the end to Spanish dominance in European Football?

Throughout the 2010s, there was no more dominant force throughout European football—or really, world football—than Spain. The numbers don’t lie. The Spanish National Team won Euro 2008, World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012 consecutively: an unprecedented record. Even as the National Team’s strength started to fade away after the 2014 World Cup, Spanish club teams and players would continue to dominate world football for many years to come.

One only needs to look at Europe’s most prestigious club competitions: the Champions League and the Europa League. In football history, the team who has won the most Champions League trophies is Real Madrid, and the team with the most Europa Leagues is Sevilla—both from Spain. In fact, no country has won more total Champions Leagues or Europa Leagues than Spain. During the late 2000s and throughout the 2010s, this domination would surge to the highest degree.

From 2010 to 2019, a Spanish team would win the Champions League (Europe’s top tier club competition) six out of 10 possible times. And in two instances, 2014 and 2016, the final was contested between two Spanish teams. Beyond just the winning team, at least one Spanish team made it to the Semifinals every single season this decade.

In the 2015-16 season, Spain broke a record for being the first nation in history to have five of their clubs qualify for the Champions League. They hold the same record in the Europa League, the second-tier competition, as Spanish teams also won on six occasions with an all-Spanish final happening once there as well. Throughout the entire decade, there was only one Europa League season without a Spanish semifinalist, 2013; however, the immediate year before saw three of the four semifinalists come from Spain in comparison.

From a La Liga perspective, the Spanish domestic league was easily the strongest league during the 2010s. Real Madrid and Barcelona were by far the two best teams in the world, and their hegemony was made even more compelling and exciting by the Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry—the two best players of this generation playing for rival teams. Messi and Ronaldo dominated the individual awards, which meant from 2008 to 2019, the winner of the Ballon d’Or (the award given to the best player of the year) was given to a player from La Liga.

The FIFPro World XI, a list gathered by FIFA which votes on the best XI of year, was habitually populated by players from Spanish teams or players who were Spanish themselves. In 2012, the entire FIFPro World XI was made up from players from Spanish clubs.

Evidently, both Real Madrid and Barcelona dominated the Champions League, routinely trouncing the rest of Europe’s elite clubs, including Germany’s Bayern Munich, Italy’s Juventus, France’s PSG and England’s Manchester United. But Barcelona and Real Madrid weren’t the only successful teams from the Eastern Iberian nation, with other clubs being successful as well.

Atletico Madrid won La Liga in 2014 and were consistently the third-best team in Spain. They also won the Europa League three times and even made it to the Champions League Final twice, losing only to Real Madrid on both occasions. Sevilla was another club that experienced great success, winning the Europa League three times consecutively from 2014 to 2016. Even relatively smaller Spanish clubs, such as Valencia, Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao, Malaga, Celta Vigo, Real Betis, Real Sociedad, Levante and others, did well in Europe this decade. Simply put, from 2010 to 2019, La Liga had the best teams, had the best players, and was the best league in the world.

Fast forward to 2021, and it is very clear that the Spanish grip on world football has severely loosened to the point where they will almost certainly lose hold. 2019 was a wake-up call of a season, as the reigning champions, Real Madrid, were thoroughly trashed and shocked by Ajax in the Champions League Round of 16. This also culminated with Ronaldo’s transfer away from Madrid to the Italian giants, Juventus, in the 2018 summer transfer window. Ironically, with Juventus, Ronaldo would go on to eliminate Atletico Madrid from the same stage of the tournament.

While a Messi-led Barcelona made it to the Champions League Semifinals, they were humiliated 4-0 in the second leg by the eventual champions, Liverpool. By the time the final came around, it was to be contested by two English teams: Liverpool vs. Tottenham Hotspur. The situation was identical in the Europa League, as the final was also between two English teams, Chelsea and Arsenal, with the latter defeating the only Spanish representative in the Europa League Semifinals, Valencia, 7-4 on aggregate.

The 2020 Champions League saw an acceleration of the pattern. To be fair, Sevilla would go on to impressively win the Europa League. However, the Spanish teams in the Champions League that same year did not fare that well. Valencia were convincingly torn to shreds by the underdog Italians, Atalanta, 8-4 on aggregate, while Real Madrid exited the tournament rather meekly against a Manchester City side, who were admittedly in poor form.

In the quarterfinals, RB Leipzig capitalized on a surprisingly mediocre performance from Atletico Madrid, eliminating them 2-1 Meanwhile, Barcelona were ejected by eventual champions Bayern Munich by an 8-2 single match scoreline. To call it embarrassing doesn’t fully describe the utter humiliation this defeat was for the Catalan superclub. These results meant that it was the first Champions League Semifinals without a Spanish team since 2007.

This season has only seen a continuation of this trend as well as we enter the second legs of each Round of 16 matchups next week. Real Madrid barely made it out of the group stage, despite being drawn into a group many thought they would easily win, and Barcelona failed to top their group for the first time since 2007. Into the Round of 16 so far, Barcelona were smashed 4-1 by PSG and Kylian Mbappe in their own home stadium. At this point, Barcelona need a miracle to make a comeback in the second leg.

Despite both being at home as well, Sevilla were outgunned 3-2 by Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid slumped to a sluggish 1-0 defeat to Chelsea. Even though Real Madrid narrowly won their match against Atalanta, they played poorly, and one would expect this free-flowing Atalanta side to heavily push for a comeback in the second leg. Theoretically, all four Spanish teams could still make a comeback and turn the tides in their favors, but at the same time, there exists a very real possibility that the 2021 Champions League Quarterfinals will feature no Spanish teams at all.

With all that in mind, it is very clear that the Spanish claim to the throne has fallen. So, what exactly happened to Spain and their clubs? Well, many factors can explain this decline, some independent of each other and others connected.

First off, it must be noted that Barcelona and Real Madrid both experienced nothing short of golden generations throughout the 2010s, beyond just Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Barcelona had world class players, like Luis Suarez, Neymar Jr., Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Carles Puyol, while Real Madrid countered that with stars like Iker Casillas, Xabi Alonso, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Marcelo. These players were all some of the best in each respective club’s history, so as they inevitably aged, left the club or retired, the team naturally regressed. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona have so far done a subpar job in replacing these players with efficient substitutes, but given the immense talent they used to have, one can argue that replacing them is impossible.

Financial problems have also hit many of the Spanish clubs hard, along with internal mismanagement. Although the big two clubs have fallen victim as well, many of the smaller clubs have really felt the effects. Valencia, for example, went from being consistently the fourth or fifth best team in Spain to hovering above the relegation zone after a series of terrible decisions from their club president. Internal problems have plagued several other clubs, too. Malaga, who were a talented and exciting team in the early 2010s, have since been relegated to the Segunda Division. Real Betis, who possess the best squads in the country in terms of player quality, have finished in the bottom half of the league in the past two seasons due to internal mismanagement.

Overall, the decline of Spain in club football is only normal. Ever since football became the massively popular sport that it is, several countries have come and dominated before fading away and being replaced by another. In the 1990s up until the mid-2000s, Serie A was easily the best league in the world. Italian clubs, like Milan and Juventus, constantly won the Champions League or made the final. Meanwhile, teams who were a class below (or even midtable teams like Inter, Napoli, Roma, Parma, Palermo, Fiorentina, Sampdoria, Lazio and Torino) all lit up a league headlined by worldwide stars: Roberto Baggio, Paolo Maldini, Gabriel Batistuta, Franco Baresi, Ronaldo, Alessandro Del Piero and many others. Jump ahead to the late 2000s and into the 2010s though, and now the entire country’s reputation was tarnished by the Calciopoli scandal, giants like Milan and Inter hit financial crises, failing to even qualify for the Champions League while overall stagnation saw Juventus win the league nine times in a row despite.

The mid to late 2000s was dominated by English clubs. The historical and colossal power of Manchester United and Liverpool, along with the rise of Chelsea and Arsenal, controlled Europe. Majority of the world’s best players, like Thierry Henry, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Petr Cech, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Didier Drogba, all plied their trade on English shores. From 2005 to 2009, at least one of the Champions League finalists was from England, with the 2008 final being an all-English affair. In fact, three of the four semifinalists in the 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons were English.

Throughout the mid-2010s though, the power of English clubs had waned. Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement left Manchester United on a half-decade long soul-searching journey, while Liverpool regularly finished midtable. Similar administration blunders saw Arsenal slowly get weaker every season while Chelsea became widely inconsistent every season.

Just like Italy owned the 1990s and England ruled the 2000s, Spain was king throughout the 2010s. We are now simply witnessing the end to that era. Overall, this is not a bad thing. European football is an incredibly competitive sport, and it would be very boring to see the same few clubs from the same country dominate the entire continent over and over again.

So, what does the future hold? It’s hard to say for sure, but the upward trends seem to suggest that England and possibly Germany will come to dominate the 2020s, with the emergence of clubs like Manchester City and the renaissance of Liverpool and Bayern Munich. However, many of the Italian clubs are also starting to make a comeback, even as Juventus’s power has faltered. While many are quick to discredit the French League, it would be foolish to turn a blind eye to the growing strength of Paris Saint-Germain and even other clubs like Lyon and Marseille. While the leaf may have turned on Spain for the time being, the future of European football still looks bright.

477. That’s how many days there were between the 2021 season opener and the last game played for the Drexel Men’s soccer team. Add in a new coaching staff for the Dragons, and one can say a lot has changed for the soccer program over the last two years.  However, something that has remained consistent is senior Patrick Murphy.

Since Murphy arrived at Drexel’s campus, he has played in every soccer game. He played in all 17 games his freshman, sophomore, and junior years and has even been starting games since his first year.

“It’s always a stat I have in my head. I’ve been blessed, knock on wood, to never have a serious injury or something like that, but I know that’s a stat…I’m thankful for that opportunity and it’s definitely something that’s in my head. Hopefully I can keep that stat and be able to say I played in every game when I was here once I leave,” Murphy said.

That incredible durability can be accredited to his days before Drexel, where Murphy played for the Philadelphia Union’s Academy.

“I trained five or six days a week when I played there. So, my whole playing career, since I was fourteen, has been high intensity stuff. So, I think I have that to credit it to. I’m used to playing a ton, so nothing special, just what I’m used to doing,” Murphy said.

Murphy grew up in Lansdale, Pennsylvania and attended North Penn High School, where the graduating classes can reach over 1,000 students and there are over 3,000 students in the building on any given day.  However, because he was on the academy team, he did not play for the high school team. That was a sacrifice Murphy had to make, and it ended up being worth it for him.

“I think, simply put, [the academy] prepared me for my time management here. I didn’t have a full schedule when I went to North Penn, because I had to leave early to drive out to the King of Prussia area every day. So, when I got here it was kind of the same exact thing. Every day I just have to balance training and my homework so it can be a lot, but those days definitely shaped my time management skills for what they are now,” Murphy explained.

During his time in college, Murphy has not only grown as a player, but also as a person. When asked about how his experiences as a Dragon have made him grow, the 5-foot-9 senior said the following:

“I think it’s a lot to balance. If I looked at that from the time that I came in and the time now with time management and things like that academic wise. I guess as an athlete, we’ve endured a few losing seasons and a few winning seasons so we’ve been on both sides, so we’re looking to keep going in the sense that this year, we think we can be very, very good and hopefully next year even better.”

This year, Murphy was named the captain for the Dragons, an honor that holds great prestige on any team.

“We got a new coaching staff about a year ago, right before everything shut down. Since then, I’ve tried to be the leader of this group. Between the coaching staff and the guys we have, being picked to be our captain was something super special and super humbling. We have a lot of guys who could be the captain, but for the team to vote me is pretty special and super important, so I’m taking it one game at a time,” Murphy said.

Head Coach Michael Marchiano’s staff looks to accomplish big things after his hiring on Jan. 31, 2020.

“They’ve really changed the program. They’re great guys. They’re great coaches. They really make playing for them an enjoyable experience, and I know that’s just not me. I know that’s the guys. too. They’re great humans which makes them even better coaches. They really have a lot of respect from our group and they are the type of guys that people want to play for,” Murphy said.

The men’s soccer team got off to a great start against Villanova last Sunday as they won 3-0. Murphy believes it is the start of a special season for the Dragons.

“It’s a special group, we can go as far as we allow ourselves. We work our butts off and with this new staff, they really push very, very hard each day. It’s easy to play for them because we really enjoy the way they do things and the energy they bring so this group can go as far as we want to take it I think. I don’t know, I don’t like to put a marker on where we will get to because I think we can go as far as we can,” Murphy said.

Murphy is a midfielder for the Dragons, and most midfielders can be described as a selfless player. When asked about his personal goals, that selfless characteristic showed.

“I really just want the group to do well. I don’t really have personal goals.  I’m not the guy who’s usually on the scoresheet so I don’t have stats or anything I would like to accomplish, but I really just want this group to have a winning season and hopefully make the tournament and see where we can go from there,” Murphy said.

Because of COVID-19, Murphy has an extra year of eligibility left, and he will use it by returning to the Dragons in the fall of 2021. Murphy spoke about how the pandemic affected himself along with the team.

“I think for me personally, you just always want to play as an athlete. You always want to play games, but we trained so much in the fall even though our season was canceled and then we had about three weeks before we opened up here in the spring. I think it didn’t change much for me rather than I really just realized how much I missed playing games. It was hard for a lot of guys, who just wanted to get out there and play games. You can only hit each other so much in practice for so long, so we wanted to get out there beat up on some other guys for sure,” Murphy said.

Off the field, Murphy is a marketing major in Drexel’s Lebow College of Business doing a five-year, three co-op program.  When asked about the academics at Drexel, Murphy had this to say:

“It’s definitely challenging. We’re trimesters so the 10-week term can be challenging, but back to time management, I’ve really never experienced anything too crazy. The academics, they’re fun and you just gotta get through it.”

After his time at Drexel, the senior isn’t sure what path he will pursue, but he’s also not trying to worry about it either.

“I know I’m just going to take it day by day because I really do appreciate being able to come back in the fall. So, for now I’m just trying to keep my thinking short term, but hopefully I end up doing something I enjoy, whatever that is, whether that be working or chasing a professional career.  Whatever it is, I hope I can just enjoy it and love whatever I’m doing,” Murphy said.

As the captain’s career at Drexel winds down to his final year, it’s hard not to look back and reflect on his time as a Dragon.

“I think I would tell my freshman self to just enjoy each day just because it can be a lot and there’s always tons of things going on, but we have a great group and each day brings different challenges, especially now. You just have to enjoy each day because you don’t really know what is coming up. Things could get shut down tomorrow or the next day or anything so, just enjoy each day whether that’s practice or a game or anything really,” Murphy said