In Group E of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Switzerland and Serbia were drawn against each other, along with Costa Rica and Brazil, in an interesting group. On June 22, 2018, both Switzerland and Serbia were set to face off in what would be a crucial match. Switzerland did just enough to earn a tight 1-1 draw with Brazil in their first game; Serbia narrowly overcame Costa Rica 1-0. Both teams knew whoever won the next match would enter the knockout round alongside Brazil in Group E. So, both teams needed a victory in order to keep their hopes alive. 

Fortunately for fans, the game lived up to the billing and was one of the most exciting matches of the tournament. Serbia started on the front foot, taking a quick lead five minutes in after striker Aleksandar Mitrovic’s header. Early in the second half, Switzerland equaled the score 1-1 after a deflected ball found its way to Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka, who unleashed an absolute missile of a shot and crashed the Serbian net. Both teams pushed for a winner, but deep into injury time, it would be Switzerland who came out on top. A through ball found midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri, who outpaced the Serbian defender and slid the ball into Serbia’s goal in what would be the last kick of the game. While the match itself was a showcase for the exciting football that can be found at the World Cup, it wasn’t Switzerland’s comeback, Xhaka’s great goal or even Mitrovic’s ability in the air that stole the headlines.

After Xhaka scored his equalizing goal, he ran towards the fans on the sidelines while crossing his open hands, making the symbol of an eagle. Then later on in the match, Shaqiri repeated this action, running towards the angry Serbian fans and making the same double-headed eagle hand gesture following his match-winning goal. FIFA was not pleased at all, and both Xhaka and Shaqiri were hit with fines that rose up to 10,000 francs. So, what exactly did the goal celebration mean, and why was it so controversial?

That eagle hand gesture is a symbol of Albanian nationalism and is supposed to represent the double-headed eagle on the Albanian flag. Despite being Swiss citizens, Xhaka and Shaqiri are both of Kosovar Albanian descent, and they hold their ethnic heritage very close to heart.

What does this have to do with Serbia? To put it lightly, Albania and Kosovo do not have the greatest relationship with Serbia, playing into the larger political and ethnic conflicts which have engulfed Eastern Europe and the Balkans for the past few decades.

This region of the world has a profound and contentious history that stretches back hundreds of years. The area contains multiple ethnic groups who have combative histories with each other. Following the end of the First World War and the collapse of several large land empires, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was formed as a monarchial nation-state encompassing and unifying all Slavic peoples.

However, during the Second World War, Yugoslavia was invaded, occupied and split by the Axis powers. Unlike their neighbors, they liberated themselves from the Axis, and after the war, they reformed their nation, overthrew the monarchy and adopted communism. Now known as the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, this nation covered the area of seven modern-day countries: Slovenia, Croatia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro.

Following the death of dictating leader Josip Broz Tito, tensions between ethnic groups began to surface once again and many of the regions within Yugoslavia now wanted independence. The early 1990s saw major political changes on the continent, including the eventual European rejection of communism. This resulted in the collapse of numerous communist states in the region, and Yugoslavia found themselves next in line. The Breakup of Yugoslavia was now in full force, plunging the shattered nation into several wars across the decade.

By 1992, the Yugoslav Wars had been well underway, and the violence resulted in thousands of deaths. In April of that year, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia officially left the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, ending the union. The fighting continued in Bosnia between the Bosniak Muslims, Serbs and Croats. Thankfully, treaties were signed in the mid-’90s, putting an end to these particular conflicts.

Despite treaties ending the bloodshed in Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, violence broke out again in 1998, as Kosovo now wanted to gain independence from Yugoslavia. Now that Yugoslavia had mostly fallen apart, Kosovars felt that instead of keeping together the former union, Serbia was instead trying to promote Serbian domination over the region, at the expense of Kosovo, a region made up mostly of ethnic Albanians.

Following a set of laws discriminatory laws against Kosovar-Albanian citizens, the Kosovo Liberation Army was formed and began attacking Serbian police. The Serbian military responded with force. As a result, the Kosovo War began. The war quickly became a humanitarian crisis, with war crimes (such as ethnic cleansing, mass murder and human eviction) becoming prevalent. The war became such a disaster that the US and NATO joined on behalf of the KLA, conducting an aerial bombing campaign against the Serbians, which caused much controversy.

The war officially ended a year later, but the hostilities still remain. Even after Kosovo declared independence in 2008, Serbia and many nations around the world fail to recognize their sovereignty. This war also caused a massive refugee crisis, spreading people from the region all across Europe.

How did all this affect Xhaka and Shaqiri? Well, their childhoods were directly changed forever due to the Kosovo War. The Kosovar city of Gjilan was the birthplace of Xherdan Shaqiri. By the year 1992, the Shaqiri family was forced to flee their homeland due to the carnage occurring on their city streets. They found refuge in Basel, Switzerland, where Xherdan spent his childhood. Granit Xhaka, on the other hand, was born in Basel, Switzerland after his family left Kosovo in 1990.

Despite spending most of their formative years in Switzerland, both Xhaka and Shaqiri held their Kosovar Albanian heritage with great importance, as the conflict in their motherland left unresolved scars on their life. For example, Shaqiri’s family had to work exceptionally hard, adjusting to life in Switzerland, learning German and taking whatever jobs they could. They would also send money to their remaining family in Kosovo to help them during the war.

Xhaka was raised with a similar passion for his culture. In fact, his family fled Kosovo amid rising tensions in 1990 but before the Yugoslav Wars erupted. They left after Xhaka’s father was released from prison in Serbia after he was charged with taking part in an anti-government protest in Belgrade. Furthermore, Granit Xhaka’s brother, Taulant, is also a soccer player, but he chose to represent the Albanian National Team rather than Switzerland. The two brothers even played each other when Albania faced off against Switzerland at Euro 2016.

So, to both Xhaka and Shaqiri, their goals against Serbia in the World Cup meant far more than a simple victory at a sporting event. To them, it was a show of nationalism and a symbol of pride, uniting the Kosovar Albanians who feel that they have been under the oppression of Serbia for far too long. The double-headed eagle hand gesture was more than a mere goal celebration; it was an intentional insult to Serbia, whose fans had showered the two players with boos and expletives earlier on in the match.

Football is often a pastime in which people turn to avoid the harsh realities, such as politics. However, since it is an international game, football and politics inevitably cross paths. In the case of Xhaka and Shaqiri’s goal celebrations against Serbia at the 2018 World Cup, these incidents are reminders to the audience of the passion and national heritage in football. Swiss fans were probably just happy their team won, but for the soccer fans of Kosovar or Albanian descent, this was a show of Albanian strength, a national victory on the global stage. For the Serbian fans, this was an offensive and unspeakable act carried out by two professional agitators who support a belligerent and illegitimate state.

Green Bay Packers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Conference Championship Sunday opened with a bang at the frosty Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the NFC conference championship with chips on their shoulders. For Brady, it was to prove to the world that he was the greatest of all time by winning the conference in his first year with a new team. For the organization, it was to make a mark in the playoff history book after their last playoff appearance in 2007. They have not won or appeared in a Super Bowl since 2002, where they beat the Oakland Raiders.

The Buccaneers concluded the season with a 11-5 record and punched a ticket to the playoffs with the 5th seed. They had key wins in this year’s playoffs against the Washington football team in the Wild Card round and the Saints in the divisional round. Next was their toughest matchup yet: Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

Rodgers and the Packers were 1-3 in NFC championship games going into this battle, so there were some nerves in Green Bay. But remember, it’s Aaron Rodgers; does he really get nervous? The Packers, once again, had an immaculate regular season, going 13-3 and topping the NFC North and the conference, which allowed them to snag the number one seed. The Packers organization has had 60 total playoff wins since the establishment of the league. There was nothing surprising about seeing the Green and Yellow here again. But could Rogers turn around his conference championship record and his reputation at this stage in the playoffs?

On the first drive of the game, Brady was playing his usual game. There were big 3rd down conversions with passes to Chris Godwin and Mike Evans setting up a 15-yard fade to Mike Evans for the first touchdown score of the game. The end of the first quarter ended with a 7-0 score with the Buccaneers on top.

But Green Bay came out gunning in the second quarter. Their opening drive ended with a 50-yard catch and run by wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The game stood at 7-7.

Brady and the  Buccaneers came right back. Runningback Leonard Fournette bullied his way into the endzone on a 20-yard run to go up on the Packers by one score.

The Packers failed to convert the next drive as they targeted their star wide receiver, Davante Adams, three straight times in the red zone. They settled for a field goal to make the score 14-10 Buccaneers. The Packers got the ball back on a defensive stop, but Rodgers threw an interception that set the Buccaneers up at midfield.

Brady returned, taking shots at the end zone and almost throwing an interception himself. After converting a 4th and 3, Brady and the Buccaneers were outside field goal range with seven seconds left. The only thing the Packers had to do was protect the endzone. Then, Tom Brady connected with Scotty Miller for 39 yards and a touchdown. The clock read two seconds left in the first half. The Buccaneers lead the Packers 21-10 and the halfway mark.

The Packers got the first score in the second half. Aaron Jones fumbled on a shallow drag route, which was recovered by the Buccaneers and knocked on the door of another score. Brady hit tight end Cameron Brate on a play action pass on first and goal.

The Buccaneers led 28-10. The nerves in Green Bay rose. Luckily, the following drove Rodgers and the Packers finally crossed the goal line with a pass to tight end Robert Tonyan, Rodgers’ second favorite target after Adams.

Still, Green Bay had a lot of work to do, down 11 points now. The Packer defense finally showed up next drive with a lackluster throw by Brady. It was intercepted by safety Adrian Amos. The Packers began to creep back. After a methodical drive following the interception, Rodgers looked at none other than Davante Adams on a slant route. The Packers failed on their two-point conversion. The score now was 28-23.

Brady then came back and threw his second interception of the game. Green Bay had an opportunity to take the lead but was unsuccessful and had to punt the ball back to Brady. Then, Brady threw his third interception of the game, a rare sight by arguably the greatest ever. Rodgers had another opportunity but failed again. Kicker Ryan Succop came back and ended the Buccaneers’ last drive with a field goal to put Tampa on top 31-23.

Rodgers had a chance to tie it with a touchdown and a two-point conversion, but came up short in the red zone. The Packers made a questionable decision to kick a field goal on 4th and goal with two minutes and six seconds on the clock and only one timeout remaining. Mason Crosby tacked on another three points and cut into the lead, the scoreboard now reading 31-26.

With one timeout left, Green Bay could not afford to give up a first down and allow Tampa to run out the clock. The Packers forced the Buccaneers to third and four, but fell short when a pass interference was called on a jersey tug (a highly debatable call by the referees). Game, set, match: 31-26 Tampa Bay.

Nonetheless, Brady got his 10th Super Bowl appearance, looking for his seventh super bowl ring. The Buccaneers will be the first team ever to host a Super Bowl after a win over Rodgers and the Pack.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills

The late game on Conference Championship Sunday was between Josh Allen and the Bills and Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City concluded their regular season at 14-2, on top of the NFL and the AFC in the playoffs.

At age 25, Mahomes looked to win his second Super Bowl in his second appearance. Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce looked to improve their sidekick status to Mahomes and punch another ticket to the Super Bowl. 

But first, the impressive Josh Allen and Buffalo Bills stood in their way. Josh Allen had one of the biggest improvements since entering the league. His first season, he threw just 10 touchdowns. Following that season, he threw 20; this season, he reached 40.

The Bills finished their regular season campaign at 13-3 and got the number two seed in the dance. They looked to upset Mahomes and the Chiefs and reach their fifth Super Bowl in franchise history to gain their first Super Bowl win.

Allen and Buffalo received first and capped the drive with a 51-yard field goes by Tyler Bass. Mahomes and the Chiefs came up short on the next possession and gave the ball back to the Bills.

The Bills were forced to punt. However, Chiefs returner Mecole Hardman muffed the ball at his own two-yard line and set up the Bills for a first and goal. Allen then found his tight end, Dawson Knox, on first down for a four-yard touchdown reception. After a missed extra point, the Bills lead 9-0. 

Hardman and the Chiefs had a chance to redeem themselves on the next drive. That is exactly what happened. After a solid drive with connections to Kelce and Hill, Hardman caught a three-yard screen pass and ran into the endzone to make the score 9-7.

Hardman again made a positive impact on the next drive with nearly a 60-yard run to get the ball inside the Bill’s 40-yard line. Mahomes then connected with Kelce to set up a first and goal. Running back Darryl Williams ended the impressive drive with a seven-yard touchdown run. Kansas City took the lead 14-9. 

Kansas City forced the Bills to punt again. Mahomes played his top game and punched it into the endzone. This time, it was rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire with a one-yard run — his first touchdown since week one.

With the score 21-9, Allen and the Bills knew they needed something to cut into that deficit. They ended with another field goal 20 yards out from Tyler Bass to make the score 21-12 going into halftime.

The Chiefs got the ball first in the second half and drove down the field with completions to Tyreek Hill. They kicked a 45-yard field goal to go up 24-12 on Buffalo. The next drive was finished with another field goal to make the score 24-15.

The Drexel Men’s basketball team picked up a road win 79-64 against William and Mary on Saturday, Jan. 23 at Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Virginia. James Butler and Camren Wynter led the way for the Dragons, scoring a combined total of 40 points. 

The Dragons now improve to 7-5 on the season and 2-3 in the CAA. The Tribe dropped to 4-7 overall and 2-4 in CAA play. The Dragons previously lost to William and Mary on Jan. 17 in a close game, 69-64, but Drexel was determined not to lose two games in a row against The Tribe.

James Butler was the lead scorer for Drexel with 21 points. Camren Wynter and Mate Okros also finished in double figures, with 19 and 12 points respectively. T.J. Bickerstaff added eight points and eight rebounds, while Zach Walton also contributed eight points in the win.

The largest lead for William and Mary was two points early in the first half, with 19 minutes 38 seconds remaining. That small margin did not last long, and Drexel went on to lead for most of the game. At the half, Drexel was up 37-32. 

William and Mary’s Yuri Covington managed to cut the five-point lead to two, 37-35, early in the second half. Covington finished the game with 11 points. The Tribe’s Luke Loewe was the leading scorer, with 15 points on the afternoon.

In the second half, Drexel went on a 9-2 run and did not look back. William and Mary would come as close as seven points; Drexel led by as much as 17 points. 

The two teams were mostly even stat-wise. Each had 36 points in the paint, and Drexel had 16 points of turnovers to William and Mary’s 14. The biggest difference would be the shooting percentage. The Dragons shot 59.6 percent collectively, while The Tribe shot 39.3 percent on the game. The Dragons defense was superb; they held Connor Kochera to just eight points on the day. Kochera put up 26 points in the previous meeting between the two teams. 

The Dragons will look to continue their momentum into this upcoming weekend as they face Northeastern University Saturday and Sunday in Philadelphia. The Huskies are 7-1 in the Northeast Conference and 8-6 overall. Northeastern will look to bounce back after a loss against James Madison University.

William and Mary will also play this weekend against familiar CAA opponent Towson in a two-game series. 

Saturday and Sunday’s Drexel vs. Northeastern games will be available to watch on FloHoops, and live stats can be found on the Drexel Dragons website.

WILLIAMSBURG — The Drexel Women’s Basketball team traveled to Williamsburg, Virginia to take on College of William & Mary on the weekend of Jan.16. The two Colonial Athletic Association teams competed against each other in a two-game series. Drexel split the series, winning and losing a game.

The Dragons won the first game of the series over The Tribe, 64-58, led by Drexel’s Mariah Leonard. Leonard had a career night for the Dragons. She recorded her first collegiate double-double, scoring 17 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Leonard also tied her career-best for steals with three on the day. Keishana Washington contributed 13 points while Kayla Bacon and Hannah Nihill each poured in 10 points. Nihill also had a game-high six assists and five rebounds. 

Drexel forced 19 William & Mary turnovers in the game and scored 24 points off those turnovers. Drexel is now 6-0 on the season when they score 60 or more points in a game. 

Keishana Washington started off the game hot knocking down back-to-back three-pointers. The Dragons would enter the first media break leading the Tribe 8-4. Out of the break, Drexel went on a 7-0 run but ended the quarter cold, not scoring in the final three and a half minutes. Drexel led 15-11 going into the second period. 

Tori Hyduke, a recent transfer, gave the Dragons a 20-13 of a three-pointer. The Tribe did not go away though, they went on a 7-0 run to bring the score back to 20 apiece. W&M took their first lead of the game in the second, but Hannah Nihill scored the last 6 points for Drexel to give them a slight edge at the half, 30-27.

After the break, Drexel dominated scoring 13 points straight to take a 43-27 lead. Kate Connolly scored six points within the stretch. Leonard, Connolly and Washington combined for 19 points in the third quarter to give the Dragons a 49-37 advantage going into the last quarter. 

DU went cold to start the last period. The Dragons only put up four points in the opening five minutes. W&M fought back to bring the score within three, 55-52, late in the fourth. Chaniqwa Gilliam and Bre Bellamy were the spark W&M needed. Gilliam scored 8 points in the fourth and Bellamy 6. Leonard was clutch at the free-throw line in the final minutes going 5-of-6. The Dragons did not let the lead slip away from them in the fourth ultimately winning the game, 64-58. 

On Sunday afternoon the Dragons and The Tribe battled in the second game of the series. William and Mary controlled the game from beginning to end, winning 69-53. Sydney Wagner was the top scorer with 22 points and sophomore Bre Bellamy poured in 19 points, her career-best. Bailey Eichner, a senior for The Tribe, finished with a double-double, 13 points and 13 rebounds. In addition, Eichner contributed eight assists and three blocked shots.

Although Drexel fell short against W&M, two players for the Dragons finished in double figures. Nihill finished with a team-high 18 points and six rebounds. She shot 4-for-7 beyond the arch, knocking down four threes which was her career-high. Tori Hyduke, recorded 11 points, her first double-figure game as a Dragon. 

The Dragons struggled early from the field in the first quarter starting off 0-of-4. Hyduke converted on two treys in the first. One of Drexel’s only leads would come at the end of the first quarter 15-13.

The second quarter was all W&M. The Tribe began the second on a 16-2 run. Bellamy scored 10 of the 16 points during the run. W&M went up 29-17. Drexel slowly chipped away at the W&M lead, but it was not enough as The Tribe went into the locker room up 38-26.

After the 16-2 run by W&M in the second, DU struggled to get back on track. At one point in the fourth, the Tribe extended the lead by 20 points. Drexel made it a 12 point game in the fourth, 63-51, the closest they would come to William & Mary. It was not enough though as W&M went on to win 69-53.

53 points was the second-lowest offensive performance Drexel put up. Villanova would be the first where Drexel scored 46. Ultimately for the Dragons, point paints and field goal percentage was the difference. W&M outscored DU 34-18 in the paint and Drexel shot 32.8 percent from the floor. In addition, the Dragons shot 29.6 percent, 8-for-27, from beyond the arc. 

Up next, Drexel will look to bounce back from a loss as they will host CAA opponent, Elon, in a pair of games at the DAC on the weekend of Jan. 23. William and Mary will travel to Charleston for a pair of games this weekend as they look to add another win to their record.

Will Drexel be able to get back into the win column? Stay tuned

In December 2010, football history was made when FIFA voted to award Qatar as the host of the 2022 World Cup. The World Cup is the largest sporting event in human history and the people of Qatar were delighted to hear it’s coming to their shores in 12 years’ time. By the time the tournament starts, the 2022 World Cup will be only the third World Cup hosted in an Asian country and the first in an Arab nation.

Since 2010 however, things have not been as smooth sailing. In fact, giving Qatar the hosting rights has become one of the most controversial decisions in the football world. The Qatari government is already controversial itself, especially with the recent political turmoil between Qatar and their gulf neighbors over the issue of state-sponsored terrorism. However, Qatar’s World Cup bid has been routinely under scrutiny and many accuse them of bribing or stealing the hosting rights. Several major allegations were brought forth, saying that committee officials were bribed to vote for Qatar’s World Cup bid and an investigation led by FIFA was conducted. Qatar was found innocent but considering that FIFA is arguably the most corrupt organization in world sports, the credibility of their decision is not strong. The controversy was reinvigorated in 2015 after the U.S. Department of Justice arrested several high-profile FIFA employees on the account of bribery and corruption, and currently, the FBI is still investigating their bid to host the World Cup. At this point though, there is little chance Qatar will be revoked of its hosting rights.

Beyond the bid itself, there exist many other contentious issues surrounding a World Cup in Qatar. Firstly, a World Cup obviously means millions of people from all over the world, from all different backgrounds coming to the same place to watch football and Qatar is a country ruled by Sharia Law, a controversial social climate by Western standards. There have also been numerous allegations of human rights abuses and even slavery, surrounding the thousands of South Asian workers who were imported to Qatar to build the stadiums. It has been reported that workers have had their passports confiscated, forcing them to stay in Qatar, all while their pay is withheld, working and living conditions are extremely poor and they are refused water, food or other amenities. The death toll among workers is also estimated to be in the thousands, much higher than construction on stadiums in previous hosting nations.

Given that Qatar is a nation on the Arabian Peninsula where it is a desert-climate, the temperatures reach upwards of 120 degrees during the summer when the World Cup is historically held. Therefore, this World Cup is being moved to the winter of 2022, ending a week before Christmas Day. This creates a plethora of problems as it not only cuts through players’ Christmas breaks but also heavily affects the regular club seasons all across the world as most European leagues are in the middle of their season by that point, while most leagues in the Americas end in December. 

On the footballing side of things, similar concerns exist. For example, the host nation’s team, the Qatari National Team, simply does not have a high footballing pedigree and Qatar does not have a history of football culture similar to that of previous hosts. Obviously, these are not legal requirements for a host nation, but it is often expected. Qatar will feature at their first-ever World Cup in 2022, and given that the host nations automatically qualify, Qatar has never actually qualified for a World Cup. In fact, the Qatari National Team did not even exist until 1970.

Beyond the World Cup, the Qatari National Team did not have any serious achievements before 2019. Until the most recent edition, the furthest Qatar made it in the AFC Asian Cup was only the quarterfinals. Qatar has won the Arabian Gulf Cup four times, and while this is still a commendable honor, the quality of opposition and the overall pedigree of the Gulf Cup does not compare to the Asian Cup, let alone the World Cup. 

However, while they may not have an illustrious footballing history, the Qatar Footballing Association has worked extremely hard to close the gap in the past few years, in what may turn out to be one of the most well-coordinated and organized World Cup preparations for a host nation’s team. One of the first things they did was strengthen the top domestic league in Qatar, the Qatar Stars League, as well as club football in general in the country. 

But 2019 was the year the national team really started to turn some heads. Qatar competes in the AFC Asian Cup every four years, but heading into the 2019 Asian Cup they focused heavily on making a good impression considering their upcoming World Cup; the fact that this Asian Cup was being hosted in Qatar’s rival homeland, the United Arab Emirates; and since they had such a poor showing at the last Asian Cup, a humiliating group-stage elimination back in 2015. 

With a squad of largely unknown players, Qatar maintained a perfect record in the group stage, scoring 10 goals and conceding zero after crushing victories over Lebanon, North Korea and rivals, Saudi Arabia. Qatar then overcame a valiant Iraqi-side 1-0 in the Round of 16 before narrowly eliminating South Korea, 1-0 again, in the quarterfinals. This win was particularly impressive given South Korea were finalists in 2015, and one of the best teams in Asia. Qatar lined up against heated rivals, the UAE, the host nation, in the semifinals in what would turn out to be a statement win, humiliating the Emiratis 4-0 on their home turf. Qatar then faced Japan in the final, and despite Japan being historically the best team in Asia and on a strong run of form, Qatar thoroughly outplayed them, winning 3-1 and securing the trophy — their first Asian Cup. 

I am not Qatari or a fan of Qatar, so I have no bias when it comes to this instance, but even I will admit, that to say that Qatar played great at the 2019 Asian Cup would be a gross understatement. In just seven matches, Qatar scored 19 goals and only conceded once, from Japan in the final. Not only did they score a lot, but Qatar also scored some great goals and played beautiful possession-based football under the Spanish manager, Felix Sanchez Bas.

Qatar also swept the individual awards, with Saad Al Sheeb winning the Best Goalkeeper Award and Almoez Ali winning both the Best Player award and the Top Scorer Award with nine goals in seven matches, including an outrageous bicycle kick in the final. When the captain and star player of the team, Hassan Al-Haydos, lifted the trophy, many Qatari fans who were nervous about their team’s performance in the upcoming World Cup were relieved.

However, one controversial strategy the FA has recently used to prepare their team for the World Cup, one that is unique to Qatar, is that they have tried to get their national team to test themselves against as much foreign opposition as possible. Later on, in 2019, Qatar was invited to compete in the Copa America hosted in Brazil, South America’s continental tournament. Since there are only 10 South American national teams, two guest teams are always invited, usually from North America, but in 2019 Qatar was invited, becoming only the second Asian team to do so. And while Qatar had to heavily adjust, playing against much stronger opposition and in a whole other continent, they fared better than expected despite finishing last in their group, being eliminated in the first round.

In their first match against Paraguay, Qatar found themselves 2-0 down by the second half, however, they were able to utilize their total football style of play and claw back to a 2-2 scoreline in a deeply entertaining match. Afterward, Qatar faced an in-form Colombia side, where they held on the entire match until the very end with Duvan Zapata’s winner in minute 86 ensuring defeat for Qatar. Even though they would succumb to a 2-0 loss to Argentina in the final group game, Qatar left Brazil with their heads held high, knowing they cut their teeth against the best of South America without getting embarrassed.

Their voyage across the world will not stop there, however, as Qatar was again invited to the 2021 Copa America, where a new format means they have been drawn into a group with the likes of Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador and the reigning champions, Brazil. Given there are six teams in this group, the top four teams qualify for the knockout stage, meaning Qatar will expect to improve on their last performance and make it past the group stage.

In North America, Qatar was also invited to participate in the 2021 Gold Cup, North America’s continental cup, again becoming only the second Asian guest nation in Gold Cup history. Qatar has since been drawn into a group with Panama, Honduras and Grenada where the Qataris look to have a good chance at progressing, possibly even topping the group. 

Furthermore, in Europe, the 2022 World Cup qualifying process sees all the European teams split up into 10 groups of six in a round-robin format. However, since there is an uneven number of European National Teams, some groups will have only five teams. Given the open slot, Qatar has been “unofficially” drawn into one group, Group A, alongside Portugal, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan, meaning that they will travel to Europe and play the extra games. Although victories, losses, goals scored or conceded against Qatar will not officially count towards World Cup Qualification for these European nations, they still are essentially part of the group. 

Also, after the FIFA Confederations Cup was scrapped, FIFA have created an entirely new tournament, the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup. This brand-new tournament will be hosted in Qatar exactly a year before the World Cup starts and will feature exclusively Arab nations from across Africa and Asia.

Overall, before the next World Cup kicks off in late November of 2022, Qatar will have strong experience against opposition from Asia, South America, North America, Africa and Europe. If not for the Coronavirus pandemic postponing the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations to early 2022, one suspects Qatar will have participated there as well. While guests featuring in these tournaments may greatly benefit the team it is not without critics. Many condemn Qatar, saying the FA is just using its massive wealth and international connections to “pay” their way into these tournaments in order to unnaturally manufacture experience. And again, this is unprecedented in football, never before has a team, let alone a World Cup host, done this. 

But will Qatar be ready for the 2022 World Cup? In terms of political and social issues, that remains to be seen. Although, from a strictly footballing perspective, I think they will be thoroughly prepared. As I have mentioned before, Qatar has faced numerous criticisms, most of them justified in my opinion. However, I think that we must see beyond these criticisms when looking strictly at Qatar’s playing ability, because by 2022 I think the host nation will have a serious team on its hands. Many football fans are fully expecting Qatar to get utterly blown out in the first round in a humiliating fashion. While this may be to the delight of most of us, I regret to inform that it’s unlikely. As we have seen already, Qatar was nearly perfect at the 2019 Asian Cup and will gain invaluable experience in further tournaments; host nations at the World Cup also historically overachieve. So will Qatar collapse in the first round, or will they surprise everyone and make a deep run? We will have to wait until the winter of 2022 to find out.

Shockwaves were sent throughout the city when it was announced on Jan. 11 that the Eagles had fired Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson after just five seasons. The timing of the parting was questionable, coming just eight days after the regular season. Usually, when teams move on from a coach it happens during the season or the day after the season, giving time to have a thorough interview process. Luckily for the Eagles, the six other teams who have coaching vacancies have yet to hire a coach, but those teams are a week ahead of the Eagles in terms of interviewing candidates. (Update: The Jaguars and Jets Hired coaches on January 14)

When thinking about who to hire as a head coach, owner Jeffrey Lurie and General Manager Howie Roseman have to consider multiple factors. Do they want to hire a coach with the intention of trading away Carson Wentz? Someone who can further develop Jalen Hurts? Or do the Eagles want to hire someone with the intention of “fixing” Carson Wentz?

Two head coaching options if the Eagles go with Hurts:

1. Lincoln Riley

Coming in as the number one option is 37-year-old Lincoln Riley. Riley is currently the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma that he has held since 2017. At Oklahoma, Riley has compiled an impressive overall record of 45-8. The appeal of Riley is his reputation as a “Quarterback Whisperer.” At Oklahoma, Riley has helped groom quarterbacks Baker Mayfield,  Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts. The fact that Jalen Hurts has worked with Riley, and had his best statistical collegiate season with Riley, shows that this has the potential to be a very intriguing match to hire Riley as Head Coach. 

2. Brian Daboll

The next best option for the Eagles to consider is 45-year-old Brian Daboll, who is the current Offensive Coordinator of the Buffalo Bills and their high-powered offense led by Stefon Diggs and Josh Allen. Quarterback Josh Allen has dramatically improved his game with Daboll as his offensive coordinator. In 2019 Allen threw 20 touchdown passes with a 59 percent completion rate. This season Allen has exploded with 37 touchdown passes and a completion percentage of 69 percent. Not only has Daboll coached with the Bills but he also spent time as the University of Alabama Offensive Coordinator in 2017, working under the legendary Nick Saban, as well as serving as the tight ends coach for the New England Patriots for three seasons. Daboll’s diverse experience with high profile coaches and the ability to help a mobile quarterback like Josh Allen are great attributes that could support Jalen Hurts in rapid progress. 

Two head coaching options if the Eagles go with Wentz:

1. Eric Bieniemy

Similar to Daboll, Eric Bieniemy orchestrates an extremely high powered offense. That offense is the Kansas City Chiefs, where Bineimy has coached since 2013 and served as the Offensive Coordinator since 2018. The year Bienemy took over as OC, his quarterback Patrick Mahomes won the NFL MVP Award, throwing 50 touchdown passes in the regular season. Bieniemy has been coaching, including at the college level, since 2001. Prior to that Bieneimy was an eight-year NFL running back, including one season with the 1999 Eagles. Bieniemy comes from the Andy Reid coaching tree, which might make Lurie hesitant to hire him considering the recently fired Doug Pederson also came from that same coaching tree. Regardless, Bieniemy could be the answer to fix the struggling Wentz, considering how much he has developed the Patrick Mahomes ascension. 

2. Robert Saleh

Regardless if the Eagles decide to go with Hurts or Wentz, Robert Saleh is an extremely intriguing coach for the Eagles to consider. The defensive-minded coach has served as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator since 2017, helping lead them to a Super Bowl appearance last season. He would bring some much-needed firepower and energy to the Eagles. During 49ers games, Saleh is often shown on the sideline with great enthusiasm and passion throughout the game. Saleh has the type of personality that players like to rally around. One of Saleh’s biggest supporters is 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, who was angry that Saleh didn’t get a head coaching job last offseason. 

“You’ve got to give Robert Saleh an abundance of credit,” Sherman said. “You have to give him an unusual amount of credit, and I don’t think he’s getting enough credit not only here but in the league, in general.” Sherman continued “I expect him to be a head coach next year, because of what he’s able to do,” Sherman said. “He’s able to rally men. He’s a leader of men, and that goes a long way.”

For such an established player like Richard Sherman to say demonstrates how respected Saleh is by players in the league and that’s the exact trait the Eagles should be looking for in their next head coach. Unfortunately, Saleh was hired yesterday by the New York Jets, so the Eagles will have to look elsewhere for a difference-maker.

If one were to ask the average football fan to name Barcelona’s biggest stars, one could expect them to say, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Xavi, Andres Iniesta or Ronaldinho and others. An older fan may rattle off names such as Johan Cruyff, Pep Guardiola, Ronald Koeman or Romario. 

However, one man who may not be as commonly known, but is thoroughly deserving of a spot among those already mentioned, is Paulino Alcantara. Hailing from the Philippines, Alcantara was not only a truly legendary player for Barcelona FC, but he also broke many barriers in both Filipino and Spanish society, making him a hero to many. Beyond his footballing career, Alcantara’s story was particularly fascinating as well, as he became embroiled in 1930s Spanish political history. 

On October 7, 1896, Paulino Alcantara Riestra entered the world, the son of Eduardo Alcantara, an officer in the Spanish military, and Victoriana Camilan Riestra, a Filipina mother of indigenous Ilongga descent. Alcantara left his hometown of Concepcion in the Filipino province of Iloilo for Barcelona, Spain in 1899, just as Joan Gamper officially created the soon-to-be-famous football team, Futbol Club Barcelona. Upon being selected by the founder himself in 1912, Alcantara joined Barcelona’s academy aged only 15, before making his senior team debut that same year. 

When Alcantara took the field versus Catala SC in the Catalan league (prior to the creation of La Liga), he became the first-ever Asian or Pacific Islander to play football for a European team as well as the youngest player to play for FC Barcelona, a record that still stands. The records did not stop there, however, as Barcelona would go on to beat Catala 9-0. The first, second and third goals were all scored by Alcantara himself, becoming Barcelona’s youngest ever goalscorer, another record which still currently stands. 

In the next few seasons, Alcantara would cement himself as one of the best players in the team and one of Barcelona’s first-ever superstars. He would also go on to win several major titles, such as the 1913 and 1916 league titles as well as the 1913 Copa del Rey. Alcantara played as a striker and was known for his incredible eye for goal, scoring goals for fun as it seemed. 

However, in 1916, after his family decided to move back to the Philippines, Alcantara was forced to prematurely end his spell in Barcelona. In his birth-nation, Alcantara went to college, studying to become a doctor. Despite his studies, he still continued his football career, turning out for Bohemian Sporting Club in the Philippines Championship. 

Possessing a talent like no other, Alcantara propelled his new club to two league victories in both 1917 and 1918. The Filipino hero then gained the attention of his national team, and soon he went on to represent the Philippine National Team at the Far Eastern Games. It was at this tournament that Alcantara captured the hearts of all Filipinos as he led his team to a smashing 15-2 victory over Japan, the Philippines’ historical sporting rival, getting himself on the scoresheet in the process. This humiliating demolition of the Japanese is still currently the Philippines National Team’s biggest ever win. 

Despite his success in the former Spanish East Indies, Barcelona FC were desperately missing Alcantara back in Catalonia and they pleaded for him to return as they had gone trophyless since his departure. Alcantara wanted to return to the Catalan capital but in an era before football was the major cultural and global sport it is today, his parents preferred that he focus on medical school. However, when Alcantara suddenly came down with malaria, he insisted that he would refuse treatment unless he could return to Spain, and he eventually got his wish. 

Upon his return to Spain and recovery from malaria, Alcantara arrived as a much more mature player mentally, but also much stronger physically. As a result, the goals rolled in more than ever and Barcelona returned to their winning ways. Alcantara’s second stint in a Blaugrana shirt is where he would reach the peak of his career, forever solidifying his place as one of Barcelona’s best-ever players. On the international stage, Alcantara would go on to play for both Spain and Catalonia as well, although he would unfortunately never be able to represent either team in a major tournament as he played in an era before the World Cup or the Euros were founded. 

It was on international duty though, that a moment, truly personifying Paulino Alcantara’s career would occur. In a 1922 International Friendly, Alcantara lined up against France while playing for Spain. La Furia Roja eventually ran out 4-0 winners over the French with the Filipino talisman bagging a brace. However, one of his goals was particularly historic as he struck the ball with such venom and force that it tore through the net. Upon this momentous feat, Alcantara became known as “Trencaxarxes” in Catalan, or “El Romperedes” in Spanish, both meaning “the Net Burster.” A similar incident occurred while playing for Barcelona against Real Sociedad where it was reported that a policeman accidentally walked onto the field. Unfortunately for the policeman, he got caught in the line of fire between a powerful Paulino Alcantara shot and the front of Real Sociedad’s goal. The shot was hit with so much momentum that it sent both the ball and the poor policeman into the goal. 

Opting to finally pursue a career as a doctor, Alcantara would eventually retire from football in 1927, aged only 31. Alcantara ended his second stint in Barcelona winning eight of a possible nine league titles, as well as four Copa del Rey titles in which he scored in the final of three. Individually, he would also finish his Barcelona career with an absolutely incredible 395 goals in 399 games, making him Barcelona’s top scorer of all time until Lionel Messi overtook him in 2014. Unfortunately, the majority of Alcantara’s goals were not recognized as being scored in official games, but even when you only consider his official goals, he still stands at seventh place in Barcelona’s current all-time scoring chart with 143 goals, above recent Barcelona legends like Samuel Eto’o and Rivaldo. 

While Alcantara entered a career in medicine, he would briefly return to football on the managerial front, managing the Spanish and Catalan National Teams in the 1950s, going undefeated as the manager of Spain. When considering Alcantara’s legacy in a modern context, he is still very impactful as he paved the way for many foreigners from former Spanish colonies to make a name for themselves playing football in their mother country, as well Asian and Pacific Islander footballers playing for European clubs in general. 

Alcantara broke many barriers by coming to Barcelona and certainly left a major influence on players yet to come. As a man of Asian, Indigenous Pacific Islander and Mestizo descent, he likely had to overcome many adversities and discrimination in White Spanish and Catalan society. But with his dazzling skills, ambitious desire on the pitch and his likeability off of it with his honorable gentleman-like presence, he found himself fully accepted into society. 

Alcantara was a trailblazer in many senses. After he laid the groundwork, players like Alfredo Di Stefano of Argentina, Hugo Sanchez of Mexico, Ivan Zamorano of Chile, Diego Forlan of Uruguay, Lionel Messi of Argentina and Luis Suarez of Uruguay all made names for themselves in the Spanish topflight. Alcantara had a large effect on Asian and Pacific Islander footballers coming to Europe as well, with other players like Cha Bum-kun of South Korea, Ali Daei of Iran, Sami Al-Jaber of Saudi Arabia, Hidetoshi Nakata of Japan, Park Ji-sung of South Korea, Tim Cahill of Australia, Keisuke Honda of Japan and Son Heung-min of South Korea all becoming big stars on the European stage. 

Outside of football, Alcantara lived the years following his retirement peacefully, pursuing his passion for medicine and working as a doctor. However, at the breakout of the Spanish Civil War, Alcantara would open a whole new chapter in his life, going in a completely different direction. As a member of the Falange Espanola political party, he was forced into exile in France and Andorra following General Francisco Franco’s 1936 failed National Uprising. 

Later that year though, he would volunteer for the Nationalist forces and was eventually promoted lieutenant in the Francoist Army as his medical skills were put to use. With the Spanish Civil War unfolding across the country, Alcantara was part of a tank regiment stationed in Aragon. By the next year, he would then serve as a lieutenant in the famous Frecce Nere Brigade, otherwise known as the Black Arrows, which was a legionnaire force under the command of Benito Mussolini. 

With Mussolini’s Black Arrows, Alcantara fought numerous battles all across Spain, ranging from Guadalajara, back to Aragon and even his adopted home of Catalonia. Alcantara was even present at the pivotal invasion of Barcelona in early 1939 which signaled an end to the war and Republican defeat. 

Following the fall of Barcelona, Alcantara became a hero again, but instead of with football fans it was with the Spanish Nationalists as he became renowned for his role as a field doctor and prominent lieutenant. When the war eventually ended and General Franco’s government prevailed over Spain, Alcantara returned to his medical practice, opening his own clinic. His military service would not be forgotten though as he remained a lieutenant in the Black Arrows in the next few years and he even held several political positions later on in Franco’s Party, Falange Espanola Tradicionalista y de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista, or FET y de las JONS. 

Despite his role in a contentious period of Spanish history and controversial life after football, Paulino Alcantara remained a beloved figure in Barcelona. As was mentioned before, he would briefly enter a career in management, but he would serve as Barcelona’s technical director as well. In 1964 however, Alcantara’s life would be cut short at the relatively young passing age of 67 after he fell ill with the rare condition of aplastic anemia. 

After his passing, the world of football and the people of Barcelona and the Philippines never forgot the legacy of the Filipino doctor. A statue in his likeness stands in Pasig City, Manila, and the top club tournament in Filipino Football is named the Copa Paulino Alcantara. In 2007, FIFA officially recognized Alcantara as the greatest Asian footballer of all time, and his legacy serves as a reminder to a young man who broke numerous barriers in European football, all while becoming one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.

The Drexel Men’s Basketball team kickstarted their season on Nov. 28 as they traveled to Pittsburgh to face the University of Pittsburgh for an in-state battle. The Dragons are coming into the season with multiple freshman additions to the team in Amari Williams, Xavier Bell and Lamar Oden Jr.

The Dragons found themselves behind in the first half by as many as 14 points; by the end of the half, the Panthers had managed to continue to lead the  Dragons 46 to 34. The Panthers were simply more efficient on the offensive end, shooting 64 percent from field goal range compared to the Dragons’ 48 percent.

In the second half, the shooting trend was relatively the same with the Panthers shooting 62 percent compared to the Dragons’ 48 percent. However, Drexel was able to cut into the league thanks to hitting nine of their 11 free throw attempts in the second half. Drexel outscored Pittsburgh in the second half by three points but still wound up losing by a score of 83-74.

The Dragons were led by junior guard Camryn Wynter who continued his rise from last season as he went for an impressive 24 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Sophomore TJ Bickerstaff was also impressive in this game as he went for 19 points, five rebounds, and two assists. Senior James Butler nearly had a double-double recording 12 points to go with eight rebounds.

Despite the strong performances Drexel could not handle Pittsburgh’s trio of juniors Xavier Johnson and Au’Diese Toney, along with sophomore Justin Champagnie. Johnson dominated, finishing with 27 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Au’Diese contributed 20 points, four rebounds and six assists, while Champagnie contributed 19 points and seven rebounds.

Looking for redemption, the Dragon’s next game came on Dec. 2 again away against Quinnipiac University, who Drexel defeated in each of their last six matchups, looking to add a seventh. Drexel came out on a mission after starting off slow. The Dragons locked in defensively, not allowing Quinnipiac to make a field goal for nine straight minutes as they went to have a 36-18 lead at the end of the first half.

Quinnipiac was held to 21 percent shooting in the first half, while Drexel shot an impressive 55 percent. The Dragons also were able to hit a scorching 60 percent of their 3-pointers in the first half.

In the second half, the offense of the Dragons cooled down but not enough for them to relinquish their lead. Quinnipiac was able to match Drexel’s scoring in the second half by shooting 44 percent from field goal range but only managing to hit one 3-pointer.

For the game, the Dragons shot 44 percent from 3-point land, which is outstanding and showed their ability to move the ball, finishing with 15 total team assists. Drexel dominated the glass, out-rebounding Quinnipiac 41 to 31 and showed their defensive versatility as they accumulated 22 points off turnovers.

Leading the Dragons once again was Wynter, who had himself a solid night going for 17 points, five assists and four rebounds. Graduate student Zach Walton brought an offensive spark finishing with 13 points and five rebounds. The final score of the game was 66-48 in favor of Drexel.

Drexel is now 7-1 all-time against Quinnipiac. Drexel will face Quinnipiac again on Dec. 3 in an unusual back-to-back scheduling, and then will play the home opener at the Dak on Sunday as they host Coppin State.

The Drexel University women’s basketball team defeated Rider University in their 2020-2021 season opener. The game took place in Lawrenceville, New Jersey at the Alumni Gymnasium. The Rider University Broncs were looking to get their first win of the season after dropping their season opener to Villanova 70-37.

In the opening minutes of the game, the Broncs were focused and determined to get their first win. The team went on a 10-0 run to start. The Dragons were cold in the first quarter. As a team, they were 0-13 on field goal attempts. Kate Connolly and Maura Hendrixson gave Drexel the  confidence needed to end the quarter as they scored all four shots from the free-throw line. At the end of the first quarter, the Broncos had a 13-6 edge.

Eventually, the Dragons woke up. They started the second quarter off with a 14-0 run taking the lead 16-13. Hannah Nihill began her career night, scoring 7 straight points for Drexel. She scored a new career-high 22 points. In addition, she led all scorers for the afternoon. Nihill shined behind the arch making three 3-pointers and also adding three rebounds and three assists to the scoring sheet.

In the second quarter, Drexel shot 60 percent after just shooting 7.1 percent in the first quarter. By halftime, the Dragons led the Broncs 27-23.

To start the second half, both teams were going back and forth until Rider took the lead, 33-31 after an Amanda Mobley 3-pointer. That did not last for long, though, as Nihill and Keishana Washington both knocked down a 3-pointer. Washington finished the game with 12 points and two 3-pointers. Drexel was 44-37 at the end of the third quarter.

During the fourth quarter, the Dragons took a double-digit lead, 47-37 which led to Rider calling a timeout. During the last few minutes of the fourth, the Dragons contained their lead. Drexel could taste a victory to start out the season.

The final would be 62-49, behind Nihill’s career night. Sophomore Hetta Saatman also had a career night securing nine rebounds. Hendrixson and Connolly contributed 7 and 8 points respectively.

It wasn’t just Drexel’s first victory of the season, but also Amy Mallon’s first win as a Division I head coach. Mallon took over the head coaching position for Drexel to start the season. She previously held the Associate Head Coach position from 2007-2020.

Freshman Jasmine Valentine and Erin Sweeney made their college debuts as well. Valentine scored 4 points and grabbed four rebounds in the win.

Amanda Mobley was the leading scorer for Rider, putting up 13 points. Raphaela Toussaint also ended the game in double-digits with 11. Rider ended the game with 23 turnovers to Drexel’s 11.

Up next for Drexel is an away game at Monmouth University on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 1 p.m. Stay tuned.

The world of football lost a legend — a legend in every sense of the word. On Nov. 25, 2020, Diego Armando Maradona passed away at the age of 60 after a heart attack, and the whole world mourned. Maradona leaves this world as one of the greatest to ever kick a ball. He inspired entire generations of future footballers with his eye for goal, enigmatic dribbling skills and speed — as well as his success with Argentina, Napoli, Barcelona, Boca Juniors and many other teams, scoring over 300 goals and winning 12 major trophies. The most memorable skill he possessed, though, was his desire to win and his will to do whatever it took to help his team win.

A controversial character, both on the pitch and off of it, “El Pibe de Oro” was a hero to many, but also a villain to others. While many argue about his personality or ethics, one thing that no one can deny is that Maradona was an amazing soccer player. The greatest of all time in the eyes of many. But to some people, he was more than simply a great footballer. He was an inspiration to all those who felt downtrodden or defeated. He was the ultimate rags-to-riches story, the true underdog and a symbol of rising above life’s obstacles. Many politicians claim to represent “the little man,” but Maradona was truly the champion of the little man, as he was one himself (both literally and figuratively, standing at only 5’5″).

On Oct. 30, 1960, Diego Armando Maradona entered the world. Spending his childhood in Villa Fiorito, a poor slum in Buenos Aires with dirt roads and no clean water, Diego had an extremely humble upbringing. As a teenager, Maradona signed for Argentinos Juniors in Argentina’s top division, quickly becoming a sensation across the country. He used his newfound fortune to lift his family out of poverty and from there on, he gained the mentality of always being the hero as the pressure of constant success had now taken hold of his life, for better or for worse. Maradona later transferred to Boca Juniors, the biggest team in Argentine club football before leaving for Barcelona FC in Spain a few years later. While Maradona had already tasted success, the best was yet to come. The ethos of Diego Maradona can be perfectly represented in two parts of his playing career: his tenure at Napoli and Argentina’s victory at the 1986 World Cup.

It may be hard to conceptualize in the current football landscape, but Napoli was far from the strong team they are now. For the past few years, Napoli has easily been the second- or third-best team in Italy and are the current Coppa Italia champions. But throughout the early 1980s, they were struggling financially and were far from winning anything. In the 1983-84 season, they were almost relegated even. Financial struggles aside, Napoli was historically not a great team regardless, having never won a league championship either. So, after Maradona’s time in Barcelona came to a climactic end, Napoli gambled everything they had and brought the greatest player in the world at the time to Serie A.

The pressure was immense, but Maradona thrived on the pitch. Not only was he individually exceptional, but he also inspired his teammates to bring out the best in them, culminating in the best team the city of Naples has ever possessed. The transformation was not overnight, but each season Napoli got better and better. In the 1984-85 season, Maradona’s first, they finished eighth on the league table. In the next season, they finished in third place, only 6 points behind Juventus in first. But in 1986-87, the unthinkable happened. Now the team captain, Maradona and his newly beloved Napoli side overcame all the greatest clubs in Italy and won the Serie A title, the city’s first-ever. From that point on, the citizens of Naples fell in love with the Argentine madman, and he clearly loved them back. Napoli cemented themselves as part of Italy’s elite, finishing in second place in the following two seasons before winning the title yet again in 1989-90. As of 2020, these are Napoli’s only league victories. Beyond the Scudetto, Napoli also won several major trophies with Maradona such as the 1987 Coppa Italia, the 1989 UEFA Cup and the 1990 Supercoppa Italiana.

The glory Maradona brought to the Southern Italian city of Naples was also significant for other reasons as well. Outside of football, Naples was a city facing economic crisis along, the devasting effects of a 1980 earthquake as well as mafia violence. Italy was a country split by regional discrimination, with the citizens of rich Northern cities often looking down upon the Neapolitans. This bigotry was seen most flagrantly in the football stands as the Napoli players and fans were often bombarded with insults, racial slurs and prejudice. Therefore, when Maradona came and flipped the Italian football culture on its head, ending the Northern hegemony, Naples then adopted Diego as one of their own. He became the hero who inspired the entire city. What Maradona means to Naples is impossible to describe in words. Murals on the sides of buildings and paintings on bedsides across the city often depict Diego Maradona alongside San Gennaro, the patron saint of Naples. And while Maradona has humbly denied this comparison on several occasions, some passionate Neapolitans even equated the footballer to the ultimate Messiah himself, Jesus Christ.

If the 1987 Scudetto title win was when Diego Maradona captured the heart of Naples, the 1986 World Cup was the moment when he captivated the entire country of Argentina. By the mid-80s, the Argentine people were broken and humiliated. Following a failing economy and a military coup, the junta dictatorship invaded the Falkland Islands, (known as las Islas Malvinas in Argentina), a disputed territory between Argentina and the United Kingdom. The junta wanted to reclaim the islands in order to rally the people against a common enemy, even though the citizens of the Falklands overwhelming wanted to remain part of the U.K. Thus, the Falklands War, or la Guerra de las Malvinas, started; the Royal Navy dealt a devasting blow to the Argentine military forces, forcing them to surrender. Amidst the national defeat and the remaining economic problems, the Argentine people often looked to football to forget their troubles. In steps Maradona.

Heading into the 1986 World Cup held in Mexico, Argentina had a decent squad but there were far from favorites. However, after Maradona scored against Italy, the reigning world champions, to ensure a 1-1 draw, people started to have faith in this Argentine side. Argentina then topped their group after wins against South Korea and Bulgaria before narrowly eliminating eternal rivals Uruguay, the current South American champions, in the Round of 16. This set up a quarterfinal match with none other than England.

If I could choose just one match in Maradona’s entire career to summarize who he is, it would be this one. The match was tense and by halftime, it was stuck at 0-0. Early into the second half, Maradona took hold of the ball and ran straight at the heart of the English defense before attempting to play a quick one-two with Jorge Valdano. But the ball flicked up, and the defender, Steve Hodge, accidentally cleared the ball into his own penalty box. Maradona then leaped into the air, out-jumping the goalkeeper, Peter Shilton, heading the ball into the English net, wheeling away in celebration as Argentina went 1-0 up. However, upon viewing the replays, it became apparent that Maradona had not used his head. Instead, he blatantly punched the ball into the net with his hand. The English players were understandably furious, but in the era 30 years before Video Assistant Refereeing was even a thing, the referee did not see the handball and called a goal for Argentina. After the match, Maradona famously said in an interview that it was “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God” which led to the goal being dubbed the “Hand of God.” While Maradona was probably joking, many understandably took this literally as for the 5’5″ Maradona to outleap the six-foot Peter Shilton in goal, and for the referee not to see his hand, must have been divine intervention allowing for Argentine revenge against the English.

If the legitimacy of his first goal was questionable, his second was certainly not. Only three minutes later, Maradona was on the ball again and starring in his own half. With an extra spring in his step, Maradona covered 60 yards in under 10 seconds, weaving in and out of the English defense with the ball glued to his feet. The words of Spanish-language commentator, Victor Hugo Morales, will be forever etched into the memory of all Argentinians as he screamed “Arranca por la derecha, el genio del futbol mundial…!” as Maradona made the best defenders in England look like amateurs. One, two, three, four defenders were left in his wake before Maradona came face-to-face with Peter Shilton again. With a cheeky feint and deft touch of all the ball, Maradona shifted to the right and Shilton fell on his backside. Falling to the ground, Maradona was able to poke the ball into the net, sending Argentina 2-0 up. As tears fell from his eyes, Morales exclaimed “Gracias Dios, por el futbol, por Maradona!” Eventually, this goal would be dubbed, the “Goal of the Century” and would be commonly regarded as the greatest goal ever scored in World Cup history.

Gary Lineker was later able to score one for England, but it was not enough, and Argentina booked a place in the semifinals. Both goals scored by Maradona perfectly encapsulated his entire career. Some hate him, some love him, but overall he had skills like no other.

In the semifinal match against Belgium, Argentina comfortably won 2-0, with Maradona scoring both goals, setting up a World Cup Final between Argentina and eventual rivals, West Germany. Argentina outplayed the Germans and scored twice but a late spirited comeback saw the Germans equalize 2-2. With less than 10 minutes left in the match, Maradona played a perfect pass to his teammate, Jorge Burruchaga who outran the German defenders and slotted the ball past the goalkeeper, sealing Argentina’s second-ever World Cup title. With five goals and five assists, Maradona made 10 goal contributions, more than any other player at a single World Cup, making this possibly the greatest ever individual performance across a lone tournament.

Following the late 80s, Maradona would guide Argentina to another World Cup Final in 1990 but unfortunately, they would narrowly lose to West Germany in a rematch of the 1986 Final. Maradona would eventually leave Napoli for Sevilla in Spain, before winding down his career back in Argentina with Newell’s Old Boys and Boca Juniors again, retiring in 1997 and later entering a career in management.

While Diego Maradona had a career topped with high highs, there were definitely many low lows, and Maradona’s time as a footballer had a dark side embroiled in controversy. Never one to shy away from the limelight, Maradona had no qualms speaking his mind on any issue no matter the consequences. Whether it be his alleged ties to an Italian mob family, vocally supporting brutal dictators like Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro, or publicly insulting Pele, Maradona never failed to make headlines, even after he stopped kicking a ball.

Ever since he was 15, Maradona always had the pressure on him to be the sole hero, whether it be lifting his own family out of poverty or dragging his entire country to a World Cup, he constantly felt the pressure which ultimately took a toll on his mentality turning him to his vices. For a large part of his life, Maradona struggled with cocaine addiction and alcoholism. Sadly, this had a hugely negative effect on his playing career as his time at Napoli as well as his stay in the 1994 World Cup would be cut short due to failed drug tests. Maradona overcame his addiction in 2004, but one suspects that if he never had his drug problem, he could’ve spent another five to 10 years at the top of football. Unfortunately, Maradona’s hero mentality that was permanently forced into his mindset stopped him from showing any weakness or asking anyone else for help.

Despite his detractors, Maradona truly was a hero to many and that was seen in the beautiful outpour of adulation following his death. Everyone in the football world stood in consolation with the fans in mourning Maradona. Matches across Italy stopped and applauded in the 10th minute to congratulate the famous number 10, and players offered a moment of silence of remembrance. The Argentine heir-apparent to Maradona, Lionel Messi, offered a special show of gratitude. After scoring a wonderful goal in Sunday’s match against Osasuna, the Barcelona star removed his shirt to show a Newell’s Old Boys shirt underneath, the same one Maradona wore when he played for the club. Possibly the greatest tribute to Maradona was in his beloved city of Naples, though. On Sunday, a sullen Napoli side thoroughly defeated rivals, Roma, 4-0, dedicating each goal to the late great legend. The fourth and final goal was scored by Matteo Politano, who dribbled past multiple Roma defenders before rounding the keeper and slotting the ball home, evoking memories of Maradona’s solo goal against England.

Maradona’s faith has been a contentious issue over the years. Born and raised Roman Catholic, he famously became disillusioned with the Church after a falling out with Pope John Paul in 2000. But after a heartfelt meeting with Pope Francis in 2014, Maradona rediscovered his faith. While millions of prayers for Maradona have likely reached the heavens in the past few days, Gary Lineker said it best on Twitter, “…After a blessed but troubled life, hopefully he’ll finally find some comfort in the hands of God.”