Columns

The Final Whistle: Karim Adeyemi, Dortmund’s latest wunderkind

By Bharat Singh | October 3

A combination of neat triangle passes deep into the Dortmund half was broken by the Celtic press, as Gregor Kobel launched a long ball forward. Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy was the first to react, steadying himself before gently caressing the soccer ball towards Julian Brandt with a deft touch. With runners on each side and a scrambling Celtic backline, Brandt threaded a pass into the path of Karim Adeyemi. Signal Iduna Park roared their star on as Adeyemi buried the ball beyond veteran goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. 2–1.

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Soccer

Women’s soccer falls to Wesleyan on the road

By Eliza Warren | October 2

Tufts women’s soccer stepped onto Jackson Field in Connecticut last weekend ready to take on Wesleyan University in their fifth NESCAC game of the season. Tufts came into the weekend with a 4–1–1 record, but, after a 2–0 win against No. 7 nationally ranked Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Wednesday, they were feeling good about their upcoming games.

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Soccer

Merseyside welcomes Federico Chiesa

By Bharat Singh | September 19

The last noteworthy Italian to grace Anfield was Mario Balotelli. Enigmatic to say the least, widely remembered for his title-winning assist to Sergio Aguero for Manchester City Football Club and a scintillating 2012 UEFA European Football Championship campaign, Balotelli was a breath of fresh air for a stale Liverpool Football Club.

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Soccer

Tufts men’s soccer beats Williams with last-minute goal

By Tara Wirtschoreck | September 13

Tufts men’s soccer started NESCAC play with a 1–0 win against Williams College last weekend. The teams battled for nearly 87 minutes without a goal, but the scoreless streak was eventually broken by sophomore forward Xavier Canfin. While the Jumbos had many good shots on goal throughout the game, Canfin’s shot, assisted by graduate student midfielder Liam Gerkin and junior midfielder James Gunn, was the only one that found the back of the net.

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Soccer

The pride of Cúcuta: James Rodríguez

By Bharat Singh | July 14

La Maracanã is bouncing in full force. Pockets of blue are roaring in a sea of yellow and red as the flickering lights from a thousand lenses capture a duel for the ages. The Round of 16 of the 2014 World Cup. A South American classic: Uruguay vs. Colombia. Twenty-eight minutes in, a wayward clearance from the Uruguayan box was headed back toward 22-year-old James Rodríguez, who in one motion gently caressed the ball from his left shoulder onto his left foot before striking it toward goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. A shot that swallowed a stadium for a few seconds, a collective gasp as the ball kissed the underside of the crossbar. The net rattled, Muslera was beaten and a star was born. If the dictionary had pictures, the word “volley” would have this image next to it. Rodríguez had just scored the goal of the tournament. He went on to win theGolden Boot as the World Cup’s top scorer with six goals, despite Colombia falling short to host Brazil in the quarterfinals. For context, he had outscored Lionel Messi, Neymar da Silva Santos Jr. and the two previous winners, Spain and Italy. Ten years after that magical Maracanã moment, James Rodríguez is one game away from lifting the Copa América.

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Features

Computer scientists take to the field in soccer league

By Arielle Flaherty | May 17

Cheers erupted from the teams lining the sides of the field. The Files of Kicks had just scored an equalizing goal, propelling their team into contention for the final game. It was April 30, 4:30 p.m. and there was an important soccer semifinal game taking place.

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Soccer

Football’s sickening reality of racism

By Bharat Singh | April 10

As 17-year-old Endrick danced under the picturesque Wembley floodlights, the world was given a taste of Brazil’s post-Neymar era. It was an exhibition of finesse and skill as the youngster broke the deadlock against a Bellingham-inspired England side. A historic friendly in a historic venue. For much of that weekend, Brazil’s script wrote itself with the help of its young stars until it was once again deeply scarred by football’s age-old, sickening reality of racism.

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Soccer

Danke Jürgen: The Liverpool love story

By Bharat Singh | February 8

“Messi mashed on Merseyside.” If Anfield had ever dreamt of hearing a sweeter line, that dream was unfolding tenfold. A corner of traveling Catalan fans were left speechless as a sea of red chanted on. Although Peter Drury is often lauded as the master of modern commentary, it was Darren Fletcher who uttered those words. And he hadn’t planned it.

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Soccer

The ‘Special One’ no more?

By Bharat Singh | January 26

From sprinting through the sprinklers at Camp Nou during the 2010 Champions League semifinals to conquering Pep Guardiola’s Messi-inspired Barcelona dynasty, José Mourinho has nearly done it all. The self-proclaimed “Special One,” who once entered his dressing room hidden in a laundry basket due to a stadium ban has come a long way from translating in press conferences and is regarded as one of the greatest managers ever.

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Soccer

Sixteen dreams for European glory

By Bharat Singh | December 11

Alejandro Garnacho might have scored the goal of the season against Everton, but the jitters from Argentina’s magical strike would soon fade on the back of a potentially season-defining draw in Turkey. Before Manchester United’s trip to Istanbul on Nov. 29, qualification for the knockout stage was in their hands.

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Soccer

Men’s soccer outlasts Colby, maintains strong conference positioning

By Spencer Rosenbaum | October 6

A squad as talented as the Tufts men’s soccer team naturally sets out to win its conference at the beginning of the season, and in the NESCAC, the best way to do that is to earn a high seed heading into the postseason. By doing this, a team optimizes its hopes of reaping a home field advantage during the playoffs since quarterfinals matches are hosted by the higher seed in each game and the semifinals and finals are hosted by the highest seed remaining in the tournament. 

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Soccer

Women’s soccer breaks even on Homecoming against Hamilton

By Katie Spiropoulos | September 28

For a rainy Homecoming 2023 celebration, the Jumbos took to Bello Field to battle it out against the Hamilton Continentals. Much like the storm clouds creeping in, the game had a slow start with the scoreboard remaining blank over 30 minutes into the game. 

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Soccer

Men’s soccer takes down Hamilton on Homecoming weekend

By Max Druckman | September 27

On Sept. 24, 2022, almost exactly a year ago, the Tufts men’s soccer team suffered what many cited as their worst loss of the 2022 season, falling 1–0 to the Hamilton Continentals in a tense game that featured two red cards. On Saturday, Tufts was given an opportunity to avenge that defeat on home turf during the university’s Homecoming weekend. The Jumbos did not throw away their shot.

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Columns

The Final Whistle: An Italian classic on the cards

By Bharat Singh | April 27

A few famous pictures can sum up Marco Materrazi’s historic career: being headbutted by Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup Final, a teary embrace with Jose Mourinho after completing the treble in 2010 and lifting the World Cup alongside a legendary collection of Italian stars.One picture, however, stands out from the crowd, both in aesthetic and significance. It was taken in 2005, against the smokey red backdrop of an electric San Siro as flares lit up the capital city in a second leg of a Champions League quarter-final. The game was halted for safety reasons as security and firefighters scrambled pitchside. It was then that photographers captured a shot for the ages as Materrazi leaned on the shoulder of rival Rui Costa, together watching the chaos unfold. 

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Columns

The Final Whistle: Napoli and Real Madrid draw first blood

By Bharat Singh | February 23

It was the perfect start. A slight hesitation allowed Mohamed Salah to pounce on Thibaut Courtois’ poorly controlled attempted clearance, burying the ball beyond the Belgian goalkeeper. 2–0 Liverpool. White shirts stood in disbelief as Anfield erupted in euphoria. Perhaps the catalyst for a much-needed resurrection for what has been a poor season for the Reds. Darwin Núñez’s first, a cheeky flick, had given Liverpool an early lead, and for a moment it seemed like Anfield’s magic was at work again. But if there’s anything stronger than Liverpool’s historic record at home it is Real Madrid’s ability to recover from a deficit.

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Columns

The Final Whistle: What will Leandro Trossard bring to Arsenal?

By Bharat Singh | January 24

History beckons for Arsenal. For the first time in over a decade, the North London side look like potential Premier League champions. A convincing derby victory against Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur and a nail-biting 3–2 thriller against bitter rivals Manchester United proved once again the quality of Mikel Arteta’s team. 5 points clear at the top of the rankings, with a game in hand over Manchester City, the Gunners look poised to claim their first title since 2004. But this season is far from over and a string of poor form, injuries and fixture congestion are all factors that could end Arsenal’s title dream. To avoid this, Arsenal has reinforced their squad with Brighton’s Leandro Trossard. 

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Viewpoint

The death of The Beautiful Game

By Justin Solis | January 18

After a surprise exit by Brazil (ranked as the best international team by FIFA in October before the World Cup commenced) and the appearance of two underdog teams in the third place match, Croatia (ranked No. 12) and Morocco (ranked No. 22), one could almost feel the entire culture of soccer shift. Analysts and casual viewers alike were left scrambling for answers. How were these teams, who were not even considered likely to make a late run in the tournament, much less compete for the third place trophy, able to perform at such a high level against all odds? The answer is less exciting than one would expect, and it involves the death of the most engaging parts of soccer. 

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