Soccer

Columns

FA Cup roundup: Manchester City teens and the future of the competition

By Ryan Schneiderman | February 24

Last weekend saw a break from premier league action, with the FA cup taking its place. The most intriguing matchup from the fifth round draw featured the last two Premier League champions, Chelsea and Manchester City. What promised to be a highly contested match quickly turned into somewhat of a farce when Manuel Pellegrini, often criticized for being too conservative in team selections, named six teenagers in the starting eleven. Five were making their first team debut. As a City fan myself I had mixed feelings about the line-up. To see talented youth players given the chance to show their talents to the world is exciting for both the fans and other youth players coming through the system. At the same time, the lineup effectively ensured City’s exit from the competition.

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Columns

Jersey Over Apron: Ticker tape

By Nicole Brooks | February 23

When New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio announced the scheduling of a ticker tape parade following the United States women's national soccer team's (USWNT) winning the FIFA World Cup this past summer, New Yorkers were excited. Who wouldn’t want a parade? The welcoming of the USWNT seemed ...

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Columns

On the Spot: Why Tottenham can win the League

By Yuan Jun Chee | February 22

Four years ago, a controversial Mario Balotelli goal derailed Spurs’ momentum. Last weekend, they banished those memories and are marching on. I was holding back on this column until they beat Manchester City. Their victory at the Etihad Stadiumlast weekend required a bit of luck, but they were very ...

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Columns

Why everyone secretly wants Leicester to win

By Yuan Jun Chee | February 8

At this stage I probably have to eat humble pie.Because all our predictions about Claudio Ranieri and Leicester City when the season first started in August should, quite rightly, be thrown out of the window.What a turnaround it has been. About one year ago, Leicester sat at the bottom of the Premier ...

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Columns

United, we remain

By Yuan Jun Chee | November 17

It seemed like just another international friendly match in which France and Germany were writing yet another chapter in their sporting rivalry. The horrors that struck 83 minutes into the game, however, changed all of that.From inside the Stade de France, located just outside Paris, the blasts could ...

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Soccer

Jumbos graduate just three seniors

By Noah Smith | November 9

For the second consecutive season, Tufts entered the NESCAC tournament seeded seventh and traveled to face second-seeded Bowdoin. For the second year in a row, the Jumbos were defeated to end their season. They finished with a record of 6-8-2 (4-5-1 within the NESCAC), scoring 14 goals over the course ...

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Columns

In defense of the Special One

By Yuan Jun Chee | November 3

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has not had the best of times. It is hard to believe that this was the same Chelsea squad that romped to the title just a few months ago. It seems that Eden Hazard’s missed penalty is a representation of his own decline in form.If there’s anyone who can turn it around, ...

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Soccer

Tufts falls to Bowdoin in NESCAC quarters

By Steven Hefter | November 2

After wrapping up its regular season last week, the men's soccer team then played in the NESCAC quarterfinal on Saturday, where it lost to Bowdoin. The Jumbos had emerged as the No. 3 seed in the postseason conference tournament after tying the Polar Bears in a scoreless match on Wednesday.The ...

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Columns

The rebirth of the Foxes

By Yuan Jun Chee | October 27

And there I was, wondering if Leicester had lost the plot. When they sacked Nigel Pearson, the man that eventually saved them from relegation with the tweaking of tactics, I was ludicrous.Then Claudio Ranieri got appointed. Tinkerman? Finishing second-best at Chelsea and Monaco, even with the resources ...

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Columns

Things we learned this premier league weekend

By Yuan Jun Chee | October 20

In the spirit of staying optimistic, I’m going to highlight some positives from the weekend. Just one negative though: James McClean, celebrating like that against your old club is neither sporting nor cool.Louis van Gaal got it rightI feared the worst coming into this game, especially seeing how ...

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Columns

Jurgen Klopp: The normal one?

By Yuan Jun Chee | October 13

It’s the first time in a very long time that I’ve seen the Kop so excited by the arrival of a new manager. He even has his own hashtag -- #KloppforKop. And that's because Jurgen Klopp isn’t as normal as he claims to be.What Liverpool will get is a man obsessed with the idea of a pressing attacking ...

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Soccer

Jumbos return to form in MIT match

By Yuan Jun Chee | October 1

Tufts recorded its first victory in three games as they beat the MIT Engineers 2-0 at the Henry G. Steinbrenner Stadium on Tuesday afternoon. Goals from first-year midfielders Alex Aronson and Sarah Grubman in each half secured the victory for the Jumbos.The Jumbos started the game with a high-intensity ...

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Soccer

The new Manchester United: Death by possession

By Yuan Jun Chee | September 30

For all the agony that Manchester United fans have had with the new way Louis van Gaal has his team playing, we have to admit it is working.So what of this “van Gaal philosophy,” then? Days of the swashbuckling Manchester United running riot down the wings with waves of attacks on the opposition ...

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Soccer

Premier League this past weekend

By Yuan Jun Chee | September 24

I'm Yuan Jun, but Michael works too. That's the name printed on my Manchester United jersey, along with the number 12, as an ode to the mistake Louis van Gaal made. I'm from Singapore and I'm a huge sports fan. So if you ever need someone to talk tactics to, or to pick your fantasy ...

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Soccer

Men's soccer set to begin title defense

By Steven Hefter | September 4

The men’s soccer team will begin its 2015 campaign in the same position that it ended last season: on top.After winning Tufts’ first national championship of the 2014-15 academic year last fall with a run in the NCAA tournament that culminated in a 4-2 victory against Wheaton College (Ill.), ...

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Soccer

With title nearly decided, Champions League battle remains fierce

By Jack Szumski | March 29

Next weekend’s round of Barclay’s Premier League action will be highlighted by a clash between two heavyweights in English soccer. The Arsenal-Liverpool matchup may not be a title­-decider, but it looks like an all-­important fight for the chance to play in Europe’s premier competition next ...

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Opinion

Qatar’s got a brand new bag

By Zach Shapiro | March 4

It has only been a hobby for a few years, but I can’t stop following soccer. It makes for a lot of fun when it overlaps with Middle East politics.It seems they have found a strange intersection in Qatar. Otherwise known as the beautiful game, soccer now plays a key role in the new Qatari grand strategy. This ...

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Columns

On Ebola, rioting and prioritization

By Sam Gold | February 10

Perhaps Morocco took its cue from Governors Christie and Cuomo. Unlike the governors, however, Morocco will be made to pay -- literally.On Sunday, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (RMFF) $1 million for reneging on its commitment to host the 2015 ...

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Soccer

Men's soccer takes home national title

By Jake Indursky | December 8

When the field of 64 was set in early November, Tufts was little more than an afterthought for title contender, as the bracket was littered with past national champions, All-Americans and long-tenured coaches. The Jumbos had won fewer NCAA tournament games than some teams had won NCAA titles. They had ...

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Soccer

Tufts confident, prepared heading into Final Four

By Jake Indursky | December 4

While there was a significant amount of optimism surrounding the men's soccer team entering the 2014 season, few expected the Jumbos to keep their season going into December. While Tufts showed that it can compete with the best teams in the country, tying Amherst and taking the notoriously-difficult ...

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