Chill Sports

For many years, there was a hole in Lionel Messi’s heart. Not literally, thankfully, though at times for him it may very well have been, as the pain would likely have been less. Messi, often regarded as the greatest ever to play the biggest sport in the world, had pretty much done it all in his storied career. The word “storied”, in fact, does little to explain the success he’s earned and the joy he’s brought in his 18-year professional career; he’s won the Ballon d’Or award for the best men’s soccer player in the world a record seven times (and may be in line to win his eighth this year), the European Golden Shoe award for the highest-scoring player in Europe a record six times, and holds the Guinness World Record for the most official goals in a calendar year with 91. Even the Wikipedia page solely devoted to a list of Messi’s achievements and honors is so damn long. Along with all of his individual achievements, the “magic man” has also won 40 trophies for club and country. At thi...

The dream is over. At least for now, the “it’s called soccer” rallying cry has been put to bed. It was always going to be far-fetched, of course, but our beloved United States team is officially out of the 2022 World Cup after a 3-1 loss at the hands of the Netherlands. There’s still so much to be proud of, and even more to be excited about in the future, but man , does this loss sting. No, not because of the scoreline-- but because we actually played well! It’s one of the most frustrating things as a soccer fan to watch your team play good ball -- as the United States did in much of this game with an energetic press, quality movement, and multiple dangerous chances created -- but for the scoreline to reflect quite the opposite. At the end of the day, though the Dutch by all intents and purposes did not dominate the match, with less possession, shots on target, and pass accuracy than the Americans, they were lethal in front of the net and walked away with a convincing victory. One can...

A single beer on a Tuesday afternoon could never have been enough. With no food yet in my stomach since waking up with a sickening mixture of childlike excitement and unbridled cynicism, I had hoped my lager would steel my nerves. Still, watching the second half of the USMNT’s triumph over Iran was, with no exaggeration required, one of the most stressful experiences of my life; the nine minutes of stoppage time tacked on at the end of the second half may have been another 90, for all I was concerned. The American defense dropped deep and absorbed pressure from their opponents for most of the second half, and with each shot from a white-shirted player the pit in my stomach lurched to new lows until, at long last , that final whistle blew. I, like many other USA soccer fans, came into their pivotal final group stage match against the Iranians expecting my country to win based on their quality of play so far. Unfortunately, I know this team well, and so running through my mind all day wa...

Amidst a surge in popularity of soccer (yes, that’s what it’s called) in the USA, expectations have never been higher for the United States Men’s National Team. Heading into the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the foundations are in place for the start of a “golden generation”. Together with a group draw that gives a realistic path to the knockout stages, and with the squad -- and the country at large -- hungrier than ever for success in the sport following their embarrassing failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, there is potential for this November to be a real watershed moment for the world’s most popular sport in America. Still, those who have been paying close attention to the USMNT in recent months have good reason to temper their expectations. Led by Gregg Berhalter, a manager with an uninspiring résumé, questionable tactics, and a stubborn willingness to select players that fit his system regardless of talent, the team has been sputtering all calendar year. After a red-hot 2021 th...

Sometimes, a story is simply too good to be true. You enjoy the warm feeling it gives you for as long as you can, consuming all media surrounding it, but inevitably the narrative always flips. You’ve seen it all before: the homegrown rookie doesn’t pan out with their beloved team, the perfect season gets dashed in the final game, a legendary player’s return turns sour, and so on. But sometimes, on those impossibly rare occasions, the perfect story is just that-- perfect . Xavi left his boyhood club of Barcelona on top of the footballing world, winning a historic treble to effectively cap off his career as one of the greatest pure midfielders the game has ever seen and ever will see. Since then, though, his beloved club has been struggling to get back to the mountaintop without him. Image From: Getty Images Xavi left to finish out his playing career in Qatar after the 2015 Champions League final, and to date Barcelona have not raised...