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This article was written for the Marshall Islands Soccer Federation. To check it out on their website, please visit https://rmi.soccer/2024/02/10/ratak-cup-is-a-success/ The inaugural edition of the Ratak Cup took place in the Marshall Islands on February 1st, with Rainok taking home the title following a 2-0 win over Majuro in the final. The members of the winning team received a monetary prize in addition to something vital for the growth of the game in the Marshall Islands: bragging rights. The idea of the Ratak Cup started when Justin Walley, a football journeyman who despite English heritage has founded a Latvian Club and coached the Matabeleland National Team of ConIFA, came to the Marshall Islands as a volunteer press and communications director. Walley knew competition is exactly what the island needed. The Marshall Islands opened up the Marshall Islands Soccer Federation with a clear goal in mind: receive membership in OFC, CONCACAF, or AFC. The Marshall Islands currently stand as the only member of the United Nations that doesn't field a FIFA endorsed National Team. Walley came to the Island to help the Marshall Islands take the next step towards membership. Walley’s expertise in communications helped gain publicity towards the story and his footballing mind was on full display as he organized the Ratak Cup. “The tournament was actually my idea because I felt there was a need to have some competition, because nobody likes losing. Everybody likes winning. That creates a desire to win more, or to put a defeat right. Or to learn from defeat. To create competition. Football is never going to take off here if it’s just a friendly kickabout,” stated Walley. The Ratak Cup’s senior edition boasted a total of 4 teams consisting of 6 teams each. The rosters were as follows: Majuro All Stars: Cullen, Tuitena, David, Jojo, Justin, ‘Tuvalu’ Faiana Delap FC: Soji, Non, Reggie, Charles, Nevan, Sam Majuro FC: Kairos, Tony , Sajid, Junior, Watanabe, Viktor Rainok FC: Oscar, Gabino, Inni, Ming, Immanuel, Rudy Following the tight group stage games, Rainok squared off against Majuro in the final and were victorious. The player of the tournament was Kairos of Majuro All Stars, while Tuitena took home the golden boot after bagging seven goals including a hattrick in the bronze medal game. The Ratak Cup was presented by Unrepresented Sports, a media platform highlighting the best of the best of sporting events that go under the radar. The Cup’s other sponsors included player of the tournament sponsor, Transferta Magazine - a football magazine covering the intricacies of Italian football from Non-League to Serie A, Diego Magazine, Total Football Analysis, and The Gaffer Magazine. The tournament was deemed as a success by all those who competed. The players felt a true sense of competition, something that has been lacking on the island. They also got a true gauge for if they have what it takes for the top level with a top level footballing-mind in Justin Walley there to watch. Wally was very pleased with how the Ratak Cup went. “I think it went very well. We had 26 players involved. It was very competitive. No team ran away with it. No players really dominated. There were better players, but nobody really dominated. It was very successful. The guys enjoyed it,” said Walley. Following the Senior Cup, Walley organized a Junior version of the Ratak Cup with over 50 kids playing in it. The event was another success and will help set the foundation for soccer in the Marshall Islands for years to come. Additionally, Walley went out to local schools and talked to Physical Education teachers on how to implement soccer within their curriculums. 8 new soccer coaches were certified to be able to deliver soccer training sessions. One of the various schools Walley attended was Majuro Middle School where he taught students how to properly head the ball and taught them more about the beautiful game. Walley’s commitment to teaching the youth saw him teach a grand total of 139 students in a single day. Walley tweeted on X, “Can confidently say guest coaching 139 kids PE at 2 different schools for 3 hours in the nonstop 30 degrees midday sun was one of the most challenging things I’ve done for some time. Sweat in my eyes, sunburn, dehydrated, exhausted. It was brilliant.” Perhaps most importantly, Walley was able to sign off on a donation of equipment to the Public Schools System with balls, cones, bibs, and goals which can be used for school coaching. As for the Marshall Islands Soccer Federation, if granted membership to FIFA, the country would become the 4th in smallest land mass amongst member countries, sitting right beneath the likes of Macau, Bermuda, and San Marino. The Marshall Islands would also become the least visited country in the world to have a FIFA National Team. The country currently attracts 6,100 annual visitors, right behind fellow Pacific Islander countries of Nauru and Tuvalu. No matter what happens, the push for Marshall Islands to become a FIFA-member is all for a great cause. The attention drawn to the Islands have increased awareness about climate change that is affecting the Islands. “We are hugely ambitious and want to provide opportunities to Marshallese people, promote our culture and raise awareness of the challenges we face,” said Lloyd Owers. As for the Ratak Cup, it proved to be a brilliant way to introduce competitive soccer to the Islands and take their first steps at building a team fit for FIFA. The competitiveness of the sport is growing rapidly thanks to the initiative of the Ratak Cup. The Marshall Islands Soccer Federation will be sure to implement Walley’s ideas for the coming months as they continuously prepare and navigate the path towards becoming a member of FIFA. About the Author: Chris Dailey is an 18 year old American journalist currently attending Wall Township High School in New Jersey. Chris has interviewed over 250 professional athletes for his sports media company, The Sports Court, and works for semi-pro club, FC Monmouth. Chris enjoys writing about the untold stories in sports and has an immense passion for Soccer. Chris will be attending college this fall where he plans to study within the field of communications.
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Chris DaileyFounder, The Sports Court With the NFL Draft quickly approaching, GMs around the league are on the hunt to find the next diamond in the rough. After all, the greatest player in the history of the league was the 199th overall pick. The starting QB for the NFC Champions of this past season was Mr. Irrelevant. History has done nothing but prove that you don’t need to be a top pick to become a star in the league. It’s now up to the right system to find the right player to make the next big thing. Here are three players that, despite being ranked low on the big boards, have true potential to become the next star chosen on day three. Jason Bean - Quarterback - University of Kansas Jason Bean has one of the most interesting stories in the NFL Draft. As a Texas native, Bean decided to stay home and committed to the University of North Texas. In his third year at UNT, Bean was included on the Davey O’Brien Award Great 8 List after throwing for 1131 yards in the COVID-stricken year of 2020. Bean has since thrown for 4662 yards with the Kansas Jayhawks in his three seasons there and has helped transform the program despite having to split time with Jalon Daniels throughout 2022. Bean has also shown elusiveness as a rusher. He ran for 1342 yards throughout his collegiate career. The Jayhawk superstar has shown immense consistency throughout his six years of college football mixed with something that is lost in the world of College Football, patience. Bean’s mind has always been set well, and he has never ridden the highs too highly or gotten down on himself too harshly throughout the lows. Bean’s mindset is what has put him in the position to be a day 3 pick. Bean has great anticipation in the passing game, moves around the pocket fluidly, and has a good release. Bean’s biggest flaw is his size, which is something that can easily be fixed with bulk in the offseason. Bean has strong potential to be a very solid backup in the NFL, and in the right system, he can develop into a starter. He might not reach the levels of Brady and Purdy, but simply put, Jason Bean is pretty darn good. Luke McCaffery - Wide Receiver - Rice University Luke McCaffery is a projected day 3 pick that’s more well-known for being the brother of Christian and son of Ed rather than a legit NFL prospect. McCaffery is the most slept-on receiver in the class. The 6’2 consistent receiver is reminiscent of Julian Edelman. After two years as a quarterback at Nebraska, McCaffery transferred to Rice. In his second year at Rice - his fourth in College Football - McCaffery switched positions and exploded. McCaffery caught for 723 yards and six touchdowns in 2022. He followed up with an excellent fifth-year season in which he recorded 992 yards and 13 touchdowns. McCaffery became Mr. Reliable at Rice and one of the highest-producing receivers in the country. At 6-2, 200 lbs, McCaffery isn’t the biggest, but he gets open and is great in the red zone. He possesses soft hands and can line up from anywhere. Similarly to his brother, McCaffery is a tough runner that’s hard to bring down. He has a high football IQ and knows all about the ins and outs of the league thanks to his family. Despite having a day three grade attached to him, it’s very probable McCaffery finds himself making an impact from day one on whatever team picks him up. Tommy Eichenberg - Linebacker - Ohio State If you’ve watched any Ohio State Buckeyes game throughout the past three seasons, you probably heard the name Tommy Eichenberg pop up a few times.
That’s because Eichenberg recorded 268 total tackles, including 21 tackles for loss, in that time span. Eichenberg has been a force on a strong Buckeyes defense and has shown great ability to work the blitz and make his presence known. Eichenberg is a strong, physical, and smart player that has a solid frame for the professional game. Although graded as a day 3 prospect, Eichenberg has done nothing but show why he belongs in the NFL. He’s also strong in run-defense and loves a good hit. NFL coaches are going to love Tommy Eichenberg, and he has true potential to become a late-round gem and blossom into a solid linebacker in the NFL. Chris DaileyFounder, The Sports Court In a battle of College Football bluebloods, Notre Dame and Ohio State delivered to the sky-high expectations that were set before the game.
With College Gameday in town, all eyes were on the game between #6 Ohio State and #9 Notre Dame. The Buckeyes featured one of the most loaded teams in the country with five star recruits all around, highlighted by a potential top five pick in the draft and best wide receiver in College Football, Marvin Harrison Jr. The Fighting Irish, meanwhile, boasted a squad that competes with the best in the country, highlighted by transfer quarterback, Sam Hartman. Coming into the game, Hartman was one of the favorites for the Heisman trophy and also cemented himself as a great of College Football, having reached up to top ten all-time in passing touchdowns. Hartman’s right hand man, Audric Estime, also had sky-high expectations headed into Saturday Night’s showdown. Estime was at the top of all major rushing stats and stopping him was a huge part of Ohio State’s gameplan. The game wasn’t a high-scoring shootout that some had hoped for, rather, it was an intricate battle between two evenly matched teams who patiently waited to capitalize on one another's mistakes. Both defenses played well and the offense couldn't get much rolling. Despite coming back from a 10-0 deficit to make it 14-10 thanks to a great rushing attack with several backs getting in work and the amazing play of Sam Hartman, Notre Dame still needed one more stop at the end of the game to secure a primetime victory. On third and long, Kyle McCord of Ohio State connected to Emeka Egbuka to put them within striking distance of the endzone. Henderson then punched it in for Notre Dame after a questionable timeout in which Marcus Freeman, Al Golden, and company decided to put 10 men out on the field rather than 11 to defend against the Ohio State run. Freeman mentioned not wanting to risk a penalty in regards to why he didn’t include the eleventh man, but the call baffled most nevertheless. McCord’s poise and football IQ was on full display as he proved himself to be an elite quarterback during the drive, and Ohio State made Notre Dame pay for the mistake. Ohio State scored the touchdown with one second on the clock. Notre Dame wasn’t able to capitalize on their one last final play of the game. It was yet another heartbreaking finish in a big game for the Fighting Irish and marks the end to a five game winning streak with green jerseys on. Although Notre Dame fought until the very last second, not being able to finish the job fully continues to be a common trend in South Bend as frustrations grow within the fanbase. The Fighting Irish dropped to eleventh in the AP Poll while the Buckeyes sit in a CFP spot at fourth. CHRIS’ THOUGHTS: That was by far the most heartbreaking finish to any football game ever. To have the game in the palm of your hands and see it all slip away is just disappointing, but to have ten men on the field on the final two plays is just an insult to injury. Sam Hartman had a great game and I’m very impressed with everything he has done for the Fighting Irish thus far but missing the screen pass on Notre Dame’s final offensive possession ultimately led to the demise of the Irish. It was a great defensive effort - no doubt - by the Buckeyes on the play, but if Hartman floated that over the defender there was nothing but open space to attack into. Notre Dame also had chances for interceptions on the final drive before McCord connected to Egbuka. I am proud of how Notre Dame fought - they showed why they are a playoff contender. However, this year, I don’t know how much of a chance there is for a one loss Notre Dame to sneak into the College Football Playoffs as compared to other years. I think it’s one of the hardest years to make the Playoffs with just how equal everyone is. All of this makes this loss sting even more. Onward. Forward. Love thee. |
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February 2024
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