Chris DaileyFounder, The Sports Court Here is my 2022 NFL Mock Draft, round 1. No trades, just vibes.
1) Jaguars - Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan 2) Lions - Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia 3) Texans - Ahmad Sauce Gardner, CB, Cincinnati 4) Jets - Derek Stingley Jr, CB, LSU 5) Giants - Ikem Ekwonu, T, NC State 6) Panthers - Charles Cross, T, Mississippi State 7) Giants - Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon 8) Falcons - Jermaine Johnson II, EDGE, Florida State 9) Seahawks - Evan Neal, OT, Alabama 10) Jets - Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama 11) Commanders - Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame 12) Vikings - Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington 13) Texans - Drake London, WR, USC 14) Ravens - Bernhard Raimann, T, Central Michigan 15) Eagles - Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah 16) Saints - Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State 17) Chargers - Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State 18) Eagles - Treylon Burks, WR, Ohio State 19) Saints - Tyler Smith, T, Tulsa 20) Steelers - Malik Willis, QB, Liberty 21) Patriots - Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia 22) Packers - Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State 23) Cardinals - Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa 24) Cowboys - Trevor Penning, T, Northern Iowa 25) Bills - Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia 26) Titans - George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue 27) Buccaneers - Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia 28) Packers - John Metchie III, WR, Alabama 29) Chiefs - Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan 30) Chiefs - Andrew Booth Jr, CB, Clemson 31) Bengals - Zion Johnson, G, Boston College 32) Lions - Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Favorite prospects: Aidan Hutchinson, Kyle Hamilton, Tyler Linderbaum, Devin Lloyd, John Metchie III
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Chris DaileyFounder, The Sports Court  Mike Egerton/PA Images/Imago Images Manchester City and Real Madrid, the two goliaths of current European soccer faced off, toe-toe at the Etihad in what became one of the greatest soccer games ever played.
For starters, the atmosphere at the Etihad, which is often criticized and made fun of by opposing fans, was top class. The place was rocking. And Pep Guardiola made sure his side rewarded them, and they did so early. It only took ten minutes for City to knock in two goals thanks to Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus. City was dominant and made Madrid, one of the top sides in the world look like an amateur side. However, there is no quit in Carlo Ancelotti's Madrid side. They have been on the brink of elimination before but they simply refuse to lose. Led by Karim Benzema, Madrid, who were slow and often trying to play out of the back and being forced into their defensive zone thanks to the high press of Pep’s Man City side, were rejuvenated thanks to a goal from Benzema, who is perhaps the best player in the world at the moment. Then, right after halftime, the game continued to pick up the momentum. With end-to-end action from both sides, goals were so close to happening. And then one finally went in. Phil Foden, the homegrown starlet for Man City scored a vital goal for the home side to put them up 3-1 53 minutes into the game. But the lead didn’t last for long as Madrid got the ball right back and Vini Jr had a fantastic dummy on Fernandinho that saw the ball go right through his legs and Vini Jr proceeded to carry the ball from midfield to the 18 where he slotted it past Ederson to put Madrid back in the game and make it 3-2. Madrid was working hard to tie the game up, but unfortunately for the Spanish side, the left foot of Bernardo Silva put Man City 4-2 up with only 15 minutes left to play and it seemed unlikely that Madrid could get another one back this late in the game. However, with 8 minutes left, Benzema found his way to the penalty spot, and with ice in his veins, after missing 3 out of his last 4 penalties, pannakea'd it into the back of the net, and Madrid, who were outplayed, outclassed, but certainly not outhustled, escaped with a 4-3 loss at the hands of Man City. Despite the loss, Madrid gave themselves enough breathing room for the second leg which will be played in Spain. Madrid also knows what they need to address, and address quickly, their defensive woes. The offense was amazing, 3 goals against Man City is no small feat (despite City having many injuries across their backline at the moment). It will be necessary for Ancelotti’s side to fix their mistakes across the backline if they want any shot at going to the finals. Meanwhile, for Man City, if they keep playing the way they do and can sort out some of the injury issues they have, it’s hard to imagine them losing. This will be a tough one to predict, and I’m going to say this will go to PKs after a 6-6 aggregate scoreline. I have Madrid advancing on penalties thanks to a winner from Luka Modric. These two teams will create for one of the greatest champion league semifinals fixtures of all time, the high intensity, high press, attacking style these teams play with are so beautiful to watch and I suggest anybody, a soccer fan or not, to watch the second leg which will take place Wednesday, May 4, at 3 PM EST.  Picture via https://sbisoccer.com Chris DaileyFounder, The Sports Court The pain, the heartbreak, and the embarrassment that the US Men's Soccer Team felt after failing to beat (in fact, tie) Trinidad and Tobago on October 10, 2017, is now history.
Instead of constantly looking back, as many USMNT fans have the past five years, it has come a time that the USMNT has something to look forward to. The golden generation, headlined by 23-year-old Christian Pulisic, has gotten the program back on track. After winning the Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup in the summer, both in finals against arch-nemesis Mexico, the US did something much bigger, even though they didn’t get a trophy at the final whistle. The USMNT qualified for the World Cup. The USMNT made America proud to support the team again. The 2022 World Cup, which will take place in Qatar through November and December, will be a time for the USMNT fans to rejoice, celebrate, and show off their American pride. However, the USMNT still has a lot of work to do until then. The USMNT, led by Gregg Berhalter (proud TSC interviewee), need to find their ideal XI and solidify the much-questioned number 9 spot. As for the World Cup itself, the US will have a chip on their shoulder as they play England, Iran, and either Ukraine, Wales, or Scotland. All tough opponents who will pose a huge challenge for the USMNT, especially England. England, notorious for making fun of American soccer fans, can’t wait to play the US. And in order to win, the US needs to have the mindset of that they can’t wait to play England. They can’t wait to prove them wrong, and most importantly, prove themselves right. The squad has 332 million Americans, who will support the team loud and proud, backing them come time for the World Cup. It's time for the golden generation to put the gloomy days of 2017 in the past and finally shine like the gold that they are. Pulisic, Mckennie, Dest, and the whole crew need to show up and show out come World Cup time. The USMNT are underestimated and laughed at by their international foes, and it’s time the US shows how far it’s come and finally proves their mark on the international soccer scene. |
Chris DaileyA writer who loves to learn and share. Archives
September 2023
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