All the attention, of course, is warranted. Messi is one of the greatest soccer players of all time, and in the sports world, greatness equates to newsworthiness. Or, at least it usually does.

Meanwhile, in the midst of Messi madness, another narrative was growing in Paris.

https://aasarchitecture.com/2013/12/stade-jean-bouin-by-rudy-ricciotti.html/

Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon: A Red-Hot Rivalry

It’s a story that starts with a rivalry between a French powerhouse— Lyon— and a relative underdog—PSG. Lyon owned the top tier of French football for nearly two decades. The team won fourteen division titles in a row. In the same stretch, from 2001-2019, they tied with Real Madrid for a record five consecutive Champions League trophies, netting a total of seven. To top it all off, they took home the Coupe de France, the French cup, an unprecedented nine times.

Starting in 2018, however, the competition heated up. Olivier Echouafni took over as PSG’s manager, and the team nabbed two Division 1 runner-up spots in a row. Still, in November of 2020 when Lyon once again took the field against PSG, they had won 80 games in a row. They were the European and the French champions. They expected to win. And then they didn’t.

With a single goal, PSG stunned in an empty stadium and emerged victorious. They broke Lyon’s game-winning streak, and then they went on to break their champion-winning streak as well. On 18 April 2021, PSG knocked Lyon out of the contention for the Champions League with a 2-1 win. And then, on 4 June 2021, PSG defeated Dijon 3-0 and secured their first ever Divison 1 championship. PSG started their own streak and ended their rival’s in one groundbreaking season.

Agence France-Presse

A Story Still Being Told

So far this season, PSG picked up where they left off. As of yet undefeated in 2021-2022, the team demolished their latest divisional contender, Guingamp, 6-0. In fact, they are winning by an average of 3.6 goals, and so far, they have not allowed a single score against them.

Still, typing their 2020 season into the Google news section only garners 3.3 million results. Five of the top ten articles that appear don’t explicitly mention the team itself.

Because this isn’t Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain. It’s Grace Geyoro’s.

Even in a time when the US Women’s team drew more broadcast viewers than the US men’s team during the 2019 World Cup, even when the PSG women’s team knocked their fiercest rival off the pedestal in cinematic fashion, even when three Tokyo gold medal winners are playing for Paris, it is still hard to find stories about team captain Grace Geyoro’s team. In fact, fans can’t even buy a jersey featuring her name or anyone else’s on the women’s team at the PSG online store. The women’s jersey section offers only kits with men’s names on the backs.

On October 3, the men’s PSG team lost 2-0 to Rennes. The Guardian, the BBC, ESPN, CNN, The Daily Mail, CBS Sports, Sporting News, Metro, and more published write-ups about the game.

On October 13, the women’s PSG team defeated Zhytlobud-1 at home in Paris five goals to none. In what was the Champions League second matchday of the group stage, 20-year-old Canadian gold-medal winner Jordyn Huitema scored a hat trick in the first half. Paulina Dudek and Lea Khelifi tacked on another two goals in the second half. Fans were there, cheering and singing for the full 90 minutes. DAZN streamed the game live and provided a post-match recap.

DAZN

But if a viewer clicks on the game, and then clicks on the news section, it offers only two articles. One from a Canadian paper highlighting their hometown hero of Huitema. The other from a publication called India Fantasy that focuses mainly on cricket.

Still, whether or not the stories are being written, the stories are being made. They’re being made by Paris Saint-Germain. They’re being made by women. They’re being made with greatness. And, at least in the sports world, greatness should always be newsworthy.

The post The Women of Paris Saint-Germain Remain Undefeated and Unheralded appeared first on Back Sports Page.

Henrik Lundquvist is the backbone of this hockey club, and has the most NHL experience on the team. He was drafted by the Rangers in 2000. He has made one Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2015 and has been to the playoffs multiple times. Many of the kids on the team currently have none of that experience. Playing against difficult teams this season as a rookie will be a challenge. Coach David Quinn has already been experimenting with different line matchups with rookies and veterans. 

For the first time in his career, Marc Staal was a healthy scratch last Saturday afternoon against Nashville. This gave young defensemen Ryan Lindgren an opportunity to show Quinn his skills. Doing a great job, Quinn kept Lindgren in for the next two games, scratching Staal again. Staal has been playing for the Rangers for over 13 seasons. He has never sat out a game until now, which broke his streak of games played in row. Staal commented about this after being told by Quinn.

“Obviously I was upset and pretty frustrated,” Staal said. “There weren’t a lot of talks about what I needed to improve and that’s why I was a little upset and frustrated by it. I was caught off guard that way.”

Quinn is already showing signs that he wants to play his rookies more than the veterans with this move. It’s understandable when a player is in a slump and needs to be talked to. With no conversation beforehand, Quinn seemed to be punishing Staal. After sitting for three games in a row, Quinn finally decided to put his veteran back in the lineup. When asked his thoughts on Staal’s play Quinn was positive. 

“I thought he was solid,” Quinn said. “He made a lot of good plays and defended well. I was happy with his play.” 

Hopefully now Staal has found his game again and will remain in the lineup. The underlying issue of this Rangers team still is whether or not youth triumphs experience. Further down the road of this season, we will see how Coach David Quinn answers this question. For now, he must still deal with the difficult task of finding the right match ups.

The post NYR Head Coach Struggling With The Question of Rookies or Veterans appeared first on Back Sports Page.

Coach David Quinn made some lineup changes hoping to shake up the team. With the injury of Mika Zibanejad, Quinn brought up young Filip Chytil. He was sent down to the Wolf Pack at the beginning of the season after playing the entire season with the team last year. So far his impact in the AHL has been stand out. He has nine points overall in all the games he’s played so far. When asked how he felt being cut from the team, Chytil was nothing but positive.

“Things happen in life and sports. I just focused to get back to my game and getting better everyday and playing hockey,” Chytil responded to reporters. 

When asked if Chytil was being brought up because of Zibanejad’s injury, David Quinn was quick to strike back at reporters defending Chytils game. 

“Fil is here because he earned it. Not because Mika is hurt”

Along with Chytil, young defender Ryan Lindgren has also been recalled from the Wolf Pack. He made his NHL debut last season against Carolina on January 15th. David Quinn was complimentary of Lindgren when asked what he liked about his game.

“Overall his game and puck play are better. I really like the edge he plays with. When coming back up from the AHL, a player gains confidence. The transition is easier for them and all of these play a factor.”

Hopefully the recall of Chytil and Lindgren will help the Rangers get back into the game. They have all of the key players, but need to connect better overall. More shooting needs to happen and less passing. Their big time players need to step it up before the Thanksgiving break. Getting all the kinks out now will help this team progress in the future.

The post New York Rangers Find Themselves In Hot Water appeared first on Back Sports Page.

But early on in the year, Barzal is putting these theories to rest. In 11 games, the 22-year old center has buried five goals, with 4 assists, and has accumulated a plus/minus of +7. He also has been able to stay out of the box. The Islanders right now are riding a seven game winning streak, in which Barzal has elevated his play, with nine points in that span.

Head coach Barry Trotz has been begging the passing wizard to shoot the puck more. And this year, he is doing just that. With his speed and mental quickness, his decisions are throwing his opposition in every direction, and it is becoming harder and harder to anticipate his decisions. One-timers were not something that Barzal had in his repertoire, yet we have seen it come to the forefront, as he has scored a few of these this season.

And a big part of a game that has been overlooked is his face off ability. On the year, he has won 41.74% of them, a few ticks higher than last year (41.55%). Winning or losing a faceoff can directly dictate the outcome of a game and is a stat that cannot be overlooked in today’s NHL.

Barzal is one of those players that also brings his creative touch to each game, with jaw dropping hands and skating ability. But like mentioned above, his decision making this year is something that catapults him over the top.

This goal last Saturday showcases his raw speed, and his decision to quickly toe-drag the puck and stuff it five hole, against a strong netminder.

And even with his new skill being harnessed, his passing ability is unmatched.

With the Islanders sitting near the top of the division early in this season, Barzal’s early success will need to continue if the team hopes to shatter negative outsider expectations.

The post No Sophomore Slump in Site For Isles Superstar appeared first on Back Sports Page.

“It’s a special moment for him and it’s something that the fans and he will never forget, that’s for sure,” said Ryan Strome. “He’s going to have a good career, so it was fun to be a part of it. And, hopefully many more at the Garden.”

After the game, Coach David Quinn had nothing but compliments to say when it came to Kaapo.

“I think there was pressure he put on himself for sure,” David Quinn said of Kakko. “You felt it in the building when he scored, right? I mean, the reaction was incredible, everybody felt so good for him. And without question, when you have all the attention on you and the focus on you, and as highly thought of as he is, I think he feels it, no matter what language it’s in. It would be hard not to put extra pressure on himself. So I think he’s very relieved that he’s got that one out of the way.”

Watching Kaako in preseason, fans already knew he was going to be a huge impact for this year’s team. Standing at 6’3, weighing almost 200lbs, he looks like a veteran player. His hockey smarts go way beyond his years at only eighteen. He plays on the second line with Chris Kreider and Brett Howden. Kakko is a flashy player. He handles the puck well with pressure and his passing on the power-play is superb. He is a key player on the power-play along with Artemi Panarin. These two move the puck around very well and look for the rocket shot on the left side by Mika Zibanejad. You can already see the chemistry these players have with only playing a handful of games so far.

This kid is going to be very special for this hockey club. He has the support of New York behind him and fans expect a lot out of him. By the looks of it so far, he is not going to disappoint the Ranger fans. All signs point to Kakko being a breakout star this season.

The post Future Looks Bright For Rangers Rookie Kaapo Kakko appeared first on Back Sports Page.

The Colorado native was drafted to the Buffalo Sabres in the 2014 draft and then traded to the Winnipeg Jets, where he played two seasons with them skating fifty-three games and registering eleven points. His father, famous hockey player Claude Lemieux, is now his son’s agent and number one fan. Brendan commented on watching his father player in the NHL. 

“My mom loves to chat about which teams might draft me; any NHL team would be awesome,” Lemieux said. “I still remember those days in Philadelphia when I’d be sitting with mom and we’d hear fans call my dad all different names. You need to have a tough skin, but I enjoyed it to be honest. 

Lemieux played in the OHL for the Barrie Colts, Manitoba Moose and one year with the Windsor Spitfires. He also played in the USHL with the Greenbay Gamblers. While on Barrie, he was a stand out player. He scored 83 goals and skated in 209 games for the team. He then transitioned himself to the Manitoba Moose, who are the affiliates of Winnipeg Jets where he played in 117 games scoring 33 goals. From there, he went into the NHL Draft and was selected 31st overall by the Sabres, where he played only a few games. He then requested a trade and finally ended up in Winnipeg. 

Young Brendan is now trying to make a name for himself in the world’s most famous arena: Madison Square Garden. While watching him on the ice a few things stand out. One, his white stick. Not many players have that in the league. Second, his work ethic. He loves getting pucks deep in the offensive zone and is very aggressive. He loves getting under other players skin and tries to draw penalties. Most of the time he fights people and ends up finding himself in the box, but that’s what Rangers fans love most about him. 

“I’m happy we were able to get something done, and I’m happy to be here with my teammates,” Lemieux said. “We’re looking forward to a big year, and for me personally, you’re on a one-year deal, so you want to get in here as quickly as possible so you’re not a step behind going into those first few games.

This season, Lemiuex is looking for a permanent spot on a line. He has a lot of talent and grit to bring to this Ranger team and being he is on a one-year contract, he will play his best every night in order to stay in this city. He is a fan favorite and is willing to do whatever it takes to win hockey games this season.

The post NY Rangers’ Lemieux Looking For A Home appeared first on Back Sports Page.

Their captain, Zdeno Chara is such a great leader. He couldn’t speak since his jaw was wired shut during the finals, but he still tried to lead his team. He leads by example and showed his team what it means to be a hockey power and the sacrifice one must give up to win it all. Sadly for him, he did not win it all. He had received two jaw surgeries, one during the Stanley Cup Finals and one after the game seven loss to the Blues. He is still recovering from these surgeries and most people were not sure if he was going to be ready for the beginning portion of the season. According to Chara, he is ready.

“I believe so,” Chara told reporters at training camp.  “You know, as of right now I think that it feels pretty good. You know, I’m looking forward to tomorrow, the next day, and my goal is to keep getting stronger and feeling better.”

He seems very optimistic about this season, especially in his defense men Charlie McAvoy who just signed a $14.7 million deal for three years with the Bruins and Brandon Carlo who brings a strong presence to the Bruins defense.

“I think that that’s something that will play out eventually,” said Chara. “But I think that as of right now we’ve got to really focus on who is here and do our best to get the best out of training camp. I believe that Brandon and Charlie will be here at the beginning of the season. But you know anything can happen and I think that right now we just got to go as it is.”

The Bruins open up on October 3rd, against the Dallas Stars at TD Garden. Hopefully this season they can be possible cup contenders. Fans will be happy that Chara will be playing in the first game this season. He is now the oldest active NHL player at 42.

#backsportspage

The post Boston Bruins Bounce Back Season appeared first on Back Sports Page.

This season they will be bringing in Kakko, the second overall pick in the draft who stood out in Traverse City. He netted the OT winner against Minnesota and finished the game with 4 points. 

Jacob Trouba is also new to the team this season, as he came from Winnipeg. He will help out on the defensive end as that has been a struggling point for Rangers. The consistency of the defensemen has been a problem for a few years now. Hopefully Trouba can bring some experience to this defensive core of Staal, DeAngelo, Skeji and Smith. Trouba played in all 82 games last season and had 8 goals and 42 assists with an overall 50 points. 

Another awesome pick up for the Rangers is Artemi Panarin who signed a seven year $81.5 million contract. He left the Columbus Bluejackets after they had their playoff run last season. He will be playing with Pavel Buchnevich and Mika Zibanejad this season. The three of them believe that they will be great together.

They have been working together in training camp and keep in close contact with one another. Mike Zibanejad spoke about Panarin after camp and said, “He’s good at holding the puck and finding those little areas to make the plays,” Zibanejad said. “I think for me, it’s kind of treated a little bit like playing with [Mats Zuccarello] last year. He’s a great passer. He has a great shot too, so I think for me it’s just to kind of get open and put myself in maybe more of a shooting role.” 

All the stars seem to be aligned for this Rangers top line. After being in New York for three weeks, Panarin told reporters, “When I was traded from [the] Chicago [Blackhawks], I put pressure on myself. I don’t feel that pressure here.” Last season with the Columbus Bluejackets played in 79 games had 28 goals and 59 assists with 87 overall points. He will be a very important piece to the Rangers offense.

The Rangers believe this season will be their breakout year. They have all of the right players on their team now and are very confident in themselves coming out of camp. The Rangers open up October 3rd at MSG against Trouba’s old team, the Winnipeg Jets.

The post New York Rangers Set For Break-Out Year? appeared first on Back Sports Page.

The Combine can be described as a crucial moment for all aspiring referees trying to make a name for themselves in the NHL. This scouting event helps people gain jobs as professional referees in the NHL, AHL, ECHL and The North American junior hockey leagues. For these four women, hockey has been apart of their lives since they were younger. 

When asked what this meant to her, Katie Guay replied, “When my playing days came to an end, I missed being at the rink and officiating was a great way to stay on the ice and be back in the game.” She will work the Rookie Faceoff in Irvine from Saturday through Tuesday. 

Guay’s resume is very decorated with officiating experience. Guay has officiated for 14 years, including at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. She has officiated both men’s and women’s NCAA Division I hockey, was a part of the first all-female officiating crew at the 2019 Women’s Frozen Four and was the first woman to officiate the men’s Beanpot Championship in 2019. Along with officiating, Guay played Division I hockey for Brown University. 

Kelly Cooke is a licensed referee for the IIHF and Division I and has officiated for 10 years. She was also part of the first all-female officiating crew at the 2019 NCAA Women’s Frozen Four. Cooke played Division I hockey for Princeton from 2009-13. 

Kirstin Welsh took in the Exposure Combine experience as this was her first introduction to officiating. She played Division I hockey for Robert Morris University from 2015-19 and was captain during her senior season. 

Kendall Hanley is entering her 12th season of officiating and is a licensed linesman with the IIHF, NCAA women’s hockey Division I and III and the National Women’s Hockey League. She is also entering her fourth season as a linesman in USA Hockey’s Officiating Development Program. She has officiated in the USHL, NAHL and NA3HL junior hockey leagues. 

The Exposure Combine experience provides great training for future officials. It provides and gives a glimpse of the transition between college hockey to professional hockey and helps develop potential referees for the NHL. More importantly, it is also opening doors for women to break into an area previously reserved for men.

#backsportspage

The post NHL Making Waves appeared first on Back Sports Page.

The best of the NHL will face off against each other in the skills competition and the division exhibition games.  The skills competition consists of the fastest skater, best puck control, hardest shot, passing and shooting accuracy and goal saving streak. Here were the winners of each group last year:

Fastest skater: Conor McDavid finishing in 13.37 seconds. 

Best puck control: Johnny “Hockey” Gaudreau  27.045 seconds. 

Hardest shot: John Carlson with a shot of 102.8 mph! 

Passing accuracy:  Leon Draisaitl finishing with a time of 1:09.088. 

Shooting accuracy: David Pastrnak with a time of 11.3 seconds.  

Longest save streak:  “The King” Henrik Lundquvist with a streak of 12 saves!  

The kick-off of the All-star game begins on January 24th tand goes until 26th at the Enterprise Center, the new home of the Stanley Cup.

#backsportspage

The post 2020 In The Lou! appeared first on Back Sports Page.