"Shota Imanaga" means "one who tosses softly with his left hand" in Japanese.

Pochettino: USMNT can be world's best team in 5 or 10 years​

Mauricio Pochettino has said the U.S. men's national team can be the best in the world within "five or 10 years" due to the growing investment in soccer in the country.

Pochettino, who was appointed USMNT coach last September, has not shied away from the pressure of leading the team at the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The USMNT's best finish at a World Cup was a semifinal place at the inaugural edition in 1930 and, in the modern era, a quarterfinal exit in 2002.

But the former Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea coach cited the U.S. Soccer Federation's recent announcement of a new national training center in Atlanta, financed in part by a $50 million contribution from Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United owner Arthur Blank, as a catalyst for the U.S. to join the world's elite soccer countries.

It is, he said, "as important an impact" as having eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi currently playing in MLS with Inter Miami.

"The eight countries which have won the World Cup all have amazing training centers," he told British media outlets in an interview published Tuesday.

"When you go to the U.S. now [for training camps], one time you go to Los Angeles, then it's New York, Chicago, Miami, Orlando or St. Louis. Where is the center for football? If you look at the training centers of the NFL and baseball, you say: 'Wow.' With football, it is: 'Where is the team going to train?' We need to ask the colleges and universities.
.
.
.
continued

Just sayin': As long as the best (young) athletes in the United States aspire to play in the NBA, NFL, or MLB the USMNT will never be the world's best. Just compare the average salaries of the NBA, the NFL, or the MLB to the MLS:

For the 2024-25 NBA season, the average salary for an NBA player is projected to be around $11.9M, a significant increase from the previous season's $9.7 million.

The average Major League Baseball (MLB) player salary in 2023 was a record high of approximately $4.66M, with the median salary being about $1.5 million

The average NFL player salary is around $3.2 million per year in 2024, up from $2.8 million in 2023

The average salary for an MLS player in 2024 was $594,390; up from $530,262 in 2023.

Go figure the MWC team is making UNC look good.

Ryan Day Sees Ohio State’s National Championship Run As Testimony That Buckeyes Are Doing Things the Right Way​

The burden removed from Ryan Day’s shoulders after winning a national championship was apparent after Ohio State’s first day of spring practice on Monday.

Nearly two months from removed from winning it all, the glow of championship glory still shined through Day. Although he admitted that he’s “never happy” coming out of the first day of spring practice because of all the issues that need to be cleaned up, Day had a loose demeanor during his first press conference of the spring as he expressed confidence about his 2025 team, talked about what winning a national championship did for him and his program and personally addressed multiple media members while making lighthearted comments.

“Yeah, I'm definitely more relaxed,” Day said with a laugh in response to a query on whether it feels different being Ohio State’s head coach now that he’s won a national championship. “To say I'm not is crazy. There's no question. Yeah, we're in a different place than we were a couple months ago. I mean, let's call it for what it is.”

Day went from the hot seat to the catbird seat over the course of four College Football Playoff games in December and January. A pariah in Columbus after Ohio State suffered its fourth straight loss to Michigan in November, Day established himself as one of college football’s elite coaches by leading the Buckeyes to decisive wins over Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.

Day views that championship run as testimony that he is running Ohio State’s program the right way. While the road to winning last year’s national championship wasn’t easy, the Buckeyes ultimately prevailed in the end because they trusted the process.

“You have to trust your process and trust your culture,” Day said Monday. “And really, to me, what that last run just solidified, I think for everybody in the building, is just the culture works, the system works. How we do it, our process works. It just gave credibility to everything we're doing. And truth be told, when you're a first-time head coach and you haven’t done it before and you become the head coach at Ohio State, you typically don't get the benefit of the doubt until you win it all. Because you haven't really done it yet, it's like anything else. And so now we have the testimony moving forward. And I think for our guys, that's the most powerful thing we can do.”

Login to view embedded media .
.
.
continued

Ohio State Athletic Director Ross Bjork Feels Ohio State Basketball Just Has to “Get Over the Hump,” Jake Diebler is Ready to Build Through the Transfer Portal​

Athletic director Ross Bjork and head coach Jake Diebler are taking a positive stance on where Ohio State basketball finished its first season under Diebler.

On separate radio programs Monday, while both expressed disappointment about the Buckeyes being the third team out of the NCAA Tournament, they feel the program is moving in a positive direction.

“Jake has done a great job of changing the culture, changing the mindset,” Bjork said on WOSU’s All Sides. “How we operate the program is at a completely different level than the previous regime. Now we just have to get over the hump, and we need to be in the conversation, to be competing for Big Ten championships (and) obviously a strong run in the postseason.”

“How we operate the program is at a completely different level than the previous regime. Now we just have to get over the hump, and we need to be in the conversation.”– Ross Bjork on the state of Ohio State basketball

Now, of course, Bjork does see areas where things need to change.

“We have work to do,” Bjork said. “We need to change the narrative in many aspects around the scope of the program. We’ve got to get our fans plugged in. So, disappointment is the word, but now we have to go to work. Jake is already going to work on building that roster and making sure that we’re in the competitive landscape in this new era of college athletics.”

Changing the narrative and getting fans plugged in will require better results on the court than a 17-15 mark and a third consecutive missed NCAA Tournament. The first step to that, with Diebler set to lead the charge for another year, is roster building.

The first step will be roster retention, first and foremost clutching on to star point guard Bruce Thornton. Thornton will be a big target for tampering in the portal after earning second-team All-Big Ten honors and pacing the Buckeyes in both points (17.7) and assists (4.6) per game. He may also go through the evaluation process for the NBA draft, as players in college can do while maintaining their eligibility, and decide whether or not to go pro.

Diebler said on his radio show with 97.1 the Fan that he encourages players to go through that process and get feedback on where they stand if they feel so inclined. But Thornton is just one of the three stars it’s vital for Ohio State to try to keep around, as Devin Royal and John Mobley Jr. are also integral parts of the plan for next year in Columbus.

“That’s what’s going on right now, is evaluating some very specific needs from a roster standpoint and conversations about retention is part of it,” Diebler said. “That’s what’s happening now.”

Diebler added that he wants Ohio State to stay “on the forefront” when it comes to adding through the portal itself. Guard depth will be needed regardless of whether Thornton and Mobley stay, but especially if one or both leave. Disappointing center play this season calls on the need for a bona fide big man as well.

“Any time you’re in this competitive world, you want to win at the highest level,” Bjork said. “So when you have those disappointments, you analyze, ‘What do we need? What do we need from a staffing structure standpoint? What do we need from a player personnel (standpoint)?’ Because obviously that’s a big part of this. What do we need from a roster building? How do we keep the nucleus of the high-level guys in place, but also add to that in the transfer portal era?”

Bjork added that Diebler’s relatable personality and understanding of the current college basketball landscape will assist in building a roster that can produce better results next year.

“Jake has the connectivity to the modern era,” Bjork said. “He relates to the players. He’s an Ohio name and a brand among himself. He’s recruiting at a high level in the future. We’ve got guys that are committed to the program that are high-level. So, tons of confidence in Jake. And, again, how do we finish these games where we had the lead with five minutes left, with seven minutes left. Those are the things we have to get over. And Jake knows that, the staff knows that, the players know that.”

“Tons of confidence in Jake. And, again, how do we finish these games where we had the lead with five minutes left, with seven minutes left. Those are the things we have to get over.”– Ross Bjork
.
.
continued
.
.
Bjork still believes Diebler is the man to take advantage of those resources.

“We have the right ingredients,” Bjork said. “We’ve been in the hunt for a long time in the past. Jake’s the right guy, he’s got vision, he’s got energy, he relates to the players in this modern era. So, we’ve just gotta get over the hump and there’s a lot of work happening behind the scenes to get that done.”

Login to view embedded media


A dome stadium won't make Cleveburg a destination city. Delusions of grandeur.

Ohio State Center Austin Parks Entering Transfer Portal After Two Seasons with the Buckeyes​

Two days after its season officially ended, Ohio State has its first transfer portal entrant of the offseason.

Austin Parks announced Tuesday that he is entering the portal after two seasons with the Buckeyes, seeking a new home for his final two years of collegiate eligibility.

Login to view embedded media
A native of St. Marys, Ohio, Parks played only sparingly in two seasons as a Buckeye, appearing in just 24 games as a reserve center. He averaged 1.3 points and 0.9 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per game across 15 games in 2024-25.
.
.
.
continued

Crazy ending to game 1

Login to view embedded media