Akron’s Egbo is determined to carry on the legacy of his school and family. https://www.bgn.fm/akrons-egbo-is-determined-to-carry-on-the-legacy-of-his-school-and-family/
And here is the 2019 version of what I like to call bald heads and unfamiliar faces. https://gozips.com/news/2019/8/15/akron-mens-soccer-rounds-out-2019-signing-class.aspx
Seriously? I mean, it IS hazing (nothing borderline about it). But it's harmless. I also am pretty sure someone in the last few years did not participate for one reason or another with no issue, but I might be imagining that. I'm sure the adult men playing for UA don't need us clutching our pearls on their behalf.
No. It is exactly hazing, as hazing should be, mildly degrading but ultimately benign. Hazing has earned a negative connotation through execution by fascists and idiots. When done properly, initiation is the healthy psychological subverting of individual identity to the collective. This is still practiced by military organizations everywhere. And if you think the head shaving is bad, you should see the haircuts given to newcomers during the week of Captains’ practice leading up to picture day. Wow! Trust me, most of these guys can hardly wait the required week to shave their heads. The exception to that was DeAndre Yedlin who decided that he actually preferred the sloppy Mohawk he was given. He touched it up a bit and kept it.
Last year, incoming transfer senior Abdi Mohamed did not shave his head, purportedly for religious reasons. No one complained either way, to my knowledge.
I have always assumed that Brazilian waxing was somehow linked to Futebol. I am not so certain about that nowadays. Who can know all these things? Did you notice our freshmen winger Nicolas Alt? "A midfielder from Basel, Switzerland, Alt helped his BSC Old Boys Basel club team to a trio of Swiss Championships at the junior level. His play then earned him a promotion to the FC Blackstars Basel, which is a third-tier squad in Switzerland." Embick on Alt – "Nicolas is a talented, direct winger, who has great pace and is dangerous in 1v1 situations. He is a player we need to open up the game." That is his locker pictured above.
I indeed spotted it. But was surprised he did not play for elite club academies. These two clubs are not part of the elite in Switzerland. In our case, good players would go either to Basel FC or other pro clubs in the eastern surrounding area: Aarau, Luzern, Winterthur, Zurich... The Swiss have put in place a pretty efficient youth development organisation. The kids in Switzerland are well scouted by the system: clubs and federation. Good players quickly climb the pyramid and their development is permanently monitored. The breaking point is the end of the U18 season, where pro clubs make tough choices about who they keep for their U21 (i.e. having a serious potential to play at pro level), where places in the squad are very very scarce. I do not know players who did not follow the elite path and then who revealed themselves later to be able to come back to the pro level: because at the age of 18/19 they can only fall back to lower division clubs where they loose the pace, quality, volume of training and focus of the elite level…. and then they slowly disappear from the radars. So either he revealed himself late (i.e. after the U18, due to for example by a slow physical development), or did not have the mental to be at the elite level, or was "unluckily missed" by the system, I do not know. How old is he? So maybe a lucky pick by the Zips. I wish you this
Austmann Nets Game-Winner in 1-0 Exhibition Victory Over Evansville. https://gozips.com/news/2019/8/18/m...bition-victory-over-evansville.aspx?path=msoc
Four Unanswered Goals Lift Akron Past Charleston, 4-1, in Exhibition Play. https://gozips.com/news/2019/8/21/m...n-past-charleston-4-1-in-exhibition-play.aspx Swiss freshman Forward Nicolas Alt scored a tremendous right footed curler into the far upper corner from about 20 yards. https://gozips.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6456
Tom Smart, senior transfer from New Mexico, was Conference USA first team last season, not second team. (see quote below). https://gozips.com/news/2019/8/15/akron-mens-soccer-rounds-out-2019-signing-class.aspx I think Tom's ball handling skills are as good as any I saw in 15 years of watching Lobo soccer.
Source: https://conferenceusa.com/news/2018/11/6/mens-soccer-msoc-all-conference-awards-announced.aspx Nice start for Tom as he opens scoring today against Michigan with a blast from 25 yards out in the 6th minute.
Thanks Hank. Thoughts are with you and all Lobo fans. I have fond memories of my trip out to Albuquerque; enjoyed the picturesque views of the Sandia mountains in the background.
I think Zips tried a new formation Friday against Michigan, a 4-1-4-1. https://www.buildlineup.com/shared/5d62c775138c092e24ae0f14
Late Penalty Kick Propels Akron to 3-2 Triumph Over Michigan. https://gozips.com/news/2019/8/23/m...n-to-3-2-triumph-over-michigan.aspx?path=msoc