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Thursday, July 26, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com SPORTS
Two soccer titans matchup at ‘M’
Manchester
United
and
Liverpool,
the
two
most
successful English football clubs,
are set to play each other this
Saturday at Michigan Stadium.
With a combined 38 league titles
and eight Champions League
crowns
between
them,
the
significance of the derby can’t be
understated. It’s only fitting that
America’s largest stage will host
two of the world’s largest clubs.
Upon winning the Europa
League in 2017, Manchester
United
officially
became
England’s
most
decorated
club with 42 major honors to
Liverpool’s 41 — United’s 20
league titles to its rival’s 18 only
strengthen its case. Liverpool
fans
will
argue
their
five
Champions League victories to
United’s three grant their club
superiority. The margins are
thin.
The
Merseyside
club
can
claim to have one of the world’s
best players in winger Mohamed
Salah,
while
Manchester
United’s midfield is marshalled
by newly-minted World Cup
winner Paul Pogba, who scored
past Liverpool defender Dejan
Lovren at the showpiece event
in Moscow.
Forward Marcus Rashford’s
brace put Liverpool to the sword
the last time the two footballing
juggernauts
met
in
their
200thofficial meeting. However,
the Manchester club is currently
without Pogba, Rashford, striker
Romelu Lukaku and a number of
its starters who are on holiday
after making deep runs in the
World Cup.
Star forward Alexis Sanchez
should provide relief to the
depleted United squad. Anthony
Martial, left out of the French
team for the World Cup, is
available and fighting for a
starting role at Old Trafford
next season, provided another
club doesn’t sign him during the
transfer window.
Liverpool
manager
Jurgen
Klopp has had an eventful
summer, having bolstered his
midfield by acquiring stand-out
performers from the Bundesliga
and Ligue 1, Naby Keita and
Fabinho, respectively. Xerdan
Shaqiri has also been brought in
to provide support for Salah and
Sadio Mane on the Wings.
Liverpool’s
headline
singing has been that of Brazil
goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who
is set to take over the No.1 spot
from Loris Karius. Karius has
looked out of sorts in pre-season,
carrying on his horrid form since
the Champions League Final in
Kyiv. He is, however, expected
to start, with Alisson not having
joined the squad following the
World Cup as of now.
Despite the overall head-to-
head favoring of Manchester
United with 80 wins, 55 draws
and 65 loses, manager Jose
Mourinho has a worse record
against Klopp than any other
manager—barring
Josep
Guardiola of Manchester City.
The game is not only between
two
legendary
clubs,
but
also
between
two
different
footballing
philosophies.
Klopp’s brand of “heavy-metal
football”
with
its
relentless
pressing
and
a
free-flowing
attack lays in stark contrast to
Mourinho’s brand of pragmatic
football where his team grinds
out results at all costs. Some
argue Klopp’s football is more
fun,
but
Mourinho’s
trophy
cabinet would beg to differ.
Manchester United finished
six points ahead of its rival in
the Premier League title on the
back of conceding 10 less goals,
but Liverpool made it to the
Champions League final behind
Salah’s brilliance and the club’s
fearsome attack. There is very
little to give between these two
great sides, and flares are sure to
fly every time they meet — even
in a pre-season friendly match.
The Big House is no stranger
to rivalries. Michigan vs Ohio
State, Michigan State and Notre
Dame have all been played
countless times, be it under the
sun or under the lights. Now, it
will be the setting for another
chapter in the storied rivalry
of
Manchester
United
and
Liverpool.
COURTESY OF JUNFU HAN, DETROIT FREE PRESS
Legendary English soccer clubs Liverpool and Manchester Utd. match up in the International Champions Cup in the Big House
FAHD ASDAN
Former Daily Sports Writer
Four-star recruit flips to
Stanford from Michigan
On July 23rd, four-star weakside
defensive end Stephen Herron
went public with his decision
to flip his commitment from
Michigan to Stanford — a move
that devastated the Wolverines,
as Herron was ranked fifth at his
position and 86th overall.
With
the
loss
of
Herron,
Michigan’s 2019 recruiting class
fell to eighth in the nation and
second in the Big Ten just behind
Ohio State. The Wolverines saw
themselves ranked as high as third
overall after a highly successful
recruiting period in late-June.
For Herron, the decision was
purely based on academics. While
Michigan boasts a world-renown
reputation and an elite education,
the recruit couldn’t turn down the
opportunity to be a Cardinal and
study at Stanford.
That’s why the minute he
received that acceptance letter to
head out west, Herron’s mind was
made.
“For me, it’s not just football,”
Herron
told
WolverinesWire.
“I didn’t think I could pass up a
Stanford education. I realize that
a Michigan education isn’t far
off, but the fact of the matter is a
Stanford education would mean a
lot.”
After
committing
to
the
Wolverines, it all came down to
whether or not Herron would gain
acceptance to be a Cardinal to
determine where he would finally
end up. En route to his placement
on the west coast, Herron was
tasked with writing seven essays
as part of the admissions process,
a gruelling endeavor that he took
as seriously as his football career.
Whether
via
his
public
statements or actions in dealing
with the team, it’s apparent that
Herron has nothing but respect
for Michigan and his decision has
nothing to do with the Wolverines’
program or recruiting process.
“I loved the family factor (at
Michigan),” Herron said. “Even
after I told the coaches, I went
in our group chat and told the
other 2019 commits that I would
be decommitting and wished the
best for everyone. I hope the best
for those guys and the coaching
staff. I’m really excited (for them).
Being a part of that family was
great.”
This news comes as a relief to
Wolverine personnel and fans
alike after questions were raised
over the efficacy and personability
of Michigan’s recruiting process.
Earlier this offseason, fire-star
offensive lineman Devontae Dobbs
committed to Michigan State
and wasn’t one to mince words in
regards to his interactions with
the Wolverines on the recruiting
trail.
Dobbs stated that the coaching
staff, “acted like robots,” during
his recruiting process and that
the Spartans’ personnel was much
more accomodating and friendlier.
“They (MSU coaches) let it
come naturally,” Dobbs said. “I
just felt comfortable with them.”
His
comments
insinuate
a
lack of awareness on behalf of
the Wolverines, although this
coaching staff has the same man
who famously spent the night at
a recruit’s home in a full-hearted
pitch to get him to come to Ann
Arbor.
While some may see Herron’s
flipped commitment and Dobbs’
comments as reason to doubt
Michigan’s capacity for retaining
high-level
recruits,
Herron’s
respect for the program and a
still-stacked 2019 recruiting class
beg to differ.
Additionally,
while
citing
academics as his main impetus for
leaving Michigan, this was also a
football decision for Herron.
“I feel like Stanford fit me
better for play style with pass
rushing. I want to be somewhere
where I’m not used, and I’m not
saying Michigan was ever going
to do that. Rashan Gary, Chase
Winovich and Taco Charlton, who
the staff compared me to, are all
doing just fine.
“I just wanted to be used where
I would fit best as an individual for
my future.”
While the Wolverines may
not have been Herron’s best fit,
Michigan will press on in its
hunt for the nation’s best talent,
and with any luck, it will get
its recruits to adhere to their
commitments going forward.
JACOB KOPNICK
Summer Managing Sports Editor
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