11

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

FOOTBALL