Young Albert Gudmundsson, just 20, has scored 37 goals in 57 matches for his club, PSV Eindhoven’s reserves, and is a product and child of Iceland’s football revolution in the 1990s.
It is a ritual that’s repeated every four years, in May, to be precise. The minutiae are always the same: hysteria and speculation in the buildup analysis and, at times, discontent in the aftermath. The press pack, driving different narratives, are front and centre of the drama, while the fans all have their own favourites.
The coach sits down, often in a nondescript auditorium, with a list of 23 names in front of him. Everywhere, there is flash photography. The nation is watching. And, suddenly, before it has even begun in earnest, it’s over. The 23 names of the World Cup squad have been revealed and preparations for the final tournament can begin. Across continents, the ritual is repeated in 32 countries.
On May 11, Heimir Hallgrimsson, coach of World Cup debutants, Iceland, sat down behind the lectern in the auditorium of Laugardalsvollur, Iceland’s national stadium in the capital Reykjavik, to read the names of the 23 chosen ones. From the qualification campaign, Birkir Bjarnason, Kari Arnason and other stalwarts of the team had been guaranteed a spot on the plane to Russia. The inflexion of the coach’s voice, the tension in the auditorium, the media inquisitiveness — it was no different, but for one family, the Gudmundssons, the squad announcement was the apex of a longstanding relationship with the beautiful game.
Plying his trade in Holland
この記事は Sportstar の June 2, 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Sportstar の June 2, 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Tokyo Marathon Cancelled For Amateurs On Coronavirus Fears
Organisers in Japan cancelled the amateur portion of the Tokyo marathon, affecting around 38,000 runners, on fears about the spread of the new coronavirus in Japan.
Right Criteria To Pick The Tennis GOAT
What should the criteria be? What weight should be attached to each criterion? And what should not be considered as valid criteria?
The making of a batting behemoth
If Steve Smith dominated the Ashes in England in a dramatic, blockbuster fashion then his like for like a replacement, Marnus Labuschagne, is the Next Big Thing after an exciting summer of run-glut.
WHEN ACES WERE REWARDED...
It was an evening of nostalgia and celebration when the Sportstar Aces awards were given away in Mumbai.
A question of recognition
After a week of awards, one wonders if it’s only a departed player that one will be named after.
Thinking straight, thinking right!
“A lot depends on when I am bowling and what is required from me. That’s something I do when I play for India and I try to follow the same thing in the domestic circuit,” says Yuzvendra Chahal.
The Big Three and the Next Gen
Though the Big Three are very unlikely to retire during the same year, Judy Murray, mother of Andy, echoed the sentiments of many fans worried about the impact of their departures.
WAKING UP TO MENTAL HEALTH
Sport at large and cricket specifically has taken an inordinately long time to address the elephant in the room — the dark abyss of depression.
Like sunshine in a gloomy dressing room
Bangladesh quick Abu Jayed Rahi is new in the red-ball arena, but his swing brings back old memories — of James Anderson on green tops.
The league of the masses
With traditional clubs locking horns with the hard-working nurseries of the game, the I-League will continue to keep the beating heart of Indian football alive despite official apathy.
