The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 26

March 16, 2021 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 9 Sports Women’s Golf What’s going on with Liverpool F.C.? Back in the 2019-2020 Premier League season, Liverpool F.C. was dominating the world of European football. Although it was their first league win in 30 years, they won big, accumulating a total of 99 points and losing only three games all season. They finished 18 points ahead of the second place contender. However, only 23 games into this year’s season, this same team is 10 points behind Manchester City, dropping them down to fourth place. Why is this happening? A key factor contributing to Liverpool F.C.’s decrease in performance is undeniably all of the injuries they’ve taken to their defense line, including players such as Joel Matip, Joe Gomez, and the infamous Virgil Van Dijk, who has unarguably transformed Liverpool F.C. with his skills that qualify him for the world title of the best center-half. Due to their injuries, Liverpool F.C. has put both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho into defensive positions instead of their usual midfield positions. While they have been performing moderately well in defense, losing them from their midfield positions has put a strain on the strikers and other players further up on the field. Without their driving forces and power passes to the frontline, there appears to be a slower build-up to the strikes, ultimately, giving the opposing team time to set- up a sturdy defense line with ease. Another possible reason for Liverpool F.C.’s decline in performance could be related to the amount of games that all teams in the league are required to play within such a short time due to the pandemic. This is an issue affecting all teams, just as all teams are suffering injuries -- in fact, two of Manchester City’s best players, Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne, are temporarily out because of injuries. While Liverpool F.C. does seem to suffer just as much as any team due to the fact that substitute players are not of the same quality as their main lineup, Liverpool F.C. can’t freely rotate and rest their star players like other teams in the league. Teams such as Manchester United and Chelsea F.C. definitely have a better quality squad and roster in general, and can safely deploy substitutes with nearly identical quality to the players of their starting lineup. In recent games, it is noticeable that the legendary front-three, consisting of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah, need rest. However, whenever they’ve taken time off in the past, the substitutes were never able to meet the high standards that came with each of their positions. Also, tying back into their midfielders (who have been required to play out of their usual positions), the midfield options have been severely reduced, resulting in minimal rotations of the starting 11. This could be detrimental to the physical and mental well-being of these players, seeing that they never have time to rest. I believe that once Liverpool F.C.’s world- class players, Mane, Salah, Van Dijk, Henderson, Alisson, Andy Roberston, Trent Alexander- Arnold and others, return from injury, the club will be well on their way to the top again. Once the harsh itineraries become less intense, the return of those players, along with the possible addition of a few new players and tactical strategies, will make them a strong contender for the Premier League trophy. At NSU, the Women’s Golf program is considered by some as the most successful sports in school history. Their history is short, yet storied. Let’s take a look at what the NSU Women’s Golf program has accomplished in their 21-year history as a program and their 19-year history as a Division II program. In 1999-2000, NSU’s Women’s Golf program had its first season, initially in the Florida Sun Conference (FSC) of the NAIA division of collegiate sports. Though their stay in the FSC was short, the Sharks made their presence known. The team won the FSC conference title in 2000 and 2001. Additionally, Amanda Brown and Freska Darlion were named NAIA All-Americans for the 2000-2001 season. They also saw the program’s first appearance on the NAIA Scholar All-American list with Lindsey Haines in their inaugural season. In 2002, NSU athletics joined the Sunshine State Conference and Division II of the NCAA. Since then, the Women’s Golf team has secured the conference title six times (’08, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’17 and ‘18). Despite an underwhelming program season, the team was elevated to a national contender in 2008. In their first D-II National Championship appearance, they came up short against Rollins, but this loss would revolutionize the program. After the National Championship loss, the Women’s Golf team went on to win the D-II National Championship four times and in a row (’09, ’10, ’11 and ‘12). During the team’s National Championship runs, the school produced three individual champions including Sandra Changkija in 2010, Taylor Collins in 2011 and Abbey Gittings in 2012. 1-year history, the Sharks have had 40 appearances — 19 different players — as NCAA All-Americans. Additionally, the program has also had 26 appearances — 15 different players — as NCAA Scholar All-Americans. Junior Nicola Fall is one of six golfers on NSU’s team. Fall, a two-time NCAAScholar All- American, is from Vantaa, Finland. Fall is also one of four European players on the team. “I was searching for a university where I could continue playing golf competitively while also getting a degree. NSU seemed like the right fit for me and I am happy to say I made the right choice by coming here,” Fall said. According to Fall, NSU attracts a good amount of Europeans, especially athletes, and aims to treat them as a valued part of the NSU community and believes the athletics department appreciates having a diverse group of athletes from around the world. Through all their athletic programs, NSU has 44 European players, which accounts for 13.3% of all players (44/332). NSU is one of the best Women’s Golf programs in D-II and their players get better year by year. “I definitely believe the past three years I’ve spent at NSU have made me a better player on the course and mentally tougher in many ways,” said Fall. For those looking to come to NSU and join the Women’s Golf program, Fall said, “come with excitement and a hunger for improvement, as well as with a good work ethic.”. As of March 2021, NSU is ranked as the #13 Women’s Golf team in the NCAA Division II. For their third meet of the season, the Sharks will take on Rollins College on March 15 and 16 in Orlando at the Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational. You can find out more about NSU Women’s Golf at https://nsusharks.com/sports/womens-golf. By: Blake Malick Contributing Writer NICOLA FALL PERMISSION FROM NSU ATHLETICS By: Isabella Gomez Contributing Writer PHOTO BY MD MAHDI ON UNSPLASH