Sports

Agüero Declares the Real Reason he Wants to win this year’s Copa America

Published

5 years ago

June 13, 2019

19 minutes into last summer’s World Cup campaign Sergio Agüero struck Argentina’s first goal of the tournament. It looked like it was getting off to a textbook start, but it quickly went awry for the Argentines, eventually capitulating at the round of 16.

Fast forward twelve months after a much needed break from international duty, another Premier League title, and the Manchester City striker is back in the mix and ready to do his job for his country at this year’s Copa America in Brazil.

Ahead of the tournament Agüero has spoken of the real driving force behind his ambition to take home Argentina’s first Copa America in 26 years.

“I’m more excited about winning for Leo [Messi] than myself because he has played for so long and has suffered so much”

Agüero is in part alluding to the fact that Lionel Messi remains Argentina’s most capped player. The Barcelona playmaker is also perhaps one player in Argentine footballing history who has received the most criticism from his countrymen and women.

The buck doesn’t just stop there. Messi is also Argentina’s highest goal scorer and remains their youngest representative at a World Cup finals. He should be the prodigal son but instead he is regarded with circumspection in his homeland.

Agüero and Messi have come up together. At 31 they are arguably at the peak of their powers, first appearing for Argentina at senior level at the 2008 Beijing Olympics where they helped guide their country to a gold medal

The criticism towards Messi since that golden moment has been nothing short of relentless, even caustic at times. The truth is that since the heady heights of Diego Maradona, Messi is the one who has guided Argentina closest to the success they so badly crave.

Three finals, three failures, one in the World Cup, and two in the two previous Copa Americas – that is Messi’s international record.

Messi himself is a prime example of flying too close to the sun. The Argentine public crave absolute success. They don’t care how close you come to it if there’s no silverware at the end of the road.

Enter Agüero. His comments could not come at a better time with the 2019 Copa America about to get underway in Brazil this week.

Both players have just featured in a 5-1 demolition of Nicaragua where Messi netted two. It serves as a gentle reminder that Messi needs to be handled with care, and that Argentina’s talisman who bears the brunt of expectation and responsibility is deserving of victory more than anyone else.

Agüero represents perhaps the most natural strike partner to accompany Messi in their Copa America campaign. As their third highest goalscorer of all time, Agüero will most likely start up top.

Inter’s Lautaro Martinez, River Plate’s Matias Suarez and Paolo Dybala of Juventus will provide the attacking reserves coach Lionel Scaloni has opted to take to Brazil.

Argentina face an uphill struggle, having been drawn into perhaps the most difficult group of the tournament with Colombia, Paraguay and debutantes Qatar.

Nevertheless, Argentina still remain favourites alongside Brazil to lift the trophy. To compare betting sites ahead of a bet on Argentina to win the tournament, it’s always a good idea to consult the betting experts to set you straight.

Argentina need to hit the ground running with their first fixture against group challengers Colombia coming up first. A tricky prospect in Paraguay will follow on the 20 June with a final group tie against Qatar.

Messi and Agüero have played together before with mixed results at major competitions. Hopefully Messi’s strike partner’s thoughtful words will set the tone for a tournament to remember, and for all the right reasons.

Sports

Why Todd Graves Is Driven To Innovate Golfing Techniques and Inspire Future Athletes

Published

5 months ago

November 28, 2023

Jonathan Grilli

When you look up the history of sports and how it changed over the years, you will find several influential public figures and athletes’ names at the top of unique inventions. After all, those who play the sport, also know what could improve and popularize it. Todd Graves is one of those individuals with a passion for golf and sports innovation.

He is an innovative thought leader and business expert with nearly 50 years of experience in the golf community. He practiced golf under the training and guidance of Murray “Moe” Norman, the world-renowned PGA golfer of the 20^th Century. Norman was one of the most influential figures in the golf community with his unique techniques and innovative methods to approach the game.

His contributions and golf skills earned him the nickname of “Pipeline Moe”, mainly for his unmatched ability to hit one straight shot after another with the slightest deviation in the ball’s trajectory. As his protégé, Todd Graves vowed to be among the leading sports personalities and innovators in the golf space. He worked on the single-plane swing technique modeled by his mentor, Moe Norman over his professional career.

It is a technique that helps a golfer reduce strain on the lower back while increasing the consistency and frequency of making a solid impact with the ball. Before, it was limited in practice to highly experienced golfers with immense knowledge of kinetic movements and swinging techniques. Today, Todd Graves’ contributions have enabled the wide use and adoption of the single-plane swing method in the global golf community.

The pro golfer believes that innovation is a key component of progress and without progress, humanity could come to a standstill. Whether it is progress in the personal, professional, or sports world, every great athlete should strive for it and reach their maximum potential, according to Todd Graves. To bring new knowledge to a wider audience around the world, he recently partnered with Barry Morrow, who is a famous American screenwriter and film producer credited with co-writing the screenplay for the movie Rain Main (1988).

Graves partnered with Oscar-winning Barry Morrow to create a documentary on the life and achievements of the great pro golfer, Moe Norman. Through the documentary, Todd wishes to inspire athletes and motivate golfers to bring innovation to their gameplay. Todd Graves shares his drive for bringing innovation and catalyzing change in the sports world with aspiring athletes, pro golfers, and students.

Graves’s inspiration comes from his dedication to the advancement of sports science. He spent a better part of his career with kinesiology experts and sports scientists to discover intricate details involved in various physical activities, also including golf. He identified potential risk injuries, analyzed their occurrences, and gathered factual data with the help of scientists.

He aims to portray actual findings in his upcoming documentary and inspire young athletes to be more than participants in national and international competitions. Todd Graves stands as one of the most influential and inspirational figures in the golf community and has earned association with several famous personalities including Ben Hago, and Tiger Woods, among others.