With a dominant showing at this week’s international match versus Poland, Turkey’s Alperen Sengun gave #Rockets fans plenty to be excited about heading into the 2023-24 season.
Jalen Green isn’t the only third-year Houston Rockets prospect who appears to be making a big impression in the 2023 NBA offseason.
After a late change in plans, Alperen Sengun is playing for Turkey’s national basketball team in this month’s FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament. Earlier this week, Houston’s talented young big man had 24 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists as Turkey downed Poland, 87-84, in a preparation game taking place in Istanbul.
In his first international appearance this offseason, Sengun delivered plenty of highlights on both ends of the court. In one of them, he finished a key 3-point play late as Turkey pulled away. It was also noteworthy Sengun made all 10 of his free throws after shooting 71.3% from the line over his first two NBA seasons.
Here’s a look at Sengun’s top highlights versus Poland.
Beyond Sengun and Green, other Rockets playing in this current international window include Dillon Brooks for Canada and Jock Landale for Australia. Unlike Turkey, both of those teams will participate in the upcoming 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
The 22-year-old has said of possibly playing for the USMNT: “Poland wanted me more”
Many American soccer fans probably recognize the name Ben Lederman.
In 2013, the New York Times dubbed 13-year-old Lederman the “American boy wonder” while he was in Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy. The California native moved to Spain at age 11, becoming the first American-born player to be a part of La Masia.
For a player who was barely a teenager, the hype around Lederman was huge.
Things didn’t go exactly as Lederman may have planned when he was profiled by the Times but 10 years later, he has received his first senior national team call-up — just not with the country he probably imagined back then.
On Friday, Lederman was named to Poland’s squad for its upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Albania — a major milestone for a player who has rebuilt his career with Polish side Raków Częstochowa.
In 2016, FIFA banned Lederman from playing for Barcelona’s youth teams amid a crackdown on under-18 players abroad, which eventually saw him released two years later. Following brief stints in Belgium with Gent and at Israeli side Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan, the midfielder found his way to Raków.
Lederman has become a starter with Raków, where he was part of the team that finished second in the Polish top flight last season. He has also helped the team win back-to-back Polish cups.
Now 22, Lederman has represented Poland at the U-21 level and is now in the squad with the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Piotr Zieliński and Wojciech Szczęsny.
Rzadko się zdarza, by piłkarz mógł legitymować się trzema obywatelstwami. Tak jest w przypadku Bena Ledermana – pomocnik Rakowa Częstochowa w szufladzie posiada paszporty Polski, USA oraz Izraela.
A dziś otrzymał pierwsze powołanie do seniorskiej reprezentacji Polski! 🇵🇱⤵️
Poland is already overmatched against France. If it sits back, it’s guaranteed embarrassment.
On paper, France and Poland’s game in the Round of 16 couldn’t be a bigger mismatch.
The French, led by Kylian Mbappe, are the defending World Cup champions for a good reason. Between Mbappe, Olivier Giroud, and Antoine Griezmann, among others, France have a bevy of world class finishers who have been there and done that. They have a squad of heroes from top to bottom.
On the flip side, Poland’s Robert Lewandowski is one of the greatest goal-scorers ever. But the Poles are only playing beyond the group stage for the first time in over three decades for a good reason, too. This team has one hero, and they ask him to put out all of the fires across Metropolis, even though he’s not from Krypton and has human limitations.
But the way the Poles play — a backward, conservative, defensive counter style — is just them begging to get destroyed by the world’s premier soccer power.
You see, while Poland can’t match France in talent at all, if it concedes possession voluntarily, hoping to counter with Lewandowski on a handful of chance opportunities, it’s writing its own death sentence. We saw evidence of this firsthand against Lionel Messi’s juggernaut in Argentina. The Argentinians are far more balanced and gifted than the Poles, but Poland had no interest in sustaining consistent offensive pressure from its 4-4-2 formation.
As these conservative strategies often tend to do, Poland’s shell invited Messi and Co. to sustain relentless pressure as they pounded the Poles with 23 shots (13 on goal). On the flip side, Poland’s offense (three shots, none on goal) was nonexistent. Leaving Lewandowski and whoever his partner striker is on a distant island allowed Argentina to effortlessly double or even triple-team the superstar striker into irrelevance on the pitch. This is how Poland has usually played in Lewandowski’s decade of international play — trying to protect its inferior overall talent — while hoping Lewandowski goes super-Saiyan. Again: It’s not hard to see why this is the first time Poland’s played beyond the group stage since 1986.
Unfortunately, a No. 9 like Lewandowski needs better service and support to wreak havoc. If you allow the defense to isolate him, he becomes just Another Guy like anyone. And if the other team — like Argentina in the Group C finale — is locked-in possession-wise (74 percent!), there won’t be many chances to push the ball the other way, hoping for a quality shot attempt. You need the ball to do damage and to protect your defense. A novel concept, I know.
If Szczęsny doesn’t stand on his head in an all-time performance, a final 2-0 margin from that Argentina match is probably more in the range of 4-0 or 5-0 (if not more). Asking him to do the same for 120-plus minutes and in a penalty kick shootout (the only “realistic” way Poland could win against France) is a Herculean task with the tactic his team utilizes.
All this to say: France should be heavily favored to continue its World Cup quest to repeat and demolish Poland. Where Argentina fell short on finishes, the French assuredly will not, no matter how well Szczęsny plays. But if the Poles don’t even attempt to attack with regularity from their defensive shell, if they cede ground by default to the more talented squad — we’ll have one heck of a French rout on our hands this Sunday. Book it.
Wojciech Szczęsny: Excellent keeper, bitter bettor
Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny is either fantastic at playing mind games on the pitch or the worst kind of person to make a bet with.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi would probably argue for the latter option.
During Wednesday’s Group C finale at the World Cup between the two nations, Szczęsny and Messi got tangled up in the box leading to a penalty review. The netminder was so certain the ref would find him innocent that he admitted to betting Messi 100 Euros the striker wouldn’t receive a penalty shot.
Szczęsny was wrong. Messi was awarded a PK. And Szczęsny is very open about the fact he won’t pay up.
“I told him I can bet him a 100 [euros] that [the referee] wasn’t going to give it. So I’ve lost a bet against Messi.” Szczęsny said after the match, per The Athletic’s Luke Brown.
“I don’t know if that’s allowed at the World Cup and I’m probably going to get banned for it but I don’t care right now. And I’m not going to pay him either! He doesn’t care about 100, come on.”
Considering Messi is worth over half a billion dollars — give or take a few tax scandals — of course he likely doesn’t care about an extra hundred bucks.
But it’s the principle of the matter. You make a bet, you pay up. And to make the matter even worse for Messi, Szczęsny — who seemed really confident beforehand — completely robbed him of a goal on the penalty kick.
So maybe one of the greatest goal scorers in soccer history was focused on Szczęsny holding out on him. Maybe he just missed. Either way, let this be a lesson to every player who gets too closer to Poland’s keeper: don’t bet with him.
Argentina won 2-0 as both teams advanced to the knockout stage.
Imagine being THIS cool before you have to stop Messi.
Heading into the final day of their group stage, Poland and Robert Lewandowski were simply hoping to preserve their place in the knockout stages. But after Argentina and Lionel Messi decided to absolutely shell the Poles, Lewandowski and Co.’s chances of living to fight another day seemed bleak. Argentina leveled Poland with 23 shots (13 on goal!) throughout their matchup while enjoying 74 percent (!) possession.
Naturally, with such output, two goals in a 2-0 Argentinian victory were inevitable. Even still, the margin kept Poland’s place in the Round of 16 — albeit on a very slim basis.
With what happened between Mexico and Saudi Arabia on the other side of Group C — especially concerning goal differential — if Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny doesn’t make an incredible save on a late first-half Messi penalty kick, the “biało-czerwoni” probably wouldn’t have advanced.
It was indeed a heroic play in a heroic individual performance:
Holy cow. You rarely see the arguably best player of all time stopped in such a spot. But Szczęsny — who stood on his head in an immaculate nine-save first half — didn’t seem worried about keeping Messi from scoring. In fact, he appeared to know he’d keep the legendary No. 10 off the board — judging by a casual gesture right before the kick:
Incredible. It should be impossible to be that cool in that clutch of a moment.
Szczęsny now leads all goalies at the 2022 World Cup with 18 saves. His two penalty kick saves (he made another against Saudi Arabia) are the most in any World Cup since the United States’ Brad Friedel did it in 2002. As Poland moves on to the Round of 16, they can thank their man between the posts, who is having himself quite the tournament so far.
They’ll face impossible odds to upset defending champion France, but anything can happen when you have a locked-in goalie like Szczęsny.
Expect an incredible show from two all-timers in a delicious Wednesday World Cup main course.
As various nations (like the US Men’s National Team!) gear up for the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup, an underlying and perhaps bittersweet storyline may overshadow Wednesday’s titanic Group C matchup between Argentina and Poland.
With both squads seeking a firm place in the Round of 16, the Argentinians and Poles will lean on Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski — the two best players to ever feature for their respective teams — to become the hero. Unfortunately, in the event that the other side of the group — Mexico and Saudi Arabia — breaks the right (or wrong?) way, Wednesday could be the last time we see one of the two soccer icons suit up for their home country.
In recent months, speculation has mounted that Messi and Lewandowski may call it quits from international competition following this World Cup. That lays some delicious drama onto this showcase of the two current Group C leaders.
Of course, while he’ll never admit to it, Lewandowski could be seeking a measure of “revenge” on a personal level over Messi. The Argentinian midfielder beat out Lewandowski for the 2021 Ballon d’Or (awarded annually to the best soccer player in the world). Given that Messi only enjoyed a usual stellar season by his standards, while Lewandowski scored a record 41 goals en route to leading Bayern Munich to a win in the Champions League Final — some thought Messi’s honor was controversial.
Lewandowski quelled those concerns earlier this month. Knowing that Poland would eventually square off with Argentina, Lewandowski told World Cup journalists he’s not bitter with Messi and that he’s never “had anything ‘bad’ with him.” The prolific striker’s words are one thing. How he’ll actually respond on the field with Messi standing in the way of his first-ever appearance in a World Cup knockout stage is a different matter entirely.
Look for Messi to bring his trademark kitchen sink array of tools all over the field. And expect Lewandowski to aggressively take matters into his hands in response. (Oh, and did I mention neither has ever won a World Cup? That’s … probably a big deal here.)
As the group stages of this tournament finally wind down, Wednesday’s clash between two of the greatest to ever kick a round ball should be a wonderful treat. A draw might take Messi and Lewandowski into the Round of 16 in their potential international swan songs anyway. But that kind of result will also assuredly not come without a tense battle between a special No. 10 and a special No. 9.
If he doesn’t get a goal soon, Lewandowski may never live this down.
Whenever he decides to hang his cleats up, Poland’s Robert Lewandowski will be remembered as one of the greatest goal-scorers in the history of soccer. But for as much success as he’s enjoyed on a domestic level with his various clubs, the legendary Polish No. 9 has yet to come through for his country on the biggest international stage.
Lewandowski has not scored a goal for Poland in four career World Cup games. It’s admittedly a small sample size — not to mention the relatively poor quality of the rest of the Polish squad — but it is nonetheless an eyebrow-raising mark for someone as prolific as the striker.
Against Mexico in the opening Group C game of the 2022 World Cup, Lewandowski had a chance to get on the board and give the Poles a potential 1-0 win on a penalty shot. It … did not go well against Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.
What makes Lewandowski’s miss more notable (and shocking) is how superb he’s been on penalty kicks throughout his illustrious career. On a club level, he’s made 40 of 45 attempts. On an international level with Poland, he had a perfect 10-of-10 resume. Until Tuesday, that is.
In what might be the 34-year-old’s final World Cup appearance with Poland, this miss against Mexico had to sting a bit more — especially with Argentina’s massive upset defeat at the hands of Saudi Arabia earlier in the day. With Poland’s group seemingly wide open, Lewandowski had a chance to potentially give Poland a nice cushion through the rest of group play. Now Poland likely needs a result against a team that just beat Lionel Messi’s squad and, well, Messi’s team himself. Not an ideal spot.
And if Lewandowski doesn’t score in the next two games (while Poland also doesn’t advance) — he may conclude his World Cup career without a goal on the biggest stage. Once again, not ideal!
I’m not sure that Poland finds a way to get to the Round of 16, but I would be shocked if Lewandowski went quietly for his home nation. Bet on this all-time superstar striker finding a way to get a shot or two in the back of the net to at least make the potential end of his World Cup career a good one.
For El Tri, it’s a doubly frustrating result, as Argentina’s staggering loss to Saudi Arabia has thrown Group C wide open. A win would have put Mexico into a superb position to advance, but instead it’s going to be a tightly-run thing, and may in fact boil down to goal difference.
Mexico largely dominated the first half, with Poland barely able to get touches for Robert Lewandowski, let alone actual chances.
However, the Barcelona striker kept working, and eventually caught what should have been his big break in the second half. Lewandowski and Héctor Moreno tussled over a loose ball, entering the Mexico box before both tumbled over.
In real time, it looked like a pretty normal example of a defender shielding an attacker, but VAR spotted something: Moreno had a fistful of Lewandowski’s shirt. After a seemingly interminable check, referee Chris Beath went to the monitor and reversed course, pointing to the spot.
Instead, Memo Ochoa — showing why he’s remained Mexico’s No. 1 for most of the last 17 years — read Lewandowski all the way, diving to his left and making the spot kick save look routine.
The save, Mexico’s first in a World Cup since 1966, is nothing new for Ochoa. Per Transfermarkt, Ochoa has saved 17 penalties in games for club and country. It also gave Mexico — who in truth had lost their way coming out of the break — a big lift. Henry Martín’s improvised strike was a test for Wojciech Szczesny, and a pro-Mexico crowd amped the volume up at Stadium 974.
However, El Tri couldn’t find their breakthrough, with the game fizzling out as both sides were able to do just enough to prevent further drama inside either 18-yard box. That leaves both teams facing a match against Leo Messi and an Argentina team in must-win mode (Mexico will face that unenviable task first), and the group will likely come down to the narrowest of margins.
A look at some of the greatest to ever play the game who have never tasted ultimate international glory.
As the soccer world rolls through Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, there’s inevitably going to be a lot of discussion about “legacy” and superstars who have never quite broken through with a glorious moment in this competition.
I’m talking, of course, about some of the top dynamos in men’s soccer history who have never won the World Cup. To be clear, the players on this list aren’t necessarily to blame for their countries never standing on top of the international soccer world. This is still a team sport where everyone has to play in unison. And the best team — not the best player (awarded the Golden Ball at every tournament) — wins far more often than not.
From perhaps the greatest player in the history of the world’s most popular game to a prolific, talented striker with genuinely no realistic hope of ever winning the World Cup — here’s a look at the 10 best active players who haven’t won the prestigious championship, along with their respective odds to win this year’s Golden Ball. Note: We’re highlighting players who have been around for a good while but have still never made it to the top of the summit.
