The biggest sporting event in the world is finally here. People from all around the globe will be tuning in on June 14 for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, where 32 national teams will compete for international glory. Germany — the team that clinched the Cup back in 2014 — is still a favorite, but if the qualifying tournament showed us anything, the World Cup is still going to be full of surprises. Right now, there are only a handful of nations that seem to pose a strong threat. Germany, who will compete with much of the same roster as they did in 2014 — with noteworthy exceptions like Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philipp Lahm — is likely the most intimidating team to arrive in Russia. Following in their wake...

Gwennie Gardiner wears a ribbon in every single one of her soccer games. It’s for good luck. However, she probably didn’t need it when she scored her fourth goal of the game at the 22:30 mark of Oberlin’s 8–0 dismantling of the Geneva College Golden Tornadoes on her way to the program’s first United Soccer Coaches’ National Player of the Week award in September. She has long since traded her ribbon for a Yeowomen’s Soccer sweatshirt after playing her last game on Oct. 28. Of course...

Organized sports definitely have their allure. Beside the stress release of physical activity, you get the community of a team, the drive and mo­tivation of a coach and the adrenaline from an organized competition. However, this all comes at the cost of pressure, extensive time commit­ment and often physical strain, all of which can sour the pure joy of running around outside and playing sports for some who prefer a more re­laxed environment. For those people, there are intramural sports. Intramural...

Every Tuesday and Thursday, groups of students gather at 4:45 p.m. on North Fields to duke it out in the spring Intramural Soccer Series. This year, the competition is tight, with five teams vying for the No. 1 spot. The teams have come up with creative names, as always: Golden Goals with Betty White, led by junior Maisy Byerly; The Goal Standard, headed by first-year Ian Hunt-Isaak; Program House, led by Kalind Parish; OKR led by junior Casey Silverstein; and reigning fall outdoor champions PUSSYWHIPPED, led by senior Ariel Goodman. While PUSSYWHIPPED hasn’t been as successful as it was in the fall, Goodman and her team won 4–3 against the Golden Goals on Tuesday. Despite a slew of losses since the season began,...