Soccer players who wear long sleeves

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It was the fall of 2013 and the ire was as succinct as it was poignant: “I don’t like that and he will not do that again.” Despite a 2-0 win in the Champions League, one of Arsene Wenger’s charges had broken a longstanding tradition and the Gunners boss was not happy. But the Frenchman wasn’t angered by an unnecessary red card or someone smoking in the locker room; it centered on the age-old debate of long sleeve vs short sleeve jerseys.

Arsenal had a lot of problems in 2013, as the club still does. Whether or not Arsenal players wore long or short sleeves should have been the least of Wenger’s worries, but instead it brought the long sleeve vs short sleeve jerseys issue to the forefront. 

The Gunners have a club tradition requiring all teammates to wear the same shirtsleeve length, chosen by the captain before the match. Some captains choose what they want, others take a vote from the starters. The desire is for a clean, uniform appearance. But in late 2013, Mathieu Flamini was fed up with sleeves. 

“I’ve been playing at the top level for 10 years and I like to wear short sleeves,” he said. 

We know where Mathieu Flamini comes down on the long sleeve vs short sleeve jerseys debate. Photo: @ThrowbackAFC | Twitter

So in matches against Manchester United and Marseille, when the rest of the Arsenal XI wore long sleeves, Flamini crudely cut the sleeves off his jersey. Kit man Vic Akers was not pleased and reportedly had some heated words for the French midfielder. Even former Arsenal legend Lee Dixon became embroiled in the row, coming out in favor of short sleeves but chastising Flamini for not just rolling his damn sleeves up like a normal person.  

Ultimately, Flamini realized he didn’t have much of a choice but to adhere to team policies because no other club really had a need for a sluggish defensive midfielder with the first touch of a garbage truck. 

But the whole episode was a reminder of the constant struggle for some players to wear jerseys with long sleeves vs. short sleeves. 

Some footballers you’ll never see in short sleeves. Others can’t stand long sleeves. Many teams allow players to wear either long or short sleeves at their discretion. Some have strict protocols. Does it matter? Should we care? 

One advantage for short sleeve jerseys vs. long sleeve is that they’re easier to rip off to celebrate a goal on the way to earning a yellow card. Photo: @LFC | Twitter

While Arsenal has a procedure in place for determining who wears what sleeves on a given match day, most players make the choice themselves. Often times the issue is decided by the shirt maker — perhaps the club can’t afford more than one set of jerseys for the players. 

But the long sleeve vs short sleeve jerseys issue can have an effect on performance on the pitch. While short sleeves are, generally, cooler for the player as there is less clothing, long sleeves can help a player cool off more quickly with moisture-wicking technology. 

Unlike in the olden days when jerseys were made out of wool, modern uniforms are made out of materials that absorb sweat to allow the moisture to evaporate quickly. Thus, long sleeves can prevent players from becoming bogged down in a swampy sweat mess. It’s why many England players wore multiple layers at the 2014 World Cup despite playing in hot, humid climates. 

The issue is different for goalkeepers, who almost always wear long sleeves (and pants). This has a few benefits. First, goalkeepers are more likely to be sprawling out on their arms, so long sleeves protect their appendages from scrapes and bruises. Additionally, most modern goalkeeper jerseys have a little extra padding on the arms. Also, it makes the goalie slightly larger, which could possibly help save a shot but in reality has a greater psychological effect on the opposing striker than anything.

David De Gea opts for long sleeve vs short sleeve jerseys. Photo: @OptaJoe | Twitter

Other benefits for long sleeves for field players include hiding tattoos and giving the player something to wipe his nose on. Short sleeves allow players greater range of movement in their arms and typically fit better. 

In the end, the long sleeve vs short sleeve jerseys debate just comes down to personal preference. It’s like baseball players who wear their pants and socks up high or basketball players who wear sleeves at all. 

Ultimately, players should just be happy they don’t have to go sleeveless like the 1990 Cameroon national team.

Long sleeve vs short sleeve jerseys? Cameroon said neither. Photo: @Henryoung | Twitter

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Red cards are absolute game-changers — punishments that are often too much for the offending team to overcome. But which club produces the most Premier League red cards? The second-ranked team will likely surprise you.

One would assume the club producing the most Premier League red cards to be one known for robust defenses or hotheaded players, but the truth does not match expectation. Everton in fact leads England with 89 red cards in Premier League history out of 49 clubs that have played in England’s top flight since the league debuted in 1992. 

Below is a ranking of the most Premier League red cards and yellow cards by club. Some teams are lower on the list because they have spent fewer seasons in the Premier League. So clubs that have never been relegated are more likely to rank higher on the list than those who have spent time in the lower divisions. It’s the reason two current EPL clubs (Huddersfield and Brighton and Hove Albion) are ranked in the bottom six. 

But this hasn’t stopped Newcastle from ranking in the top three despite spending two seasons in the Championship. Blackburn Rovers has spent seven seasons in the lower divisions but also ranks in the top five. 

Perhaps the biggest surprise on this list is the team coming in at No. 2: Arsenal. The Gunners under Arsene Wenger are known for playing lovely football on offense but being a bit passive on defense, so their high ranking on this list is a bit unusual. 

The list for most yellow cards is a bit more diffuse, with Chelsea on top with 1,573. Everton is second and Arsenal is shifted down to third (still seems high). Interestingly, Tottenham ranks 10th in red cards but fourth in yellow cards. Newcastle went in the opposite direction, going from third in reds to eighth in yellows. 

Regardless, without further ado, here is the ranking of the clubs with the most Premier League red cards, as of April 18, 2018. Below that is the ranking of the most Premier League yellow cards by club. 

Clubs Producing The Most Premier League Red Cards

1. Everton — 892. Arsenal — 853. Newcastle — 804. Chelsea — 785. Blackburn Rovers — 776. West Ham United — 717. Manchester City — 658. Manchester United — 628. Sunderland — 6210. Tottenham Hotspur — 6111. Aston Villa — 5611. Liverpool — 5613. Southampton — 5014. Middlesborough — 4515. Bolton Wanderers — 4416. Leicester City — 4117. Fulham — 3618. Stoke City — 3118. West Bromwich Albion — 3120. Leeds United — 2821. Birmingham City — 2721. Wigan Athletic — 2723. Queens Park Rangers — 2623. Wimbledon —2625. Charlton Athletic — 2425. Coventry City — 2425. Hull City — 2428. Portsmouth — 2029. Sheffield Wednesday — 1930. Crystal Palace — 1830. Watford — 1832. Derby County — 1733. Norwich City — 1534. Swansea City — 1435. Wolverhampton Wanderers — 1236. Nottingham Forest — 1037. Reading — 937. Sheffield United — 939. Burnley — 639. Ipswich Town — 641. AFC Bournemouth — 542. Barnsley — 442. Oldham Athletic — 444. Huddersfield Town — 345. Blackpool — 245. Bradford City — 245. Brighton and Hove Albion — 248. Cardiff City — 1

48. Swindon Town — 1

Source: PremierLeague.com

Chelsea is first in the ranking of most Premier League yellow cards. Photo: @SROBET | Twitter

Clubs Producing The Most Premier League Yellow Cards

1. Chelsea — 1,5732. Everton — 1,5113. Arsenal — 1.4684. Tottenham Hotspur — 1,4425. Manchester United — 1,3956. West Ham United — 1,3897. Aston Villa — 1,3628. Newcastle United — 1,2659. Liverpool — 1,25910. Manchester City — 1,21411. Blackburn Rovers — 1,11112. Sunderland — 1,09513. Southampton — 1,04614. Middlesborough — 97315. Bolton Wanderers — 84516. Leeds United — 79017. Fulham — 70817. West Bromwich Albion — 70819. Stoke City — 66820. Leicester City — 66521. Crystal Palace — 53922. Derby County — 53823. Wigan Athletic — 51224. Coventry City — 48125. Birmingham City — 42826. Charlton Athletic — 40827. Wimbledon — 40728. Portsmouth — 39929. Norwich City — 39430. Queens Park Rangers — 36431. Swansea City — 35932. Sheffield Wednesday — 34133. Watford — 33034. Hull City — 32835. Nottingham Forest — 28736. Wolverhampton Wanderers — 25537. Burnley — 24838. Ipswich Town — 18339. Sheffield United — 17040. AFC Bournemouth — 15841. Reading — 14242. Bradford City — 11343. Oldham Athletic — 7044. Barnsley — 6645. Huddersfield Town — 5646. Brighton and Hove Albion — 4947. Cardiff City — 4948. Blackpool — 47

49. Swindon Town — 39

Source: PremierLeague.com

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One of the most annoying things in soccer is when you get subbed off, especially when you feel like you still have a lot left in the tank. However, in recent years we have seen managers haul off players before halftime, or even just after substituting them on the field (Emmanuel Eboue against Wigan in 2008, anyone?). 

Well, for Brazilian striker Thiago dos Santos, he was not a happy chap. He was substituted off in just the 34th minute of his match in the Bolivian league between Nacional Potosi (dos Santos’ club) and Sport Boys. As soon as his number went up on the substitution board, all hell broke loose. Dos Santos immediately made a beeline for his manager and had to be restrained by his teammates. Nacional Potosi ended up losing the game 4-0, as the players were definitely affected by the incident. 

The result of dos Santos’ little dummy spit? He is being released by his club. Nacional Potosi president Wilfredo Condori said, “he will leave, more so because he will not be available to play for us as it’s a fact he will be given a harsh punishment.” So long and farewell Mr. dos Santos, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

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The one thing missing from Lionel Messi's resume is a major international trophy. He has spurred Argentina to multiple major finals but hasn't been able to get over the hump. Could the 2018 World Cup in Russia turn out different? Can Messi win the 2018 World Cup? Let's break it down.

Can Messi Win The 2018 World Cup? Yes

Messi won the Golden Ball at the 2014 World Cup while leading Argentina to the final, where they lost 1-0 in extra time. Four years later, Messi is still the best player in the world. If anyone can lead a team to World Cup victory by himself, it's La Pulga.

Angel di Maria is healthy. I still contend that if Angel di Maria had been healthy for the 2014 final against Germany, Argentina would have won. Di Maria, for whatever reason, seems to be the only Argentine attacker comfortable combining with Messi. He even scores the odd goal.

Argentina will probably be able to cobble together a competent midfield out of Ever Banega, Lucas Biglia, Giovano Lo Celso, Diego Perotti, Guido Pizarro and whatever Javier Mascherano has left in the tank.

Nicolas Otamendi has come into his own this season for Manchester City and will give Argentina a much-needed boost at the back.

Can Messi Win The 2018 World Cup? No

Otamendi aside, Argentina's defense is suspect. Imagine relying on the likes of Ramiro Funes Mori to step up in a late-stage World Cup game.

(shudders)

Elsewhere, Argentina's strike force is incredible on paper, but the continuous misfiring of Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Aguero (if he's healthy) in international finals seems to have affected their confidence. They have the yips, in short. Meanwhile, Mauro Icardi is wondering what he has to do to get a game for Argentina and he will probably keep wondering that.

Sergio Romero is better than the average goalkeeper at this World Cup, but Argentina's rivals for the title have the likes of Manuel Neuer/Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, David de Gea (who starts over Romero for Manchester United), Alisson and Ederson, Hugo Lloris and Thibaut Courtois, all of whom are much better than Romero.

A lot is going to depend on Jorge Sampaoli getting his tactics right so teams can't just focus on Messi. If he can get it right, Argentina could be headed to the final again. If he gets it wrong, they could be eliminated in the group stage. They are in the group of death, after all. We here at the18 are not totally confident in Sampaoli's ability. But maybe!

Can Messi Win The 2018 World Cup? Final Verdict

Argentina are going off at about 8/1 to win the thing right now, which honestly feels generous. You never know with Messi, though.

It would be an incredible achievement. Photo: @SquawkaNews | Twitter