After his mistake in the first half yesterday, Youssouf Fofana has been a big focus, but AC Milan will group around him to ensure that he remains strong. Football is a game of moments; sometimes you get on the right end of them and at other times, you don't. Unfortunately for Milan and Fofana, last night's opportunity in front of goal was one of those moments.
The physical toll has been real. Schaefer admitted that the body doesn't feel the same every morning anymore - not with games every other night, back-to-backs, and constant travel. Some days feel good. Others don't. The adjustment, he's learning, is about managing the lows as much as enjoying the highs. "You just push through it," he said. "Doing the little things - in the gym, off the ice, recovery, nutrition - that's how you keep yourself as close to 100 percent as you can."
I'll admit, when I first saw reports about what Michael Penix Jr. said about the support he gets off the field, I was concerned. The way it was being reported made it sound like Penix claimed to not have support on the sideline - and let's be real, if that were the case it would absolutely be malpractice and everyone should be fired.
Loud bangs awoke linebacker Daiyan Henley on Saturday morning. Henley thought he had overslept a meeting and rushed to the door of his hotel room. Standing outside was linebacker Denzel Perryman, who told Henley he needed to call his mother. When Henley did, he learned the most harrowing news of his life: his brother, Jabari Henley, was shot and killed the previous night. "Being transparent, I dropped to my knees," Henley said.
For a moment on Sunday night, UBS Arena went silent as young defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson crumpled to the ice after a center-ice collision with Flyers defenseman Noah Juulsen. The 19-year-old immediately grabbed at his leg and needed help off the ice, putting no weight on it-a frightening scene for fans in his first preseason game. Fortunately, the injury wasn't as serious as it appeared.
This season has been one of the most difficult of my career but through it all, I have felt the love. With the grace of God, I am grateful to still be here, to still be fighting, to still be smiling, and to be in good spirits.
