Cubans, Homeless World Cup, Hull City & More

El Luchador gives a shout out to the following partners in the struggle:

• The Cuban National Men’s Football Team. A soccer team from a baseball nation, the Cuban National Team has earned a berth in the Gold Cup and are undefeated in the group stage of the Caribbean Cup of Nations. Long live the revolution.
  


• Aston Villa. In dramatic fashion with a last-minute winning goal, the Villans defeated Everton 3-2 on Sunday. Former Crewmate Brad Friedel made several key saves, as Aston Villa continued their epic proletarian struggle to break into the English Big 4 and earn a long-awaited UEFA Champions League appearance.
  


• The Afghanistan National Homeless Football Team. On Sunday in Melbourne, Australia, these ruffians defeated their counterparts from Mother Russia, 5-4, in the final of the sixth Homeless World Cup.
  


• Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexiy II. He revived Russia’s religious mojo after decades of Soviet atheism and healed an 80-year rift with a branch of the Russian Orthodox church in the West. He died on Friday at 79.
  


• Hull City Tigers. Are you kidding? 6th place in the EPL near the midway mark? Phil Brown’s side earned their seventh win of the season against Middlesbrough Saturday. Arguably the least likely promotion team from the Championship this season, Hull is still within striking distance of the UEFA Champions League. Do you believe in miracles?
  


• Elvis, William Howard Taft & Sigi Schmid. All three were enormous presences in their respective fields. All three earned doubles (Taft was president and chief justice; Elvis was the King of Rock and the King of Roll; Sigi, the first MLS coach to win two MLS Cups with two different teams). The Dispatch reports that Sigi will return Wednesday from his week in Seattle interviewing for the Sounders job. Elvis is back in the building, but not for long.
  
  Columbus ‘till I die, brothers and sisters.