UEFA's plans for Euro 2020 may have to be changed after two of the host venues, Dublin and Bilbao, were unable to commit to at least some fans being able to attend games amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
There were also mixed signals over the chances for Rome's Olympic Stadium being open to supporters, as federations submitted plans to organisers UEFA ahead of its deadline later on Wednesday.
Two Tyler Boyd goals vs. Antalyaspor on Wednesday helped his new club secure three points and put some more pressure on USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter.
In the dark days of U.S. men’s soccer, a player who had five goals in five games for a quality European club would be a shoo-in for a spot on the national team’s roster. Today there’s such an overflow of talent that a guy like Boyd flies inconspicuously under the radar.
Last season, the Championship was a perfectly scripted drama that perfectly encapsulated the unpredictable nature of the league at both ends of the table — the final promotion and relegation spots were truly not decided until the last kick of the season.
The English second tier has been just as good so far this year, as numerous teams have challenged for promotion and the bottom of the table has been just as tight.
It has been a strange season in Spanish football as both Barcelona and Real Madrid are experiencing down years, but Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone has seized on the opportunity to win a second LaLiga title for his club.
For a long stretch of the season, Atlético was nearly unbeatable. Following a pair of nil-nil draws early in the campaign, Simeone's side won 15 of 16 league games — the only misstep a 2-0 defeat to crosstown rival Real Madrid. This put the club 11 points clear at the top of LaLiga.
Two Daryl Dike goals vs. Luton Town on Monday upped the Oklahoman’s scoring tally to seven goals in 13 games for Barnsley.
Dike has been a scoring machine for the English Championship side ever since Orlando City loaned him out in February. The 20-year-old’s brace secured an important 2-1 victory as the club pushes for promotion, and Barnsley is now fifth in the league.
Dike bagged the game’s opening goal in the 27th minute with his favored run off the last defender and followed it up with a classy finish into the bottom corner.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola criticized the lack of rest this season and said that UEFA and FIFA are "killing the players."
"It's too much. They are human beings, not machines. I know some of them are sad because they always want to play every game, but that's not possible," said Guardiola, who made six changes to his side in Saturday's win over Leicester City.
"To be good in all competitions this year without spectators, in the shortest season in history, if you don't rotate your players you can't compete and you couldn't be in the position we're in," he added.
Russia will host the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup from Aug. 19-29. The qualifying matches have yet to be played. In some countries, the curfew and lockdowns are still in force due to Covid-19 and the global health crisis.
The million-dollar question: Will there or won't there be a beach soccer World Cup this summer in Europe? I would say: It all depends on the pandemic, its consequences and the accumulation of international sports events that have been postponed since 2020.
Año 1966. Todos nos acordamos de la comiquita “Harry Mc Cool” y su célebre frase "¿Qué dice Harry? ¿Qué dice?"
Burnley strikers, some of the most obsitinent players in the Premier League, are known for scoring headers, deflections, scruffy goals from corner kicks and, more recently, chesting home an errant pass from an Arsenal midfielder.
All ugly goals, all in and around the six-yard area, but nonetheless, goals that count. You don't expect miracles from the Burnley strikeforce, but you know what you are going to get.
While there were no headlining matchups, the latest cycle of international qualifying across the globe provided us with some unexpected upsets — if you know where to look.
North Macedonia over Germany and Luxembourg beating the Republic of Ireland were tabbed as the biggest surprises of the international break, but there plenty more stunning results from across Europe and beyond.
These were the best of the bunch: