FIFA Men's World Cup

Paul Pogba Is A Colossus And The Only Reason France Beat Australia

France defeated Australia without entirely convincing, and the same sort of analysis could be applied to its myriad of attacking talent. Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe are both absolute spectacles in full flight and Antoine Griezmann is the spice that is the variety of life, but the three just couldn’t combine with the sort of intricacy and understanding that fellow frontrunners Spain and Brazil enjoy.

First Use Of VAR At World Cup Controversially Gifts France Opening Goal

France meandered around the pitch for about 55 minutes without creating much in way of scoring opportunities. Then, with the help of the very first use of World Cup VAR, Les Bleus took the first lead of the match against Australia on an Antoine Griezmann penalty kick on Saturday. 

World Cup Day 3 Predictions: Groups C And D In Action

BACK TO BACK TO BACK TO BACK games, people! Buckle up! We got France and Argentina in action which means Messi, Griezmann and company. Can Iceland frustrate an Argentine side that didn’t show much in qualifying? And don’t you dare sleep on Peru vs Denmark and Croatia vs Nigeria.

Heroes And Villains Of The World Cup: Matchday Two

No event escalates individuals to the status of national hero or global villain as dramatically as the World Cup. The idolatry that follows success and the stigma that follows failure are woven into the fabric of history, and the repercussions will typically follow footballers for the rest of their lives. Daily, we’ll take a look at who played the role of hero and who played the role of villain at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Matchday One

Which Players Are Facing The Most Pressure To Perform At The World Cup?

While World Cup expectations can vary from country to country and player to player, every individual who puts on his national team jersey feels pressure to perform for his country.

In spite of this, there are some generational talents who will be responsible for carrying the hopes of an entire nation this summer. Here's a list of the players under the most pressure for Russia 2018.

Cristiano Ronaldo Completes Amazing Hat Trick With Exquisite Free Kick

Cristiano Ronaldo has finally arrived at a World Cup. Sure, he’s scored at the last three tournaments, but the goals came against inferior competition. The Ronaldo hat trick vs Spain was one of the Portugal striker’s greatest moments for his country, as the Iberian derby finished in a 3-3 draw on Friday in Russia. 

Watch Spain Take First Lead Against Portugal With The Purest Of Strikes From Nacho

Anyone else hungry for nachos? I mean, I’m always hungry for nachos, but something about that Nacho goal vs Portugal has me even hungrier that usual.

The first half of the Portugal-Spain matchup was absolutely bonkers. But the second half didn’t peter out like the first season of Westworld (I haven’t watched Season 2, so no spoilers).  

Ronaldo Buries A Penalty, Diego Costa's Forearm Shiver Equalizes, Ronaldo Retakes Lead In Cooking First Half

THE WORLD CUP IS BACK, PEOPLE!

The most anticipated matchup in the group stage didn’t waste any time getting the people going. It has lived up to the hype. We’ve gotten:

Vintage Cristiano step overs. Cristiano earning a PK with said stepovers. Two VAR instances. Diego Costa giving Pepe a forearm shiver. Diego Costa playing the Portuguese defense like a fiddle. An Isco shot off the bar that needed goal-line technology. And a shocking howler from David de Gea

At halftime, it was 2-1 Portugal. 

Let’s get to the Spain vs Portugal goals footage:

The State Of U.S. Soccer: What Went Wrong And What Needs To Be Fixed

Months after the USMNT failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, a new wave of headlines confirming "US Not In World Cup 2018" has dampened the mood of America's casual soccer fans who tune into three or four games every four years.

News of the U.S. joint bid with Mexico and Canada winning the rights to host the 2026 World Cup has given those fans something to be excited about, but the USMNT's absence from this year's World Cup is nonetheless disappointing.

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