Highlights

After missing two matches due to an Achilles tendon problem, Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned to action on Sunday and scored a brace of penalties in the LA Galaxy’s 2-1 victory over the Portland Timbers at Dignity Health Sports Park.

But the highlight of the night might’ve been an early attempt from Ibrahimovic that struck the base of the post. Using his right leg like the taekwondo expert he is, the 37-year-old flicked this effort on frame in the 14th minute only to be denied by the woodwork.  

A meeting between Wayne Rooney’s D.C. United and Nani’s Orlando City on Sunday was dominated by the 33-year-old United captain, who scored with an outrageous free kick and contributed an assist in his side’s 2-1 victory. 

Rooney did all the damage in the first half, beginning with an assist on Steven Birnbaum’s opening goal in the sixth minute.

Straight off the training ground!

We all still know, as evidenced by his hat-trick against Atletico Madrid, that when it comes to big matches, there’s no player more decisive on the planet than Cristiano Ronaldo. However, given his current injury and focus on the Champions League, it’s safe to say that Ronaldo will not capture the European Golden Shoe this year. 

Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League table after an incredible 2-1 victory over third place Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday. Lucas Moura’s 70th minute goal had canceled out Roberto Firmino’s 16th minute opener, but all three points would belong to Liverpool after Hugo Lloris could only parry Mohamed Salah’s header straight into the unfortunate Toby Alderweireld. The ball deflected off the defender and back into the net to send Anfield into raptures.

Which team is the hottest in the Bundesliga right now? It’s certainly not Borussia Dortmund, despite a narrow win on Saturday, nor is it Bayern Munich, after a draw saw it lose its spot at the top of the table. 

The hottest team in the Bundesliga right now is RB Leipzig. And 20-year-old American midfielder Tyler Adams is a massive reason why.

The UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinal second legs were held across Europe today, and the field has now been trimmed to four after some truly captivating matches between the continent’s biggest clubs.

After defeating Norwegian side LSK Kvinner 3-0 in the first leg, Barcelona took care of business in Lillestrøm by opening the scoring in the seventh minute to doom any hopes of a Kvinner comeback. Barca has advanced to the semis in two of the last three seasons, but the club has never made it to the final. 

Last night, a crowd of 50,000 watched Mexico defeat Paraguay 4-2 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, to make it two wins in two matches for new manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino. 

During a space of 18 first half minutes, El Tri posted three on the South American side to effectively put the game to bed. LA Galaxy midfielder Jonathan dos Santos scored his first international goal in his 40th appearance, Gustavo Gomez put one into his own net and then Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez slotted home the third with only 24 minutes on the clock.

The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus has somewhat upset free kick duties. Before the Portuguese legend came, it was Paulo Dybala, Miralem Pjanic and Federico Bernardeschi who did the honors, and they did them well.

This season, Pjanic and friends have taken a back seat to Ronaldo. In fact, the only set piece Pjanic has converted this season was against Napoli back on Mar. 3 with Ronaldo hovering over the dead ball. Still, it’s a nice setup for what I’m about to show you.