Human Interest

Maine is set to get its first professional soccer team with Portland announcing the brand and colors for their new USL League One team (the third tier on the U.S. Soccer pyramid).

The new team have one of the most creative names we’ve seen among clubs in the U.S. and has absolutely blown us away. THIS is how you name a professional soccer team.

Ladies and gentlemen, give a warm welcome to the Portland Hearts of Pine.

New Maine soccer team

Retired Brazil striker Romario has registered as a player for America-RJ, the Rio de Janeiro state second division side the 58-year-old is now president of, and is set to make a return to the sport 15 years after he stopped playing.

Romario, who retired in 2008 and became America's sporting director in 2009, played for Brazil in two World Cups, scoring five goals to guide them to victory in 1994.

Werder Bremen have suspended midfielder Naby Keita until the end of the season and fined the Guinean after he did not travel with the team for their Bundesliga match against Bayer Leverkusen upon learning that he would not be in the starting line-up.

Bremen, who suffered a 5-0 defeat by Leverkusen on Sunday, said the 29-year-old will no longer train with the team or be in the dressing room.

Naby Keita suspended

A cup final in Saudi Arabia just had one of the most bizarre and disturbing fan-player interactions you will ever see.

Following Saudi Arabia’s Super Cup final between Saudi League giants Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad on Thursday — a match that saw Al-Hilal completely dominate Al-Ittihad with a 4-1 scoreline — a fan evidently upset with his club’s performance on the pitch and eager to protest the loss to Al-Ittihad, assaulted a player with a whip from the stands. Yes, this actually happened.

Colorado Rapids defender Moïse Bombito is one of the fastest soccer players in the world. The 24-year-old Canadian international posted an insane top speed of 23.16 miles per hour during the Rapids’ 2-2 draw vs. Inter Miami on Saturday.

The Rapids posted several clips of their speedster with Major League Soccer confirming Bombito’s top speed.

Italian giants Juventus released a statement in support of United States men’s national team star Weston McKennie after he was the victim of racial abuse from Lazio fans on Tuesday.

A video circulating online shows McKennie walking on the sideline after being substituted in the 89th minute. In the video fans can clearly be heard making monkey sounds and chants toward the American midfielder.

Weston McKennie racial abuse vs. Lazio

The United States women’s national team held a press conference on Wednesday which saw leaders Alex Morgan and Lindsey Horan address the controversial situation involving midfielder Korbin Albert.

The 20-year-old received waves of backlash after fans discovered she’d reposted anti-LGBTQ+ videos on TikTok and was caught liking a post making fun of Megan Rapinoe’s career ending injury.