There is so much hype going into the Brazil versus Argentina match that it is tough to even decide where to begin. Arguably the most heated international derby on the planet, every time Brazil and Argentina meet it’s a special occasion. This Thursday’s match, however, has some extra plot elements that make this particular encounter a unique and spicy affair.
It's been another great season for Sebastian Giovinco. Seventeen goals and 15 assists for the "Formica Atomica" helped lead Toronto FC to the MLS Eastern Conference final, a sumptious Canadian derby showdown against the Montreal Impact.
The diminutive Italian has been absolutely on fire once again this season, and after watching Toronto ruthlessly dismantle NYCFC, the other conference finalists will be shaking in their boots at the prospect of facing him.
The United States kicks off the hexagonal round of FIFA World Cup qualifying with two of the most difficult matches they’ll face on the road to Russia. On Friday, the USA host Mexico at Mapfre Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Four days later, they face Costa Rica at the Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica.
A recent video on Yahoo! Sports asked the question: should international soccer be scrapped? The problems they laid out included the fact that international soccer requires teams to take two breaks during the fall so they can compete in international play to qualify for events like the Olympics or the World Cup.
The Hex kicks off on November 11 in Columbus, Ohio with the big one: the United States versus Mexico. El Tri manager Juan Carlos Osorio has announced his squad for that match and their trip to Central America to play Panama four days later.
While Osorio had the luxury of naming largely experimental squads for September’s final fourth round World Cup qualifiers against El Salvador and Honduras, as well as their October friendlies against New Zealand and Panama, the Colombian has named his strongest possible side in an attempt to end the Dos a Cero spell.
It's a tired cliche, but the game isn't over until the referee blows the final whistle. An unbelievable, historic match at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship proved as much.
As soccer fans, we typically hate to see a game end in a 0-0 tie. But, there is nothing more humiliating than watching one team lose to another by five or more goals. In soccer, it's very important for a team to score the first goal of the game. If that's the case, your team automatically sets the pace for the match, and it also shows your opponents that you are here to compete.
Surprise! He's alive. What a year it's been for Mathieu Valbuena. After battling injuries and scandals, he was left off the France squad due to injury, and, of course, fans theorized that he must be dead.
Almost immediately following his removal from the squad, images of a fake death certificate began circulating twitter, and fans began spreading the rumor that the French midfielder had passed away, forcing his club to address the rumor on Twitter:
Mortada Mansour is the chairman of Egyptian club Zamalek, and he doesn't like the way his boys were beaten in the African Champions League final by Mamelodi Sundowns. Frankly, he smells a rat.
Monsour, per the Guardian, said this after the match:
“Is it natural to waste 18 chances in front of goal? Things were obviously not normal and there was magic and sorcery involved.”
Dubbed the "Teenage Terminator", 19-year-old Renato Sanches is a savage. The youngest player to ever win the European Championships and the Euro 2016 Young Player of the Tournament, Sanches’ 2015-16 began with the Benfica B squad but ended with a transfer to Bayern Munich that could end up costing the Bavarian side as much as €80 million.
Sanches added another accolade to his growing trophy cabinet on Monday, winning the 2016 Golden Boy award ahead of Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford and Munich teammate Kingsley Coman.