Managers

It’s official — Pep Guardiola is the most consistent manager in football. With Manchester City’s cruise-control 4-0 win over Swansea on Wendesday, Guardiola owns one of the most impressive records in each of Europe’s top three leagues. 

Manchester City has now won 15 straight Premier League matches, setting the record for consecutive victories for the English league. Guardiola also owns the same record in La Liga and the Bundesliga. It doesn’t get any more consistent than that.

Bruce Arena responded to USMNT and Huddersfield Town midfielder Danny Williams’ claims that U.S. Soccer favored domestic-based players throughout qualifying in an effort to “market” MLS by calling the statements “completely false” on Tuesday. 

Shakhtar Donetsk advanced to the knockout stage of the Champions League Wednesday, finishing second in Group F. They were sandwiched by Manchester City and Napoli. As such, Fonseca showed up to his post-game press conference dressed up as fictional swashbuckler Zorro.

As one does.

Benevento’s raucous point against AC Milan on Sunday, their first after 15 matches in Serie A, was as historic as it was surreal. It put an end to the worst losing start ever in Europe’s big five leagues, but it was also miraculously earned by goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli after the shot-stopper pushed forward on a 95th minute free kick.

Also, it was a glorious diving header to make life that much more hellish for the floundering seven-time European champions, Milan.

Pep Guardiola loves coaching. Pep Guardiola loves coaching more than you love anything, including your so-called "loved ones." Pep Guardiola has Thanksgiving with coaching and they never get into heated political arguments while the turkey gets cold.

At the end of Manchester City-Southampton Wednesday (which Raheem Sterling won for City at the death), Guardiola demonstrated just how much he loves coaching by coaching the hell out of Southampton midfielder Nathan Redmond.

In a league where parity reigns unlike any other, the tenure of Caleb Porter as manager of the Portland Timbers will go down as one of the most wildly successful in Major League Soccer’s 22-year existence. According to reports, that tenure has reached a shocking conclusion — by mutual consent — after a season in which the Timbers finished at the top of the Western Conference.