National Teams

Gregg Berhalter and USMNT fall flat and open 2024 with loss to Slovenia

Gregg Berhlater won’t be too pleased with his young USMNT side as they lost 1-0 to Slovenia on Saturday at Toyota Field in San Antonio, Texas.

With it not being a FIFA international window, both the U.S. and Slovenia fielded teams with little to no international experience. Seven of the USMNT’s 11 starters were making their international debuts.

Center back Miles Robinson was the only USMNT player who played and is currently in consideration for Berhalter’s “A-team.”

USWNT’s opponents revealed for challenging 2024 SheBelieves Cup

The United States women’s national team will be hosting Brazil, Japan and Canada in the 2024 SheBelieves Cup in Atlanta and Columbus.

All four nations competed in last year’s SheBelieves Cup which saw the USWNT win all three games and lift the trophy.

The 2024 edition will have a different format. Rather than having all four teams play each other, the tournament will begin with semifinal games, followed by a championship and third-place game.

SheBelieves Cup 2024 teams

Sparta kicking an opponent in the face is apparently legal in AFC Asian Cup

Before reading this article, you must mentally prepare yourself to watch a brutal foul that doesn’t even get called.

This isn’t some gruesome tackle where a player’s leg gets snapped in half, but it’s still one that will have you wincing just watching it.

The painful sparta kick took place during Wednesday’s AFC Asian Cup match between Lebanon and China.

In the second half Lebanon’s Khalil Khamis cleared a ball with a high boot and China’s Dai Wai Tsun was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Lebanon kick to the face vs. China

Major League Soccer star Lionel Messi named FIFA Player of 2023

LONDON — Argentine Lionel Messi retained the FIFA men's player of the year trophy on Monday, beating Manchester City's treble-winning Norwegian striker Erling Haaland and France's Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappé to the award.

Spain's 2023 World Cup winner Aitana Bonmati was voted the best women's player of the year.

Messi, who also secured the men's award in 2022 after guiding Argentina to World Cup victory, clinched the Ligue 1 title with PSG alongside Mbappe following that success, before moving to Major League Soccer team Inter Miami.

Ghana head coach avoids being punched by angered fan in team hotel after AFCON loss

ABIDJAN — An angry supporter attempted to strike Ghana coach Chris Hughton after their upset 2-1 loss at the Africa Cup of Nations finals on Sunday and was taken away by police, team officials confirmed on Monday.

Ghana were beaten by a stoppage time goal by the Cape Verde Islands, the smallest of the 24 teams at the tournament in the Ivory Coast in one of several shock results on Sunday.

Hughton was accosted at the team hotel as Ghana returned from the match but the angry fan was intercepted by security officials.

Guinea-Bissau player is living example of the clearance button being jammed in FIFA

The Africa Cup of Nations never fails to provide exhilarating and peculiar moments. A Jefferson Encada clearance in the opening game between hosts Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau has already provided fans with a hilarious highlight.

Encada, who plays at right back for Guinea-Bissau, appeared to have a simple game plan. That plan was the ball was not allowed in his penalty area.

In the first half he intercepted a pass inside the box and had several different options. He could pass back to his goalkeeper or to a fellow defender.

Naomi Girma becomes first defender to win U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year

United States women’s national team and San Diego Wave center back Naomi Girma was a brick wall in defense last year and has deservedly been named the 2023 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year.

Girma is the first pure defender to win the award in its 39-year history. 

Naomi Girma Player of the Year award

Gambia national team’s flight to AFCON makes emergency landing after plane loses oxygen

ABIDJAN — Gambia coach Tom Saintfiet said he and his players feared for their lives after the plane taking them to the Africa Cup of Nations finals made an emergency landing, delaying their arrival at the tournament in the Ivory Coast.

Gambia’s squad set off from Banjul on Wednesday on a short trip to Yamoussoukro, where they will play their opening two group games, but minutes after take-off they turned around because of a lack of oxygen inside the plane, he said.

Barcelona and Spain star Alexia Putellas will undergo another knee surgery

Barcelona women's captain and twice Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas will undergo knee surgery, her club said on Tuesday.

The Spain forward had to leave the national team training camp in Madrid last month because of a knee injury, which also kept her out of recent matches with Barcelona.

Alexia Putellas knee injury

Here are the top 10 USMNT goals of 2023, ranked

The United States men’s national team scored a total of 47 goals in the 2023 calendar year, and I’ve gone through all of them to find the top 10. It wasn’t easy picking the best USMNT goals of 2023, but the list has been made.

Several different factors can go into what makes a goal great including the circumstances/importance of the game. For this list the context and opponents don’t matter, we’re simply judging how nice of a goal it was.

The quality of the assist is also factored in.

Let’s watch some goals.

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