Off the Pitch

Canada's players could refuse to play in SheBelieves Cup after going on strike

The Canada women's soccer team will go on strike with immediate effect because of pay equity concerns and budget cuts by the country's soccer association, captain Christine Sinclair said on Friday, less than a week before the SheBelieves Cup.

Canada, the reigning Olympic champions, are to face the United States in their first game of the SheBelieves Cup, which begins on Feb. 16, with Brazil and Japan also participating.

Radical European Super League proposal aims to include 80 clubs

BERLIN - A future European Super League could include as many as 80 teams, Bernd Reichart, the chief executive of A22 Sports Management, a company formed to sponsor and assist in the creation of a breakaway soccer league, said on Thursday.

In a statement outlining the preliminary results of talks that A22 had with what it said was 50 European clubs and stakeholders of football, the company said change was necessary.

Ghana’s Christian Atsu still missing after Turkey earthquake

Ghanaian soccer player Christian Atsu remains missing after two devastating earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria, Hatayspor director Volkan Demirel told Reuters on Wednesday

Atsu, 31, was reported to have been rescued from the rubble with injuries and transported to hospital following Monday's huge quakes.

"There is no information on his whereabouts yet, we don't know where he is," Demirel said. "It's not the case that he was pulled out or taken anywhere else."

Sheffield Utd's Billy Sharp is now the central villain of Welcome to Wrexham Season 2

Wrexham's Cinderella journey through the FA Cup ended cruelly Tuesday with a missed penalty and goals conceded in the 94th and 96th minutes to Sheffield United. But the bigger story was Sheffield United captain Billy Sharp becoming the first person to openly admit a genuine dislike for Wrexham and its FX television series. 

Ghana international Christian Atsu among those missing in Turkey after earthquake

The combined death toll in Turkey and Syria has risen to at least 2,600 from two earthquakes that struck the countries within the space of 12 hours. That number is expected to increase rapidly with many people still missing and trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

One of those still unaccounted for is former Newcastle winger and Ghana international Christian Atsu after the collapse of an apartment building in Hatay, Turkey.

Gareth Bale looks right at home hitting crazy trick shot during AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

The jokes about Gareth Bale playing more golf than soccer during his time at Real Madrid are no laughing matter anymore. Bale retired from professional ball after the World Cup and is now looking to dominate the golf course.

On Thursday Bale was competing in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California where he hit an incredible trick shot to get on the green.

Gareth Bale Golf Trick Shot

World Cup winner Raphaël Varane retires from France team at age 29

France defender Raphaël Varane is retiring from international football, ending a 10-year career with Les Bleus in which he won the World Cup in 2018 and was a runner-up four years later.

The 29-year-old, who has 93 caps after making his debut in 2013, and also helped Didier Deschamps's side win the UEFA Nations League in the 2020-21 season.

Adams gives McKennie his first Leeds United interview — they spend 20% of it laughing

Weston McKennie joined Leeds United on loan from Juventus for the rest of the 2022/23 season and unites with USMNT teammates Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson.

McKennie gave his first interview with Leeds, and it was none other than Adams who was asking the questions. This might be one of the most fun interviews you’ll see from professional soccer players.

Chelsea star signing Mykhailo Mudryk apologizes for saying N-word during TikTok video

Ukraine phenom and star Chelsea signing Mykhailo Mudryk has apologized for a TikTok video he posted last summer where he said the N-word. Mudryk deleted the video, and his representative told the Sun that he was sorry.

The 22-year-old and another person were reciting the lyrics to rapper Lil Baby’s song “Freestyle” when he said the racial slur.

Mykhailo Mudryk TikTok Video

Claudio Reyna resigns as Austin FC's sporting director following USMNT drama

Former U.S. men's national team star Claudio Reyna resigned his post as the sporting director of Austin FC on Thursday. He will remain with the club as a technical adviser.

It's just the latest development in the fallout of the mess surrounding the USMNT.

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