Player Profile

It’s been 10 years since Lille OSC captured its last Ligue 1 title, but one look at the table sees the club from northern France setting the pace ahead of last season’s Champions League semifinalist Lyon and, of course, three-time defending champion Paris Saint-Germain. 

If it’s a position that Lille didn’t anticipate being in with just 14 matches remaining, 20-year-old American forward Timothy Weah isn’t letting on to any sense of disbelief. 

Back on Dec. 9, Major League Soccer unveiled its list of the 25 best players in the league’s 25-year history. One no-brainer was the inclusion of attacking midfielder Dwayne De Rosario, who spent 14 hugely decorated seasons in the league. 

De Rosario was a four-time MLS Cup winner, six-time MLS Best XI selection and the 2011 MVP. His 104 career goals puts him ninth all time, and two of those strikes famously won MLS Goal of the Year Awards (2004 and 2005).  

As the year draws to a close, Steven Gerrard's Rangers side is well-placed to end its 10-year run without a Premier League championship.

The Gers sit in first place with a 16-point lead over second-placed Celtic, although the Parkhead side has three games in hand. Rangers' rear guard has deservedly earned plaudits this season, having kept a remarkable 17 clean sheets in 21 games and conceded just five goals. 

As we approach the New Year and the halfway point of domestic seasons, it’s become evident that the resources and depth boasted by Europe’s top clubs should be enough to weather the wildest of campaigns. Bayern Munich and Liverpool are favorites to defend their respective titles, while Real Madrid’s only genuine challenger appears to be Atlético.

The 2020 Concacaf Champions League resumed last night with leg two of Olimpia versus Montreal — 280 days after the Honduran side had disappointed 23,000 fans inside the Impact’s Olympic Stadium by snatching a crucial 2-1 road win. 

Despite having to play the return leg at Exploria Stadium in Orlando — where the remainder of the competition will be staged — Olimpia advanced on away goals after Montreal could only find one through Amar Sejdič. 

Thierry Henry is out; Olimpia plays Tigres in the semifinals on Saturday. 

Torino's Andrea Belotti was allowed to run on to the back post by Sampdoria's defense in the first half of the matchup between the two sides on Monday and promptly made his opponent's pay. 

Belotti tucked away his seventh league goal of the season after a lovely piece of skill by 19-year-old right back Wilfried Sango was followed by an inch-perfect cross to find the club captain in the six-yard box.