Prediction

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's Women's World Cup preparations were plunged into chaos on Sunday when a shadow national team including a 13-year-old took on Botswana in a friendly as the squad selected for the finals were locked in a dispute with the national association.

The match was supposed to be a send-off for the squad going to the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand before they continue their preparations outside the country.

MLS is now past the halfway point in its season, and the summer break for the new Leagues Cup is quickly approaching. Players are missing important games thanks to international play, including the CONCACAF Gold Cup, but as we saw on Saturday night, some teams’ struggles are other sides’ gains, so let’s see what we learned on MLS Matchday 21.

5 takeaways from MLS Matchday 21

#1. Philly loves a 4+ goal win

What’s the saying about guarantees in life? Death, taxes and the Union scoring 4+ goals against weak opposition? It's not? Well, maybe it should be. 

Tucked between the Nations League final and Gold Cup kicking off, MLS Matchday 20 found a way to keep fans excited. The early games brought the heat while the late-night slate kept the stove warm on a day packed with goals despite stars across the league missing out. 

Agony and ecstasy go hand in hand. The pain of losing is heightened when victory is within reach, only to be snatched at the final second with no hope of recovery. Such is the nature of the final day of a soccer season. 

Just six games were contested on Matchday 19 as many teams enjoyed a week off before having to do it all again this coming Wednesday. With 29 teams, the league schedule can easily become discombobulated, especially with rescheduled matches and bye weeks. To accommodate this, MLS Matchday 19 gave these teams a chance to catch up and re-level the playing field. While there may have been fewer games, the quality on display was as high as ever.

The Italian Serie B season has finished and we now know the three teams returning to the top flight. From midseason managerial changes to last-second winners, this year had it all, so let's meet the three newest members of Serie A and learn how they got here.

Frosinone Calcio

They say defense wins championships, but Frosinone took it a step further. The club boasted the league’s best offense and defense to claim the Serie B title for the first time by six points. After a challenging but rewarding campaign, difficult days may be in store for I Canarini.