The 1962 FIFA World Cup was the seventh edition of the international competition, and it will long be remembered as the most brutally violent.
An injury to Pele, a match between Chile and Italy that became known as the Battle of Santiago and the inspiration for the use of yellow and red cards to clearly define offenses are some of the lasting legacies of the '62 World Cup in Chile.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son who abandoned his roots and wasted his inheritance only to later return is one of the oldest tropes used in books, movies, and television. Guess what, soccer has had more than its fair share of prodigal sons, and here are two of the best examples in the world’s game.
#1: Fernando Torres | Atletico Madrid
The surreal run of Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle almost came to an end in Quito on Wednesday. There’s still another leg to play in Medellin, but a loss at home would’ve almost certainly doomed del Valle. That wasn’t in the cards — the fairy tale added another chapter when Arturo Mina Meza snatched an 87th minute equalizer against Colombia’s Atletico Nacional.
The first leg draw means that del Valle need a win in regular time, extra time or penalties in Colombia to be crowned Copa Libertadores champions.
Sebastian ‘El Loco’ Abreu, who is 39 years old, began his pro career 22 years ago, in 1994. Abreu’s towering height initially had him practicing basketball until he was 18 years old. However, problems with coaches and an increased interest in football saw him dedicate himself to the world’s game.
Abreu was also extremely interested in journalism, once interviewing himself for a local newspaper.
In many ways, the Copa America Centenario resembled an A-Plus B-movie; an event so bizarre that it couldn’t help but capture the imagination.
From Brazil’s decision to essentially forfeit before the matches had even kicked off, to the final drama of Lionel Messi retiring from international football after missing a decisive penalty kick, the 2016 Copa America was camp to the extreme — it had a certain self-acknowledged theatricality.
Bolivia were done and dusted before the match even started. Chile, the defending Copa champions, were determined to make the world’s 82nd ranked side suffer. It was all Chile could do to make up for their disappointing defeat to Argentina.
Chile spent the first hour of the match accumulating almost 80% of possession while limiting Bolivia to a single shot. In the 58th minute, Bolivia introduced little-known playmaker Jhasmani Campos. Campos must not have been following or paying attention to the script, because he immediately turned the game on its head.
The United States were punished 2-0 by Colombia on Friday night to open the 2016 Copa America Centenario. A heavily pro-Colombian crowd in Santa Clara, California, watched as Geoff Cameron carelessly allowed Cristian Zapata to put his side ahead early before James Rodriguez capitalized from the spot on a sophomoric handball from DeAndre Yedlin.
Sergio Aguero's younger brother Gaston del Castillo made his debut for Independiente on Saturday versus San Lorenzo. "Kuncito," as Argentine news outlet Ole affectionately named him, was promoted to the first team in August 2015, but he has had to wait for a while to get his first senior appearance.
The world seems to be at Paulo Dybala’s feet. The 22-year-old Argentine is lighting up Serie A to the tune of 14 goals and eight assists in 29 games. That is a staggering sum considering his age, and that he is in his first year at a new club, Juventus.
The admiration and mutual respect that Philippe Coutinho and Neymar have for each other’s game is no secret. They’ve been close friends for almost 10 years now, their friendship dating all the way back to the time of embarrassing bathroom selfies, a formative point for anyone in their awkward teenage years.