Europe

Barcelona did not win the Champions League this season. Barcelona should have won the Champions League this season. 

No disrespect to Atletico Madrid, who deservedly bounced Barca in the quarterfinals, but the Blaugrana's attack was led by three of the five best forwards in the world, and every player in their squad (excluding goalkeeper) is either top five in the word at his position or at least in the conversation.

The greatest story I saw in sports this weekend was not the amazing comeback by the Golden State Warriors who were down 3-1 in the NBA's western conference finals only to win the series 4-3. It was not the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. It was not some of the masterful shots made by Novak Djokovic in the French Open. Instead it was an exhibition match between some blind soccer players who won over the crowd at the UEFA Champions festival.

Do you remember the first time soccer blew your mind? For me, it was Ronaldinho. Not even a specific clip, just Ronaldinho in general. The more and more I watched of him the more I realized that my understanding of soccer was so timidly different than what was really possible that it practically hurt; I needed to watch more highlights, and I swear I got high from them. 

I thought the days of Ronaldinho blowing my mind were done, but this one goal, this legendary goal that many of you have already seen before, has come back to do it again:

Fact: the sport of soccer is growing in the United States. Fact: there are still people who don’t like the sport and probably won’t ever like it. Fact: more professional athletes in the United States are getting into the world's game, especially American Football players. 

Harry Kane spent the 2011/12 season on loan at English Championship side Millwall F.C., a club known more for its associations with hooliganism and their supporter’s chant “No one likes us, we don’t care” than as the home of future England internationals. 

Under the watchful eye of England’s then U-21 manager, Stuart Pearce, an 18-year-old Kane failed to impress. 

Fernando Torres, Diego Costa and Juan Mata have all been omitted from Spain’s 25-man provisional Euro 2016 squad by manager Vincente del Bosque. In Torres and Mata, Spain have elected to drop players who’ve combined for 151 appearances, 48 goals, three European championships, and two World Cup winner’s medals. 

Costa suffered a hamstring injury during Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool on May 11, putting his participation immediately in doubt. Costa’s consistent hamstring troubles, coupled with his subpar form this season, have seen him lose his place in the squad.

As the 2015-16 Premier League season draws to a close, it’s time to honor and award those whose performances have captivated us over the course of the last nine months. It’s also a great time to shame those whose performances call into question the morality behind million dollar contracts and the myth of the sporting superhuman. These are the players whose performances will stick with us for all the wrong reasons; the biggest underachievers and flops of the 2015-16 Premier League season. 

PSV Eindhoven have successfully defended their Eredivisie title after a dramatic final day in the Netherlands. Ajax were on top by goal difference and only needed a win against 17th placed De Graafschap to seal the title. It seemed a simple enough proposition, but Frank De Boer's side faltered dramatically and only managed to draw 1-1, leaving the door open for Eindhoven to clinch it. 

It's pretty safe to say that unless you're a Chelsea fan, you probably hate Diego Costa. His mastery of the dark arts of football tends to rub a lot of people the wrong way. He is the pantomime villain of the Premier League, the Loki of the world's game, the Iago to the Othello that is the Premier League referee.