Fan Reactions

The 2020 SheBelieves Hero contest was developed by U.S. Soccer and supported by USWNT players to encourage girls and women of all ages to achieve their goals and make a difference in their community. Originally launched before the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the contest has helped foster a special relationship between the team and its fans. 

Believing in yourself and being a leader in your supporting community, no matter the circumstances, are key components in the selection of the SheBelieves Hero. 

In what will prove a controversial move, Barcelona looks likely to sign Leganes forward Martin Braithwaite. After season-ending injuries to both Ousmane Dembélé and Luis Suarez, the Catalan side finds itself sorely lacking in forward depth. 

Less than 24 hours after capturing the Copa Libertadores in Peru thanks to two late goals from Gabriel Barbosa, Flamengo returned home to a riotous Rio de Janeiro on Sunday to celebrate a first South American title in 38 years. 

It was a surreal moment on Saturday when Gareth Bale entered Real Madrid’s 3-1 victory over Real Sociedad in the 67th minute to a torrent of boos and jeers from the Santiago Bernabéu. Los Blancos supporters are a notoriously demanding bunch — even Cristiano Ronaldo received his share of whistles inside the legendary stadium — but nothing comes close to the reception that Bale was given upon replacing 18-year-old Brazilian phenom Rodrygo.

For me, this is quickly turning into the week of the Swedish Allsvenskan. It’s hit hard and fast, making me question why I waste so much time watching the Premier League and LaLiga. The unfortunate part is that I missed the first 29 weeks of the 2019 season, leaving me with only one match day to get my ass up to speed. (Although I did know about AIK's fine threads.)

On Wednesday morning, Canadian residents awoke to extensive coverage of the massive sporting news: Toronto had defeated Minnesota 4-2, the Habs lost to Tampa Bay 3-1, Winnipeg succumbed to Arizona 4-2, Calgary thumped the Flyers 3-1 and the Canucks battered the Red Wings 5-1. What’s more, Donald Trump had welcomed a heavy concentration of Canadians to the White House on Tuesday in the form of the Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues. 

Trump congratulated the Blues on the stock market being way up, an agriculture deal with China and a Mike Pence trip to Turkey.

Wales recorded an important 1-1 draw with Slovakia in Trnava on Thursday to keep control of its Euro 2020 destiny. Ryan Giggs’ side had the better of the opening 45 minutes, and Kieffer Moore — making his competitive debut at the age of 27 — put Wales ahead before Slovakia equalized via a stonking volley from Juraj Kucka. 

With Croatia looking uncatchable at the top of Group E, this meeting between second place Slovakia and fourth place Wales (only the top two advance to the finals) qualified as can’t-miss viewing during this particularly uninspiring international break.

There’s a lot to like about this Galatasaray club. First off, in a match against the global superpower that is Paris Saint-Germain, Fatih Terim’s side featured a quintet of guys fast approaching their mid-30s, including Radamel Falcao, Yuto Nagatomo, Mariano, Fernando Muslera and Ryan Babel.

It’s no wonder that Terim was profusely sweating his way through proceedings on the touchline.