FIFA Men's World Cup

Mexico’s First-Choice Front Three Is Out For Vengeance Against The U.S.

When the USMNT welcomes Mexico to TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on Friday night, the Stars and Stripes will boast the emotional and mental edge of having defeated El Tri in their last two meetings — both finals, no less. 

But it’s Mexico that holds a three-point advantage over the U.S. at the top of the Octagonal as we hit the halfway point of qualifying, and Tata Martino can rely on a first-choice attack that Gregg Berhalter’s men didn’t see over the summer.

PSG’s Brazilian Director And Argentine Coach Have Wildly Different Takes On Messi’s Call-Up

Much has been said about Lionel Messi’s slow start to life in Paris, which is basically just to say that the 34-year-old hasn’t played much. Given his reluctance to ever miss a minute with Barcelona — regardless of whether it was a Champions League or second round Copa del Rey match — it’s been weird seeing Messi go over one-third of the league season without scoring or assisting yet.

Chelsea Coach Tuchel Wants USMNT To Be ‘Responsible’ And Not Overuse Pulisic

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel hopes Christian Pulisic and N'Golo Kante return from the international break unscathed as he says the pair are not 100 percent ready despite being called up by France and the United States.

Kante has just returned from an injury layoff, playing 85 minutes for the league leaders in their 1-1 draw with Burnley at the weekend, while Pulisic has played only four times in all competitions this season due to an ankle injury.

Christian Pulisic Headlines USMNT Roster For Upcoming World Cup Qualifiers

Forward Christian Pulisic headlines the 25-man roster announced Thursday for the United States Men's National Team's upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Players will begin reporting to camp in Cincinnati this Sunday. The USMNT will face Mexico at Cincinnati's TQL Stadium on Nov. 12 before traveling to face Jamaica in Kingston on Nov. 16.

The U.S. (3-1-2, 11 points) is currently in second place behind Mexico (4-0-2, 14 points) in the CONCACAF qualifying table for the Qatar World Cup. Canada (2-0-4, 10 points) is third.

FIFA Has Some Really Bad Ideas For A Biennial World Cup, But This Is The Worst Yet

Have you ever been involved in a big brainstorm where all the ideas were utter trash and you thought: “Well, at least this is just the idea stage, otherwise we’d be fucked.” That’s essentially what is happening over at FIFA lately as they brainstorm in public the most godawful ideas you’ve ever heard for a biennial World Cup. None of these ideas should even leave the whiteboard, and yet here we are discussing them openly, fearing they might actually come to fruition, including a newly proposed idea that is just about the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. 

Will China Qualify For World Cup? One Player Says Even “Harry Potter Magic” Might Not Save Them

Chinese soccer's problems are so deep-rooted that not even the best coaches in the world could get them to the World Cup without the help of a magic wand, according to former international Wang Xiaolong.

China's hopes of qualifying for the World Cup finals for the first time since 2002 are hanging by a thread after they lost three of their first four matches in the third round of Asian qualifying for Qatar.

What History Says About The USMNT’s Current World Cup Qualifying Chances

Qualifying for the World Cup from Concacaf is hard, the narrative goes. Away trips are brutal experiences and every point is hard earned, we’re told. And yet, a quick glance at social media over the last month or two since the USMNT began World Cup qualifying paints a different picture, one that suggests U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter is a stinking pile of flaming diapers for failing to win every single game in qualifying. It had us thinking about USMNT World Cup qualifying history, and how past teams have fared compared to this one. 

Alphonso Davies Was So Good Last Night That Even Drake Was Left Stunned

Everyone is well-versed in Alphonso Davies’ game-changing pace and ability to dice any defender on the planet off the dribble, but it’s his increasing effectiveness in the final third that makes the 20-year-old standout as one of football’s brightest talents.

That’s not to say it’s a new development in his game. At the tender age of 17 Davies was already one of Major League Soccer’s most devastating players in attack, scoring eight goals and providing 10 assists in 31 games to help facilitate his $11 million move to Bayern. (He’s now valued at $155 million.)

USMNT Responds To Critics With Roaring Comeback Victory Over Costa Rica

The USMNT got its World Cup qualifying campaign back on the right track, baby, yeah, by defeating Costa Rica 2-1 in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday night. Block every voice that tells you this isn’t something worth celebrating because after going down 1-0 to a strange goal early, the U.S. produced the sort of performance that makes this grind of qualifying more than worth your time. 

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