It's been nearly a year since Miguel Almirón made his big-money move to Newcastle United from Major League Soccer's Atlanta United.
In Atlanta, the Paraguayan scored 22 goals in 68 appearances over the course of two seasons. He was one of the attacking powerhouses of the league and one of the main reasons Atlanta's expansion season in 2017 and title-winning 2018 campaign were both large successes.
Barcelona cruised into the winter break with a 4-1 win over Alavés, the club’s final match of 2019 on Saturday at the Camp Nou. Lionel Messi scored a stunning strike in the 69th minute (nice) to help the Blaugrana ensure their spot atop the LaLiga table heading into 2020 (unless Real Madrid wins by more than five goals on Sunday).
With his goal Saturday, Messi finished 2019 with 50 goals in all competitions for club and country, the ninth time he’s done that this decade.
It’s about time for the second half of the European club season, and you know what that means — it’s time to burn all the “Cristiano Ronaldo Is Finished” takes from September/October for the fourth straight year.
Recently named the USMNT Young Male Player of the Year, Sergiño Dest has had quite an impressive 2019-20 season already. He's logged major minutes for Ajax in the Eredivisie and chose to represent the USMNT over the Netherlands (still trying to figure out why, to be honest).
Monterrey gave Liverpool all it could handle in today’s FIFA Club World Cup semifinal in Qatar. The two sides exchanged early goals through Naby Keïta and Rogelio Funes Mori, but it was the substitute Roberto Firmino who scored the dramatic winner in second half stoppage time to book Liverpool’s place in the final, where they’ll meet Copa Libertadores champion Flamengo.
Mohamed Salah is starting to catch fire. The second Mo Salah goal vs Watford on Saturday may have been his best yet.
The Egyptian wonder had a goal and an assist against Bournemouth last weekend and a goal against RB Salzburg in the Champions League during the week. Salah scored twice in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Watford at Anfield that sent the Reds 10 points ahead of second-place Leicester City.
Salah’s first was a beauty in its own right. The winger who highly favors his left foot showed he can also score curlers with his right to open the scoring in the 38th minute.
Ajax, semifinalist last time around, has been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League at the group stage following a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Valencia in Amsterdam.
Heading into the day as Group H leaders, Johan Cruijff ArenA fully expected a celebratory affair given the fact that Ajax had previously crushed Valencia 3-0 at the Mestalla back on Oct. 2, but Rodrigo’s goal in the 24th minute — coupled with Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over Lille — sent Ajax crashing down to third and into the Europa League.
The fifth goal of Son Heung-min’s 2019-20 Premier League season was perhaps the finest he’s ever scored for Tottenham. Beginning at the edge of his own area, the 27-year-old attacker took off at a brisk pace before roaring through the gears and leaving eight Burnley defenders in his torrential wake.
Arsenal Women went top of the FA WSL on Sunday following a 3-0 victory over Reading at Adams Park. 23-year-old Dutch striker Vivianne Miedema scored a brace for the Gunners, but it was Kim Little’s strike in the 37th minute that conjured memories of some of Arsenal’s greatest-ever team goals.
The men’s team is synonymous with breathtaking team goals…
With three goals in the opening 20 minutes of today’s 3-2 victory over Athletic Bilbao, Real Betis captain Joaquín became the oldest ever hat-trick scorer in LaLiga history.
Mexican internationals Andrés Guardado and Diego Lainez both got the start for Betis at the Benito Villamarín, but it was Joaquín — at the age of 38 years and 140 days — who stole the show with the first three-goal game of his glittering 21-year career.