International Soccer

Brazil's Nycole gets emotional World Cup goodbye from her father, an airport worker

The Brazil women's national team has arrived in Australia to begin preparations for the World Cup, where they'll open play on July 24 against Panama in Adelaide. 

The squad played one final send-off match on July 2 in Brasília — hammering Chile 4-0 in front of over 15,000 — before heading to the local airport the following day.

It was an emotional send-off for 23-year-old forward Nycole Raysla, who's from the city and whose father actually works for the airport. The pair brushed away tears as Nycole said her goodbyes before jetting away to fulfill her life's ambition.  

Gold Cup quarterfinal predictions: Let's get Concacaf'd

After a strangely long break in the action (the United States has a whole week to figure out how to win 6-0 again), the Concacaf Gold Cup returns this weekend with the quarterfinals. 

It's no surprise to see the USMNT and Mexico at the business stage of the tournament, but Jamaica, Panama, Guatemala and Canada all navigated the group phase without tasting defeat. 

Will we see any surprises in the last eight?  

2023 Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinal predictions 

Panama vs. Qatar

Women's World Cup 2023: Full list of qualified teams and guide to each group

Following are the eight groups for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to Aug. 20:

WHAT IS THE FORMAT FOR THE GROUP AND KNOCKOUT STAGES AT WORLD CUP 2023?

* The tournament opens with the group stage where each of the 32 teams play three matches. The field has been expanded from 24 teams after the 2019 World Cup in France.

* Teams get three points for a win and one for a draw. The top two teams in each group advance to the round of 16.

LamborJimmy abollado: Catar le hace la maldad a México en Copa Oro

El plan de México era acabar la fase de grupos de la Copa Oro con marca perfecta. Sin embargo, Catar dio la sorpresa y le propinó al Tri su primera derrota en la era de Jaime Lozano.

¿Qué pasó? En términos estadísticos, México fue inmensamente superior a la selección asiática con un 77% de posesión de balón e intentó hasta 25 disparos al arco, pero ninguno de esos remates encontró la red.

Catar, en cambio, registró una oportunidad y le bastó para lograr la victoria.

USMNT player ratings vs. Trinidad & Tobago: 3 who excelled, 2 who failed

Job done. The USMNT clinched top spot in Gold Cup Group A on Sunday night after beating Trinidad and Tobago 6-0 in sweltering conditions at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC.

The win ensured that the U.S. and Mexico can't possibly meet until the final, but it was also an important 90 minutes for players to show that they should be considered for the full-strength USMNT squad when it eventually reconvenes. 

Why not Guadeloupe? The case for the French overseas department to win the Gold Cup

One of the best subplots to follow throughout the course of a Concacaf Gold Cup is the evolving power rankings of the nations looking to end the United States and Mexico's hegemony of the region. 

And with the USMNT sending a B Team under the direction of an interim manager and El Tri in disarray with their own interim boss, this summer looked as good a time as any for the likes of Canada and Jamaica to strive for glory.

South Africa loses own World Cup send-off 5-0 after player boycott leads to makeshift team with a 13-year-old

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's Women's World Cup preparations were plunged into chaos on Sunday when a shadow national team including a 13-year-old took on Botswana in a friendly as the squad selected for the finals were locked in a dispute with the national association.

The match was supposed to be a send-off for the squad going to the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand before they continue their preparations outside the country.

Mexico outlasts Haiti to book spot in Gold Cup quarterfinals

Henry Martin's goal just after halftime sent Mexico on its way to a 3-1 win over Haiti on Thursday in Group B play at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in Glendale, Ariz.

FIFA confirms that the USMNT is the 11th best national team in the world

Of all the men’s national soccer teams in the world, the United States has the 11th best according to the latest FIFA rankings.

This is the highest ranking for the U.S. since December 2021 when they were also 11th. August 2021 was the last time the USMNT were among the top 10.

The latest edition of the rankings that everyone definitely takes seriously and certainly doesn’t laugh at has the USMNT above the likes of Germany, Morocco, Switzerland and Uruguay.

Alexia Putellas drops a golazo on Panama during Spain's 7-0 demolition

It's been almost a year since two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas went down with an ACL injury that cost her a place at last summer's European Championship and almost the entire 2022-23 club season with Barcelona.  

Her last appearance for Spain was actually July 2, 2022, when she received her 100th cap and scored her 27th goal in a friendly against Italy.

Now, after a long and demanding road to recovery, Putellas made her long-awaited return to the national team Thursday during a friendly against fellow World Cup participants Panama. 

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