Vintage

Australian striker Archie Thompson holds the record for the most goals in a single official international match when he put 13 past American Samoa on April 11, 2001. It was a brutal game for American Samoa as the game finished 31-0. That score line is a blowout even in American football. 

This blowout was a prime example of why Australia changed federations in 2006 from the Oceania Football Confederation to the Asian Football Confederation. 

Before Cristiano Ronaldo made his name at Manchester United, the Brazilian OG Ronaldo left his mark at Old Trafford. A stunning Ronaldo hat trick vs Manchester United in 2003 saw the Real Madrid star given a standing ovation by the opposition fans as 17 years ago.

While football is on hiatus amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, clubs around the world are looking back on memorable moments, reliving old glories while the pursuit of new ones is on hold. 

You know that feeling after the World Cup group stage when, after feasting on three games per day for 15 straight days and growing used to having Rob Stone and Guus Hiddink as the most stable relationships in your life, it suddenly comes to an abrupt halt? That one day off before the start of the knockout rounds and the radio silence that comes with it hits you like a ton of sad, nostalgic, lonely bricks.

German midfielder and long-time Bayern Munich player Thomas Müller isn’t leaving anytime soon as he extended his contract with the Bundesliga giant until 2023. Müller signed the extension in true social distancing fashion.

In football’s absence we’re left to discuss purely quantitative things: the 25-point gap between Liverpool and Manchester City, the number of days between now and a hypothetical restart of the season, the amount of money that everyone’s losing during the shutdown, etc. 

One of the most iconic friendships between icons in the football and music industry is Didier Drogba and Drake. The two superstars in their respective industries have had a long friendship and was best exemplified on April 4, 2012, when Drake watched Chelsea play at Stamford Bridge.

These days, Alexi Lalas is known for his outlandishly stupid hot takes. But like most American soccer broadcasters on TV, Lalas had quite the playing career back in the day, including a stint in Serie A and two World Cups.

Aside from play-by-play men and women like John Strong and JP Dellacamera and studio hosts like Rob Stone and Max Bretos, most American soccer broadcasters were experienced players before they joined the world of television. 

After Antonee Robinson’s rumored AC Milan move to become one of the few Americans to play in Italy’s first division fell through, we at The18 were reminded of the last USMNT defender to appear for the Rossoneri — Oguchi Onyewu.

Onyewu’s story is a cautionary tale for any American playing abroad, and a reminder that nothing in sports is a given, even if you want it so bad you break a legend’s rib fighting for it.