We’re a little over a month away from the 2019 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Asunción, Paraguay, but the defending champion has just delivered a timely reminder of its mastery of the sand. The World Beach Games wrapped up yesterday in Doha, Qatar, and it was Brazil that captured the men’s beach soccer title following a 9-3 victory over Russia in the gold medal match.
It wasn’t a vintage Netherlands performance by any means, but the Dutch’s quest for a first major international tournament appearance since the 2014 World Cup remains on course following a 2-1 victory over Belarus on Sunday.
With two matches remaining in Euro 2020 qualifying, a draw against Northern Ireland in Belfast on Nov. 16 would ensure a return to the big stage for the Oranje.
Cristiano Ronaldo would, reluctantly, admit that most of the time he needs his teammates to score. The 699th career Cristiano Ronaldo goal, however, was all of his own making.
With Portugal struggling to break down UEFA minnow Luxembourg — Bernardo Silva’s 16th-minute strike was all that separated the two sides after an hour — the team captain showed the rarely seen defensive side of his game to give his side a little breathing room.
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.
Sunday marked the 21st time in Luis Suárez’s six-year Barcelona career that he’d hammered a ball flush in the air — be it a volley, scissor or overhead kick — and into the back of the net. Frankly, there’s no one better on the planet with this demanding technique. Here’s that strike against Sevilla.
If you were busy and couldn't catch the last seven months of the MLS season, here’s what you missed: LAFC and NYCFC crushed it, Cincinnati did the opposite and everyone else was more or less the same, which is why 60 percent of teams make the playoffs. You also missed some fiendishly good goals and saves.
Not to worry: MLS released its nominees for both the AT&T Goal of the Year and the Allstate Save of the Year on Wednesday.
They formed a four-man wall. They had a defender lie prone behind the wall to block a low shot. They dropped another defender to the goal-line to clear any effort at the near post. They had Czech international Tomáš Vaclík between the sticks.
It didn’t matter.
Lionel Messi’s first goal of the 2019-20 season flew in from 23 yards out, avoiding it all with astonishing ease.
It’s happened again, although the result is less disastrous this time around. Last year, despite the brilliance of Zlatan Ibrahimović and his record of 22 goals in 27 games, the LA Galaxy missed out on the playoffs after a catastrophic choke-job against an already eliminated Houston Dynamo on Decision Day.
Barcelona moved into second in LaLiga — two points behind leaders Real Madrid — with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Sevilla at the Camp Nou on Sunday. Barça raced to a three-goal halftime lead thanks to a stunning overhead kick from Luis Suárez followed by further strikes from Arturo Vidal and Ousmane Dembélé. Lionel Messi finished the scoring with a sublime free kick in the 78th minute.
This man is simply unstoppable right now. Bayern Munich earned a 7-2 win thanks to a stunning Robert Lewandowski goal vs Spurs on Tuesday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Son Hueng-min and Joshua Kimmich traded early goals in the massive Group B clash, but it was the Polish striker who provided the difference maker just before halftime.
Lewandowski started and finished a wild play in the 45th minute, eventually punishing Tottenham for failing to clear the ball with a smashing effort from the edge of the 18.