Amazing Goals

Jamaica arrived at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup as heroes.

Last night, a meeting between Uruguay — eighth-ranked in the world and perhaps the biggest threat to Brazil’s Copa América quest on home soil — and Ecuador was dominated by La Celeste. First half goals from Luis Suárez, Edinson Cavani and Nicolás Lodeiro effectively decided the match, especially so since Ecuador was reduced to 10-men in the 24th minute following a José Quinteros red card.

The opening goal from Lodeiro in the sixth minute was excellent, featuring a pinpoint cross from Suárez and a three-touch masterpiece from the Seattle Sounders attacker.  

The draw for the 2019 Women’s World Cup really couldn’t have been unkinder for Thailand. Not only did the world’s 34th-ranked side land the defending world champion, they also got the last team to defeat the USWNT at a major international tournament, Sweden.

Things, of course, got off to a historically bad start when surrendering 13 unanswered goals to the U.S. to begin group play, and things weren’t looking pretty again today when trailing Sweden 4-0 in the 81st minute. 

After trouncing Thailand 13-0 to begin FIFA Women’s World Cup play, the question facing the USWNT heading into Sunday’s match against Chile was both how many goals they’d score and — uh oh — how they’d celebrate those goals.

Fresh off helping Mexico to the CONCACAF U-17 Championship title last month, 16-year-old Californian Efraín Álvarez has registered his first goals for the LA Galaxy, notching a brace in the club’s 3-0 U.S. Open Cup victory over Orange County FC on Wednesday night. 

It’s been 576 days since the Italian apocalypse at the San Siro in Milan. It was on that fateful evening that Sweden held Italy to a 0-0 draw in a playoff for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, sending the Scandinavian country through 1-0 on aggregate while the Azzurri missed out on their first World Cup in 60 years. 

Scoring on your rival? Awesome. 

Scoring on your rival in a knockout tournament? Awesomer.

Scoring on your rival with a goal from midfield? Awesomest.

Antonio Blanco ripped a shot from 45 yards in a 1-1 draw with Barcelona on Saturday, advancing Real Madrid 3-1 on aggregate into the Copa del Rey Juvenil semifinals.

Blanco’s equalizing goal came with the match in the balance. Barcelona attempted to cross midfield only for the Madrid player to steal the ball, take one touch and blast a long-range effort over the Barça keeper.