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.
This is, without a doubt, my favorite time of the year. On Sunday, the FC Bayern Munich squad made its annual trip Oktoberfest, which is perhaps the greatest tradition in all of sports. I would play for Bayern Munich just for this reason. I would also drink five steins of Hofbräu Dunkel Weizen, miss practice the next day, get sent to train with the reserves and be the subject of an article on The18 entitled “Whatever Happened To Connor Fleming? A Case Of Too Much Dunkel,” but that’s besides the point.
Today marks the 36th birthday of Trivela King Ricardo Quaresma. Am I using the date as an excuse to watch Quaresma highlights before subsequently sharing them with you? Absolutely.
I believe that no player represents the gulf between professional footballers and amateurs better than the Portuguese wizard.
It is a well-known fact goalkeepers are a breed of their own. They put themselves in ridiculous situations and are forced to make incredible saves or be the laughing stock of the world.
Mahmoud Gad, goalkeeper for ENPPI SC in the Egyptian Premier League, found himself in one of those situations.
After coming out 30 yards to make a header, he had to sprint back to tip a chip over the crossbar.
It has been nearly five months since Chelsea youngster Callum Hudson-Odoi ruptured his Achilles last season.
Manager Frank Lampard has recently confirmed the CHOsen one is close to returning for the Blues. The England National team forward recently returned to action for Chelsea’s U-23 squad, showcasing his progress and strength to a roaring fan base at Stamford Bridge.
Hudson-Odoi has seen a pretty swift recovery for what can be a nasty, time-consuming injury. Fans will rejoice if the forward is very much is 100 percent good to go.
A Dutch youth has hit the worm harder than anyone before him.
I’ll be honest, my first great hope was that this b-boy was just really into 1980s funk subculture (and maybe he is), but I had to know one thing for sure, so I typed “Is the worm in Fortnite?” into Google. It’s with some sadness that I report the answer as yes, but the worm is still a huge improvement over the floss dance and whatever the hell Antoine Griezmann does.
You may have missed it with all the games on, but RB Salzburg manager Jesse Marsch made history on Tuesday. After an emphatic 6-2 victory over Belgian side KRC Genk, Marsch became the first coach from the United States to not only coach a Champions League match, but to win one.
We’ve written about it before. A few times, actually. But the HBO Diego Maradona trailer released on Friday only reinforces our deep desires to see critically acclaimed documentary.
There’s so much about Paul Scholes that we are yet to understand. We’ve been studying the specimen for over 25 years, but as soon as we think we’re close to a breakthrough with regards to how this terrestrial animal has eyes going every which way, we are mystified by some new behavior.
The midfield instigator was roaming around the confines of the Etihad Stadium today with 50,000 spectators training their inquiring eyes upon him, and he delivered this . . . this thing.