Colchoneros, catalanes, merengues y nervionenses tendrán que dar el todo por el todo en la cancha si pretenden conquistar el ansiado título de la Liga Santander 2020-2021. Temporada tan particular como atípica. Estadios vacíos, pandemia incontrolable, crisis económica mundial y ahora el “Barçagate” percuten en demasía el ritmo de la competencia en España.
For months now it has seemed as though it was only a matter of time. In what is perhaps the least surprising development in the soccer world, Celtic manager Neil Lennon has resigned with the club's bid for a 10th consecutive Scottish title in tatters.
Lennon departs with Celtic 18 points behind archrival Rangers, which is just seven points away from clinching its first league championship since 2010-11. Any appearance of a title race has been more or less over since November. Assistant manager John Kennedy will replace Lennon on an interim basis.
Located in the far northern reaches of the Iberian Peninsula, Basque Country is a small autonomous district in Spain (and a small sliver of France) known for its unique language and cultural practices.
Two of the biggest soccer clubs in the region, Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao, feature lineups based heavily around home-grown talent, with Bilbao even enforcing a strict Basque-only policy at the club since 1912.
On Wednesday, Juventus began its knockout campaign in the Champions League against FC Porto, a 2-1 defeat. With some big names such as Paulo Dybala and Juan Cuadrado limited for the Bianconeri, it was a big stage for young American Weston McKennie to make his mark in the competition.
While the Premier League is ascribed to be the most talented league in the world, the EFL Championship might be as difficult, if not more so, than the English top flight.
In terms of talent, the Championship is just a small step below the Premier League and there is little disparity between the top and bottom of the table. 23rd place Birmingham has beaten second place Brentford and fifth place Reading this season, while Derby County beat Norwich then went winless for two months and dropped to the bottom of the table.
It was nighttime at the Yokohama International Stadium in Japan, but early morning in this part of the world. The respectful and silent crowd that usually populates the stands of this Japanese stadium gave way to the warming chants of the Paulista torcida, who never stopped cheering on their team, creating an atmosphere worthy of a final.
The overwhelming majority of Brazilian fans carried Corinthians from the first minute onwards and, with the feeling of playing at home, they went out to play with no holds barred.
With soccer tactics constantly changing, certain types of players are not always accommodated.
Roles like the libero, trequartista, striker partnerships and burly center backs have become, or are quickly becoming, outdated in modern football. Other roles like ball-playing goalkeepers, false nines and wingers that cut inside onto their stronger foot have become very trendy.
This often leaves current players wishing they had played in a previous decade and former players wishing their career had started a little later. Ah, what could have been.
With Super Bowl Sunday approaching and the UEFA Champions League knockout stage just around the corner, it's time to make a definitive comparison of two of the most popular sporting competitions in the world.
Using advanced analysis, statistical comparison and cross-sport know-how, we will determine once and for all which competition is more difficult to win: the UEFA Champions League or the National Football League's Super Bowl.
According to Transfermarkt, 11,148 transfers were officially made between January 1 and February 1, with the transfer fees totalling a little over $600 million.
While significantly less than the 18,488 transfers worth $1.6 billion that occurred last January, it's still a lot to take in.
But we've made it easy for you.
Here's The18's five-minute guide to the most important transfers of this year's winter window:
1. Sébastien Haller (West Ham → Ajax)
Mallory Pugh has unfortunately had a few injuries that've set her back, causing her to miss out on USWNT play, NWSL play and falling behind in fitness and performance. As a top-tier athlete, injuries can make or break players, and with the immense amount of young talent joining the USWNT senior squad, this leaves Pugh’s future on the squad unknown.