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Members of the U.S. women's national soccer team voiced frustration on Sunday in the ongoing back-and-forth with their federation over pay equality, as a May 5 trial date in their well-publicized lawsuit against U.S. Soccer inched closer. 

At issue was a letter to membership released on Saturday in which U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro said the federation "offered to provide identical compensation to our women's and men's players for all matches controlled by U.S. Soccer." 

Juventus president Andrea Agnelli has questioned whether their smaller rivals Atalanta should have a right to play in the Champions League, saying they lack international history. His comments drew a blunt response from the mayor of Atalanta's home town Bergamo who said the team had earned their place with "sweat and imagination." 

The 25th season of MLS began with a bang as both TV ratings and stadium attendance spiked for opening weekend. The highlight was all things Nashville, which saw a league-best attendance of 59,069 for the team’s inaugural game at Nissan Stadium.

As Major League Soccer launched a milestone 25th season on Saturday, the mood was not one of reflection and cautious optimism but bold even outrageous predictions of a future empire. 

Not content to eventually become one of the most successful leagues in North America, MLS has set its sights on supplanting the UK's Premier League and Spain's LaLiga as the world's top soccer product by the time it celebrates its 50th anniversary. 

Daytona International Speedway wants to get a little more international. The NASCAR racetrack announced plans to host a soccer festival with professional clubs from North and South America on July 3-4 in 2021. The two-day Daytona Soccer Fest will mark the first time a NASCAR racetrack hosts a pro soccer match.

It’s a confirmation of what everyone has come to understand over the past decade, but Miguel Delaney’s article in The Independent on Wednesday — entitled “How football became broken beyond repair” — is a sobering bit of realism that effectively illustrates how stale, predictable, undemocratic and hyper-capitalist the modern game has become.

Cristiano Ronaldo finalized his transfer from Real Madrid to Juventus back in the summer of 2018, bringing an end to his nine-year spell at the Bernabeu. Juve paid Real $117.25 million for the 34-year-old’s services, and Ronaldo signed a four-year deal worth around $35 million annually.

It took until the 67th minute, but it happened. Without fail, it always happens. With Liverpool leading West Ham 2-0 and supporters beginning their ascent up the stairs and out the door at London Stadium on Wednesday evening, the commentators on NBCSN began lamenting about how it all just doesn’t feel right. 

According to a press release from FOX Sports, the network has landed an exclusive multi-year English-language rights deal with CONCACAF for coverage of the 2021 and 2023 Gold Cups as well as men’s and women’s Olympic qualifiers and the CONCACAF Champions League. 

Major League Soccer announced Charlotte as Major League Soccer’s 30th club on Tuesday. Awarded to Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper, the team will begin play in 2021.

Charlotte. 2021.

You got next, @CharlotteMLS!  pic.twitter.com/bSJPP0vJJX

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 17, 2019