Central & South America

CONCACAF Champions League Starts At An 11 And Takes It To A 15 REAL QUICK

Valentín Castellanos scored two first-half goals as New York City FC rolled to a 2-0 win over Santos de Guápiles in first-round action of the CONCACAF Champions League on Tuesday in San Jose, Costa Rica.

The contest was the opener of a two-game, total-goal series. The second leg is scheduled for Feb. 23 at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles.

Castellanos put the visitors on top in the fifth minute when he fired a penalty kick into the left side of the net.

This Week Soccertopia Also Includes Concacaf Champions League: Here Is How You Can Watch It

There's so much soccer on the TV screen this week that it feels we are in paradise. The soccertopia includes the Champions League in Europe, the Copa Libertadores in South America, and our old friend the Concachampions.

Juventus, Bayern Munich And Brazil Star Douglas Costa Joins LA Galaxy As Designated Player

Brazil international Douglas Costa has signed for Los Angeles Galaxy, the Major League Soccer club said on Thursday, as the winger completed an initial loan move from Brazil's Grêmio that will become a permanent deal to the end of the 2023 season.

20-Year-Old Hacker Arrested For Repeatedly Siphoning Small Sums Of Money From Neymar's Bank Account

Brazilian police have arrested a man they believe hacked into Neymar’s bank accounts and repeatedly stole small sums of money amounting to more than $40,000, officials in São Paulo said.

Police said the alleged hacker worked at an unnamed bank where the Paris St Germain and Brazil player and his business manager father had accounts.

Lionel Messi's New Adidas Signature Cleats Are Straight Out Of El Dorado

There aren't many symbols in the footballing world that indicate "it's business time" quite like Marta's red lipstick or Cristiano Ronaldo's noodle hair, but Lionel Messi taking out the gold cleats is quickly getting there.

Manchester City's Subsidiary Club Kicks Off Copa Libertadores 2022: Here Is How To Watch It

The tuxedo is out of the closet once again. This time it's to welcome a new edition of Copa Libertadores. Palmeiras (Brazil) has won the last two championships, and the logical question is who will be the team that will challenge its dominance?

The tournament will kick off Tuesday, Feb. 8, with the match between Montevideo City Torque (Uruguay) vs. Barcelona SC (Ecuador) for the first of three qualifying rounds before the group stage.

80-Yard Volley In Brazil Is Understandably Getting Puskás Award Hype

The Campeonato Pernambucano — the state football championship of Pernambuco, Brazil — was the site of an unbelievable goal on Sunday from 21-year-old Salgueiro AC defender Lucão.

Up 1-0 shortly before halftime and facing pressure from Sete de Setembro, Lucão showed everyone that the quickest transition from defense into attack is simply an 80-yard volley from the middle of your own half that touches down inside the opponent's net. 

It's an effective way to beat the high-press that should be taught in academies across America — if Brazil's doing it, we should do it too.

Liverpool Beats Out Spurs, Man Utd For $67 Million Porto Winger Luis Díaz

Liverpool have signed Colombia winger Luis Díaz from Porto on a long-term deal, the Premier League club announced on Sunday.

Financial details were not disclosed but the BBC reported the deal is expected to be worth $50.14 million, with a maximum of $16.72 million in add-ons.

Díaz, who has seven goals in 31 appearances for Colombia, becomes Liverpool's first signing of the January transfer window.

Neymar's Netflix Series Is Fascinating In Ways That Neymar Probably Didn't Intend

Warning: Spoilers Ahead (Brazil doesn't win the 2014 World Cup) 

"He's in constant chaos, you know? He often creates it," says Dani Alves with a laugh during the opening of Neymar's new Netflix documentary. "He seems to enjoy that perfect chaos."

And with that we not only have the basis of the title — Neymar: The Perfect Chaos — but a good synopsis of the polarizing footballer who delights in the roles of entertainer, savior, clown, antihero and villain without ever really knowing, or caring, which mask he's going to don on any given day. 

What If The USMNT Isn't Actually Embracing The Cold And This Was All A Terrible Idea?

It is, we're learning, a question that can be framed in countless ways — "Will it be an advantage? But will it really be an advantage? How will you prepare? How will you mentally prepare? Will you put hot chicken broth in your water bottle so it doesn't freeze?" — but really only ever has one definitive plan of action: Deal with it. 

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