The year is 2009. Argentina, under the direction of Diego Maradona, is on the verge of missing the 2010 World Cup after back-to-back-to-back defeats to Ecuador, Brazil and Paraguay. The loss to Brazil had been particularly horrifying — a 3-1 humbling in Rosario that clinched the Seleção’s place in South Africa and left midfield warrior Javier Mascherano disconsolate in the dressing room.
MONTEVIDEO — First half goals from Arthur and Richarlison gave Brazil a 2-0 win away at Uruguay on Tuesday and maintained their 100-percent record in the South American World Cup qualifiers for Qatar 2022.
Brazil were missing a host of players through COVID-19 and injury, including talismanic striker Neymar, but they were too strong for their opponents, who have not beaten them since 2001.
The FIFA Club World Cup, originally planned for December, will now be held from Feb. 1 to Feb. 11 in Doha, Qatar, organizers FIFA said on Tuesday.
The tournament brings together the six continental champions from across the world, with European Champions League winners Bayern Munich the first to have qualified. Last season's tournament ended with Liverpool beating Brazilian club Flamengo in the final.
Atletico Madrid and Uruguay forward Luis Suarez has tested positive for COVID-19, the Uruguay national team said in a statement on Monday.
Uruguay's statement said top scorer Suarez and stand-in goalkeeper Rodrigo Munoz plus a staff member had tested positive. Other members of the squad had all tested negative ahead of Tuesday's World Cup qualifier at home to Brazil.
BARRANQUILLA — Uruguay's Edinson Cavani scored early and fellow striker Luis Suarez converted a second-half penalty, his fourth in three games for his country, as they beat Colombia 3-0 in Friday’s World Cup qualifier.
Cavani got the opener in the fifth minute after Nahitan Nandez had done the hard work in midfield by robbing the ball and setting him up to fire home a low right-foot shot.
Gol de Edinson Cavani [5']
Chilean league leaders Universidad Catolica converted a penalty on Wednesday — nearly one month after it was awarded.
Catolica were trailing 2-0 at Curico Unido on Oct. 15 when the spot-kick was given but, while incident was being reviewed by VAR officials, the scoreboard caught fire causing a power failure and the match was called off.
Four days later, the Chilean league (ANFP) confirmed that a penalty had been awarded and ruled that the game would be played on Wednesday, resuming at the point where it left off.
BUENOS AIRES — Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona will be released from hospital on Wednesday and taken to a recovery clinic where he will be treated for alcohol dependency, his lawyer told reporters.
The former Napoli and Boca Juniors player had emergency surgery last Tuesday for a subdural haematoma, a blood clot on the brain.
After a 2018 World Cup qualifying cycle that included seven draws, four defeats and the necessity of a Lionel Messi hat trick on the final day to secure passage to Russia, Argentina won’t give a damn that the 2022 cycle began with narrow one-goal victories over both Ecuador and Bolivia back in October.
Messi was the hero against Ecuador with a game-winning penalty kick, and he was the hero against Bolivia after dropping a concha tu madre on the opponent’s physio and mercilessly reminding him of his baldness. The Estadio Hernando Siles brings out the demon in all of us.
Let's face it: International breaks can be difficult to follow. With the Premier League, you know there will be four matches each on Saturday and Sunday, two on Monday and maybe the occasional midweek fixture. The international break though? Chaos.
Some teams are playing friendlies, others in the UEFA Nations League, some are competing in World Cup qualifying, while others are still in the European Championship playoffs. And to top it off, you still have lower-level club fixtures being played. It's a lot.
La Liga de Campeones de CONCACAF (CCL) podría no ser la batalla de peso pesado que es la Liga de Campeones de la UEFA (UCL). Pero una cosa es segura que la CCL puede causar algunos enfrentamientos interesantes y momentos dramáticos de alto riesgo.
Desde la fundación de la CCL, la mayoría de los campeones han sido equipos de la Liga MX, pero eso no significa que no hayan ganado la carrera por su dinero. La Liga de Campeones fue la sucesora de la Copa de Campeones por lo que en esta lista solo nos centraremos en los partidos de la Liga de Campeones.