In-Depth Feature

Athletes Fighting In Ukraine: Heavyweight Champions, UCL Legends, Tennis Stars Take Up Arms

According to U.S. intelligence reports, Russia has encountered far more resistance than it anticipated in its invasion of Ukraine while also overestimating its ability to win a propaganda war in the region. 

The athletes of Ukraine have helped on both fronts by actively taking up arms against the Russian invaders and by using their massive platforms to educate us all on their nation's desire for peace, freedom and democracy in the face of such a horrific assault. 

Should Russia Be Banned From The World Cup? There’s Historical Precedent

This week, Russia initiated an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the largest attack on a European nation since World War II. Amid global condemnation of the needless aggression and as Vladimir Putin turns his country into an international pariah, sports organizations have quickly moved to strip Russia of major events. While soccer isn’t the primary concern in Eastern Europe right now, many in the footballing world are wondering: Will FIFA ban Russia from the World Cup? Can UEFA kick Russian clubs out of its competitions?

MLS Opening Weekend Is Here: The Standout Storylines And Matches To Follow

Following the addition of expansion side Charlotte FC, Major League Soccer's opening weekend features all 28 teams in action with nine matches on Saturday, Feb. 26, and five on Sunday, Feb. 27.

MLS opening day 2022 has one match on FOX (Portland vs. New England) and one streamed on Twitter (LAFC vs. Colorado — also on Univision and TUDN), and play also takes center stage across the nation Sunday with one game on FS1 (Atlanta vs. Kansas City) and one on ESPN (LA Galaxy vs. NYCFC). 

Everything You Need To Know About Tuesday's Blockbuster Clash Between PSG And Real Madrid

The knockout stages of the Champions League begin Tuesday with what's arguably the most eagerly anticipated Round of 16 matchup ever — a clash between the club that never settles for anything less than lifting the trophy, record 13-time winner Real Madrid, and the club whose entire apparatus is hellbent on making that happen for the first time, PSG.

A Club Marked For Death: Derby County's Battle For Survival Being Fought On And Off The Pitch

After a chaotic final day of the 2020-21 EFL Championship campaign — during which Derby County was relegated, safe, relegated, then finally safe again, all within the space of 90 minutes — the Rams had secured their status as a Championship side.

At least that's what the final table said. The club still awaited judgment from the EFL regarding serious breaches of financial fair play regulations. In the end, the Rams were spared a points deduction and stayed in the second tier.

It Was A Big Week For Soccer Fans Who Own A Nintendo Switch

If you’re like our dear friend and colleague David Moore, you’re still playing Wii Sports every week on your dilapidated Wii, reliving the glory days of motion-control gaming. Or maybe you’ve still got that old GameCube working so you can play Super Mario Strikers when you grow tired of the FIFA grind. 

Football In The Margins: The Divisive History Of The Long Throw-In And Its Auspicious Future

When Cheltenham Town hosted Manchester City in the FA Cup Fourth Round in January 2021, victory was all but assured for the Premier League club.

The Robins — who would go on to win League Two that year — were no match for a Man City side that sat atop the English football pyramid. Yet early in the second half, the match at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium was still scoreless.

The18 d'Or: Our Awards For The Best Of Soccer In 2021

Wow, what a year — so much so that it's almost impossible to really know where 2020 ended and when 2022 begins! The best way to get beyond this simultaneous feeling of being stuck in the past and hurtling violently towards the future is to stop and take stock of things with an awards gala unlike any other. You're on the guest list.

Champions League Power Rankings: How Do The 16 Remaining Teams Stack Up?

After a software malfunction rendered the hugely anticipated Champions League Round of 16 draw void (as well as a clash between Lionel Messi's PSG and Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United), we finally know the last-16 matchups and can make our terrible Champions League predictions after a redraw was held nearly two hours after the event started.  

10 Stats That Go A Long Way Towards Explaining The 2021-22 Season So Far

STATS! They can be used in all manner of ways. In the right hands, they can provide you with some excellent insight into the best women's goalkeepers in the world right now. In the wrong hands, you end up with some diabolical shitposting that's effectively ESPN FC's Twitter account. 

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