From the first day it was officially announced Los Angeles would be getting an NWSL expansion team, Angel City FC has done things differently. From the star-studded cast of owners and investors to the commitment to community, Angel City has already made more headlines before playing a single match than some NWSL clubs that have been around for years.
José Mourinho was confident when he brought his Roma side to the Aspmyra Stadion for a UEFA Conference League match on Oct. 21. The Portuguese manager named a noticeably second-rate squad for the trip to the Arctic Circle to face reigning Eliteserien (Norwegian top-flight) champion FK Bodø/Glimt.
When the USMNT and Mexico met on Nov. 12 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, it marked the 73rd clash between the two giants of the CONCACAF region. On Mar. 24 we’ll do it all again, adding another monumental World Cup qualifying chapter to a rivalry that really doesn’t need any pretense to get the blood boiling.
When the USMNT welcomes Mexico to TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on Friday night, the Stars and Stripes will boast the emotional and mental edge of having defeated El Tri in their last two meetings — both finals, no less.
But it’s Mexico that holds a three-point advantage over the U.S. at the top of the Octagonal as we hit the halfway point of qualifying, and Tata Martino can rely on a first-choice attack that Gregg Berhalter’s men didn’t see over the summer.
After a remarkable Decision Day that ended with Colorado atop the Western Conference and Salt Lake in the postseason at the expense of the LA Galaxy, it’s time to begin our countdown to the Cup final on Dec. 11 with some MLS playoff predictions.
Thankfully, this season’s action begins after the November international break so there’ll be no awkward space between the first round on Nov. 20 and the conference semifinals on Thanksgiving.
Just give Trinity Rodman a call-up for November’s USWNT friendlies against Australia now. She’s earned it.
Having not named an outright NWSL champion since the North Carolina Courage in 2019, it’s time to get down to business with the 2021 NWSL playoffs beginning on Sunday. It’s win or go home from start to finish, and the final at Louisville’s Lynn Family Stadium should provide a spectacular setting for the final on Saturday, Nov. 20.
Can Carli Lloyd lead Gotham to glory on her swan song? Can anyone stop that OL Reign attack? Is this the beginning of a Portland Thorns dynasty? What about a side like North Carolina or Chicago upsetting the odds?
It’s El Clasico 2021 time! After years spent in the clutches of beIN SPORTS, the world’s greatest rivalry finally gets the grand American audience it deserves over on ESPN. Unfortunately, El Clasico will be behind the paywall of ESPN+, but that was always going to be the case after the network dropped $1.4 billion on an eight-year deal for LaLiga broadcast rights.
They need to recoup that money, beginning Sunday with $6.99 from you (there’s no free trial but you can cancel at anytime).
Qualifying for the World Cup from Concacaf is hard, the narrative goes. Away trips are brutal experiences and every point is hard earned, we’re told. And yet, a quick glance at social media over the last month or two since the USMNT began World Cup qualifying paints a different picture, one that suggests U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter is a stinking pile of flaming diapers for failing to win every single game in qualifying. It had us thinking about USMNT World Cup qualifying history, and how past teams have fared compared to this one.
By now you’ve probably heard the story. 19-year-old Santiago Muñoz, who was born in El Paso, Texas, and grew up just south of the border in Ciudad Juárez, has joined Newcastle United in a jaw-dropping parallel with the famous 2005 film Goal! The Dream Begins.