Andrija Novakovich is a 21-year-old forward for Dutch club Telstar. He’s not exactly a household name among U.S. fans, but his debut for the USMNT on Tuesday was one of the best moments for U.S. soccer in months.
Who says attackers get to have all the fun in soccer? Defenders and goalkeepers are just as passionate about their craft, sometimes even more so. These 10 photos show a cool block or similar defensive thing can elicit just as much emotion as a Puskas-worthy goal.
She’s here — the savior of American paleontology. A seven-year-old fossil hoarder of rare vision, technique and digging skills. Will the United States Women’s Paleontology National Team (USWPNT) win the 2032 Fossil-Finding World Cup? If Naomi Vaughan keeps up her recent form over the next 15 years, definitely.
Sorry, as a soccer website, it’s our responsibility to hype these sorts of things to an ungodly degree.
Imagine this: it’s July 15, 2018. It’s the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. 81,000 spectators are collectively holding their breath while more than one billion are tuned in across the planet. After 120 minutes of action in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final, we’re all square between Argentina and Germany. It's penalties.
Argentina now has a chance to lift the trophy with their fifth and final spot kick. It’s Lionel Messi — the perennial international runner-up — approaching the spot with German No. 1 Manuel Neuer staring him down.
Everyone in Liverpool )well, the red part) loves Mohamed Salah. The smiley, goal-scoring Egyptian wonderboy has quickly become both a fan-favorite and a menace to society at the same time. His performance against Watford, four goals, an assist and the mercy-killing of Miguel Britos, is just the latest incredible feat in a season full of incredible feats.
While everyone comes to football in different ways, it is most often a family sport, passed down from one generation to the next. So it’s no surprise that famous footballers have kids who are just as passionate about the sport. These famous football sons proved to be better than their fathers.
If last week’s round of Serie A fixtures was dominated by tragedy, then this week’s matches were defined by flashes of beauty peering through the gloom. Across a number of games, there were flashes of brilliance which pierced through the fog for vastly different reasons. Even if, ultimately, the moments meant nothing, the surge of emotion and energy was undeniable.
Let’s begin with the most astounding of all.
This Francesco Totti goal will bring nostalgic tears to your eyes. Remember that majestic Italian player who retired only recently?
Francesco Totti was one of those players who gave the beautiful game all of its romantic allure.
Totti never played for another team different than Roma. He holds the record of most appearances for the club with a total of 786 in all competitions, 619 of them in Serie A.
Moreover, he was unquestionably one of the most talented players of his generation.
The scenes at London Stadium during Burnley's 3-0 win over West Ham on Saturday quickly devolved into ugliness, with West Ham ultras fighting in the stands and occasionally running on the field and fighting there.
There was, however, a silver lining of sorts. When West Ham fans were punching each other in the stands, some Burnley subsitutes gave up their seats on the bench to a group of children to shelter them from the violence.