Game Recaps

Celtic knew going into their Champions League encounter with Barcelona that getting a result against a side reinforced by the return of Brazilian great Neymar would be an extremely difficult task. 

They couldn’t have imagined just how well the MSN reunion would go for the Blaugrana.

The attacking trio were nothing short of sensational at the Camp Nou, playing a part in all seven Barca goals.

Neymar started things off by setting up Messi’s first, the Argentine finishing with a powerful left-footed shot.

In the first half against Sunderland, Everton looked listless, stuck even. They kept posting up Ross Barkley like 40 yards away from the goal, and it was not working. Romelu Lukaku only touched the ball 10 times and still probably should have had two goals.

In the second half against Sunderland, Gerard Deulofeu came on for Barkley and Lukaku ended his 11-match scoring drought then added two more for good measure.

Newcastle United won their fourth straight league match on Saturday, climbing to second in the English Championship following their 2-0 victory over Derby County. Yoan Gouffran earned Newcastle an early advantage with his 20th minute strike before being substituted in the 73rd minute for DeAndre Yedlin. Yedlin would secure the three points for Newcastle by doubling their advantage in second-half stoppage time.

For manager Bruce Arena and the LA Galaxy, they couldn’t have scripted Sunday night any better themselves. The Galaxy jumped out to a 4-1 lead over Orlando City by the game’s 70th minute, allowing Arena to substitute the night’s main attraction, Landon Donovan, into the match in the 83rd minute.

Permitting Donovan a few minutes, ending the media frenzy surrounding his comeback and giving the announced crowd of 27,167 a glimpse of what they came for were all positives for the Galaxy.

The sensational Kevin De Bruyne and 19-year-old forward Kelechi Iheanacho put Manchester City up 2-0 by the 36th minute of Saturday’s Manchester derby. Zlatan Ibrahimovic pulled one back for United in the 42nd minute, but City went on claim all three points with a 2-1 victory in the Manchester derby.

Pep Guardiola’s Premier League record with Manchester City now reads played four, won four. It’s been a dream start for Guardiola and City, doubly so now that the Spanish manager has emerged victorious from his first visit to Old Trafford.

Giovani dos Santos’ year-long exclusion from the Mexican national team is all the more baffling when you consider his form of late. Perhaps Juan Carlos Osorio simply preferred giving youth a chance for El Tri’s meaningless qualifiers against Honduras and El Salvador. Or, he might still be salty over dos Santos’ decision to reject a call-up for the Copa America Centenario.

Carlos Ruiz played his final match for Guatemala on Tuesday night, the 36-year-old striker hitting St. Vincent and the Grenadines for five goals in Los Chapines 9-3 victory. Unfortunately for Ruiz and Guatemala, it still wasn't enough as they were eliminated from 2018 World Cup contention, resulting in Ruiz's international retirement.

Two goals from Jozy Altidore, one from Sacha Kljestan and another from Paul Arriola lifted the United States to a 4-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday night in Jacksonville, Florida. The United States entered the match having not mathematically guaranteed their spot in the ‘Hex’, although elimination would’ve required a failure of momentous proportions.

However, the USA were brilliant on the night — particularly in the second half. Trinidad and Tobago almost kept the match even throughout the first, but Kljestan opened the scoring in the 44th minute.

Having lost Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Kim Kallstrom and their manager Erik Hamren after Euro 2016, Sweden still managed to draw with the Netherlands in Stockholm. 

For the Netherlands, their only possible excuse is that they’re now terrible. With nine more qualifying matches still to play, the Dutch have time to improve, it’s just difficult to foresee where that improvement will come from. 

The Netherlands used to be really good. I solemnly swear it. At the 2014 World Cup, Robin van Persie made us believe in the possibility of the human body achieving flight. At the 2010 World Cup, Wesley Sneijder demonstrated everything that is possible in an impeccable Dutch playmaker.