An assistant manager in Spain pulled a Moonlight Graham on Sunday, crossing that foreboding white line and onto the hallowed green grass, but his reward wasn't the eternal bliss of playing catch with Shoeless Joe Jackson — he got a shove in the back, a red card and cries for his dismissal at Colmenar Viejo and the revocation of his coaching license. Real life is nothing like Hollywood.
After starting Thursday's Europa League draw against Eintracht Frankfurt, Xavi used a match against 19th-place Levante to give 19-year-old Pedri and 17-year-old Gavi a rest. That plan lasted less than an hour at the Ciutat de València after Levante took a 52nd-minute lead from the spot through José Morales.
Incredibly, Levante could've gone 2-0 up in the 56th when the home side was awarded another penalty, but Marc-André ter Stegen saved Roger Martí's effort and Xavi immediately replaced Frenkie de Jong with Gavi and Nico González with Pedri.
Jordy Alcívar scored on a corner kick in the 11th minute and Charlotte FC held off late bids from Atlanta United for a 1-0 victory Sunday afternoon in Charlotte, N.C.
Kristijan Kahlina recorded six saves in the shutout as Charlotte avenged a 2-1 loss last month in Atlanta.
Charlotte (3-4-0, 9 points) got a boost from the early goal and sustained that momentum for long stretches. Atlanta (3-2-1, 10 points) seemed unable to overcome lineup changes necessitated by a recent rash of injuries.
The two best football teams on the planet exchanged cross-field rakers, 70-yard goalkeeper pings, marauding fullbacks, suffocating periods of pressure and jaw-dropping displays of skill on Sunday in a potential Premier League title decider that fittingly ended 2-2 between Manchester City and Liverpool at the Etihad.
Who's ready to watch them do it all again next Saturday at Wembley in the FA Cup semifinals?
No había dudas de que la selección de México femenil le ganaría a Anguila ni tampoco de que el marcador sería amplio. La pregunta era cuántos goles el Tri terminaría anotándole al combinado caribeño, en un duelo parte del camino al Mundial de Australia y Nueva Zelandia 2023.
Al final, los goles fueron 11. Sí, el Tri ganó 0-11 y de paso firmó la goleada más grande de su historia en partidos oficiales. ¡11! Y sin siquiera usar a todas sus titulares.
The USWNT most likely wasn’t thrilled on having to settle with 48th ranked Uzbekistan as the opponent for two April friendlies. The first of those two games was played on Saturday and the U.S. expectedly thrashed the minnows 9-1.
With many of the USWNT veterans like Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and Christen Press not selected for the roster it would seem these friendlies are a last chance shot for some of the youngsters to prove themselves and make the cut for July’s Concacaf W Championship. That competition will also serve as World Cup and Olympic qualifying.
BIRMINGHAM — Son Heung-min struck a superbly taken hat-trick as Tottenham Hotspur took a grip on fourth place, romping to a 4-0 win at Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.
With Arsenal losing earlier on Saturday, Spurs have a three point lead over their North London rivals with 57 points from 31 games - the Gunners have played one game less.
South Korean Son fired Spurs ahead in the third minute when a blocked shot from Harry Kane fell to him on the edge of the box and his first time, left-foot, shot flew in off the inside of the post.
LIVERPOOL — Manchester United's miserable season continued on Saturday as Everton boosted their Premier League survival hopes with a 1-0 win over Ralf Rangnick's side at Goodison Park.
Out of all cup competitions, United were looking to earn a victory that would have moved them level on points with Tottenham Hotspur in fourth.
But their task was made all the more difficult when Anthony Gordon gave Everton a first-half lead.
An olimpico goal — one scored directly from a corner kick — is always a sight to behold. Damián “Kitu” Díaz of Ecuador’s Barcelona SC scored one of the most unique olimpicos ever seen on Thursday in the Copa Sudamericana when he caught the Montevideo Wanderers’ goalkeeper out of his goal during the corner kick.
Díaz spotted the goalkeeper standing six yards away from his goal and had the audacity to curl the ball into the goal while the goalkeeper wasn’t looking. Brilliant.
We apologize in advance for completely ruining your weekend vibes. Young American Gio Reyna is hurt, again. The 19-year-old Borussia Dortmund starlet pulled up injured less than two minutes into his start against Stuttgart on Friday, just weeks after returning from a five-month stint on the sidelines with another injury.
Reyna left the pitch in tears after feeling something go in his right hamstring on his first touch of the night while playing a give-and-go with Thorgan Hazard. The USMNTer was able to walk off under his own power — visibly limping — but was clearly distraught.