Informational/Did You Know

Perhaps more than any other weekend every four years, this upcoming (extended) weekend from Thursday to Tuesday defines a nation’s success on the world football stage. Playoffs aside, this is the final week of World Cup qualifiers, and it’s going to be absolutely bonkers.

There is so much at stake for so many countries from traditional powers (Argentina, Netherlands) to the incredible underdogs (Syria, Iceland) and everyone in between. Only a handful of teams have already qualified and an incredible amount are still in the running. 

Manchester City winger Leroy Sané has set a new record as the fastest player in the EPL. The 21-year-old German was clocked at 22.05 mph during City’s 1-0 win over Chelsea on Saturday. It was the highest speed recorded since Opta began keeping such stats for the English Premier League. 

Much of the soccer world will be focused on the final World Cup qualifiers this weekend, with teams like the Netherlands, Argentina, Italy and the United States all in precarious positions with two matches to play. But hey, don’t forget about the NWSL playoffs, which begin this weekend.

A thrill in sports not typically associated with soccer, the MLS playoff race is a unique feature when compared to European leagues like the English Premier League or Spain’s La Liga. But it sure does make the final weeks of the season exciting.

This year in the Western Conference, eight teams are competing for five remaining playoff spots with less than three weeks left in the regular season. With two three-way ties among the top eight teams, the race for the six playoff berths will go down to the wire, so let’s take a look.

The United States has qualified for every World Cup since 1990. Only once in that span did the Americans need a result on the final day of qualifying. That came in 1989 when the U.S. traveled to Trinidad and Tobago needing nothing less than a win to procure a trip to the 1990 World Cup. The USMNT again travels to Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 10 needing a result to extend its streak to eight straight World Cup appearances.

Crystal Palace has played six, lost six, conceded 13 goals and scored none. That’s 540 minutes of English Premier League football without scoring, a record for longest goalless streak to start a season. In other words, one epic dry spell. But even if Crystal Palace manages to score this weekend against Manchester United, the Eagles will still hold the record for longest EPL scoreless streak.

In the United States, it’s ubiquitous. Whether it’s the Super Bowl or a high school basketball game, the national anthem will be played before a sporting event. So why don’t European soccer teams play the national anthem before matches? The answer lies in the history of America’s own devotion to the Star-Spangled Banner.

In the last week, many in the football world have come together in the wake of the devastating earthquake that hit Mexico. It’s a wonderful to see soccer fans everywhere unite to help in the recovery process for Mexico, one of the world’s most devoted soccer nations. But it’s important to not forget about Puerto Rico.

The list for the players with the most official appearances in the history of soccer stretches from players who played in the 1940s to the present day. Goalkeepers like Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon have both entered the top 20, but there are still many players ahead of the two active legends.

According to Footballdatabase.eu, English goalkeeper Peter Shilton has accumulated the most official appearances with 1,390.