Lists

The first day of February was the closing day of the transfer window in Europe. Due to the worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus that strongly affects the economy of the clubs, the market was more austere than other years. Among many stories produced, one revolves around the outstanding soccer players who finished their contracts with their clubs and did not sign again, remaining free agents. 

The18 has compiled a list of who they are and what their respective situations are with a view to a 2021 that is already underway.

It's Super Bowl week, which means it's that time of the year when you learn way too much information about two teams that you don't really care about (what don't we know about Tom Brady as this point?). 

How about learning a digestible amount of interesting information about some teams that you still probably don't care about — at least not yet. Because after you're done reading about some very unusual nicknames, you'll undoubtedly fall in love with one or more of these somewhat obscure soccer clubs.

Watching football matches is obviously the best part of the sport, but another great part is the technical ability that some players have when it comes to the more creative side of the game rather than the tactical. Freestylers do not get enough credit for the immense amount of skill and creativity they have with the ball. Whether that's multiple around the worlds, fancy flick-ups or gravity-defying tricks, it's always quality content that'll have you mesmerized. 

Here are quality freestylers that you need to follow.

The writing’s on the wall for Newcastle United under the direction of Steve Bruce: 2021-22 will mark the third time in 13 seasons that Newcastle finds itself in the Championship. 

Tuesday’s 2-1 home defeat to Leeds United marked a fifth straight league defeat for Newcastle, a feat that even Kevin Keegan/Chris Hughton/Joe Kinnear/Chris Hughton again/Alan Shearer couldn’t match in 2008-09, nor could Steve McClaren/Rafael Benítez in 2015-16. 

Soccer is one of the very few sports that boasts competitions where small, local sides are able to face off against the best teams in the country. These matchups capture the imagination while providing a sense of hope and magic to a small group of supporters.

Domestic cups have long provided smaller clubs with the opportunity to prove their mettle by facing nationally recognized sides, and while major upsets are rare, just the slightest hope of an improbable win is enough to cause local pandemonium and stir significant interest among neutral supporters.

The majority of youth soccer parents support their children to the ends of the Earth. Seeing your child score their first goal or make a great save is an indescribable feeling. That being said, there are still moments when you really wish you could be anywhere else than a U-11 boys soccer game.

Unless waking up at the crack of dawn to drive two hours and sit in a field full of goose shit is your kink, being a youth soccer parent can be a pain sometimes.

Here are five thoughts that youth soccer parents have had that they definitely won’t tell their children about.