The U.S. Men’s National Team has a crucial week ahead. After losing its first two CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers in November, it needs to make up ground in the standings. Its first opportunity comes against Honduras tonight in San Jose. The team will then travel to Panama for a match next Tuesday, March 28th.
It had been no secret within Argentina that Diego Maradona was a precocious talent from an early age. Appearing against Hungary as a 16-year-old, Maradona became the country’s youngest international ever.
When the 1978 World Cup came to Argentina the call to include him in the squad, now aged just 17, was resounding. But Argentine manager Cesar Luis Menotti abstained, believing that the pressures of a World Cup on home soil would be too much for the adolescent.
Colombia almost offered Argentina a massive lifeline before they’d even taken the field by leaving it until the 83rd-minute to take the lead against lowly Bolivia in Barranquilla. However, James Rodriguez converted the follow-up after his initial penalty was saved, and Colombia secured a vital three points.
James remains very much on the periphery at Real Madrid, scoring only two goals in La Liga this season, but he’s a faultless captain when it comes to leading Colombia.
Players are constantly under pressure. Some are weighed down by it like an anchor, others thrive under it, using it as a catalyst to perform well. Playing in front of thousands, being watched by millions and being judged on the most critical of stages can break even the strongest of men. Any additional stress, apart from what comes with the job, can be a death blow to any player’s career.
But that’s exactly what thousands of sons of famous soccer players have had to deal with while pursuing the careers of their fathers.
Police in Peru seized a shipment of 1,417 kilos of cocaine, worth millions of dollars, branded with Lionel Messi's logo.
Image: Police in Peru have seized 1,417 kilograms of Cocaine worth €85m with the photos of Messi on it. [md] pic.twitter.com/QCZg0gXxww
— Barcastuff (@barcastuff_real) March 23, 2017
Chile and Argentina will meet for the fifth time in just two years later today, but each encounter has been extremely memorable in its own right. Tonight, with both teams fighting tooth and nail for 2018 World Cup qualification, will be no different. Let’s take a look back at the previous four encounters between La Albiceleste and La Roja.
Miguel Herrera is back with the shenanigans, and we could not be happier about that.
¿Quién fue? ¿Quién sabe? ¡Felicidades, @MiguelHerreraDT y José Torruco! #10AñosDeLealtad. pic.twitter.com/VorGVyNccY
— Xolos (@Xolos) March 21, 2017
With only six matches remaining in South American World Cup qualifying, Argentina face the very real possibility of having their dreams dashed by Chile for the third time in three years. When Chile and Argentina take the field Thursday night in Buenos Aires, it will almost certainly be with both sides out of the automatic qualifying places.
If Colombia defeat Bolivia in Barranquilla, they’ll leapfrog both Argentina and Chile in the table, sending Chile to fifth and Argentina to the disastrous standing of sixth — out of the World Cup.