Opinion

When the USMNT welcomes Mexico to TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on Friday night, the Stars and Stripes will boast the emotional and mental edge of having defeated El Tri in their last two meetings — both finals, no less. 

But it’s Mexico that holds a three-point advantage over the U.S. at the top of the Octagonal as we hit the halfway point of qualifying, and Tata Martino can rely on a first-choice attack that Gregg Berhalter’s men didn’t see over the summer.

Toward the end of quarantine I watched two Netflix anime shows at a breakneck speed — Blood of Zeus and Castlevania — and throughly enjoyed the characters, beautiful visuals and over-the-top violence. They were wonderful companions while being stuck inside.

For the Chicago Fire, 2021 marked a fourth straight season without qualifying for the playoffs. After finishing 22nd overall in 2020 with an average of 1.00 points claimed per game, the Fire where remarkably consistent with regards to being terrible in 2021, finishing 22nd overall with an average of 1.00 points per game. 

Watching an entirely unhealthy amount of soccer this weekend, I realized there’s an unexplored frontier of goal celebrations that the rule makers are yet to crack down on — the act of putting a cap on one’s head and acting a fool. 

After a remarkable Decision Day that ended with Colorado atop the Western Conference and Salt Lake in the postseason at the expense of the LA Galaxy, it’s time to begin our countdown to the Cup final on Dec. 11 with some MLS playoff predictions.

Thankfully, this season’s action begins after the November international break so there’ll be no awkward space between the first round on Nov. 20 and the conference semifinals on Thanksgiving.   

The United States and Mexico are preparing for a massive World Cup qualifying game on Nov. 12 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The rivalry between North America’s two best national teams always produces entertainment. Some of the best USA vs Mexico goals have been scored in the last 20 years.

Unless you’re one of the 15 people in the United States that closely follows the Slovenian PrvaLiga, you probably haven’t had an opportunity to see this amazing bicycle kick by NK Radomlje’s Gedeon Guzina on Friday.

Guzina doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page, but he certainly deserves one after his incredible goal. 

I could tell you about the 27-year-old’s career in Bosnia or about Radomlje’s current standings, but I’ll skip all the fluff and just show you the goal.