Opinion

The State Of U.S. Soccer: What Went Wrong And What Needs To Be Fixed

Months after the USMNT failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, a new wave of headlines confirming "US Not In World Cup 2018" has dampened the mood of America's casual soccer fans who tune into three or four games every four years.

News of the U.S. joint bid with Mexico and Canada winning the rights to host the 2026 World Cup has given those fans something to be excited about, but the USMNT's absence from this year's World Cup is nonetheless disappointing.

2018-19 EPL Fixtures: Our Way Too Early Predictions For The Biggest Games Of The Season

The 2018-19 Premier League fixtures have been released, and boy oh boy has it thrown up some crackers. We’ve scientifically analysed (and by that we mean taken a quick glance at every fixture and formed a baseless prediction) every fixture and come up with the games you absolutely need to watch, along with when they're taking place.

Heroes And Villains Of The World Cup: Matchday One

No event escalates individuals to the status of national hero or global villain as dramatically as the World Cup. The idolatry that follows success and the stigma that follows failure are woven into the fabric of history, and the repercussions will typically follow footballers for the rest of their lives. Daily, we’ll take a look at who played the role of hero and who played the role of villain at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Heroes and Villains of the World Cup: Matchday One 

Hero: Denis Cheryshev (Russia)

The18’s World Cup Predictions (Coupled With Some Truly Fascinating Insights)

“Let there be light: and there was light.” That’s what God said when he sat down to start crunching out the Bible after a long period of crippling writer’s block, but it easily could’ve been what you said after finally getting your hands on The18’s World Cup predictions. Here you have all your favorite soccer niños trying their damnedest to captivate, stimulate and prognosticate for your reading pleasure.

Who are you cheering for?

The Story Continues: 10 2014 World Cup Narratives That Still Apply In 2018

If you like your dramas with a bit of continuity — and you haven’t watched a soccer match since the 2014 World Cup — you needn’t worry, the 2018 World Cup has got a better story arc than Anna Karenina. Here are 10 narratives that dominated the 2014 tournament that still apply in 2018.

#1. 2018 Costa Rica is 2014 Costa Rica. 

The 2018 World Cup Will Show Us Who Paul Pogba Really Is

Paul Pogba is an enigma wrapped repeatedly in a bunch of increasingly comical synonyms for enigma. And the puzzle that is Pogba will likely be solved during the 2018 World Cup. 

The France midfielder has immense talent and potential. He’s dynamic, versatile, athletic, powerful and silky smooth. It’s why Manchester United paid a then-world-record $125 million for him after letting him go for free four years earlier. 

18 Reasons Why Australia Should Be Everyone's Second Team At The World Cup

Every World Cup, there seems to be the story of a nation that's given little to no chance of making any progress, but somehow ends up actually gaining fans along the way. For the 2018 tournament, we're here to tell you why Australia should be the team that you open your heart to. 

The Socceroos are in Group C, alongside France, Denmark and Peru. A tough group, but the Aussies could shock plenty of people if they play with no fear.

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