As Mary J. Blige once said, "No drama, no more in my life (no more drama in my life, no one's gonna make me hurt again)." I'm so tired of the USMNT manager discussion, so this is the only time I'm going to mention that or the fact that Anthony Hudson is serving as interim head coach for January camp. Let's get back to the only things that matter, the game and the players who play it.
U.S. Soccer made its debut on HBO Max Tuesday night with the USWNT beating New Zealand in a friendly in Wellington thanks to four second-half goals, including Alex Morgan's 120th international strike off a ridiculous Rose Lavelle backheel.
The Football Ferns were a little overmatched.
The next World Cup hosts are looking to prepare themselves in the best way possible ahead of the tournament in 2026, and with much speculation over how they'll manage to do that, they might've just sealed a top-quality opponent in 2023.
According to multiple reports, the USMNT and Mexico are both in talks with Germany for a friendly to be played later this year.
MANCHESTER - Manchester United were outclassed by Manchester City in the last local derby but the mood could not be more different as they prepare to host their city rivals in the Premier League on Saturday in the middle of a remarkable run of form.
League leaders Arsenal, meanwhile, face another test of their credentials in a derby of their own away to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday on a weekend where local rivalries could have a huge say in the title race.
Maybe you missed it since the news appeared on New Year's Day, but the Jamaica Football Federation recently announced a partnership with adidas to "not only celebrate Jamaican football but also Jamaican style and culture."
We're expecting jersey, training wear and lifestyle clothing drops soon with the new kits reportedly coming by the end of January. It's a busy summer for Jamaica with the Reggae Girlz competing in their second straight FIFA Women's World Cup and the Reggae Boyz attempting to claim the Concacaf Gold Cup for the first time.
LISBON - Portugal named former Belgium coach Roberto Martínez as their new manager on Monday and the Spaniard said he would sit down with Cristiano Ronaldo to talk about his future in the team.
Martínez, 49, replaces Fernando Santos, who left his job after Portugal suffered a shock defeat by Morocco in the World Cup quarterfinals.
"I appreciate the enthusiasm and ambition with which he (Martínez) received the invitation," Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) President Fernando Gomes told a news conference as Martínez stood next to him.
BERLIN - Borussia Dortmund forward Sébastien Haller is back in team training and ready to make his competitive comeback following surgery and treatment for testicular cancer.
The striker was diagnosed during a pre-season training camp in July and had been signed only weeks earlier by Dortmund for an initial fee of $33.24 million.
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti said his team does not need winter signings as it is in good shape to resume the season in LaLiga, where they trail leaders Barcelona by two points.
The Italian coach considers that having healthy players, such as striker Karim Benzema, will be the key to face the schedule that awaits the Madrid side, who will be looking to defend their LaLiga, Spanish Super Cup and Champions League titles.
TOKYO - Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu will remain in charge of the Asian team for another World Cup cycle, the country's football association announced on Thursday, with the aim of breaking new ground after a number of near misses.
That Moriyasu would continue in the role came as little surprise after he led Japan to victories over former World Cup winners Germany and Spain during the finals in Qatar en route to topping what was considered the most difficult group at the tournament.
We are at the end of the road. Yeah! It's hard to believe it. After a month and 63 games filled with drama, joy and other emotions, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is almost finished. The only thing left to know is who will be the grand champion.
Argentina and France are the finalists, and both are chasing to lift the tournament's trophy for the third time in their history. But that's not all. Their best players, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, are also locking horns, seeking individual glories: the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball.