Tactics

Not for Irish eyes: Benjamin Pavard goes crossbar down from 20 yards out

Placed in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying group of death with France, the Netherlands and Greece, Ireland's only hope of reaching Germany was protecting Dublin against all invaders. 

Up first on Monday night was a visit from the World Cup runners-up, France, who'd just blasted the Dutch 4-0 in Paris to kick-off their own campaign.  

Is Philadelphia trash and what needs to change at Sporting KC? 5 takeaways from MLS Matchweek 5

A grain of salt. Perhaps the perfect idiom for MLS Matchweek 5. As teams traversed the FIFA-recognized international break, it became abundantly clear that some squads were better at handling life without their superstars than others. This imbalance made for some surprising results, but overall, a thoroughly entertaining week of games. 

#AlwaysWatchAtlanta and Austin FC in crisis mode? 5 things we learned from MLS Matchweek 4

Week four of the MLS season was one of the best yet. The matchweek featured great games like LAFC traveling to Seattle and New England hosting Nashville. Philadelphia’s last-minute loss to Montreál sent shockwaves across the league, reminding fans that nobody is safe from the drama that is MLS. With over three goals per game on Saturday, you’d be forgiven for finding it difficult to follow every match, so let's take a look at what we learned from MLS Matchweek 4. 

Richarlison puts Conte on blast for Tottenham's "s***" season

LONDON - Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison criticized manager Antonio Conte following Wednesday's Champions League last-16 exit, questioning the Italian's decision to bench him while declaring the north London club has had a "shit" season.

Spurs were knocked out of Europe's premier cup competition by AC Milan after failing to score in both legs as the Serie A club progressed 1-0 on aggregate.

Mexico has a new coach – Who is Diego Cocca? Should the USMNT be worried?

The search is over. Following a chaotic, brief and disheartening process, the Mexican football federation (FMF) has chosen Diego Cocca as the new coach of their national team.

After the failure experienced in the 2022 World Cup, the FMF promised to look inside its soul, shake the pillars of Mexican soccer and find a man ready to take El Tri to heights never seen before. The whole job will take 60 days, they said.

The 8 players to watch out for at SheBelieves Cup 2023

The World Cup is just 160 days away, so the 2023 SheBelieves Cup takes on added significance with teams looking to lockdown tactics and players battling to make an impression ahead of the final roster announcements for Australia and New Zealand. 

Unbalanced USWNT midfield is cause for concern at SheBelieves Cup

After playing the 2021 tournament in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 competition with a weakened field, the SheBelieves Cup returns in a big way this February with the USWNT playing matches against Canada, Japan and Brazil ahead of this summer's main event, the 2023 FIFA World Cup.

5 questions for USMNT January camp now that Anthony Hudson's head coach

This was always going to be a strange January camp for the USMNT with it directly following a World Cup. As usual it falls outside a FIFA international window, so the roster will be composed of MLS players, but now we also know that the team will be guided by an interim manager, Anthony Hudson.

Why soccer players lie behind the wall during free kicks and how the tactic started

If you’re a casual soccer fan who tunes in for the World Cup and the occasional game, you probably noticed an odd tactic. “Why does a player lie down behind the wall in soccer?” you may have asked yourself.

Why does a player lie down behind the wall in soccer?

The tactic of having a player laying down behind the wall is simple. Having a player lay down behind the wall denies the free kick taker any chance at shooting the ball underneath the wall when the players jump.

Messi and Argentina expect classic quarterfinal against old rivals Netherlands

AL RAYYAN, Qatar - Argentina captain Lionel Messi and coach Lionel Scaloni predicted a tough but beautiful encounter with the Netherlands when the sides meet in Friday's World Cup quarterfinal.

Argentina beat Australia 2-1 while the Netherlands defeated the United States 3-1 on Saturday to set up a tantalizing clash between two of the great teams of world football who famously met in the 1978 World Cup final which the South Americans won.

Pages