Spain

Philippe Coutinho’s First Barcelona Goal Puts Club In Copa Del Rey Final

Philippe Coutinho scored his first goal for Barcelona after coming on as a halftime substitute in their Copa del Rey semifinal second leg against Valencia Thursday. Coutinho scored four minutes after coming on as Barcelona eased into the final with a 3-0 aggregate victory. 

Coutinho’s finish was sure a tidy one, but the majority of the credit has to go to Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan brilliantly worked a bit of space before turning provider for Barca’s all-important away goal at a packed Mestalla.   

Los Blancos Get Covered In White Stuff

Real Madrid’s up-and-down (mostly down) season continued Saturday with a 2-2 draw against Levante. But Los Blancos saw the entire city of Madrid turn white on Monday. A rare snowstorm in the Spanish capital saw Santiago Bernabeu coated in snow — a clear sign of … something. 

Fresh Off The Plane In Spain, Messi Sent Francis Coquelin Back To London

Here’s an idea: a book or film chronicling the moments when various footballers were first introduced to the otherworldly enigma that is Lionel Messi. It’d be a hugely enjoyable, albeit largely repetitive, piece.

5 Possible Directions For The Rumored Pixar-FC Barcelona Film

According to radio journalist Rocco Steinhauser, an animated film collaboration between Pixar and Barcelona could soon be in the works.

Rare 2005 Nike Commercial Featuring Messi Shows How Life’s A Cruel Mistress

This fantastic Nike “Recuerda mi nombre” (“Remember my name”) advert from 2005 has aged wonderfully over the last 13 years because (1) nothing can take away from how poignantly dramatic it is (2) in hindsight, its co-stars went on to wildly different but fascinating things (3) it’s basically a superb representation of the concept of negative capability — it’s a pursuit of a vision of artistic beauty that invites uncertainty and confusion rather than an image of what’s sure and definite.

10 Rising Stars Of The 2018 FIFA World Cup, Ranked

No event defines an athlete’s career quite like the World Cup. It’s why people still look at Lionel Messi like he’s got something to prove (he doesn’t) and why the name Chris Wondolowski still brings a tear to the eye of many Americans. The 2014 World Cup made Mario Gotze an international icon, turned James Rodriguez into the hero of Colombians everywhere and earned DeAndre Yedlin a Spurs contract. 

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