Running fast is not necessary to be a good player in soccer. If it was, Usain Bolt would have been a phenomenon when he tried to turn pro.
Having said that, we can't deny that speed always captivates the eye. You can see how a sprint perforates a defense or how a player dashing back to stop a counterattack is always an exciting view during a game.
The lasting memories of World Cups should be the celebrations of football — the glorious goals, the mesmerizing skills, the feel-good stories. But we also know that there's no joy without suffering and no winners without losers, and sometimes, it's those dramatic failures that really resonate because life's a snitch and then you die.
Some of this is completely unfair to players who've given us so much over the years and to young guys who've got a lot of ball left to play, but these are the 10 individuals who really let me down in Qatar.
While the USMNT has been knocked out of the World Cup, they are far from removed from the public’s consciousness. This year’s electrifying roster is taking a short break before club soccer starts up again, but some Americans may not be staying with their current clubs for long.
Transfer rumors are the reward for great performances at the World Cup and players across the pitch may be reaping the rewards come January.
DOHA - Thirteen years separate France strikers Kylian Mbappé and Olivier Giroud but their devastating double act in the 3-1 last-16 defeat of Poland at the World Cup on Sunday showed the age gap is no barrier to a flourishing relationship.
Giroud, at 36, brings experience and guile to France's attack, while Mbappé, 23, is blessed with pace so explosive that the screens at the Al Thumama Stadium showed him hitting a top of speed of 22 mph as he tormented Poland's defense.
Atop a mountain of French icons, Olivier Giroud stands alone. The AC Milan forward officially beat Thierry Henry’s France goal-scoring record with a great finish against Poland in the World Cup Round of 16 for his 52nd goal for Les Bleus.
GIROUD DOES IT
With this goal Olivier Giroud becomes the France men's national team all-time leading scorer pic.twitter.com/YFm8503bKq
One of the most exciting aspects of every World Cup is seeing new young players step up and make their mark on the biggest stage. This year’s edition has been thoroughly unpredictable and as a result, there has been no shortage of new players becoming household names.
January’s transfer window could be filled with stars from this tournament moving to bigger clubs. Now that the group stage is done, let’s take a look at ten players whose market value has skyrocketed during the World Cup.
El fracaso de México en el Mundial no se puede borrar, pero antes de darle vuelta a la página es tiempo de hacer evaluaciones.
Y es en ese ánimo que revisamos partidos y estadísticas para hacer un ránking con la performance de cada uno de los jugadores que tuvieron la oportunidad de jugar en Catar.
En total, 21 de los 26 nominados vieron minutos en el torneo. Los que se quedaron con las ganas fueron los arqueros Alfredo Talavera y Rodolfo Cota, los defensas Johan Vásquez y Gerardo Arteaga, así como el mediocampista Luis Romo.
If you’re a casual USA soccer fan, then you’re probably familiar by now with the best US soccer players at the 2022 World Cup. After going undefeated in the group stage, the USA will face the Dutch in the Round of 16. In this article we will share the best Netherlands soccer players at the 2022 World Cup that will face the USA.
After advancing from the group stage in seven-straight World Cups, Mexico crashed out of Group C on Wednesday. El Tri defeated Saudi Arabia 2-1, tied Poland on points but fell one short on goal difference in heartbreaking fashion.
The United States held on for dear life and beat Iran 1-0 Tuesday to advance to the World Cup round of 16 while eliminating Team Melli. It looked like it would be a comfortable evening after Christian Pulisic put the U.S. up 1-0 in the 38th minute and with the Americans winning every individual duel on the pitch, but Iran dominated the final 20 minutes searching for an all-important equalizer.