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A well-oiled defense can be the difference between going out in the group stage and winning a tournament. Scoring four goals in a game is well and good until you turn around are realize the other team scored five. Every successful team needs to be able to keep the ball out of its own net. Defending is an art, and at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, many artists will be on display, putting their bodies on the line to ensure their team advances to the next round. But not all defenders are created equal.

Every lock has a key, but not every key fits in every lock. Even the best have their limits. This summer, Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked with a move away from Manchester United following the club’s dismal 2021-22 Premier League campaign that saw the club finish sixth with its fewest points total ever. The Red Devils will be playing Europa League soccer in the fall, and reportedly Ronaldo is less than happy and wants a move away, but where can he go?

France advanced to the semifinals of the UEFA women’s Euro on Saturday after defeating the Netherlands 1-0. It took 102 minutes and the team’s 24th shot of the game before the French could find the back of the Dutch net.

The Netherlands deserves all the recognition in the world for one of the most valiant defensive performances ever seen. France might have been without star striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto, but the team still had an onslaught of an attack.

The Netherlands, after playing with fire and group stage elimination at Euro 2022, reeled off three goals in the final minutes to turn a precarious 1-1 scoreline against Switzerland into an emphatic victory on Sunday, although the reward of passage to the quarterfinals is sobered by the fact that it's France lying in wait.

Playing again without star striker Vivianne Miedema — who was still experiencing Covid symptoms — the Dutch looked much less than the sum of their parts against a stubborn Swiss defense that threatened on the attack through the dazzling feet of Ramona Bachmann.

At present, the European football transfer revolving door is in full swing. Players are looking for new clubs and clubs are looking for new players with massive transfer fees flowing in the opposite direction. With many new confirmed transfers emerging in recent days, it seems that a move for Champions League winner Christian Pulisic could be on the cards.

After the first match day of the 2022 UEFA Women’s European Championships, each team has now had its chance to prove its worth. Going into the tournament, as many as seven teams were considered genuine championship contenders. Some have hit the ground running while others have stumbled. With two games left before the knockout rounds, we have chosen the best teams so far.

Leeds United in England continued their United States theme with the addition of midfielder Tyler Adams from RB Leipzig on a $24 million transfer, ESPN reported.

Alex Morgan scored her first two international goals of the year and the U.S. women's national team took the first step toward World Cup and Olympic qualifying with a 3-0 win against Haiti in San Nicolás, Mexico, on Monday.

Morgan scored in the 16th and 23rd minutes and Midge Purce added a goal in the 84th minute as the Americans improved to 8-0-0 vs. Haiti.

USWNT vs. Haiti Extended Highlights (07/04/2022)