When Lionel Messi hopped off the bench in the 75th minute of Argentina's 6-0 beatdown of Serbia and Montenegro to make his World Cup debut in 2006, it wasn't as if the world stopped as one to be witness to The Child ordained for greatness.
If anything, the global reaction outside of Argentina and Spain would probably be more adequately captured as "This guy? He's the future of football? He's got nothing on Ryan Babel."
It's a little unsettling and depressing to think that, were things running as usual on the international calendar, we'd be at the start of the month-long carnival that is the World Cup.
June 13 has marked some unforgettable World Cup moments in the past, but none more so than what transpired eight years ago on this day at Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Brazil.
The greatest Romanian footballer of all-time, Gheorghe Hagi, has still got it — the "it" in his case being all-seeing assists that are weighted like californium and the ability to absolutely crack one at the age of 57.
On Sunday at Cluj Arena, a large crowd gathered to salute the career of the country's other favored footballing son, Adrian Mutu, as a Romania Stars team took on a World Stars side coached by Cesare Prandelli.
I was 13 years old when Jeremy Lin completely took over my life.
To look at the history of American soccer is to look at a series of poor investments, aging player, and over-ambitious owners. They all had a vision of what soccer could be in the states, but most ended up in the graveyard that we currently stand on.
First came the NASL. Founded in 1968, it spent like a major league, and attendances occasionally reflected that, but its ambitions were not sustainable compared to its actual growth.
After an eight-year career with Real Madrid that included over 250 appearances, 100 goals and a preposterous haul of 16 trophies (including five Champions League crowns and three LaLiga titles), Gareth Bale has confirmed his departure from the Spanish capital following the expiration of his contract.
There are few better ways to determine the quality of a footballer than by the trophies he and his teams have won. Being crowned the best club in Europe is one of the top honors for a footballer, and dozens of players have won the European Cup or Champions League trophies three or more times. The question is, who are the players with the most Champions League titles?
Is it better to have loved and lost than never loved at all? That’s the question for these clubs, which sadly have the records for most Champions League final losses.
Would it have been better to be knocked out in the quarterfinals and save the agony of losing to a rival in the final? Was the journey worth the heartbreak of losing a 3-0 halftime lead in Istanbul? Should Benfica have paid its manager a little more in the 1960s?
The Champions League — formerly the European Cup — is the premier club soccer competition in the world, annually anointing a new champion to the team in Europe able to navigate a gauntlet of matches to reign supreme. The Champions League list of winners is a history of club football at its best — the teams that defined eras as much as any World Cup winner.
Yes, it is that time of the year. The 2021-22 season is still rolling, but we are already starting to see some of the jerseys you are going to love — or hate — during the 2022-23 campaign.
Liverpool and Bayern Munich were two big European clubs unveiling their new home kits, but Werder Bremen and a few teams from South America also shared some fabulous polyester goodies.
Of course, you want to see them, so take my hand — or don't — and join me in this adventure.
Pump up music: check.
Nightclub lighting: check.