USA

Monday, March 1 marked the first official day of preseason with all 27 teams reporting for a seven-day quarantine period and medical exams ahead of full training on March 8 and the start of the 2021 MLS season on April 17.

One team looking to improve on an exciting 2020 campaign that ended at the Eastern Conference Final stage is Bruce Arena’s New England Revolution, which began voluntary preseason training back on Feb. 22 at the club’s Revolution Training Center in Foxborough, Mass. 

Angel City FC will join the National Women’s Soccer League in 2022. The team has several high profile owners, including Natalie Portman, Eva Longoria and Mia Hamm. As these inspirational women are trying to increase opportunities for female footballers, the future of the NWSL is growing in a direction that will only support these athletes and give them equal opportunities. 

A place for us all to come together for the sport we love

Midfielder Samantha Mewis scored twice as Manchester City thrashed Birmingham City 4-0 on Sunday to win their seventh FA Women's Super League game in a row and close the gap to leaders Chelsea to two points with seven games remaining.

American Mewis netted either side of halftime to give her side a 2-0 lead before Lauren Hemp and Caroline Weir both scored to complete the rout.

Racing Louisville FC finally got to play a full 90 minutes of action against the University of Louisville, and Racing is definitely ready to compete in the NWSL.

The 2021 NWSL expansion team defeated the college side 4-0 as former Houston Dash forward Cece Kizer led Racing with a hat-trick to help solidify the win. As Racing has only been competing in practice, it was about time they got to play in a real scrimmage to get used to one another and improve their team chemistry. 

The University of Oregon started Pac-12 play on Friday against Stanford University. Stanford currently holds the NCAA College Cup and has faced Oregon annually since 1997, but until this past meeting, Oregon had never defeated Stanford, making Friday's 2-1 win over the Cardinal the first in program history.

Shut up and dribble or dribble and raise up?

Earlier this week, Zlatan Ibrahimović essentially told Lakers star LeBron James to shut up and dribble. On Friday night, the four-time NBA champion said he’ll never shut up about inequality, social justice, racism and voter suppression — and he also called out Ibrahimović for hypocrisy. 

As a refresher, here’s what Zlatan said about James.

Barnsley FC has spent one season in its long history in the Premier League, in 1997-98. It was relegated immediately after finishing in 19th place on 35 points that season. 

Werder Bremen's United States forward Josh Sargent scored the winner as his struggling side came from a goal down at halftime to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 in the Bundesliga on Friday and hand the visitors a first league defeat of the year.

Victory moved Werder eight points above the relegation zone while ending fourth-placed Frankfurt’s 11-match unbeaten run in the Bundesliga, stretching back to early December.

RCD Mallorca suffered a heartbreaking blow at the end of the 2016-17 season. With one game left to play, the club's return to Spain's third tier, La Segunda B, was confirmed thanks to relegation as a result of a 20th-placed finish. It had been over 30 years since the islanders last faced the ignominy of the third division. 

AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic said sportspeople like Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James should quit sticking their nose into politics.

Four-time NBA champion James, who Ibrahimovic described as a phenomenal basketball player, has been one of the NBA's leading voices against racial injustice and police brutality in the U.S.

A frequent critic of former U.S. President Donald Trump, James also helped form a group aimed at battling voter disenfranchisement in predominantly Black communities last year.