USA

Pro Footballers Show No Mercy In FIFA 20 Stay And Play Cup

Day 1 of the FIFA Stay and Play Cup is in the books, and while at times it was just ridiculous (an 8-2 scoreline, Twitch host Jimmy Conrad disappearing, people forgetting to unmute their mics), it was an entirely welcome and enjoyable afternoon after over a month of sporting radio silence and the total absence of communal events (competitive toilet paper hoarding aside). 

Is It “Soccer” Or “Football”? Or Could It Be “Footy Fun Ball”?

Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of my greatest hopes is that the collective joy at the beautiful game’s return forever silences the mind-numbingly pedantic “football vs. soccer” argument.

As an American media company, it’s inevitable that any piece of content we produce that takes off beyond these shores will eventually have the following top comment: “It’s football, not soccer.”

CONCACAF Confirms That 2022 World Cup Qualifying Format Needs Overhaul

The format and dates for CONCACAF's qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar are up in the air due to the sports shutdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, confederation president Victor Montagliani said Monday. 

Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Montagliani admitted that CONCACAF could wind up changing how it determines which three teams will earn direct berths in the World Cup and which one will head to an inter-continental playoff. 

MLS Ponders Drastic Changes To 2020 Season, Including Tournament Format And Neutral Locations

MLS commissioner Don Garber told ESPN that the league will explore alternative formats when it comes to completing the 2020 season. Garber said that MLS is "focused at getting in as many as games as possible" if play resumes following the coronavirus pandemic. 

Former Manchester United CB Jaap Stam Up For FC Cincinnati Coaching Vacancy

Los Angeles Galaxy assistant coach Dominic Kinnear and former Manchester United defender Jaap Stam are candidates for the FC Cincinnati coaching vacancy, The Athletic reported.

Kinnear, 52, previously served as head coach of the San Jose Earthquakes and Houston Dynamo, leading the Dynamo to MLS Cup wins in 2006 and 2007. He has been with the Galaxy since 2017.

Stam, 47, has managed several clubs in Europe, including Reading in England and PEC Zwolle and Feyenoord in The Netherlands, his home country.

Sports Illustrated Is Getting Slammed For Its Repugnant Firing Of Soccer Writer Grant Wahl Without Severance

You would be hard pressed to find a sportswriter in America who didn’t grow up reading Sports Illustrated. The iconic magazine brought the sports we love to life each week with superb writing and incredible photography.

Sadly, Sports Illustrated is being destroyed by The Maven, the company that now owns the publication.

No Summer Soccer Series: Men's International Champions Cup 2020 Canceled

The Men's International Champions Cup, which annually features European soccer powerhouses such as Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in exhibition play, will not be held this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The tournament's parent company, Relevent Sports Group, made the announcement Friday.

Orlando Pride Get Their Zoom Workout In ... 70’s Style

The Orlando Pride made the best of being quarantined by having fun with a 70’s themed Zoom workout this week.

The Pride’s strength and conditioning coach, Ivi Casagrande, led the team in a fun workout with some guest appearances from pets, family members and some 70’s workout attire (Marta’s attire was my favorite hands down). No better way to workout than with your teammates and have some fun. 

Former FOX Marketing Execs Charged In FIFA Corruption Probe

U.S. prosecutors on Monday announced new criminal charges against two former executives of 21st Century Fox Inc and others stemming from a long-running investigation of corruption surrounding FIFA, soccer's world governing body.

The former Fox executives, Hernan Lopez and Carlos Martinez, were indicted in Brooklyn federal court on wire fraud and money laundering along with Gerard Romy, former co-CEO of Spanish media company Imagina Media Audiovisual SL, and Full Play Group SA, a Uruguayan sports marketing company. Lawyers for the defendants could not immediately be identified. 

NWSL Left Out Of Trump’s Phone Call With USA’s Sports Commissioners

Donald Trump’s feud with women’s soccer players continued on Saturday as he spoke with the commissioners of every major sports league in the U.S. with one exception: the NWSL.

To no one’s surprise, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and PGA commissioners were all invited. Somewhat surprisingly, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, LPGA’s Michael Whan and MLS’s Don Garber also got invites. Also included were UFC and NASCAR, which probably speak to Trump’s base, and WWE, which is more akin to Broadway than sport. 

But no National Women’s Soccer League. 

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