Iraqi soccer doesn’t exactly get a lot of exposure in the English-speaking world, but Friday’s Iraqi Super Cup between Baghdad rivals Al-Zawraa and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in Karbala was absurdly ludicrous and ludicrously absurd. It was a match you had to see to believe.
Most readers will probably never have heard of Al-Zawraa and Al-Jawiya so we’ll spare you the details and get right to the silliness.
On Wednesday, New Zealand capitulated in their quest for the World Cup, losing 2-0 to Peru after a scoreless first leg. Peru, obviously was ecstatic, declaring the following day a national holiday. New Zealand, on the other hand, has taken the loss pretty hard, if this alarming item from the New Zealand Herald is any indication:
In a league where parity reigns unlike any other, the tenure of Caleb Porter as manager of the Portland Timbers will go down as one of the most wildly successful in Major League Soccer’s 22-year existence. According to reports, that tenure has reached a shocking conclusion — by mutual consent — after a season in which the Timbers finished at the top of the Western Conference.
One big reason Argentina have failed to win a major trophy during the international career of the best footballer of all time has been management. They simply have not found a manager who can consistently bring out the best in Argentina's impressive stable of attackers.
The Patrice Evra punishment for kicking a fan has been handed down and it’s not good for the former French international defender, but it could have been much worse. Evra was banned from UEFA club competitions through June 30, 2018. Soon after, Marseille announced Evra’s contract had been terminated by mutual consent.
Benevento, promoted to Serie A following last season, is experiencing an historic run of bad form. Following a 2-1 defeat to Juventus, the club has lost all 12 of its Serie A matches, a feat not equaled in top-flight European football since Manchester United lost 12 straight to start the 1929-30 campaign. That was 88 years ago, the year Benevento Calcio was originally founded.
A friendly between 2018 World Cup participants South Korea and Colombia in Suwon reached utterly deplorable levels in the 62nd minute with the Koreans leading 2-0 following a brace from Tottenham forward Son Heung-Min.