Human Interest

Shakhtar Donetsk and Metalist 1925 played out a 0-0 draw in Kyiv’s empty Olympic Stadium on Tuesday as competitive football returned to war-torn Ukraine with the start of the country’s new Premier League season.

The opening matches of the campaign have been timed to coincide with Ukraine's Day of the National Flag and provide a further show of resistance following Russia’s February invasion that brought a premature end to last season’s championship.

A good boy doing a bad deed had a good ending after a bad day. 

A pooch who pooped on the pitch during a Chilean Primera B match was recently reunited with his owner, who saw the viral moment and recognized his beagle who had recently gone missing. 

Saturday’s match between Universidad de Concepción and Fernández Vial was interrupted in the 20th minute by a misplaced mutt who found his way onto the field at Ester Roa Rebolledo Stadium. The dog, later identified as Toby, ran all around the pitch, showing off his breakaway speed as none of the players could corral him. 

While Lionel Messi captured many of the headlines from France this weekend thanks to his bicycle-kick goal against Clairmont, he was nowhere near scoring the best goal in France this weekend. That honor goes to Guingamp winger Jérémy Livolant, who scored a genuinely ridiculous effort from the better part of 40 yards in Ligue 2.

As the Premier League began its 2022-23 season to much fanfare on Friday evening in London, an Arsenal banner flying over Selhurst Park reminded fans of the darker side of top-level sports. 

Arsenal defeated Crystal Palace 2-0 in the opening match of the Premier League season on Friday. As the match began, a plane carrying a large banner flew over the stadium, calling for rapists to be kicked off the pitch.

Last week, Gotham FC captain McCall Zerboni was nominated for the NWSLPA’s Ally Award, which recognizes leadership and character in unsung players. A week later, she was being called out on social media for using racist language. Then Angel City’s Madison Hammond gave a master class in how to respond to those who perpetuate harmful stereotypes.

Jaelene Daniels refused to play for the N.C. Courage on Friday night. 

Hours before the Courage were to host the Washington Spirit on their Pride Night featuring LGTBQ+ pride jerseys, the North Carolina club announced Daniels would not feature because she refused to wear a jersey that promotes equality and fights discrimination.

Dynamo Kyiv defeated Turkish side Fenerbahçe 2-1 on Wednesday to advance to the third round of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League. What should have been a joyous moment for the Ukraine club was marred by Fenerbahçe fans chanting “Vladimir Putin” at the Dynamo Kyiv players.

Wednesday’s game was an intense contest that saw a Fenerbahçe player sent off in the 53rd minute and then a game-winning goal for Dynamo Kyiv in the 114th minute. The Putin chants came in the 57th minute after Ukrainian midfielder Vitaliy Buyalskyi scored the game’s opening goal.

EFL Championship side Reading FC released its 2022-23 home kit Monday. The Reading kit, featuring a sleeve design that's attention grabbing and even shocking, is a statement on an issue that's often ignored by the soccer community. 

Newest Reading Kit Features Climate Stripes 

The kit features Reading’s traditional blue and white hoops, but the sleeves are notably different. Each stripe on the sleeve represents the change in temperature in Berkshire, where Reading's located, over the club’s 150-year history.