In just one month, World Cup qualifying in North America will begin – but it won’t look like it used to. The format has changed. Originally, only the top six teams in North America (as of July) would advance. Those rankings would go up or down according to how well (or poorly) teams did in the friendlies: that’s usually why they play so many. But due to the coronavirus pandemic,…
Typically in the world of soccer, when a player has one or two poor seasons, they move on. Philippe Coutinho struggled in two seasons for Barcelona and was loaned out to Bayern Munich. Zlatan Ibrahimovic had one poor season for Barcelona before he was sold to AC Milan. Alvaro Morata spent just one season with Chelsea after being bought for over $70 million. This pattern likely will not continue this…
It’s been coming for a while now, but it looks like Lionel Messi will finally be leaving FC Barcelona. The reasons for this are plentiful. Barcelona have just finished a trophy-less season in which they fired two managers. They hired a new manager, Ronald Koeman, who has struggled at club level, and who has already essentially been told by Barcelona’s presidential candidates that he has no future with the team.…
The Champions League finalists are confirmed! It will be a clash of the titans between German champions Bayern Munich and French champions Paris Saint-Germain, also known as PSG. Bayern Munich continued to steamroll through the tournament, although the 3-0 victory over Lyon was closer than it looked. Meanwhile, PSG grabbed an early lead against RB Leipzig and never gave it back, advancing to the team’s first ever Champions League final.…
Barcelona are a historic, successful team but are tipped for a complete rebuild following a humiliating Champions League elimination. So far, here is what we know and here are some rumors about what could happen. Confirmed: Head coach Quique Setien has already been fired after failing to win the Champions League, La Liga, or the Copa del Rey. The former Real Betis coach was hired in January of 2020 after…
The semi-finalists of the Champions League have been confirmed after some crazy quarter-final results. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) trailed early to underdogs Atalanta, but goals from Kylian Mbappe and Eric Choupo-Moting stole the win for the Parisians. Meanwhile, RB Leipzig advanced to the Champions League semi-finals for the first time ever after a late goal from midfielder Tyler Adams, beating Atletico Madrid. After those close two results, some blowouts were in…
I’ve already written about who newly-promoted Leeds and West Brom need to sign, so now it’s time to analyze Fulham. Fulham earned promotion after finishing fourth in the Championship before winning the playoff. The Cottagers beat Brentford in the final thanks to a brace from wingback Joe Bryan, which means that they have returned to the Premier League. If Fulham are to stay in the Premier League, they’ll need smarter…
West Brom have earned promotion back to the Premier League, following a two-year hiatus. The Baggies started the season off strong, but struggled towards the end of the season, claiming just three of twelve possible points in their final four matches. Fortunately, poor results from promotion rivals Brentford and Fulham meant that West Brom stayed in second and earned automatic promotion. However, the club definitely has work to be done.…
Even if Real Madrid or Barcelona appeared, they would have to drag me away from Palmeiras. I have everything here, I am happy and I just need to continue demonstrating what I have done on the pitch. I know that many have the dream of living in Europe, but in Brazil it is also possible to have a good life. Brazilian winger Dudu, stating he would not leave his club,…
The final Premier League spot has been booked following the EFL Championship playoff final. Fulham will be returning to the top flight, denying London rivals Brentford a first-ever season in the Premier League. The Cottagers will join West Brom and Leeds United in earning promotion back to England’s first tier. They will be replaced in the Championship by Norwich, Bournemouth, and Watford, who were relegated after poor seasons. Who do…
