Sporting events don’t get any bigger than Saturday’s meeting between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, as the longtime rivals battle it out for the 2016/17 La Liga title. FC Barcelona sits in second place with 27 points behind Real Madrid’s 33 and you will be able to watch the match at 10:15 EST on beIN Sports.
Some of the world’s best players will be a part of this game, any one of whom can win it with a moment of inspiration. With Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez representing FC Barcelona while Cristiano Ronaldo, Isco and Benzema represent Los Merengues it is likely to be a spectacular show in Camp Nou Stadium.
World Cup qualification for the UEFA region got underway this weekend with the continent’s top teams back in action vying for a place at Russia 2018. Here are some of the key takeaways from the weekend’s qualifiers.
England left it late but got it done
It took until the fifth moment of extra time for the breakthrough to come but ultimately, Sam Allardyce got his tenure as England manager underway with a win against 10-man Slovakia. In truth, the Three Lions had been dominant throughout, maintaining a majority of possession and putting up 20 shots against a defensive Slovakian side that managed just a single off-target shot.
Wayne Rooney impressed in a deeper-lying midfield role but Allardyce will likely be concerned about his team taking so long to... Read More
UEFA World Cup qualifiers are back underway on Sunday and Monday as the continent’s best get back on the road to Russia 2018.
Here are three must-see matches to catch over the three-day weekend.
Slovakia vs. England
Sam Allardyce’s first competitive fixture in charge of England will see the Three Lions taking on Slovakia Saturday. These two teams actually met at Euro 2016 earlier this summer in a group stage encounter that ended in a scoreless draw.
This time around, Allardyce will be looking for more production out of his squad, particularly in the goals department, as he looks to get his career as England manager off on the right foot. That could mean a start for Raheem Sterling who has started the Premier League season off in... Read More
With the new La Liga season days away, Barcelona have a chance to lift their first trophy of the new season as they contest Sevilla in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Wednesday. The reigning La Liga champions take a 2-0 lead from the first leg into Wednesday’s clash thanks to goals from Luis Suarez and Munir El Haddadi.
But the score line is a little flattering to a Barça side that had trouble breaking down a Sevilla side that dominated in the first half, despite lacking a real penetrating final ball. Barcelona too lacked a cutting edge early on with Luis Suarez having a shot saved.
Barça’s problems were further compounded by the loss of right-back Jeremy Mathieu and midfield dynamo Andres Iniesta to injuries.
Los clientes de Sling TV ahora tienen mucho más opciones para personalizar su experiencia de entretenimiento en español o bilingüe con un nuevo paquete regional. El mes pasado lanzamos CARIBE, el primer paquete regional de Sling TV. Ahora, nuestra cobertura es mucho mayor con nuestro paquete Sudamérica.
Sudamérica y CARIBE están disponibles por solo $10 al mes cada uno, al comprarse como paquete único, o por solo $5 al mes cada uno cuando se agrega como paquete adicional a Best of Spanish TV, Sling Orage o Sling Blue.
Los clientes de Sling TV que se suscriben a Sudamérica pueden disfrutar de programación en español proveniente de Colombia, Ecuador y Argentina en los seis canales mencionados abajo. Más contenido de Sudamérica estará disponible muy pronto.
Bayern Munich are currently in the United States taking part in the International Champions Cup where they will face AC Milan, Internazionale and Real Madrid. It will give stateside fans a first glimpse of the Bavarian powerhouse under new boss Carlo Ancelotti.
The seasoned Italian took over at the end of last season when Pep Guardiola departed for the bright lights of Manchester City and the Premier League. But while his successor was handed a mandate to deliver something of a tactical revolution at Bayern, Ancelotti is not that kind of manager.
“My style is always the same. The most important thing, as I said, is to develop a relationship with my team and to find the right solution for playing on the pitch, together with them,” said... Read More
In the wake of Barcelona star Lionel Messi’s being sentenced for tax evasion last week, multiple media outlets have reported that the Argentine maestro is annoyed with the club for its behavior. While media sources close to Barça have claimed this is not the case, speculation remains that Messi’s tax problems in Spain could cause him to seek greener pastures.
The club has actually been quite supportive of Messi, launching a #WeAreAllLeoMessi hashtag campaign following the suspended 21-month jail sentences Messi and his father were handed down by the courts.
The new Serie A season kicks off on August 21 and although fixtures have yet to be announced, the question many are already asking is, will anyone be able to challenge Juventus’ dominance?
The Bianconeri have been consecutive Scudetto winners for the past five years running and at this point, there is little to suggest the Turin outfit can’t extend this hegemony. Juventus have not only the best squad in Italy, but one of the best in Europe, with arguably more depth than even Barcelona. Although they might lose Paul Pogba to Manchester United, if Juve can succeed in prizing Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli, they may not only be Serie A favorites, but could become a serious contender to win the Champions League.
The summer transfer window has slammed open. With an influx of TV money hitting the Premier League like a rush of blood to the head, we look to be in for a heck of a ride between now and when the window shuts on August 31. Here now are some of the big deals that look to be in the works.
Pogba refuses to rule out Man United move
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has refused to rule out a move back to the club where he began his career. Pogba, who left Man U for Juventus four years ago, has been one of the most sought after transfer targets in recent seasons. Despite having an underwhelming campaign with France at the Euros, he remains a “person of... Read More
Having beat world champions Germany 2-0 in the Euro 2016 semifinals, host nation France is now set to face Portugal in Sunday’s final.
The tournament showpiece at the Stade de France will pit two of the standout players in these Euros against one another in Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann.
With three goals in Euro 2016, Portugal’s Ronaldo is now tied on nine goals with France legend Michel Platini as the all-time leading scorer in the European championships. However, while Platini scored all nine of his goals in a single tournament, Ronaldo’s are spread out across four competitions, making him the only player to have scored in four different European championships.
Griezmann on the other hand, is making his first appearance in the finals of the European championship... Read More
Most football fans are aware of the odd discrepancy that despite their dominance over the sport throughout the decades, Germany have never won a competitive fixture against Italy. Technically, they still haven’t, with Saturday’s win on penalties in the quarterfinals officially being counted as a draw. It’s a little less well known however, that the last time France won a meaningful contest against Germany was in the 1958 World Cup.
Thus Didier Deschamps’ team will be looking to buck the trend of nearly 60 years of history when the two continental powers clash in the semifinals of Euro 2016 on Thursday. Germany, as world champions, and France, as tournament hosts, were always favorites to reach the final going into this tournament one month ago. But only one will progress to... Read More
Real Madrid teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale will face off against one another as Portugal meets Wales in the Euro 2016 semifinal on Wednesday.
Despite being somewhat understated in the quarterfinal that saw Wales eliminate Belgium, Bale has lit up this tournament with three goals and a number of sparkling performances so far. Beyond that, the 26-year-old has played a real leadership role on the pitch.
Far from the one-man team they were billed as at the start of the tournament, Wales have also reaped the benefits of a strong collective spirit and notable individual contributions from the likes of Ashley Williams, Hal Robson-Kanu and Aaron Ramsey among others.
Apart from a 2-1 loss to England, the Dragons have won all of their matches in the tournament... Read More
The round of 16 in Euro 2016 is now in the books. After a knockout round that saw defending champions Spain eliminated by a resurgent Italy side, and perennial hopefuls England knocked out by tournament debutantes, Iceland, we can look ahead to some intriguing quarterfinal clashes later this week.
Poland vs. Portugal
After being ridiculed for missing a penalty in Portugal’s scoreless draw with Austria in the group stage, Cristiano Ronaldo was back on song helping his team battle to a 3-3 draw with Hungary in its final group stage outing and setting up the late winner against Croatia that booked Portugal’s passage to the quarters in the next round. Next up for CR7 and company is a date with Poland, a side that despite not having played particularly... Read More
The round of 16 at Euro 2016 gets underway this weekend with teams playing on two sides of a lopsided bracket; one side of which contains heavyweights like Germany, Spain, England, Italy and France; the other side of which contains the likes of Belgium, Wales, Hungary, and Portugal. While there are a number of standout match-ups in this weekend’s action, the one that really catches the eye is Monday’s tantalizing clash between reigning European champions Spain and perennial tournament favorites Italy. Spain, who were among the favorites heading into the tournament, had a tougher than expected time progressing through the group stage. They were fairly subdued in their tournament opener, winning 1-0 against the Czech Republic in a game that looked much tougher for Vicente Del Bosque’s side than it... Read More
Lionel Messi announced he would retire from playing with his national team after Argentina lost to Chile on penalties in the Copa America Centenario final on Sunday. The defeat was the third consecutive final Argentina have now lost in as many summers; following the 2014 World Cup defeat to Germany, and last summer’s Copa America, which was also lost to Chile on penalties.
But Sunday’s loss was a particularly bitter one for Messi who missed the first penalty kick in the shootout for Argentina.
“I tried my hardest, it’s been four finals and I was not able to win. I tried everything possible, it hurts me more than anyone but it is evident that this is not for me,” Messi told reporters after the match.
Defending champions Chile will meet Argentina on Sunday night in the Copa America Centenario final. The two South American heavyweights are set to face one another at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. in what is effectively a rematch of last year’s Copa final.
Argentina lost on penalties last time around, and are desperate to not make a third consecutive losing appearance in a final, having lost the World Cup final to Germany the previous summer. Argentine coach Tata Martino brought a full strength team to this summer’s Copa; a team that brushed aside the United States Men’s National Team earlier this week, handing the Yanks a 4-0 drubbing in Seattle.
An early goal from Ezequiel Lavezzi, followed by an immaculate free kick from Lionel Messi, and a... Read More
Defending champions Chile will meet Argentina on Sunday night in the Copa America Centenario final. The two South American heavyweights are set to face one another at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. in what is effectively a rematch of last year’s Copa final.
Argentina lost on penalties last time around, and are desperate to not make a third consecutive losing appearance in a final, having lost the World Cup final to Germany the previous summer. Argentine coach Tata Martino brought a full strength team to this summer’s Copa; a team that brushed aside the United States Men’s National Team earlier this week, handing the Yanks a 4-0 drubbing in Seattle.
An early goal from Ezequiel Lavezzi, followed by an immaculate free kick from Lionel Messi, and a... Read More
The three teams that are most pundits’ picks to win the tournament all managed wins in their opening round of group stage play for Euro 2016. While it would be incorrect to say that France, Germany, or Spain cruised to comfortable victories in their opening matches, each did manage a win and collected three points that could prove invaluable in plotting their trajectories into the next round.
Host Nation France Beats Romania France kicked off the proceedings against Romania on Friday in front of a capacity crowd at its own Stade de France. After a scoreless first half, Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud put the French ahead in the 57th minute, beating Romania keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu to head in the first goal of the tournament.
But Romania lived up to its reputation... Read More
The United States Men’s National Team took a big step towards qualifying for the knockout round of the Copa America Centenario on Tuesday when it defeated Costa Rica by a scoreline of 4-0 at Chicago’s Soldier Field.
Clint Dempsey was the key man for the Yanks, scoring a goal and making two assists as Jurgen Klinsmann’s team brushed off its disappointing loss to Colombia in the Copa opener. Jermaine Jones, Graham Zusi, and debutante striker, Bobby Wood also got on the scoresheet in what amounted to one of the most convincing performances we’ve seen from the U.S. in some time.
Klinsmann had raised eyebrows after Friday’s 2-0 loss with his assertions that Colombia’s goals aside, the two teams were equal.
But the German tactician, who if nothing else,... Read More
After being criticized for failing to sign an outfield player last summer, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger seems intent on getting his transfer business done early this time around. Already, the North London outfit has launched a bid to bring Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy to the Emirates next season.
Vardy scored 24 goals this season, firing Leicester to its first-ever Premier League title and has a £20M release clause in his contract that Arsenal have reportedly triggered. Some stories go as far as suggesting that the 29-year-old has already undergone his medical at Arsenal’s London Colney training center. Arsenal, whose sole signing of goalkeeper Petr Cech last summer made it the only top club in any of Europe’s big leagues not to sign an outfield player, finished second,... Read More
The Copa America Centenario kicks off on Friday night as hosts the United States meet South American heavyweights Colombia for the tournament opener in Santa Clara, Calif. The USA was drawn into a touch group and Jurgen Klinsmann’s intriguing squad of veterans and newcomers will be put to the rest immediately as they face Colombia, a team with a not unrealistic shot at winning the whole thing.
The Colombians are strong favorites to top Group A, which in addition to the U.S. includes Costa Rica and Paraguay. So while a win Friday would be huge for the Americans, a draw would also do just fine. Above all, the U.S. must avoid the kind of embarrassing or demoralizing loss that could set the tone for the rest of the... Read More
In an interview with an Italian radio station, Andrea Pastorello, the agent of striker Giuseppe Rossi, admitted the player might have made a mistake in choosing to represent Italy over the United States. Rossi, 29, was born in New Jersey to Italian parents and represented Italy throughout his youth career.
“The national team and Rossi? It’s a story that repeats itself, said Pastorello. “In hindsight, going back to when he chose between representing Italy or the USA, we should have chosen the USA.”
After beginning his career with local New Jersey club, Clifton Mustangs, Rossi joined the youth team at Italian side Parma as a 12-year-old. While a subsequent move to Manchester United at age 17 failed to see him break into the first team, Rossi soon established... Read More
On paper Real Madrid have one of the best, or at least one of the most expensive assemblages of players the world has even seen. Atletico Madrid on the other hand, boasts a squad that’s largely been parted out with castoffs from other clubs, bargain-bin buys, and a core of academy players. And yet unlike two years ago, when the clubs met in the 2014 final in Lisbon, Atletico go into Saturday’s match suddenly looking like favorites.
It shouldn’t make sense that a team whose only true superstar – Fernando Torres – is several years past his prime should be favorites over a team that contains the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema. But then how could a team that advanced to this year’s final by... Read More
Jurgen Klinsmann released his final roster for this summer’s Copa America Centenario over the weekend. The 23 players who made the cut from the initial 40-man call-up represent an intriguing mix of familiar standbys, new faces, and old favorites who’ve been welcomed back into the fold.
Tim Howard returns for another stint in goal for the U.S. However, the former Everton man, now of the Colorado Rapids, is no longer the first-choice keeper for the Yanks. That honor will instead fall to Aston Villa’s Brad Guzan. 20-year-old Ethan Horvath, of Norwegian side Molde FK rounds out the goalkeeping roster.
In defense, the area where the U.S. arguably has the greatest depth, Klinsmann has been able to call on the experience of a number of players who ply their trades... Read More
As Zlatan Ibrahimovic prepares to take to the field Saturday for his final appearance with Paris Saint Germain – a French Cup final tilt against Marseille – the soccer world waits with baited breath for his next move.
The Swedish striker has bagged an astonishing 51 goals across all competitions this season, his 38 Ligue 1 goals setting a new PSG club record. He’s also made it well known that this season would be his last in France and the internet has been working overtime, trying to anticipate his next move.
While Ibrahimovic and his agent, Mino Raiola, have thus far remained tight-lipped about where he will wind up, there are several possibilities being floated about in the press. Here is a brief rundown of the four leagues where... Read More
While few would deny that Liverpool have shown major signs of improvement under Jurgen Klopp. But the Anfield outfit nonetheless finished the season eighth in the table, outside of the European berths for next season.
However, the German tactician has a golden opportunity to guide the club back to Europe and secure his first trophy since taking over for Brendan Rodgers when Liverpool meet Sevilla in the Europa League final Wednesday. A win would not only add another piece of silverware to the already substantial collection in the Anfield trophy cabinet; it would secure Liverpool a place in next season’s Champions League.
Klopp is already an undeniable hero to Liverpool fans, but if he can pull this one off, he could genuinely establish himself as a Liverpool legend,... Read More
They might not have repeated last season’s historic treble, or proved they were the best club side ever, as some had speculated not long ago (this writer included), but Barcelona were nonetheless crowned La Liga champions following Saturday’s 3-0 win at Granada. Credit the Catalan club for holding their nerve in a down-to-the-wire season finale that saw three teams in with a shot for the title just a few days ago. This was of course after Barcelona had seen the double-digit lead they held over Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid evaporate during a run of disastrous results in April, that included a loss to Real in El Clasico and being knocked out of the Champions League by Atletico.
“We had to win this title twice,” admitted Barça center back Gerard... Read More
With one round of play remaining in the Bundesliga, the race for the fourth and final Champions League spot and the battle for relegation look set to rage on until the final whistle has blown. However, the top three have been settled for some weeks now with Bayern Munich predictably topping the league followed by Borussia Dortmund.
Sitting in third place, and in the final berth for automatic qualification, are Bayer Leverkusen, who owe their excellent season in large part to the goals of one Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez.
It’s no exaggeration to say that moving to Germany has absolutely revitalized Hernandez’s career. A prolific striker with a pedigree that includes five years at Manchester United and a loan stint at Real Madrid, Chicharito had found playing time hard to... Read More
Atletico Madrid suffered a shock loss to Levante on Sunday, while Barcelona and Real Madrid both cruised to wins – over Espanyol and Valencia respectively. The loss to Levante, who sit rock bottom of the table and are already relegated to the Segunda Division next season, effectively eliminates Atleti from the title race.
With one round of matches remaining, Barcelona sit top on 88 points with Real Madrid in second on 87. Atletico sit in third on 85 points. But even if the other two were to lose next weekend, Barça’s superior head-to-head would still make them champions.
Barcelona Title Favorites
Without the distraction of Champions League football, Barcelona are now overwhelming favorites heading into the final weekend’s action against Granada. The Catalan outfit seems to have recovered nicely... Read More
Real Madrid attacker Cristiano Ronaldo has been cleared to lineup against Manchester City in Wednesday’s Champions League semifinal second leg clash at the Santiago Bernabeu. Ronaldo was on the sidelines last week when his team were held to a 0-0 draw at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.
Ronaldo has been nursing a thigh injury that’s seen him miss Real’s last three games. However, the Portuguese superstar took full part in training on Tuesday and Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane confirmed he was ready for City.
“Cristiano is okay. He is 100 percent. He trained this morning and he will be there tomorrow,” said Zidane to the Guardian.
Real will still be without Ronaldo’s striker partner, Karim Benzema, who is dealing with a hamstring injury. Combative midfielder, Casimero is also... Read More
Atletico Madrid held Bayern Munich scoreless at the Vicente Calderon on Wednesday and will take a 1-0 lead into next week’s second leg at the Allianz Arena. The match’s sole goal was an 11th minute effort from Atleti midfielder Saul. But what a goal it was!
The Spain international glided his way past four Bayern defenders on the way to curling the ball into the far corner past a sprawling Manuel Neuer. The goal was the sort of thing you’d expect to see from Lionel Messi against La Liga opposition, but this was against Bayern Munich, from a player who is technically a defensive midfielder.
Having taken the lead early, Atletico were able to impose their game on Bayern for most of the rest of the first half –... Read More
Paris Saint-Germain has allegedly identified Jose Mourinho as the man who can take the club forward next season. The Portuguese manager has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea earlier this year.
According to a report in Sky Sports this week, PSG are sounding out the former Real Madrid manager as the club looks to find a way to parlay its domestic dominance into European success.
The French club crashed out of the quarterfinals of the Champions League earlier this month, after being eliminated by Manchester City over two legs. The elimination was seen as falling short for the club that despite having won its fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title, still desperately craves success on the European stage.
The PSG project as we’ve known for the past... Read More
With the Spanish title race blown wide open thanks to Barcelona’s sudden and unexpected dip in form, La Liga’s “big three” are all in action Wednesday. As Barça, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid all scramble to take every available point from the five rounds of play that remain, we preview this week’s action.
Deportivo La Coruna vs. Barcelona
The all-attacking, all-star trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez scored a staggering 106 goals between them in the time between last summer’s European Super Cup clash with Sevilla and the second leg of the Champions League tie that saw Barcelona eliminate Arsenal last month. However, since then, the trio known as the “MSN” has only managed four goals between the three of them. This drop in production from the front... Read More
With Napoli losing to Inter 24 hours earlier, Juventus moved nine points clear at the top of the Serie A standings with their 4-0 destruction of Palermo on Sunday. While the excellent result all but assures Juve of their fifth consecutive Scudetto, it came at a cost as midfielder Claudio Marchisio suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament just 15 minutes into the match.
Marchisio’s ACL is a blow to Juventus, who will be without the influential box-to-box midfielder for the remainder of the season, including the Coppa Italia final against AC Milan next month. Marchisio, 30, will also be unable to represent Italy in this summer’s Euros in France.
Sami Khedira had opened the scoring for Juve just five minutes prior to Marchisio going down injured. Paul Pogba doubled the... Read More
Cristiano Ronaldo came up huge when his team needed him this week, scoring a hat trick to overturn a 2-0 deficit and lead his team to the Champions League semifinals. Barcelona’s Lionel Messi? Not so much.
The Argentine ace put in another lackluster performance this week as his Barça side was knocked out of the Champions League quarterfinals by Atletico Madrid for the second time in three seasons. Messi failed to find the back of the net for the fifth game in a row and is currently in the midst of his longest goal-less spell for more than five years.
His best chances in the 2-0 loss to Atleti – a pair of free kicks – failed to even hit the target. But it’s not just Messi who’s been coming... Read More
Two of this season’s high-flyers in Serie A face off this weekend as Internazionale welcomes Napoli to San Siro on Saturday. Napoli, who sit in second, six points behind Juventus, is desperate to keep pressure on the leaders. One slip from Juve, and suddenly the title race could be back on, provided Napoli keep winning.
Roberto Mancini’s Inter, meanwhile, sit just outside the Champions League places in fourth. Inter may fancy their chances with Napoli’s leading scorer, Gonzalo Higuain currently serving a three-match ban (reduced from four) for his reaction to being sent off against Udinese two weeks ago. While Higuain’s absence will be a relief to the Inter defense, going forward the Nerazzurri will look to striker Mauro Icardi to add to his already impressive tally of 50 goals... Read More
AC Milan manager, Sinisa Mihajlovic has been sacked by the club in wake of last weekend’s loss to Juventus. Mihajlovic took charge over the summer but now exits the club without completing a full season. Youth team coach, Christian Brocchi will see out the remainder of the season in charge.
Mihajlovic is the third manager to step on-and-off the managerial merry-go-round at Milan since the club sacked Max Allegri in 2014. The Serbian coach, who enjoyed successful spells at Sampdoria and with the Serbian national team, has kept Milan in contention for Europe with the club currently sitting in sixth place. However, Milan is without a win in their last five Serie A matches following the loss to Juve on Saturday.
For Milan’s owner and former Italian Prime Minister,... Read More
Having had a virtual lock on the French title for the past few years, Paris Saint-Germain has announced their arrival on the European stage this season by dominating English champions Chelsea over two legs. Next up for Les Parisiens, who won the Ligue 1 title in record time this season, is a two-legged quarter-final clash with another English heavyweight: Manchester City.
Both sides are looking to make it through to the semis for the first time. And, while there is little to separate the teams on paper, it’s PSG who has looked better up to this point. As the home side, PSG is also the favorite for Wednesday’s clash at the Parc des Princes.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been in resplendent form this season and was particularly influential in PSG’s elimination... Read More
For a moment, it looked as if Barcelona’s misfortunes in the wake of their recent loss to Real Madrid would continue. Fernando Torres seemed a vision of his former self when he was played in by a defense-splitting pass from Koke and slotted home the opening goal for Atletico Madrid with just 25 minutes on the clock.
But barely 10 minutes later, Torres received his second yellow card and was sent off, setting the stage for a rampant performance from Barcelona’s Luis Suarez. A man down with over 50 minutes on the clock, Atleti reverted to form, bunkering down with men behind the ball in an effort to protect their narrow lead. For a while, it seemed as if it might work with Atleti even creating a few dangerous... Read More
Barcelona head into Saturday’s El Clasico showdown with Real Madrid sitting pretty at the top of the table, ten points clear of their rival. With Atletico Madrid sitting second, one point above Real, and only eight match-days left in the season, nothing short of a full-scale collapse is likely to prevent Barça from retaining the La Liga title.
But while the title race may be all but over, this is the Clasico and there is pride at stake for both sides – particularly in light of their last meeting, when Barcelona strolled into the Santiago Bernabeu and romped to a 4-0 win. And that was without Lionel Messi!
As is their tendency, Real Madrid has since changed managers – parting ways with... Read More
As the clock ticks down towards the final El Clasico of the season, we’re taking a look at both teams. Having already discussed the current problems Real Madrid is faced with, we now turn to the Barcelona team that currently tops the La Liga table and is the favorite to retain the Champions League trophy following last season’s treble.
Dominating La Liga with Real Madrid in turmoil is one thing, but this Barça side is the best in Europe at the moment. Could it also be the best Barcelona team in history? For decades that honor seemed to belong to the late, great Johan Cruyff’s “Dream Team,” which won Barça’s first European Championship back in 1992.
The gap between Real Madrid and rivals Barcelona heading into this weekend’s El Clasico is more pronounced than it’s been in years – both in terms of literal points on the board and in terms of what’s being produced on the pitch. And while the 10 point gap separating first-place Barça from third-place Madrid (Atletico Madrid occupy second place), means even a Real Madrid victory is unlikely to be enough to see them make any real progress in the title race, the question remains as to what the capital club needs to do long-term in order to close the gap on its Catalan rivals?
In the past 10 years, Real Madrid has won three La Ligas, two Copa del Reys, and one... Read More
It’s official: Clint Dempsey will play for the USMNT World Cup qualifier against Guatemala this Friday. It will be the first time the former team captain has played under Jurgen Klinsmann in nine months. Dempsey, 33, was omitted from the squad for a pair of qualifiers back in November.
With 48 goals to his name, the Seattle Sounders forward is second in all-time scoring for the U.S. behind Landon Donovan with 57. Five of Dempsey’s goals for the national team have come against Guatemala and with goals in short supply for the yanks of late, Klinsmann will be particularly keen on him adding to that tally.
Playing away against Guatemala has proved challenging for the U.S. – the last time they won there was 2008. However, since that match,... Read More
CONMEBOL World Cup qualification is underway this week as South America’s finest fight it out on the road to Russia 2018.
Here’s our rundown of all the action in Thursday’s qualifiers:
Bolivia vs. Colombia
After taking the 2014 World Cup by storm, Colombia has come crashing back down to Earth and, like their opponent Bolivia, have only won one game in their current qualifying campaign. Last time out, Colombia fell 1-0 to a Lionel Messi-less Argentina. Like Real Madrid fans, Colombia boss Jose Pekerman will be looking for a big performance from James Rodriguez this time around. The breakout star of the last World Cup has gone off the boil for his club side and has failed to ignite his national team in qualifying. Currently, Colombia sits seventh... Read More
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane hinted there would be changes at the club this summer when it became clear the club had effectively capitulated in this season’s title race. Now, it looks like two of those changes could be the departures of James Rodriquez and Isco.
With Gareth Bale’s continuing problems with injuries this season, both players had the opportunity to step up and fill the void left by the marauding Welsh winger, however, neither really seized on the opportunity. According to a report in AS, club president Florentino Perez has grown tired of the inconsistency shown by the duo. Neither player has responded particularly well to the change in management that saw Zidane take over for Rafa Benitez earlier this year. But despite their uneven form, the two remain... Read More
The debate ignited around the future of Roma striker Francesco Totti after the captain vented over his current situation in an interview last month is showing little sign of abating.
“I can’t stay at Roma like this. It hurts to be on the bench,” said Totti, speaking to Italian television station, Rai. “I understand at my age I play less, but ending my career like this is bad for me as a man and what I’ve given to Roma. I demand more respect for all I’ve done here.”
Totti has increasingly found himself on the bench over the past season or two. Roma manager, Luciano Spalletti and his predecessor, Rudi Garcia, have both preferred the likes of Edin Dzeko, Mohamed Salah and Iago Falque’ to 39-year-old Totti. But the striker,... Read More
Two days after being sent off in an FA Cup quarterfinal for administering what’s been described as everything from a bite to a “sensual nibble” to Everton midfielder Gareth Barry, Chelsea’s Diego Costa is being linked to reports of returning to Atletico Madrid. Allegedly, the Brazilian-born striker has found it difficult to settle in London and is growing frustrated with the English media.
Saturday’s exit from the FA Cup now guarantees Chelsea will finish the season without a trophy. The London outfit are looking to shake things up in the summer transfer window and getting rid of Costa, a player who’s allowed controversy to over-shadow his talent since moving to English footballs, could be in the cards.
Meanwhile, Atletico was previously hit with a transfer ban that’s since been... Read More
Less than three months after being sacked by Real Madrid, Rafa Benitez looks to be on the verge of being installed as manager of Premier League side Newcastle United. Benitez was fired after just half a season at Real Madrid, despite still being alive in the Champions League and only a few points adrift of leaders Barcelona at the time.
Benitez will reportedly sign a three-year deal with the struggling Premier League outfit. Newcastle is currently in the throes of a relegation struggle and sit second from the bottom in the Premier League table on 24 points, with just nine games left to play.
The Spanish manager, who enjoyed a successful spell at Liverpool, will be the man charged with trying to keep the Magpies from the drop. Barring that,... Read More
Francesco Totti was greeted with a round of applause from the Bernabeu faithful when he was introduced as a replacement for Stephan El Shaarawy during Roma’s Round of 16 Champions League clash with Real Madrid Tuesday. Afterwards, the veteran striker who’s played his entire career at Roma admitted he was overwhelmed.
It’s emotional because these will be wonderful memories,” said Totti, speaking to Mediaset. “This show of thanks in an extraordinary stadium means I have given something to football.”
After the match, Madrid defender Sergio Ramos swapped shirts with the 39-year-old whose contract is up for renewal this summer. Ramos admitted to being honored, having grown up as an admirer of Totti.
This was not the first time the Bernabeu faithful have applauded an esteemed Italian footballer in their midst.... Read More
Barcelona set a new Spanish record of going 35 matches unbeaten on Thursday with their win over Rayo Vallecano. Luis Enrique’s team has now gone 35 games undefeated, a streak that’s already seen them better a La Liga record of 34 matches unbeaten set by Leo Beenhakker’s Real Madrid team in the 1989-90 season.
Barça’s undefeated streak stretches all the way back to October and a 2-1 loss to Sevilla. In the five months since then, Barcelona has won 29 and drawn six. The Catalan outfit has also scored 107 goals while conceding just 20.
Next up for Barcelona is a trip to the Estadio Municipal de Ipurua to face Eibar on Sunday. A win or a draw there would see Messi, Neymar, Suarez and company equal the record... Read More
Marseille midfielder Abou Diaby has once again had his return to action put on hold after suffering a calf injury in training. The former Arsenal man was set to take part in Marseille’s Coup de France tie with Granville on Thursday. However, L’OM manager Michel confirmed on Wednesday that Diaby was injured and his Marseille debut would be put on hold yet again.
“Friday morning I said he was on the list – that he was ready to play,” said Michel. “But on Friday afternoon after training, he injured himself, so I obviously replaced him.”
Diaby, 29, had made the bench for Marseille’s 1-1 draw with Saint-Etienne last month and had been in the squad for a previous Coup de France tie against Trelissac. And so, the notoriously injury-prone,... Read More
Liverpool will meet Manchester City in the Capital One Cup final at Wembley on Sunday with both sides in contention to lift what is traditionally the first trophy to be decided in the English football season.
The last time the two played was at the Etihad Stadium back in November, where Liverpool ran away with the match 4-1. It was the Reds best result since Jurgen Klopp took over from Brendan Rodgers as manager. But it’s worth noting at the time, Manchester was besot with injured key players.
Manuel Pellegrini’s team has no such injury issues heading into Sunday’s clash at Wembley. With Wilfried Bony, Jesus Navas, Vincent Kompany, Bacary Sagna and Raheem Sterling all available for selection, Klopp’s side will face a full strength Manchester City. Both managers will... Read More
After losing to Juventus last week, Napoli have fallen off the top spot in Serie A. If the Neapolitan outfit is to maintain any hope of lifting their first Scudetto since Diego Maradona brought them to the title over 25 years ago, they need a fast return to winning ways.
First up will be a clash with a resurgent AC Milan.
After a lamentable start to the season, Milan has hit a run of form in 2016. Sinisa Mihajlovic’s team is on a nine-game undefeated streak in all competitions stretching back to the first week in January. In that time, they’ve beaten Inter 3-0, Fiorentina 2-0, and held Roma to a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Olimpico.
Milan’s recent success is partly due to the form of summer signing... Read More
Barcelona forward Neymar has had his yacht and jet impounded and some $50 million of his assets frozen by Brazilian tax authorities. The Brazilian superstar and his family were found guilty of tax evasion last year. According to the authorities, Neymar owes some $16 million in back taxes he avoided paying between 2011 and 2013 when he as at the Brazilian club, Santos. Although he maintains he is innocent, this is not the first time Neymar and his father have run afoul of the taxman.
Neymar’s assets were frozen in September and in January, he was ordered to pay a 100,000-euro fine over unpaid taxes dating to 2007-2008.He also has an ongoing court case in the Spanish courts relating to discrepancies in the transfer dealings that brought him from Santos... Read More
Tied on points atop the La Liga table, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid go head-to-head Saturday in the first major European football clash of 2016; encounters between the two sides at the Camp Nou have taken on greater air importance since Atletico clinched the title there on the final day of the 2013-14 season.
Heading into the match, Barcelona is riding a 25-match win streak in all competitions; their last loss, 2-1 to Sevilla, was all the way back at the beginning of October.
But Barcelona is coming up against the team with La Liga’s best defensive record: Atletico has conceded just eight goals in 21 matches this season.
Barça is also unbeaten in their last 11 league clashes with Atleti, so it’s difficult to see Diego Simeone’s team coming away... Read More
By his own lofty standards, Cristiano Ronaldo appears to be undergoing something of a torrid time at the moment. The Real Madrid forward has been widely criticized for kicking out at defender Francisco Molinero in Madrid’s 1-1 draw with Real Betis last weekend. The kick, described as an “ugly gesture” by Molinero, is just the latest sign that all is not well in Ronaldo’s world. One week earlier, the three-time Ballon d’Or winner was accused of kicking out at midfielder, Nacho Cases during a 5-1 destruction of Sporting Gijon. Ronaldo denied it was deliberate at the time, but in light of the attack against Molinero, that claim seems less convincing.
It’s been a frustrating season for Ronaldo who, despite his 16 goals in La Liga, has been visibly off... Read More
In the wake of reports about a delegation of senior players calling a meeting with him to demand more attacking football, Real Madrid manager Rafa Benitez is feeling the pressure ahead of Saturday’s El Clasico against Barcelona.
Benitez, who earned a reputation for playing defense-minded football in stints at Valencia, Liverpool and Napoli, came out on Friday promising he would set his team out to attack.
“The attributes of this Real Madrid team mean we have to attack regularly, threaten the opposition keeper and score goals, and that’s what we’re going to do,” said Benitez told MARCA.
The former Real Madrid Castilla player also bristled at the suggestion by many in the media that Barcelona, despite being the visiting team, were favorites.
In a week in which terror attacks have cast a long shadow over European football in the bombings in France and the cancellation of scheduled friendlies between Belgium and Spain, and Holland and Germany, this season’s first El Clasico is still set to be played on Saturday.
With the entire continent still grieving and on its guard, the show will go on: Real Madrid will line up against Barcelona, and the people will attempt to take back a little normalcy from the terrorists who have tried to wrest it from them.
Security levels at the Santiago Bernabeu will be heightened, with a major increase expected in the number of police deployed around the stadium, as well as more stringent security checks for fans entering it.
AC Milan held on for a draw at the San Siro Saturday against a determined Atalanta side that was at times in danger of overrunning them. While it was anything but a vintage performance from the Rossoneri, there was one standout performer on the night: Milan goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The 16-year-old net-minder was making his fourth appearance for Milan and finished with his second clean sheet. With Milan’s defense in disarray and the attack incapable of mustering much of anything, the 6-foot 5-inch keeper literally stood tall between the sticks.
Donnarumma came up with four huge saves on the night against a bold Atalanta side that outshot Milan almost 2-1. While many called it a gamble when Milan boss Sinisa Mihajlovic handed the inexperienced Donnarumma the starting berth ahead... Read More
The Spanish sporting press reported Monday that Barcelona forward Lionel Messi will not recover from his recent knee injury in time for El Clasico. The looming showdown with Barça’s archrivals, Real Madrid, is set for November 21.
The Argentine ace suffered knee ligament injuries against Las Palmas in late December. While the original prognosis was for eight weeks on the sidelines, recent stories in the Catalan media had suggested that Messi’s recovery had fallen behind schedule.
While thankfully no surgery was required, Messi’s injury, like all knee ligament injuries, was a delicate one. Messi’s initial recovery involved spending a couple of weeks on crutches, and with the Clasico less than three weeks away, he has not yet been able to run consistently without pain.
League leaders Roma travel to Milan Saturday to face fourth-place Internazionale in another top-of-the-table Serie A clash. While Roma maintains a two-point lead at the summit, the chasing pack behind them is tight. Inter is currently tied on 21 points with second-place Napoli and Fiorentina in third.
Roma beat Udinese midweek to remain in the driver’s seat in the Italian title race. With Juventus languishing in mid-table, the Giallorossi are many peoples’ favorites to win the Scudetto. While goals were a problem for Roma last season, Rudi Garcia’s team is the top-scoring outfit in Italy this season with 25 goals: Gervinho, Mohamed Salah, and Miralem Pjanic have racked up five each.
Inter, on the other hand, have struggled to find the net despite excellent early season form. Coach Roberto Mancini... Read More
Spanish media has erupted with reports that police are looking into claims by an assistant referee that he’s been pressured to favor Real Madrid in the upcoming El Clasico against Barcelona.
The linesman was apparently among the officials selected for the first La Liga clash between Real and Barça this season -– set to take place on November 21, at the Santiago Bernabeu.
While the linesman’s identity remains unknown, there are suggestions that the man attempting to pull his strings is Jose Angel Jimenez de Morales. According to reports on Catalan radio, Morales told the unknown official that he should “try to control the game in a way that thwarted the interest of one of the clubs, Barcelona.” The linesman was instructed that failing to do so... Read More
Barcelona fans the world over awoke to the happy news Monday morning that Lionel Messi’s knee injury isn’t as bad as feared. While the player is still set to be sidelined for a period of seven to eight weeks, no surgery is required and Messi could return to action sooner than expected, according to Argentina’s team doctor.
Messi suffered an injury to the ligaments in his left knee in Barcelona’s 2-1 win over Las Palmas at the Camp Nou Saturday. After receiving treatment on the pitch, Messi was subbed off in the 10th minute and taken to a nearby clinic for tests.
Despite the hopeful prognosis from Argentina team doctor, Donato Villani, Messi is set to miss a number of important matches, beginning with... Read More
Zlatan Ibrahimovic finally opened his Ligue 1 scoring account for the season Tuesday, finding the net in Paris Saint-Germain’s 3-0 win over Guingamp.
It was the 83rd minute of play when the Swede ran onto a through ball from Angel Di Maria to slot home PSG’s third of the night, following goals from Javier Pastore and Di Maria himself. The goal took Zlatan’s tally to 107 goals for the capital club that he joined in 2012.
He might have made it 108 minutes later had he not missed a penalty.
Still, Ibrahimovic is now just two goals shy of the record held by PSG’s all-time leading scorer, Pauleta, the Portuguese striker who notched 109 goals in five seasons at PSG between 2003 and 2008.
Having fallen just short of the final hurdle at last summer’s World Cup, Saturday’s Copa America final represents a second chance for Lionel Messi to finally lead Argentina to major silverware. On Wednesday in the semifinals, the Barcelona man was on-song as Argentina handed out a 6-1 thrashing to a very good Paraguay side.
For the first time we saw Tata Martino’s team open up and play the kind of expansive, attacking football we’ve been longing to see from the Albiceleste. While not finding the back of the net himself, Messi notched a hat trick of assists as goals rained in from Angel Di Maria, Javier Pastore, Marcos Rojo, Gonzalo Higuain, and Sergio Aguero. The fact that Argentina could have five different goal-scorers in a match where Messi doesn’t... Read More
The Copa America quarterfinals continue Friday and Saturday. We preview the remaining two matches that will decide the final four in the 2015 edition of the most long-running tournament in international football.
Argentina vs. Colombia - Friday 6/26 Two of the tournament’s sleeping giants go head-to-head in Friday’s fixture. Of the two, it’s Colombia who’ve struggled the most in this tournament so far. James Rodriquez has been nowhere near the player he was at last summer’s World Cup. The Real Madrid man was effective in Colombia’s 1-0 win over Brazil, but compared to his Golden Boot-winning performance last summer, he’s been a virtual passenger. Radamel Falcao, meanwhile, is becoming a liability: He had seven shots in the group stages and hit the target just once.
With the Group Stage now in the bag, there’s a sense that South America’s big guns are still priming to be fired at this year’s Copa America. While pre-tournament favorites Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Uruguay are all through to the quarterfinals, only host nation Chile has managed to look impressive thus far. But with a small pool of just 12 teams, the heavyweight clashes come fast and thick in the Copa America. With the quarters set to kick off on Wednesday it’s time for the big boys to step up.
Chile vs. Uruguay – Wednesday 6/24 On the strength of performances so far, Chile is looking as close to an odds-on favorite as anyone in this tournament right now. While Brazil, Argentina and Colombia have struggled to get out of... Read More
The Copa America has traditionally been seen as a clash between Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, but this year’s edition sees increased competition for South America’s traditional heavyweights. The emergence of host nation Chile as an international power, the resurgence of Colombia’s national team, and a promising Ecuador side that’s on the rise means there are nearly half a dozen teams in the tournament with a reasonable shot at lifting the trophy when the Copa concludes next month.
Group A:
Bolivia With a squad of mostly domestic players, expectations are low for Bolivia, especially after they lost 5-0 to Argentina in their final warm-up before the tournament. Manager Mauricio Soria says his team will come out attacking. But with forwards who ply their trade at clubs like Changchun Yatai and Oriente... Read More
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