A meeting between Wayne Rooney’s D.C. United and Nani’s Orlando City on Sunday was dominated by the 33-year-old United captain, who scored with an outrageous free kick and contributed an assist in his side’s 2-1 victory.
Rooney did all the damage in the first half, beginning with an assist on Steven Birnbaum’s opening goal in the sixth minute.
Straight off the training ground!
We all still know, as evidenced by his hat-trick against Atletico Madrid, that when it comes to big matches, there’s no player more decisive on the planet than Cristiano Ronaldo. However, given his current injury and focus on the Champions League, it’s safe to say that Ronaldo will not capture the European Golden Shoe this year.
What is the softest material in the universe? Is it a baby’s pure skin? The fur of your best dog/cat friend? A kiss from your mother? Your “My Pillow” that is more expensive than a pillow has any right to be? Or is it this Lionel Messi free kick vs Espanyol?
I’d argue it’s the latter.
Barcelona defeated Espanyol 2-0 on Saturday at the Camp Nou, moving at least temporarily 13 points clear of second-place Atletico Madrid in the LaLiga standings. Lionel Messi scored both goals, hitting at least 40 for a remarkable 10th straight season.
Heading into the season, there were legitimate questions over how Toronto FC would rectify its disaster of a 2018 MLS season. Sebastian Giovinco was shipped off to Saudi Arabia and Gregory van der Wiel was let go after a year by “mutual consent” from both parties, which is rarely a sign of good things behind the scenes.
The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus has somewhat upset free kick duties. Before the Portuguese legend came, it was Paulo Dybala, Miralem Pjanic and Federico Bernardeschi who did the honors, and they did them well.
This season, Pjanic and friends have taken a back seat to Ronaldo. In fact, the only set piece Pjanic has converted this season was against Napoli back on Mar. 3 with Ronaldo hovering over the dead ball. Still, it’s a nice setup for what I’m about to show you.
France turned on the style in the second half to thump Iceland 4-0 in Paris, making it two wins from two matches in Euro 2020 qualifying for the world champion. Three days ago, it was Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud and Raphael Varane on the scoresheet in France’s 4-1 victory over Moldova, and it was the same three attackers that again scored today, but instead of Varane, it was defensive partner Samuel Umtiti amongst the goals.
With just over two weeks to go until Juventus travels to Amsterdam to play Ajax in the first leg of its Champions League quarterfinal matchup, Cristiano Ronaldo has been forced off injured with an apparent hamstring injury while on international duty.
In the 31st minute of today’s Euro 2020 qualifier between Portugal and Serbia at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, Ronaldo went sprinting after a ball on the left wing before pulling up and immediately signaling for a substitution.
Canada, winner of gold at the 1904 Summer Games, is back on track. With a 4-1 victory over French Guiana on Sunday, the Canucks secured qualification to this summer’s Gold Cup and a spot in League A at the inaugural 2019-20 CONCACAF Nations League. Yes, Canada was expected to blast nations like the U.S. Virgin Islands and Dominica, but John Herdman’s side took care of business, and that’s not something Canada has done since the 2000 Gold Cup.
Although England’s performance against the Czech Republic was thrilling and Scotland’s humiliation to Kazakhstan was funny, there’s not a lot to get excited about in Euro 2020 qualifying as nearly half of the competing nations will ultimately earn a place at the 16th European Championship.
This is why they paid the man. After agreeing to a new four-year contract with Los Angeles FC back in January — one that’ll pay Walker Zimmerman more than the MLS max budget charge of $530,000 — the center back produced to goods for his side last night in a dramatic 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake at Banc of California Stadium.