It’s hard to remember a time without Lukas Podolski. He burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old after scoring 10 goals in his first 19 Bundesliga appearances with FC Köln . . . that was 16 years ago.
He’s since gone on to play for Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Galatasaray and Vissel Kobe, as well as representing Germany 130 times before announcing his international retirement after Euro 2016.
Over the course of the last three years, MLS fans have grown familiar with the partnership between adidas and Parley for the Oceans through the annual Earth Day weekend release of eco-friendly jerseys made from yarns that are comprised of plastic waste collected from beaches and coastal areas.
It’d be difficult to identify a player that’s had a worse time with injuries over the last three years than Benjamin Mendy. He showed that he could be one of the world’s best left backs during his incredible 2016-17 campaign with Monaco, but after moving to Manchester City for a princely fee of $67.7 million, his personal nightmare began after suffering a devastating knee injury on only his fifth appearance for the Citizens.
Once again, it’s Valentine’s Day, the time of year when single folks feel lonely, lovers post obnoxiously to social media and couples on the rocks find an excuse to break up. To celebrate this unnecessary holiday, we’ve compiled a list of the best soccer couples in the world to let the single people know what they’re missing out on. Because every soccer player’s goal in life is to find a fellow soccer player to fall in love with, right?
Foosball — or table soccer — was once the eighth-most popular sport in the United States. Professional footballers raked in huge winnings on a million-dollar tour with Porches given to champions. It was a glamorous time, with the sport appearing in major Hollywood films.
Fresh off helping the USWNT book its ticket for Tokyo 2020 by scoring six goals at the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship, Lindsey Horan was back in her home state of Colorado on Wednesday night to watch the Denver Nuggets host the Los Angeles Lakers at the Pepsi Center.
You don’t need a reminder of Horan’s remarkable skill on the ball, but here’s a reminder — the goal she scored against Canada in the final was poetry in motion.
It’s a confirmation of what everyone has come to understand over the past decade, but Miguel Delaney’s article in The Independent on Wednesday — entitled “How football became broken beyond repair” — is a sobering bit of realism that effectively illustrates how stale, predictable, undemocratic and hyper-capitalist the modern game has become.
As if Kelley O'Hara wasn’t already likable enough.
A beloved USWNT superstar, Kelley O'Hara always brings a smile to those around her. A two-time World Cup champion, she’ll be going for her second Olympic gold medal this summer, the U.S. having just qualified with a win over Mexico on Friday.
No player better represents the artistry and meritocracy of football than Andrés Iniesta. His nickname El Ilusionista (The Illusionist) encapsulates it all. He had an unmatched ability to confound the opposition from the midfield position, be it his miraculous power to effortlessly escape a pack of chasing defenders or his fantastic capacity to contort the ball to his every desire.
The latest ad campaign from adidas comes close to greatness. It’s all centered around the release of the Predator 20 Mutator boots, which feature the striking implementation of DEMONSKIN technology. The breakthrough tech is immediately noticeable in the form of 406 spikes on the upper which work together as a textured layer to enhance grip on the ball and maximize control.