Someone, somewhere must've officially declared this week "World Heart-Attack-Inducing Stoppage Time Goal Week." Matias Vecino’s 92nd strike to seal Inter's comeback victory over Tottenham; Roberto Firmino’s one-eyed 91st minute winner that crushed PSG hearts; Niko Vlašić’s 95th minute goal that salvaged CSKA Moscow a point in the Czech Republic against Viktoria Pl
A blockbuster Champions League encounter between Italian champions Juventus and Valencia — fourth place finishers in LaLiga — descended into farce when Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off 29 minutes into his UCL debut with the Old Lady.
Ronaldo had been active and involved throughout the early proceedings, and Juventus really should’ve taken the lead through either Mario Mandzukic or Sami Khedira, but both put close range shots over the bar in the game’s opening period.
In the end, Shakhtar Donetsk’s trusted strategy of supplementing its Ukrainian core of players with a bunch of Brazilians proved, once again, a masterstroke — this time in spoiling the appearance of the youngest manager the Champions League has ever seen, Hoffenheim’s 31-year-old whizkid Julian Nagelsmann.
Diego Maradona’s debut as manager of Ascenso MX (Mexico’s second division) side Dorados FC coincided with the club earning its first win of the 2018 Apertura season, a 4-1 home victory over last-place Cafetaleros. Vinicio Angulo scored a hat-trick for Dorados, but the star of the show was obviously the 57-year-old on the touchline.
The North Carolina Courage defeated the Chicago Red Stars 2-0 on Tuesday night in the semifinals of the NWSL playoffs to setup a repeat of the 2017 final between the Courage and Portland Thorns FC. That match will take place at Providence Park on Saturday, Sept. 22, at 4:30 p.m. ET, with coverage on Lifetime.
Tottenham is tired. How much of it is the World Cup? How much of it the complete lack of rejuvenation by way of transfers? How much of it is the media incessantly telling us that Tottenham’s tired (although Son Heung-min told us as much too)? How much of it is the dopey-looking faces of Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen? I just don’t know.
Southampton’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg did it. The Danish midfielder achieved the kind of hit that we all dream of — the one that’s smacked so clean that it doesn’t spin, it just arrows its way on a straight course into the corner. It’s the kind of pure strike that'll undoubtedly give way to someone commenting, “So what?! I do that every Sunday in my Men’s League!” and that’s because they have absolutely zero understanding of what’s just happened here.
31-year-old Frenchman Dimitri Payet scored the goal of the weekend during Marseille’s 4-0 beatdown of Guingamp in Ligue 1 action Sunday. The mercurial attacker has built a reputation for the spectacular over the last few years — including a sensational but ultimately ill-fated stint with West Ham — but his volley from nearly 25 yards out over the weekend was the sort of audacious finishing that the division hasn’t seen since Zlatan Ibrahimovic was representing PSG.
The Portland Thorns edged the Seattle Reign 2-1 in the first NWSL semifinal on Saturday at Providence Park in Portland, a second straight victory over their rivals to advance to the NWSL championship game on Sept. 22.
Tobin Heath had a goal (and another called back) while Lindsey Horan headed in the winner in the 76th minute. It was a deserved win for a home side that had tremendous support from its fans, who will get to see their team go for a second straight title back at Providence Park against either North Carolina or Chicago.
Welcome to the Netherlands, Érick Gutiérrez.
Gutiérrez, a Mexico international midfielder, reunited with former Pachuca winger Hirving Lozano in the Eredivisie when PSV Eindhoven signed the 23-year-old just before the transfer deadline in August.
He made his debut on Saturday, coming on as a substitute against ADO Den Haag.
Five minutes later, he had assisted his compatriot and scored a cracking goal.