International Soccer

Heroes And Villains Of The World Cup: Matchday Two

No event escalates individuals to the status of national hero or global villain as dramatically as the World Cup. The idolatry that follows success and the stigma that follows failure are woven into the fabric of history, and the repercussions will typically follow footballers for the rest of their lives. Daily, we’ll take a look at who played the role of hero and who played the role of villain at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Matchday One

The State Of U.S. Soccer: What Went Wrong And What Needs To Be Fixed

Months after the USMNT failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, a new wave of headlines confirming "US Not In World Cup 2018" has dampened the mood of America's casual soccer fans who tune into three or four games every four years.

News of the U.S. joint bid with Mexico and Canada winning the rights to host the 2026 World Cup has given those fans something to be excited about, but the USMNT's absence from this year's World Cup is nonetheless disappointing.

Aziz Bouhaddouz Must Live Like An Exile After Thumping A Last-Second Own Goal

Iran versus Morocco was awful. The return of the vuvuzela. The vintage Carlos Queiroz approach. The feeling that I really misguided folks by praising Moroccan attackers Amine Harit and Hakim Ziyech before the match. 

Luis Suarez Has The Second-Worst Game Of His World Cup Career

No player appeared more devastated by Jose Gimenez’s 89th minute winner for Uruguay than Mohamed Salah on the Egypt bench; no player could’ve been more elated than Luis Suarez. The Barcelona striker had a nightmare match for La Celeste, spurning three glorious chances while also getting globally ridiculed for an atrocious dive/feigned injury combo.  

Héctor Cúper Becomes World Cup Enemy No. 1 For Leaving Mo Salah On Bench

Everyone wanted to see Mohamed Salah, the lovable Liverpool winger. Héctor Cúper was just focused on trying to earn a point against the group favorite. Sadly, the Uruguay vs Egypt match really could’ve used the influx of speed, guile and grace Salah would have provided. Instead we got the first a late winner in a 1-0 victory for the group favorite.

Interview With Russian Golazo Machine, Denis Cheryshev

Denis Cheryshev scored two beautiful goals in the opening game of the 2018 World Cup against Saudi Arabia. He was voted man of the match and made the game that everyone thought would be a total snooze fest an absolute stunner.

World Cup Social Media Roundup: Day 1

Here are our select cuts from the world of social media following day one at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Opening Ceremonies

While the opening ceremonies at the World Cup are usually awful, this one wasn't! Robbie Williams kept everyone on their toes by showing some "love" for the camera and the internet had an absolute field day.

Proof Saudi Arabia Wasn’t Paid To Lose To Russia

Russia crushed Saudi Arabia 5-0 in the World Cup opener on Thursday, a perfect result for the host nation. So was Russia that good or Saudi Arabia that bad? Let’s just say Russia vs Saudi Arabia was a mix of both thanks to Russia’s two stoppage time goals. 

Portugal vs Spain Prediction: 3 Key Factors In Tomorrow’s Battle Royale

The Portugal vs Spain World Cup 2018 prediction articles from around the planet have been somewhat rocked by news of Julen Lopetegui’s dismissal as coach of Spain, but the drama surrounding la Furia Roja has only intensified the hype surrounding what’s quite possibly the game of the 20

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