Lifestyle/Culture

LaLiga joins the growing list of rebrands gone horribly wrong

The old LaLiga logo wasn't perfect. It was guilty of what I consider a cardinal sin: containing that damn generic soccer ball that's way too heavy-handed in getting its point across. 

But LaLiga had established a powerful brand identity with its iconic color wheel over the past 30 years, and when news broke of an all-new LaLiga logo for the 2023-24 season, the initial thought was concerning how the league would reimagine and update the famous design while retaining some sense of history. 

Sporting KC’s nightmare season continues and Earth Day kit confusion: 5 takeaways from MLS Matchweek 9

The league table is finally taking shape as the top teams separate themselves from the pack while the league's cellar dwellers cling to every point that will hopefully save their seasons. There were several struggling teams that earned massive wins while some top teams slipped up, making for another thoroughly entertaining matchweek. 

From the nasal strips to the snood: 8 fashion trends we don't see anymore on soccer fields

There was a time when fashion was not a thing in soccer. Players entered the fields wearing their club's kits and black cleats, and that was about it. Over time, however, the worlds of fashion and soccer collided, unleashing a plethora of trends and fads onto pitches across the planet. 

Some of those trends have become staples, such as colorful boots, while several others have faded away in the attempt.

We know fashion is cyclical and anything can have a glorious return, but here we adventure into a list of soccer fashion trends that we will most likely not see again. 

Neymar update: He's expecting a bebe with girlfriend Bruna Biancardi

Do you miss Neymar? Well, here's a non-soccer-related update: he's going to be a father.

The Brazilian started the 2022-23 campaign flying high, scoring, assisting and bringing a good dose of football champagne for PSG. Some even argue that he was making a solid case to be considered for fancy awards like the Ballon d'Or. However, injuries returned to haunt him during the World Cup and then ended his season by mid-February.

Way too early!

Since then, the player has been mostly playing video games online and losing sponsored money in poker. 

The sports have never been later at night — we propose a modest solution

El Tráfico was a blessing. Yes, it was thrilling to see Carlos Vela and Tyler Boyd exchange golazos before Raheem Edwards demonstrated why the LA Galaxy are truly "The Meme Team" by launching a throw-in into his own box, but what really highlighted the match was being able to watch it all unfold on a lazy Sunday afternoon — an entirely forgotten timeslot since MLS moved to Apple TV.

Google AI simply instructed to score uses self-learning to devise new techniques, tactics

On Sunday's episode of 60 Minutes, correspondent Scott Pelley visited Google's AI lab in London for a segment looking at how the company was getting robots to play soccer.

The robots weren't programmed by humans — they learned the game themselves after only being instructed to score goals. From there the AI program went about devouring motion capture technology and testing different moves for about two weeks.

Through this system of trial and error, the robots just got better and better with more practice.

Chaos is Cascadia and Vanzeir's underwhelming suspension: 5 takeaways from MLS Matchweek 8

Major League Soccer is bound by parity and married to the chaos that comes with it. With late goals, monumental upsets and high-scoring affairs, Matchday 8 was one for the books. 

Can Richmond still win the Premier League? The answer might shock Ted Lasso

(S3E5 spoilers below)

As writers on the series, Jason Sudeikis (Ted), Brett Goldstein (Roy) and Brendan Hunt (Coach Beard) have always stressed that Ted Lasso isn't a show about soccer, it's a show about these characters who just so happen to be involved in the running of a professional soccer club. 

What's better than getting your first signature boot? Scoring and celebrating with it

There was a standout moment during Crystal Palace's incredible 5-1 victory over Leeds United on Sunday that I failed to notice — I think I was too busy trying to comprehend Leeds' total capitulation — but now register as one of the best goal celebrations of the 2022-23 season.

6 clubs, 5 cities, 9 games: Premier League Summer Series headed to USA in July

It's not every summer you get the chance to see your favorite Premier League club stateside, but an unprecedented number of teams from England's top flight are now planning a preseason invasion before the 2023-24 campaign begins on August 12.

The latest announcement is the unveiling of the Premier League Summer Series USA 2023 schedule, stadiums, clubs and locations. Beginning July 22, six squads will contest nine matches in five cities over the space of nine days.

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