National Teams

The Denmark-Finland match screeched to a terrifying halt on Saturday as Danish star Christian Eriksen collapsed to the pitch, eyes agape just before halftime. The Inter Milan playmaker’s teammates immediately surrounded him to block views as chest compressions were performed, with players and fans alike visibly shaken.

UEFA announced the suspension of the match shortly before Eriksen was carried off the field, white sheets obscuring the view of Eriksen on a medical stretcher. The score was 0-0, but soccer was secondary.

SAO PAULO — Twelve members of the Venezuelan delegation at the Copa América have tested positive for COVID-19, health officials said on Saturday, a day before they meet hosts Brazil in the tournament opener.

"The 12 members of the delegation include players and members of the backroom staff," said a statement from the Health Secretariat in Brasilia, where Sunday's game will take place.

The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) made the diagnosis on Friday night and informed local health authorities.

Italy, nominally, was the away team for its Euro 2020 opener on Friday. Though the match was played in Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Turkey was designated the home team. In reality, it was a home game for Azzurri, and one to celebrate as major international soccer returned after a year’s delay because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Soccer's European Championship kicks off on Friday with the 24 teams' battle for glory accompanied by off-field conflict over the anti-racism gesture of "taking the knee".

England were booed by some of their fans in two friendlies while Ireland were jeered in Hungary for kneeling before kickoff in a move borrowed from American NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and popularised by the Black Lives Matter movement.

If Thursday's USWNT vs. Portugal friendly was just an adventure in playing without Julie Ertz, it wasn’t the most pleasant trip. Defensively, Lindsey Horan did a great job of protecting the back four with Alyssa Naeher recording only one save. 

But it was all sluggish going forward in Houston with the temp reading 86° and 69% humidity. The front three of Alex Morgan, Christen Press and Megan Rapinoe failed to largely trouble Inês Pereira, while Rose Lavelle wasn’t able to make her mark over 90 minutes.

Hello and welcome to the preview of Euro 2020’s most diabolically unpredictable opening group stage fixture. On Monday, June 14, No. 6 ranked Spain welcomes No. 18 Sweden to La Cartuja in Seville, where 18,000 fans will be in attendance.

Watching the USMNT vs. Costa Rica finish 4-0 had me tingling with excitement as if it was Christmas morning and I was nine again. This team is damn fun to watch.

Three days after defeating Mexico to lift the Concacaf Nations League trophy, the USMNT traveled to Utah for a friendly against Costa Rica. The starting squad against Costa Rica only featured two players that started against Mexico. Mark McKenzie and Tim Ream were the only two returners. 

MADRID — Spain defender Diego Llorente became the latest player after captain Sergio Busquets to test positive for COVID-19, causing further disarray in the three-times European Championship winners' preparations for the tournament.

Following Busquets' positive test at the weekend, Spain's players have been in isolation and only able to train on an individual basis - with their first game just three days later.