With Argentina in flux under interim manager Lionel Scaloni and this international break containing only two inconsequential friendlies being played in the United States, Lionel Messi’s absence from the squad directly following his exertions in Russia came as no surprise, despite the myriad of hot takes that are attempting to read between the lines.
When 18-year-old phenom Timothy Weah takes the pitch on Friday for the USMNT’s headline friendly against Brazil at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, it’s likely that he’ll see three of his Paris Saint-Germain club teammates opposing him. With 90 caps to his name, Neymar is the most experienced of Brazil’s PSG bunch, but Thiago Silva (who’ll captain the side) isn’t far behind on 76, and defender Marquinhos has already represented the Seleção 27 times at the tender age of 24.
IMPORTANT: Simply click/tap on "CC" in the video above to turn on the English subtitles.
Lionel Messi gave a rare, extended interview with FC Barcelona's YouTube channel, and the far-reaching sit down offers everything from Messi's new status as Barcelona's captain to his son Thiago's growing understanding of the game.
It’s been a rough start for new boss Manuel Pellegrini and West Ham in the Premier League, where the club has opened the new campaign with three consecutive defeats, but the Hammers took a positive step forward by beating League One side AFC Wimbledon in the second round of the EFL Cup Tuesday.
A weekend of petulance, playacting and red cards in Liga MX sent Tigres manager Tuca Ferretti over the edge, a reaction that was largely triggered after Guido Pizarro was given a straight red card in the 23rd minute for a fairly innocuous piece of contact with Toluca’s Luis Mendoza.
Football is full of crazy characters, some more crazy than others, as the best soccer quotes ever illustrate. But what often makes a player or manager unique is the way in which they deal with the media. Some are very receptive, while others are not so much.
From a player or manager interacting with the media, or any other people really, they gift us some brilliant quotes. Whether it be about the game, a player, or even the journalist themselves, players and managers are never short when it comes to delivering an all-time quote.
If you want to watch something truly pathetic today, here’s Jose Mourinho, the manager of 20-time English champion Manchester United (squad value of just over $1 billion), acting scared shitless at the prospect of playing Brighton & Hove Albion (squad value of $183 million) in the second week of Premier League action because of the World Cup impact on club season preparations.
Iker Casillas and Mohamed Salah both issued their support to goalkeeper Loris Karius after Liverpool lost 3-1 to Borussia Dortmund on Sunday. Karius has been under fire since Liverpool lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League final.
France and Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Greizmann has made his love for America’s sports culture no secret. Let us remind you of last week, when he interrupted Paul Pogba’s post-World Cup interview to exclaim his love for Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Derrick Rose. Antoine Griezmann interrupted Pogba’s interview to say: “I love Derrick Rose.”
— Footy Jokes (@Footy_JokesOG) July 17, 2018
Croatia players and manager Zlatko Dalic were gracious in defeat yesterday, admitting that France deserved the victory following second half goals from Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe. However, the likes of Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic still left traces of disgust and defiance in their words when discussing the final’s turning points, particularly the VAR-assisted handball call against Ivan Perisic that sent Antoine Griezmann to the spot in the 38th minute.