Lionel Messi is 28 years old.
Depending on when you became a fan of soccer, that will strike you in a certain way. If you fell in love with the game around 2005 or 2006, you will probably not be able to believe your ears. “I remember when he played with Ronaldinho!” you’ll say — as in back when Ronaldinho was good. Yeah, that long ago — he has aged quite a lot in that time. He’s a man now, not a boy, not even a young man.
Neymar may have sunk Brazil's Copa America chances for the same reason he sunk Brazil's World Cup chances: not being on the field.
It's a little different this time around though. Instead of being sidelined with a debilitating back injury, Neymar will watch the rest of the Copa America from the sidelines because he ran his mouth to the ref.
Against Colombia, Neymar was sent off immediately following the match, a Colombia victory, for what Brazil fans will call a nudge and Colombia fans will call assault and battery. The truth, as always, lies somewhere in the middle.
The first 18 games of the Copa America in Chile have passed. Ecuador, Mexico, Jamaica and Venezuela have packed their bags and returned home, while the other eight national teams still fight for their hopes of being crowned champions of South America.
What is America in a word?
Such is a question for poets and philosophers, kings and presidents.
I have no idea what America is in one word, but I do know what America is in one video, or more accurately, ‘Murica.
Who doesn’t love a good mockumentary? The Norwegian national team just released one that will not only leave you laughing, but applauding. Unfortunately, there are still people out there who poke fun at the women’s game, despite the fact that the ladies game is typically played with more precise passing and greater inclusion of all 11 players. There is also the entire turf fiasco that has plauged this World Cup (don’t get us started).
I wonder how many thousands of groundskeepers and security people around the world groaned when they saw this video. Pitch invaders are probably the most annoying part of their jobs, and here is Cristiano Ronaldo, a star among stars, rewarding two of them. It’s just about as close to a rousing endorsement as he could give.
Gary Neville and Jamie Redknapp have one of the greatest jobs in the world. They get to watch, commentate, and debate on soccer.
For them, the game that they love is the gift that keeps on giving. They both had successful careers as players, they are now employed as pundits, and they might even try their hand at coaching if the opportunity arises.
If they do decide to pursue the life of a manager, they will have to hone their eye for talent, and I think that that is the real reason that they have been participating in the Budweiser Dream Goal competition as judges.
In an attempt to regain pride for Brazil after their early World Cup exit, Neymar may have just embarrassed the nation yet again after being sent off in their Copa America match against Colombia.
After the final whistle blew with Colombia in the lead, Brazil’s poster boy came head-to-head with Murillo who seemed to egg him on. One thing lead to another resulting in Neymar attempting to headbutt the Colombian defender. Naturally, Carlos Bacca rushed over to protect his teammate by violently shoving Neymar away. Both players were sent off for unsporting behavior.
Lionel Messi had an off year in 2014. He lost in the World Cup Final. He didn’t win the Ballon d’Or. His club, Barcelona, lost out on all three major trophies, including missing out on a chance to win La Liga on the very last match day of the year. By the end of the year it was looking like Barcelona, as great as they would always be, were a long way away from hitting the heights of their glorious past, and that Messi would never be able to regain the form that earned him 4 straight Ballon d’Ors.
How much have things changed.
Clint Dempsey made a bad night worse for the Seattle Sounders Tuesday. The Sounders finished their US Open Cup match against the Portland Timbers with seven players thanks to an injury after they had used up all their subs, and three red cards. The last, and funniest, of these was given to Dempsey, who, while protesting a red card to a different Sounders player, took the referee's notebook and ripped it up. Although the ref was totally justified in red-carding Dempsey (who now might face a suspension for the incident, which is stupid), points for originality here for Clint.