World Cup

When the Netherlands ceded possession to the United States in the World Cup Round of 16, it was a departure from football history but a masterstroke from the Dutch: they knew the U.S. wouldn't have the quality to find that final pass in the attacking third and that they'd slice the Americans apart going the other direction.

A similar approach could be seen by the Netherlands at the start of its quarterfinal match against Argentina. Playing in a 3-4-1-2, the Dutch packed the middle of the park and said there's no way you're finding joy centrally.

Neymar Jr. tied Pelé’s record for the most goals scored for Brazil’s national team on Friday during his side’s 4-2 defeat on penalties vs. Croatia. Neymar’s go-ahead goal in the 106th minute was a classic display of his silky footwork and his 77th for Brazil.

Croatia’s goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic put in a nearly flawless shift denying and frustrating the Brazilians all game. It was going to take something truly special to put the ball in Croatia’s net, and Neymar was just the man to do it.

Soccer fans have a different circadian rhythm than others. They're up early to see what's going on in Europe, they're in bed late to follow along with MLS and Liga MX, they reach an emotional peak on Wednesday afternoons and frequently block off entire month-long periods in the summer for international festivals of footie. It's a delicate balance, but the 2023 soccer tournaments calendar is packed with both a Women's World Cup and Concacaf Gold Cup to look forward to.

AL RAYYAN, Qatar - Portugal's Football Federation (FPF) have denied media reports that captain Cristiano Ronaldo threatened to leave the national team during the World Cup after coach Fernando Santos dropped him for their last-16 win over Switzerland.