Amazing

Back on Dec. 28, news broke that Napoli captain and Italian international Lorenzo Insigne was seriously considering joining Toronto FC in the summer following the completion of the 2021-22 European season. The rumor had a lot of clout, especially the bit about Toronto making him Major League Soccer's highest-ever paid player.

Perhaps more so than any other type of soccer, international football lends itself to the hero forward who saves the day with a miraculous goal. Whether it’s Pelé dominating the men’s World Cup, Michelle Akers scoring at will at the Women’s World Cup, Landon Donovan’s unforgettable finish against Algeria or Carli Lloyd’s midfield bomb in 2015, there’s something about the international game that loves a star goal scorer. 

While you've been up to god knows what sort of merrymaking over the past 10 days, the Indian Super League has been providing us with the best goals of the New Year. If you haven't seen either yet, prepare to fall in love with the sweet feet of Jamshedpur's Greg Stewart and Kerala Blasters' Adrián Luna.

It’s not easy being a single mother. It’s even harder when you’re a professional athlete. But Sydney Leroux sure makes it look easy, or at least fun.

Preseason NWSL camps are less than a month away. With that in mind, Sydney Leroux was in the backyard getting in some training this week with her 5-year-old son, Cassius, who was sporting a full Tottenham kit. Leroux, a 31-year-old Orlando Pride forward and prime Mom of the Year candidate, did what any self-respecting parent would do upon seeing their offspring wearing Spurs colors: kick a ball straight at the kid’s head.

Big news out of Copiapó, Chile today where the illegitimate love child of French football superstars Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappé was found after being born on New Year's Day at 9:09 p.m. local time. Three Wise Men followed a star to his birthplace, bearing gifts of a large buyout clause, CR7 fragrance and baby-sized adidas Copa Mundials.

While not quite as bad as 2020, 2021 was not exactly a great year. The Covid-19 pandemic still rages, providing daily disruptions to our lives, politics remained fucked as ever, preventing any real progress on issues of climate change or equity, and my favorite soccer teams all still suck. But an Instagram post featuring Christen Press and Tobin Heath may have just made the entire year worth it.

On Jan. 26, 2022, Amazon Prime Video Sport releases Simeone: Living Match by Match, a six-episode look at the "life, work and miracles" of Atlético Madrid manager Diego "El Cholo" Simeone.

The title derives from a famous bit of "Cholismo" (the idea behind Atlético success since Simeone's arrival) that the manager uttered over and over again during his side's run to the 2020-21 LaLiga title: "Partido a partido" (one match at a time or "game by game").

Cataclysmic defending sharply followed by a brilliant bicycle kick is how a wild game ended in Morocco’s top flight on Tuesday. This Montassir Lahtimi bicycle kick in the 93rd minute handed Wydad AC, the league leader, only its second loss of the season.

Lahtimi Bicycle Kick

pic.twitter.com/lwIB1FDe0f

— The18 (@the18com) December 29, 2021