Analysis

It’s a coaching nightmare. It’s the 89th minute and it’s 1-1. You’ve been working on passing drills all week, keeping possession and building your attack carefully to launch that final killer ball, but it just hasn’t quite been happening for you today.

And then Mr. Flash ignores everything you’ve been practising and sets off on a mazy dribble, beats half the opposition single-handedly and scores. How can you tell him that he’s ruining your system when he’s probably just won you the game? 

Even after Chelsea’s dramatic 2-1 win over Dynamo Kiev in the UEFA Champions League group stage, rumors continue to swirl over the future of manager Jose Mourinho, who, after winning the league last season with Chelsea, should theoretically be the safest of Premier League managers. 

With no teams holding more than a single goal advantage in their respective ties, all four MLS Conference Semifinals are set for tense finishes heading into Sunday.

For fans of MLS, it promises to be 360 minutes (likely more) of continuous drama and thrills.

MLS Conference Semifinals

The agony and the ecstasy. No it’s not a soap opera, just another champions league campaign for Arsenal football club and Arsene Wenger. Defeating a giant on the back of defeats to Dynamo Zagreb and Olympiacos feels commonplace, but this result demonstrates the gunners are developing into a formidable outfit.

It is hard to think of women’s soccer in the USA without Abby Wambach’s face (or perhaps, feet) immediately coming to mind.

The 2012 Women’s Ballon D’Or winner and 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup winner has scored 182 goals for the USWNT in 243 appearances, making her the greatest international goalscorer of all time, easily eclipsing Ali Daei who holds the men’s record with 109 international goals.

There are countless soccer competitions happening around the globe every year. These competitions have many formats and styles, but the main two are league and cup soccer competitions. Big leagues are where the big name players guarantee their paychecks and where their bosses get most of the revenue to fund those large paychecks. 

In most of these big league competitions, we usually see a certain monopoly in terms of titles. In Spain, we have the Real Madrid vs. Barcelona duel year after year deciding who takes home the gold, with occasional appearances by Atletico Madrid. 

Decision Day has come and gone, the Supporters’ Shield has been awarded and the field is now set for the 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs. 

Mexico's national team has a new commander in chief. After months of uncertainty and many possible candidates, FEMEXFUT decided to bet on a Colombian coach by the name of Juan Carlos Osorio, a decision that was questioned by all, fans and media that preferred to have a big star or, at least, a known character in the bench of their national team.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi need no introduction on the field. The two play for the two biggest teams in the world, are the two best players in the world, and are the two most recognizable faces in soccer. As such, every year the debate of Messi vs Ronaldo flares up, and this year is no different. 

So, in order to provide some fuel for the fire, we here at The18 have taken up the task of comparing Messi vs Ronaldo in an assortment of ways: the basics, professionally, financially, and even a light social segment. 

Let’s begin. 

After six managers in four years, the only constant at Sunderland A.F.C. is their sustained dominance over Newcastle United in the most important fixture of the two sides’ calendar year, the Tyne-Wear derby.

A 3-0 victory for the Mackems, their record setting sixth in succession, is especially sweet for newly appointed Black Cats manager Sam Allardyce, who exacted a bit of revenge on his former employers.