Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt spent his Saturday watching a different kind of football than what he's typically used to at the scenic Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. The four-time NFL Pro Bowl selection was taking in an NWSL match between the Houston Dash and Utah Royals.
Barcelona put the finishing touches on its 2017-18 La Liga title with a 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad on Sunday. Philippe Coutinho scored the lone goal with a wonder strike in the 57th minute. The match also brought Andres Iniesta’s Barca career to a close.
Fernando Torres has been enjoying one helluva send-off at Atletico Madrid. Last Wednesday, he appeared as a late substitute in Atletico’s 3-0 Europa League triumph over Marseille. Torres represented Atleti at the senior level for over 10 years, but it was the first trophy “El Niño” had lifted with his boyhood club since the Segunda Division title back in 2002.
Gianluigi Buffon played his final match for Juventus on Saturday after 656 appearances with the Old Lady. The legendary goalkeeper, among the greatest to ever play the position, said farewell to the Bianconeri fans at Allianz Stadium in Turin, and the tears were flowing from fans, the players and, of course, Buffon himself.
When Bojan Krkic broke Lionel Messi's record in becoming the youngest Barcelona player to make his LaLiga debut, his soccer future seemed limitless. Krkic's talent was obvious to the casual fan, but hidden beneath his potential was a crippling struggle with anxiety.
Today, ESPN published a Lionel Messi story by Sam Borden that’s scheduled to appear in ESPN The Magazine’s June 8 World Fame issue. The long-form article mainly concerns Messi’s off-field demeanor — he’s quiet, reclusive and prefers to express himself on the pitch.
Marcus Hahnemann, Eddie Lewis, Carlos Bocanegra, Brian McBride, Clint Dempsey, Kasey Keller, Eddie Johnson, Emerson Hyndman, Tim Ream, Luca de la Torre and Marlon Fossey — together, along with Fulham F.C., they are Fulhamerica.
With a 2-2 draw against Gimnasia La Plata on Wednesday night at the Estadio Juan Carlos Zerillo, Boca Juniors won a second straight Argentine Superliga title. But there was a problem: No Boca fans were allowed at the away match. So the team hopped in a bus, drove back to Buenos Aires and partied with its fans. And the Boca Juniors celebrations at La Bombonera were rightfully bonkers.
Barcelona has already clinched the LaLiga title. Lionel Messi and his cohorts are unbeaten in league play and in the process of one of the greatest LaLiga campaigns ever. So it makes sense Barça opponents are paying homage to the Catalan club in the final matches of the season. The reverence shown in the Villarreal guard of honor on Wednesday was a fine example of sportsmanship at its best.
In the end, of course, there was no major upset. Paris Saint-Germain defeated third-division club Les Herbiers 2-0 in the 2018 Coupe de France Final. But the lasting image of Tuesday’s match between giants and minnows was the awkward moment of PSG captain Thiago Silva lifting the Coupe de France trophy alongside Les Herbiers captain Sébastien Flochon.