El fútbol mexicano tuvo muy pocas alegrías a nivel de selección en el mes de noviembre. Y las que hubo vinieron en los pies de Marcelo Flores. El jugador de 18 años, perteneciente a los registros del Arsenal, parece ser el futuro del Tri y algo de eso mostró liderando al equipo Sub-20 en la consecución de la Revelations Cup.
Arturo Vidal es un futbolista con un coraje y un ímpetu que son difíciles de igualar. Muchas veces, esas características le han servido para ganarse los aplausos de los fanáticos y hasta para convertirse en héroe regular de sus equipos y de la selección chilena. Sin embargo, hay días en que ese mismo coraje y ese mismo ímpetu lo hacen cometer irresponsabilidades con consecuencias catastróficas.
The U.S. has had its share of misfortune in Concacaf World Cup qualifying matches. For once, the nonsense that goes on during Concacaf games went the USMNT’s way.
There was every reason for Dutch stress on Tuesday evening: The ghost of the failed 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign; Saturday’s calamitous draw with 73rd-ranked Montenegro despite leading 2-0 with less than 10 minutes to play; Louis van Gaal’s bike accident on Sunday and fractured hip, forcing him to watch this key clash against Norway from a wheelchair in a box seat; an empty De Kuip in Rotterdam after the country entered a three-week lockdown period with Covid-19 cases soaring.
BELFAST, Northern Ireland — Italy missed out on automatic qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar four months on from their Euro 2020 triumph after they were held to a 0-0 draw by Northern Ireland on Monday.
The Azzurri went into their final Group C qualification clash knowing they needed to win by enough goals to stay ahead of Switzerland to claim a place at next year's finals in Qatar.
After a period of dominance that yielded every trophy (2020 Fall Series, 2021 Challenge Cup, 2021 Women’s ICC, 2021 Shield) apart from the one that really matters, the top-seeded Portland Thorns suffered heartbreak on Sunday in the NWSL playoff semifinals to the Chicago Red Stars, despite the underdogs missing Mal Pugh, Casey Krueger, Kayla Sharples and losing Kealia Watt to injury in the 29th-minute.
It was Watt’s substitute — Katie Johnson — who gave the Red Stars the advantage in the 37th minute with a shot from an impossible angle that caught Bella Bixby napping.
LISBON - Serbia clinched an automatic berth in the 2022 World Cup finals after a 90th-minute header by halftime substitute Aleksandar Mitrović gave them a comeback 2-1 win over Portugal in their Group A qualifier on Sunday.
The result lifted Serbia into top spot on 20 points, three more than second-placed Portugal who only needed a draw to finish top on goal difference and qualify but will now head into the March playoffs.
With the OL Reign taking center stage at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma on Sunday, all eyes were on the attacking riches of the No. 2 seed in the NWSL playoffs, including the USWNT duo of Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle, France’s Eugénie Le Sommer, Germany’s Dzsenifer Marozsán and Wales’ Jess Fishlock.
They were collectively outplayed and humbled by the Washington Spirit’s 19-year-old sensation Trinity Rodman and 22-year-old attacker Ashley Sanchez.
SPLIT, Croatia - Croatia clinched an automatic berth in next year's World Cup finals in dramatic fashion as a late Fyodor Kudryashov own goal gave them a 1-0 home win over Russia in their crunch Group D qualifier on Sunday.
Croatia, the 2018 World Cup runners-up, jumped above Russia to top the standings on 23 points from 10 games, one more than the second-placed Russians who will head into the March playoffs.
Fue en un torneo amistoso, fue en categoría Sub-20, pero al final del día fue una victoria en un fin de semana gris. México venció a Brasil por 2-1 en la Revelations Cup y lavó un poquito las heridas que dejó entre los aficionados la derrota de la selección adulta ante Estados Unidos.
En plan optimista, además, el partido sirvió para tener una dosis de ilusión en torno al futuro, si es que ese futuro alguna vez llega.