Up until France’s 4-2 victory over Croatia in the final of the 2018 World Cup, Les Bleus were criticized for playing with the sort of pragmatic control that wins you titles but few admirers.
Half of the front four (Olivier Giroud and Blaise Matuidi) were employed in yeoman’s work, while the left flank of Lucas Hernandez, N'Golo Kanté and Matuidi was there to destroy any fleeting moments of opposition joy.
History is written by the victors. When you reminisce about the biggest finals of recent times, you’re likely thinking of players like Megan Rapinoe at the 2019 World Cup, Kylian Mbappé in 2018, Carli Lloyd in 2015 or Mario Götze in 2014.
But there are those rare instances when an individual’s performance on the losing team — for better (Zinedine Zidane in 2006) or worse (Loris Karius in 2018) — lives just as vividly in the memory.
El maleficio se terminó. No más burlas, no más memes. Cruz Azul superó todos sus fantasmas y 23 años, 5 meses y 23 días después volvió a ser campeón del fútbol mexicano.
Santos Laguna hizo sufrir a La Máquina, pero al final el Estadio Azteca fue testigo de un momento histórico para el club celeste. El logro fue comandado por el técnico peruano Juan Reynoso, quien coincidentemente había sido capitán del Cruz Azul en 1997, la última vez que el equipo había levantado el trofeo.
With the clock reading 50:17, Estadio Azteca erupted with the sort of guttural wall of noise that we haven’t heard since the onset of the pandemic. In it was the cathartic joy of thousands venting and releasing the pain of 23 years of hurt, six lost finals and the tension that'd been ratcheted to a breaking point ever since Diego Valdés’ thunderous equalizer for Santos Laguna in the 37th minute.
PORTO, Portugal — It was billed as the night when Pep Guardiola would lead Manchester City to their first Champions League title but it ended with questions again being asked about the Spaniard's decision-making in the biggest games in Europe.
City were expected to beat Chelsea in this year's final but instead they lost 1-0 on Saturday courtesy of a first-half goal by Kai Havertz after Spaniard Guardiola was outfoxed by his German counterpart Thomas Tuchel.
Sporting Kansas City scored three goals within 14 minutes in the second half to earn a 3-2 victory over the visiting Houston Dynamo.
The game was played in front of 20,086 frenzied fans in the first full-capacity match since March 2020.
In the 50th minute and trailing 1-0, Gadi Kinda drew a foul to set up a free kick. Gianluca Busio drove the ball from about 28 yards out, over the wall of defenders and off the side post into the goal.
GIANLUCA BUSIO!
Hirving Lozano hoy es el dueño del fuego sagrado en la selección mexicana. El Chucky volvió a probarlo al fundir una sólida defensa de Islandia, en un amistoso preparatorio del Tri de cara al Final Four de la Nations League de la Concacaf, el cual comienza el próximo 3 de junio.
Lozano salió desde la banca y necesitó apenas 15 minutos para remontar un inicio ácido para México y establecer el 2-1 final.
Christian Pulisic became the first American male to appear in a Champions League Final. Not long later, he became the first USMNT player to lift the big-eared trophy after participating in the final, helping Chelsea over the line in a 1-0 defeat of Manchester City in a tight, edgy affair on Saturday at Estádio do Dragão in Porto, Portugal.
After watching Brentford finally claw its way into England’s top flight for the first time in 74 years, you could be excused for sticking around to see the trophy presentation. However, if you did so, you missed a barnstorming start to the other major playoff taking place on Saturday, as four goals were scored in the opening 13 minutes of the Bundesliga promotion/relegation playoff second leg.
Pull out the Titanic old lady memes because after 74 long years Brentford is finally returning to England’s top flight. The Bees scored two goals within 20 minutes and held Swansea City at bay for a 2-0 victory in the EFL Championship promotion final in front of 11,689 fans on Saturday at Wembley Stadium.