Has Canada qualified for a World Cup before? The Canucks look well on their way to Qatar 2022 after an iconic victory against Mexico in World Cup qualifying. If Canada qualifies for next year’s tournament, it won’t be the first time the Northerners have made the big stage.
Defending UEFA Women’s Champions League winner Barcelona booked its place in the quarterfinals with a 5-0 away destruction of Hoffenheim on Wednesday, bringing the team’s group-stage record to played four, won four, scored 15 and conceded one (remember that the group also contains WSL power Arsenal).
Back on Oct. 5 on the competition’s opening matchday, a 4-1 victory over the Gunners highlighted the unmatched style and quality of the Blaugranes’ play, and Wednesday was another reminder of the club’s current superiority over the rest of Europe.
José Mourinho was confident when he brought his Roma side to the Aspmyra Stadion for a UEFA Conference League match on Oct. 21. The Portuguese manager named a noticeably second-rate squad for the trip to the Arctic Circle to face reigning Eliteserien (Norwegian top-flight) champion FK Bodø/Glimt.
When the USMNT and Mexico met on Nov. 12 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, it marked the 73rd clash between the two giants of the CONCACAF region. On Mar. 24 we’ll do it all again, adding another monumental World Cup qualifying chapter to a rivalry that really doesn’t need any pretense to get the blood boiling.
When the USMNT welcomes Mexico to TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on Friday night, the Stars and Stripes will boast the emotional and mental edge of having defeated El Tri in their last two meetings — both finals, no less.
But it’s Mexico that holds a three-point advantage over the U.S. at the top of the Octagonal as we hit the halfway point of qualifying, and Tata Martino can rely on a first-choice attack that Gregg Berhalter’s men didn’t see over the summer.
Toward the end of quarantine I watched two Netflix anime shows at a breakneck speed — Blood of Zeus and Castlevania — and throughly enjoyed the characters, beautiful visuals and over-the-top violence. They were wonderful companions while being stuck inside.
The field is set and the 2021 NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament bracket has been revealed, showing us the 64 teams that will do battle beginning with the first round on Friday, Nov. 12 and ending with the College Cup final on Sunday, Dec. 5 at Stevens Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The Selection Show took place on Monday, Nov. 8 and revealed that the four top seeds are Florida St., Rutgers, Virginia and Duke, and they’re joined by other traditional powers such as North Carolina, Stanford, Santa Clara, Notre Dame, Penn State and UCLA.
Abby Wambach has been away from professional sports for more than half a decade now, but she’s still a better athlete than anyone reading this, and yes, that includes you, person who thinks they’re better than everyone at everything. On Sunday, Wambach participated in her first marathon, completing the New York City Marathon in impressive time as her wife hilariously supported her, even if she didn’t quite record the fastest time from a former USWNT star.
For the Chicago Fire, 2021 marked a fourth straight season without qualifying for the playoffs. After finishing 22nd overall in 2020 with an average of 1.00 points claimed per game, the Fire where remarkably consistent with regards to being terrible in 2021, finishing 22nd overall with an average of 1.00 points per game.
After a remarkable Decision Day that ended with Colorado atop the Western Conference and Salt Lake in the postseason at the expense of the LA Galaxy, it’s time to begin our countdown to the Cup final on Dec. 11 with some MLS playoff predictions.
Thankfully, this season’s action begins after the November international break so there’ll be no awkward space between the first round on Nov. 20 and the conference semifinals on Thanksgiving.