Portugal defeated Croatia 1-0 after 117 minutes of sleep-inducing tedium. To call it a tactical battle is to turn a blind eye towards both sides' lack of ambition and risk taking. A show that promised the likes of Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo resulted in 116 minutes of football without a shot on target — Ricardo Quaresma sparing us from the second shootout of the opening day of knockout fixtures.
Leicester City’s improbable march towards a Premier League titled continued on Monday following a spirited 1-0 victory over relegation-threatened Newcastle United. Leicester managed only a single shot on target over the course of the match but the outcome of that shot was a goal fit to win any game. In what will perhaps go a long way towards securing a first-ever EPL title for the Foxes, Shinji Okazaki's overhead goal earned Leicester another three points.
I used to revel in the life-like simulation of EA Sports’ FIFA, the true to life representations of players, the robust animations and the required patience of learning the game's more intricate controls.
Yaya Touré blasted the African confederation for not awarding him the African Player of the Year award, the Ivory Coast starlet finishing second to Gabon and Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
In a startling outburst, Touré reportedly labelled the decision as “pathetic”, “indecent” and one that “brings shame” to Africa.
The old saying goes “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” However, sometimes a minor tweak to an existing great thing can take it to the next level. EA Sport’s latest installment of the FIFA franchise has introduced a new mode to its uber-popular Ultimate Team mode – FIFA 16 Ultimate Team Draft Mode – that allows players an alternative to winning packs and prizes.
Club de Cuervos, a Mexican soap opera, focuses itself on a family that now must decide who will take charge of the father’s soccer club. The comedy-drama can be found on Netflix and could be a good option for soccer fans who can’t handle the mid-week slump of having no professional soccer games to watch. The comedy may not involve the kind of drama we see on the pitch every weekend, but it does include hilarious scenes that parody soccer and family.
Can’t wait for the latest installment of EA Sports hit game FIFA? Neither can we, and the wait is becoming that much harder after watching the newest trailer for FIFA 16 featuring their ‘Sights and Sounds’ improvement.
The German Super Cup, Germany’s equivalent of the Community Shield, finished in a fantastically surprising turn of events when “Lord” Nicklas Bendtner was substituted on for Wolfsburg. An equalizing goal within the last few minutes of regulation paired with a game winning penalty shot gave Bendtner the right to be called lord once again.
Borussia Dortmund have announced the extension of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s contract with the club until 2020, according to the club's website. The Gabonese forward has been sought out by many European clubs, including Arsenal and Bayern Munich. His pace makes him an attractive player to many managers, but his talents will remain with Dortmund.
A draw against Panama has pushed USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann to revise his current roster in the Gold Cup and bring in players who he believes is best fit for the job. Jozy Altidore, Greg Garza, and Alfredo Morales have been exchanged for DaMarcus Beasley, Joe Corona, and Alan Gordon.