I’ll admit that my own excitement over last night’s MLS All-Star Skills Challenge led to disappointment for the better part of an hour. The Shooting Challenge round — kicks from the spot aimed at targets in goal — was turgid and tedious as all hell, and then I sank even lower after the Touch and Volley round, which I’d likened beforehand — in my own head — to be soccer’s equivalent of the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest.
Swedish Allsvenskan-leading Malmö FF stumbled to a 1-1 draw with IK Sirius at Swedbank Stadion today, but the draw keeps Malmö two points clear of AIK at the top of the table. Philip Haglund had given Sirius the lead in the 26th minute, but Malmö equalized in the 38th through Danish international Anders Christiansen.
On Wednesday, July 31, the only friendly worth watching takes place at Orlando City Stadium in Florida — it’s the 2019 MLS All-Star Game, pitting the best of MLS against Spanish giant Atlético Madrid. What’s flying under the radar is that one day before the big game, there’s going to be an All-Star Skills Challenge.
This used to be a regular feature of MLS All-Star weekend, but for some reason I’ll never understand, they put an end to it. Here’s a brief recap.
Get Zinedine Zidane out on the pitch with normal footballers and it immediately becomes clear that he is not a normal man. The 47-year-old has that je ne sais quoi of a genius, and it's impossible for him to hold back — his every touch is a work of art.
Everyone knows that Christian Pulisic isn’t going to immediately step into Eden Hazard’s shoes at Chelsea and act as a carbon copy of the Belgian. Hazard, of course, is eight years older than Pulisic and currently much more decisive in the final third: Hazard hit 16 Premier League goals last campaign, the American tied his career best by reaching four in the Bundesliga.
It’s been a vengeful week for U.S. Soccer. Last night at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, the USMNT romped to a 6-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago, exacting a small fraction of revenge for that frightful night in Couva. The win came only two days after the USWNT had vanquished its own personal demons by defeating Sweden at the Women’s World Cup.
The USWNT defeated Sweden 2-0 in Le Havre on Thursday to clinch top spot in Group F and confirm next Monday’s Round of 16 meeting with Spain, exorcising some three-year-old demons in the process.
Key to casting out the lasting visages of that Olympic smash and grab was Tobin Heath, who ensured an American victory in the 50th minute after squaring up her defender, tip tapping her way forward like Yoda approaching Count Dooku before whirring into action and working a yard of space to hit one.
The eighth edition of Soccer Aid, which raises money for UNICEF UK, took place last night at Stamford Bridge, and the star-studded event featured the likes of Roberto Carlos, Didier Drogba, Eric Cantona, Usain Bolt, Niall Horan, John Terry, Michael Owen and Mo Farah.
The game finished 2-2 in regular time with F2 Freestylers baller Jeremy Lynch scoring two goals for the England XI while the World XI responded with goals from Bolt and Love Island’s Kem Cetinay. The World XI would eventually triumph on penalty kicks.
After finishing in third place at the 2015 World Cup, advancing to the semifinals of Euro 2017 and, most recently, capturing the 2019 SheBelieves Cup on U.S. soil, England approached this summer’s World Cup with expectations at an all time high.