Kylian Mbappé is unplayable right now.
After helping France win the World Cup over the summer, he scored two goals in his first match back with PSG last week. He added another goal and an assist on Saturday against Angers, helping the defending champion to a 3-1 victory.
Josef Martinez is the new Roger Maris. The new Mark McGwire. The new Barry Bonds. Atlanta United’s Josef Martinez now owns the MLS single-season scoring record.
Martinez scored in the 74th minute, his 28th goal this season, breaking a four-way tie for the MLS single-season scoring record. The record was previously held by Tampa Bay Mutiny’s Roy Lassiter (1996), San Jose Earthquakes’ Chris Wondolowski (2012) and New York Red Bulls’ Bradley Wright-Phillips (2014).
Oh, and it was the match winner, as Atlanta defeated rival Orlando City SC 2-1.
Japan won the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup with a 3-1 rout of Spain on Friday in France, avenging an earlier loss in impressive fashion. Japan scored the game’s first three goals, including a scorcher from Hinata Miyazawa in the first half.
Spain defeated Japan 1-0 in Group C play, the Spanish ladies taking first place in a group of death that also included the United States. The two met again in Vannes, France, with the tournament on the line.
In the final of the U-20 Women's World Cup, Japan showed it was the best in the world in this age group.
Hirving “Chucky” Lozano made his Champions League debut and did it in style with a stunning goal in a wild 3-2 win over BATE Borisov on Tuesday.
Serie A made its TV debut on ESPN this weekend with AS Roma traveling to Turin to take on Torino FC. The match was broadcast ESPNews with Mark Donaldson and Matteo Bonetti (who used to call Serie A action for beIN SPORTS) commentating.
Thanks to the always brilliant Twitter account @forgottengoals, we’ve been introduced to what’s surely one of the greatest goals of yesteryear.
David Silva made his 250th Premier League appearance and marked the occasion with a stunning free kick in Manchester City’s 6-1 destruction of Huddersfield on Sunday. The 32-year-old Silva joined City from Valencia back in 2010, and the 2018-19 season marks his ninth with the club.
His afternoon also saw him join a select group of Spaniards to have made 250 appearances in England’s top flight — only Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas, goalkeeper Pepe Reina (now at Milan) and current City assistant coach Mikel Arteta have accomplished the same feat.
Like a certain fellow Washington D.C. resident might put it, Wayne Rooney is YUGE right now. This past weekend against Orlando, the former Manchester United man effectively broke the greater soccer world with one play. Rooney sprinted full speed — nearly half the length of the field — to track down a player, made a clean tackle and then hit a dime — nearly half the length of the field — to Luciano Acosta on the back post, who headed the ball home to give DC United the win in the 96th minute.
Former Spain and Barcelona man Andrés Iniesta has taken his talents across the world to Japan, and though at 34 he is in the tail end of his career, the legend is certainly showing no indication he will be going quietly into that good night. Rather, it seems his mission is to bust open the J-League at the seams one golazo at a time.
Barcelona defeated Sevilla 2-1 in the 2018 Spanish Super Cup thanks to goals from Gerard Pique and Ousmane Dembele. Pablo Sarabia had given Sevilla an early lead in the ninth minute, but Barcelona’s comeback was complete when Dembele thundered in a crossbar down effort in the 78th.
Sevilla earned a penalty and had a chance to equalize from the spot in the 90th minute, but Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved Wissam Ben Yedder’s tame effort.