The USMNT approaches Friday’s CONCACAF Nations League match against Canada needing a victory to have any chance of advancing to the semifinals of the competition, and they'll do so without attacking catalyst Christian Pulisic, who misses out with a hip injury he sustained against Crystal Palace last Saturday.
Remember when the number one rule about tattoos was that you weren’t supposed to ask the inked party what they meant? Loaded with personal significance, tattoos typically stood as an enigma, and if we’re being cynical, that’s usually the sort of personal brand that the tattooed individual was hoping to cultivate. Don’t get me wrong, I ain’t no boomer! I’m a fan of ink, but there’s something not quite right with Nicolás Otamendi’s collection here.
Finally, some good news surrounding the U.S. men’s national team. 18-year-old Ajax defender Sergiño Dest has committed his future to the Yanks, and he'll hopefully be on display if we can qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
There was a time, not so long ago, when Pepe was one of the world’s fiercest defenders. He might not necessarily have been the best defender tactically and certainly wasn’t the cleanest of tacklers, but goddamnit he was not going to let you score without at least putting either a cleat or elbow into your cranium, usually both.
In time, the coaching tree that expands out from Pep Guardiola is going to be massive. Some will fail (like if Mikel Arteta had taken the job at Newcastle), but the Spanish tactician’s otherworldly training methods will almost certainly be absorbed and even expanded upon by some future coaching Übermensch that worked under Guardiola for a long period.
Yesterday, Dag & Red visited York Road, the home of Maidenhead United in the fifth tier of English football, and recorded a 1-0 victory over the home side. If Maidenhead is now looking for answers to shore up its defense, they could do worse than sign this guy from the crowd.
Harnessing his inner Virgil van Diijk, this siege tower of a lad outmuscled his marker (presumably his girlfriend), timed his jump to perfection and planted a remarkable headed clearance back towards the pitch — all while wearing a beanie.
Arsenal’s business in front, party in the back squad met Tottenham’s unsettled ensemble on Sunday, and a 2-2 finish to the North London derby only cemented those thoughts of self-hatred rather than illuminating a way forward for either club.
Dani Alves made his debut for São Paulo FC, the club he’s supported his whole life, in Brazil’s Série A today, and it’ll come as a surprise to absolutely no one that he marked the occasion with a game-winning goal.
The 36-year-old has been synonymous with two things throughout his illustrious career: (1) his unmatched penchant for winning, including 40 trophies won, and (2) his ability — although he’s one of the best right backs of all time — to play anywhere on the pitch, including goalkeeper.
Arsenal has had a much more eventful transfer window than fans anticipated. Initially given a transfer budget of just $54 million, it seemed as though the Gunners would continue their tradition of promising fans a lot but offering them very little in terms of actual signings.