Europe

The year is 1974. It's mid-February, and after months of intense wear, the pitch at Preston North End's Deepdale Stadium is nothing more than a mud pit. The players slog through ankle-deep sludge as they labor in vain to hoof the water-logged leather sphere up the pitch.

The aim is not to score, rather it's to prevent the opponent from finding the back of the net. It's a cynical way of thinking that has long plagued the English game, thus preventing its tactical advancement.

After a long summer, Europe’s premier club competition is back and did not disappoint. From Lisbon to Amsterdam, some fantastic goals were scored in the opening week of the Champions League, so let's take a look at the top five.

Saying goodbye to a pet is one of the harder things to do on this planet. As many pet owners have experienced, it never gets any easier. That was the case for Israeli midfielder Ilay Tamam, who dedicated his goal on Monday to his dog that recently died.

Tamam plays in Israel’s second division, Liga Leumit, and scored his team’s second goal on Monday several minutes before halftime.

To celebrate his goal, he took off his jersey to reveal a shirt with a photo of his pup printed on. Tamam couldn’t hold back the tears.

The story of American keeper Matt Turner has been widely publicized over the last year after the late-blooming New Jersey native went from collegiate afterthought to USMNT hero over a few short years. While Turner will hope to play in the Europa League this year with Arsenal, another American keeper will be taking center stage in the UEFA Champions League — Maccabi Haifa's Josh Cohen.

Cohen's soccer career mirror's that of Turner's, and though he has not received the recent fanfare, Josh Cohen is more than deserving of American soccer fans' attention.