In case you missed it here is the stunner from Dimitri Payet. It was evident from the opening ceremony how much this game and tournament was going to mean to the French players. Tears of pure joy falling down Payet's face is all you need to see to know the meaning of his goal. Romania fought hard as they tied the game up with a penalty in the second half but the French were still searching for a goal and 3 points as regulation end neared.
Birkir Bjarnason's goal wasn't a rocket from 30 yards out or a bicycle kick, but it was a goal that was Iceland's first international tournament goal ever. As about 10% of Iceland's population watched from the stands in Saint-Etienne, the "Ice Men" stole a point from a favored Portugal team. A special moment for this country no doubt, but their special moments may just be starting as the team demonstrated how they can perform on a big stage. Being down 1-0 at halftime, they responded just 5 minutes after the break with a historic goal from Birkir Bjarnason.
Luka Modric is a player that deserves to be talked about. His leadership and play are key for Croatia to operate as a unit. He demonstrated his "magic" Saturday against Turkey when he helped Croatia grab 3 points and jump to the top of group D. After a high Turkey clearance, Luka Modric came springing down the middle to hit a top spinning volley that skipped past the Turkish goalkeeper. A volley we all dream about, exectuted perfectly by Modric. The fans were so excited that they couldn't help but jump in and celebrate on the pitch with the players too...
Bolivia were done and dusted before the match even started. Chile, the defending Copa champions, were determined to make the world’s 82nd ranked side suffer. It was all Chile could do to make up for their disappointing defeat to Argentina.
Chile spent the first hour of the match accumulating almost 80% of possession while limiting Bolivia to a single shot. In the 58th minute, Bolivia introduced little-known playmaker Jhasmani Campos. Campos must not have been following or paying attention to the script, because he immediately turned the game on its head.
Uruguay vs. Venezuela ended 1-0 in favor of La Vinotinto, as a Suarez-less Uruguay basically bowed out of the Copa America without a fight. Venezuela frustrated La Celeste, and continually hit them on the break to great effect, with Salomon Rondon scoring the lone goal. Neither team are assured of anything yet, but barring a shock result when Mexico take on Jamaica later tonight, Uruguay are out, and Venezuela are through.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic had already planted himself as one of the all time greats, but moments like these showed the world how truly special he was. It is impossible to forget the goal he scored against France in 2012. He sent an acrobatic blast past Hugo Lloris in the 53rd minute which led to mayhem in Kiev. As Sweeden would go on to win the game 2-0, this goal of the tournament would never be forgotten. We are hoping to see epic golazos from the legend in this years Euro Championships!
With Neymar sitting out of Copa America, someone has to fill the space. Phillipe Coutinho did so against Haiti Wednesday night as he put three balls past Haiti's goalkeeper to help Brazil snag 3 points and a 7-1 win. His first goal was a screamer that could have left a hole in the back of the net. Check out this blast from the youngster!
Yes, it was only a pre-Euro 2016 friendly. Yes, it was against Estonia, a side that didn’t qualify for the Euros and is currently ranked 94 in the world, but, oh my gosh, did Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Quaresma put on a show in Portugal’s final warm-up game before the start of the tournament in France.
I don't think it's crazy to say that most of the matches in the Copa America have been less than stellar. The Uruguay-Mexico match was probably the most entertaining thus far, but yesterday's Colombia-Paraguay match may have taken that title. After an early 2-0 deficit, the Paraguayans looked like they were going to be run out of the Rose Bowl. Then manager Ramon Diaz made some changes, including bringing on Victor Ayala, and it was game on. The next 45 minutes were an absolute dog fight and then the substitute rocketed home this golazo from 25 yards out.
The 2015-16 European league season will be remembered for a number of reasons: Leicester City’s improbable Premier League title, Real Madrid’s dramatic Champions League triumph and the brilliant return to form of Mexico’s Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez.
The 28-year-old striker enjoyed his finest season since erupting onto the world’s radar with Manchester United in 2010-11. Following four frustrating seasons of being used sparingly as a substitute for both United and Real Madrid, Chicharito seized his opportunity as a regular starter with Bayer Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga.