With 50 Europa League qualifying matches played this week, we were bound to get an interesting one eventually. FK Suduva and Shakhter Soligorsk delivered with a 2-1 thriller that featured a bicycle kick goal, a red card and an extra time winner.
First, the bike:
Barcelona have slowly begun entering the catch-22 phase initiated by the golden era of Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique. Basically, it goes like this: La Masia will never again produce a group of players like that one. They turned Barcelona into a global sporting institution synonymous with the quality of being elite.
The Gold Cup cometh, and with disgraced former CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb no longer around to taketh, the 2017 edition of the biennial championship of the North, Central American and Caribbean region promises to giveth in abundance.
Beginning with a titanic clash between French Guiana and Canada on Friday, July 7 and culminating on Wednesday, July 26 with the final in Santa Clara, California, we’ll be treated to three weeks of CONCACAF’y tomfoolery.
After playing the hero on June 25 against the Portland Timbers, Clint Dempsey was back at it as the Seattle Sounders rolled the Colorado Rapids on July 4th, 3-1. Dempsey, who’s struggled along with the rest of the Sounders attack this season, looks back to his best after registering a brace and an assist on the night, taking his total number of goals this season to seven from 16 games.
Only days after Germany's under-21 side won the European Championship, the senior team has won the Confederations Cup over Chile.
While Chile had chances throughout the match, they couldn't find a way to outmaneuver Germany – even though the German side was missing key talent like Marco Reus, Thomas Müller, Mesut Özil, Sami Khedira, Mats Hummels and Jérôme Boateng.
Mexico took care of Paraguay in their final warm-up before the CONFACAF Gold Cup, winning 2-1 behind goals from Rodolfo Pizarro and Elias Hernandez.
Pizarro opened the scoring when he pounced on a rebound and put it in the back of the net.
Chivas making presence felt on the NT tonight. @Rpizarrot w/ the golazo. #ElTriEng pic.twitter.com/nXiyHq2MKf
Dom Dwyer is an American citizen. He celebrated his American citizenship by blasting the USMNT ahead of Ghana in the 19th minute of his first cap.
Everyone, meet @Ddwyer14. @Ddwyer14, meet everyone. A dream #USMNT debut for the 26-year-old! pic.twitter.com/41cLap5kGK
While Germany’s A-team takes a much-needed breather before next summer’s World Cup finals, Germany’s B-team have advanced to the final of the Confederations Cup and Germany’s C-team have just captured the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. One can only imagine what it’s like to support the German national team.
The much-heralded attacking talents of Spain, spearheaded by Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio and Atletico’s Saúl, could only manage a single shot on target against Germany in the final.