(Editor’s Note: See update below on Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s punishment.)
Mohamed El-Munir, LAFC’s left back, needs surgery after a love tap from Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Friday. After visiting a specialist on Monday, it was revealed the 27-year-old has a zygomatic fracture on his face.
It was the sort of tackle in which the final verdict would be better suited to a courtroom; a straight red card certainly doesn’t seem like enough justice for an act of violence perpetrated with the sole intention of seriously injuring another player.
During yesterday’s “friendly” between Sevilla and Liverpool at Fenway Park in Boston, Sevilla’s Joris Gnagnon was handed his marching orders in the 76th minute for this assault on 18-year-old Liverpool winger Yasser Larouci.
The biggest story from a five-a-side charity tournament in São Paulo hosted by the Neymar Jr. Institute is that Neymar himself is there, an action that Paris Saint-Germain has decried as being taken “without the club’s prior authorization.”
According to a PSG statement, the 27-year-old was due to return to the club on Monday, July 8. According to Neymar’s father, he’ll return this Monday, July 15.
Megan Rapinoe’s absence from the starting lineup was the major talking point in the hour before the USWNT’s Women’s World Cup semifinal against England on Tuesday. Was it a tactical decision? Was there some unknown Megan Rapinoe injury? Was it because of what she said about the president?
A poll was done by ESPN UK to determine who are considered the biggest villains in sports history. The list include seven soccer personalities: four current players, two past players and one coach.
Luis Suarez has been voted the greatest sporting villain ever.
Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/NSmMdMCUEQ— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) June 17, 2019
CJ Bott was in clear pain. Replay showed why.
The New Zealand right back’s arm was gruesomely bent back by a cross from Canada’s Janine Beckie in the 14th of their Group E match on Saturday. After a lengthy delay to stabilize the arm, Bott was taken off the pitch and replaced by Annalie Longo.
Bott was able to walk off under her own power, but she was visibly upset, shouting “F*ck!” as she exited the field, cast over her lower arm.
Slow-motion replays show just how far back her arm bent backward when it was struck by Beckie’s cross.
The warning signs are there for the USWNT ahead of tomorrow’s opener against Thailand: Yesterday, Italy shocked Australia to record its first Women’s World Cup win since 1999. Today, Argentina gathered its first-ever WWC point by playing to a 0-0 draw with 2015 finalist Japan.
When Brazil opens play at the 2019 Copa América in eight days time, it’ll do so without the influential Neymar. During last night’s friendly against Qatar, the 27-year-old was on the receiving end of a robust but fair challenge from Assim Madibo, ultimately resulting in a ligament rupture in his right ankle.
Neymar has once again shown that he has just as much flair off the pitch as he does on it.
The PSG striker arrived in style to the Brazilian national team training session this week in a custom Mercedes-Benz Airbus H-145 helicopter worth over $14 million.