We’re a good chunk into the National Women’s Soccer League off-season, which means speculation and rumors about what the 2019 edition will look like are already in full swing. Though there've been hurdles and uncertainties along the way, things have been so far, so good for the NWSL since it first kicked off in 2013.
Soccer stereotypes come in many varieties. Chances are, you’ve seen a few.
Anyone who grows up playing soccer likely faces off against hundreds, if not thousands, of different players over the years. Most were nondescript, players you forgot about as soon as the match was over. Others have stuck with you, annoying you still to this day.
Here are the most annoying soccer stereotypes that you hate playing against or with, whether it’s indoor or outdoor, rec/intramurals or seriously club soccer.
On Sunday, Real Madrid and Barcelona square off in the 177th league edition of El Clasico, the greatest rivalry match in all of sports. Real leads the all-time series with 72 La Liga victories as compared to Barca’s 70 (the two sides have shared the spoils an additional 34 times), and the club from the Spanish capital desperately needs another victory to reduce the currently escalating gap in league play.
As Jean-Paul Satre once said, “In football everything is complicated by the presence of the opposite team.” Breaking down an opponent has puzzled the world’s brightest minds since the beginning of time, but this process has eventually yielded a collection of the best team goals ever.
Some of these goals are the finest examples of a style purveyed by a team throughout an era (Arsenal under Arsene Wenger, Spain’s golden generation, mid 90s Ajax, etc.), while some are simply instances of 11 footballers momentarily achieving authentic telepathic clairvoyance.
Hector Bellerin is one striking figure.
Not quite tall, not quite dark and not quite handsome, the Arsenal right back has nonetheless become one of the most notable footballers in the world for his appearance.
It’s not his man-bun that perfectly holds his floppy brown hair or the pencil mustache that looks like it belongs in a 1970s porno — for Hector Bellerin, it’s all about style.
Johan Cruyff, the most famous of all atheist footballers, once explained his beliefs succinctly.
“I don’t believe in God,” Cruyff said. “In Spain all 22 players make the sign of the cross before a game. If it worked, every game would end in a tie.”
And yet, soccer, and sports in general, is dominated by religious athletes, whether they're crossing him or herself before entering the field of play, praying after a touchdown or pointing to the sky following a match.
In 2011, the United States took a 2-0 lead over Mexico in the Gold Cup final. A coworker of mine at the time, who was supposed to be covering a baseball game for the newspaper we worked for, tweeted: “THIS IS THE GREATEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE!!!” This despite the fact he had, earlier that week, found out his wife had finally become pregnant after years of trying. For me, it was just another in a long line of memorable moments from the thrilling USMNT vs Mexico rivalry.
Jermaine Jones officially hung up his boots on Friday, announcing his retirement via Instagram. The German-born midfielder made 69 appearances and scored four times for the USMNT, including one of the greatest World Cup goals ever scored by an American.
The Premier League is the most expensive and popular league in the world. The best Premier League players of all time are some of the best to ever play the sport.
While only two players have ever won the Ballon d’Or while playing in the Premier League, there’s little doubt the league has the deepest talent pool in the world, with world class clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea attracting the world's best talent.
So we’ve put together a ranking of the 18 best Premier League players of all time.