Men's National Teams

This Video Shows How The USMNT Earned A Draw With Honduras By KICKING THE BALL REALLY HARD

If we were to compare soccer to handwriting, we would say Germany plays like Catholic nun schoolteacher handwriting, with neat little letters, nothing out of place, everything in line.

Spain plays like cursive, with little loops and swooshes you barely notice until you see the bigger object and marvel in its beauty.

Brazil plays like graffiti letters, big and colorful and saying more than the words themselves could.

Awful Defense Cost The USMNT At Least 3 Points This International Break

The United States came into this international break hoping to get at least four points, maybe all six from two matches against Costa Rica and Honduras in World Cup qualifying. You wouldn’t blame the Americans for their confidence, coming into the break with a 14-match unbeaten streak. That confidence is in tatters now thanks to some USMNT defensive struggles, which proved to be contagious for the rest of the team. 

Bobby Wood Snatches 85th Minute Equalizer To Avoid Calamitous USMNT Defeat To Honduras

Booby Wood, on as a 73rd minute substitute for Darlington Nagbe, salvaged a point for the USMNT against Honduras by scoring his nation’s lone goal in the 85th minute. It took a superbly struck Kellyn Acosta free kick to trouble the staunch Honduran defense, and Wood was on hand to keep the U.S. in the automatic qualifying places — at least for now.

A Panama victory over Trinidad and Tobago later tonight would see the U.S. drop to fourth in the Hex, the spot that necessitates a dreaded inter-confederation playoff with Asia to determine who advances to Russia.

Mexico Has Officially Qualified For The 2018 World Cup

Mexico's future is in dynamic wing players. Specifically, Jesus "Tecatito" Corona and Hirving "Chucky" Lozano, of Porto and PSV, respectively. Watch the two combine for the only goal in Mexico's 1-0 win over Panama Friday, the goal that officially sends the Mexico National Team to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Costa Rica Conquers United States As ESPN’s Star Cam Shows You Exactly Everything And Nothing

The United States hadn’t lost in 14 matches since November. Then Costa Rica put a New Jersey beat down on the Yanks at Red Bull Arena, winning 2-0 in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying on Friday evening.

Costa Rica pressed, harassed and fought its way to a deserved win that all but assures Los Ticos a spot in next summer’s World Cup. The USMNT played like they did when they got Jurgen Klinsmann fired in November. 

The World Isn't The Same As It Was The Last Time The U.S. Lost

The world has changed a lot since the U.S. Men’s National Team last lost a match on Nov. 15, a dark time for America. For starters, the United States saw a great man who has accomplished so much throughout the world replaced by a goofy New Yorker with awful hair. We’re talking about Jurgen Klinsmann making way for Bruce Arena, of course.

Here’s How The U.S. And Mexico Can Both Qualify For The World Cup By Tuesday

With four match days left in the final CONCACAF World Cup qualifying round, Mexico and the United States are on the brink of ensuring their inclusion in Russia next summer. Both could start booking accommodations by Tuesday if things fall their way. 

Mexico leads the group with 14 points and it would take a massive collapse for El Tri to fail to qualify. The U.S., in third with eight points, three back of Costa Rica and one ahead of Panama. The top three automatically qualify for the World Cup while the fourth-place team must play an Asian country in a playoff to reach Russia. 

Consistency Doesn’t Sell Like Goals, But That’s What Christian Pulisic Brought This Weekend

Without a goal or an assist in Borussia Dortmund’s 2-0 win over Hertha Berlin on Saturday, Christian Pulisic mania wasn’t allowed to grip the nation. But a “quiet” week from the 18-year-old also allows us to dissect his performance in a more serious manner. 

What the analysis reveals should obviously already be clear, but let’s just belabor the point: Pulisic isn’t a gimmick. He’s not the fevered creation of a nation starved of a world-class talent. He’s actually just really, really good.

Darlington Nagbe’s Instinctive Scoop Shows Why Soccer Is The Best And Nothing Is Even Close

After a long footballing period consisting of nothing but transfer market hell and the Gold Cup, it’s permissible that you’d forgotten the real meaning of the beautiful game. It’s totally normal to have watched an inning or two of MLB on the TV, to have spent an inordinate amount of time discussing which Game of Thrones characters and story arcs you vaguely remember. 

Gerard Pique is a defender, not a poet. Mino Raiola is a sideshow, not the main attraction. The football’s since returned, but MLS would argue that it never really left. 

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