National Teams

Brazil is coming to America for a couple friendlies in September, including an anticipated matchup against the United States in New Jersey. The Brazil vs USMNT roster is stacked and includes PSG’s Neymar.

Brazil’s first match since falling to Belgium in the quarterfinals of the 2018 World Cup will take place on Sept. 7 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Four days later, Brazil plays El Salvador at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. 

Do not read on if you, like myself, are still coping with last week’s announcement that David Silva and Gerard Pique are calling it quits with the Spanish national team. International football, it seems, may soon be suffering another casualty, though perhaps we have a couple years to prepare for this one.

A U.S. national soccer team being knocked out at the group stage of a major tournament is a headline that we don't often associate with the women’s side, but today produced an outcome not many in the soccer world could've predicted. The U.S. U-20 women’s national team saw its journey at the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup come to a shocking end before it really even got started. 

STANDINGS // CLASSEMENT

At the age of 32, David Silva has announced his retirement from international football after collecting 125 caps and scoring 35 goals for the Spanish national team. Silva was a member of the squads that won Euro 2008, the 2010 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2012. At Euro 2012, Silva started all six of Spain’s matches and scored the opening goal of the final against Italy.

Keisuke Honda, one of the greatest Japanese players in the last decade, recently announced he was moving to Australia to play in the A-League with reigning champions Melbourne Victory.

But, despite signing for a new club, Honda was not done there. He has now just been announced as the General Manager of the Cambodian National Team. The 166th-ranked side now boasts a 2013 Asian Golden Ball winner sitting on its bench during matches.

Down a goal in the first half, the U.S. women’s national team came back and then some on its way to winning the Tournament of Nations on Thursday night in Chicago. The team went undefeated and put away nine goals in the three-game series, lifting its first ToN trophy and continuing to build its case as 2019 World Cup favorite with a 4-1 win for the USWNT vs Brazil.

To our British readers or anyone who happens to be on vacation over yonder, you might want to check your wallets for some Harry Kane money.

Alas, "it" did not come home, but football fans in the UK have something to be excited about claiming as their own. Micro-engraver Graham Short has snuck the face of England’s captain/World Cup hero on to six £5 notes, each worth a whopping £50,000 ($65,676), in honor of him winning of the World Cup Golden Boot.

FIFPro, the global footballers' union, released an official statement urging the need for a longer football offseason on Monday. The union’s worries concern 15 players who played in the 2018 Russia World Cup only to start their UEFA competitions two to four weeks later — urging the need for longer breaks.