Shocking

During a match between Altos and River in Brazil’s Campeonato Piauiense, the league of the state of Piauí, Altos’ Humberto was clocked by River’s Biro Biro with a high boot to the face.

Thankfully, medical tests ruled out a fracture, but Humberto did suffer a concussion and is still under observation following Sunday’s incident. The Brazilian midfielder says he has no recollection of the event itself, but he returned to the pitch after the match looking like Quasimodo.  

In prospect, it was a great plan: Get up early, start with Manchester United versus Liverpool in a momentous, top four Premier League clash, and then seamlessly move on to the League Cup final between defending champions Manchester City and crisis-hit Chelsea.

There goes five hours of our day, and we didn’t get a goal to show for it.

NWSL club Sky Blue FC has been down in the dumps recently due to poor working conditions for its professional athletes. It's so bad that newcomers that just achieved their lifelong dreams of playing professional soccer are refusing to sign with the team. Prior to being drafted, both draftees said they would not play for Sky Blue in hopes that manager Phil Murphy wouldn’t pick them.

During Sunday’s Segunda División B match between the Barcelona B squad and SD Ejea, 20-year-old Barca right back Moussa Wagué was sent off for clashing with an Ejea supporter while attempting to take a throw-in. 

The match was played at the tight confines of Ejea’s 2,900-capacity Nuevo Estadio Municipal, and after Wagué went to collect the ball for a throw, a supporter tossed it away from him, resulting in the physical altercation.

On Saturday, 28-year-old Argentine forward Emiliano Sala confirmed his $20 million transfer from Ligue 1 side Nantes to Premier League strugglers Cardiff City. The transfer made Sala the Welsh club’s record signing. 

“It gives me great pleasure and I can’t wait to start training, meet my new teammates and get down to work,” said Sala when announcing his move. 

Tuesday night, Porto advanced to the semifinals of the Taça de Portugal — the country’s premier knockout competition — with a 2-1 victory over second division side Leixões. 

Porto’s currently leading the Primeira Liga with a five-point advantage over Benfica, but a strong starting 11 was named for the match, including Mexico internationals Hector Herrera and Tecatito. However, the real focus was on 35-year-old center back Pepe, who was making his first appearance for the club in over a decade after his career had taken him to Real Madrid and then Beşiktaş. 

Australia, the defending champion of the AFC Asian Cup, almost came undone at the group stage of the 2019 edition due to one of the most ludicrous penalty decisions you’ll ever see at a major international tournament (as you’ll soon see, VAR is obviously not in use out in the United Arab Emirates).

After suffering a shock defeat to Jordan to open group play, a 3-0 victory over Palestine on Match Day 2 had eased the pressure on the Socceroos, but a result still needed to be secured Tuesday against Syria.