As human beings with hearts, we here at The18 love it when famous footballers do cool things for young fans. One of the best ways to watch this play out is having a footballer surprise a youngster by showing up unexpectedly.
Mesut Özil was involved in just such a moment when he surprised young Kyan by popping up right behind him at Highbury Quadrant Primary School on Friday.
If I were to tell you that I’ve got a new highlight from Ricardo Quaresma to share, your first guess, of course, should be a ridiculous trivela from outside the area. That’s not what this footage concerns, but here’s that trivela goal against Iran that sent Portugal to the Round of 16 last summer.
Ricardo Quaresma's goal today vs Iran was straight pic.twitter.com/yapZd2r5hl
How can the U.S. ever expect to win a World Cup when its star player can’t even grasp Concacaf-rules football?
Christian Pulisic, the 20-year-old Borussia Dortmund who is already perhaps the USMNT’s best player, was a part of the FIFA 19 World Tour with a new video that dropped this week. Pulisic faced off against BVB teammate and FIFA 17 cover boy Marco Reus in a no-rules match of FIFA 19.
No rules means just what you’d think: no offside, no fouls, no bookings.
After being officially unveiled as the next manager of the USMNT on Dec. 2, Gregg Berhalter went on a whirlwind media tour where he was asked how he’d fix U.S. Soccer and deliver the 2022 World Cup by recreating the style of play American fans have come to expect when watching Manchester City play from their couch on Saturday mornings.
Berhalter handled himself in a refreshing manner after the fool’s paradise of Jurgen Klinsmann and warbling smugness of Bruce Arena, although that obviously won’t placate exceptionalists who demand he be named Zinedine Zidane.
Thomas Müller was all apologies Wednesday and Thursday.
He started apologizing before Nicolás Tagliafico hit the ground. He kept apologizing as he was shown red. He tried to apologize in person after the match. And he kept apologizing the next day.
Müller’s red card against Ajax on Wednesday was one of the worst you’ll see in the Champions League — a flying kick to the head. But Müller responded exactly how you’d hope a professional footballer would after such a vicious attack.