Croatia and the Safety First Approach: With Respect Comes Expectation
Since gaining independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991, Croatia’s national football team qualified for six World Cups and finished on the podium in three. That in itself is a major accomplishment…
Messi, Lusail, and closing a personal chapter
“Everyone remembers their firsts. The memory of my first taste of football is tangled up with shin-deep monsoon water, a drenched school uniform I refused to take off until half-time because I…
The Rise of Georgian Football
Georgian football hasn’t been the most recognisable location on the footballing map. Still, the recent performances from Giorgi Mamardashvili, Giorgi Chakvetadze and specifically Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have had the footballing world sit up…
Give it to Messi and Pray: Netherlands vs Argentina
Give it to Messi and pray. Now. Tomorrow. The day after. Tonight, especially tonight. Give it to him and pray. As you’ve done for the last 18 years, touching on two decades.…
Luka Modrić and Croatia’s Hopes against Brazil
It was June 18th 2006. The occasion was a mostly dull, scoreless match between Croatia and Japan on Match Day 2 in Group F of that year’s World Cup in Germany. Both…
Five Iconic Moments from the Group Stage
On the pitch, the 2022 World Cup has already thrown up a plethora of entertainment for the average viewer. Shocks courtesy of Saudi Arabia and Japan as well as enthralling encounters involving…
What’s Next for the USMNT? Group Stage in Review
Through to the next round. Advancing out of the group stage at the World Cup is always a success, but for the United States getting to that last 16 is a valuable…
Five iconic matches from the 2006 World Cup
The World Cup generates an entirely different feeling to club football. All the animosity that fuels and creates the excitement of the domestic leagues is forgotten for a month of national unity.…
Do Aesthetics Matter? Levante and Alavés’ La Liga Relegation Answers a Persistent Question
To suggest that the neutral fan in La Liga will mourn the loss of Alavés and Levante is a little hyperbolic, but there might be a fleeting pang of regret that Los Granotas are no longer in the first division.
VAR and the Slow Death of the Goal Celebration
March 3, 2018 will go down in history as the day that football began shifting away from everything that made the sport so special. This is the day that VAR (video assistant…
New-Gen Ghana at Qatar 2022
This winter, Ghana will make their fourth appearance at the FIFA World Cup. Having beaten their fiercest rivals from West Africa in Nigeria on away goals to get to Qatar, the Black…
From Absurdity to Ecstasy: How Denmark Turned Things Around
On a cold September night in 2018, Denmark fielded a team consisting only of amateur players, including seven players from the futsal national team, in a friendly game against Slovakia. At this…
Maple Leafs and Terrified Devils — A Match Report of Canada against Belgium
Canada gave Belgium an almighty scare in Wednesday’s Group F fixture, losing gallantly and challenging the perception of the World Cup’s “heavyweights”.
Baila Brasil, Baila! Can This World Cup Be Saved?
I think this is going to be the worst World Cup of all time. I find it unavoidably so. All enjoyment of football over the next month will be mired by the…
Life without Lo Celso: Argentina in need of dynamic solutions in Qatar
Do Argentina miss Giovani Lo Celso, that remarkable presence on the left side of Lionel Scaloni’s midfield that makes things happen? We take a look after Saudi Arabia humbled the Albiceleste at the World Cup in Qatar.
Socceroos in Qatar: All Eyes on the Green and Gold
This winter, Australia will make its fifth consecutive appearance on the biggest international stage, having gone through the intercontinental play-offs after failing to qualify for the tournament directly. The Aussies beat both…
A Dreamers Preview to the USMNT at the World Cup
The World Cup is at hand. Today, the biggest theater of dreams in sports opens up its doors and welcomes 32 performers vying for the spotlight and the most coveted trophy in…
Chemtrails Over the Campus Quad: The Charming (and Increasingly Irrelevant) Americana of Men’s College Soccer
Fifteen minutes into the match, a lone North Carolina State attacker collects the ball at the halfway line and charges headlong into a retreating Clemson University back four. Despite his determination, the…
The Fleeting Rise and Melancholic Fall of Michu, the Player the Streets Will Never Forget
There are some footballers you just never forget. Diego Maradona for his flamboyantly gifted dribbling ability and skill. Zinedine Zidane for the way he controlled and bossed the midfield. Roberto Carlos for…
Who Will Win Serie A? Europe’s Multi-Team Title Race
There’s really only one place in Europe right now where you can find a multi-team title race on the cards, and that’s in Italy for the 121st edition of Serie A. While…
The Surprising Names at Risk of Missing the Flight to Qatar 2022
We’re currently 67 days away from the first ball being kicked at the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, and as we approach the first ever World Cup to be staged in winter…
The Champions League Final is Damned and Doomed: Part II
Barrie Davies’ journey to the Liverpool-Real Madrid final reaches its zenith as the crew enters Paris. Read Part I of the two-part series here. I don’t know how long I was unconscious…
The Champions League Final is Damned and Doomed: Part I
Barrie Davies’s journey to the Champions League Final takes a turn when he finds a rundown flat, smelly bar, and ‘Magic Messi Milk’ between himself and Paris. Part one of a two-part…
Greek Football Fandom: A Season Preview
As the football season kicks off around Europe, the Greek Super League may fly under the radar for many fans of the game. We explore the history of Greece’s top teams and…