Every tournament has their share of underdogs. From the NCAA Tournament to the World Cup, there is the little guy that neutral fans want to root for. The European Championships are no different. This year’s Euro qualifying produced five debuting nations for this summer’s tournament. Each team have their niche entering this competition. Wales have… Continue reading Northern Ireland Is A Neutral Darling
Category: International
Five Things To Know About Ecuador in Copa America
After Groups A and B have finalized their action in the 2016 Copa América Centenario, it has been set in stone that the USMNT will have to face Ecuador for a berth in the tournament’s semifinals. Even though Jürgen Klinsmann’s team already faced two tough teams in Colombia and Paraguay, Ecuador might be the toughest… Continue reading Five Things To Know About Ecuador in Copa America
6 Must Watch Matches For The Euros
The group stage of the Copa America Centenario is winding down, but lucky for us football fans another tournament is about to get underway. The European Championships start Friday afternoon in France. The tournament has expanded this year, with 24 teams vying for Euros glory. It all begins with the hosts getting the opening night… Continue reading 6 Must Watch Matches For The Euros
Did the USMNT turn a corner in the 2016 Copa America Centenario?
What a difference a week makes. After dropping their 2016 Copa America Centenario opening game against Colombia on Friday last week, Jürgen Klinsmann’s team needed to do a much better job to avoid an early exit in the tournament. Even the team’s captain Clint Dempsey said the game was “a must-win” contest, but the players needed to respond… Continue reading Did the USMNT turn a corner in the 2016 Copa America Centenario?
5 Can’t Miss Copa America Centenario Matches
Starting today, Copa America Centenario takes center stage in the football world. While the Euros loom, the first Copa outside of South America is sure to be a spectacle to remember. The USA’s involvement will surely bring more eyes to CONMEBOL and CONCACAF’s centennial tournament, but there is more than just the red, white, and… Continue reading 5 Can’t Miss Copa America Centenario Matches
Copa America Centenario: World’s Best Come to US
The Copa America—CONEMBOL’s tournament to crown the Champion of South America, and the world’s longest-running international football competition—will celebrate its 100th year in 2016, pairing with CONCACAF as the United States prepares to host next summer’s special Copa America Centenario. The century mark means that the tournament will be played in back-to-back seasons, as Chile… Continue reading Copa America Centenario: World’s Best Come to US
Euro 2016 Field Set
The attacks on Paris made UEFA officials reassess whether or not it was safe to host Euro 2016 in France next year. Now that they’ve reaffirmed that the tournament will go ahead as planned, we can get back to the more trivial parts of the world landscape such as who will actually be participating in… Continue reading Euro 2016 Field Set
Football and The Refutation of Terror
Under normal circumstances, a 2-0 victory over reigning World Champions Germany would be a major headline in the French media, a promising plot point in the narrative of France’s progression toward hosting Euro 2016. In the shadow of terror and tragedy, however, the play on the pitch is all but forgotten—Olivier Giroud and Andre-Pierre Gignac’s… Continue reading Football and The Refutation of Terror
FIFA’s Presidential Candidates: The Good, The Bad and The Likely
In the realm of the garish and hyperbolic, nothing compares with the spectacular political theatre that is an American presidential election; yet with FIFA’s current crisis, this election will likely be the closest they’ve ever come. FIFA won’t elect its next president until well into the New Year—on February 26, 2016—but amid the seemingly incessant… Continue reading FIFA’s Presidential Candidates: The Good, The Bad and The Likely
Blatter’s Comments Show Suspended FIFA President Still Far From Reality
He’s done it again. The mouth of suspended FIFA President Sepp Blatter must have a very special sort of gravity—and lots of it—because despite being the subject of worldwide ridicule, an official suspension, and a criminal investigation into his complicity in corruption and bribery, the Swiss septuagenarian simply cannot manage to keep his foot from… Continue reading Blatter’s Comments Show Suspended FIFA President Still Far From Reality