With the final qualifiers behind us, and with all of the European leagues in full swing, we are finally on the eve of the world’s most star-studded club competition: the UEFA Champions League. With Real Madrid fresh off a 6-0 victory over Espanyol in La Liga, Los Blancos look to be in fine form for… Continue reading 2015-2016 UEFA Champions League Preview

The international break has come and gone, with club football poised to resume around the world this weekend, but for fans of England, that international break came with a very special break of its own: the all-time goalscoring record. Last Saturday, as England faced San Marino, Wayne Rooney tied Sir Bobby Charlton’s goalscoring mark with… Continue reading Wayne Rooney: A Legend’s Last Chapter

At this point in his illustrious career, seeing Lionel Messi making international headlines is a rather routine affair. The four time Ballon d’Or winner is widely regarded as the world’s best soccer player, helping his team to lift three trophies last season; La Liga, the Copa Del Rey, and perhaps most coveted of all, the… Continue reading Lionel Messi: At the Breaking Point?

Mexico defeated Jamaica 3-1 in the Gold Cup Final on Sunday, bringing the shambolic tournament, finally, to a close. Despite putting in a dominating performance for 90 minutes against Jamaica, few but the most blindly partisan supporters of El Tri will claim Mexico stood out as this tournament’s clear victor. In fact, some might argue,… Continue reading USMNT, Gold Cup, CONCACAF: All in Shambles

The afternoon of July 5, 2015 in Vancouver, British Columbia was unusual in a couple of ways. A spate of wildfires in Pemberton combined with an atypical lack of wind coming in off the ocean to leave the city shrouded in a thickening cloud of smoke. By the time the sun was skirting the horizon, the… Continue reading We Believed That She Would Win: A World Cup Retrospective

After taking down top-ranked Germany, the United States Women’s National Team is headed to Vancouver for a rematch of the 2011 World Cup Final against Japan. Although Japan’s route to BC Place Stadium was perhaps not the perfect storybook narrative—barely escaping an upset against England, who went out tragically on a stoppage time own goal—the… Continue reading FIFA Women’s World Cup Final Preview: USA v. Japan

The US Women’s National Team is into the knockout round of the Women’s World Cup, and will face Colombia on Monday night, as the two teams battle to earn a spot in the quarterfinals against China. The Americans will be clear favorites when they take the field in Edmonton, but they would do well not… Continue reading USWNT Round of 16 Preview and American Support

I have a great deal of time for CONCACAF’s Gold Cup. I’ll watch, and support, the US Men’s National Team at this year’s tournament, in what might be a second swan song for midfielder-turned-wingback Demarcus Beasley. Last time round, I had the pleasure of attending the Final of the 2013 tournament in Chicago, and given… Continue reading Copa America: Three Can’t-Miss Games This Week

On the afternoon of July 17, 2011, I was huddled among friendly star-spangled strangers in a soccer bar in Cambridge, MA, alternating between gnashing my teeth, and chewing on my USA scarf like a piece of long, blue cotton taffy. I was playing (martyr-)witness to an amazing match between the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT)… Continue reading Women’s World Cup: USA’s War on Turf