Growing up, I played soccer religiously. Practice happened three times a week, and then there was a game on Saturday. Oftentimes, there was a tournament at the weekend, so that took up all of my time. You would see teams sponsored by clubs from Europe. Everton and Celtic are two teams that stood out as […]

Kylian Mbappé overtook Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the highest-paid soccer player on the planet, according to Forbes. The annual list claims the French superstar earns about $128 million for the current campaign. The staggering total is the company’s record for their annual list. Mbappé just signed a massive new contract early this summer. […]

Lionel Messi's move to Paris Saint Germain rocked the sports world. A sad, but necessary, move to try to reduce Barcelona's dire situation of being $1.5 billion debt. Paris came to a standstill to welcome the Argentine. FC Barcelona did not have the winger as a first-team player for the first time in 16 years. […]

Argentina and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi captured the inaugural Fifa Ballon d'Or award. This is the first time this award has been presented as the Ballon d'Or (former European Footballer of the Year award) and the FIFA World Player of the Year award have been merged. Messi beat out fellow Barcelona teammates Xavi and Andres […]

Before the biggest match in Andrés Iniesta's career and in the history of Spanish football, Iniesta had a trillion thoughts running through his head.  One of those thoughts that came to fruition was writing a message to his close friend, Daniel Jarque, on his undershirt.  That message said, "Dani Jarque, siempre con nosotros," (Dani Jarque, […]

After Euro 2008, Vicente del Bosque took the reins of the Spanish national team from Luis Aragonés, the man that led Spain to their first international tournament conquest since 1964 when they hosted and won the second UEFA European Championships, known then as the European Nations' Cup. Aragonés' tactical style went completely away from former […]

When Spain fell to the hands of Switzerland in the opening match of World Cup 2010, the vultures suddenly appeared from the sky and circled around their "dying" carcass.  No team has ever won the World Cup after losing its first match.  The ghosts from yesteryear are rising from the dead and haunting this current […]

With an unfathomable yet realistic possibility of an unceremonious exit from FIFA World Cup 2010, the Spanish national football team tussled with a Chilean side that has been one of the most impressive teams in this tournament thus far.  Marcelo Bielsa, Chile's manager, insisted on a positive approach with an indirect emphasis on flair that […]

Yesterday, the goalkeeping and the defense were discussed, and while the three goalkeepers contending for the final goalkeeping spot will state their cases to Vicente del Bosque on and off the pitch, they will have little to no chance of participating in the World Cup.  The players who will compete for the final midfield spots, […]

The sprinklers rose up from the pitch and sprayed the Inter Milan players and staff.  The Barcelona anthem, "Cant del Barça," blared through the loudspeakers as the Culés did not know whether to clap off their Blaugrana heroes or vehemently whistle at the unwanted visitors from northern Italy.  This sense of confusion permeated throughout the […]

"NINO, NINO, NINO!" chanted Los Chicharreros in the Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López.  When shouted aloud, the chant sounded like an onrushing ambulance through a traffic-jammed street, and for Getafe, who fell victim to the brilliance of Nino, they needed the assistance of EMT workers. After a 0-0 draw at home to Real Valladolid last Saturday, […]

As expected Lionel Messi succeeded Cristiano Ronaldo as the winner of the Ballon d'Or award. The Barcelona star comfortably won the prize but he admitted his surprise at the margin of victory as he received 240 points more than Cristiano Ronaldo who finished second. Messi was quite close to winning all 480 points  possible as he finished with a […]

The theory is that because of the low amount of scoring in football, using particularly protective and cynical tactics ruins the sport whose nature inhibits a high amount of goals per match.  Football's common nickname is "The Beautiful Game," but from where did that phrase initially originate?  Credit is usually given to 50's and 60's […]