STORIES BY Aaron Mateer
England
/ 41 days agoIs Harry Kane the last great number nine?
Harry Kane is one of the best strikers, or a number nine, in the world. Kane became only the third player to score his 200th Premier League goal in Tottenham's 1-0 win over Manchester City. Kane also cemented himself in the annals of Tottenham Hotspur history. The same goal, his 267th for the club, allowed […]
Leagues: Scottish Premiership
/ 53 days agoScottish Premiership – Weekend Roundup
It was a seismic weekend in the Scottish Premiership. A four-way tie for last and a manager sacking added to the drama after big wins for Ross County and Hibs. Only 10 points separate 12th from 5th. With ten games remaining before the league splits, it’s still unclear who will fill out the top 6 […]
Belgium
/ 71 days agoPortugal take a step back with Roberto Martinez hire
Rumors from the past few days became fact as Portugal unveiled Roberto Martinez as its new head coach. Martinez takes over from Fernando Santos, who left the position after Portugal’s World Cup exit in the quarterfinals. The next generation The high point in Portugal’s World Cup came in a dominant 6-1 win over Switzerland in […]
Celtic
/ 84 days agoOld Firm preview: Celtic-Rangers derby kicks off 2023
On January 2, 2023, the green and blue sides of Glasgow, Scotland, clash in the 432nd Old Firm derby, providing a preview for the year in Scottish soccer. Old Firm, as it’s known in Scotland, is the term used to describe the Glasgow derby. Though Edinburgh is the capital, Glasgow is Scotland’s biggest city. As […]
Cristiano Ronaldo
/ 107 days agoNo Ronaldo, no problem as Portugal thump Switzerland, 6-1
Twitter exploded when the Portugal starting lineup was announced for the game against Switzerland. How could Fernando Santos bench Cristiano Ronaldo? Would it pay off? The team responded with an emphatic yes. Impressive team efforts overshadows benched star It took just 17 minutes for Portugal to open the scoring. Gonçalo Ramos announced himself on the […]
England
/ 109 days agoEngland fans dreading France game: It's the hope that kills you
In England's convincing 3-0 win over Senegal, The Three Lions progressed to the quarterfinals of the World Cup for their second successive tournament. Prior to the game, I wanted to see Gareth Southgate give more of the squad a chance to play. Predictably, he stayed with almost the same team that beat Wales. Southgate dropped […]
Portugal
/ 111 days agoPortugal lose, but advance in more World Cup Group H drama
How could someone not like soccer? Once again, this World Cup has delivered high entertainment. After the scenes yesterday that saw Germany eliminated, Group H tried to top the drama. Group H Drama Portugal were assured a place in the Round of 16. At different moments during the simultaneous matches, the remaining qualification spot was […]
England
/ 113 days agoGroup B winners England turn focus to Senegal in knockouts
Group B came to a dramatic end as England and the USA progressed to the Round of 16 after victories over Wales and Iran respectively. England now faces Senegal on Sunday, Dec. 4, at 2 p.m. ET on FS1. England’s next opponents The advantage of the knockout round is that England have three of their […]
Portugal
/ 115 days agoBruno Fernandes sends Portugal to last 16 at World Cup
In the final game of matchday 2 in the World Cup group stage, Portugal overcame a fiery Uruguay side to book a spot in the Round of 16. Whose goal is it anyway? Bruno Fernandes was the standout performer, and almost scored a hat-trick to top off an excellent performance. In the 54th minute, Fernandes […]
England
/ 118 days agoQuestions remain for Gareth Southgate’s England
After pulling Iran apart in the opener, England fell way below the high bar they’ve set for themselves at this World Cup. A dogged performance from the US Men's National Team (USMNT) frustrated the attacking riches of England. England a shadow of the first game For most of the game, England were very pedestrian. There […]
Ghana
/ 119 days agoPortugal cut it close with win over Ghana
After Brazil overcame a resilient Serbia today, all teams have played their World Cup openers. There have been routs and surprises. Coming into the Portugal game today the question was whether we would see them live up to expectations, or whether Ghana would stage a relative upset. The first half of the game was pretty […]
England
/ 123 days agoEngland cautiously optimistic after win over Iran in World Cup
England are up and running at the World Cup after a thumping of Iran, 6-2. This is the second consecutive tournament when England scored six goals in a group stage game. Four years ago, the Three Lions hit six past Panama in the second of three group stage games. That year, England went on to […]
Cristiano Ronaldo
/ 127 days agoCristiano Ronaldo sideshow threatens Portugal at World Cup
The Portugal national team have an added distraction in the wake of Cristiano Ronaldo haranguing Manchester United in his interview with Piers Morgan. Cristiano has not done Portugal boss Fernando Santos any favors. No doubt the pre-game press conferences focus on the controversy brought to the training camp by Cristiano’s actions. During the games against […]
Portugal
/ 133 days agoPortugal's World Cup squad unveiled
Portugal have unveiled their World Cup squad for Qatar 2022. Head coach Fernando Santos named the 26-man roster, but can this group of players nicknamed "The Chosen Ones" finally win Portugal’s first World Cup? Experience wins out Three players were named in the Portugal squad with over 100 appearances each for the Seleção (Cristiano Ronaldo, […]
England
/ 135 days agoHow big of a loss is Reece James for England
The message posted on Reece James’ Twitter account started with one word: “Devastated.” It was confirmed today that James would play no part in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which begins in just 11 days. James had been terrorizing opponents on the right wing for Chelsea until injuring his knee against AC Milan in […]
England
/ 136 days agoGareth Southgate’s World Cup headaches
The curtain drop this month on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The opening ceremonies begin on Nov. 20 in Al Khor, before hosts Qatar take on Ecuador. England is one of the favorites going into the tournament. Only Brazil, Argentina, and current holders France have better odds of winning the tournament. As Qatar makes […]
Cristiano Ronaldo
/ 140 days agoCristiano Ronaldo not a guaranteed starter at World Cup
With the World Cup in Qatar around the corner, the speculation on squads will reach fever pitch. Everyone has an opinion on who should be given a place in Qatar. Furthermore, there are countless permutations on potential lineups within a given squad. The official deadline for coaches to submit the 26-man squads is Nov. 13. […]