Matt Jones

We're on the cusp of the Christmas period, and although that might mean different things for clubs scattered across the globe, the need for points is no less vital. It's conceivable that there's no worse feeling than going into a winter break on the back of a defeat after all, while a win going into […]

Attacking players can hurt defenses in a myriad of different ways. Some go about their job with a brute physicality, never letting a defender settle, imposing themselves aerially and generally being a nuisance. Others are a little more subtle, dropping into space, utilising their in-game intelligence and exerting their technical ability on proceedings. These facts […]

As the twilight of players’ careers typically approach, pace, intensity and fitness typically dwindle. But for those few who have made a career out of sticking the ball in the back of the net, that desirable attribute of being in the right place at the right time rarely deserts them. Goalscorers are simply a different entity. […]

Being crowned as the champions of world club soccer doesn’t command the reverence you might expect. The FIFA World Club Cup often disrupts the domestic campaigns of a host of teams involved and subsequently, it’s seen by many supporters as a hindrance to their side's quest for major honors closer to home. Last season’s tournament […]

Momentum is a word that's thrown around regularly in soccer, and it's a valuable, intangible commodity for managers. Especially at this time of year with the fixtures coming up thick and fast ahead of a frenetic festive period. The best way to accrue some momentum is arguably by beating a city or positional rival, and […]

Not even a stirring Anfield evening could save them from elimination. Nor could a patented moment of magic from Steven Gerrard at the Kop end on a brisk European night. Not this season, not this Liverpool team. The Reds crashed out of the Champions League after failing to beat FC Basel, and while the famous […]

Everton have announced a new partnership with Global Football America, the company that runs the Toffees' official supporters' club—Everton USA—in the United States. The agreement, which is the first of it’s kind in European football, will see the Toffees provide various offers to their supporters from the USA via new website, evertonusa.net. According to Everton’s official […]

Plans were rolled out this week for the UEFA Nations League — a new international league structure featuring promotion and relegation for European nations, and while it may sound like a political conglomerate, it's going to be a very real part of the soccer calendar come 2018. Here's a look at the basic format the […]

It's almost that time of year again. When the games come thick and fast, when every night of the week yields an intriguing clash to sample. But for some leagues the action is fast approaching an intriguing climax. The MLS Cup final is the showpiece match of what's set to be a wonderful weekend of […]

Tim Howard was thrust into stratospheric standing amongst Americans with his heroic performances at the World Cup. Lauded by all, branded as the “Secretary of Defense,” indulging in nonchalant phone calls with the President and co-commentating Premier League games for NBCSN; it’s little surprise the 35-year-old is bringing a book out in the coming weeks. It’s […]

Sundays are typically the best day of the week for soccer supporters. You can lay on the couch sampling a string of engrossing games with thoughts of the Monday morning alarm locked away at the back of your mind. And for those who love a lazy Sunday, this might just be the best weekend of […]

We all love perusing the excellent content here on World Soccer Talk—why else would you be here!?—but there are plenty of other wonderful blogs that provide excellent content when it comes to the coverage of the beautiful game. So while we encourage you continue checking in here to find out the latest thoughts from The […]

If you were to ponder the current emotions of supporters from all 20 Premier League teams, only a small proportion would be completely content with the start their side has made to this engrossing season. Chelsea and Southampton have began the campaign in spectacular fashion, while Newcastle United, Swansea City and West Ham United have also […]

There have been a plethora of occurrences in recent weeks when players have reacted in bad to minor provocation. Christian Benteke and Gaston Ramirez were both sent off in games against Tottenham Hotspur for needless, erratic lapses in concentration. Both of their teams were 1-0 up at the time before going on to lose 2-1 […]

Signing players in the twilight of their career who have sampled illustrious glories always comes with a measure of risk. Having achieved all of their major ambitions, does the desire still linger? Do they still have the class to cut it at the top level? Can they help inspire a supposed lesser side to bigger […]