When Brazil and Croatia kickoff on Thursday, the eyes of the world will be on the host nation for the world’s most watched sporting event. The events outside the stadium, however, could be just as closely watched and the implications could be further reaching. As anyone who has spent any time on the Internet recently […]

The Mexican national team has a history of being a squad that can cause problems for big teams, yet at the same time finds itself on a constant mission to surpass that World Cup obstacle that they call “The fifth match.” Despite a rich history of soccer, El Tri have yet to make it past […]

German midfielder Mesut Özil has hit back at the growing chorus of criticism directed towards him from both the German media and supporters. The Arsenal midfielder is coming off a stop-start first season in England after being discarded by Real Madrid following the signing of Welshman Gareth Bale. Expectations were high for the midfielder upon […]

At FIFA's Congress in Sao Paulo today, FIFA President Sepp Blatter proposed the idea of allowing managers the opportunity to make two challenges during a game regarding questionable refereeing decisions. The concept of the challenge is not a new idea as the NFL began using it in 1999 while Major League Baseball incorporated it this […]

Landon Donovan says he disagrees with Jurgen Klinsmann's assertion that the US cannot win the World Cup. “It’s no surprise that I disagree with Jurgen," said Donovan in an interview on ESPN this afternoon. Donovan believes he had a case to be in the starting XI when the US opens its World Cup campaign against […]

Amid calls for his resignation, Sepp Blatter today came out with one of his most bizarre statements yet. The FIFA president whimsically suggested that soccer could be played on other planets in the future, possibly resulting in an inter-galactic tournament akin to the World Cup. In a speech at the FIFA Congress, Blatter said “We […]

Belgium manager Marc Wilmots has canceled the closed-door friendly with the United States due to logistical reasons, according to Goal.com. The US Men's National Team were scheduled to play Belgium on Thursday in Brazil as preparation for the game against Ghana on Monday. Instead the US will conduct two training sessions against Sao Paulo FC […]

While most of the world is anticipating the start of the World Cup, Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has been busy in the transfer market by adding two more signings to bring his total of summer acquisitions to four and counting. Stoke City have signed former Manchester United striker Mame Biram Diouf and center-back Dionatan […]

Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal may still be focused on his current job as coach of the Netherlands national team but he's already planning ahead with United with his intention to sign winger Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona. As Barcelona schemes to reboot after having one of their worst seasons in recent memory, Van Gaal […]

Last night, over 46,000 fans showed up at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, hoping to catch a glimpse of something special, something that they could take home with them like a gift that they could open and peek at during the games played by Portugal in Brazil. They wanted a gift that would unwrap further […]

Landon Donovan, the greatest American soccer player in the history of the sport, has joined ESPN as an analyst for its World Cup TV coverage. Donovan will make his debut on ESPN today at 3pm ET for ESPN's World Cup Preview Show. The preview show will air for two hours, while Donovan will contribute analysis […]

We've already covered our Group Stage predictions for World Cup Groups A through D. And now we still have four more groups to cover in this predictions bonanza. Let’s not waste any more time shall we, and dive straight in. Group E: Switzerland, France, Ecuador & Honduras Switzerland, under German coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, qualified for […]

The pitch where high profile World Cup games including USA vs Portugal and Italy vs England will be played is currently in poor condition due to extreme weather conditions in Manaus. The state of the pitch (pictured above) is a concern given that the first game will be played on Saturday between England and Italy. […]

Sunderland have unveiled their new away shirt for the 2014/15 Premier League season. The Black Cats, who surprised many by mounting a campaign last season to avoid relegation, will be wearing an all blue kit from adidas. Sunderland's away shirt features an appealing black and white trim around the collar, on the cuffs and at […]

There are 347 players involved against 43 countries in a club that no one wants to be a part of. It’s the pinnacle of any player’s career but to be branded in such a club is seen as laughable rather than admirable. 52 goals have been scored between them, with five hat-tricks and five braces […]