Shenzhen (China) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola got his first taste of victory as Manchester City's manager Thursday night after beating Borussia Dortmund on penalties in a friendly, but expressed concern about the looming English Premier League season. "Football today is tough," said Guardiola, whose side beat their German opposition in the southern Chinese city of […]

Taking a closer look at five Premier League clubs (Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Southampton and Spurs), we delve into what needs they have for the upcoming season. 1) Arsenal: A striker Towards the end of last season, when he was asked about his future at Arsenal, Mesut Özil said that he had unfinished "goals" […]

When it was announced that Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker underwent surgery for a significant knee injury on Tuesday, one thing was for certain: a new center back would have to be brought in as cover this summer. While the Gunners were reportedly already in the market for an additional central defender prior to the unfortunate […]

Pasadena (United States) (AFP) – Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas was sent off for a reckless lunge at Liverpool new boy Ragnar Klavan, overshadowing a 1-0 win for the Blues in a friendly at the Pasadena Rose Bowl. The Premier League giants locked horns in the pre-season International Champions Cup in a match which was more remarkable […]

Medellín (Colombia) (AFP) – Colombian giants Atletico Nacional won the Copa Libertadores for only the second time in their history after a 1-0 victory over Ecuadoran minnows Independiente del Valle secured a 2-1 aggregate triumph. Newly acquired striker Miguel Borja was the hero for Atletico, ramming home a low shot in the ninth minute as […]

Shenzhen (China) (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel takes a philosophical approach when it comes to dealing with the distraction of off-season transfer speculation that keeps swirling around his club. "I can't predict the future," shrugged the German, on the eve of his clash Thursday with Manchester City at the Shenzhen Universiade Stadium. The […]

After more than seven years in Major League Soccer, the Seattle Sounders finally cut ties with coach Sigi Schmid. The two parties agreed to a mutual parting following Seattle’s thrashing at the hands of Western Conference rivals Sporting KC. However, to blame Schmid for the Sounders’ problems on the pitch would be erroneous. It is […]

As the MLS All-Star Game on Thursday marks the halfway point of the 2016 season, fans get to experience MLS Direct Kick for free as the teams return to action over the weekend. MLS Direct Kick is a pay TV sports package that allows fans to follow out-of-market MLS matches. All the major cable and satellite […]

Sigi Schmid finally met his end on Tuesday, fired after seven-and-a-half seasons in Seattle with his Sounders 21 points behind Western Conference-leading FC Dallas, ten points below the red line, and just one point out of last place. It was a position that even a manager of Schmid’s stature couldn’t survive – especially not after […]

Astana (Kazakhstan) (AFP) – Leigh Griffiths levelled 12 minutes from time to give struggling Celtic a 1-1 draw at Astana in their Champions League third qualifying round first leg clash on Wednesday. The result gave Brendan Rodgers's side the upper hand ahead of their return clash in Glasgow next week, but the Kazakh side were […]

It's going to be a busy summer for NBC Sports. During the month of August, they'll be broadcasting over 55 soccer games from the 2016 Summer Olympics, and the vast majority of them will be announced by NBC Sports talent. To put together such a task, NBC Sports is relying on a team of announcers […]

Berlin (AFP) – Star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is targeting titles next season with Borussia Dortmund, who have spent 117 million euros ($128.5m) in making eight new signings, to break Bayern Munich's stranglehold in Germany. Aubameyang, 27, has been linked to a bumper move to Pep Guardiola-led Manchester City, but poured more cold water on any […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona paraded Portuguese midfielder Andre Gomes at the Camp Nou on Wednesday after his 55-million-euro capture from Valencia on a five-year deal. The 22-year-old, part of Portugal's European Championship-winning side, has a release clause of 100 million euros ($110 mn, £84 mn) and will cost an initial 35 million euros, with 20 […]

Shenzhen (China) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola has denied dictating to his Manchester City squad exactly what they can eat and said no player is overweight, after Gael Clichy claimed the new manager had banned junk food and exiled out-of-shape stars. Speaking in China, where City are on a money-spinning pre-season tour, the French defender told […]

Berlin (AFP) – Wolfgang Niersbach, the former president of the German Football Association (DFB), said on Wednesday that he will appeal the one-year ban imposed on him by FIFA's ethics committee. The 65-year-old was banned on Monday over misconduct surrounding Germany's successful 2006 World Cup bid. Niersbach resigned from the German FA last November amid […]