The World Cup’s latest demolition derby of emotional turbulence ended with Japanese elation, Spanish relief, Costa Rican wonder at what might have been, and a German soccer nation limping painfully into introspective despair. The inquest – for the third time in four-and-a-half years – began immediately. German public broadcaster ARD brutally interrogated an exhausted Hansi […]

In a simply wild 45 minutes, Japan and Spain made their way into the World Cup knockout stage. Meanwhile, Germany won on the day, but failed to advance due to a poor goal differential. At halftime of the games, both Germany and Spain were in a position to advance. By the time each game reached […]

Spain’s progression to the knockout stage of the 2022 World Cup is almost secure, despite Sunday’s draw with Germany, but is Luis Enrique the best coach in the world? This may seem like a rather bizarre question. However, these were the exact words used by the Spanish coach to describe himself. Luis Enrique took the […]

This was arguably the game of the World Cup so far. With a respectful nod to Argentina–Mexico, the reason we love soccer is contests like this.  The World Cup is not the World Cup without the best facing the best. And Spain's draw with Germany was its nearest tie yet to a heavyweight classic. Both […]

It was clear prior to the 2022 World Cup that Luis Enrique had his Spain team organized. They had been progressing well since Euro 2020 and expected to reach the semi-finals in Qatar. Whilst it’s not always wise to draw conclusions from one match, the 7-0 dismantling of Costa Rica was eye-opening. So dominant was […]

Japan’s national team navigated a mediocre group in 2018 (Colombia, Senegal, and Poland) to earn four points and a trip to the knockout rounds. How will they fare at World Cup 2022? Even with a better squad – their FIFA ranking has improved from 50 to 24 in four years – the draw provides a […]

Spain head to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with a settled squad and coaching setup. After the catastrophic bereavement process Luis Enrique had to go through in his personal life, the Spanish coach returned to lead La Roja into Euro 2020. It was a tournament that didn’t start especially well. The former Barcelona coach […]

A Real Madrid theme park is coming to the Middle East late in 2023. The Spanish super club announced an agreement with Dubai Parks and Resorts for the launch of the park in the fourth quarter of next year. Real Madrid described it as an innovative experience for fans of all ages. They can immerse […]

The United States Women's National Team announced its 24-player roster ahead of two upcoming friendlies in early October. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski will lead his team against England on October 7th at Wembley Stadium in London. They will next travel to Osasuna's home stadium to play Spain in Pamplona on October 11th. The England match […]