With all the glee you’d expect from a British tabloid reporting a sex scandal, the Daily Mail broke the news yesterday that Miss Belgium “hopeful” Emily Vanhoutte claims to have had an affair with Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois shortly before last year’s World Cup.
Sergio Ramos is set to sign a new contract with Real Madrid, according to reports featured by ESPN, after negotiations take place on Thursday.
Ramos has been the subject of repeated rumors linking him with a move to Manchester United. In fact, the cavalcade of gossip this month has been so much that anyone not initiated with tittle-tattle of a transfer window might actually believe that a transfer to the Red Devils is closer to happening than not.
While the brain trust at The18 has long argued that Manchester United have more pressing personnel matters to deal with at the other end of the pitch, Louis van Gaal has been insistent since United’s pre-season tour of America that what he needs most is “speed and creativity” up front.
Yaya Toure's second goal against West Brom Monday was nice, but he didn't get Manchester City's best goal of the week. That went to Toni Duggan, who became the first woman to win Manchester City's "Goal of the Season" award with this volley against Chelsea last year:
Liverpool have a very exciting year set out before them with new players, new attitudes, and a high chance of succeeding in Europe. Roberto Firmino is one of many new additions to the Liverpool squad that has excited fans to watch the link-ups between him and his Brazilian compatriot Philippe Coutinho.
A new season, a new goalkeeper and high expectations were buzzing around the Emirates on Sunday, but the Gunners start to the 2015 Premier League season was ever so Arsenal.
Philippe Coutinho seems to defy the laws of physics whenever he scores. That might not make sense if he was another player, but he’s not; he’s Philippe Coutinho: the man who cannot score an average goal.
Honestly, last year he made a habit of scoring from the other side of nowhere, and this year he’s just doing more of the glorious same.
Angel Di Maria has written an open letter to Manchester United after having completed his big money move to Paris Saint-Germain, ostensibly in order to smooth things over with a fan base that holds him in just slightly higher regard than Radamel Falcao, which is to say it doesn’t like him.
The letter is professional, and makes it clear that he is really sorry for failing to live up to expectations.
To Manchester United:
Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid was without a doubt one of the greatest and most drawn-out transfer sagas in football history, and it all began shortly after Manchester United rise to the top of the world as newly crowned 2008 European Champions.
In front of a record 30,710 fans, Chelsea defeated Notts County 1-0 in the women's FA Cup final.
South Korean international Ji So-Yun got the game's only goal in the first half.
Given the crowd was a record for a women's FA Cup final, women's soccer seems to be enjoying an extended rise in popularity in England following the national team's extended run in the World Cup. Attendance records have also been set for women's soccer in the U.S this year.
This was the first women's FA Cup final to be held at Wembley Stadium.
Highlights: