Aizawl FC will probably win India’s premier league (I-league) title. They lead Mohun Bagan by three points going into the last game of the season, so all they have to do is win or draw, or have Mohun Bagan lose or draw. Much more is on the line, however, than just the championship and subsequent entry into a qualification round for the AFC Champions League.
Rumors have been spreading that Brazilian midfielder Paulinho will move to Bayern Munich this summer. He might be out of China anyway, even if that doesn't happen.
Paulinho might actually be deported because of a photo he appeared in with a Japanese porn star (it's safe for work, relax).
Hulk missed out on Shanghai SIPG’s trip to Japan for an AFC Champions League match against Urawa Red Diamonds, so this article isn’t about him scoring an absolute banger after running through 10 defenders, and that's a damn shame.
Oman and Bhutan played an Asian Cup qualifier Tuesday, with Oman winning 14-0. This is about as bad a beatdown as you can get in soccer, and we spent some time thinking about what went through the minds of the losing team.
The 14 Stages Of Losing 14-0
1. Oh no! The other team has scored! We must try to score also and tie the game!
2. Ah well, 2-0 is the most dangerous lead in soccer. We can do this boys!
3. We can still come back. Stranger things have happened.
Matchday seven has passed in Asian 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, and the usual suspects have emerged as favorites to gain passage to Russia. Iran and South Korea control their own destinies in securing Group A’s automatic qualification spots, while Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia are vying for the top two positions in Group B.
The only real surprise is Uzbekistan’s standing of third in Group A, meaning that a country that’s never been to a World Cup before is on course for the playoff against Group B’s third place side.
Every now and then, with pretty routine frequency, we come across the latest exploits of Brazilian striker Hulk in Asia. Whether they’re in the Chinese Super League or the Asian Champions League, they’re always unreal goals, and I’m beginning to doubt their authenticity.
A little over a week ago, we checked in on Kazuyoshi “King Kazu” Mirua, who’d just broken Sir Stanley Matthews’ record as the oldest professional footballer at 50 years and seven days. While, since that day, he’s not only gone on to further that mark, but he’s also broken another of the legendary Englishman’s records by becoming the oldest recognized goalscorer in professional football history.
Kazu Miura has broken Sir Stanley Matthews’ record as the oldest professional footballer of all time* after playing 54 minutes in Yokohama FC’s 1-1 draw with V-Varen Nagasaki in the Japanese J2 League. The record now stands at 50 years and seven days with Miura, and, since he signed a one-year contract extension before the season, he’ll continue to build on that mark for some time to come.
Here’s a quick update for you: Hulk, the €55.8 million man, is still ripping shots in Asia for Shanghai SIPG. This latest goal came against FC Seoul in the Asian Champions League.
Hulk is very much like his superhero namesake in that he’s very strong and really only exists in edited movie clips following his move to Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2012.
In my mind, he does absolutely nothing other than pulverize the net from 25-30 yards out. Until next time, Mr. Hulk.
In Iran, women are banned from attending soccer games in a co-ed setting. Even though the sport is popular across both sexes and there is no official ban on women going to sporting events, soccer stadiums are a male-only affair. Women are regularly denied access at the door, making it impossible for them to attend any sporting event.
Iran argues that the ban against women in the same sporting stadiums as men is necessary because it protects them from fighting and rude language that might spread within the stands.