Copa del Rey

Fresh Hell For Barça As Ivan Rakitić Edges Them Towards Copa Del Rey Exit

Sevilla FC, anyone? Julen Lopetegui’s side is the hottest commodity in Europe not named Manchester City following Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Barcelona in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal matchup.  

That’s now eight straight wins in all competitions for Sevilla (four in LaLiga and four in the Copa), results that’ve pushed the side to fourth in the league (just one point behind Barça) and the cusp of the Copa final.

Barça Overcomes Late 2-Goal Deficit, Awful PK Call On Dest To Advance In Copa Del Rey, 5-3

Barcelona racked up 79 percent possession and 36 shots (20 on goal) in Wednesday’s Copa del Rey match against Granada, 29 more shots that the host. The end result was a 5-3 victory that was anything but easy, despite the final score and the wildly mismatched statistics. 

From Alcorcón To Pordenone: The Biggest Cup Upsets In Footballing History

Soccer is one of the very few sports that boasts competitions where small, local sides are able to face off against the best teams in the country. These matchups capture the imagination while providing a sense of hope and magic to a small group of supporters.

Domestic cups have long provided smaller clubs with the opportunity to prove their mettle by facing nationally recognized sides, and while major upsets are rare, just the slightest hope of an improbable win is enough to cause local pandemonium and stir significant interest among neutral supporters.

Meet José Juan, The 41-Year-Old Keeper Who Knocked Real Madrid Out Of The Copa Del Rey

Something incredible happened last week: Alcoyano, a team from Spain's Segunda B (third division), eliminated Real Madrid from the Copa del Rey in extra time against all odds. 

The hero of the night was José Juan, a 41-year-old goalkeeper who had a great night defending his net, stopping absolutely everything. 

The18's Complete 2021 Soccer Calendar

No one can argue that 2020 has been an awful year that we all want to put behind us. But before we look ahead 2021, we have to take a minute to appreciate how sports have provided something resembling normality in recent months.

Considering the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been incredibly lucky to have soccer leagues playing regularly since June.

Which Commentator Had The Best Reaction To Bale's 2014 Copa Del Rey Winner?

A good commentator can be the difference maker when watching a big game. A person that conveys the excitement and importance of game-changing moments is vital for viewing pleasure. On April 16, 2014, Gareth Bale scored one of the greatest Copa del Rey goals ever with his blistering speed.

Give a listen to different commentators’ reactions to Bale’s goal.

English

In-Form Real Sociedad Hosts Down-Beaten Valencia In Potentially Season-Defining Match

In a game that could prove crucial in the fight for European qualification, Real Sociedad plays host to Valencia on Saturday. The Basque side currently sits in eighth place, just one point behind Valencia in seventh. If other results go favorably, a win could see either team break into the top four. Valencia is only behind rival Villareal on goal difference while Atletico Madrid and Sevilla, fourth and fifth in the table, respectively, are level on 40 points, two points ahead. 

In The Face Of Football’s Depressing Direction, The Copa Del Rey Is Good Medicine

It’s a confirmation of what everyone has come to understand over the past decade, but Miguel Delaney’s article in The Independent on Wednesday — entitled “How football became broken beyond repair” — is a sobering bit of realism that effectively illustrates how stale, predictable, undemocratic and hyper-capitalist the modern game has become.

Real Madrid Crashes Out Of Copa Del Rey Again After Shocking Upset At Home

Real Madrid and the Copa Del Rey simply don’t mesh well. On Thursday, the Spanish giants were knocked out of the tournament in the quarterfinals at the hands of Real Sociedad. The loss also ended a 21-game unbeaten streak for Los Blancos.

In the most ironic fashion, Real Madrid loanee Martin Odegaard opened up the scoring for Sociedad midway through the first half. Alexander Isak thought he doubled the lead in the 49th minute but his goal was disallowed. No worries though as Isak would get his goal just five minutes later, and it was a fabulous volley at that.

Messi Uses Camp Nou Speech To Address Last Year’s Broken Promise, But He Regrets Nothing

It’s been a year since Lionel Messi delivered a rare but powerful speech before Barcelona’s Joan Gamper Trophy match against Boca Juniors. It was during that address to the Camp Nou crowd that he promised a return of the Champions League trophy to Catalonia, but that promise was later eviscerated by Liverpool at Anfield. Messi’s pledge was then widely mocked.

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