I have a theory as to one reason (of many) the England National Team tends to underperform in major tournaments: the players all play in the same league. Every England international plays in the Premier League. One might argue this breeds familiarity and is therefore good for the national team, but I think it leads to a lack of stylistic variety in the team and makes the payer pool stagnant. It's basically like inbreeding, is what I'm saying.
Raúl Jiménez está de regreso con los Wolves. Luego del fracaso de México en el Mundial de Catar 2022, el delantero tuvo la posibilidad de tomarse unos días de vacaciones, pero prefirió regresar a entrenarse con el club inglés, donde enfrenta un futuro incierto.
En el aire se siente que tanto el jugador como el Wolverhampton llegaron a un punto de encrucijada. Del lado de Jiménez, la pregunta es si se queda o se va. Mientras que en el club seguro se cuestionan si vale mantenerlo en el plantel o dejarlo partir.
While the USMNT has been knocked out of the World Cup, they are far from removed from the public’s consciousness. This year’s electrifying roster is taking a short break before club soccer starts up again, but some Americans may not be staying with their current clubs for long.
Transfer rumors are the reward for great performances at the World Cup and players across the pitch may be reaping the rewards come January.
Portugal must have seen Brazil’s emphatic drubbing of South Korea on Monday and thought, “that’s it?”
Without Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting 11 for its knockout round tie against Switzerland, Portugal was allowed to breathe going forward and discovered its creative side, without having the attacking muzzle that is Manchester United’s newest abdication.
It was a long shot when the tournament began, but the answer to "can Messi face Ronaldo in World Cup 2022 final" is suddenly somewhat plausible with both Argentina and Portugal reaching the quarterfinals on opposite sides of the bracket.
That means Messi and Ronaldo both need to win just two more games to reach the final at Lusail Iconic Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 18. Here's how it's to be done.
Argentina's route to the final
Antes de su partido de octavos de final ante Suiza, el técnico de Portugal Fernando Santos sorprendió al mundo anunciando que Cristiano Ronaldo no sería titular. No porque estuviera lesionado, sino que por simple y llana decisión técnica.
La ausencia de CR7, sin embargo, no sería problema. Su reemplazante, Gonçalo Ramos, justificaría luego la controversial decisión de su entrenador, marcando el primer hat trick del Mundial y guiando la clasificación de los lusos a los cuartos de final del torneo, donde enfrentarán a Marruecos.
Portugal manager Fernando Santos made the incredibly bold decision to bench Cristiano Ronaldo for his team’s 6-1 victory vs. Switzerland in the Round of 16 on Tuesday. Taking Ronaldo’s place was 21-year-old Benfica talent Gonçalo Ramos.
The rest is history.
Ramos scored a hat trick and added an assist in a dominant performance. Ronaldo who?
The rumor for why CR7 was benched is for a spat he had with South Korea’s Cho Gue-sung when being substituted out of Portugal’s final group stage game.
Who's the oldest men's player to score in the knockout stages of the World Cup? It's going to be one hell of a trivia question after the record was broken by an extremely unlikely character Tuesday — Portugal's Pepe is now the answer at 39 years and 283 days.
Portugal's World Cup Round of 16 match against Switzerland represented Pepe's 132nd cap, but heading into the game he'd only managed seven goals with his last actually coming in the last-16 of the 2018 World Cup against Uruguay.
No es por venir a presumir, pero en el análisis de Marruecos antes del Mundial hice una predicción: que Yassine Bounou, su arquero atajaría un penal durante el torneo.
Y Bono, mi brother, no me decepcionó.
El arquero fue la figura de un Marruecos fenomenal, atajando no uno, sino que dos penales en la tanda con que los Leones del Atlas dieron el gran golpe de Catar 2022, despidiendo a España y avanzando a los cuartos de final del torneo.
Spain manager Luis Enrique made the surprise decision to start Marcos Llorente at right back for his team’s Round of 16 clash with Morocco. Llorente hadn’t played a single minute in this World Cup before Tuesday and Morocco’s Sofiane Boufal had a field day with him in the first half.
Boufal was a Moroccan menace in the opening 45 minutes showing off a variety of skills and good dribbles. The 29-year-old winger who plays for Angers in Ligue 1 made Llorente’s life a living hell.