Game Recaps

Sporting Kansas City took a step toward securing a top-two seed in the Western Conference playoffs last night with a 4-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place. Sporting’s third goal was scored by 16-year-old Homegrown Player Gianluca Busio, making the versatile player the second-youngest goal scorer in MLS history at 16 years and 142 days.

The record, of course, is held by Freddy Adu and will never be broken. Adu scored for D.C. United at the preposterous age of 14 years and 320 days.

The USWNT has lifted the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship after defeating Canada 2-0 in the final, wrapping up an 18-day competition with a record of five wins, zero defeats, 26 goals scored and zero conceded. The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France awaits.

England’s impressive 3-2 win over Spain in Seville had its fair share of landmarks. The defeat was the first of Luis Enrique’s reign as boss, and it was also Spain’s first home loss since 2003. Raheem Sterling, who had a brace, scored his first international goal in 1,102 days, and England’s first goal in Spain since 1987. Harry Kane, who was signaled out for praise before the match by Sergio Ramos, had his first-ever two-assist match for the Three Lions.

The USWNT booked passage to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup with an imperious 6-0 victory over Jamaica on Sunday night, and setup a much-anticipated CONCACAF Women’s Championship final against Canada in the process.

With automatic qualification hanging in the balance, the U.S. raced out to a 5-0 lead by the 33rd minute, and it would be ridiculous to single out an individual for praise in the face of such overall team excellence.

Panama kept Canada in check for 44 minutes Sunday, but a seven-goal, 34-minute spell ended the Central American’s hopes of an astonishing upset at the semifinal stage of the CONCACAF Women’s Championship. By advancing to the final, Canada secured automatic qualification to the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France, where it’ll look to improve on a quarterfinal showing at the 2015 finals on home soil.

The U.S. women’s national team opened World Cup qualifying with a goal in the second minute against Mexico. The USWNT absolutely dominated the rest of the half without finding another goal.

The second half, though, was another story.

PSV Eindhoven’s hopes of making it through to the Champions League Round of 16 took a massive blow Wednesday after Pablo Rosario’s smashing opener (assisted by Hirving “Chucky” Lozano) was canceled out by a whistling, 18-yard Radja Nainggolan half-volley and ultimately made meaningless by Mauro Icardi’s comedic winner in the 60th minute.

Déjà vu approached the viewer of CSKA Moscow vs. Real Madrid on Tuesday and punched him or her in the teeth. Whether it was the sight of Russian internationals Igor Akinfeev and Mario Fernandes doing brave defending, Marco Asensio never making the right decision in the final third or Toni Kroos not enjoying himself on Russian soil, Tuesday showed that Julen Lopetegui could only run from the demons he’d managed to avoid by getting sacked before the World Cup for so long.

In all the noise surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer to Juventus, much was lost regarding the return of prodigal son Leonardo Bonucci. For many, AC Milan had gotten the better of a transfer that saw promising 24-year-old defender Mattia Caldara and Gonzalo Higuain land at the San Siro while the 31-year-old Bonucci — hot off his worst season as a professional — performed a sort of walk of shame back to Allianz Stadium.

When the time comes, the 2018 MLS MVP award will almost certainly go to Atlanta United’s Josef Martinez. However, it says everything about the impact Wayne Rooney has had since arriving at D.C. United back in July that he’s even being mentioned in the conversation. 

Before Rooney arrived, United had played 14 matches while totaling only 11 points. After United crushed the Montreal Impact 5-0 at Audi Field Saturday, the club has now played 15 matches with Rooney and recorded 27 points.