Inspiring

In all honesty, the majority of soccer documentaries, unless you're a diehard supporter of the club featured, are skippable. In the end they all play out as exercises in public relations — glamorized puff pieces looking to move the needle on brand awareness. 

Sergio Agüero had an emotional farewell to the sport on Wednesday after being forced to retire at the age of 33 due to a heart condition. Fans of all clubs — even those who had Agüero as a bitter rival for so many years —fondly remembered Agüero’s career that was ended far too soon.

Barcelona played Boca Juniors in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday in a friendly dubbed The Maradona Cup, with all proceeds going towards paying Philippe Coutinho's salary. The match also served as a second club debut for 38-year-old right back Dani Alves, who signed as a free agent after last playing for São Paulo with nothing but goodwill in his heart and a somewhat good feeling in his feet.

What’s better than a 10-part, eight-hour docuseries about your favorite sports team? How about a three-minute, 25-second mini-documentary on your favorite footballer? At least that’s what EA Sports hopes we prefer with a newly released Christian Pulisic mini-doc to promote FIFA 22, accompanied by a bizarre press release. 

Every goalkeeper has one dream that surpasses all other dreams. Yes, most keepers aspire to make top-corner saves and stop late-game penalties, but above all, every goalkeeper wants to score a goal. 

A full-field boot over the head of the opposing goalkeeper is a welcome possibility, as is making a rare appearance in a striker's shirt. Yet very little can exceed the excitement of a last-minute equalizer.

Mal Pugh just missed out on an NWSL championship ring this year after her Chicago Red Stars lost 2-1 in extra time to Trinity Rodman’s Washington Spirit on Nov. 20. But she got another ring that’ll last even longer.

Major League Baseball player Dansby Swanson proposed to USWNT forward Mal Pugh this week, and the 23-year-old said yes.

Brazilian winger Malcom hasn’t quite hit the heights expected of him after a $46 million transfer to Barcelona in the summer of 2018. He lasted just one season in Spain before he was shipped off to Russia. But just look at the man now; I don’t think he could be any happier.

Malcom and Zenit St. Petersburg players walked onto the pitch for a Russian Premier League match against FC Rostov on Friday carrying puppies in their arms. It was all part of an attempt to get these good boys and girls adopted from local shelters. 

To Argentina’s reserve league we go for a Thursday morning match between Racing and Huracán, the site of two very good goals for the Avellaneda-based club.

The first was scored by 18-year-old Nicolás Meaurio. It’s a scorpion kick that takes on the form of a BMX Superman trick. It might lose a style point since the goalkeeper got his hand to it, but you can tell that the total unreasonableness of the effort caught him completely by surprise.