It took until the 67th minute, but it happened. Without fail, it always happens. With Liverpool leading West Ham 2-0 and supporters beginning their ascent up the stairs and out the door at London Stadium on Wednesday evening, the commentators on NBCSN began lamenting about how it all just doesn’t feel right.
Throughout the top European leagues, capital cities are home to ambitious clubs that strive for success. London exemplifies this through Chelsea, Arsenal and, to a lesser extent, Spurs. Perennial winners Real Madrid and neighbors Atletico call the Spanish capital home. In Paris, PSG has turned Ligue 1 into a monopoly since its takeover by Qatar Sports Investment. Heated rivals AS Roma and Lazio compete for dominance of Italy's capital in their shared home, Stadio Olimpico. The only league which does not conform to this trend is Germany's Bundesliga.
Reporter Lindsay Gibbs has a great newsletter called Power Plays and I highly recommend you subscribe. A self-proclaimed “no-bullshit newsletter about sexism in sports,” Gibbs supplies a great look at inequality in sports, often focusing on soccer, sent directly to your inbox.
Queens, the most ethnically diverse urban area in the world, is getting a soccer team, with an assist from World Cup winner David Villa.
Queensboro FC will launch in the USL Championship in 2021, with former NYCFC striker Villa among the owners in an investment group led by New York businessman Jonathan Krane. Villa, Spain’s all-time leading goal scorer, will have a hands-on role with the club in U.S. soccer’s second division.
Seattle Sounders? Austin FC will take your Russell Wilson and Macklemore owners and raise you one legendary, Academy Award-winning actor. Maybe this will help the rest of the league forget about its hate for majority Austin FC owner Anthony Precourt.
Wayne Rooney has recently criticized the fact that MLS must still fly commercial flights to the majority of its destinations. Meanwhile NBA, NHL, NFL and MLB players get to enjoy the sweet luxury of not being crammed into a flight with strangers while their legs are suffocated from Foxborough to San Jose. No, they get private jets and charter flights to and from all destinations, but MLS stars are forced to fly commercially, complete with layovers and all.
With MLS just announcing that the city of St. Louis will be the next to join the league, other cities are beginning to scramble to fill the final slots MLS has made for expansion teams. Of all the cities interested, here are five that we think deserve a franchise the most.
Tuesday it was reported that Ed Woodward, Manchester United’s Chief Executive, will not be traveling to meet the squad while on preseason tour. This usually means Woodward will be dealing with important transfer business ahead of the upcoming Premier League season. Woodward is not Manchester United’s director of football, however he was brought in by the Glazer family to help the club increase its commercial outreach and revenue; a way of achieving that is through high-profile transfers.
If the big-wigs of soccer are looking at the Forbes World’s 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams 2019, you can bet your bottom dollar they’re thinking “European Super League.” Back in 2012, only one team across all sports was worth at least $2 billion, that being Manchester United. Now, 52 teams meet that criteria, including almost every NFL team.
Newcastle United fans were sad to hear this morning that manager Rafael Benítez would not be re-signing with the club for the 2019-20 season.