Stadiums

Are players faking injuries to miss the World Cup?

I know what you’re thinking: “This is insane. Nobody would intentionally miss the World Cup. It’s the largest event on the planet, and for the players, it's something they’ve dreamed about since childhood.”

And to an extent, you’d be correct, but this story isn’t exactly about injuries. It’s about social issues and the appalling track record of the nation that's hosting the tournament. Could it be remotely possible that players would feign injury to avoid being part of an event that's riddled with human rights abuses? 

College football game takes parking and tailgating away from MLS Cup fans

There's no one really to blame here. LAFC didn't know it'd be hosting MLS Cup this Saturday until defeating Austin in the Western Conference finals last Sunday, and I will entertain no talk of the game being shifted back to a predetermined neutral location — I'm old enough to remember the Colorado Rapids taking on FC Dallas in Canada. 

But Saturday's MLS Cup final at Banc of California Stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles — kick off at 1:05 p.m. on the West Coast — has run directly into a scheduling conflict with the behemoth USC Trojans football program.

Born in the Northeast: the forgotten history of soccer-specific stadiums in the U.S.

In 1862, a group known as the Oneida Football Club gathered at Boston Common for a historic function: the first recorded soccer match on American soil. Their match, which predated the formation of the English Football Association by a year, was a sign of things to come for soccer in the region.

The Northeastern United States became a hotbed for American soccer in the early 1900s, and the game thrived among the communities of European immigrants that populated the burgeoning industrial centers of the eastern seaboard.

Barcelona must show they're better than Bayern, says Xavi

BARCELONA - Barcelona will be eager to show everyone that they are better than rivals Bayern Munich when the two teams face off in the Champions League on Wednesday, manager Xavi Hernández said.

Barcelona were beaten 2-0 by Bayern in last month's Group C fixture, a result that Xavi said was not a true reflection of the team's talent. But having won only one of their four matches in Europe this season, Xavi wants his team to show their true worth at Camp Nou on Wednesday.

Milwaukee professional soccer team will compete in USL Championship

Milwaukee, your wait is over. After months of speculation and anticipation, your new club has officially arrived. During a press conference On Wednesday afternoon, the Milwaukee soccer community gathered at the future site of the Iron District MKE and announced that Cream City’s newest professional sports team will play in the USL Championship in 2025.

Milwaukee's new professional soccer team to be announced on Oct. 19

Milwaukee’s rich soccer history is writing a new chapter this week. Following the announcement of a new stadium being built in the downtown area, a tweet has confirmed a date for the official announcement from the new club. 

Under the username @MKE_ProSoccer, the new team posted its first message since the account was created in May 2022. An event will be held on Oct. 19 at 4:30 p.m. CST at the corners of W Michigan Ave and N 10th Street, just off Marquette University’s campus. 

Nobody kills the MLS Cup Playoffs quite like the New York market

It's October in North American soccer, meaning it's time for fans in this portion of the world to widely celebrate the one event that largely separates us from the rest of the planet: the playoffs.

It's been glorious.

Championship match delayed for second week in a row due to improperly sized goals

If I had a nickel for every time an EFL Championship match had a goal that was too big, I'd have two nickels — which isn't a lot, but it's weird it's happened twice.

For the second weekend in a row, a Championship match had a delayed start as one goal was larger than the other, again by two inches. This time, the inconsistency occurred in Kingston upon Hull, where Hull City hosted Birmingham City. Referee Leigh Doughty noticed the issue during his pre-match check.

10-man Real Salt Lake pushes Austin FC to the limit in dramatic penalty shootout

Austin FC has advanced to the Western Conference semifinals of the MLS Cup Playoffs after overcoming the realest of Real Salt Lake challenges: Pablo Mastroeni's team — a massive underdog away from home at Q2 Stadium — played down a man for 68 minutes, faced 38 shots and still managed to get it to a penalty shootout.    

FA launches investigation into Wigan-Cardiff match played with different sized goals

I've played on long fields, short fields, skinny fields, wide fields. Fields with metal fencing as the net and fields so hilly you could barely see from one goal to another. In high school, the inauguration of our newly-turfed home field was even delayed because movable goals were brought in instead of anchored ones.

But never have I heard of the goals being two different sizes — as was the case at Saturday's EFL Championship match between Wigan Athletic and Cardiff City.

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