What a week it was, and can still be. The headliners, obviously, are Jurgen Klopp and the Mexico-USA rivalry. But there were a lot of quality articles on just about every topic you can think of. We've picked the best.
Top articles of the week
1. Notorious Spanish dictator Francisco Franco may or may not have adopted Real Madrid as his favorite team when he was in power. (These Football Times)
2. Barcelona are having a hell of a time replacing Lionel Messi. Here are some ideas how to go about doing that. (Grantland)
3. The MLS is designed for parity, but that's not really how soccer leagues usually work. (American Soccer Now)
4. Soccer in Iran is a mirror of the country's sexism issues. (VICE Sports)
5. A glowing profile of the Men In Blazers, which makes this list despite Buzzfeed editing a pull-quote pretty heavily and changing the meaning. Don't do that, kids. (Buzzfeed)
6. It turns out PSG existed before it got bought by a Qatari oil Sheik and Zlatan Ibrahimovic showed up. (Soccer Manager)
7. Jordan Morris has been thrust into the forefront of the "is college soccer a good idea?" discussion. (Grantland)
8. Ahead of Saturday's match, an oral history of the USA-Mexico rivalry. (ESPN FC)
9. FIFA's sponsors are finally getting mad. (The Guardian)
10. Can Jurgen Klopp bring the fun to Liverpool? (Grantland)
Bonus: Grant Wahl looks at the USA vs. Mexico rivalry...10 years ago. (Sports Illustrated)
Top of The18
This week, naturally, we wrote a lot about the USA-Mexico game.
1. Will this be Jurgen Klinsmann's last game if the USA lose?
2. Five reasons Mexico will win Saturday.
3. Donald Trump is not doing the USMNT any favors.
4. Jurgen Damm isn't playing this weekend, but he wants to change that in the future.
5. On a lighter note, watch this video of a freestyler wreaking havoc on Manchester City's academy.
Contact The18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or follow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus
