Why Portugal Can Take Positives from Loss to England in Euro 2016 Warm-Up

As everyone plots their way through what might happen at UEFA Euro 2016, there has been a tendency to overlook Portugal’s Group F. Take out Cristiano Ronaldo, and it doesn’t look very glamorous. Iceland, Austria and Hungary will be the opponents for a country not quite considered among the favourites for glory in France. Although they lost 1-0 against England in their pre-tournament friendly at Wembley Stadium on Thursday, there was enough in the performance to suggest they should be taken fairly seriously over the next month. In the match, Bruno Alves’ 35th-minute red card... 

France Should Test Samuel Umtiti in Friendly vs. Scotland

Hosts France got their European Championship final preparations off to a winning start on Monday with a narrow 3-2 victory over Cameroon at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes. Although a triumph, Les Bleus and coach Didier Deschamps were left with more questions than answers after the match. The French took the lead through Paris Saint-Germain’s Blaise Matuidi after 20 minutes, only for FC Porto’s Vincent Aboubakar to equalise for the Africans two minutes later thanks to some sloppy defending. Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud re-established the hosts’ lead just before half-time, and... 

Setting out a Plan for USA to Halt Colombia Superstar James Rodriguez

The United States men’s national team opens the Copa America Centenario on Friday with the first of three big tests in Group A. The Yanks will play host to James Rodriguez and Colombia at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.  Containing the Real Madrid superstar will be no easy task for the tournament hosts as they look to start off on the right foot in a competition that carries a ton of meaning for the direction of the program and potentially the job security of manager Jurgen Klinsmann. The Yanks are no stranger to opening a major tournament versus a tough opponent. At... 

Germany Should Test Full-Strength Lineup in Friendly vs. Hungary

Germany will play their second and final warm-up match before Euro 2016 on Saturday against Hungary in Schalke’s Veltins Arena. Time will tell if choosing another relatively weak opponent before the tournament was the right choice, after the World Cup holders lost 3-1 to Slovakia on Sunday. Without a true test before the first kick-off in France, a bit of uncertainty will remain regardless of the result against the Hungarians. The preparations for the Euros have been a bumpy ride so far for Joachim Low and his team. Key players such as Mats Hummels haven’t been able to train, while... 

FIFA World Rankings 2016: Updated Standings Ahead of Euro 2016, Copa America

England have fallen out of the top 10 in the latest official FIFA world rankings, with Northern Ireland moving up to 25th, the highest spot in their history.  The new standings were published on the governing body’s official website on Thursday on the brink of two major international tournaments, the Copa America Centenario and the UEFA European Championship. Argentina lead the way, ahead of Belgium and Colombia, who are in second and third position, respectively. Here are the top-10 nations, including Austria after they overtook the Three Lions, per the June edition of the rankings: The... 

4 Key Battles to Decide Brazil vs. Ecuador Copa America Clash

Brazil get their Copa America campaign underway on Saturday, 4 June, against World Cup qualifying leaders Ecuador. The game will be held at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, California, which holds happy memories for the Selecao; it was where they lifted their fourth World Cup, in 1994, with a penalty-shootout victory against Italy. Saturday’s match is likely to be a little more low-key, but there will be some vital areas across the pitch where this South American contest may be won or lost. Begin Slideshow  Read More →

Leonardo Bonucci’s Evolution as a Leader Key for Italy in Euro 2016

Six years is a long time. In football—a sport that often marks time in four-year World Cup cycles—it’s especially long. A lot of things can change in that period. Teams can rise and fall. Players develop, get hurt, regress, succeed or are ruined. Everything can change in six years. No one exemplifies that better than Juventus and Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci. Six seasons ago, Bonucci could not have been at a lower point. Now he’s at the top of his profession—and his evolution could provide be key to how successful his country is at the UEFA European Championship. If... 

Copa America 2016: Odds, Live-Stream Schedule and Predictions for Group Fixtures

Copa America 2016 marks the 100th anniversary of football’s oldest international competition, with the tournament set to begin on June 3 in the host nation USA. Sixteen countries from South America, Central and North America and the Caribbean will compete for the top prize, with global giants such as Lionel Messi, James Rodriguez and Edinson Cavani all set to showcase their talent. Read on for a look at the latest odds, live-streaming schedule and analysis of who will be challenging come the June 26 final. All odds are courtesy of Odds Shark: All matches can be live-streamed in... 

Narco-Football Is Dead: Celebrating a Colombia Reborn

Gabriel Gomez is angry. “I don’t talk about mafia people. I know none of those people you are talking about. … I don’t talk about drug trafficking.” Gomez is the former Colombian midfielder better known as “Barrabas.” At the 1994 World Cup, before Colombia’s group-stage defeat to the United States, their players returned from a pre-match briefing to death threats, saying they’d all be killed if Gomez were to appear in the match. Then-coach Francisco Maturana bowed to the threat, saying he “couldn’t put another’s life in danger,”... 

Free-Spirited Nolito Entering Euro 2016 as Spain’s Surprise New Weapon

Two weeks ago he was a relative afterthought, and just two days ago he was still only an outside chance. But right now, Nolito is working in twos, and twos change things.  Wearing a shirt emblazoned with two twos, Nolito has put together two two-goal performances in just two games to storm into the reckoning for Spain’s starting XI for the beginning of Euro 2016. On Wednesday, the Celta Vigo star’s brace helped Vicente del Bosque‘s men to a 6-1 thrashing of South Korea, just four days after his pair of strikes kickstarted a 3-1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina.  Afterthought? Outside... 

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