France arrived in the World Cup semi-finals hailed as the most scintillating attacking force to grace the tournament since Brazil’s fabled 1982 side. But like Zico, Eder, Falcao and Socrates before them, Kylian Mbappe and company found out the hard way that dazzling football is no guarantee of survival. A hitherto sparkling French campaign full […]
Rob Woollard
Posted inSoccer America Daily
Birthday boy Yamal stands by ‘no fear’ comment ahead of France clash
Lamine Yamal insisted on Monday he would take no fear into Spain’s World Cup semi-final against France as he celebrated his 19th birthday. The Barcelona prodigy raised eyebrows following Spain’s 2-1 quarter-final defeat of Belgium last week after being quoted as saying that France rather than Spain ought to be “afraid” given recent defeats against […]
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‘VAR-gentina?’: conspiracy theories swirl ahead of World Cup semifinals
Lionel Messi’s brilliance has helped carry Argentina into a blockbuster World Cup semi-final with England in Atlanta on Wednesday. But the defending champions’ journey to the last four has been engulfed by online conspiracy theories claiming — without evidence — that the playing field has been tilted in their favour. Social media is awash with […]
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Cape Verde targeting World Cup knockout rounds after Uruguay draw: coach
Cape Verde coach Bubista said his team are targeting a place in the World Cup knockout rounds after battling to a 2-2 draw with Uruguay in the latest stop of their fairytale campaign on Sunday. The World Cup debutants from the tiny Atlantic archipelago are now within touching distance of the last 32 after following […]
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Messi salutes ‘beautiful moment’ after tying World Cup goals record
Lionel Messi saluted a “beautiful moment” after becoming the World Cup’s joint all-time leading goalscorer in his record-breaking sixth finals appearance on Tuesday. The 38-year-old Argentina captain etched another memorable chapter in his glittering career with a brilliant hat-trick in the South Americans’ 3-0 win over Algeria at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. Messi’s hat-trick — […]
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USA with all to prove in World Cup Group D
The United States head into World Cup Group D with everything to prove after a turbulent build-up marked by an unconvincing run of form that saw them comfortably beaten by elite European opposition in their two most recent friendlies. A 5-2 thrashing by Belgium in March was followed by a clinical 2-0 defeat to Portugal, […]
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World Cup nears kickoff after pre-tournament turbulence
The World Cup kicks off on Thursday with FIFA betting that the enduring appeal of the greatest footballing show on earth can rise above anger at soaring ticket prices, an uneasy political climate in Donald Trump’s America and the shadow of conflict in the Middle East.
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Argentina eye World Cup double ahead of Group J opener
Holders Argentina arrive at the World Cup aiming to become the first team in more than half a century to successfully defend their title. Only two teams – Italy in 1934 and 1938, and Brazil in 1958 and 1962 – have won back-to-back World Cup crowns, underscoring the difficulty of the task facing Lionel Messi […]
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Canadian soccer ready for World Cup coming out party
Exactly 150 years after Carlton Cricket Club and Toronto Lacrosse Club took part in the first recorded organised football match in Canada in 1876, Canadian soccer is finally ready for its coming out party. When Canada faces Bosnia-Herzegovina on June 12 in the team’s first ever World Cup match on home soil, it will be […]
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Reyna included in US World Cup squad, four years after Doha drama
United States coach Mauricio Pochettino named Giovanni Reyna in his 26-strong for the World Cup on Tuesday, four years after the midfielder was almost sent home from the 2022 tournament in Qatar following a bust-up with former coach Gregg Berhalter. Borussia Monchengladbach attacking midfielder Reyna appeared as a substitute in the USA’s friendly defeats to […]