By Paul Gardner The way I look at it, Brazil owes us something. Us. Meaning the vast world soccer community that has — with good reason — treasured Brazilian soccer as theglittering truth of the sport, the Beautiful Game at its pinnacle. But after that craven World Cup collapse last year, the Brazilians need to […]
international
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Editor's Note: Look for new Soccer World Daily
Section 2: Around the Net is on hiatus, as Soccer America retools its international coverage in order to better serve its members. Please look for Soccer America’s new Soccer WorldDaily in the coming weeks. If you already subscribe to Section 2, you will automatically be subscribed to Soccer World Daily. As ever, if you wish […]
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Bolton Coach Fumes at Klinsmann
Bolton Wanderers coach Neil Lennon on Friday slammed USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann for what he called “a complete lack of respect” for defender Tim Ream. Ream onMonday was called into Dublin just 24 hours before the USA’s friendly with the Republic of Ireland after fellow defender John Brooks tweaked an ankle in training. The27-year-old came […]
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Scotland's Strachan Hails 'Fantastic' England
Scotland coach Gordon Strachan hailed England’s performance in Glasgow on Tuesday after his team was comprehensively beaten, 3-1, by RoyHodgson’s men at Celtic Park. “I have to say that was probably the best performance against us tonight for a very long time,” Strachan said. “Theintensity that England played at, the way they played and the […]
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Del Bosque Reflects on Poor Year for Spain
Following Spain’s 1-0 loss against world champion Germany on Tuesday, coach Vicente del Bosque reflected on a poor year for the national team, which lost three of its last sixinternationals after bowing out of the 2014 World Cup in the first round. “We are in a transition period and we want to keep looking to […]
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Vela the Star as El Tri Buries Dutch
Real Sociedad striker Carlos Vela was the difference as Mexico beat the Netherlands 3-2 on Wednesday. Vela, who was playing in his first game for Mexico since March 2011, scored twice duringthe win in Amsterdam, his first international goals since June 2010. The former Arsenal player had been reluctant to rejoin the Mexican national team […]
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Neymar: 'I always want more'
Barcelona forward Neymar says he is in the best form of his career after he scored another two goals for Brazil in a 4-0 friendly win against Turkey in Istanbul. The Selecao captain openedand closed the scoring to take his incredible international goals tally to 42 in just 59 games. When asked by TV Globo […]
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Costa Omitted from Spain Squad
Vicente del Bosque has decided not to call up Chelsea striker Diego Costa for Spain’s games against Belarus and Germany for the international break beginning next week, thenational team coach confirmed on Thursday, citing fitness reasons, which is strange because Blues coach Jose Mourinho on Friday confirmed that Costa would start Saturday’s Premier Leagueclash against […]
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FIFA Rankings: USA Falls to 23rd
Jurgen Klinsmann’s USA fell six places to 23rd in FIFA’s international rankings following a pair of draws with Ecuador and Honduras during the most recent international break.Other notable moves included former world No. 1 Spain falling two more places to 10th after losing to Slovakia in Euro 2016 qualifying, England falling two places to 20th, […]
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Mourinho Swipes at National Team Coaches
Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho took a swipe at Spain coach Vicente del Bosque on Monday, by suggesting that the Spanish national team did not treat striker Diego Costa properly byplaying him during the international break against both Slovakia and Luxembourg despite his ongoing hamstring problem. The Portuguese, who left Costa out of the squad that […]