The soccer news starts with the latest rumors linking Neymar with a return to Barcelona. As always at this level, financing a move for one of the most expensive players in the world is at issue. ESPN's Moises Llorens and Sam Marsden are reporting that Barca's pitch includes players along with €100m. They're not the only ones interested, with Real Madrid also reportedly trying to work a deal with . . .
Tactical questions for five European clubs
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Aug 12, 2019) US Soccer Players – Preseason friendlies are a time to test new players and tactics. For the many European clubs that spent the past few weeks training and playing games on American soil, it was a chance for managers to do just that against other high-caliber opponents. While most teams featured incomplete rosters after National Team tournaments . . .
The Premier League vs La Liga
It's a Champions League Tuesday in the soccer news with Manchester City trailing Spurs 1-0 and Juventus tied 1-1 with Ajax on one side of the quarterfinal bracket and Barcelona leading Manchester United 1-0 and Liverpool 2-0 up on Porto on the other side. Juventus vs Ajax and Barcelona vs Manchester United conclude later today, with the home teams holding the clear advantage. It's the same for . . .
Real Madrid’s stadium plan
The soccer news starts with Real Madrid joining in the modern stadium movement. The Spanish giant plans to spend around $590m to revamp the Bernabeu turning it into what club president Florentino Perez is calling " a great avant-garde and universal icon" and "the best stadium in the world." "This great project will become a key piece for the Real Madrid of the future, but also for the city of . . .
The rest of Real Madrid’s season
The soccer news starts with Real Madrid already out of the Champions League, the Coppa del Rey, and 12 points and two spots behind La Liga leaders Barcelona. So why not act now and bring back three-time Champions League winning coach Zinedine Zidane? After Zidane quit over the summer, Real Madrid went through two coaches. Julen Lopetegui made it only through the end of October. He lost the Spain . . .
Soccer Tactics: Sticking with the 4-4-2
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Real Madrid’s not so super season
There's a way of looking at what's happening with Real Madrid as the eventual pause button on any serious consideration of a European Super League. Everybody in that league can't win, creating a problem for clubs where winning is crucial to their identity. Like say, the 5th-place team in La Liga. Real Madrid is 10 points out of 1st-place, a spot held by their old friends Barcelona. Their city . . .
Playing through the winter break
Though it might not last for much longer, English soccer's insistence on not taking a winter break will be one of those things we miss when it's gone. The Premier League and the lower divisions not only play through, they load up on games around the holidays. Even if the weather isn't accommodating, the games continue. There's no stop-start to the season, resetting in January when the transfer . . .
Villarreal in Nebraska
By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Dec 24, 2018) US Soccer Players – There have been lots of high-profile European clubs who have set up shop in this country. Bayern Munich has an office in New York. Barcelona and Arsenal have established youth academies. The annual International Champions Cup happens each summer in NFL stadiums. Soccer’s growth has also established several demographic surprises. . . .
Real Madrid picks its moment
By J Hutcherson (Oct 30, 2018) US Soccer Players - Julen Lopetegui out as Real Madrid coach after ten games is now the super club story. Following their 5-1 loss at Barcelona on Sunday, Real Madrid is 9th in La Liga and in 1st-place in Champions League Group G on a tiebreaker. That mixes the results, but La Liga struggles and a demoralizing loss to Barcelona drew a line that means a new coach in . . .
