It’s something which Premier League teams won’t have to deal with from next season. Many players returned from the international break to brand new clubs and took part in their first round of fixtures with their new teammates. This will all change with the new rules but we still had one more season of deadline day debuts. It was a big weekend for managers who had the first opportunity to showcase their new acquisitions to fans and pundits alike. For some, it was a joyous justification full of optimism but others will be searching their pockets looking for a receipt. Read the rest of this entry »

The 2016 European Championship gets underway on June 10th and England will fancy their chances of reaching the latter stages of a major tournament for the first time since reaching the semi-finals in the 1996 edition on home soil. This summer, Roy Hodgson will have the unenviable task of selecting the 23-man squad for the competition and there are a number of players that MUST be on the plane to France.

Mark Noble is one of those players. The West Ham star has been incredible at the heart of their midfield this season and is fully deserving of a place in the England squad. While Dimitri Payet has continued to steal the limelight, Noble has gone about his work in an industrial, effective manner and England could do much worse than to include the Hammers captain in the squad for this summer’s competition. Read the rest of this entry »

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Many participants in the 2015 Women’s World Cup have voiced their displeasure about playing on turf instead of grass.  60 players went as far as to file a lawsuit leading up to the tournament citing gender inequalities, as the Men’s World Cup is always played on grass.  While the lawsuit has been dropped, USWNT star Abby Wambach remains vocal about playing on turf, calling it a “nightmare”.

Wambach has also recently cited the turf as the reason for the USWNT’s scoring woes.  She claims she’s more “carefree” on grass and will “throw her body” when she’s not playing on an artificial surface.  In the USWNT’s opening game vs Australia, Wambach missed 2 headers within 6 yards of the goal that she usually buries.  One must wonder if an aging Wambach is simply making excuses for her own sub-par play.

Does playing on turf really have a negative impact on play?  As a former soccer player who still plays recreationally every week, I know the difference between playing on turf vs grass. Read the rest of this entry »

United States’ Mix Diskerud celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the soccer friendly match between Germany and the United States in Cologne, western Germany, Wednesday, June 10, 2015. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

It may only be the U-20 World Cup, and sure, it was just a friendly match for the main squad, but US Soccer put the world on notice today with victories in both contests.  Advancing to the Quarter Finals is a huge step for our developing players, and any time you’re able to beat the FIFA #1 ranked squad (friendly or not) it’s a big deal.  Plus, Schweinsteiger, Ozil, and Gotze all played, so don’t tell me the Germans didn’t come correct.  The USMNT may be ranked 27th for now, but we’re trending in the right direction.   Read the rest of this entry »

The 2015 Women’s World Cup kicked off yesterday, but today was the first USWNT match of the tournament vs Australia.  At the half, the score is 1-1, but it could be much worse for the USA.  Hope Solo has made several monster saves to keep this one close. Read the rest of this entry »

(AP Photo/Darren Abate, File)

Hope Solo came up huge early in the USWNT’s opening game in the 2015 World Cup vs Australia.  She may be the only woman in the world who could have made this save.  Check the video after the jump: Read the rest of this entry »

In the wake of Sepp Blatter’s resignation, the USMNT’s most recognizable supporter, Teddy Goalsevelt, has thrown his name in the ring to become the next FIFA President.  Check out the official press conference announcement after the jump: Read the rest of this entry »

With a veritable smorgasbord of sporting offerings heading our way in 2015 you may be overwhelmed by the impressive selection of events for us all to enjoy. However, we’re focusing here on just a small slice of sporting action that’ll keep you entertained during those unpredictable spring months.
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Image via www.bbc.co.uk

There are plenty of sports out there with binary outcomes, where one of two things has to happen. They’re generally the best choices for those who enjoy a punt on their chosen sport and have a deep knowledge of it. So, here’s why…

It’s all about value. Simply put, the value principle works for the house in a casino due to the margin. This is the green zero in roulette or the banker’s “pay” at blackjack etc. That is so, over a long enough period of time, the house will win out. Similarly, if you were ever given odds of an absolute smidgen better than even money on the fair toss of a coin, you would be a fool not to take the bet every time you were offered it. Even if you lost the first six tosses, you would always come out on top if you played it long enough.
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Pep Guardiola won’t be winning any sportsmanship awards any time soon

The MLS All-Stars defeated Bundesliga’s Bayern Munich 2-1 tonight, and FCB manager Pep Guardiola was not happy.  There was some speculation that Guardiola did not appreciate some of the aggressive challenges by MLS players during the game, as he refused to shake hands with opposing coach Caleb Porter after the final whistle.  Check out a Vine of Guardiola dismissing the outstretched hand of Porter after the jump: Read the rest of this entry »