Going into the 51st European match of the summer, the result seemed clear. France had the talent, the history, and even coincidence on their side. They had been the best team in the competition, had won both previous tournaments held at home, and had an uncanny knack of winning the Euros every 16 years, dating back to their inaugural win in 1984. Portugal’s presence in … Continue reading How Fernando Santos Won the Euro 2016 Final
“Even when they had Moore, Hurst and Peters, West Ham’s average finish was about 17th. It just shows how useless the other eight of us were.” – Harry Redknapp West Ham United is one of the most culturally popular clubs on the planet. Their players were the backbone of England’s only World Cup victory on home soil in 1966, and their iconic terrace chants are known … Continue reading Scouting Report: Dmitri Payet
In the summer of 2015, the young Portuguese midfielder could look back upon a largely successful first year of professional football. Having been promoted to the Benfica B, Sanches had largely delivered the goods, even if his two red card offences pointed to a possible problem with temperament. Going into the 2015/16 season, he was promoted to the first team for the following season, and … Continue reading Scouting Report: Renato Sanches
As published on These Football Times ‘U.S. Favorite to Win World’s Soccer Title’ – New York Times America is a country with a great passion for sports. They have the largest leagues for basketball, baseball, ice hockey and American football. However, soccer has never been the most popular of sports across the Atlantic. Even when they hosted the World Cup in 1994, soccer was the … Continue reading American Soccer’s Missed Opportunity
As published on These Football Times Stábile ran up the pitch, hoping for someone to pick him out. As the ball came sliding across the surface, the Argentinian striker latched onto to it deep on the right side of the box. Before anyone could react, he struck the ball across the face of the goal and into the bottom left corner. Despite the claims of … Continue reading The Forgotten Career of Guillermo Stábile
The summer of 2016 has been an interesting period for the English Premier League. Coming off a season where Leicester was the surprise champion, and Chelsea the surprise struggler, there has been an overhaul of ideas. In an effort to keep pace with their national rivals, to say nothing of their European counterparts, most teams at the top have appointed new managers. Manchester City has … Continue reading Scouting Report: Radja Nainggolan
Sixth Feb 