Football, Mental Health, and Belonging
I like to think that everything in life is a metaphor. Things can be broken down into comparisons, and when it comes to the game of football, we can spend entire lives…
Football Twitter, Arsenal, and Coming Back to Myself
Getting older is a peculiar experience, particularly hitting 40. There are highs—a new decade, the chance for over the top and extended celebrations—and then there are lows— your mortality suddenly hits you…
The Europa Conference League: an unlikely stroke of genius?
When UEFA announced the introduction of a tertiary continental club competition, it’s fair to say that the idea received a lukewarm reception at best. While some, for various reasons, did instantly herald…
Carlo Ancelotti: Football’s Greatest Unsung Coach?
The stare. The brow. The outfit. Everything about Carlo Ancelotti is iconic to its core. He is a man that exemplifies class, and his accolades as both player and coach take him…
What Rivalry? Arsenal vs Chelsea in the Wake of Jorginho’s Transfer
Deadline day in January is always fun, as clubs scramble to complete last-minute transfers that will make or break their season. This year was no different, with Nottingham Forest further expanding their…
FC Start and the Legend of ‘The Death Match’
The 1981 sports war movie Escape to Victory, starring Hollywood icons like Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine alongside footballing legend Pele is based on a true event which took place in Ukraine…
Marcus Rashford is Back to His Devastating and Effervescent Best
“In this mood and this spirit, I think he is unstoppable.” Erik ten Hag eulogised over the growing influence of Marcus Rashford, who picked up the ball in his own half at…
Towerin’ Thompson: Part I
“Ah want me name printed on the back o’ me shirt!” Thompson leaned his spindly, tall frame into the wind and rain that blew directly into his red, cadaverous face. The hissing…
January Transfer Window: Three Sides That Need to Act Quickly
We are well and truly into the January transfer window, and football fans worldwide probably feel a combination of emotions ranging from disappointment to delight. Ideally, many clubs wouldn’t intend to do…
Croatia and the Safety First Approach: With Respect Comes Expectation
Since gaining independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991, Croatia’s national football team qualified for six World Cups and finished on the podium in three. That in itself is a major accomplishment…
Messi, Lusail, and closing a personal chapter
“Everyone remembers their firsts. The memory of my first taste of football is tangled up with shin-deep monsoon water, a drenched school uniform I refused to take off until half-time because I…
The Rise of Georgian Football
Georgian football hasn’t been the most recognisable location on the footballing map. Still, the recent performances from Giorgi Mamardashvili, Giorgi Chakvetadze and specifically Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have had the footballing world sit up…
Give it to Messi and Pray: Netherlands vs Argentina
Give it to Messi and pray. Now. Tomorrow. The day after. Tonight, especially tonight. Give it to him and pray. As you’ve done for the last 18 years, touching on two decades.…
Luka Modrić and Croatia’s Hopes against Brazil
It was June 18th 2006. The occasion was a mostly dull, scoreless match between Croatia and Japan on Match Day 2 in Group F of that year’s World Cup in Germany. Both…
Five Iconic Moments from the Group Stage
On the pitch, the 2022 World Cup has already thrown up a plethora of entertainment for the average viewer. Shocks courtesy of Saudi Arabia and Japan as well as enthralling encounters involving…
What’s Next for the USMNT? Group Stage in Review
Through to the next round. Advancing out of the group stage at the World Cup is always a success, but for the United States getting to that last 16 is a valuable…
Five iconic matches from the 2006 World Cup
The World Cup generates an entirely different feeling to club football. All the animosity that fuels and creates the excitement of the domestic leagues is forgotten for a month of national unity.…
Do Aesthetics Matter? Levante and Alavés’ La Liga Relegation Answers a Persistent Question
To suggest that the neutral fan in La Liga will mourn the loss of Alavés and Levante is a little hyperbolic, but there might be a fleeting pang of regret that Los Granotas are no longer in the first division.
VAR and the Slow Death of the Goal Celebration
March 3, 2018 will go down in history as the day that football began shifting away from everything that made the sport so special. This is the day that VAR (video assistant…
New-Gen Ghana at Qatar 2022
This winter, Ghana will make their fourth appearance at the FIFA World Cup. Having beaten their fiercest rivals from West Africa in Nigeria on away goals to get to Qatar, the Black…
From Absurdity to Ecstasy: How Denmark Turned Things Around
On a cold September night in 2018, Denmark fielded a team consisting only of amateur players, including seven players from the futsal national team, in a friendly game against Slovakia. At this…
Maple Leafs and Terrified Devils — A Match Report of Canada against Belgium
Canada gave Belgium an almighty scare in Wednesday’s Group F fixture, losing gallantly and challenging the perception of the World Cup’s “heavyweights”.
Baila Brasil, Baila! Can This World Cup Be Saved?
I think this is going to be the worst World Cup of all time. I find it unavoidably so. All enjoyment of football over the next month will be mired by the…
Life without Lo Celso: Argentina in need of dynamic solutions in Qatar
Do Argentina miss Giovani Lo Celso, that remarkable presence on the left side of Lionel Scaloni’s midfield that makes things happen? We take a look after Saudi Arabia humbled the Albiceleste at the World Cup in Qatar.