12:57 PM ET Jeff Carlisle Close U.S. soccer correspondent Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Austin Lindberg The 2020 MLS Cup playoffs are upon us, with games beginning this Friday, and with 18 clubs vying for an opportunity to lift that most prized piece of silverware, ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle
Soccer
11:34 AM ET Bayern Munich’s dominance in Germany is only going to get stronger over time. MARTIN MEISSNER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Last week, we took a look at the stats behind the Premier League’s odd start. The other leagues among Europe’s Big Five haven’t been quite as strange by comparison: Bayern and PSG are still leading
3:31 AM ET Two days before Christmas will mark Diego Simeone’s ninth anniversary as manager of Atletico Madrid. So glorious has been his era, the greatest in this club’s 117-year history, that the combative Argentinian’s achievements seem endless. They’re not, of course, but it wouldn’t be hard to be seduced by the illusion. Count them
11:00 AM ET After a nine-month gap between games due to COVID-19, the United States men’s national team finally returned to the pitch this past week with a pair of friendlies in Europe against Wales and Panama. The games, a 0-0 draw with Wales and a 6-2 win over Panama, showcased the growing talent standard
2:36 PM ET Teams that suffer from an outbreak of the coronavirus during the MLS Cup playoffs will likely be forced to forfeit their match, and thus exit the postseason, sources have told ESPN. – Carlisle: Can MLS complete playoffs outside bubble?– MLS Cup playoffs: Who’s in, fixtures and more– MLS on ESPN+: Stream LIVE
8:30 AM ET Ronaldo, Pele, Zidane and Messi are all legends, but are they the greatest from their own countries? ESPN Illustration Lionel Messi or Diego Maradona? Is Pele the undisputed best from Brazil? Clint Dempsey or Landon Donovan? What about the No. 1 from England? After asking our writers to nominate the most iconic players
12:45 PM ET Every day at 6 a.m., Minnesota United manager Adrian Heath wakes up, and the first thing he does is look at his phone. Did the latest COVID-19 tests for players and staff come in? Did anyone test positive? With four positive tests in his team since the start of October, his tension
4:46 PM ET Spain forward Ferran Torres scored a first career hat-trick as his side crushed helpless Germany 6-0 at home on Tuesday to storm into the final four of the Nations League. The schellacking in Seville was the Germans’ worst ever loss in a competitive match, with keeper Manuel Neuer conceding six goals in
5:01 AM ET When Spain welcome Germany at an empty Estadio de la Cartuja in Seville on Tuesday in their final Nations League match, it offers the chance to see where they are in their evolution. When Spain won back-to-back European Championships and a World Cup in their dominant spell from 2008 to 2012, they
7:28 PM ET The worth of a forward is often in the eye of the beholder. A 30-yard-blast counts as much as a two-yard tap-in, even though the former is often what gets the hearts of fans beating faster. There is value in both kinds of goals — not to mention link play and pressing
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6:35 PM ET Moving to a three-man defence at the 2018 World Cup was widely acclaimed as a masterstroke by Gareth Southgate. The jury is still out, however, on whether returning to a similar shape will prove equally effective when it matters most. As a disciple of former Three Lions boss Terry Venables, Southgate is
10:34 PM ET England midfielder Jordan Henderson was withdrawn at half-time against Belgium due to tightness in his leg, manager Gareth Southgate said, casting doubt on his availability for injury-hit Liverpool this weekend. Harry Winks replaced Henderson in the second half of England’s 2-0 loss in their Nations League group stage match on Sunday which
9:25 AM ET ESPN Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email The USWNT will return to action for the first time since March to face Netherlands in a repeat of the 2019 World Cup final, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced on Sunday. The match will take place on Nov. 27 at Rat Verlegh Stadium in Breda,
5:26 PM ET Mexico scored three goals in a little over three second-half minutes to come from behind to defeat South Korea 3-2 in Austria on Saturday, in a game which was at risk of being canceled after six South Korean players recorded positive COVID-19 results in the hours leading up to the match. Hwang
7:10 PM ET Danny Lewis The coronavirus pandemic made the summer transfer market unlike any before it, but there were still plenty of deals done, and you can check out the major ones here. The window might be closed across the top leagues in Europe, but here are the best rumours from around the globe.
2:54 PM ET United States men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter said that the U.S. Soccer Federation is attempting to schedule one more match for his side before the end of the year. Speaking to reporters ahead of Monday’s friendly against Panama in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, Berhalter hinted that the game would take place in
2:47 PM ET Sergio Ramos has become the most capped European footballer ever, making his 177th appearance for Spain in their UEFA Nations League match with Switzerland on Saturday. The Real Madrid defender — who captains both club and country — has now played one game more than the previous record holder, former Italy goalkeeper