Superstar Alfredo Di Stéfano, Real Madrid's "Blond Arrow," Has Died
You've heard of Pele and Maradona, most certainly. Today, though, I sing of Alfredo di Stéfano. Di Stéfano, who died today at 88 from a heart attack, was arguably the greatest player never to have played in a World Cup....
Why Germany Won't Hand The U.S. A Draw
After the madness of Sunday's U.S.-Portugal game, Jürgen Klinsmann was repeatedly asked whether his squad and Germany—both needing only a draw to advance—would settle matters with a handshake deal and noncompetitive match on Thursday. Klinsmann's response was pitch perfect: "The U.S. is known to giv...
How Do Costa Rica Compare To The Biggest World Cup Surprises Ever?
You know the soccer superpowers—the likes of Brazil, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. When those teams get out of the group stage, no one bats an eye. But every four years, there's at least one country that explodes onto the scene. Sometimes, they become soccer's version of Gonzaga—a forceful ups...
How Does Spain Compare With The Sorriest World Cup Flame-Outs Ever?
With Spain's 2-0 loss to Chile and its 5-1 demolition at the hands of the Netherlands, La Furia Roja are officially eliminated from the World Cup—something most everybody thought was inconceivable a week ago. ...
Host Sites For A 2022 U.S. World Cup That Doesn't Exist–Yet
ESPN Deportes' Jorge Ramos caused a bit of a stir last week by reporting that FIFA put U.S. Soccer on standby for the 2022 World Cup, should Qatar be stripped of its hosting privileges. While this report has been disputed and denied up and down, America's vast sports infrastructure would make it a s...