Last Friday, the Netherlands defeated Germany in a six goal thriller. That same evening, Mexico and the United States embarked on the next chapter of their rivalry, with el Tri running rampant against an unremarkable USMNT. While any occasion to see these rivalries is welcome, some criticism arose from the repetitive nature of these matchups. … Continue reading Unrivaled: Are We Devaluing International Rivalries?
As the British parliament prepares to vote on Theresa May’s Brexit deal on January 15th and as the March 29th deadline swiftly approaches, it is worth considering how Brexit will affect the European soccer landscape. Brexit, the United Kingdom’s landmark decision to abandon the European Union, has left many things in flux, from trade deals … Continue reading The Post-Brexit Soccer Landscape
The recent performances of the Oranje have evoked some real nostalgia amongst Dutch supporters, with many claiming the Dutch victories over Germany and defending World Cup champions France to be the best performances from their side in years. While their final game in the group stage of the Nations League started off poorly, with the … Continue reading Apples and Oranjes: Time for a New Dutch Renaissance
The sound of the final three whistles may have rang through the Luhzniki Stadium in Moscow, but all I heard in front of the Eiffel Tower was the crowd of a hundred thousand people belting La Marseillaise, lighting flares, and rejoicing in the shower from the Paris Fire Department. Even before the final whistle blew, … Continue reading Fan Diaries: The Birth of a Second Star
Even though the United States and Mexico are two of the three co-hosts for the 2026 World Cup – Canada being the third – USMNT and LA Galaxy legend Landon Donovan’s calls in a recent Wells Fargo ad for American fans to support Mexico in the World Cup proved deeply polarizing. NBC Sports pundit and … Continue reading Landon Donovan’s Wells Fargo Advertisement Damages the Past, Present, and Future of US Soccer
Russia impressed in St. Petersburg as they cruised to a 3-1 over an overwhelmed Egyptian side that, even with the help of a returning Mohamed Salah, were incapable of hanging with the hosts’ long ball tactics and physicality. In the buildup to this match, soccer analysts and fans alike all pondered the fitness of the … Continue reading 3-1: Clinical Russia Bury The Pharaohs on Salah’s Return
While each nation will go in with dreams of advancing past the group stage and eventually making it to the final, how many teams can be considered true contenders for this tournament? Below, we analyze each teams’ credibility as championship contenders, and we say what the best case scenario would be for each team.
Corner Kick 