15 Page 14 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Will An Innovative Approach To World Cup Training Pay Off For Brazil?
You probably remember this moment triumphantly, but Brazilians certainly don’t. The quarterfinal matchup at the 2011 World Cup between Brazil and the United States went into extra time, and Marta scored just two minutes in. The Americans, down a woman since a 65th minute red card, assaulted the goal...

For A Minnow, Costa Rica's Young Team Is Fun To Watch
There has always been a very clear pecking order in CONCACAF women’s soccer. The United States are the dominant team, and lose infrequently to Canada and even more infrequently to Mexico. They are the only three teams to ever qualify for the World Cup from the continent, but in 2014 Costa Rica becam...

Following Dress Rehearsal, Here's What We Know About the USWNT
The U.S. Women’s National Team kicks off their World Cup campaign tonight. They’re ready, or at least, that’s what they’re saying. For the rest of us, any predictions or expectations we might have for the Yanks’ seventh World Cup appearance are clouded in uncertainty. ...

The Cavaliers' Defense Deserves All The Love
If you had traveled back in time to Sunday morning and shown me a snapshot of the Game 2 box score as it stood with three minutes left to play in the fourth quarter, I would have assumed that something cataclysmic was in store—that Steph Curry was going to lose his right hand right before tip-off, o...

Germany Are Crushing Côte d'Ivoire In The Best Bad Game I've Ever Seen
Okay, it’s just past halftime in this Germany-Côte d’Ivoire shellacking, which currently stands at 5-0. Do yourself a favor. Watch the rest of this. You won’t regret it....

<i>OTL</i>: Hope Solo's Redemption Tour Is Utter Bullshit
Citing police reports, depositions and interviews with Hope Solo’s half-sister and nephew, ESPN’s Outside The Lines is alleging Solo has been lying publicly about the events of a domestic violence incident last June, and Solo’s half-sister and nephew accuse Solo of punching them both in the face rep...

The Netherlands' First Ever World Cup Goal Is A Beauty
We told you the Netherlands were going to be fun....

Canada Win World Cup Opener Thanks To Stoppage Time Penalty
After an uneventful 90 minutes of thwarted Canadian attacks and shaky though effective Chinese defending, the host nation managed to avoid embarrassment by eking out a victory thanks to a penalty call. The call was perfectly fair, and the penalty taken with characteristic aplomb by Christine Sinclai...

Fuck Yeah Andre Iguodala Deserves All This Shine
Watching Andre Iguodala bust his ass in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, scrambling around screens and harrying LeBron post-ups, totally thriving within the confines of his game, was one of the happiest and unlikeliest things to happen this postseason. Andre, who’s been laboring on the outskirts of NBA not...

Women's World Cup Group D Preview: The Group Of Death Needs More Chill
Here is your Group D hub, where you can find everything you need to know about the Group of Death....

What Happens If The Nigerians Just Start Wrecking Shit? What Then?
Listen: No one is saying Nigeria are definitely going to descend into the Group of Death, do battle with three of the top 10 teams in the world, emerge on the other side unscathedish, demolish whatever knockout-stage horrors await them, and take a real shot at this thing. No one is saying that. But,...

This Is Sweden's Last Best Chance At World Cup Glory
Sweden are good—very good—and have been for some time. They have qualified for each and every World Cup; they rumbled all the way to the final in 2007; in 2011, they made history by being the first and only team to ever beat the United States in a World Cup group stage match en route to a third-plac...

After Years Of Climbing, Have Australia Finally Reached The Mountaintop?
There’s a narrative that national teams understandably try to claim for themselves during World Cup years. That narrative goes something like this: Since our inception, we have slowly climbed the mountain, making slow, sure strides toward the summit. There are hiccups and rockslides and detours and ...

If Anything, The USWNT Might Be <i>Too</i> Stacked
When the United States Women’s National Team takes the pitch, they’ll be tasked with navigating the largest and deepest World Cup field ever. Though the Olympic gold medal more or less belongs to the USWNT—remember this?—they have tended to come up short on the sport’s biggest stage. They’ve advance...

Women's World Cup Group C Preview: The Champs And A Bunch Of Newbies
Here’s all our Group C stuff for your reading pleasure....

Ecuador Have No Business Being Here, So They Might As Well Enjoy It
To keep things in perspective, we should start by giving Ecuador’s trip to Canada the response it deserves: HOLY SHIT, ECUADOR MADE IT TO THE WORLD CUP! WOOOHOOOO! GO LADIES! GO LADIES! JUST LOOK HOW MUCH QUALIFYING MEANT TO THEM!...

Cameroon Aren't Contenders Yet, But They're On Their Way
For many of the established teams coming into this World Cup, their larger goals outside of the simple quest for points involve things like trying to recapture former greatness or maintaining a period of success. Cameroon, though, are still early in their journey in the international realm. All they...

Can Defending World Cup Champions Japan Shock The World Again?
It’s been a heady time to be a fan of reigning world champions Japan these past few years. After starting the World Cup era as an international fixture, usually present but never too threatening at the major tournaments, Japan are now recognized as one of the sport’s dominant greats, thanks to a his...

Switzerland: World Cup Prodigies, Or Untested Posers?
Usually, you’d think you’d know about a team after a long World Cup qualifying campaign, especially one that traversed the oft-difficult UEFA gauntlet. But one question still engulfs Switzerland as they head to Canada: are they any good?...