2014 Page 34 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Portugal Might Be Ronaldo And The Rest, But That's Still Scary Good
Portugal made a surprising run to the semifinals of Euro 2012, narrowly losing out to Spain on penalty kicks in a game many thought the Portuguese deserved to win. It marked the second straight tournament where Portugal were eliminated by their archrivals, as Spain won a 1-0 Round-of-16 matchup in S...
Since They're Down There Anyway, The USMNT Might As Well Win
If we're being pragmatic, just for a second, we have to admit that if one started at the very first World Cup in 1930 and moved forward through history until today, right now, one could only conclude that the United States men's national team has been a complete, unmitigated joke. ...
All 2,208 World Cup Goals, By Minute Scored
With kickoff on Thursday, The Economist has put together a neat chart showing when all 2,208 World Cup goals have been scored, by minute....
Bosnia And Herzegovina Could Break Some Hearts In Their First World Cup
After generations spent competing on the international stage for various iterations of Yugoslavia, after gaining independence in 1992, making it through the Bosnian War, then getting FIFA recognition mere days after the war's conclusion, the nation known as Bosnia-Herzegovina will finally make its f...
Dwyane Wade Fined $5,000 For This Ridiculous Flop
The NBA has brought swift justice against Dwyane Wade, who committed one of the most egregious flops you will ever see during last night's game against the Spurs. He will be fined $5,000 for convincing the referee that Manu Ginobili has telekinetic powers. ...
<em>Joga Bonito</em> Incarnate: The Joy And Tragedy Of Brazil's Garrincha
From Eduardo Galeano's classic, now available as an ebook. We'll have excerpts throughout the week....
In Brazil, Iran Will Finally Get The Vacation They Deserve
Iran aren't a bad side. They won five of eight matches in the final round of their Asian World Cup qualifiers to finish first in their group, make the tournament, and prove themselves to be at least one of the best teams in a bad confederation. ...
The Venn Diagram Of World Cup Hopes
Project Babb, the Telegraph's World Cup microsite, has created this handy Venn diagram sorting the 32 sides by their chances of succeeding in Brazil. It's hard to argue with most of the placements, but—as usual—the real fun is in the overlaps....
Why Nigeria, Now Hardened Veterans, Will Be A Tough Out In Brazil
Nigeria come into Brazil with as much international tournament experience in the last few years as any team in the world, having won the 2013 African Cup of Nations and subsequently playing in the 2013 Confederations Cup. These experiences gave manager Stephen Keshi, a former Super Eagle himself, mo...
Argentina Have Stopped Giving A Fuck, And Are Betting It All On Attack
Argentina has long been one of the best, most feared soccer nations in the world. Playing in the World Cup is just what they do. The tournament this summer will be their 16th World Cup appearance and 11th in a row, but they haven't won it since Diego Maradona scored maybe the greatest goal of all ti...
John Oliver Brilliantly Lays Out All The Reasons To Hate FIFA
We spend a lot of time talking about what a cartoonishly corrupt organization FIFA is, but sometimes it feels like there's not enough time in the day to do a proper rundown of everything there is to hate about Sepp Blatter and his goons. Thankfully, John Oliver is here to give FIFA the comprehensive...
Belgium's World Cup Tune-Up Interrupted By Giant Hail Storm
An international friendly between Belgium and Tunisia was stopped in the first half because golf-ball sized hail stones were raining down on the players. The hail became unmanageable at around the 24 minute mark, with the match still scoreless, and play was halted for approximately 40 minutes. As yo...
World Cup Group E Preview: We Don't Believe You, You Need More People
Here's your Group E hub and open thread where you'll find our previews and predictions....
"The Ball," From <em>Soccer In Sun And Shadow</em>
From Eduardo Galeano's classic, now available as an ebook. We'll have excerpts throughout the week....
Honduras Don't Stand A Chance, But They Won't Play Like It
Calling Honduras a minnow isn't fair. Sure, Honduras are likely to ultimately be outclassed and eliminated in the group stage. But the two Group E teams that advance after playing the Central American side won't be leaving the experience behind them in the knockout stages. They'll have been pushed t...
Here's Michael Wilbon Telling Jürgen Klinsmann To "Get Out Of America"
Goddammit, Michael Wilbon....
Everything You Know About Cramps Is Wrong, And Gatorade Is Full Of Shit
It looked bad, LeBron getting Paul Pierced off the court, a Finals opener sliding wetly to an uneventful end, Gatorade trolling down from the ramparts of for-profit pseudo-science....
Why Ecuador's Inspiring Trip To Brazil Won't Have A Happy Ending
If you're looking for a last-minute underdog to support, this is your team. ...
Even France Couldn't Mess This Up...Right?
In theory and on paper, France are stacked. The spine of this team is ridiculous. Their keeper is incredible. They have more powerful, quick, shockingly young center backs than they know what to do with. The center of their midfield is an embarrassment of riches nearly on par with Spain's and Italy'...
This Dude's Soccer Trick Shots Will Blow Your Mind
Trick shot artist Rémi Gaillard has a new World Cup-themed video out, and oh man is this dude good at soccer trick shots. I would wager that he is better at this than any of us will ever be at anything....