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We (Mostly) Never Doubted Team USA

First, we wrap up the Summer Olympics — with only six months to go until the Winter Olympics begin! It is mostly due to the heroics (and the depth) of the women on Team USA that America came away atop the medal count. While we don’t watch the Olympics with a particularly jingoistic mindset, that […]

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Barcelona Is Struggling. Is Messi Part Of The Problem Or The Solution?

cwick (Chadwick Matlin, deputy editor): English soccer is … sorta boring right now? Liverpool has clinched a title and is sorta faffing about on the field. The race for the final Champions League spot (assuming Manchester City is barred from participating) is not that suspenseful. And we already exalted Chelsea’s youth movement last time we […]

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Messi Is More Dominant Than Ever — And Barcelona Is More Dependent

In some ways, Liverpool’s task on Wednesday while facing Barcelona in the Champions League semifinal is simple. All the Reds likely have to do to reach a second consecutive European final is contain Lionel Messi, the greatest soccer player of all time. In past seasons, such a description might have been oversimplifying. Back when Xavi […]

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The World Cup Players Who Step Up Most For Their Countries

When we think of the best soccer players in history, we rarely think about the relatively inconsequential goals they scored for their club teams in midseason matches against their middle-of-the-pack competition. Instead we think about how they played for their national teams, and especially how they performed at major international tournaments like the World Cup. […]

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