Dribble Diaries

He's here, and he's stunning. The United States now has a big-name coach, and while Mauricio Pochettino has a lot of work to do before we see the results of his labor, we can finally start weighing the benefits and disadvantages of the hire. 👍 Proven track record of helping teams outperform their peers. While he does not have an overflowing trophy cabinet, Pochettino's clubs are known for exceeding expectations. At Southampton, he led a newly promoted squad to a top-10 Premier League finish, winning 15 games in the process, the club's best in nearly a decade. After being rewarded for his efforts that season with a huge move to Tottenham, Pochettino began to develop the team for which he became famous. Spurs had been hovering in and around the European rankings before the Argentine took control, but the London club became regular top-four finishers and even advanced to the Champions League final, defeating Manchester City along the way. The United States, like many othe...

Darwin Nunez of Liverpool has been granted a five-game international ban for his role in the chaos that erupted at the end of Uruguay's Copa America semi-final against Colombia last month. Following the final whistle, the striker seemed to confront fans in the Colombia section of the Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina when a riot broke out near where the Uruguayans' families were seated. Uruguay had just been defeated 1-0 by Colombia, who played the entire second half with ten men, denying them a berth in the final. Nunez, who was recorded on film throwing a chair at Colombia supporters, has also been fined £15,000. Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur, who was involved in the incident, has received a four-game international ban and a £12,000 fine, while Mathias Olivera, Ronald Araujo, and Josema Gimenez have all been suspended for three matches. Uruguayan football administrators defended their players following the incident, claiming they were merely attempting to keep the...

Four years after leaving Real Madrid, James Rodriguez could be returning to the Spanish capital. He will not be rejoining Los Blancos, but rather signing with Rayo Vallecano. Rayo has had a strong longing for James for some weeks. They've been in contact with the 33-year-old since he terminated his contract with Sao Paulo, which would allow him to sign with Los Franjirrojos as a free agent. According to Marca, James has already landed in Madrid to resume negotiations with Rayo executives. The team must discover the proper economic formulas to allow the signing to proceed, but once that is done, the expectation is that a deal will be concluded. James has wanted to return to La Liga since leaving Sao Paulo, and he is set to fulfill his desire. Rayo is also on track to receive theirs, barring any last-minute delays.

The backlash from the Canada women's team's Drone Gate incident has now spread to the men's side, who allegedly engaged in similar behavior during the Copa América. On Monday, New Zealand's Olympic Games opponents, the Canada Women's National Team, discovered a drone spying on a training session in Saint-Étienne ahead of their match this week. In addition to an undisclosed member of staff being sent home for allegedly operating the drone, coach Bev Priestman was suspended for the duration of the tournament - and it has now been revealed that this may be a problem for all of Canadian senior soccer on the international level. "I have received anecdotal evidence in recent days that there was an attempted drone usage once during the Copa América," revealed Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue. "I have spoken with Jesse Marsch. He was aware of it after the fact, at the very least, and has opposed it as a habit to his employees. I believe the competitive integrity ...

The most disappointing Copa America 2024 players did not contribute to their teams when it was most important, and others even (literally) failed to show up. While James Rodriguez, Lautaro Martinez, and Fede Valverde continue to excel at Copa America 2024, other elite players were unable to score for their respective countries this summer, resulting in surprise group stage elimination and quarter-final upsets. In truth, a couple of the world's top (and finest) players delivered subpar performances that marred their otherwise brilliant 2023/24 seasons. Here's a look at the five most unimpressive players representing their countries in Copa America 2024. Copa America 2024's most disappointing players, ranked. 5. Enner Valencia (Ecuador) Enner Valencia will reflect on his Copa America 2024 performance and consider what could have been. The striker was sent off in Ecuador's first group stage encounter against Venezuela, and he served a one-game suspension against Jamaica. ...

Jurgen Klopp has rejected the United States' initial overture to appoint him the new manager of the men's national team. The US has named Klopp as a top target in their search for a new manager to replace Gregg Berhalter, whose second tenure in command of the USA ended last week with a group stage exit from the Copa America on home soil. The Independent understands that first contact was made with Klopp about replacing the 50-year-old as the US prepares for the 2026 World Cup. The United States will co-host the event with Canada and Mexico, hoping to build on their Round of 16 exit in Qatar. However, Klopp has declined the option to engage in formal conversations with the United States Soccer Federation. Klopp left Liverpool at the end of the Premier League season, capping a revolutionary period at Anfield. During his nine years with the Merseyside club, the German helped the team win the Premier League for the first time in 30 years, as well as the Champions League. When h...

Minutes after the Copa América final was determined, tensions flared at Bank of America Stadium. Following Colombia's 1-0 semi-final triumph against Uruguay, cameras captured an argument between Uruguay players and Colombian fans in the stands. The event occurred while the Uruguayan families were sitting, and the players complained about the lack of security measures. Darwin Núñez, a Liverpool player, was observed throwing punches despite attempts by security and teammates to stop him. Barcelona's Ronald Araújo was also seen in the fights. A fight broke out in the stands between Colombian fans and Uruguayan players, including Darwin Nunez. "It's a complete disaster." According to The Athletic, Uruguay's José María Giménez stated that there were no police officers present. "They [security] arrived half an hour later. A calamity. And we were there, standing up for ourselves and our loved ones. "Hopefully, organizers will take a little more precautions...

Colombia defeated Uruguay 1-0 on Wednesday, securing a spot in the Copa América 2024. This is what we created from the action. Colombian dark horses are no more. The only statistic you need to appreciate how powerful this Colombia team is is that they have extended their unbeaten record to an incredible 28 games. Néstor Lorenzo's crew have refined their recipe and show no signs of slowing down. Colombia were brave throughout the match against a strong Uruguay team that carried the always-heavy favourites tag into the tournament, despite being a man down for the entire second half. Colombia has established a new record for the longest unbeaten streak in the national team's history: WWWWWWDDWWWWDDDWWWWWWWWWWDWW Los Cafeteros will defend their 28-game winning streak against Argentina in the 2024 Copa América final. This is their first final in 23 years.    Their success is partly down to James Rodriguez, who has turned the Copa América into his personal stage to showcase his ...

The 37-year-old has no quick intentions to halt his Argentina voyage. "As I've said before, I intend to continue," he stated Tuesday night following Argentina's 2-0 victory over Canada. "I plan to live day by day without worrying about what will happen in the future or if I will continue or not. It's something I simply live every day. I'm 37 years old, and only God knows when the end will come. Messi scored his 109th international goal, and first in this year's tournament. It was his 14th Copa America match, three short of the record. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner spoke outside the MetLife Stadium locker room, where he announced his retirement after missing a penalty kick in the 2016 Copa America final shootout defeat to Chile. He reversed his decision seven weeks later and has since scored 54 goals in 73 international games, bringing his total for Argentina to 186 as he helped win the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 World Cup. Teammate Angel...

Argentina defeated Canada 2-0 thanks to a masterful performance that earned them a spot in the Copa América final. This is our interpretation of the event. Big players excel on the big stage. Argentina has a roster brimming with quality. Fortunately for manager Lionel Scaloni, even on days when they may not have looked their best, the big stars knew how to perform on the big stage. Despite having only three shots on goal against debutants Canada, goals from Julian Alvarez and Lionel Messi were enough for the World Cup holders to win comfortably. These two names, in particular, have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to carry the team for both club and nation. Alvarez's awareness and close-control talents resulted in a smooth opener. The Manchester City star is Argentina's second player to score in both a World Cup and a Copa America semi-final, after Lionel Messi. Meanwhile, even though his first goal took longer than expected, Messi's subtle flick provided insight i...

The Copa América returns, with Argentina taking on Canada and Colombia facing Uruguay in the semi-finals. Before the usual theatrics begin, here are four major questions. Can Messi reach one more final with Argentina? He won both the Copa América and the World Cup. So, what does another final entail for Lionel Messi? Well, it could imply more than you realize. We haven't seen the Inter Miami player play his best football during the competition. Even with the alien-like skills he develops and his influence off the court, his terrible statistics speak for themselves. So far, Messi has zero goals, one assist, and a missed penalty, providing ample evidence that his retirement is imminent. The beginning of a natural finish to an extraordinary career. As a result, this semi-final is even more satisfying. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has previously stated that the 2022 World Cup would be his last. This implies that a second consecutive Copa América final this summer may be hi...

Uruguay's Luis Suarez responds spiritedly to criticism after they defeat Brazil. Uruguay's victory at the Copa America. Uruguay defeated Brazil in a thrilling Copa America quarterfinal match, moving on to the semi-finals after a nail-biting penalty shootout. Uruguay's Manuel Ugarte, a man on Manchester United's radar, scored the game-winning penalty after Brazil's Eder Militao missed and Douglas Luiz's shot hit the post. This victory was especially notable because Uruguay played with 10 men for much of the game following Nahitan Nandez's red card. Suarez responds to Pereira’s comments. Uruguay's fearsome striker, Luis Suarez, responded forcefully to Brazil's Andreas Pereira's pre-match comments. The Fulham midfielder said that Brazil had a better team, saying, "The Uruguayan national team is very good, but if you take it by name, we have a team that they dream of having." After Uruguay advanced to the semi-finals, Suarez addressed these...

The Copa América quarterfinals concluded on Saturday with Colombia defeating Panama 5-0 and Uruguay defeating Brazil on penalties following a 0-0 stalemate. Here's what we made of the action. This might be Colombia's tournament to lose. We've seen some fantastic football at the Copa América, as well as some scruffy displays, but how about Colombia's?  The performances were mostly organized by their captain, James Rodriguez, who continues to prosper when representing the national team, despite disappointing club results. His influence in the game has helped his teammates shine. They scored on five of his assists, and he eventually added one of his own from the penalty spot. Colombian football is innovative, energetic, intelligent, and resilient. Of their 11 goals, eight different players have scored, and their defense is equally remarkable. After five games, they actually appear to be the whole package. Colombia are undefeated in 27 games. WWWWWWDDWWWWDDDWWWWWWWWWWDW T...

All eyes will be on Allegiant Stadium this weekend when Uruguay takes on Brazil in the Copa America quarterfinals. Uruguay's journey to the Copa America last eight was very simple, as his squad won all three group stage matches in Group C against Panama, Bolivia, and the USMNT, conceding only once. Marcelo Bielsa's team has undoubtedly looked the part of a serious contender so far, and they'll need to replicate their group stage achievements to defeat Brazil. Brazil entered the Copa America as one of the clear favorites, along with Uruguay and Argentina, but has yet to really put it all together. They advanced out of Group D alongside Colombia after a 1-1 draw against Nestor Lorenzo's team, and it wouldn't be surprising if the Selecao took things up a notch on Saturday evening. Here's a 90-minute guide of Uruguay vs. Brazil at Copa America 2024. Uruguay against Brazil Head-to-head record (last 5 games) Uruguay: 1 Win. Brazil: 4 Win Draws: 0  Uruguay Team News...

Canada advanced to the Copa America semifinals after defeating Venezuela on penalties. Arlington, Texas — On Friday, Canada overcame Venezuela 4-3 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw in regular time in the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America quarterfinals at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Maxime Crepeau was busy early, saving a shot from recent Concacaf Champions Cup top scorer Salomon Rondon in the third minute. Jacob Shaffelburg put Canada ahead in the 13th minute with a right-footed tap in front of the goal. Jonathan David was instrumental in the buildup, dribbling into the box and passing it on for the assist. Shaffelburg scored from the edge of the box in the 24th minute, but Venezuelan goalkeeper Rafael Romo denied him a second. Richie Laryea fired a dangerous ball towards the left post in the 31st minute, but Cyle Larin was unable to connect to extend the lead. Salomon Rondon equalized on a Venezuela counterattack in the 64th minute, shooting just a few steps from the center ci...

The Copa América group stage is finally done, and the elimination rounds can begin. But first, we need to analyze what happened on the final night of action. Here are the important takeaways. Colombia will be a tough opponent.   Colombia seemed to have everything going for them at the moment. The team's strikers are scoring goals, the midfield is dominating, and the backline has come together following Jhon Lucumí's injury in the first game. Add in a partisan throng practically everywhere they go in the country, and you've got a fearsome Copa América juggernaut. Colombia maintain their unbeaten streak to finish first in the group 🙂‍↔️🇨🇴 With Panama the only team standing in their way of a second consecutive semi-final appearance, Los Cafeteros should be sure that they will play a significant role in where the trophy ends up later this month. The only bad news for Néstor Lorenzo and his team is that they will be without Jefferson Lerma for the Panama match due to yello...