Review-Journal reporter Ben Gotz discusses the Lights FC’s penalty kick trick play against the Swope Park Rangers last Sunday and its fallout.
Lights FC/Soccer
It doesn’t get any tighter than it did between Japan and Senegal on Day 15 at the World Cup, and they weren’t even playing each other.
The Borussia Dortmund striker scooped up the ball after Adnan Januzaj scored Thursday and kicked it hard — probably aiming for the net. Instead, it hit the post and rebounded onto his face.
Amid a crescendo of boos and whistles as neither side tried to score, Japan advanced to the knockout round at the World Cup because of a newly implemented tiebreaker — fewer yellow cards.
English soccer star Wayne Rooney has signed with Major League Soccer’s D.C. United.
As Mexico continues to advance in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the Review-Journal wants to know where to find the best watch parties in the valley.
Fourteen teams have secured spots in the knockout stage at the World Cup, leaving just two more up for grabs on Thursday and a 1-2 finish to be sorted out in the final group. Here’s a look at who’s in, who’s out and possible scenarios.
The Lights benched goalkeeper Ricardo Ferrino for the first time this season last Sunday against the Swope Park Rangers and started Rancho product Angel Alvarez instead.
Despite the loss, Mexico also advances as runner-up in the group thanks to South Korea’s surprising 2-0 over defending champion Germany.
The four-time champions lost to South Korea 2-0 Wednesday, allowing a pair of injury-time goals while knowing a 1-0 victory would have been enough to advance because of the result in the other group match.
Argentina sneaked past Nigeria and into the round of 16 with a late goal for a 2-1 win, and Croatia sent Iceland home with a bruising — and nose-bloodying — 2-1 defeat.
With half of the groups finished and the other four groups still playing, here’s a look at who’s in, who’s out and possible scenarios.
Messi scored an exquisite 14th-minute goal to give the two-time champions the lead Tuesday, but it wasn’t until Marcos Rojo’s 86th-minute strike that Argentina was assured of a place in the round of 16.
Mexico, which can clinch a spot in the round of 16 with a win or draw Wednesday against Sweden, was as high as 66-1 at CG Technology, which took a $500 wager to win $25,000 at 50-1 odds and a $250 bet to win $15,000 at 60-1 odds.
It was June 25, 2014, almost four years ago to the day. It was the day a columnist wrote about the U.S. becoming a force in World Cup soccer.