Most Recent
Orlando Pride and Kansas City Current remain undefeated in NWSL
Susie Rantz, Associated Press | Posted April 26 - 10:48 p.m. | Save Story
The Orlando Pride and Kansas City Current earned road wins on Friday night in the National Women's Soccer League to stay undefeated after six matches. Barbra Banda scored, assisted, and drew a penalty as the Pride defeated the Washington Spirit 3-2 at Audi Field. Claire Lavogez scored two late goals to spark a comeback win for the Current over Angel City at BMO Stadium.
Madrid replacements too good for Sociedad and take step closer to La Liga title
The Associated Press | Updated April 26 - 3:59 p.m. | Save Story
Real Madrid has moved a step closer to its 36th Spanish league title after beating Real Sociedad 1-0. On a rainy Friday night in the Basque country, young Turkish star Arda Güler got the only goal on his first league start for the visitor. The win means Madrid has a 14-point gap to second-placed Barcelona and needs only five points from its last five games to ensure the title returns to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Montpellier draws with lowly Nantes and finishes with 9 men
The Associated Press | Posted April 26 - 3:53 p.m. | Save Story
Montpellier finished with nine men in a 1-1 draw with relegation-threatened Nantes in the French league. Lucas Mincarelli Davin and Arnaud Nordin were issued red cards in stoppage time on an inconclusive night for both sides fighting to avoid the drop. The point means Montpellier is almost sure of retaining its Ligue 1 status. Nantes will have to sweat it out with the four teams below it.
Leicester promoted back to English Premier League
The Associated Press | Posted April 26 - 3:29 p.m. | Save Story
Leicester has secured automatic promotion back into the English Premier League after Leeds lost to Queens Park Rangers. Leicester's return was sealed when second-placed Leeds was thumped at QPR 4-0 on Friday. The Foxes achieved promotion at the first time of asking after being relegated from the Premier League last season following a third-to-last finish. Leicester leads the second-tier Championship with two games left. Leeds is only one point above third-placed Ipswich, which has two games in hand.
Uzbekistan knocks out titleholder Saudi Arabia in Under-23 Asian Cup soccer
The Associated Press | Posted April 26 - 3:10 p.m. | Save Story
Defending champion Saudi Arabia has lost to Uzbekistan 2-0 in the Under-23 Asian Cup quarterfinals and also seen its chance of a second successive appearance at the Olympics end. Only the top three teams from the 16-team competition qualify automatically for men's Olympic soccer in Paris. Fourth place earns a playoff against Guinea in May. Uzbekistan was a comfortable winner on Friday in a reverse of the 2022 final. The Central Asian team will take on Indonesia in Monday's semifinal. Iraq defeated Vietnam 1-0 to earn a last-four clash with Japan. Vietnam and the Saudis both finished with 10 men after red cards.
Salernitana relegated from Serie A after blanking from Frosinone
The Associated Press | Posted April 26 - 2:51 p.m. | Save Story
Salernitana has been relegated from Serie A after going down at Frosinone 3-0. The Salerno club is bottom of the league with just two wins from 35 games. With four games left to play, it has no chance of scraping up enough points to survive. Frosinone still hopes to avoid joining it in the second tier. The win has moved Frosinone three points above the relegation zone. The two other teams below it, Udinese and Sassuolo, both play on Sunday.
Relegation-threatened Bochum grabs vital win over leaky Hoffenheim
The Associated Press | Posted April 26 - 2:44 p.m. | Save Story
Kevin Stöger has scored twice as Bochum beat Hoffenheim 3-2 to record its first Bundesliga victory in nine matches. The Austrian midfielder got a first from a free kick and the second was an easy tap in. Felix Passlack also scored to help Bochum move eight points clear of the Bundesliga's two automatic relegation spots. It was another defensive horror show for Hoffenheim, which has conceded in its last 26 league matches.
Bayern Munich signals decision is near on new coach to replace Thomas Tuchel
The Associated Press | Posted April 26 - 9:33 a.m. | Save Story
Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness says he expects a decision within a week on a new coach to replace Thomas Tuchel. Tuchel is leaving at the end of the season after Bayern was beaten to the Bundesliga title by Bayer Leverkusen. The team is facing Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinals next week. Since Tuchel's departure was announced in February, Bayern has missed out on signing Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso and the Germany's Julian Nagelsmann. Austria coach Ralf Rangnick has said he has been in contact with Bayern.
Slavia Prague fined $93,000 for crowd violence at Europa League game
The Associated Press | Posted April 26 - 9:30 a.m. | Save Story
Slavia Prague has been fined by UEFA $93,000 for crowd trouble during a Europa League game against AC Milan in March. The punishment is for throwing objects, illicit chants and blocking passageways on March 14 during the round of 16 second leg in Prague. Milan won 3-1 and advanced 7-3 on aggregate. The fans were throwing cups at Milan players, chanting "UEFA Mafia," and blocking staircases. Also, Slavia captain Tomáš Holeš has been banned for one game in the European competitions for his red card in the 20th minute against AC Milan.
Marta says this will be her final year with Brazil's women's national team
The Associated Press | Updated April 26 - 9:21 a.m. | Save Story
Brazilian soccer star Marta plans to retire from the women's national team after this year. The six-time women's world player of the year has told CNN Brasil that she hopes to play in the Olympics in Paris but said that would be her last major tournament for the national team. The 38-year-old Orlando Pride playmaker apparently did not say whether she plans to continue her club career in 2025. Marta said she wants to play at the Paris Games for what would be her sixth Olympic appearance. She helped Brazil win silver medals in 2004 and 2008.
European soccer leagues insist they have no plans for games in the US. A lawsuit could change that
Graham Dunbar, Associated Press | Posted April 26 - 9:07 a.m. | Save Story
Leaders of top European soccer leagues say have no plans to take games to the United States. The 34-nation European Leagues group did acknowledge that could change pending a lawsuit in Manhattan. FIFA has shifted its long-time policy of blocking domestic league games being played on the territory of another member federation. It withdrew this month from an antitrust suit filed by U.S. promoter Relevent Sports that also involves the U.S. Soccer Federation. If league games could be organized abroad, European leagues and clubs could expect offers from the United States, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere.
Jurgen Klopp says Arne Slot would take on the 'best job in the world' at Liverpool
James Robson, Associated Press | Updated April 26 - 9:06 a.m. | Save Story
Jurgen Klopp has told Arne Slot that he will be taking over the "best job in the world" if the Dutchman is appointed as the next Liverpool manager. The Feyenoord coach has emerged as the favorite to succeed Klopp after confirming that negotiations have started between the clubs. Slot said he wanted to take up one of the most daunting tasks in soccer by succeeding the Anfield great. Klopp is standing down at the end of the season after more than eight years at Liverpool in which he has won a full set of trophies including the Premier League and Champions League. He said he liked Slot's style of soccer but that he has not been involved in the negotiations over his potential appointment.
Eintracht Frankfurt uses option to buy PSG striker Hugo Ekitiké following loan move
The Associated Press | Posted April 26 - 5:42 a.m. | Save Story
Eintracht Frankfurt is activating an option to buy striker Hugo Ekitiké, who has been on loan from Paris Saint-Germain this season. Frankfurt's move Friday comes despite a relatively slow start to life in the Bundesliga for Ekitiké. He only scored his first goal last week in his 12th game for the club. Frankfurt said Ekitiké has signed a contract through to 2029. Frankfurt is sixth in the Bundesliga and visits Bayern Munich on Saturday.
Five surprise teams aim to finish stunning seasons by securing Champions League spot
Graham Dunbar, Associated Press | Posted April 26 - 5:34 a.m. | Save Story
There could be a surprising team from each of Europe's "big five" leagues when the new-look Champions League debuts next season. Aston Villa, Bologna, Brest, Girona and Stuttgart are all on course to qualify for Europe's elite competition going into the final few rounds of their national league. Bologna, Stuttgart and Girona have perhaps the best chance of earning a place in the 36-team Champions League lineup when the lucrative tournament switches to a new format next season. Spain's Girona and French club Brest have never played in any European competition. But this kind of challenge was not expected from any of the provincial teams, which have had little or no recent success.
Real Salt Lake takes shutout streak into matchup against the Philadelphia Union
The Associated Press | Posted April 26 - 12:16 a.m. | Save Story
Real Salt Lake heads into a matchup against the Philadelphia Union after putting together two straight shutout wins.
Enzo Fernandez has undergone surgery and will miss the rest of Chelsea's season
The Associated Press | Posted April 25 - 11:50 p.m. | Save Story
Enzo Fernandez has undergone surgery and will miss the remaining six games of Chelsea's season. The 23-year-old midfielder played 67 minutes of Chelsea's 5-0 loss against Arsenal on Tuesday. Chelsea posted a statement on social media Friday saying Fernandez "has undergone successful surgery on a groin issue and will now begin a period of rehabilitation." Fernandez became Britain's most expensive player when joining Chelsea from Benfica for 106.7 million pounds ($131.4 million) last year. He's expected to be available for the Copa America staged in the United States in June and July. Argentina is aiming to win back-to-back Copa America titles having triumphed in the last edition of the tournament in 2021.
Brazil's Romário returns to training at age 58, scores twice and keeps sharp tongue
Mauricio Savarese, Associated Press | Posted April 25 - 4:39 p.m. | Save Story
Brazilian soccer hero Romário has returned to training at age 58, almost two decades after he retired from the sport. The 1994 World Cup winner turned politician netted two goals as he practiced with much younger players at struggling Rio de Janeiro club América, of which he is the president. América will play in Rio state's second division championship this year. Romarinho, one of the sons of the former Barcelona star, is in its squad. Romário says "My biggest goal here is to have the chance to play with my son." América will play its first league match on May 18.
Indonesia and Japan advance at U23 Asian Cup. South Korea out of contention for Paris Olympics
The Associated Press | Posted April 25 - 4:15 p.m. | Save Story
South Korea will miss the men's soccer tournament at the Olympics for the first time since 1984 after losing a penalty shootout to Indonesia at the Under-23 Asian Cup quarterfinals. The top three teams will qualify for the Paris Games, and Indonesia reached the last four by winning the shootout 11-10 after the score remained tied 2-2 through extra time. Earlier, Japan knocked out host Qatar 4-2 after extra time to stay on course for an eighth straight Olympic appearance. On Friday, defending champion Saudi Arabia faces Uzbekistan, while Iraq meets Vietnam. The team that finishes fourth will face Guinea in May with a place in Paris at stake.
Wrexham schedules 3 games in US and Canada in July
The Associated Press | Updated April 25 - 4:10 p.m. | Save Story
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are taking Wrexham back to the United States this summer. Details of the tour' have been announced in an online video by the co-owners on Thursday. They confirmed two games in California and another in Vancouver, British Columbia, as part of the Welsh club's preparations for next season. Wrexham shot to global fame after being bought by Hollywood actors Reynolds and McElhenney in 2021. It will play English Premier League teams Bournemouth and Chelsea as well as the Vancouver White Caps in July. Last year's U.S. tour had games against Chelsea and Manchester United.
