USA 2 Costa Rica 2 (USA win 4-3 on pens)
June 29 – You’d hate to use the word ‘sterile’ to describe a Concacaf Gold Cup quarter-final, but following the drama and passion of Guatemala versus Canada, it all felt a little flat as the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) and Costa Rica kicked off for the right to face Guatemala in St. Louis. After 90 minutes and the drama of penalty kicks,
December 19 – Europe’s major leagues have called on UEFA to alter their revenue distribution policy to bring about a more level playing field and prevent the gap between the haves and the have-nots from widening.
December 19 – Manchester United have named Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as caretaker manager until the end of the season, a day after sacking Jose Mourinho, but British media have little doubt who United’s long-term target is.
Chelsea are back in the headlines for the conduct of their fans with UEFA confirming it is to investigate the “alleged racist incidents” during the club’s Europa League game at MOL Vidi in Hungary.
December 19 – It is the first incarnation in English football of baseball movie Moneyball’s premise that the use of smart data during the game can win matches. Manchester City will be the first Premier League team to use live data in the dugout during the match to brief players and hone tactics.
December 19 – FC Bayern’s Digital & Media Lab has expanded its business with three new long term partnerships with Swiss club FC Basel, Austria’s FK Austria Wien and Bundesliga 2 club Dynamo Dresden.
By Paul Nicholson in Qatar
December 18 – In exactly four years’ time Qatar will be hosting the final of the 2022 World Cup in the Lusail Stadium in Lusail City. It will be a double celebration for the country, whether they make the final or not, as December 18 is their National Day.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 18 – As FIFA continues to prevaricate over whether to expand the Qatar World Cup in 2022, the Qataris themselves are taking a firm but diplomatic stance.
December 18 – Having stripped Cameroon of the 2019 African Cup of Nations, Confederation of African Football (CAF) boss Ahmad Ahmad has insisted no decision has yet been reached for them to stage 2021 instead and force original hosts Ivory Coast to stage the event two years later.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 18 – He was hired on reputation to restore past glories at the club he always wanted to join. But once again, Jose Mourinho, the self-styled Special One, has found himself on the managerial scrapheap after being ignominiously sacked by Manchester United following the club’s worst start to a Premier league campaign for 28 years.
December 18 – Seedy by name, seedy by nature? FIFA ethics judges have banned former Gambia Football Federation chief Seedy Kinteh for four years for taking cash gifts from one-time FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam.
FIFA says its ethics committee found Kinteh guilty on charges of bribery and corruption, and accepting gifts. He was also fined CHF200,000 ($202,000).
Kinteh was named in a 2014 investigation report by FIFA’s then-ethics prosecutor Michael Garcia for taking payments totalling $69,396 from Bin Hammam from February 2010 to April 2011 when Qatar’s former Asian football confederation boss was bidding to unseat Sepp Blatter.
December 18 – New launch player transfers app Soccer Mandate has announced a strategic partnership with China’s Sport 8 International.
December 18 – Former Japan captain Makoto Hasebe was presented with the Asian Football Confederation’s 2018 Asian International Player of the Year award at Eintracht Frankfurt’s Commerzbank Arena on Sunday.
By Paul Nicholson at the Lusail Marina, Qatar
December 16 – It was a night of stars, fireworks and national celebration as Qatar’s World Cup organisers unveiled the design of the 80,000-capacity showpiece stadium that will host the opening match and final of the greatest show on earth in 2022.
December 17 – In seasons gone by, a European tie against Manchester United might have been regarded as a daunting prospect but Paris St. Germain will be confident of going one step closer to their dream of winning the Champions League for the first time after being paired with Jose Mourinho’s misfiring side in the last 16 of the competition.
By Paul Nicholson, Lusail City, Qatar
December 16 – They promised amazing and that is what we are going to get. Qatar got down to the real business of World Club football this weekend with the launch of the design of its showpiece Lusail Stadium. Qatar 2022 is well and truly off the starting grid and setting a spectacular pace.