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,
October 18 – With the threat of further scandal hanging over their confederation, Uruguayan clubs have voted in favour of removing their former FA president Wilmar Valdez (pictured) from his FIFA Council role, a move that will be taken forward to Friday’s Conmebol congress for formal action by member federations.
October 18 – It is a sign of how far the football business has progressed to being part of the entertainment business that senior executives from the BBC and ITV have been shortlisted as the frontrunners to replace Richard Scudamore as chief executive of the Premier League, according to Sky.
October 18 – Manchester City have agreed a deal with cashless experts tappit, who becomes the Club’s Official Events Cashless Payments Partner.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 17 – His critics may describe his actions as verging on paranoia but banned former UEFA chief Michel Platini remains steadfast in his attempt to clear his name and prove he was the victim of a plot engineered by former FIFA officials.
By Samindra Kunti
October 17 – In a rare move Iran allowed women to attend Team Meli’s friendly with Bolivia on Tuesday in Tehran. Women have been banned from watching football in the country since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
October 17 – Madagascar have qualified for their maiden African Cup of Nations finals after defeating Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in Vontovorona. They will be joined in Group A by Senegal and north African powerhouses Egypt and Tunisia for the 2019 finals.
October 17 – Turkish prosecutors have charged Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan over a brawl with a well-known Turkish pop singer and have called for a jail sentence of 12 years.
By Paul Nicholson
October 17 – A self-imposed broadcast advertising ban by bookmakers on pre-9pm ads could drive UK betting sponsors and their marketing money back to clubs and drive up the value of premium shirt sponsorship positions.
October 17 – As if any extra spice were needed when Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho returns to his former club Chelsea for a crunch fixture this coming weekend, Mourinho has been charged over comments he made in Portuguese to a television camera after his side’s recent win over Newcastle.
October 17 – Has he made a comeback after all? According to the website of the Russian Football Union, Vitaly Mutko has regained the RFU presidency despite reports that he had been overlooked because of his alleged role in the recent doping scandal.
October 17 – The US will likely have more than one third tier league in 2019 with the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) announcing that Connecticut will have team, though the club’s specific location, ownership and team name will be revealed in the coming weeks.
October 17 – The German magazine which broke the story of a rape allegation made against Cristiano Ronaldo says it stands by its report despite the player’s lawyers describing the claims as “complete fabrication.”
October 17 – Germany’s Continental Tires has extended its sponsorship with the Chinese Football Association (CFA) and its national teams.
By Paul Nicholson
October 16 – FIFA for $21 billion or Manchester United for $4 billion? When you have $1 trillion, why not buy both? The Saudi Arabian determination to acquire their way to controlling positions in world football’s biggest brands knows no bounds – and football, like business, generally doesn’t discriminate when it comes to money.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 16 – Two ex-presidents of the German FA, Wolfgang Niersbach (pictured left) and Theo Zwanziger (pictured right), plus former general secretary Horst Schmidt have won a landmark legal case after a Frankfurt court rejected tax evasion charges against them saying there was insufficient evidence of wrongdoing.