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,
August 6 – In a first not just for football but also for geopolitics, Iraq broke new ground on Saturday by playing its first-ever match in the Palestinian territories, beating the home side 3-0 in a friendly.
August 6 – Former Bolivian football boss Carlos Chavez, one of those caught up in the FifaGate scandal, has died in hospital in Brazil according to local reports.
August 6 – France kicked off the U-20 Women’s World Cup on home soil with an emphatic 4-1 win over Ghana, on an opening day of the tournament held plenty of surprises with defending champions DPR Korea slipping to defeat against England, debutants the Netherlands defeating New Zealand and Mexico recording a first-ever win over Brazil.
August 6 – The English Championship may decide to take a break during the 2022-23 season to accommodate the World Cup in Qatar being staged in November and December – right in the middle of domestic seasons.
August 6 – Chinese authorities have pledged to investigate reports that Senegalese striker Demba Ba was subjected to racial slurs by an opponent at the weekend vowing “stern punishment” if the incident is true.
August 6 – Dutch legend Clarence Seedorf has been appointed the new coach of Cameroon with his compatriot and former international teammate Patrick Kluivert named his assistant. The Dutch duo will lead Cameroon as the defending African champions battle to retain the right to host the 2019 African Cup of Nations.
August 6 – One of England’s most respected former referees has blasted the Premier League’s decision to not implement Video Assistant Referees (VAR) in the forthcoming 2018/19 season.
August 6 – Celtic have announced the highest ever shirt sponsorship deal for a Scottish club with online bookmaker Dafabet. The new agreement will run until the end of the 2025 season.
August 6 – Saudi Arabia may have collapsed at Russia 2018 but their fast-fingered eSports champion Mosaad ‘Msdossary’ Aldossary struck a blow for the country hammering Belgium’s Stefano ‘StefanoPinna’ Pinna 4-0 in the final of the FIFA eWorld Cup at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday.
August 6 – Manchester United have expanded their deal with coffee brand Melitta from a regional to a global partnership. As part of the deal Melitta will create a collection of Manchester United and Melitta branded coffee machines, coffee beans, and cups.
August 3 – Football per se may not have come home but the FIFA eWorld Cup, a virtual version of the real thing, kicked off in London on Thursday with players from all around battling to be crowned the world’s best FIFA 18 player on a digital stage.
August 3 – Will they or won’t they? Conflicting reports have emerged over whether Iraq have been withdrawn from the football tournament at this month’s Asian Games in Jakarta.
August 3 – Former England captain Terry Butcher has quit as Philippines head coach after just 50 days before he had taken charge of a single match.
August 3 – Sporting Club de Portugal have filed a complaint to FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) seeking €197 million in compensation for three players who terminated their contracts at the end of last season and subsequently signed for other teams as free agents.
August 3 – German sportswear company Adidas is cutting ties with the Iranian national team ahead of next year’s Asian Cup, following in the footsteps of rival Nike because of increasing geopolitical uncertainty in the region.