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,
November 17 – A loophole that allows national teams to boost their seedings for the World Cup by deliberately avoiding playing too many friendly matches is likely to become a thing of the past after next year’s finals in Russia.
By Paul Nicholson
November 17 – Manchester United are immediately showing the importance of their return to Champions League football announcing a 17% revenue rise to £141 million for the first financial quarter of 2018 ended September 30.
November 17 – The United Soccer League (USL), the second tier of US professional football announced their third expansion team in a week for the 2018 season. North Carolina FC are exiting the under pressure North American Soccer League (NASL) – stripped of its second tier status for next season by the US Soccer Federation – to continue Division 2 play in the USL.
November 17 – UEFA launched its Nations League last month, now CONCACAF has launched its new League of Nations national team competition. Like UEFA’s new format, CONCACAF will also be based their competition on a league structure.
By Ian Griffiths
November 16 – Al Hilal striker Omar Khribin is adamant that his rich vein of goalscoring form will count for nothing when the Saudi Arabian giants take on Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds in the first leg of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League final on Saturday.
By Paul Nicholson
November 16 – The second day of testimony by Alejandro Burzaco in the FIFA bribery case brought more drama to the Brooklyn court after one of the defendants, Peruvian Manuel Burga, was accused of twice making slashing motions across his throat towards Burzaco.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 16 – The drama of the FifaGate corruption scandal trial in New York has taken a tragic turn with a one-time Argentine government official taking his own life just hours after being accused of bribery.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 16 – An Israeli-based media watchdog is urging FIFA to throw the book at the head of Palestinian football for comparing Israel to a Nazi state in the latest escalation of Middle East footballing tensions.
By Samindra Kunti
November 16 – Japanese online company DMM is the new owner of Belgian topflight club Sint-Truiden. Charlton owner Roland Duchatelet (pictured) has sold his shares, ending his ties to Belgian football.
November 16 – Although the majority of ticket prices to watch top-flight football in England have been frozen or have fallen for a third year in succession, young fans say they are still being priced out of the market.
November 16 – Peru became the final side to qualify for the World Cup with a 2-0 play-off victory over New Zealand on Wednesday as they reached the finals for the first time since 1982.
November 16 – China has moved to boost its national womens team’s competitiveness with the establishment of two teams – called the Red Team and the Yellow Team.
November 16 – Atlanta United owners, currently enjoying a successful first season in the MLS with sell out crowds and a trip to the play-offs, have made their next expansion move by entering a team in the USL, the second tier of US football, for the 2018 season.
November 16 – In a bid to make the women’s game more sustainable and accelerate the growth of the game, UEFA is unbundling commercial rights for its women’s competitions and appoint a sales agency specifically for women’s football sponsorship.
By Paul Nicholson
November 15 – The depth of the corruption around the sale of TV rights that has plagued South and North America and shattered the reputations of football officials worldwide, was unmasked in the federal court in Brooklyn yesterday. For the first time major broadcast networks Fox Sports (USA), and Televisa (Mexico) were dragged into the narrative alongside Brazil’s TV Globo, all of whom were accused of paying bribes for rights.