For the last few years, Spanish soccer has prided itself on dominant midfield play. While Barcelona was the earliest adopter of this style, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have caught on and have a crop of impressive midfielders. But which side will dominate the midfield in the Champions League final? Here is a comparison between the two contenders.
The Champions League round of 16 gets underway on Tuesday. Back in December this publication ranked the remaining 16 clubs based on their previous performances. On the eve of the actual round of 16, we will relook at that list and see how the teams rank based on recent form. This is a look at which teams have the best chance to win the trophy and this also includes a look at their upcoming matchups and how that affects each team's respective tournament chances.
For many people, Landon Donovan epitomizes merican soccer. The current Los Angeles Galaxy star rose to prominence in his country over 10 years ago and has been often associated with the ups and downs of the country.
The star player recently announced that the 2014 World Cup will likely be his final appearance in the tournament.
"It's hard for me to imagine, sitting here, that I'll be able to walk in four years, much less play soccer," Donovan said according to ESPN. "So I would guess that this is my last chance of making a World Cup."
In commemoration of Donovan's career, here is a look at his previous three World Cup appearances and his impact on American soccer.
The Manchester City and Barcelona matchup did not go quite as many expected. The English side stayed strong for the majority of the game's opening half but faltered after a red card and a goal from Lionel Messi. After a 2-0 win, Barcelona has all but clinched a spot in the quarterfinals.
The other big match of the week is slated to take place Wednesday when Bayern Munich and Arsenal lock horns. The tie is a repeat of last season's round of 16 matchup when Munich won 3-1 at the Emirates before losing 2-0 at home. The aggregate was tied but the away goals favored the German side, which went on to win the entire tournament.
This year's matchup features two significantly different sides. Here is how Munich and Arsenal look heading into Wednesday's first leg.
While most of the world will be preoccupied with the Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal matchup, the remainder of the soccer viewers will be engaged with a round of 16 tie between Atletico Madrid and AC Milan.
In the past one would expect AC Milan to be the runaway favorite in the tie, but the historic side has fallen on hard times and is expected to lose this match against a Diego Simeone team that is on the rise. How do these teams matchup?
Arsenal was defeated by Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champions League draw. the match featured some exciting end to end action in its opening half and two missed penalties. Here are five things that we learned from the first leg of this round of bout.
On Friday the United States and Canada will face off in the semifinal of the Olympic Men's Hockey tournament. The game represents a rematch of the final in the 2010 Olympics.
Both players have had their fair share of memorable games against one another. Latinos Post will showcase a two-part feature, which examines these two superstars' best games against their hated rivals. In the first edition, we will at Lionel Messi's two finest performances against Real Madrid.
Mario Goetze. Thomas Muller. Thiago Alcantara. All three players are major parts of Pep Guardiola's dominant Bayern Munich side and are seen as major pieces for the future. The team also recently acquired Robert Lewandowski and rumor has it that Julian Draxler is also a player that Guardiola will look to add. All of them are young, so one would assume that they are expected play major roles in coming years as such aging veterans like Arjen Robben and Frank Ribery fade into the sunrise. But there is one player that may actually be more important than all three of them. And his name is Toni Kroos.
Back in late September, Arsenal fans everywhere celebrated the arrival of Mesut Ozil. The transfer was essential for a number of reasons. It proved that manager Arsene Wenger was willing to spend money when the opportunity came. It also made Arsenal a major contender in the Premier League. For the following months after Ozil's arrival, the Gunners became the top team in the Premier League and seemingly never looked back.
Both players have had their fair share of memorable games against one another. Latinos Post will showcase a two-part feature, which examines these two superstars' best games against their hated rivals. The edition featuring Messi's top performances was published on Wednesday. Now we will take a look at Ronaldo's star turns for Real Madrid.
UEFA announced the groups for the UEFA 2016 qualifiers which featured a number of interesting matchups. Inevitably the big teams will earn the spotlight when analysis about these groups comes about. Some top teams inevitably came away with a solid draws in the qualifiers while other teams wound up with the short straw. Here are the major winners of the draw.
UEFA announced the groups for the UEFA 2016 qualifiers which featured a number of interesting matchups. Inevitably the big teams will earn the spotlight when analysis about these groups comes about. Some top teams inevitably came away with a solid draws in the qualifiers while other teams wound up with the short straw. Here are the losers of the draw.
The World Cup is just four months away. With each passing week, we'll preview two of the 32 competitors leading up to the biggest tournament on the planet.
Argentina enters the tournament as major favorites to win it all. But will the South American giants finally end decades of futility in Brazil?
What is wrong with Gerardo Martino's Barcelona? How can this possibly be the same team that won its first 10 competitive matches of the 2013-14 season (not including the Spanish Super Cup) and also managed to rack up wins in 13 of its first 14 Spanish League matches this season?
The Champions League gets back underway on Tuesday when Borussia Dortmund visits Zenit St. Petersburg in the round of 16.
This matchup is a rather interesting one as it features the "weakest" qualifying side against last year's tournament runner-up. Which team manages to take the advantage in the opening leg?
Another season. Another choke from the Pittsburgh Penguins. While they are no where near the level of the San Jose Sharks and Washington Capitals in terms of choking, Sidney Crosby and the Penguins are building quite a resume. Here is a look at the highs and lows of the 2013-14 season for Pittsburgh.
Manchester United will look to continue building momentum when it takes on Olympiacos in the first leg of the Champions league round of 16. The team is currently on a three-game unbeaten run and recently signed Wayne Rooney to a lengthy contract. The team certainly feels great and will feel much better if it manages a favorable result on Tuesday.
Here is how the English side stacks up against its Greek rivals.
Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez could face each other for the fifth time if the Mexican boxing icon wins against Mike Alvarado in their upcoming fight on Saturday at The Forum in Los Angeles.
Portugal coach Paulo Bento is confident that star forward Cristiano Ronaldo will be fully fit in time for their upcoming campaign in 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil next month.
