Posts

From the possibility of Maurizio Sarri getting sacked to Kepa Arrizabalaga refusing to get subbed – things have been very tough to digest for Chelsea fans. However, if the last two games are to be seen, there is a change in the way they are playing and the players are finally showing some courage on the pitch. The devastating start to 2019 has made things difficult for EA too. A lot of Chelsea players were in contention to get an upgrade in the FIFA 19 Winter Upgrades but the poor performances in January and February changed things for them....

They also confirmed the addition of a few new game modes aside from the usual upgrades in game play and in-game engines. With FIFA 20 set to release in late September, here, we take a look at five of the biggest changes/upgrades we will witness in the game. #1 Strafe dribbling, AI enhancements More power to the dribblers. The introduction of the strafe dribbling feature will allow users in control of speedy and agile players to draw defenders in during 1v1 situations before quickly gliding past them and racing away towards goal....

The latest rumors will surely excite fans for many reasons, one being the nature of icon cards. These are unique items of footballers who have retired from the game as legends, thanks to their stellar performances over the years. With boosted stats in every attribute, icon cards add plenty of value to any Ultimate Team squad. Apart from the normal icon cards primarily available in three versions, EA Sports has traveled the extra mile this time....

In case you didn’t know… The FIFA Best award ceremony was held at La Scala in Milan on Monday night as Messi beat Ronaldo and Virgil van Dijk to the FIFA Best Men’s Player of the Year award. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp beat Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino to the FIFA Men’s Coach of the Year award, while Megan Rapinoe won the FIFA Best Women’s Player of the Year award for her World Cup-winning exploits with the United States national team over the summer....

FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee sanctioned Chelsea last month over 29 cases in which the club were found to have breached regulations relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18. Responding to the ban, which prevents Chelsea from registering any new signings before the end of the 2019-20 season, a club statement said they “categorically refute” FIFA’s claims and would be appealing. “The club wishes to emphasise that it respects the important work undertaken by FIFA in relation to the protection of minors and has fully cooperated with FIFA throughout its investigation,” Chelsea said....

“The FIFA President will begin his two-day stay in Russia on 19 April with a visit to Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium, venue of the opening match and final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup,” Zurich-based FIFA said in a statement. He leaves on April 20 for Doha, where he will meet senior board members of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy and officials of the Qatari government, it added....

Stephen Constantine’s men are now ranked in the 97th spot with 354 rating points which is a jump of 15 points from the last update in March. While India have gained two places in the overall rankings, they have moved down one spot in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to 15th. Kyrgyz Republic, India’s fellow qualifiers to the AFC Asian Cup, have been the biggest movers in the rankings as they jumped 40 spots....

ROISSY, France (Reuters) - FIFA president Gianni Infantino is hoping video replays will be used at the 2018 World Cup in Russia to help referees avoid serious mistakes during the tournament. Speaking to reporters after the first executive summit of the world governing body on Wednesday, he said video replays could help with decisions on penalties, goals and red cards. “It will not answer all the questions a referee can have but it will help them not to make serious mistakes,” Infantino said at the regional gathering of FAs....

24 of the best teams from around the globe will arrive in India to battle it out for the coveted trophy at six venues across India with the final being held in Kolkata. As the youth football extravaganza draws near with each passing day, Goal continues to profile the various squads set to descend in the country. We take a look at the African nation Mali and their journey to qualification....

Iran’s rough and tough forward Allahyar Sayyad made use of his body strength and pace to take advantage of a wrong-headed ball that fell in his path to score Iran’s second goal. The Mexicans pulled one back thanks to a sweet strike from their forward Alberto De La Rosa with a few minutes before halftime. “We tried our best, but I would personally say it was the worst game because this is the game that knocked us out....

Recent performances of the German national side were not as convincing, losing 1-0 to Brazil and drawing 1-1 to Spain. But surely Loew would have extracted the positives out of it. The Germans can play in a wide variety of formations. Here we take a look at how Die Mannschaft should lineup in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Goalkeeper and Defenders If the Germany captain is back to his best, there is no doubt about the first choice keeper; Manuel Neuer would be the one guarding the sticks for his national side....

Over the past four weeks, players from 32 nations dreamed of getting their hands on global football’s most iconic piece of silverware and Argentina earned it when they survived a penalty shootout against France following a thrilling 3-3 draw. The current trophy that will be used for 2022 — known simply as the FIFA World Cup Trophy — is not actually the original award. It is the second version of the prize, having replaced the Jules Rimet Trophy ahead of the 1974 World Cup....

FIFPro secretary general Theo van Seggelen said Monday the weather in Brazil was a far more pressing concern than the prospect of playing a summer World Cup in Qatar in 2022, reports Xinhua. “It astonishes me that the media is obsessed with Qatar in nine years’ time and does not seem very bothered about the World Cup in 2014,” Van Seggelen said. He pointed to the Confederations Cup in June, particularly the semifinal in Fortaleza between Italy and Spain in 32-degree celsius heat with sapping humidity....

In the past two months, there have been nine trades involving almost 30 players and as many as 11 draft picks. That is an unexpectedly high volume of activity for this point in the season, and could sap some of the drama out of deadline week. Still, there has been no shortage of trade discussions and players who have been undoubtedly made available. In that spirit, we look at 15 known inhabitants of the trading block:...

Third-seeded Simona Halep fell victim to Mirjana Lucic-Baroni on Wednesday and, a day later, Wozniacki missed out on securing her first third-round berth at Roland Garros since 2012. MORE: Sleepers on the women’s side | Serena’s elbow not 100 percent A gusty showing from Goerges proved sufficient for a fourth career victory over the Dane. American Irina Falconi awaits Goerges in the next round. Wozniacki made a promising enough start to her eighth career meeting with Goerges, gaining the first break of the match in the fourth game to move ahead 3-1....

Scheduled to fight in March, Molina was arrested in Las Vegas days before the bout on a 2007 warrant from Wisconsin. Charge: failure to register as a sex offender. Molina was released from jail two months ago. His partner of 11 years, Sarah Anaya, and their 10-year-old son reside in Chicago. He lives in and can’t leave Mexico because of immigration issues. Molina is 22-5-2 with six knockouts. Bundrage is 33-5 with 19 KOs....

Stairways to Heaven City streets offer a chance to stretch your legs, but suburban houses and malls have their own form of hidden exercise: stairs. In an hour of stair climbing you will more than double the number of calories you burn walking. But it turns out that not many ‘burbanites are taking advantage of this exercise advantage: a 1998 study by Johns Hopkins researchers found that only about 5 percent of mall shoppers chose the stairs over the elevator....

Today, Wagner has a beautiful family and continues to stay active through biking and many other sports. Developed by Chicago-based Intersport in 1991, “Courage in Sports” is entering its 26th year of celebrating the most incredible athletes in the world. Traditionally a one-hour television special aired each fall, Sporting News will be the official online home for “Courage in Sports.” Each week, “Courage in Sports” will deliver a relevant and powerful story of courage, resilience and excellence in the face of adversity....

When Fury dominated Klitschko, or when Holly Holm dethroned the queen of MMA – Ronda Rousey, with both ironically happening in the same month, the ardent combat sports fans were thrilled. After all, the greatest story is written when an underdog overcomes the obstacles and wins the battle – your typical Cinderella story. However, the fight also depends upon the difference in techniques – the versatility, finesse, and panache of the two fighters....

Break the silence. The first challenge is simply to face reality. Until recently, few African leaders acknowledged that AIDS was a problem. The disease still carries a strong stigma, but the official silence is breaking. The presidents of Zimbabwe and Kenya are now calling AIDS an urgent problem. Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland have all announced new anti-AIDS initiatives in the past year. And many governments are teaming up with corporations and community groups to raise public awareness....