On Monday, a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier between England and Bulgaria in Sofia was stopped twice due to racist abuse. Bulgarian fans taunted black English players and performed fascist salutes, while the PA announcer told fans to stop as play was halted. The game would eventually be completed with England winning, 6-0. England manager Gareth Southgate complained to the fourth official on two occasions, and the referee finally stopped play late in the first half, leading to the PA announcement. This is the first step in UEFA’s anti-racism protocol. Step two, if the racist abuse doesn’t stop, is for the referee to take players off the pitch while another announcement is made. Step three is for the match to be abandoned. On this occasion, the referee did not progress past step one. At halftime, Bulgaria’s captain attempted to get fans to stop the racist chanting. While they were successful enough in reducing the abuse that the referee did not stop the match again, field … [Read more...] about Why UEFA is useless at dealing with racism in soccer
Soccer
The best of the 2019 MLS season, voted on by SB Nation
Awards season is nearly upon us in MLS, with official voting for the league’s 2019 awards already over. To get ready for the real deal, and to have the local experts, our MLS team bloggers, weigh in, we took our own vote and here’s the results. We threw in a few new categories, too. No surprise here, as the Mexican attacker who broke the league’s single-season scoring record (34 goals) while also notching 15 assists on the team that won the Supporters’ Shield was a nearly unanimous pick from our voters. The only player who got a first-choice vote other than Vela was his crosstown rival, the LA Galaxy’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic, although Vela was on every voter’s ballot. Both Josef Martinez and Maxi Moralez were popular second-choice picks for MVP. Often, Defender of the Year goes to a leading defender on the team that conceded the fewest goals, but a different kind of logic was at work here. Opara joined in the offseason from Sporting KC, who had their … [Read more...] about The best of the 2019 MLS season, voted on by SB Nation
The Alacranes have made leaps and bounds
.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........Pavement and a small patch of grass is where the Tierra Encantada boys soccer got its start.With no nearby pitch, coach Kurtis Montoya and his Alacranes had to make do. Tierra Encantada’s Fernando Granados, center, battles Monte del Sol’s Gabriel Alarcon, left, and Jorge Morales, right, during a Tuesday match that Monte del Sol won 2-1. (Eddie Moore/Albuquerque Journal)“We didn’t even have a field,” Montoya said. “When we moved to our new school at this location, we were practicing on pavement or practiced on a very small patch of grass that’s right next to the parking lot.”The team now has access to a practice field at Salvador Perez Park, but because it is in use most afternoons, the Alacranes again have had to make do.ADVERTISEMENTSkip … [Read more...] about The Alacranes have made leaps and bounds
Guzman’s historic night keeps SAFC’s hopes alive
It took Ever Guzman’s historic night and surviving some late anxious moments, but San Antonio FC is right where it wants to be. With one game left in the regular season, the local United Soccer League club is still in contention for a playoff berth. More importantly, it could control its own destiny. Guzman scored three goals, and SAFC held on for a 4-3 win against Portland Timbers 2 on Friday before 1,305 at Providence Park in Portland, Ore. It was the first hat trick in SAFC history and only the second in the Alamo City’s professional soccer annals. Pablo Campos accomplished the feat in 2012 while playing for the NASL’s San Antonio Scorpions. SAFC (12-13-8, 44 points) moved into ninth place in the USL Western Conference with the triumph. The top 10 teams advance to the postseason, and the local squad has plenty of teams on its heels. New Mexico United (42 points), Las Vegas Lights FC (41 points), Portland (38 points) and OKC Energy FC (38 points) are all within … [Read more...] about Guzman’s historic night keeps SAFC’s hopes alive
Column: LAFC and Galaxy deal with long break before MLS playoffs
Guillermo Barros Schelotto set one goal when he took over as coach of the Galaxy last winter: get the team to the playoffs. So now that he’s there, he intends to enjoy it.“It’s like when you are going to [a] party,” he said after a light training session last week. “Now we’re going to dance.”He’ll have to wait before the music starts, though. The end of the MLS regular season coincided with the penultimate FIFA international window of the year, so the league is taking an extended break before beginning the playoffs. And that could prove challenging for players who averaged a game about every six days for the last seven months.“Do club coaches like international breaks? Of course not,” said LAFC coach Bob Bradley, whose team will go 17 days between games, nearly double its longest break of the regular season. “The schedule for every club in the world in October and November are made more difficult because of the … [Read more...] about Column: LAFC and Galaxy deal with long break before MLS playoffs