Football

7:53 PM ET There was a time in the not too distant past when the United States would win games by defending like madmen, get great goalkeeping, and be opportunistic in attack. It was an approach that tended to drive opponents — Mexico in particular — to distraction, and the complaints afterward became utterly predictable.

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6:45 PM ET Adam Brown Brighton star Yves Bissouma could be on the way to Tottenham before the winter window closes. Getty Images The 2022 January transfer window is open (find out when it closes here), and there’s plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours,

3:26 PM ET A manager’s explanations for a striker who doesn’t score are well known by now. “His link-up play is excellent.” “He’s doing the dirty work.” “He’s getting in good positions. If he wasn’t doing that, then I’d be worried.” – ESPN+ viewers’ guide: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, FA Cup, more– Stream ESPN FC Daily

7:43 AM ET If you’re a fan of dramatic title races, you probably aren’t enjoying the 2021-22 European soccer season all that much. Bayern Munich lead the Bundesliga by six points over second-place Borussia Dortmund, and FiveThirtyEight gives the German giants a 97% chance of winning their 10th consecutive Bundesliga crown. In response to losing

9:00 AM ET With six months of the 2021-22 Premier League season played and clubs enjoying an ersatz, staggered “winter break,” this feels like a good time to look back and take stock. While plenty of big-name players have lit up the league in the opening half of the campaign, many more have had to

10:26 AM ET Jeff Carlisle Close U.S. soccer correspondent Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Austin Lindberg It’s only been 49 days since the 2021 Major League Soccer season concluded with New York City FC‘s triumphant MLS Cup win in Portland, and there are still 30 days before the

11:36 PM ET Antonee Robinson celebrated his goal for the United States with an acrobatic backflip, followed by a front spring, and then a feigned leg injury. A memorable celebration for a player who goes by a galactic moniker. “It’s weird being called Antonee, I prefer being called Jedi,” the self-professed “Star Wars” fan said

1:15 AM ET COLUMBUS, Ohio — When the United States men’s national team went into halftime with El Salvador on Thursday without a goal, any feeling of anxiousness that might have crept into the home locker room would have been understandable. With a World Cup berth not yet secured, anything other than a win would

8:51 PM ET Antonee Robinson scored a crucial goal early in the second half as the United States beat El Salvador 1-0 in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday night. U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter changed five starters from the previous qualifier, a 1-1 draw at Jamaica in November, with Christian Pulisic, Weston

12:00 PM ET Bruce Schoenfeld Yedlin’s career has taken him across multiple countries, but at this point in life, he’s excited at the prospect of getting back to the United States. Kirk Irwin/Getty Images ISTANBUL, Turkey — It was six o’clock on a December evening. Inside his apartment in one of the wealthiest areas of Istanbul,

4:00 AM ET Tor-Kristian Karlsen The January transfer window in Europe is traditionally a lot slower than its summer counterpart, with clubs often deciding to stick with what they have until the end of the season. But why is that? 2 Related Obviously there’s the fact that January is just one month, as opposed to

4:36 PM ET After a two-month break, the United States men’s national team resumes World Cup qualifying with a game against El Salvador in Columbus, Ohio (Thursday, 7 p.m. ET; stream LIVE on ESPN2, ESPN+). It’s the first of a pivotal three-match window that includes a trip to Canada on Sunday before returning home to

11:52 AM ET Associated Press FIFA President Gianni Infantino linked his plan for biennial World Cups on Wednesday to giving more hope to Africans who risk their lives crossing the sea to Europe. In a speech to European lawmakers, Infantino said football was being dominated by the few who “have everything” and it needed to

5:03 AM ET There was something different about Thomas Tuchel from day one. As the Chelsea head coach marks his first anniversary at the club on Wednesday, a source close to a first-team player outlines how he instantly understood his new surroundings. – Marcotti: How Chelsea beat Tottenham (again)– Olley: Dropping points becoming the new

11:51 AM ET Neymar, middle, has been defensive of the art of dribbling, though not every player sees it as sportsmanlike. FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images Javier Pastore, Neymar and Lucas Paqueta all have some things in common in their careers: they are all from South America, they are all playing or have played in Ligue

12:14 PM ET Every run-up to a World Cup qualifying window has its area of focus. Usually its centers around player availability, or the opponent. But the upcoming trio of games for the United States men’s national team against El Salvador in Columbus, Ohio, Canada in Hamilton, Ontario and Honduras in St. Paul, Minnesota has

5:00 AM ET Ian DarkeESPN.com writer Close Darke, who called games for the network during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, is ESPN lead soccer voice in the United States. He has covered the Barclays Premier League and the Champions League since 1982, and has one of the world’s most recognizable soccer voices.