Tag: Dirty Tackle

Colombia-Paraguay coin flip proves Copa America Centenario is cursed

This is it. Definitive proof that Copa America Centenario has been cursed by the football gods for being an orgy of greed and incompetence.

Prior to Colombia’s 2-1 win over a 10-man Paraguay, there was the coin toss. And on the first attempt, something unusual happened: the coin landed on its edge. IT LANDED ON ITS EDGE.

The match officials and captains had a giggle about it, but this was surely the nervous laughter of men frightened to their core by the supernatural occurrence they just witnessed with their own eyes.

This is what happens when you charge $40 for parking, price fans out of being able to fill the stadiums, disrespect national anthems, and have kitmakers who can’t even spell their partner countries names’ right. This is a warning! The tournament will be smited for these egregious offenses! Repent! REPENT!

Jurgen Klinsmann, U.S. team are basically the greatest ever now

An uninspiring performance in an expected loss to Colombia to begin Copa America Centenario fueled a familiar rise in angst over the state of the U.S. team and calls for Jurgen Klinsmann to be sacked. Hours before the U.S.’s second group-stage match against Costa Rica, federation president Sunil Gulati legitimized these calls by telling reporters, “We have to win games … no one has ironclad job security. Jurgen’s already said, for coaches and players, it’s about results.”

Read more

Marouane Fellaini challenges Aaron Ramsey for worst Euro 2016 blond dye job

Here we go with Blondie Felli…. @sebahatmichel

A photo posted by Marouane Fellaini (@fellaini) on

Players know that the Euros bring a bright, potentially career changing spotlight. Getting noticed during this time can mean big-time transfers, fatter contracts, and new endorsement deals. So Marouane Fellaini and Aaron Ramsey have both attempted to take a shortcut to getting all eyes on them by dying their hair blond. This was a mistake on both counts.

Read more

Copa America Centenario isn’t off to the greatest start

The special 100th anniversary edition of Copa America hosted by the U.S. was supposed to be a showcase to further strengthen a potential 2026 World Cup bid. But so far it has only been an exhibition of greed and poor planning.

Playing Chile’s national anthem for a confused and angry Uruguay ahead of their match against Mexico at For-Profit University Stadium in Glendale, Arizona was an embarrassing flub that follows a string of poorly attended matches. And the excessive cost to attend these games probably has something to do with that.

Read more

Neymar is building his brand in the U.S. instead of playing in Copa America

Instead of playing in Copa America Centenario in the U.S., Neymar will represent Brazil at the Olympics in Rio later this summer. While choosing the event being held on his nation’s home soil better serves Brazil’s national interests, one might think that it would prevent him from building his profile in the U.S. — the Copa America host nation. But not playing in the U.S. might actually be giving him a greater opportunity to increase his name recognition within the country than anything he could possibly do on the pitch.

Read more