Daily Archives: March 3, 2026

The Manchester City tactical tweak that shows Pep Guardiola is still a unique thinker

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Manchester City’s goal-kick strategy at Leeds was unusual Premier League
“There are three things you should know about Pep Guardiola’s latest tactical tweak. First, what it is and why they did it: in the 1-0 win at Leeds United on Saturday, Guardiola asked his two holding midfielders, Bernardo Silva and Rodri, to start the play from goal kicks, positioning them on the corners of the six-yard box, to help Manchester City play through the home side’s intense pressure. The second thing is that it is the latest evidence, and perhaps the clearest, that the Manchester City manager is trying to beat the Premier League man-to-man craze by doing things his own way. …”
NY Times/The Athletic

Don’t Let Trump Ruin the World Cup

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“I’ve been to the last nine men’s soccer World Cups, and the dominant mood is almost always international friendship. The same vibe usually prevails on the field, even after hard-fought matches. One of the tournament’s most famous photographs, from 1970, shows the great Brazilian Pele, and the great Englishman Bobby Moore, both shirtless, beaming into each other’s eyes like lovers just after Brazil beat England in the group stage. That is not the spirit of the United States under the Trump administration, primary host of this summer’s tournament in North America. Its basic message to foreigners seems to be: ‘We hate you.’ The feeling is mutual. Many of the world’s soccer fans are dreading a tournament in a country that a growing number of foreigners are afraid even to visit. Happily, the Democratic cities that are hosting almost all games in the United States can seize the opportunity to show the world an alternative, a better, America. …”
NY Times
Iran’s soccer team is close to withdrawing from the 2026 World Cup
Guardian: Iranian football association unsure if national team will play at World Cup in US

Iran’s soccer team is close to withdrawing from the 2026 World Cup

The truth about World Cup ticket demand and why USA’s opener has struggled to sell out

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“Six days after FIFA president Gianni Infantino claimed that ‘every’ 2026 World Cup match is ‘already sold out,’ FIFA, out of nowhere, launched an effort to sell World Cup tickets. It emailed fans advertising an ‘exclusive additional chance to purchase,’ and warned that ‘availability is extremely limited.’ Then, from Wednesday onward, it offered tickets to at least 64 of the World Cup’s 104 games, according to fans who sent information and screenshots to The Athletic. The unexpected sale was, some experts suspect, the clearest evidence yet that FIFA has perhaps overstated demand for some World Cup games — or, rather, that it has priced out segments of that demand. …”
NY Times/The Athletic

Virgil van Dijk has been available for Liverpool for almost 100 games.

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“Virgil van Dijk is just one game away from another incredible milestone. The evergreen centre-half will mark two and a half years of continued availability for Liverpool by the middle of March and, if he starts against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday night, he will have played 99 of the last 100 Premier League outings. The lone blemish came in the penultimate fixture of the 2024-25 title-winning season when head coach Arne Slot rotated his side to give fringe players a rare outing. Van Dijk was an unused substitute in the 3-2 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion and would have relished the chance to keep his run of consecutive appearances going, yet that solitary omission does little to diminish the broader picture. …”
NY Times/The Athletic