Gabriele Marcotti – Page 3

Man United’s summer wasn’t good enough for a club of their size and ambition

Faith begins when reason ends. You get to the outer limits of your rational tether and then you take that big leap. It’s not necessarily a bad thing: Belief is central to sports. History is filled with stories of those who believed in themselves, thereby achieving great things. There’s also a rich trove of “outside-the-box” thinkers who are rewarded when they defy conventional wisdom and mainstream opinion to do things differently, whether in terms of tactical innovation or recruitment approach.

Then…

Neymar returning to Spain would be an ego trip by Barca or Real. PLUS: Chelsea exposed at Man United

It’s back! After a summer of international soccer, Gab Marcotti returns with his weekly column reflecting on the big talking points. It’s the first edition of Monday Musings for the 2019-20 season.

The latest on Neymar’s transfer saga

So now it’s apparently just a question of making the numbers work. PSG sporting director…

Why did Premier League teams spend less money on transfers this summer?

For all the talk of financial might, this summer’s transfer window saw the Premier League’s collective net spend fall by more than 25 percent.

Whether you use Transfermarkt figures (showing a drop of 31.6 percent, from 1.019 billion Euros to 774m Euros) or the numbers put out by Deloitte (a fall of 26.4 percent, from £850m to £625m), it’s pretty clear that 2019 saw a sharp U-turn in spending compared to years past. In fact, Deloitte says this was the lowest net spend since the summer of 2015,…

Luck Index 2019: Man City unlucky? Man United worse than sixth? Aguero robbed? Here’s what we found

Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang shared the Golden Boot with Liverpool’s Mohamad Salah and Sadio Mane, but did he deserve all of his 22 Premier League goals?

The Luck Index was kind to Man United but tough on Man City and relegated Fulham.

We’ve all watched and wondered. We’ve all felt hard done by. We’ve all cursed the sliver of fortune and happenstance that turns victory into defeat. That’s what prompted ESPN and the team led by Dr. Thomas Curran, at the London School of Economics, to compile the Luck Index, which returns for a second season.

The 2018 version found that luck had a profound effect on the top of the table. It gave Liverpool, the unluckiest side, an additional 12 points, which would have catapulted them from fourth…

Premier League introduces VAR and new laws for 2019-20: what’s changing with handball, offside rules

VAR’s been used for years across several leagues and tournaments, including the 2019 Copa America. But it will take time for referees in the Premier League to get used to it.

VAR makes its Premier League debut on Friday, meaning English football will fall into line with Europe’s other top leagues. Coupled with the International Football Association Board’s (IFAB) changes and clarifications to the Laws of the Game that came into effect on June 1, it may take some players, coaches and fans a bit of time to get used to things. (IFAB is the ruling body in charge of determining and agreeing on the rules of soccer worldwide.)

Here’s a primer to help you along…

Q: We’re…

VAR in the Premier League: How it will work and will it be a success?

Former Premier League referee Neil Swarbrick believes other leagues’ VAR systems are more advanced but it is important that they learn from their mistakes throughout the season. VAR makes its Premier League debut on Friday, meaning English football will fall into line with Europe’s other top leagues. Coupled with the International Football Association Board’s (IFAB) changes and clarifications to the Laws of the Game that came into effect on June 1, it may take some players, coaches and fans a bit of time to get used to things. (IFAB is the ruling body in charge of determining and agreeing on the rules of soccer worldwide.)

Here’s a primer to help you along …

Q: We’re…

Brazil are back! Why this squad is the best Selecao we’ve seen in a long time

To watch the 2019 Copa America, sign up for ESPN+.

Gab Marcotti says that despite improvement by Argentina, Brazil were “a challenge too far for them” in their 2-0 victory at the Estadio Mineirao.
BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil — Fourteen games undefeated, a goalkeeper unbeaten for his country since March (603 minutes, plus stoppage time, and counting), a coach who oozes confidence, forwards who convert chances (and return the favor), a water-tight defense and a midfield creator who is regaining his mojo away from the Camp Nou.
Oh, and no Neymar.
– Vickery: Argentina avoid humiliation in defeat
– Messi launches tirade at ref after loss
That’s enough for Brazil to maintain its unofficial southern…

Copa America semifinals: Pressure on Brazil and Argentina, while Chile and Peru play with house money

The FC crew share their keys for Brazil and Argentina as both sides search for consistency heading into their Copa America semifinal.

Steve Nicol says three or four years of playing without a break is catching up with most of Brazil as …

Copa America’s love affair with shootouts down to a matter of survival

ESPN FC’s Steve Nicol and Janusz Michallik were left underwhelmed by Uruguay’s inability to take advantage of their chances in their defeat to Peru.

The FC crew share their keys for Brazil and Argentina as both sides search for consistency heading into their Copa America semifinal.
SALVADOR, BRAZIL — After four quarterfinals in the 2019 Copa America we’ve had three penalty shootouts, which is one more than four years ago, in Chile. If it feels like a lot, that’s because it is.
Under Copa America rules, you go straight to penalties if the scores are level after 90 minutes (except in the final, where you play the customary extra time). That explains why there are so many shootouts in the knockout rounds relative to, say, the Euros (three in 17 knockout ties in France), the…

Argentina mix surprisingly good cocktail with just a splash of Messi

To watch the 2019 Copa America, sign up for ESPN+.

Alejandro Moreno says Argentina once again played flat, and a more fundamentally sound Venezuelan team could have taken advantage.
RIO DE JANEIRO — When Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni looks at his glass, he can wonder all he likes about whether it’s half-full or half-empty — and make an excellent case for both. What he’ll have to concede, though, is that whatever liquid is in it looks about as appealing as a brown cocktail, which is what you get when you play bartender without Mr. Boston and with the wrong mix of top-shelf liquor and off-brand, plastic-bottle swill.
Brazil are up next for Argentina after the 2-0 win over…

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