Rory Smith
Posts
Manchester City Fights Off Atlético Madrid in Champions League
City, a team shaped by style, showed it was also skilled in the dark arts as it eliminated Atlético Madrid and moved a step closer...
Real Madrid Edges Chelsea to Reach Champions League Semifinals
A curving assist by Luka Modric and an extra-time header by Karim Benzema carried Real Madrid back to the Champions League semifinals.
Manchester City Ties Liverpool, Defending Its Turf and Its Lead
In a Premier League season of the finest margins, four goals add to the drama but don’t change the title math for Pep Guardiola and...
For Liverpool and Manchester City, a Showdown With Consequences
Manchester City and Liverpool meet Sunday in the first of a series of collisions that could decide as many as three trophies. Neither team can...
Soccer’s Focus Needs to Be Product, Not Packaging
A simple rule change paved the way for the modern soccer we watch today. An obsession with Super Bowl-style changes won’t move it forward.
Karim Benzema Carries Real Madrid Over Chelsea
Three goals confirm what should have been obvious long ago: Benzema is Real Madrid’s brain, and its heart.
Manchester City Finds Breakthrough Against Atlético Madrid
Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid hunkered down and defended in its Champions League quarterfinal at Manchester City. But a single goal might be enough to send...
Can Liverpool and City Win When the Bar Is Set Too High?
The Premier League leaders will compete for three high-profile trophies this spring. But does failing to win them all turn a great season into a...
World Cup Draw Analysis: First the Picks. Now the Hard Part.
Often, draws do not mean what they seem to mean at first reading. Just ask Spain and Germany.
A Day of World Cup Drama Goes Down to the Last Kick
In Algeria, a berth in Qatar changed hands in an instant. In Senegal, a shootout settled another long night. And in Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo set...