But we had some great EFL action to distract us from the ongoing circus on Merseyside.

We’ll start with Swansea’s away day.

Swansea City: 3-0 W

Opoku continued his hot start with a goal in the opening minutes of the game. Ji-Sung Eom made a great run with the ball down the left and squared one into the box, passed the outstretched legs of the Derby defenders, who got pulled out of position as they tracked back chasing the counter. Opoku got on the end of it and struck one towards the goal, where it deflected into the bottom left.

Another early lead for the Swans.

It was then Eom who got himself a goal, adding to his assist just before halftime. He was in the right place at the right time to slot home a rebound from an Adam Idah header. Once the ball was settled at his feet, there was no missing from such close range.

Vipotnik had a glorious 1v1 chance saved by Zetterström and had the joint-most shots in the match, despite only playing 25 minutes. You’d typically back the Slovenian international and last year’s golden boot winner to slot that home, but getting into those positions is half the battle, so look out for more from him if he does indeed stay at Swansea (The transfer speculation continues).

Derby managed to lash a few half-chances at goal, but it wasn’t to be.

Ronald would finish off the game with a well-taken goal from outside the box in the 91st minute to ice it. Swansea remain unbeaten in the Championship, and if they keep playing like this, I’ll feel pretty good about my Top-6 prediction.

Wrexham: 1-2 L

Wrexham battled it out with Birmingham City on the weekend, but again their search for that first win of the campaign continues.

I think I knew they were in for a game when Ollie Rathbone had to miraculously clear one off the line within 6 minutes. Wrexham soaked up a lot of pressure, and eventually the defense cracked, conceding off a corner a few minutes later. Phil Neumann met the ball at the back post, knocking it in past Patterson.

Wrexham continued to look vulnerable on the counter but went into halftime only down 1 after a few chances of their own.

After the break, the Red Dragons managed to tie it up when Callum Doyle got on the end of a really nice ball in from Lewis O’Brien. Doyle took it first time with his left hitting it into the ground and into the back of the net.

The eventual nail in the coffin would come again from Phil Neumann, who had himself a night to remember. The defender made it 2 for Birmingham City after Kieffer Moore failed to clear his lines and shanked the ball out to August Priske, who put it right back into the box for an unmarked Neumann to guide one past the Wrexham keeper. He was pretty much untouched in the box.

Parkinson said they were 'Two of the softest goals we've conceded in all my time' (at Wrexham). (BBC Sport)

The Racecourse was disappointed with the standard of play on the night. It’s not what the fans have come to expect over the last few seasons. After what Wrexham achieved last year, you’d like to see them kick on and push for the expanded playoffs, but they’ll need that first win to get going.

A win should give them the confidence to put this start behind them.

Cardiff City: 2-2 Draw

Another fast start from Cardiff, but yet another 2 all draw. Sheffield United visited Cardiff City Stadium, having just drawn with fellow South Wales rivals Swansea City. Both clubs were hoping to get back on track and into the win column before a tough run of fixtures.

Jack Moylan opened the scoring in the 2nd minute off a ball played into his feet on the wing by Cian Ashford (who had a great game himself). Moylan still had a lot to do, cutting it in on his right and finishing into the bottom left.

Really nice take from right inside the box. A decent long-range effort.

Not too long after, though, United were awarded a penalty as Alex Robertson brought down ex-Everton youngster Tom Cannon in the box. It was a Pen, but Cannon also made a meal of it to make sure.

The Blades’ number 9 would dispatch the penalty right down the middle, leveling the game at 1.

Michael Cooper, the United keeper, had to make a few good saves before launching one down the field from a goalkick. It was a fast move, flicked on from the head of a Cardiff defender straight down into the path of Bamford, who found Callum O’Hare streaking into the middle of the box on the break and scoring to make it 2-1 to the visitors.

Poor defending, it has to be said. Never should be letting them in on goal from a keeper’s long ball.

The game opened up and was again pretty back and forth, with both Trott and Cooper coming up with big saves for either side. In the 38th minute, we’d see the 4th goal of the game go in off the foot of Cian Ashford to add to his earlier assist.

Ollie Tanner took on a defender in the box with an ensuing scramble, seeing the ball bounce around off both players' shins, eventually wiggling free to get a powerful shot on goal. Cooper made the save, but the rebound fell straight to Ashford, who was able to guide it home. 2-2.

Both teams would use all 5 of their subs in the second half, but nothing seemed to break for either squad.

Cardiff also played on Tuesday (Aug 25) in the EFL Cup, losing 2-1 to Norwich at the Cardiff City Stadium. Goals from Ante Crnac and Mathias Kvistgaarden were enough to see Norwich into the next round.

Yousef Salech had the Bluebirds' only goal in the 93rd minute.

Newport County: 2-2 Draw

Shaquille Gwengwe is making a case for signing of the season, and we’re only a few games into the new campaign. He scored both Newport goals, the second being in the 90th minute, to salvage a point at Rodney Parade.

The first came off a header from a Harrison Biggins cross in the 11th minute that looped over the head of Bobby Faulkner, who couldn't keep it out.

Tranmere turned it around with a consistent spell of possession in the second half, and finally, on a quick counterattack, Zane Okoro slid in at the near post, finishing with a slight ricochet off a Newport defender in the 68th minute.

From there, we’d see Tranmere’s second find the back of the net from a long throw-in that bobbled around in the box before Dylan Jones tapped it past the keeper. 1-2 Tranmere.

By the time the 90th minute came around, the Exiles looked like they would be heading for defeat if it weren’t for budding fan favorite Gwengwe, who got on the end of a last-ditch long throw of their own, flicked on to him at the back post. The right-footed finish saved a point at home.

2-2.

Another great weekend of football is in the books, and we’ll be keeping you all right up to date.

Side note, I’m sitting top right now in both my FPL leagues…felt like that needed to be mentioned…

UP NEXT:

Swansea vs. Watford (Sep 1 )

Cardiff vs. QPR (Sep 2)

Wrexham vs. Millwall (Sep 2)

Newport vs. Salford (Sep 1)

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We’ll start with The Exiles.

Newport County: 3-5 L

The early morning kick-off hit us with an 8-goal thriller from Memorial Stadium in Bristol.

Newport got off to a dream start with Harrison Biggins putting the visitors up inside the 1st minute. The game ebbed and flowed until the fourth official announced +1 minute of added time at the end of the first half.

It was then that ex-Newport man Bobby Kamwa (we’ll get on to him a bit later), who took it past his defender on the wing and stood one up to the front post, where a scramble ensued, and an eventual header from close range found the back of the net to send us into halftime all square. Ben Purrington was the goal scorer.

A well-worked give-and-go into the box for Bristol gave way to their second goal of the day from Fabrizio Cavegn (his first of the day) in the 53rd minute, capitalizing on pressure to start the second half.

Not too long later, Shaquille Gwengwe continued his hot start for the Exiles, scoring in the 62nd minute to cut the deficit to 1. It was a really well-taken finish, jumping to delicately lift it over the keeper's head.

He’s looking like a great addition at this level and could prove to be the direct replacement for Bobby Kamwa Newport were hoping for.

It was that man, though, County hoped to replace at the end of last season, Bobby Kamwa, who would put the home side up 4-2 in the 75th minute.

Typically, when a player scores against his former club, especially departing only a few months ago, there’s a level of respect shown to your old teammates and the fans who cheered you on all of the previous season.

Bobby seemed to have missed that memo. After scoring his goal, he proceeded to run the length of the pitch to ‘celebrate’ in front of the away end.

Not someone I’d want on my team, and I think the Newport players are glad to see the back of him (although probably missed his goals lol)

The rest of the match ended with two stoppage-time goals from either side, bringing our total to 8.

Bristol Rovers 5-3 Newport County.

Cardiff City: 2-2 Draw

Nathan Trott was busy to start this one, making a crucial save early on to keep the game level at nil-nil. Cardiff started slowly but again grew into the game, with Scanlon (the Liverpool loanee) making runs down the left side to open up space for a ball into the box, where Rubin Colwill could hit it first time. This move ended with Colwill’s strike rattling the crossbar and staying out.

In the 19th minute, after 3 consecutive corners for Cardiff, Cian Ashford would be in the right place at the right time in the box to take a right-footed finish into the bottom left of the Derby goal.

The strength and composure of Carlton Morris would be Cardiff’s undoing at the back in the 26th minute of play. A long ball over the top saw Morris get onto it and bully Perry Ng (who may have been unlucky to lose his footing) in order to finish and tie the game up at 1 a piece.

It was Morris, the man dispossessed in midfield, that led to the second Cardiff goal. It was a wonderful team goal finished off by Yousef Salech. He couldn’t miss. Ruthless on the counter.

After the restart, Derby would find their equalizer through Bobby Clark in the 49th minute, and played it out to a 2-2 draw.

It’s important to note that defensive injury concerns meant the Bluebirds were without a recognized center-back in their starting line-up, forcing full-backs Perry Ng and Joel Bagan (again) to fill in. No excuse, I suppose, but the Bluebirds need reinforcements and fast.

"We were very slick going forward, and I wanted to keep the ball for as long as possible. We created dangerous chances, especially in the first half, and they have a really good team and a good manager, and create situations that are difficult to defend, so you have to defend the box well. -Brian Barry-Murphy. (Sky Sports).

Wrexham: 1-1 Draw

The STōK Cae Ras is becoming a fortress. The match was, honestly, a slow watch at times, but the way Wrexham have been playing lends itself to the end-to-end action fans love to see.

Wrexham had 59% possession and won 10 corners to Watford's 3, and out-created them on expected goals, 1.58 to 0.49. These stats are fun to look at, but can be misleading. I feel like the ‘eye-test’ tells the full story, and it was more back-and-forth than this might suggest.

Luca Kjerrumgaard opened the scoring for Watford in the 14th minute. Omar Haktab Traore was allowed to look up and pick out a cross, where Kjerrumgaard powered a header into the back of the net. A proper center-forward's goal.

8 minutes later, Lewis O'Brien would break quickly after a scramble in midfield, which led to Kieffer Moore squaring one into the box from the left. Danny Imray got there ahead of Federico Ravaglia, took his time, settled the ball, and finished with a thunderous strike into an open goal.

Imray would ring one off the post in the 37th minute, and Thomason hit one off the bar in the 68th. Callum Doyle had a chance late from a free kick, but banged it into the wall with the last shot of the game, and that was that.

Watford move to four points, Wrexham to two.

Wrexham are two games into the season, unbeaten, but winless. Here’s what Phil Parkinson had to say on the match:

“I thought we responded brilliantly to their goal. It’s always tough when you concede first at home, but we showed good character and good calmness to get back in the game. We dominated the game in the second-half. They are always dangerous on the counter, but we handled them well, and we had moments to go and win the game.” (BBC Sport).

The Red Dragon’s search for their first win of the campaign continues.

Swansea City: 0-0 Draw

A goalless draw here from the Swansea.com. Not much more to say, really, other than there were chances on both ends, but neither side were clinical enough. Maybe trying to be a bit too ‘cute’ in the final third.

The Blades hit the crossbar in the first half, and the Swans had a few chances go begging.

When Swansea moved quickly on the counter, they looked much better, but goals just weren’t meant to be in this one, unfortunately.

"There were things we need to improve while some things are positive. Now it's about keeping on improving", said the Swansea Boss. (BBC Sport).

Swansea 0-0 Sheffield United.

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The next few games will give us a better idea of where they’re all at. A couple more signings could be the difference between mid-table and a playoff push, and are probably higher priorities for Cardiff and Wrexham. We’ll see who gets any over the line before the window shuts.

(Also, shoutout Everton for taking down Palace on opening day. We looked real good.)

UP NEXT:

Swansea vs. Derby County (Aug 29)

Cardiff vs. Norwich (Aug 25) in the EFL Cup Second round, then vs. Sheffield United on Saturday, Aug 29th in the League.

Wrexham vs. Birmingham City (Aug 28)

Newport vs. Tranmere (Aug 29)

Looking forward to it!

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They’re picking up right where they left off for the most part, with 2 wins from 3, and remaining unbeaten.

The Bont went down early against Caernarfon (Aug 7) only to orchestrate an impressive come back win 2-1, spurred on by Tom Mehew scoring a great curling effort to equalize. Ryan Hill would convert a penalty to put them ahead a few minutes before halftime and that was all she wrote.

Caernarfon won the Welsh Cup last season, rebranding themselves after their triumph, swapping the traditional circle badge and outdated graphics for a more modern shield, drawing inspiration directly from Owain Glyndŵr himself. This is a good team with real ambition and no pushovers at all.

Penybont have been busy with recruitment too.

“New signing Tyler Walker was one of the big names that Penybont brought in over the summer. The striker who is the son of former Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest legend Des Walker has made over 250 appearances in the EFL.

Beginning his career at Nottingham Forest, the striker has played for many clubs in the English system – including Mansfield Town, Lincoln City, Coventry City, Portsmouth and Barrow with the forward being named in the EFL League Two Team of the Season whilst with the Stags during the 2018-19 season.

The 29-year-old is a former England U20 international, having made six appearances for his country.” -Meet the Opposition.

Locking down signings of this caliber in the Cymru Premier is certainly a statement of intent and the football is matching it on the pitch.

They’re not sitting back and always grinding out results either (although they did play to a scoreless draw with TNS), but that was against superior opposition, so I won’t read too much into it.

Going toe-to-toe with The New Saints and Caernarfon this early on in the new campaign says a lot about how they're set up to attack the rest of the season with zero fear. They’re scoring goals (5 in 3 matches), and even coming from behind to win.

Their ability to keep matches tight, (just via the eye-test), and the fact they aren’t conceding goals so far, leads me to believe they’ll be really difficult to break down.

You put both these aspects of their game together, and we could be talking about one of the more dynamic squads in the Cymru Premier from here on out. Goal difference will play a big role in the league with fewer teams vying for top spots, so there's bound to be ground to make up at some point, but the early signs point to Penybont being more than up to the task and setting the bar high.

When the play-off final for that final European spot came down to a showdown with Haverfordwest in May, Penybont came out on top, winning 2-0 to book their return to the Conference League play-off round for the third time in four years.

Two wins over the same opponent in a matter of months. This team is not some fluke. They hope to make European football a habit, and even though it's early, Penybont are making a case for themselves to be consistent challengers.

I’ll be keeping a close eye on the Bont the rest of the way and probably back them for a top 2 finish when its all said and done.

They take on Llandudno on Friday (Aug 21).

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Swansea City: 2-1 W

The Swans opened up away to Stoke City, who fielded a familiar face in their starting 11 (Ethan Galbraith).

Last year, Galbraith was a regular in the Swansea midfield, making 39 appearances, contributing 4 goals and 1 assist in all competitions, and was a big part of how they set up. It’s always tough playing a former club, but once the initial ‘shock’ wears off and the whistle blows, it’s all business.

Swansea took control early but conceded the first goal off a deflected bar-down finish from Eric Bocat in the 10th minute of play.

The Swans would fight back with 2 of their own, ultimately beating the hosts 2-1.

Summer signing Joseph Opoku scored his first for the Swans in an impressive league debut. A driven far-post shot ricocheted off Bocat into the net to equalize in the first half (maybe a bit of good karma for the visitors).

It was then ‘Super Sub’ Adam Idah who took his finish well in the box from a Josh Tymon cross in the 66th minute. Should feel nice to kick off the season with a win.

Here’s what Vitor Matos had to say after the match:

"Really proud of the players, really happy with the team. We started the game well, with good momentum, the right attitude, and the right mindset. We kept growing, stayed in the game, and after the goal, we settled again. Then we scored the second, and in the Championship, you just need to survive. That’s why I am proud of the team.” (BBC Sport).

Newport County: 3-0 W

Hayden Mullins got off to the perfect start with his new squad, winning 3-0 over Rochdale at Rodney Parade. Goals from Kyle Cameron and Shaquille Gwengwe made the summer recruitment look really good (both joined up to start the campaign).

10-man Rochdale just couldn’t deal with the intensity the home side brought to the second half and couldn’t manage a shot on target either.

Yahya Bamba added the 3rd goal of the day for the Exiles in the 91st minute to put the game to bed. 3-0 good guys..

The result will be huge for confidence moving forward, no doubt. Yes, it was a victory over a newly-promoted side, but Newport were very rarely favorites last campaign.

A win on opening day at home gets the fans behind them early and the players looking forward to the next match. That’s a powerful thing in football. Keep the momentum going.

Cardiff City vs. Wrexham: 1-1 Draw

Late Drama in the Capital.

I handled head-to-heads like this last year, recapping the match in one fell swoop, so we’ll be continuing with that trend.

It was the first time Cardiff and Wrexham had met in the Championship, so the game already had a lot riding on it.

It featured debuts for Anthony Patterson and Danny Imray for Wrexham, and Jack Moylan for Cardiff, who was handed his first league start since joining from Lincoln City.

The game was ultimately a cagey affair, beginning with an early bit of pressure from Wrexham, and boo’s raining down on the ex-Cardiff man, Kieffer Moore, whenever he touched the ball.

The fans in red up the other side of the pitch wouldn’t have to wait long for a goal from, you guessed it, Kieffer Moore, as he found the back of the net within the first 3 minutes of play.

Gabriel Osho didn’t get back quickly enough and played Moore onside, leading to a half-counterattack and the goal. A nightmare start for the Bluebirds.

Cardiff grew into the game with a few chances of their own and started to look more like the team that flew up the League One table last year.

Imray and Moore would test the Cardiff net minder, Nathan Trott, a few more times before halftime, with one glancing header nicking the crossbar from the 6th Wrexham corner of the 1st half, but we’d head into the break 0-1 to the visitors.

Callum Doyle rang another one off the post in the 57th minute, adding to the chances Wrexham piled up throughout the game.

But we’d see the reinforcements come onto the pitch soon after.

Brothers Rubin and Joel Colwill were both subbed on for Chris Willock and Ollie Tanner in the 63rd minute, while Wrexham swapped Rathbone for Ben Whiteman to make his debut as well.

It was end-to-end from there on out.

A triple change followed from Brian Barry-Murphy around the 80th minute, with Isaak Davies, Callum Robinson, and Ronan Kpakio called up from the bench.

Alex Robertson, Calum Scanlon, and Cian Ashford were the men replaced.

The more desperate Cardiff got, the more Wrexham retreated into their defensive shell, which is never a good idea. This led to a free-kick just outside the box, allowing Rubin Colwill to slam one in beyond Anthony Patterson from distance to lift the non-existent roof off of Cardiff City Stadium.

Wild scenes. Unreal celebration. Straight up Limbs.

“It was an unbelievable feeling to score, it was the best feeling ever. To do this every day with great lads, great people, my friends, and then to experience moments like this together is unbelievable.” -Rubin Colwill on the late equalizer. (BBC Sport).

Wrexham were devastated not to leave Cardiff with all 3 points, as the game finished in a 1-1 draw. The Welsh clubs shared the spoils in their first meeting of the season, but it was an entertaining watch, and I think we’ll have a few more eyes on the return fixture up North.

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With all that, I’m really excited to be back writing Around The Grounds and watching football again week in week out. Thanks for tapping in. We keep it moving quick this upcoming week with 4 games on Saturday (Everton make it 5).

UP NEXT:

Swansea vs. Sheffield United (Aug 22)

Cardiff vs. Derby County (Aug 22)

Wrexham vs. Watford (Aug 22)

Newport vs. Bristol Rovers (Aug 22)

Busy Saturday, huh?

UTFT.

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The Old Firm is more than a Glasgow rivalry. It runs deeper. Catholic vs. Protestant. A reason that, in 2026, feels forced.

Here’s why the Celtic vs. Rangers religious divide is lame.

First off, there’s zero theology on the pitch. Everyone knows by now that teams take the field with players from all over the world. Nigeria, Japan, Australia, The United States. Squads are built nowadays on data and market values, and managed by coaches who are paid big money to deliver results with little time to translate their footballing philosophies into on-pitch performances. There’s simply no time or room for politics or prejudice either.

Players who throw on that jersey and play for the badge don’t inherently bring any preconceived notions about teammates or opponents onto the field when they first kick a ball. They have no stake in a 400-year-old religious ‘grudge’ (if you can even call it that). They’re professionals doing a job.

It’s really not that deep, but I want to make sure I convey the idea that fandom is less about someone’s belief system and more about how passionately they consume football.

There’s an outdated sense of tribalism that tends to lend itself to conflict. Most supporters didn’t find their football identities through anything other than what they’ve been told their whole lives. A decision made for them. They arrived through their Mom or Dad, the street they grew up on, the school they attended. It’s tribal loyalty wearing religious hoops or the blue of South-West Glasgow.

You can wholeheartedly love a club without any meaningful connection to religion at all. In fact, it’s becoming more of the norm in Scotland, according to this census.

The figures show that Scotland is a majority non-religious country for the first time. More than half of respondents (51.1%) reported having no religion, up from 36.7% in 2011. “No religion” was the most common response across 30 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities. Among people under 50, the percentage of non-religious people rose to over 60%. Again, for the first time, less than 40% of Scotland’s population identified as Christian.

I myself am a religious person who was brought up in the Church. It wasn’t until recently, though, that I began to find my own faith. It was always with me, but now it’s totally mine. Prior to this, I truly had an affinity for Celtic Football Club, a Catholic institution that’s been around since 1888.

Can you believe it? A Protestant (Presbyterian) kid from New Jersey finding his way into the Catholic Glasgow fandom of Celtic? I mention this in jest, and of course, it was never about either side to begin with. It was genuinely only because, at first, I loved the Celtic kits more, and that Tony Watt goal against Messi’s Barcelona in 2012, sucked me in further. It was purely a ‘football decision’.

The question then became do I belong? Am I allowed to be a Celtic supporter from the States because of where and how I worship? Of course I am, again it’s not that deep. But, nevertheless, here lies the debate, and why I’m taking this on. For my own understanding, and to challenge this idea. By no means am I insisting on uprooting centuries-long traditions that many hold close to their chest, but rather to shed light on how everything can remain copasetic without adding yet another thing to divide us in 2026.

Both institutions (Celtic and Rangers) condemn hate speech and chants aimed at offending others, yet benefit from the heat the Old Firm Derby brings. Fans who have never even set foot inside a Church find themselves at the forefront of these ‘expressive gestures of support for their clubs’, but in reality, it’s just vitriolic nonsense from the stands.

If Celtic and Rangers actually wanted fanbases where support had nothing to do with which church your grandfather went to, it would mean turning down the exact thing that makes the derby worth it to fans on the calendar. The hatred.

They seem to be defending a habit, a sense of belonging, an identity from generations ago that doesn’t have a place in the game anymore.

For example, last year’s Old Firm Derby. Maybe not directly related to Catholic pride vs. Protestant values, but certainly rooted in this contentious atmosphere that only this game can conjure up.

I met an older gentleman in Scotland recently who asked about this very thing. When it came up I leaned more towards Celtic, but was brought up Protestant, he just couldn’t seem to wrap his head around it. I knew it was all in good fun, but the truth is, most fans in that stadium on derby day probably couldn't explain the actual theological differences between Catholicism and Protestantism.

They’ve gathered all this emotion through inheritance. People sing the songs because their fathers did, and their fathers before them, going back to a time when the divide actually held more weight.

If we strip away the history, what's left are two fanbases still trying to fight a battle that started for reasons that got lost along the way. It all seems silly.

None of this, however, means true rivalry should disappear. That’s not what I’m saying. Historic rivalries rooted in real identity are worth having and deserve to be celebrated, but Celtic vs. Rangers doesn’t need the religious aspect dictating who you can and cannot support on Matchday.

I’ve always said, we’re all going to the same place if you believe Jesus died for our sins. No need to stir up weird conflict because one side of the City is Catholic and the other Protestant.

Maybe I’m trying to justify my own fandom here, or grasping at straws (you tell me), but the overarching theme is valid.

The Old Firm Derby will always be Glasgow’s biggest footballing event, so let’s all try to enjoy it for what it is and keep it about the product on the pitch.

Phil 1:6

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We’ll start with our season preview.

Cardiff City:

The Bluebirds gained promotion back to the Championship last year and are looking to reestablish themselves in the 2nd tier of English football. They look to build something that can get fans dreaming of a return to the Premier League and beyond.

Incomings:

• Nathan Trott (loan made permanent)

• Jack Moylan

Notable departures:

• Ryan Wintle (contract not renewed, signed for MK Dons)

• Omari Kellyman (end of loan)

• Jesper Daland (loaned out to Viking FK)

  ---

After a slow opening match of the preseason, the Bluebirds came out firing with back-to-back 5 and 6-goal wins over Cork City and Forest Green Rovers, respectively.

They brought that intensity into their friendly with Roma and managed a convincing 4-1 victory over the Serie A Giants. The confidence a result like that brings heading into a grueling Championship campaign can’t be understated.

The transfer business has been slow so far, but the window doesn’t officially shut until September 1st, so we’ll still have time to see some more reinforcements trickle in.

Cardiff open up the regular season against Wrexham at Cardiff City Stadium on Monday, August 17th. It’ll be their first league meeting in 24 years, and it ushers in a season with 3 Welsh clubs in the Championship for the first time since 1981.

Swansea City:

A Mid-table finish last year and another season of just kind of existing. I say that with utmost respect, though, given that the Championship is one of the toughest leagues in football.

Having traveled to Austria to begin the preseason, the Swans took advantage of the trip, putting together a few decent performances. Most recently, a 1-0 win over Spanish side CD Leganés.

Incomings:

• Elijah Just

• Joseph Opoku

• Leo Walta (loan made permanent)

• Stephen Welsh

• Moussa Yeo

• Tiago Parente (loaned from Benfica)

• Ross Stewart

Notable departures:

• Ethan Galbraith (transfer to Stoke City)

• Joel Ward (contract not renewed)

• Liam Cullen (transfer to Leicester City)

• Cameron Congreve (transfer to KVC Westerlo)

• Ollie Cooper (loaned out to Notts County)

They open up the regular season against Stoke City on Saturday, August 15th, with the prospect of digging in against Ethan Galbraith sure to make headlines.

A few more signings are rumored to be coming through the door at the time of writing, and the Swans already look to have a pretty strong side heading into the backend of August.

I can get predictions out there early, but the nature of the Championship makes me look foolish every time I do. Unless I’ve somehow figured out how to time-travel (I haven’t) or have a crystal ball in front of me (I don’t), these predictions are kind of a shot in the dark.

Even so, I’ll give it another go.

I think Swansea City are a real contender. The Top-6 will be well within reach, and if they keep hold of last year's Golden Boot winner, I predict a deep run in the playoffs will be more than a pipedream. Anything can happen once you get there, as we saw last year (sorry, Southampton fans).

Newport County:

Survived on the final day. A rollercoaster of a season that ended with the Exiles staying up in dramatic fashion.

Some of the players who helped them hold on to their Football League status have left the club, but with signings already in place for preseason and a few more rumored to be on the way, I think Newport can start to gain a foothold back in League Two next year.

Incomings:

New Manager-Hayden Mullins (former Fulham under-21’s boss)

• Kyle Cameron

• Kieron Evans

• Cameron Norman

• Harrison Biggins

• Christian Doidge

• Alfie Merritt (loaned from Bournemouth)

Notable departures:

• Bobby Kamwa (signed for Bristol Rovers)

• Mathew Baker (signed for Notts County)

• Anthony Glennon (contract not renewed)

• Courtney Baker-Richardson (contract not renewed)

This will be a huge season for Newport. Buying into the new manager's way of thinking and attacking games will be crucial if they want to avoid another relegation battle. As we know, a slow start can put you behind the 8-ball, playing catch-up the entire campaign.

With new players, a new coach, and confidence in their ability to push on with short-term memories, I bet Newport will be just fine. Poised for a mid-table finish, even, but they’ll need to hit the ground running.

Newport open up against Rochdale on Saturday, August 15th.

Wrexham:

After a very impressive season, narrowly missing out on the playoffs, Wrexham look to build off what was a massive step in the right direction.

Burnley, West Ham, and Wolves coming down from the Premier League make the Top-6 even harder to break into this year, but the hype around this team and their story can carry them to new heights.

A play-off place will be another milestone and something to strive for.

The preseason saw a few good results for the Red Dragons.

It all started with a 0-0 draw against Wisła Kraków, then wins over Manchester United (1-0) and Leeds (3-2), a narrow 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at Yankee Stadium, and a 1-0 loss to Sunderland in Philadelphia.

Incomings:

• Danny Imray

• Ben Whiteman

• Anthony Patterson

Notable departures:

• Thomas O’Connor (signed for Peterborough)

• Andy Cannon (signed for Fleetwood)

• Paul Mullin (contract not renewed)

• Jay Rodríguez (contract not renewed)

The upcoming expanded format does a lot to favor teams that were on the brink of a playoff spot in previous seasons. Last year’s 7th-place on points total, for example, would qualify for the playoffs.

Teams can capitalize on this change and make a run to the Prem if things go their way. As I said before, you never know what can happen if you squeak into the playoffs.

Wrexham play Cardiff on the opening day. North vs. South. Should be fun.

I’m ready to go, and so are the players. The EFL brings out the best in my fandom, and I can’t wait to share it with you all. If nothing else, it’s a journal of thoughts and recaps for my own enjoyment.

Thanks for sticking around!

⚔️ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Let me know your thoughts on the new kits! ↓↓↓

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I understand his age and the thinking behind not rushing him in, but we spent some cash on a player who was a genuine bright spot for Southampton. He has what it takes, no doubt, and would have gotten more minutes under me if I were in charge, but I don’t get paid the big bucks to make decisions like that.

Everton paid £42m for a kid who can obviously beat his man and has the tools to be a great asset to the club, however, year one seemed like a write-off. Zero goals and zero assists in the Premier League from 14 appearances (371 minutes), sitting behind Ndiaye, McNeil, Tyrique George, and Grealish for any bit of gametime.

Year two now seems like the redemption arc waiting (and needing) to happen.

Let him be direct. This is an elite part of his game already, and it’s the whole reason he’s here.

At Southampton, he won 3.48 fouls per 90 with 83.5% pass accuracy, posting 2.00 successful take-ons per 90 (77th percentile) and 3.85 progressive carries per 90. As one profile put it, he draws defenders in, then bursts away, leaving them in the dust.

This ability and directness has evaporated at Everton.

Is that due to a lack of confidence? Maybe, but he seems to be able to handle the hard bit, then whiffs on the part that matters. Beating your man is worthless if nothing follows. To be on the pitch week in, week out, the final product has to be there. Goals or assists. Chances created at least.

He wins the duel 35 yards out, and the move dies. Success is converting all that carrying and forward thinking into shots and chances. He’ll need to arrive in the box, instead of dancing toward it.

So, again, give him the freedom to use his ability on the wing with runners on the backs of defenders to whip balls into, or beat his man in order to cut it back for the trailer inside.

Easier said than done.

I would have liked to see him get a run in the team, especially when Grealish went down injured. Moyes's fix for that injury was to throw Dewsbury-Hall out wide, where he was noticeably less effective than when he operates more centrally.

Grealish and Dewsbury-Hall (even out of position) both did a great job showing for the ball down the wings during build-up. They don’t just wait for service into their feet. I guess that comes with experience.

Dibling will have to get better at dropping between the lines when Pickford or Branthwaite have it, taking the first touch away from pressure, and drawing fouls high up the pitch.

If Dibling becomes a player for Everton opponents have to foul in order to stop, he’ll be earning set pieces, yellow cards, and opportunities for his teammates to work with.

With all that said, Dibling’s talent and maturity can’t grow or flourish in a few 8-minute cameos.

He needs in-game reps. That comes down to earning it on the training ground and maybe a little bit of good fortune. Having Moyes trust young talent has always been a tall order, but even so, it makes me think maybe Dibling isn’t training at the level he should be.

Something has to be going on behind the scenes that we fans don’t get to see, because from what we CAN see up front, the raw intangibles are there, but in Everton blue, it hasn’t clicked.

Will we see Dibling get a run in the team with a longer leash, or is a loan out to a side that builds around him for a season the better option?

Pick one. This limbo ensures the £42m looks like a mistake and surely reduces the youngster’s resale value.

It’ll be interesting to see what Everton do in the transfer market. Are we bringing in wingers? Who the additions are to the squad will give us a better idea of the plan for Dibling’s future. It seems too early to give up on him.

Let me know your thoughts! ↓↓↓

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After the World Cup run that concluded with a 3rd place finish, all of England and the World should finally see his mastery of the position for themselves, putting this debate to bed for good.

Now, as a Welsh American, it’s not always easy to admit when an Englishman has reached that Elite status for their country (only half kidding). But when England’s world-class undisputed starter between the sticks happens to play for the club you support with every fiber of your being, it gets a whole lot easier.

Everton signed Jordan Pickford from Sunderland in June 2017 for a fee of around £30 million, and nearly a decade on, it looks like that was money well spent.

He’s made 362 Premier League appearances, keeping 98 clean sheets in the process.

His durability is what sticks out most to me. He started all 38 Premier League matches in 2025/26, keeping 11 clean sheets, joint-3rd among all goalkeepers in the division, and managed 12 clean sheets across another iron man season the year before.

Everton haven't given him much to brag about at club level, but we’ve certainly given him a stage to perform. Individually, Pickford has made the England job his own, no debate.

For England, since his debut against Germany in November 2017 (clean sheet no. 1), Pickford has earned 91 caps (so far) and kept 46 clean sheets, with more to come. Out of 5 major tournaments he’s participated in, England have managed 2 Euro finals and 2 World Cup semi-finals. I think it’s safe to say their success is in big part due to who’s been in goal.

He has more clean sheets in major tournaments than any England goalkeeper ever, and more shootout penalties saved at those tournaments than any keeper who’s come before him. He became the first England goalkeeper to keep 10 consecutive clean sheets, taking down a Gordon Banks record that had stood since the 60’s.

None of this rotation for rest, no controversy, he’s just better than everyone else and wants to play every game. The overarching debate exists mostly in the stands, on social media, and among English pundits, because, of course, it does, but not in the England dressing room.

A World Cup semi-final this summer and an overall stellar trip to the States with his country have got to do him some good heading into the Premier League season, even if they fell short of the ultimate prize.

The doubters keep asking, ‘Is he good enough?’ Pickford keeps answering it with an emphatic, ‘Yes.’

Is he the greatest Everton goalkeeper to ever grace Merseyside? That’s a conversation for another time..

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Following Cardiff’s relegation to League One, and subsequent promotion back to the Championship at the first time of asking, Cardiff and Swansea are set to do battle once again.

The fixture dates all the way back to September of 1912, when Swansea Town and Cardiff City drew 1-1 in the Southern Football League. A fitting way to kick off what would become one of the best rivalries in the sport.

The country needs this game regularly, and one year off was far too long.

There’s just about 40 miles between Cardiff and Swansea, where glory, heartbreak, last-gasp winners, and dramatic defeats lie along the way. All part of what makes it the most intense in Wales.

It’s the game I look forward to most in any Championship season for many reasons, but mainly because it's one of the rare days where (for the sake of argument), Welsh football fans are allowed to be enemies. When Wales play, we're unified. When Cardiff or Swansea line up against an English club, I'm backing the Welsh boys without hesitation. But when they play each other? Pick a side.

The South Wales derby and this rivalry add an element of ‘shithousery’ to the gameday culture that can be lacking when playing most other EFL clubs (generalizing here, of course).

Sure, Bluebirds and Swans fans have it out for each other on any given day, but the week leading up to the Derby highlights the best thing about football. The fans.

Bragging rights within the country's borders mean more than just beating Plymouth on a Tuesday night (no disrespect). Any club will say the same about their Derby days, but in South Wales, it's unique.

In the 113 years since, across 119 meetings, Cardiff lead the all-time series with 47 wins to Swansea’s 43.

The most recent South Wales derby took place on January 18th 2025, with Cardiff City winning 3-0 at the Cardiff City Stadium. Neither side knew it at the time, but it would be the last one for a while. Swansea stayed in the Championship that following year, and the 2025/26 season passed without a single South Wales derby to appease the appetite.

Žan Vipotnik finished as the Championship’s top scorer last season, winning the Golden Boot, but did it without a Bluebird in sight for him to torment.

The South Wales derby is the highest-profile fixture Welsh football produces in the English Football League, and it’s the one afternoon where the people of a region bound by most everything are fully divided, just to prove how much winning matters.

Will Wrexham ever be able to stake its claim by consistently taking on these southern clubs? North vs. South? Could be pretty cool.

For now, Cardiff’s return to the Championship puts the derby back on the calendar in 2026/27, and that matters a whole lot to fans.

Welsh football at club level lacks the kind of sustained rivalry between major cities that Scotland has with the Old Firm, or England has with multiple deep-rooted derbies (Merseyside being at the top of my list).

In South Wales, it’s the closest thing we have to that. A fixture capable of stopping a nation, generating massive interest, and producing memories that outlast entire decades of league football.

Every chapter in this story presents an opportunity for new heroes to be made and shapes the history and passion shared by supporters, the clubs, and their communities.

When both are in the same division, these chapters get written twice a season. When they’re apart, Wales is missing a story worthy of the headlines.

That's exactly why Wales needs this game. The rivalry is genuine, and the football holds up its end of the bargain. They’re battles played hard in packed grounds that keep producing moments people remember.

Cabango's stoppage-time winner (2022), Steven Caulker’s Premier League header (2013), Robinson's most recent double in January (2025), Craig Bellamy’s Grudge Match Winner (2010), and many more.

Two clubs that can't stand each other give way to a game that doesn't really need any fixing or any more gravitas. It just needs to be played every year.

The League of 72’s video dives deep into the storied rivalry, featuring interviews and first-hand accounts of the action. Give it a watch. ↓↓↓

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That was the margin by which we missed out on European qualification after taking just 3 points from our final 21 available. This was a team that beat Chelsea 3-0 in March and sat firmly in the European conversation only to collapse, failing to win any of their last 7 games. That’s so bad.

Absurd falloff.

Year two at Hill Dickinson Stadium, with the Friedkin Group's patience already running thin, and Moyes needing to hit the ground running, we can't have another season that dissolves in the spring.

I’ve singled out 3 players who will decide whether 2026/27 will be a step forward for the football club, or reveal more signs of stagnation. Will the glaring need for a teardown of the squad become more apparent? That’s still up in the air.

We’ll start up top.

Thierno Barry:

Coming from Villarreal and a promising stint at Swiss side FC Basel, fans (myself included, as I always am) got excited about the prospect of a young French forward coming in to fill the giant gap left by Romelu Lukaku.

Barry has shown glimpses of the player he can be, but hasn’t kicked into full gear just yet. They say patience is a virtue, but in football, that patience runs thin quickly.

8 league goals in his debut season seems fine until you remember the start he had. No goals in his first 16 appearances, with it taking until December against Nottingham Forest to finally open his Everton account. While he’s not going to beat you one-on-one, and that first touch could use some work, Everton isn’t asking him to play that way.

The raw skill and intangibles are certainly there, though.

I’d like to see more from him in the build-up, laying balls off when it’s hit into him and darting off the defenders towards goal to get on the end of something swung into the box.

15 successful aerial duels against Manchester United (Nov 24) set a single-game record for the season, and Moyes has consistently praised his work rate while still demanding goals. It’s all well and good getting stuck into a match like that, but you’re up top for a reason. To find the back of the net.

A 2-goal cameo against Manchester City in May hinted again that he does indeed have that goal-scorer's instinct, we just need it more often.

Now the ‘give the kid time to settle’ excuse is gone, and we always seem to be in the market for more forwards. Moyes has been fixated on signing a new number nine since January, so Barry’s leash is getting shorter and shorter. He’ll need to figure it out quickly this preseason and win the starting role outright. No more sharing the position. Where’s the assertiveness, the ambition, the tenacity, the initiative?

Evertonnians appreciate and will always clap off players who give it their all for 90 minutes. This will be a big year for our No. 11.

Vitalii Mykolenko:

Fresh off a contract extension, Vitalii needs to prove he’s our guy at left back. Another player who signed with high hopes and an attacking mindset, but hasn’t proved to be what’s needed at the position.

It may be a bit harsh to single him out since he is pretty solid defensively, and ultimately, we’ve played that way at times under Moyes, but having pacey wingbacks suits the way I want the Toffees to attack next season.

We’re in the market for a forward-thinking right back, with Guéla Doué being one of the more exciting names to be floated out there. If we get someone of that caliber and play style, however, I’m afraid we’d feel a bit off balance in some phases of our game.

Idk, maybe that’s the idea, but everything can’t always filter down the right side. That’s not practical.

He’s typically pretty disciplined, hard to beat one-v-one, and a key reason Everton stay locked down for the most part on the left. So again, it’s harsh to throw this at him, but in a Moyes system that operates in little moments all over the pitch, a full-back who can't contribute in the final third is a big loss.

Adam Aznou is waiting behind him and should probably get a run in the team if Mykolenko can’t add that attacking dimension necessary to cause problems for the opposition.

We need overlaps, end product, the odd goal here and there. Our fullbacks need to be more involved is the bottom line.

Iliman Ndiaye:

For all the rumors going around about his departure this summer, I’m still expecting him to stay. If he really wants to be the ‘Star’ he thinks he is, we need to see his dynamic ability on the ball and clinical execution more consistently for the Toffees. He’s undeniably talented. Probably one of, if not the best, dribblers in the Prem, and one of the brightest players to come through the squad in recent years.

So, coming back from a relatively successful World Cup run with Senegal, mostly off the bench, I’d like to see this confidence build and take hold all season for the Blues as the main man.

Everything good Everton does still runs through him. He finished with 6 league goals across 32 starts, solid but down on the 9 he managed the year before. The eye test always tells us he’s capable of a whole lot more.

He's the only attacker who can create a chance without a perfect pass into him, and the difference-maker on the pitch that can wriggle his way out of tight areas and make it look easy while doing it.

If he stays, mid-table output just isn't enough. He’ll need to push toward double figures and drag Everton through those tight games we’ll inevitably be in at the end of the season.

We kept drawing and losing when it mattered most during that final push for European football, so Ndiaye will be a big part of how we get on next season. He needs to do better, contribute more, and live up to the self-proclaimed Champions League caliber player he wants to be.

These 3 aren’t the only players I could have singled out because, quite frankly, the entire team needs to figure it out too, and fast. A few new additions and more to come (hopefully) will get much-needed competition for places back into the squad.

I’m optimistic, of course, but I won’t be sold until these 3 get going early.

Let me know who I missed. ↓↓

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It’s been no different this summer, watching the USMNT with what feels like another emergence. A lot has been said about his origins and his desire to play for the U.S. (thank you), and we’ve all witnessed his ability firsthand in the group stage.

However, World Cups have a tendency to inflate players’ stock, maybe putting them in a tier above where they really are on the pitch, but I don’t think that’s the case here with Balogun.

I’m hopping on the ‘World Cup inflation’ bandwagon to hype up this move.

Flo Balogun to Everton.

Everton have been starved of a true attacking threat since we saw Romelu Lukaku sold back in 2017. If we can finally sign a striker who can consistently finish, the team can actually take shape and compete. Everything really should be built around our forward line, let’s be honest.

Balogun’s been at Monaco for almost 3 years now, with his most prolific season in front of goal coming in the 2025/26 campaign.

He closed out the season as Monaco’s top scorer with 19 goals and 4 assists in all competitions, finishing 4th in the Ligue 1 scoring charts. He’s arrived at this home World Cup looking like a man on a mission, deciding it’s his turn to be talked about.

2 goals in his first 2 games, Player of the Match against Paraguay, and the first American to score twice in a World Cup match since 1930 (doesn’t seem like a real stat to me).

This is a 24-year-old hitting his stride exactly when Everton need someone to shine on the biggest stage.

Reports have come out that Moyes has been a steady admirer of him for a while, and you really don’t have to look that deep to see the reasons why. Neither Beto nor Thierno Barry gave him a center-forward he could trust last season. Those two kept flopping and trading the starting position like they wanted to be nice and share it.

We can’t have that.

Balogun is the rare profile that solves this dilemma up top for the Toffees. Quick, cold in the box, a poacher who doesn’t need 10 chances to put one away.

He’s an Arsenal academy boy who never really got his run in England and left with the feeling of something unfinished. Drop that fuel into a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, in front of a crowd desperate for a No. 9 worth singing about, and you have the perfect fit.

As we know, having him as a target is one thing, but what will it take to get him out of Monaco? Can Everton rely solely on the guarantee of playing time and his desire for a move back to England? I’m not sure.

In any case, one thing that may stall this move is that Monaco want around €50m for the forward, and half of Europe is keeping tabs.

As an American myself, watching the USMNT at this World Cup has been a joy. The time zones finally match up with my ability to watch just about every game, so I’d say even after 2 games of watching Balogun in the Stars and Stripes, I’m convinced we need him on the Blue side of Liverpool, and that €50m would be well worth it.

(Yes, it’s still the World Cup fever, I get that.)

But another prominent American talent at Everton would make my younger self very happy.

Tim Howard is the obvious first comparison, even as a goalkeeper. A decade between the sticks at Goodison (2006–2016) made him the most important American to ever wear the shirt. Captain, club legend, and brief viral folk hero here during the 2014 World Cup.

Landon Donovan is a close second (for me). He had two loan spells in 2010 and 2012, during which he was excellent. Energetic, direct, scoring, and creating a boatload of chances in a short amount of time with the club. Everton fans loved him for it, at least I did.

Balogun, if it happens, would be the first American striker, not keeper, not loanee winger, who would be the focal point of the attack for the Toffees.

The Round of 32 is next for the United States, and I expect Balogun to show up in a big way. Here’s to hoping we get to see him in Royal blue, scoring as he has so far this summer. Up The Toffees! Play Country Roads!

⚔️ 🇺🇸

Why not throw Alex Freeman in the mix too, in order to fill that huge RB-sized gap in our defense…just sayin.

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When it comes to jerseys, it can be hard to work with only red and white sometimes, but Canada have done really well over the years.

Here’s a look!

10. 2012 Home

    

    

    ---

    Starting out simple. Absolutely nothing wrong with this shirt. The subtle white piping from the collar and shoulders is a great touch for a red kit. That’ll be a theme. A lot of red.

    ---

9. 2018 Home

   

The maple leaf design flowing down the top of the shirt gives this one a cool detail that we’ll continue to see throughout this list. Umbro makes some classic kits, as we all know.

8. 2021 Home

   

   

   ---

   It has this almost ‘off red’ orange to the pattern (maybe that’s just my bad eyes), but I like it. All the Nike kits that year had the lightning bolt thing going on down the sides of their jerseys. Not bad.

   ---

7. 2026 Away

   

   

   ---

   Like I’ve been saying, a black shirt always seems to work. It’s different, and the design seems to fit Canada perfectly. Something about it.

   ---

6. 2024 Away

   

   

   ---

   It’s so good. Whatever they had going on with the Nike designs that year was amazing. Coulda, and probably shoulda been higher. Everything from the collar to the stripes and font on the numbers. Great look.

   ---

5. 2026 Home

I like the maple leaf design that fills out the shirt. The two different reds catch your eye and make this an easy top 5 entry.

4. 1996 Away

   

   

   ---

   Umbro again crushed this. The maple leaf is an awesome element to design around, and here it works perfectly. I love the Canada branding on the shoulders and the blacked out Canada crest.

   ---

   3. 2012 Centenary

   

   

   ---

   It’s clean and has the history to go with it. Blue for Canada? I like it.

   ---

2. 1986 Home

   

   

   ---

   It’s awesome. Canada written across the chest is perfect. Have to mention the trefoil adidas (as is tradition) and the crossed ‘V’ collar reminds us it’s from the 80’s. All around pretty much perfect.

   ---

   1. 2024 Home

They nailed it here. Centered badge, dark red sleeves, the Nike swoosh (bring that back everywhere please), and the collar. It’s amazing. I really should have this one by now, but it’s hard to buy into Canadian sporting culture. (lol jk kinda) It’s an awesome shirt and worthy of the top spot.

Honorable mention 1996 Home shirt.

What’d I miss? Let me know! ↓

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Canada still advance as runners-up, but will feel hard done by, seeing as they only needed a draw to remain with their home crowd for another game. The hosts are sent down to L.A. for their Round of 32 matchup.

Switzerland won Group B and remain unbeaten on 7 points.

It was a relatively quiet first half, and we didn’t get much from either team. Murat Yakin's side took over after the break, though, when Ruben Vargas opened the scoring in the 46th minute off a Johan Manzambi assist.

Manzambi added the 2nd in the 57th, set up by Breel Embolo, and it ended 2-1 after a late flurry of chances by the Canadians.

Regardless of how long it took for Switzerland to get going, it was a performance that put even more eyes on one of their young stars.

This most recent goal and assist are the latest in a breakout run for Manzambi, which has already included a 2-goal cameo off the bench against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A Freiburg midfielder who was named Europa League Young Player of the Season this spring, Manzambi will be on every recruiter's radar from here on out, if he wasn't already (he probably was).

That's the thing about a World Cup. For a certain kind of young player, it's a launchpad for careers to take off. Names that meant little to casuals in May leave the tournament with their value doubled and a queue of clubs itching to sign them.

Manzambi looks like one of those names, someone I’ll be keeping an eye on in the future.

For now, though, the Swiss have a job to do. They’re at the World Cup, hoping to progress, and at this point, the spectacle of the tournament should have worn off. The focus it took to get here should have taken over. The knockouts are calling. Let’s see what they got.

⚔️ 🇨🇭

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The fact they held one of the tournament favorites and football royalty, Spain, to a goalless draw is unreal if you think about it.

Cape Verde is an archipelago with a population of around 500,000 off the coast of Senegal. A small but deeply passionate island country. It comes as a relative surprise to most that they’ve been able to go toe to toe with some big-time nations and remain unbeaten, but not to those who call Cape Verde home.

After the Spain result that shocked everyone, they went on to draw again with Uruguay 2-2, scoring the first World Cup goal in their history. The free kick from Kevin Pina was a moment I won’t forget, and no one on the islands will either. It was a well-taken strike from way outside the box, screaming its way into the bottom corner of the net.

It would have been cool just to score any which way, but to have a highlight like that is the way to do it. It’ll live on forever.

The Blue Sharks are giving their people, who were told they were too small to matter, a chance to watch their flag fly on the biggest stage.

That’s what football is all about.

Goalkeeper Vozinha was a name almost no one outside the islands knew a week ago, and has now passed 14 million followers on Instagram, making him an overnight folk hero. Where’s the statue gunna go?

Every time a tiny nation refuses to back down, the game gets bigger. With the way the tournament is panning out and with some 3rd place finishers moving on, there’s no reason Cape Verde can’t make it to the round of 32. What a fairytale summer.

🇨🇻 ⚔️

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But after watching Argentina dispatch Austria thanks to 2 goals from their No. 10 and registering 5 in 2 games, I have to chime in.

Messi is the greatest football player of all time. Full stop.

He scored his 17th World Cup goal yesterday (June 22nd), then added an 18th in stoppage time, to pass Miroslav Klose and stand alone at the top, as the greatest goalscorer in the history of the men's World Cup.

A missed penalty in the 9th minute would have broken a weaker man, but Messi just shrugged and went about his business, rewriting the record anyway.

He did it at 38, just days away from his 39th birthday.

This is his 6th tournament, allowing him to don that ‘legacy patch’, and his record 28th World Cup match, having opened this campaign with the first hat-trick of his World Cup career (an achievement in itself).

Add it to the list. 8 Ballon d’Ors, the 2022 World Cup win, the title that completed his legacy (for me), and now a scoring record that spans 2 decades. It’s just unbelievable how long he's continued to dominate and how well he's kept others around him playing at such a high level as well.

Messi is firmly in the Golden Boot conversation for the 2026 World Cup because, of course, he is.

We’re watching the longest, brightest ‘golden hour’ the game has ever seen, and we should be grateful we get to witness it in real time.

It’s been a privilege to watch over the last 22 years, with 8-year-old me having no idea what a cultural phenomenon Lionel Messi would become, and 30-year-old me happy he did.

Lionel Messi: The greatest footballer of all time.

⚔️ 🇦🇷 🐐

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Talented, yes, but a cohesive unit up top? Who knows.

Sweden, and all those watching, got an emphatic answer in Houston. (June 20th).

Brobbey bagged 2 inside the opening 17 minutes, scoring the 4th-fastest brace in World Cup history.

Cody Gakpo matched him with 2 more of his own after the break, and Summerville put one away late to make it 5.

A defense plus a forward line that suddenly remembers how to finish after they struggled to create anything of note against the Japanese is a scary thing moving forward. You only have a few games to show you have the right stuff, so the ability to figure it out quickly and translate that change on the pitch is a severely underrated quality for a team to have.

The Oranje looked very much like the real deal. So it makes us wonder, are they contenders to celebrate with the trophy come July 19th, or are they destined to fall short of the ultimate prize?

🇳🇱 ⚔️

Let me know what you think! ↓

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Here’s a look at the good guys’ best kits over the years.

10. 2024 Home

It’s classic and modern. The new USA badge is sleek and the collar adds some needed flair to an otherwise all white shirt. Not amazing but not bad by any means. Solid pick at 10.

9. 2010 Away

I didn’t love the diagonal stripe at first, but over the years I’ve grown to appreciate it. It’s grown on me, and the long-sleeve on our No. 10 looks great.

8. 1995 Home

The numbers in the center do it for me here. Framed by the blue and red stripes, with the collar bringing it all together. Also, the baggy sleeves were so cool in the 90’s.

7. 2007 Copa America

   

   

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   This has always been a favorite of mine. I like this color blue on us, and the thin white stripes from the white collar are eye-catching.

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   6. 2026 Goalkeeper

   

   

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   Are we allowing GK kits? Yes, of course. Look at this thing. So cool. The giant star surrounded by more stars! Cmon! It’s awesome. lol

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5. 2014 Away

   

   

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   This is here simply because I have incredible memories watching the U.S. at the 2014 World Cup. I was a high school senior attending graduation parties centered around watching the United States play on the biggest stage. The blocked red, white, and blue was cool then, and it’s cool now.

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   4. 1994 Away

   

   

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   Coming in at No. 4 is this beauty. 1994 was the last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup, and this kit is iconic. Some may want to see this higher on the list, but I want to switch things up a bit. It’s very nice.

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3. 2008 Home

   

   

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   I love this shirt. I’ve always loved ‘hoops’ and the thin red lines with a slight ‘V’ of blue on the collar put this up there for me.

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2. 2012 Away

   

   

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   Another one I have great memories with. These last 2 shirts are what I think of when I think of USA soccer. Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, Jozy Altidore, and even Jermaine Jones. Loved growing up watching these guys.

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   1. 2012 Home

   

   

   

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   The USMNT and USWNT rocked these with pride. It’s so good. I’m telling you, a jersey with ‘hoops’ will always be a favorite of mine, and when it’s your country, it’s even better.

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Honorable mentions. The 2026 home shirt, for obvious reasons, and the 2013 Centenary jersey. What’d I miss? Let me know! ↓

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They lost last night to 10-man Paraguay, being dumped from the World Cup in the process without a win after 2 games. Coming into the tournament, they were tipped as many people’s front-runners to win their group, but it looks like they’ll be headed home far earlier than expected.

64 shots. 0 goals through 2 matches. Oof. A second half camped inside Paraguay’s box, with an opponent reduced to 10 men, and still not scoring a single goal, is embarrassing on its own. But when you take into account Türkiye’s ambition and pre-tournament attitude, it’s hard not to label this as a catastrophic failure for the country.

They’re so talented across the entire pitch and drawn into a group with the United States, Australia, and Paraguay, you absolutely would have backed them to at least finish in the top 2.

Wasn’t meant to be.

Galarza's strike for Paraguay last night inside the opening minute was a sucker-punch for sure, but it was the wastefulness that will haunt Türkiye for a while. Yıldız, Demiral, and Gül all missed their moments, turning disappointment into something closer to grief.

"Everybody's crying," Arda Güler admitted afterward. Montella (Türkiye’s Head Coach) spoke for a dressing room that dominated the ball and lost the war anyway. Sad but proud.

The Crescent-Stars will have to wait 4 more years to take another stab at the World Cup, but they’ll have a chance to end on a less bitter note when they take on the United States (Group winners) on June 25th.

🇹🇷 ⚔️

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That beauty from outside the box, off Schmid’s right foot, and resilience to fight through setbacks took Austria over the line. Also, the penalty in stoppage time from Arnautović was fitting.

What makes this return feel a bit different is the man in the dugout. Ralf Rangnick implements a high-pressure game plan that pushes Austrian football into a sharper, hungrier identity.

For the fans, that loyalty matters as much as the results. With Captain David Alaba holding down the back line and the eternal Marko Arnautović (37 years old) still leading the line as the nation's record scorer, finally getting his World Cup, and his World Cup goal.

This is a group of men chasing something they were told had passed them by. It's about belonging on this stage again, and “Das Team” are here to let everyone know they’ve arrived for real this time.

🇦🇹 ⚔️

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Here’s a look at their 10 best jerseys of all time.

10. 2010 Home

There’s a subtle design on this shirt that you gotta really look for. It adds so much to this, and the depth of blues live up to the ‘Samurai Blue’ moniker. I also just like the red brick on the collar.

9. 2006 Home

   

   

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   The light blue plays off this one so well. A lot of Japan’s jerseys have this ‘flowy’ nature to them.

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8. 2012 Home

   

   

   

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   It seems fierce to me. Intimidating even. The one red strip is key, and the blue on the shoulder brings it all together. The flag above the badge is also a pretty cool touch.

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   7. 2008 Home

   

   

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   More yellow with this one, as we’ll see a bit more down the list. The lines fading upwards are a great choice, and it does look better as a long sleeve.

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6. 2016 Home

Another jersey using the red line as a statement. This time, a bit more subtly. I love the blue horizontal chest fading in and out. The rest of the jersey is almost black.

5. 2018 Home

   

   

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   The new Japan badge is bold and plays well with the white dots covering the front of the shirt. My favorite detail may be overlooked, but it’s the solid blue sleeves. It was a good choice to keep them blue without the pattern.

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4. 2026 Home

   

   

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   Center badge on a Japan kit? Sign me up. The ‘U’ design with the white lines makes it.

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   3. 2022 Home

   

   

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   I love this shirt design. The pattern is sick, and the yellow comes back with the numbers this time. The red piping catches your eye, too. I own this jersey. (shoutout Maya Yoshida)

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   2. 2026 Away

   

   

   

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   2026 is on the list twice. Adidas killed it with most of their World Cup kits this year. First white jersey here. Will I make this my next Japan kit? Time will tell.

1. 1996 Home

   

   

   

   

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   Asics/Puma had this on lock. The background flames and red variant on the sleeves/shorts. It’s an all-timer. The collar makes it even better. It’s so good.

Honorable mention, the 1992 Home kit. Arguably should be on the list. Let’s just say it is.

Let me know what you think. What’d I miss? ↓

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