Page 5 - Monthly Archives: June 2015

If Group B of the Copa America 2015 is going to play host to a contentious battle between Argentina and Uruguay, then Copa America 2015 Group C is going to be defined by a budding rivalry between Brazil and Colombia. The quarterfinal match between these two teams at last year's 2014 World Cup was one of the tournament's fiercest and most competitive, and neither soccer squad exited the game on top. Colombia lost the fixture 1-2, but Brazil's star player Neymar suffered a back injury that took him out of the tournament and derailed the host country's chances at victory. In other words, no one really won the soccer game.

Since that memorable (and sure to be infamous) July 4^th fixture, Brazil and Colombia have played each other one other time: in a "friendly" fixture on September 9^th of last year. The Brazilian side won that match as well, beating the Colombia side 1-0. However, Colombia have won seven friendlies in a row since that game, and are actually

Lionel Messi is widely considered the greatest living football player, and arguably the greatest of all time. Yet despite his seemingly limitless skill and his long list of awards, superlatives, and titles, the 27-year-old soccer star has yet to lead his home country to a victory at the Copa America. This year, the Argentine star and team captain will look to change that fact with a strong run at the Copa America 2015. The event, which will commence in Chile this Thursday, June 11^th, will be the first incarnation of the tournament since Argentina lost at home in 2011. Argentina is in Copa America 2015 Group B, we take a look at their group stage competition.

The Copa America 2011 was a heartily disappointing competition for Argentina football fans. With the event actually taking place in Argentina,

2014 2015 league play may be over, but football fans won't have to wait long before competitive soccer action begins once again. This Thursday, June 11^th, the Copa America 2015 will begin in Chile, with 12 teams competing in three groups for South American soccer glory. Today, we're taking a look at the Copa America 2015 Group A, which will see a battle between Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia, and the Chilean host team.

Which squads will score instant advancement into the knockout stage? Which will finish third and be left in limbo for a possible quarterfinal spot? And which of these four teams will be on the way home after group competition? Read on to find out!

Mexico Football Shirts

Current World Rankings

Based on current FIFA world

Based in Morelia, Michoacán and playing as part of the Liga MX division, Monarcas Morelia (also known as Club Atletico Monarcas Morelia) is one of Mexico's most unpredictable (and perhaps inconsistent) football clubs. As recently as 2013, Morelia were winning titles. But in 2014 2015, the squad has struggled, finishing at the bottom of both the Torneo Apertura (the summer and fall season of the Liga MX) and the Torneo Clausura (the winter and spring season). In this Monarcas Morelia an overview we ask, why can't this club, nicknamed "the Monarchy" by fans, seem to catch a break?

Previous Highs

The Monarchy have found successes in the past. Probably the high point of the football club's history so far took place back in 2000, when they won their one and only Liga MX title. Back then, the summer/fall soccer season was the

The kit manufacturers at Puma recently unveiled a brand new design for the Newcastle United home kit 2015 - 2016. The shirt mostly maintains the black and white vertical striping of the club's usual home shirts. However, with some striking bright blue detailing-including diagonal blue lines running across the vertical black stripes of the shirt-the Newcastle 2015 2016 home jersey also bears a more modern flare than its predecessors. You can order the new football shirt design today, from the Soccer Box online store!

A Quest for Redemption 

The Magpies launched the 2015 2016 home jersey ahead of their final match of the 2014 2015 season, which took place on May 24^th on the club's own St. James' Park. The new home shirt was shown off in an official video from the club, which featured 33-year-old captain and defender Fabricio Coloccini wearing the new jersey, shorts, and socks for the first

As the 2014 - 2015 season closes any Pep Guardiola Champions League hopes for this season are gone, but what does he need to do if he is to secure a win in 2015 - 2016? For the second year in a row, Bayern Munich exited the UEFA Champions League after the semifinals. You could hardly call that a "slump" for the beloved and hugely successful German football club, who just won their third consecutive Bundesliga title. However, the fans of the team have still begun to wonder when they will return to the top of UEFA's most prestigious club football event, which they last won two years ago. More specifically, fans are asking what Bayern manager Pep Guardiola can do over the course of the next few months to transform his team from a national championship-winning soccer squad to a continental championship-winning

Lionel Messi didn't score a single goal in Saturday's 2014 2015 UEFA Champions League final between Barcelona and Juventus, but that didn't stop his team from walking away with the European soccer trophy. In a phenomenal match that brought out the best in both Barca and Juve, the Spanish champions walked away with the UCL title, winning the match 3-1. The victory ensures that Barcelona win 2014 - 2015 treble, they are the first team to win the European treble twice.

Going into the match, the wearers of the Barcelona home jersey 2015 2016 were certainly favored to win the Champions League. Messi had racked up 10 goals up to the semifinals (tied with Cristiano Ronaldo for the most in this year's tournament), and Barcelona had beaten an impressive array of teams-including Manchester City, Paris Saint Germain, and Bayern Munich-en route to the final. Juventus, though, had topped defending champions Real Madrid in the semis, and could hardly be written off-even if Barca's current squad

Following the first season for Louis van Gaal at Manchester United lets assess the good and bad, and think about possibilities for upcoming seasons. It was always going to take some time for the Manchester United football club to rebuild. Following the departure of the great Sir Alex Ferguson two years ago, the Red Devils were left weirdly rudderless. They had just won the 2012 2013 Premier League title-their sixth English top-flight trophy in a decade-but without their longtime manager in the driver's seat, it was unclear exactly how things were going to go for the team in the future.

Badly, it turned out. David Moyes was a disaster as Ferguson's replacement, quickly tearing down Man Utd's status as England's best team. Moyes was sacked by late April, a month before the 2013 2014 season had run its course, but the damage was done: the Red Devils dropped to seventh place on the Premier League table, and a cloud of woe and frustration fell upon Old Trafford.

However, at the

On May 14^th, Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Brad Friedel announced that he was officially retiring from professional football. It wasn't a surprise: Friedel sat on the bench for a few games of the 2014 2015 season, but didn't get any play time, and only made one appearance for Tottenham last season. Still, Friedel's departure from the game is something that deserves attention and celebration, considering his status as one of the all-time great goalkeepers in Premier League history. Pick up a new Spurs away goalkeeper jersey 2014 2015 from Soccer Box to mark his legacy, and read on for a review of his impressive career.

Early Years

Born in 1971 in the United States (Ohio, to be exact), Friedel started his career in college (with the UCLA Bruins) before going pro with the United States Soccer Federation in 1994. He made his first visit to the English Premier League in 1994, on loan

The 2014 2015 La Liga is over, and this year's UEFA Champions League is wrapping up. For all intents and purposes, the club football world is about to take a hiatus, and what better way to celebrate that hiatus than by comparing notes for two of soccer's biggest stars? Barcelona's Lionel Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid, both had hugely successful seasons in 2014 2015, with the former leading his club to a La Liga title and the latter becoming the league's top scorer for the second soccer season in a row. Which star was more valuable to his team? Read on to find out!

Lionel Messi 

If we're going simply on the virtues of club successes, there's little doubt that Messi was this year's most
well rounded player, in the La Liga or anywhere else. He netted 43 goals just in domestic league play-a tally that not only would have won him the La Liga top scorer title