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Several reserve goalkeepers managed to step up well and stole the spotlight from time to time. Being the second choice in a team is always a disadvantage, especially for goalkeepers. They play fewer minutes on the pitch and spend more time in the dugout while their rival is in action. However, these second fiddles are expected to prove their worth once the opportunity arises, which can happen quickly if the number one is injured or sent off in the middle of a game or season. Some have to wait for their actual minutes because of such circumstances, while some others have been more fortunate due to the double-first goalkeeper policy. At least, they have more regular minutes in certain competitions, such as domestic league cups or continental tournaments. In the 2023/24 campaign, a number of teams have been forced to rely on their second man in the pecking order. Real Madrid has to count on Andrey Lunin and make a loan signing for Kepa Arrizabalaga due to Thibault Cortois’s long ter

  Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid has been the most frequent duel in the Champions League semifinals, but their clash is not always exciting. Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are set to meet again at the Champions League semifinals this week. It will be their eighth encounter in the tournament’s semifinal history, way ahead of the other fierce duels such as El Classico , Liverpool vs. Chelsea, or the most recent one, Real Madrid vs. Manchester City. Each clash only occurs three times. Interestingly, the matches between Die Roten and Los Merengues in the last four have given equal results. Each side has clinched six wins and shared spoils twice. Their first encounters took place in 1976, when Franz Beckenbauer and Co. snatched a 3-1 victory on aggregate to get them through the final and eventually lift their third trophy in a row. Meanwhile, the last duel was six years ago, when Cristiano Ronaldo and Co saw off the Bavarians with a 3-2 win on aggregate, which also led to Los Blancos ’s

  Bayer Leverkusen’s first major title was not actually a domestic trophy but a continental one. Bayer Leverkusen has reached a new important milestone in the club’s history this season by clinching their first ever Bundesliga title. However, their Cinderella story is not yet complete. They are still aiming for two more silverwares next month: the DFB Pokal and the Europa League. Their first ever title, as a matter of fact, was not a domestic one but a continental trophy, which came in the late 1980s. It was the 1988 UEFA Cup (the old version of the Europa League). At that time, Erich Ribbeck’s men snatched a victory over Espanyol on penalties in a stunning second-leg comeback. How did they win without a single famous name in the squad but a senior South Korean international? It may have seemed impossible, but 1987/88 remains their most successful European campaign to date, though that record could be broken this season as well. Xabi Alonso ’s men have the potential to replicate

  A few USMNT games during their participation in Copa America history are worth remembering than the others. Copa America is back to United States again this summer as they were named to hold the 2024 edition. The last one on American soil was just eight years ago. This will be USMNT’s fifth performance in CONMEBOL’s competition and their second one as a host. The USMNT has played 18 games in the tournament's history, beginning with the 1993 edition. Their best performances came in the 1995 and 2016 editions, where they reached the semifinals. Nonetheless, they have only won five times and shared the spoils twice. A few of their matches deserve more credit to demonstrate how ‘US soccer’ has developed well. Here are those memorable matches. USA vs Brasil (Copa America 1995) The USMNT stunned the fans in their second appearance of Copa America. Eric Wynalda and Co managed to advance to semifinal and took on Brasil in the last four. The match was held in front of only 9,000 s

  A number of football Cinderella stories in the South and North American top leagues just occurred not so long ago. 2024 marks a new Cinderella story in football with Bayer Leverkusen’s success in winning their first ever Bundesliga last weekend. Such similar tales also take place in America, both in the south and in the north. Here are some incredible stories from unknown teams in the CONMEBOL and CONCACAF major leagues, which also include Arsenal and Liverpool. Arsenal de Sarandi (Argentina) In Argentina, the last Cinderella story occurred in 2012, when Arsenal de Sarandi (nothing to do with the one from London) won their first ever league title. At that time, Argentina's top flight utilised the double-phase competition in its format: Apertura (first half) and Clausura (second half). Arsenal clinched their title in Clausura. They collected 38 points, two points ahead of Tigre in second place. They took advantage of Boca Juniors' inconsistent form and River Plate's

  The first encounters of Barcelona vs PSG and Arsenal vs Bayern Munich interestingly resulted in a disappointing draw for the hosts. The UEFA Champions League quarterfinals is underway with fairly satisfactory results on the road for Barcelona and Bayern Munich. They will be more confident for the second leg this week as both are ready to knock out their oppositions. However, given their first meeting in history, Blaugrana and Die Roten should be concerned, as PSG and Arsenal still have the potential to turn the tables. Here are both of their first encounters in the continental top flight competition. Barcelona vs PSG (Champions Cup 1994/95) The Catalan giant was not at their best in the 1994/95 season. They were struggling in La Liga and barely progressed to the quarterfinals. They only advanced as a runners-up of group A. On the other hand, Le Parisien stole the show at the group stage after toppling Bayern in group B and defeated the German champions in both fixtures. It&

  The last English managers in the Premier League's Big Six mainly did not seem to have impressive spells. English managers in the Premier League are still not as many as expected. The numbers do not seem to improve. In the 2023/24, only five Englishmen were in charge of the team at the beginning of the season. Now only four remain. It is quite decreasing compared to the last five years. There were at least seven English managers from 2020 to 2023. Their number in EPL’s big six is even incredibly low. None has been appointed to be at the helm of any big clubs since Graham Potter in Chelsea two years ago. The only English boss in the top ten teams this season is Eddie Howe. The former Bournemouth boss is still in command of Newcastle United, which is not even one of the Premier League's Big Six. Next season, Manchester United could be the first elite team to be led by English managers, should Gareth Southgate accept their offer. The current Three Lions boss has been linked