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RORY SMITH
Posts
Paulo Dybala, Juventus and the Problem With Italy
The travails of Dybala, whose contract with Juventus runs out this month, are emblematic of a soccer ecosystem that is often a world apart.
Erling Haaland, Darwin Núñez and Rediscovering the No. 9
The signings of Erling Haaland and Darwin Núñez were not mere summer coups for Manchester City and Liverpool. They could signal the start of a…
Robert Lewandowski, Bayern Munich and the Bitter End
A star striker is eager to move to Barcelona, and his club doesn’t seem to realize it might be its own fault that he wants…
At Champions League Final, the Fans Weren’t the Danger
Preconceptions about Liverpool supporters and policing decisions that didn’t prioritize their safety led to the chaos at the Champions League final. That’s dangerous for every…
Ukraine Is One Game Away From the World Cup
Competing for a place in a World Cup already comes with pressure, but Ukraine’s players have not shied away from what getting there would mean…
Luis Díaz Is the Liverpool Star Who Never Should Have Made It
Luis Díaz has become a hero in only five months in England. But his story resonates not because he made it, but because so many…
The True Cost of Kylian Mbappé’s New Deal
It is easy to be dazzled by money in soccer, especially as the figures blur into incomprehension. But the numbers matter because of what comes…
Lyon’s Women Defend the Past in a Changing Champions League
The arrival of new money in women’s soccer has come at a cost in Europe: It has separated the sport from its past.
Andrea Pirlo Is Timeless
With elite soccer increasingly driven by coaches and systems, Pirlo feels as if he belongs to another era. But can a classic ever go out…
The Champions League’s Drama Is Worth Savoring, and Saving
The Champions League’s late-stage drama is a feature, not a bug. Let’s hope no one messes that up.