Toronto FC signs Italian playmaker Sebastian Giovinco

Juventus's Sebastian Giovinco celebrates after scoring a goal against Udinese during their Italian Serie A soccer match at the Friuli stadium in Udine April 14, 2014. (ALESSANDRO GAROFALO/REUTERS)

 The Canadian Press
In signing five-foot-four Italian playmaker Sebastian Giovinco from Juventus, Toronto FC has once again raised the bar for Major League Soccer.

But given Toronto’s eight-year history of failure on the pitch, luring a European star in his prime to North America won’t mean much unless the rich kid on the MLS block can finally win on the field and make the playoffs.

The 27-year-old Giovinco, nicknamed the Atomic Ant, will join Toronto in July after his contract with Italy’s Juventus expires.

While Toronto opted to forgo props to highlight the Giovinco acquisition — unlike the double-decker bus parked outside the unveiling last January of now-departed England striker Jermain Defoe — Toronto general manager Tim Bezbatchenko was talking big about the little Italian.

Lionel Messi on future with Barcelona: 'I'm not sure where I will be next year'

Lionel Messi of Argentina and his wife arrive on the red carpet prior to the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2014 gala held at the Kongresshaus in Zurich, Switzerland, Monday, January 12, 2015. (AP / KEYSTONE, Ennio Leanza)

A day after denying rumours he was considering leaving Barcelona, Lionel Messi cast new doubts about his future at the club on Monday.

Messi said at the awards ceremony for the FIFA BAllon d'Or that he doesn't know whether he'll be back at Barcelona next season. He made the comment after being asked whether he'd consider returning to his boyhood club Newell's Old Boys at some point.

Messi said in Spanish that "I am not sure if I will go back to Newell's Old Boys one day," adding that "I am not sure where I will be next year. I have always said I want to end my career at Barcelona but as Cristiano (Ronaldo) said: 'Only God knows the future.' Especially in football where things can change overnight."

On Sunday, Messi told Barcelona's in-house TV channel that he had no intention of leaving.

CR7 Cristiano Ronaldo Wins FIFA Ballon d’Or World Footballer of the Year Award

Portugal’s captain Cristiano Ronaldo has won the FIFA Ballon d’Or for the best player in the world for the third time, following previous wins in 2008 and 2013.

Germany midfielder Nadine Kessler also claimed her first-ever FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award.

Germany’s coach Joachim Löw and compatriot Ralf Kellermann, coach of VfL Wolfsburg Ladies, were also named as FIFA World Coaches of the Year for Men’s and Women’s Football, respectively.

All the winners were chosen by the coaches and captains of national teams, as well as by international media representatives invited by FIFA and France Football, a French football magazine.

The entire electoral procedure was overseen and monitored by PricewaterhouseCoopers Switzerland (PwC).

The awards were presented on Monday evening during a 90-minute show at Zurich’s Kongresshaus, which was hosted by British journalist Kate Abdo.

Musical entertainment for the 1,100 guests and TV viewers in 190 countries and territories around the world was provided by Swiss singer-songwriter Bastian Baker.

Canadian international forward Larin set for MLS Draft

Neil Davidson The Canadian PressCanadian international forward Cyle Larin has signed a Generation Adidas contract, setting the stage for the highly touted UConn underclassman to play a prominent role in next week’s MLS SuperDraft.

The 19-year-old from Brampton, Ont., who has been capped three times by Canadian coach Benito Floro, is seen as a possible No. 1 pick.

“Exceptional talent,” said Toronto FC general manager Tim Bezbatchenko. “Cyle’s one of those players that just has the raw ability to be what he wants to be. He can play a couple of different positions. Obviously getting called up to the Canadian national team already, he’s playing at a world stage and I think he has the ambition to do that.

“No doubt he’s projected to go high. So we’ll just have to see.”

George Weah former world soccer star wins seat in Liberia Senate

/Reuters - George Weah, a former soccer star and the running mate of presidential candidate Winston Tubman of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC

REUTERS
Former world soccer player of the year George Weah has won a seat in Liberia's Senate to represent the capital, defeating the son of the president and boosting his political fortunes ahead of a presidential election in 2017.

Weah won the Montserrado County seat that includes the capital Monrovia with 78 percent of the vote, defeating Robert Sirleaf, the son of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia's National Elections Commission said late on Saturday.

Weah, leader of the country's largest opposition party, the Congress for Democratic Change, lost the 2005 presidential election to Sirleaf and lost again in 2011 when he was a vice presidential candidate. He is expected to stand again in 2017.

Amazing Thierry Henry Soccer Record

No Pressure Kid, Caption Soccer Player Sergio Aguero's Son Profile

French Soccer Star Thierry Henry Quits Professional Sport

French soccer star Thierry Henry has announced his retirement from professional football after 20 years of playing for top clubs like Barcelona, Arsenal & France. He announced this on his Facebook page and said he will be returning to London to join Sky Sports as a football expert and ambassador.

“After 20 years in the game I have decided to retire from professional football. It has been an incredible journey and I would like to thank all the fans, team mates and individuals involved with AS Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal FC, FC Barcelona, the New York Red Bulls and of course the French national team that have made my time in the game so special. It is now time for a different career path and I am pleased to say that I will be returning to London and joining Sky Sports.

Record Breaker Jose Mourinho reaches 400 #BPL points in the fewest matches

Caption This! If Soccer Was A School

The Quantum Injuries Of Arsenal FC Jack Wilshere

Lionel Messi Undeniable Golden Records

Image courtesy BBC Sports

Cameroon Soccer Player Found Dead In French Apartment

Cameroon Midfielder Found Dead In French Apartment. Former Portsmouth midfielder Valery Mezague has been found dead in his French apartment. The 30-year-old Cameroon midfielder’s corpse was discovered by French Police yesterday.

The midfielder who made 11 Premier League appearances for Portsmouth during his time on loan, returned to England in 2013 for a spell with Bury.

The cause of his death remains unknown but an autopsy will be carried out on Monday to determine what killed him, Police have said. They are currently ruling out any suspicious criminal activity, until the autopsy is out.

Arsenal FC To Sign David Beckham’s Eldest Son

Arsenal Beat Man Utd, Chelsea To Sign David Beckham’s Son. David Beckham's eldest son, Brooklyn Beckham has just been signed by Arsenal. Brooklyn was wanted by Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea, but after showing his skills at the Gunners' training ground; he was quickly snapped up until the end of the season. Though the contract is a short-term one, reports say there are tendencies it will be renewed before it’s over. 

Yaya Toure's Errant Shot Drill A Poor Kid In The Head

UK Soccer Players Pose Nude For Cancer Campaign

West Ham Utd football stars strip for 'FeelEmFriday". West Ham United football players stripped completely nude as they practiced their ball skills yesterday - to launch The UK Sun Newspaper 'Feel ’em Friday' campaign to get men checking themselves for testicular cancer.

FIFA World Player of the Year 2014 list

 

World Football governing body, FIFA today October 28th released its Ballon D'or list for the 2013/2014 season and usual nominees Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi top the list.See the full list below

2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or shortlist:

Gareth Bale (Wales)
Karim Benzema (France)
Diego Costa (Spain)
Thibaut Courtois (Belgium)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Angel Di Maria (Argentina)
Mario Gotze (Germany)
Eden Hazard (Belgium)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden)
Andres Iniesta (Spain)
Toni Kroos (Germany)
Philipp Lahm (Germany)
Javier Mascherano (Argentina)
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Thomas Muller (Germany)
Manuel Neuer (Germany)
Neymar (Brazil)
Paul Pogba (France)
Sergio Ramos (Spain)
Arjen Robben (Netherlands)
James Rodriguez (Colombia)
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany)
Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast)

Ebola Outbreak: Sierra Leone’s Soccer Team Struggles With Stigma

Sierra Leone's national team at a training session in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The players continue to face reminders of the Ebola crisis. LUC GNAGO / REUTERS

JERÉ LONGMAN | NYTimes

Fans taunt them with chants of “Ebola.” Some opponents have hesitated to shake their hands or engage in the traditional swapping of jerseys. Humiliating medical screenings have become routine.

And in Cameroon, when the players on Sierra Leone’s exiled national soccer team checked into their hotel to prepare for an important match Saturday, some guests grew alarmed, and the police were called, a team spokesman said.

The Leone Stars (the team’s nickname) then moved to a newly built hotel where they remain the only occupants, on the advice of Cameroonian soccer and health officials.

“You feel humiliated, like garbage, and you want to punch someone,” John Trye, a reserve goalkeeper, said after hearing “Ebola” shouted at the players during a training session Thursday. “No one wants to have Ebola in their country. Sierra Leone is struggling. And they shove it in our face. That’s not fair.”

Canada Loss to Colombia 1-0 in International Soccer Friendly

Steve Lepore, The Canadian Press

James Rodriguez scored in the 75th minute as Colombia beat the Canadian men's national soccer team 1-0 on Tuesday in an international friendly at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey.

Despite a valiant effort for 90 minutes, the Canadian men's national team found that Colombia, complete with World Cup stars Rodriguez and Radamel Falcao, were just too much to handle.
The Colombians brought pressure in the first half, but Benito Floro's Canadian squad held well from the back-line, got world-class goalkeeping from Milan Borjan, and even pushed forward, earning a few set pieces.

Florio was happy with the defensive effort but still felt unfulfilled by his side's performance.
"We played mostly defensively today, not the way we would have liked," he said through a translator following the match. "We wanted to play a little bit more offensive, but we actually played with them, that was good for us."

Canada's best chance, however, may have been negated by a non-call on Alexander Mejia, who appeared to take down forward Tosaint Ricketts.

Infographic | Lionel Messi 100 La Liga Assists Landmark