soccer

Tom Brady Expands Sports Ownership Portfolio To English Soccer Team

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Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady has added another asset to his ever-growing sports ownership portfolio. Brady, who already owns stakes in the Las Vegas Aces and Las Vegas Raiders, was recently announced as a new minority owner of Birmingham City Football Club. Birmingham City currently plays in the Championship, the second tier of English soccer. However, the team has been in a slump in recent years. They had not finished higher than 17th in the 24-team league since 2016.

According to a statement released by the club, Brady will serve as the chairman of the advisory board at the club. Furthermore, he will “apply his extensive leadership experience and expertise across several components of the club, including working alongside the sports science department to advise on health, nutrition, wellness, and recovery systems and programs.” However, Brady will be the first to admit that he’s got a lot to learn. “Maybe you’re asking what do you know about English football, Tom? Well let’s just say I’ve got a lot to learn. But I do know a few things about winning, and I think they may translate pretty well. I know success starts with the work put in when the world isn’t watching. I know a team is nothing without the city that shows up and stands behind it.”

Read More: Tom Brady seen linking up with Irina Shayk

Brady Latest In Wave Of Celebrity Soccer Owners

Of course, Brady is just the latest celebrity to invest in English soccer. The best example of this is Ryan Reynolds, who purchased non-league side Wrexham in November 2020. Reynolds, along with It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney, have turned Wrexham into a worldwide sensation. The team earned promotion to the English Football League at the end of the 2022-23 season.

Meanwhile, the NFL’s JJ Watt, along with his pro soccer player wife Kealia, invested in the Premier League club Burnley earlier this year. “When you invest in a club that’s been around since 1882, you must have great respect for its history and tradition. We understand that not only are we investing in the squad and manager, we’re investing in the town and its people. We take that responsibility very seriously and intend to work hard in earning their trust and support. We have such great respect for what has been built here by Alan, Vincent and the entire organisation. And we are looking forward to working with them. We believe that Burnley is a special club with incredible supporters and we want to help continue to elevate its global profile on its return to the Premier League,” the couple said in a statement.

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Women’s World Cup: Jamaica Makes History With Knockouts Qualification

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Jamaica made history at the 2023 Women’s World Cup as they qualify for the knockout stage. The Reggae Girlz finished second in Group F following a 0-0 draw with Brazil. In their other two group-stage matches, the team drew France 0-0 and beat Panama 1-0. In qualifying for the Round of 16, Jamaica made it out of the group stage for the first time. At their World Cup debut in 2019, the Reggae Girlz lost all three matches, including a 3-0 loss to Brazil. Furthermore, they become the first Caribbean nation to qualify for the knockout stages in the history of the tournament.

It’s a truly amazing feat for a team that just weeks before the tournament was fighting its national soccer association over discriminatory treatment and unpaid wages. Despite this, the 43rd-ranked nation in the world put on a masterful defensive display in a tough group. They kept clean sheets against two top-ten nations and by holding Brazil to a single point, sent the South American giants home before the knockouts for the first time since 1995. Jamaica will face the winners of Group H in the Round of 16.

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World Gives Reggae Girlz Their Flowers

The soccer world overflowed with joy for Jamaica as the final whistle blew in Melbourne. “History👏🏿 Congrats Girls 🇯🇲🙌🏿 #ReggaeGirlz,” wrote Jamaican athletics legend Usain Bolt on X. The result also comes a day after the island nation celebrated its national day of emancipation. Jamaica will celebrate its national independence day later this week on August 6.

However, for many soccer fans, the result came with a tinge of sadness. With Brazil eliminated the legendary international career of Marta officially came to an end. Marta confirmed that the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand would be her last. “Yes, it will be my last World Cup. We have to understand that a time comes for us to prioritize other things. I just have to be thankful to have lived all those years in the national team. To have the opportunity to go to another World Cup, a sixth one, for me is something surreal.” Widely considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time, Marta had been a Brazilian international since 2002.

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Women’s World Cup: Lindsey Horan Attributes Game-Tying Goal To “Anger”

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The US Women’s National Team found themselves lucky to escape with a draw as they took on the Netherlands at the Women’s World Cup. The two-time defending champions looked characteristically out of sorts in the first half. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski made several bizarre decisions. This included starting the previously uncapped Savannah DeMelo. 17 minutes in and the US found themselves trailing for the first time since the 2011 quarterfinals as Jill Roord put the Dutch ahead.

It wouldn’t be until the 62nd minute that the US found an equalizer. Lindsey Horan knocked down a Rose Lavelle corner to tie the game at 1-1. Five minutes later, the US thought they had a winner. However, Alex Morgan’s goal was disallowed due to an offside call on Trinity Rodman. Meanwhile, after the game, team hero Lindsey Horan revealed that it was a great sense of anger that led to her vital goal.

Read More: Yamilia Rodriguez begs fans to stop sending her hate mail for Ronaldo tattoo

Horan Inspired By Heavy Tackle

Moments before Horan’s goal, she was brought down by a heavy tackle from her Lyon teammate Danielle Van de Donk. “So that moment, that little tackle — big tackle — changed a shift in my head because I want to do everything for my team and to win these games,” Horan told reporters. As Lavelle prepared to whip the ball in the box, Horan could be seen arguing with Van de Donk. Horan wenve went as far as giving her a two-handed shove. “Dan is that type of player — when she’s on my team it’s incredible because she’s going to fight to that last second to win a game or go into that last tackle,” Horan said. “That’s what she did and unfortunately I didn’t take it in a good way. I got a little heated and she got to hear it.”

However, there appears to be no bad blood between the pair. They linked up after the game, doing their media availability side-by-side. It wasn’t the only run-in Van de Donk had a US player during the match. After colliding with Lavelle in the 94th minute, Van de Donk played out the final few minutes in a swim cap to prevent bleeding from impacting her performance. The result leaves the group wide open, with the US needing at least a draw against Portugal to progress. However, the US could move on with a loss as long as the Netherlands also lost to Vietnam.

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Megan Rapinoe To Retire At End Of 2023 Season

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Megan Rapinoe, arguably the face of US women’s soccer for nearly two decades, has announced that she will be retiring at the end of the 2023 season. Rapinoe’s career began in Portland in 2005, when she scored 30 goals in 60 games for Portland Pilots collegiate team across three seasons. Alongside Canadian soccer legend Christine Sinclair, Rapinoe won an NCAA title during her freshman season. In 2009, Rapinoe was the second-overall pick in the WPS draft, joining the Chicago Red Stars. When the Red Stars shut down a year later, Rapinoe joined the expansion Philadelphia Independence. However, she was subsequently traded to MagicJack, formerly known as the Washington Freedom. However, the MagicJack franchise was terminated at the end of the 2011 season and the league would fold in early 2012.

After brief stints in Seattle, Sydney, and Lyon, Rapinoe returned to the US in 2014 to join the Seattle Reign of the newly formed NWSL. Rapinoe has since played 102 games and scored 47 goals for the Reign, who were acquired by Lyon to become the OL Reign. However, Rapinoe has also been an anchor of the women’s national team since 2006. She was a key part of turning the United States into the international powerhouse they are known as today. At the time of writing, she has won two World Cups, two Olympic medals (gold and bronze), and nearly 200 international caps.

Rapinoe Announces Retirement

Rapinoe announced that she would be retiring at the end of the 2023 season on July 8. “It is with a deep sense of peace & gratitude that I have decided this will be my final season playing this beautiful game. I never could have imagined the ways in which soccer would shape & change my life forever, but by the look on this little girl’s face, she knew all along,” she wrote on Twitter. That means the upcoming World Cup will be her last. Furthermore, Rapinoe’s final game will occur sometime in October or November, based on how well the Reign performs this season. The team entered as the defending NWSL Shield holders. At the time of writing, the Reign are third in the NWSL standings.

Read More: Marta announces international retirement after 2023 World Cup

With the World Cup, Rapinoe will look to help the US make history. They enter as two-time defending champions and could become the first nation to win three tournaments in a row. In the group stage, the US will face Vietnam, The Netherlands, and Portugal. The Netherlands will be an intriguing game especially, as it will serve as a rematch of the 2019 World Cup Final. While the US remains as significant favorites, the landscape is quite different from four years ago. It will likely not be as easy a road as the perennial champions have experienced in the past. While the end of it is still some months away, congratulations to Megan on a truly historic career.

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SOURCE SPORTS: Roc Nation Sports International (RNSI) Expands into Brazil, Signs Soccer Superstar Vinicius Jr.

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Roc Nation Sports International (RNSI) is making a significant move into the South American football market with the launch of Roc Nation Sports Brazil. This expansion is made possible by acquiring TFM Agency, a prestigious Brazilian football agency based in São Paulo.

TFM Agency currently represents over 100 footballers, including the renowned Vinicius Jr, who plays for Real Madrid and Brazil. With the integration of TFM into Roc Nation Sports Brazil, these talented athletes will now receive the same high-level service enjoyed by stars like Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Federico Dimarco under RNSI.

Frederico Pena, founder of TFM Agency, will assume the role of President of Roc Nation Sports Brazil. His partners Marcos Casseb, Lucas Mineiro, Renato Martinez, Octavio Rigoni, and Thiago Freitas will join him.

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“In terms of football, Brazil is the center of it all,” says Juan Perez, President and Founder of Roc Nation Sports. “I strongly identify with a culture that has such an incredible passion for sport and music. Our influence in this game is growing and this move shows our intentions to the world.”

“By introducing a full-service sports representation service to South America, we are providing a level of service that has never before existed in this market, and one that our players truly deserve,” added Frederico Pena. “Roc Nation embodies the pinnacle of culture, sports, and entertainment. It made perfect sense to join Roc Nation, elevate our operations, and provide our athletes with comprehensive, global representation.”

Michael Yormark, President of Roc Nation Sports International, added: “It fills me with pride to finally announce our expansion into Brazil. When we started this venture in 2019, I had a lot of ambitions for RNSI. Since then, we’ve grown across Europe, South Africa & the US. This marks a continuation of what we are building here at Roc Nation; ‘Best in Class’ representation for some of the greatest athletes in the world. I’m also super excited that Alan Redmond, our EVP & Global Head of Football will be working closely with Fred Pena and his team to grow our football business worldwide.”

With this strategic acquisition, Roc Nation Sports International continues its global expansion plans to revolutionize sports representation in new and diverse markets as they move forward in 2023 and beyond.

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Marta Confirms International Retirement After 2023 World Cup

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Marta Vieira da Silva is one of the greatest soccer players of all time. Beginning in her home nation of Brazil, she has played all over the world. After a brief stint in the US in 2010 and 2011, Marta returned to the US in 2017 after spending six years in Sweden. Despite being known as “Pelé with skirts”, Marta’s play almost defies comparison. She’s tenacious, fast, and views the field of play like no one else. It’s not an exaggeration to say that no one plays soccer quite like Marta.

On the international stage, Marta has represented Brazil since 2002. She has 115 goals in 174 games and at the time of writing, serves as Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer for the women’s national team. She has played at every World Cup since 2003, also serving as the all-time goalscorer for the competition. However, she has never won the tournament. The closest Brazil has come was a second-place finish in 2007. Now, it appears that Marta is giving herself one last chance to win it.

Marta Confirms International Retirement

Speaking with local media in Brazil on July 3, Marta confirmed that the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand would be her last. “Yes, it will be my last World Cup. We have to understand that a time comes for us to prioritize other things. I just have to be thankful to have lived all those years in the national team. To have the opportunity to go to another World Cup, a sixth one, for me is something surreal.”

Brazil enter as the #8 nation in the world and will be looking to bounce back from back-to-back Round of 16 exits in 2015 and 2019. They should have a fairly easy time in the group stage. The biggest threat will be France (ranked #5 in the world). Elsewhere in the group, they will face a Jamaican team that is currently fighting its national federation. Furthermore, they will take on Panama. However, winning the group will be vital if they want to avoid a likely Round of 16 matchup against Germany. Regardless, the team is likely to do what they can make Marta’s final tournament the best of her career.

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The Bidens, Taylor Swift, Megan Thee Stallion, And Many More Helped The USWNT Announce Its Women’s World Cup Roster

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The United States women’s national team is headed to Australia and New Zealand this summer with the hopes of becoming the first team to ever win the FIFA Women’s World Cup three times in a row. After lifting the World Cup in Canada in 2015 and France in 2019, the Americans have their sights set on history — not only would going back-to-back-to-back be unprecedented, but winning this time around with mark the fifth time they’ve won the tournament.

Wednesday was a big day for the team, as U.S. Soccer announced the 23 players who will make up the squad this time around. Beyond the release that includes the full list of players, the USWNT had some fun by lining up some of the biggest names in sports, entertainment, and politics to help with the announcement — in a video posted to the official USWNT Twitter account, Joe and Jill Biden, Issa Rae, Mariska Hargitay, Taylor Swift, Shaquille O’Neal, Megan Thee Stallion, Tina Fey, Rainn Wilson, Blake Lively, Lamorne Morris, Mikaela Shiffrin, Amy Rodriguez, Gabrielle Union, Matt Turner, Sophia Bush, Kelly Slater, Breanna Stewart, Tim Howard, Quinta Brunson, Mia Hamm, John Cena, Jalen Hurts, Brooke Baldwin, and Lil Wayne all read off the names of members of the roster.

And here is the full roster, via U.S. Soccer:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Aubrey Kingsbury* (Washington Spirit; 1), Casey Murphy* (North Carolina Courage; 14), Alyssa Naeher*** (Chicago Red Stars; 90)

DEFENDERS (7): Alana Cook* (OL Reign; 24/1), Crystal Dunn** (Portland Thorns FC; 131/24), Emily Fox* (North Carolina Courage; 28/1), Naomi Girma* (San Diego Wave FC; 15/0), Sofia Huerta* (OL Reign; 29/0), Kelley O’Hara**** (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 157/3), Emily Sonnett** (OL Reign; 74/1)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Savannah DeMelo* (Racing Louisville FC; 0/0), Julie Ertz*** (Angel City FC; 118/20), Lindsey Horan** (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 128/27), Rose Lavelle** (OL Reign; 88/24), Kristie Mewis* (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 51/7), Ashley Sanchez* (Washington Spirit; 24/3), Andi Sullivan* (Washington Spirit; 44/3)

FORWARDS (6): Alex Morgan**** (San Diego Wave FC; 206/121), Megan Rapinoe**** (OL Reign; 199/63), Trinity Rodman* (Washington Spirit; 17/2), Sophia Smith* (Portland Thorns FC; 29/12), Alyssa Thompson* (Angel City FC; 3/0), Lynn Williams* (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 52/15)

*: First Women’s World Cup
**: Second Women’s World Cup
***: Third Women’s World Cup
****: Fourth Women’s World Cup

The USWNT will begin group play on July 23 against Vietnam. From there, the squad will play The Netherlands — which it beat in the 2019 Final — on July 27 before wrapping up group play on August 1 against Portugal.

Lionel Messi Reportedly Joining Inter Miami

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The future of soccer superstar Lionel Messi has been the subject of much debate in recent months. Despite joining French giants PSG in 2021, Messi has never seemed to feel at home in Ligue 1. Despite winning the league in his first season, Messi appeared unhappy with his performance and vowed to improve. While the 2022/23 campaign brought another league title, things were falling apart behind the scenes.

Messi appeared unhappy at the club and that began to boil over into public view during and after the World Cup. First, there was Argentina’s shock World Cup loss to Saudi Arabia. People were quick to note that Messi is a very vocal brand ambassador for Saudi Arabia. However, the straw that broke the camel was an unsanctioned in-season trip Messi took to the nation. Messi was officially released on June 3.

Messi To Choose Inter Miami

PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 3: Lionel Messi #30 of Paris Saint-Germain watches his free kick taken on the edge of the penalty area during the Paris Saint-Germain V Clermont, French Ligue 1 regular season match at Parc des Princes on June 3, 2023, in Paris, France (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

Three primary candidates stood out as Messi’s next destination. First, there was the possibility of a return to Barcelona, where Messi played between 2003 and 2021. Then there was a move to Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal, which would see Messi follow in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. Finally, there were reports that Messi could be joining Inter Miami, the Florida-based team owned by David Beckham.

Al Hilal appeared to be the frontrunner after making an initial offer to Messi in April. Various numbers were floated, with some going as high as $436 million a year. Elsewhere, a Barcelona reunion seemed unlikely due to the club’s mounting financial problems. However, a new report suggests that Inter Miami is now the likely destination for Messi. the BBC first reported the news but at this time Inter Miami has declined comment. Despite this, ESPN has reported that sources within the Al Hilal camp expect Messi to take his talents to the MLS. This is a developing story and we’ll have any updates here at HotNewHipHop.

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Kanye West & Kim Kardashian Continue To Co-Parent At Saint’s Soccer Game

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Kanye West and Kim Kardashian were both in attendance at their son Saint’s soccer game in Tarzana on Sunday. In photos obtained by TMZ, both parents appeared cordial while co-parenting their children. A witness for the outlet described the two as appearing to be on decent terms, making small talk and discussing Saint’s performance throughout the game.

West and Kardashian have been separated since early 2021. At one of their kids’ recent sporting events, Ye brought his partner, Bianca Censori, although she wasn’t present at Sunday’s game. Kardashian appears to be single since dating Pete Davison from November 2021 through August 2022.

Kanye West & Kim Kardashian With Their Kids

NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 29: Kim Kardashian, Kanye West with North West and Saint West are spotted in the Upper East Side on August 29, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Alo Ceballos/GC Images)

In total, West and Kardashian share four kids. They welcomed their daughter, North, in June 2013, their son, Saint, in December 2015, their second daughter, Chicago in January 2018, and their second son, Psalm, in May 2019.

Kardashian previously discussed the difficulty of co-parenting with West during an appearance on the Angie Martinez IRL podcast in December. “It’s hard. Shit like co-parenting, it’s really fucking hard,” she shared while wiping tears from her eyes. “I had the best dad. And I had the best memories and the greatest experience. And that’s all I want for my kids. As long as they can have that, that’s what I want for them. So, if they don’t know things that are being said, or what’s happening in the world, why would I ever bring that energy to them? That’s real heavy, heavy grown-up shit. And they’re not ready to deal with it, you know? When they are, we’ll have those conversations. And I’ll be so prepared. But until then, I’ll do anything to keep their life as normal as possible.”

Kardashian also said that she had prevented her kids from knowing the extent of West’s recent erratic behavior. “I definitely protected him and I still will in the eyes of my kids, for my kids,” she said during the interview.

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Hollywood In Attendance As Wrexham Gets “Ted Lasso” Moment

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Wrexham Football Club is a soccer team in the fifth tier of English soccer. They’ve been there since 2008, when they were relegated from League Two, the fourth tier of English soccer and its lowest professional tier. Over the last 14 seasons, their best finish was 2nd in 2012. However, you best know Wrexham because Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought the club in 2020. They turned the small club on the England-Wales border into an international sensation

In a lot of ways, Wrexham is very similar to AFC Richmond, the fictional club at the heart of Apple TV’s Ted Lasso. Both were struggling clubs that find a new lease on life after the intervention of a pragmatic American. Last season, Wrexham again finished second but lost in the promotion play-offs in a heartbreaking 5-4 game against Grimsby. Ahead of this season, Wrexham brought in a wave of new signings, including former Premier League goalkeeper Ben Foster.

Wrexham Finally Secure Promotion

On April 22, 2008, a 2-0 defeat to Hereford officially relegated Wrexham from the Football League. 15 years later to the day, the atmosphere couldn’t have been more different. Amongst the near-capacity crowd, Reynolds, McElhenney sat alongside Ant-Man star Paul Rudd. The trio watched Wrexham take to their home pitch for the final time this season to take on play-off hopefuls Boreham Wood. Earlier in the season, the two sides had played out a 1-1 draw

At the end of Ted Lasso‘s first season, we watch Richmond relegated in heart-breaking fashion. The show’s second season ends with them jubilantly promoted. It’s a fitting analogy for Wrexham in 2008 and 2023. Hollywood was there to witness a dominant 3-1 performance by the home side as Wrexham took the win and were officially crowned National League champions. However, that came after a heart-stopping moment as Boreham Wood slotted home a goal in the first minute of the game. As the crowd cheered, Reynolds embraced keeper Ben Foster. “Never in doubt!” Reynolds can barely be heard saying over the blaring music and roar of the crowd. Wrexham and their Hollywood owners believed, and now they are ready to make the Football League take note.

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