No self-congratulation from Van Gaal, but Rodgers is no longer the prince of positivityLiverpool’s manager has no time to feel sorry for himself – not when his team needs leadershipMon Dec 15 2014 - 15:09
Robbie Keane reinvents himself as leader and legend in AmericaDiscarded by Liverpool and then Spurs, Keane was left with no good options in English footballTue Dec 09 2014 - 11:51
South America’s attacking talents shaped by footballing culture, and economic realityLuis Suarez and Sergio Aguero offer accounts of how young talent developsMon Dec 08 2014 - 12:00
King Robbie Keane ready as always for crowning gloryKen Early meets the MVP of MLS ahead of the LA Galaxy’s final clash with New England RevolutionSun Dec 07 2014 - 10:56
It's not Steven Gerrard’s fault Liverpool are so reliant on himAs Brendan Rodgers struggles for clarity , Gerrard is the least of his problemsMon Dec 01 2014 - 12:08
The greatest threat to Delaney is John Delaney himself . . .Did John Delaney lie in an effort to cover up a story he feared would cause him embarrassment?Thu Nov 27 2014 - 21:44
For Van Gaal winning football, not the beautiful game, is the new priorityNew book shows how the former Dutch boss’s ideas on the game have evolvedMon Nov 24 2014 - 13:26
A city of two halves: from national ecstasy at Celtic Park to agony at IbroxAngry men, quiet children, apologetic players: everyone’s in a bad mood at RangersMon Nov 17 2014 - 16:10
Failure to subdue clever Maloney and Naismith proves costly for IrelandOn night of crash bang wallop, wee bit of craft adds up to a whole world of differenceSat Nov 15 2014 - 12:26
Something amiss with Fifa corruption reportFindings of summary asks more questions of governing body’s integrityFri Nov 14 2014 - 14:15
Legacy of Ferguson years forgotten in gloomy windswept fortress on sea’s edgeWhat has happened to Scotland, once perennial World Cup participants?Mon Nov 10 2014 - 12:00
Berlin 25: The shock World Cup victory that kickstarted the Federal RepublicFootball is never truly important, but the Miracle of Bern in 1954 is probably as close as it getsThu Nov 06 2014 - 06:08
Brendan Rodgers no longer preaching from the moral high groundLiverpool’s brilliance last year owed more to Luis Suárez than to coach’s philosophyMon Nov 03 2014 - 12:00
How will Suarez take to being just another star in Barcelona galaxy?Neymar has bedded in nicely, but erstwhile Liverpool striker needs to be given his headMon Oct 27 2014 - 12:00
Raheem Sterling’s kind of courage was to speak upWillingness to suffer used to be essential for a footballer. Now young players know betterMon Oct 20 2014 - 08:45
Captain’s fantastic late strike reflects transformed last quarter performanceO’Shea gave us our sweetest moment since that other late equaliser in 2002Wed Oct 15 2014 - 06:00
Access to cutting-edge game analysis is helping German football thriveResearchers are pioneering new statistical methods of analysing soccerMon Oct 13 2014 - 01:00
Inside German football: True love drives Dortmund devoteesFrom the largest terrace in Europe, Dortmund’s fans exemplify a club with the best of football traditionsSat Oct 11 2014 - 06:00
Ken Early: One mistake was all it took to give Chelsea the upper hand at Stamford BridgeMourinho’s teams don’t always give the impression of joy, but their focus never faltersMon Oct 06 2014 - 12:00
Gerrard strike reminds critics that reports of imminent demise greatly exaggeratedThe Liverpool captain’s goal against Everton will quieten pundits, at least for nowMon Sept 29 2014 - 12:00
Frank Lampard’s brilliant career driven by intense personal ambition, whatever the shade of blueSteven Gerrard may have had more natural talent, but Lampard has ended up with more goals and more medalsMon Sept 22 2014 - 12:00
Jack Wilshere overwhelmed as Dortmund humble ArsenalWenger’s first-choice team undone by understrength but superb German sideWed Sept 17 2014 - 00:59
Ken Early: If van Gaal’s withering verdict doesn’t fire up Welbeck, nothing willAt Arsenal, he’ll have a manager who’ll trust him to get on with it his own way, and that could be exactly what he needs. The transfer that seemed to please nobody might work out for everybody yetMon Sept 15 2014 - 12:00
Vindication for McGeady as crucial points are rescuedIf Ireland do qualify for Euro 2016 it will unlikely be by more than the two points that were not lostMon Sept 08 2014 - 12:00
Martin O’Neill’s appetite sharpened by the prospect of competitive action‘Every minute of these matches will be very, very important for us,” says Republic of Ireland bossSat Sept 06 2014 - 01:00
Declaring for Ireland is not some Noble cause but about the player giving his bestThe news that Mark Noble is seriously considering declaring for Ireland has caused a stirMon Sept 01 2014 - 01:00
Football just a trivial pursuit for baffling BalotelliAnyone hoping the enigmatic forward is about to “grow up” – that is, to start playing with the commitment of a Luis Suarez or a Shane Long – is likely to be disappointedMon Aug 25 2014 - 12:00
Ken Early: Woodward could go the way of Moyes at Manchester UnitedVan Gaal won’t accept failure to add quality players to squadMon Aug 18 2014 - 12:00
Seven steps to World Cup immortality for GermanyGermany’s triumph is the fruit of smart evolution – and sweet vindication for manager Joachim LöwSat Jul 19 2014 - 11:00
Super Mario takes centre stage as drained Messi sees dreams of immortality slip awayArgentine looked a shadow of himself despite picking up yet another awardSun Jul 13 2014 - 23:51
Luis Suárez incident highlights benefits of group effortThe romantic notion of journalists working alone falls short in realitySat Jul 12 2014 - 12:02
Can Messi shine or will Müller corner the plaudits?Germany favourites but still time for Lionel Messi to have moment for ArgentinaSat Jul 12 2014 - 10:09
Brazilian football has lost its sense of identity after years of foreign exodusFans hardly recognise a team spawned at home but adrift on international stageThu Jul 10 2014 - 01:40
Javier Mascherano proving to be Argentina’s real leaderDespite Lionel Messi wearing the armband midfielder displays his own brand of leadershipWed Jul 09 2014 - 05:00
Scolari: ‘I think it was the worst day of my life’Brazil coach takes full responsibility for humiliating 7-1 semi-final defeat to GermanyWed Jul 09 2014 - 01:03
Germany’s slaughter of Brazil part of a much bigger storyThis was not just a match but the most incredible result in World Cup historyTue Jul 08 2014 - 23:58
Manuel Neuer cleans up by being more than a sweeperThe Bayern Munich man has all the elements that make up a top goalkeeperTue Jul 08 2014 - 05:00
Brazil turned match into a war so they have to accept casualtiesA game plan based on beating up Colombia was never going to end wellMon Jul 07 2014 - 07:03
Thibaut Courtois could yet emerge as decisive figureMarouane Fellaini will be dangerous in the air on set-pieces but he may struggle on the ground against Lionel MessiSat Jul 05 2014 - 04:00
Germany fail to convince at Maracanã but they still march on to semi-final dateVictory over France was tense, error-strewn and largely uninspiringSat Jul 05 2014 - 01:00
Joachim Löw’s Germany face up to their moment of truth against FranceHas the Germany coach brought his much-admired team as far as they can go?Fri Jul 04 2014 - 04:00
Lack of quality adds to Messi’s heavy burdenArgentina needs a few more stars to come out to play in BrazilWed Jul 02 2014 - 08:36
Messi issues edict on formation ahead of crunch Switzerland fixtureArgentina’s taciturn midfield maestro confirms preferred team shape of 4-3-3Tue Jul 01 2014 - 01:00
Recife Letter: When losing everything makes you realise how lucky you are‘I thought about the joy the thief must have felt as he unpacked my electronics-laden bag’Mon Jun 30 2014 - 11:00
Costa Rica take another European scalp and march onFive flawless penalties after a 1-1 draw in Recife books meeting with the NetherlandsMon Jun 30 2014 - 07:22
Maradona’s defence of Suarez a reminder of Argentinian superstar’s past indiscretionsEven the Uruguayan president backs the biting striker’s causeSat Jun 28 2014 - 14:00
Germany win but USA join them in second roundKen Early from Recife, where Jürgen Klinsmann’s side joined his homeland in last 16Thu Jun 26 2014 - 20:27
Victory for Germany may help repair damage of GijonThe loser in Recife tonight could be eliminated. A draw, however, takes both sides throughThu Jun 26 2014 - 08:00
Luis Suarez facing World Cup expulsion after latest bite claimsFifa charge Uruguay striker and he has until tonight to provide evidence to support his caseWed Jun 25 2014 - 09:19
Uruguay go through but Luis Suarez in the dock againStriker at the centre of another biting controversy as Italy knocked out in Natal after Godin winnerTue Jun 24 2014 - 20:12
