by Aleks V | @aleksvee

From the shores of Brazil to the fields of everywhere else, GoalChatter takes a look back at the biggest news and games in football this year.

Men's Tournaments

FIFA World Cup

• Germany beats Argentina 1:0 to win their 4th ever World Cup, and their first as a unified nation. Die Mannschaft became the first European team to win a World Cup hosted in South America. It was the 3rd time Germany and Argentina met in the final. Their last meeting in the 1990 WC final was also a 1:0 win, for West Germany.
• First FIFA World Cup to use goal-line technology.

UEFA Champions League

2013-14 UCL

• Real Madrid played city rivals Atletico in the 2013-14 Champions League final. Godin opened the score for Atletico, but Sergio Ramos's stoppage time goal tied the game, sending it to extra time. Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo made the score 4:1, giving Real Madrid their 10th Champions League title. They are the first team to reach 'La Decima'. Carlo Ancelotti becomes the second manager, after Liverpool's Bob Paisley, to win three CL trophies, and the 5th manager to win the tournament with two different clubs (Milan and Real Madrid).

2014-15 UCL

• Ludogorets reach the UCL group stage for the first time thanks to defender Cosmin Moti, who gets in goal to save two penalties in the shootout.
• Real Madrid becomes the only team to win all of their group stage games on two occasions.

UEFA Europa League 

2013-14 UEL

• Sevilla defeats Benfica 4:2 in penalties after a scoreless draw, marking their 3rd-ever UEL win, a joint record with Juventus, Inter and Liverpool. The trophy is Sevilla manager Unai Emery's first European Cup.

2014-15 UEL

• In their farthest European campaign thus far, Dynamo Moscow win all 6 of their group stage games, becoming the 6th team ever to do so.
• For the first time, the champions of the 2014-15 Europa League will automatically qualify for the Champions League play-offs. 

Women's Tournaments

UEFA Women's Champions League

• Wolfsburg come from behind to defeat Swedish club Tyreso 4-3.

World Football

Biggest Transfers
England 

• First goal decided by goal-line technology is Eden Dzeko's goal in Manchester City's game against Cardiff. It's also the 100th goal of the season.
• A record 10 managers leave clubs before the final day of the season.
• Louis van Gaal replaces David Moyes as manager of Manchester United after leading the Netherlands to a third-place finish in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
• The media puts a dent on Malky Mackay's managerial career. Mistaking the pitch for the ring, Cardiff owner Vincent Tan attempts to do a face turn. 
• Howard Webb retires from refereeing.

France

• Helena Costa becomes the first female manager of a professional men's football club in Europe, Clermont Foot, only to resign hours after being appointed. Another female manager, Corinne Diacre, takes her place.

Corinne #Diacre makes history tonight, debuting as coach of men's professional side @ClermontFoot in #Ligue2 pic.twitter.com/ieBEWDEaLl
— UEFA.com (@UEFAcom) August 4, 2014

Spain

• Atletico Madrid became La Liga champions, taking the throne from Real Madrid and Barcelona, who dominated the title over the course of a decade. Atletico was also the first away team in over half a century to win the league at Camp Nou.

Italy

• After 3 consecutive Serie A titles, Juventus manager Antonio Conte leaves the club to take over Italy's national team.

Other

• San Marino keep their first clean sheet since 1993 with a 0-0 draw. 

USA

NWSL

• July 20, 2014: The NWSL debuts on national television, airing on ESPN2. Christine Sinclair scores a hat-trick as the Portland Thorns defeat the Boston Breakers 6-3. 

The @NWSL makes it's official tv debut in 10 minutes on ESPN2!! Whoop whoop!! Tune in for a great game!! @ThornsFC v @BostonBreakers
— Whitney Engen (@whitneyengen) July 20, 2014

• Kansas City beat the Seattle Reign to win the 2014 NWSL championship.

MLS

• Thierry Henry retires, playing his last game for the New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals. 
• Landon Donovan retires, playing his last game for the LA Galaxy in the MLS Cup final before hanging up his boots. 
• DaMarcus Beasley retires from international football. Beasley is the only US player to appear in 4 World Cup tournaments, and has scored more goals than any US player in the Champions League. 

MLS Cup

The "gold standard" of MLS: http://t.co/CzNiz39TQa #FirstToFive pic.twitter.com/tXFwuQQHxX
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 8, 2014

• The LA Galaxy became the first team to win 5 MLS Cups when they defeated the New England Revolution 2:1 in extra time. MVP Robbie Keane scored the winning goal.

Players and Managers We Lost

by Aleks V | @aleksvee

It's no secret that more and more women continue to break through to top positions in the sports industry, but how many actually influence content on major sports websites? There are a handful of notable female sports bloggers, but their audience is usually limited to fellow bloggers and fans of women's sports. A readership of thousands is only guaranteed for writers at the top companies. Female sports writers and reporters do have a voice outside of the blogosphere, but not one that is loud enough.



Yahoo! Sports
Yahoo! Sports ranks at the top of eBizMBA's Top 15 Most Popular Sports Websites in November 2014. Unlike some of the other sites, it was difficult to find a comprehensive list of staff for the Yahoo! Sports blogs. None of the blogs are currently edited by women. YS did have a female editor, Maggie Hendricks, who was in charge of its Olympics and MMA blogs. She now works at USA Today. According to the Yahoo! Sports official Twitter handle, there are currently 62 active staff, only 3 of which are women. Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer should probably do something about those numbers.

ESPN
ESPN has the highest percentage of female writers among the leading sports sites. 6 of 38 writers are women, with 3 holding senior writing positions. Another 3 are deputy, associate and assistant editors. Out of 56 positions with "editor" in the title, 20 are held by women. In July 2010, the network launched espnW, a platform dedicated mostly to women's sports. ESPN also employs a handful of female anchors and reporters. My question for them: where are the female play-by-play commentators?

BleacherReport
The 3rd most visited sports site, BleacherReport has the smallest percentage of female writers. Of BR's 38 Lead Writers, only one is a woman. The "hundreds of pieces of content" created daily on BR are mostly the work of men.

CBSSports.com
5 of 71 staff members on Twitter are women. All are either hosts, co-hosts or reporters.

Sports Illustrated
Timeinc.com describes SI as "the most respected sports media brand in the world". The magazine "reaches 19+ million sports fans every week". SI's website lists 80 writers, only 6 of which are women. SI's staff, according to 2011 data, includes 12 senior editors, 3 of which are women. Note that the stats do not include writers or editors of spin-offs like SI Kids.
Women may have a limited sphere of influence in sports media, but the tides are turned when it comes to viewership. According to Nielsen.com, "female sports fans make up about 35% of fans in each league". Even mainstream media have pointed out that women are a significant portion of NFL viewership, one that continues to grow despite controversies in the league involving the treatment of women. The Washington Post calls women the league's most important demographic, yet female NFL writers are not teeming the web. The main question is, if 1 out of 3 sports fans is a woman, why is female viewership for all major sports under 40%? The answer may be tied to the fact that the majority of sports reporters, analysts and commentators are men. Sure, there are quite a few female sideline reporters and hosts, but their brief contributions to analyses and discussions are hardly influential. Maybe more women would watch major sports if more women reported on them.

St Louis, Missouri
Population: 2.8 million (Greater St. Louis)
St. Louis's soccer connection goes back to the 60's and 70's, when St. Louis University was one of the most successful college soccer teams, supplying many a player for the NASL's St. Louis Stars. Notable alumni in the modern era include Brian McBride and Tim Ream. While a USL Pro team, Saint Louis FC, is set to debut in 2015, there are no current plans for either NASL or MLS expansion. The stadium that will host St. Louis FC is a bit small for the bigger leagues, but there's no reason why the 60k capacity Busch Stadium can't be shared with an association football team. Like New York's Yankee Stadium, Busch is no stranger to hosting soccer friendlies, selling out for Chelsea vs Manchester City last year. Another stadium, the Edward Jones Dome, hosted a friendly between Bosnia and the Ivory Coast in May 2014.

Tucson, Arizona
Population: 996,544 (metro area)
Better known for its softball, basketball and swim teams, Tucson has seen a growing interest in soccer in recent years. The city is familiar to MLS fans, regularly hosting the Desert Diamond Cup during the MLS pre-season. USL PDL club FC Tucson is involved in organizing the tournament. Founded in 2010, the team plays in the league's Mountain Division, finishing at the top this year for the first time. Tucson was also home to now-defunct USISL side Tucson Amigos. The larger Phoenix had a USL Pro team, Phoenix FC, which folded after 2 years. There's no shortage of venues in Tucson. With 56,000 seats, Arizona Stadium would be well-suited for MLS fixtures. The smaller Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, which hosts FC Tucson, and the baseball-specific Hi Corbett Field are more suitable options for an NASL team. The former hosted a friendly between Canada and Denmark in January 2013.

New Orleans, Louisiana
Population: 1.2 million (metro area)
A city with soccer roots tracing back to the 19th century, New Orleans is currently home to NPSL (4th tier) side New Orleans Jesters, whose head coach, Kenny Farrell, voiced his support for an MLS team. In 2007, a group of investors conducted a study to see whether New Orleans had a potential market for an MLS franchise. Algiers and City Park were named as potential locations for a stadium. Indeed, only one existing venue would be suitable, and it just happens to have a bit of soccer history. Although now primarily an NFL stadium, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome once hosted a friendly between the New York Cosmos and Dallas Tornado, featuring Pele and Kyle Rote, Jr.

Detroit, Michigan
Population: 4.3 million (metro area)
Detroit has an interesting soccer history dating back to the late 60's, when the Detroit Cougars, a team featuring players from Glentoran FC of Northern Ireland, played two seasons in the United Soccer Association. Next came the Detroit Express, a team that played in the NASL and ASL in the 70's and 80's. Their inaugural season featured a European tour and the famous George Best and Bobby Moore as guest players. Soccer in Michigan is not a thing of the past, however. Detroit City FC, an NPSL club founded in 2012, already has ardent supporters in the thousands. Perhaps it's not so surprising, considering over 109,000 fans attended a friendly between Manchester United and Real Madrid at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor this August, the largest attendance at a soccer game in the U.S. since the 1984 Olympics. Detroit's Silverdome, which previously hosted the Detroit Express, is a potential venue that should not be overlooked. Although its future currently hangs in limbo and much of the stadium was auctioned off in March, the owners are "continuing to investigate all potential revenue options for the site.” They even applied for an MLS franchise in 2011. The arena hosted a friendly between AC Milan and Panathinaikos in August 2010. The challenge with an MLS team in Detroit? Attendance. The Seattle Sounders, who recorded a regular average attendance of over 40,000 in the past few years, are the exception rather than the rule in MLS. Michigan is one of the top 10 most populous U.S. states, but can an MLS team in Detroit draw regular attendance figures high enough to keep the team afloat and possibly boost the city's economy in the process?

Record crowd at Manchester United vs Real Madrid. Credit: Amir E

Minneapolis, Minnesota 
Population: 3.5 million (metro area)
Minneapolis is another city with NASL history dating back to the late 1970's and early 80's. The Minnesota Kicks, who played in Bloomington (suburban Minneapolis), regularly recorded attendance figures of over 20,000 and even 30,000. The Minnesota Strikers, a team from the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area, played in the NASL's last season in 1984 and had a short spell in the Indoor league. Today's NASL side, Minnesota United, is based in the same area. Founded in 2010, the team has supporters in the thousands and average attendance figures that jumped over four times in their first four years. When it comes to venues, the city has two arenas - Target Field and TCF Bank Stadium - that can potentially host an MLS team. The latter was part of the U.S. World Cup bid for 2018 and 2022. TCF Bank Stadium was also the site of the International Champions Cup friendly match between Manchester City and Olympiakos in August, drawing a crowd of over 34,000. There is a large ongoing campaign to bring an MLS team to Minnesota. MLS spokesman Dan Courtemanche said earlier this year that Minneapolis "can be an outstanding market - actually has been". League Commissioner Don Garber said in March that the city of Minneapolis "is on the short list" for MLS expansion in the Midwest.

Football During WWII

Pre-Match

Wartime football took a different shape in England leading up to the second Football League War Cup final. There were now two instead of ten regional leagues, yielding a North and South final. Preston North End beat Liverpool to secure their title as champions of the North, and scored twice against Newcastle in the League Cup semi-final match. Arsenal had a 3-1 semi-final win against Leicester City. Their last silverware was the 1937-38 First Division title and 1938 FA Charity Shield.

The Final

Preston North End 1-1 Arsenal
May 10, 1941
Wembley, London
Referee: F.S. Milner (Wolverhampton)
Attendance: 60,000
Goals: Andrew McLaren (Asst. Tom Finney), Denis Compton
Missed penalty: Leslie Compton (3')



60,000 came to see the final despite the fact that London was the target of over a hundred air raids that year. The First Lord of the Admiralty, A.V. Alexander, welcomed the players before kick-off. Three minutes in, the referee saw a dubious handball and gave Arsenal a penalty, which Leslie Compton sent wide of the net. There was, of course, no such thing as the internet or instantly available highlights, so some reports mistakenly stated that the Preston keeper had blocked the shot. An early goal by McLaren put Preston ahead. Arsenal had a handful of chances that were saved by Preston keeper Fairbrother. Sergeant Denis Compton equalized for the Gunners near the end of the first half. The match saw no more goals, which meant there would be a replay. A newsreel mentions that the replay was scheduled for May 24th, but it would be played on the 31st. The match was moved to Ewood Park, home to Blackburn Rovers. 

The Replay

Pre-Match

The Band of the Loyal Regiment, under Bandmaster Mr. E. G. R. Palmer, played a series of marches. Notable pieces included Keep Right On to the End of the Road, the anthem of Birmingham City FC since the 1950's, and John Phillip Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever, which would become the official march of the U.S.A. over 4 decades later. The U.S. did not join the war until December 1941, but the government did support Britain and the other Allied nations under the Lend-Lease Act, signed in March of that year.

Preston North End 2-1 Arsenal
May 31, 1941
Ewood Park, Blackburn
Referee: F. S. Milner (Wolverhampton)
Attendance: 45,000
Goals: Robert Beattie (x2), Frank Gallimore (o.g.)



Both teams made changes to their lineups for the replay. A newspaper mentions Preston "were forced to reconstruct their defence" due to injury, moving Andrew Beattie to left-back for William Scott and putting 20-year-old Cliff Mansley in Beattie's place at left-half. Arsenal replaced Leslie Compton for Ted Drake in the centre forward position. Drake was injured during the game, and after attempting to play on at outside-right, left the pitch, leaving the Gunners at a disadvantage (the Football League did not allow substitutions until the mid-60's). As the newsreel mentions, Preston did much of the attacking, keeping Arsenal keeper George Marks on edge. Frank Gallimore put Arsenal on the scoreboard with an own goal, but Preston were quick to get back, and Robert Beattie's double sealed the deal for the Lilywhites. 

Post-Match

W.C. Cuff, president of the Football League, presented the Cup to Preston captain Tom Smith. Winning the Cup completed Preston's double, the first won by an English team during the war. Arsenal went on to win the Southern League final in 1942-43. The Gunners would become the only team to reach two War Cup finals, although they lost both (Blackpool were the winners in '43). 

The Players

Source: Preston Digital Archive

Preston's Andrew McLaren and Tom Finney were among some of the players who emerged through the local youth system. McLaren made 69 appearances for Preston, scoring 29 goals. The 19-year-old played a key role in getting Preston the double, scoring all 6 goals in their win against Liverpool that secured their Northern Regional League title in the 1940-41 season. He was the team's top scorer in 1947-48. 

Sir Tom Finney was known for his skills on the pitch as well as for his gentlemanly behavior, eliciting comparisons with the great Stanley Matthews, with whom he played for England. He was known by fans as the Preston Plumber, remaining in the business alongside his footballing career. Finney was called up to the Royal Armoured Corps in 1942, serving as a tank driver and fighting in North Africa and Italy under General Bernard Montgomery of the 8th Army. In April 1945, he took part in the battle to recapture Argentina. Not all players' careers continued into the post-war era, but Finney's did; he was just 24 when the war ended, and played frequently while in the Army. According to Finney, "the standard was still very high. You played with very elite company and it was wonderful morale for the men in the forces." Indeed, Finney played for the 8th Army Team as well as for a side called the Wanderers. He was part of an 8th Army side that played King Farouk's team, featuring the actor Omar Sharif. A one-club man, he scored an impressive 210 goals in 473 appearances for Preston, and was the first player to be named English footballer of the year twice.

Both Bill Shankly and Stanley Matthews held Finney in high regard, comparing him with greats like Di Stefano, Eusebio, Pele, Cruyff and Puskas. According to Matthews, Finney was among the few players who "dictated the pace and course of a game" on a regular basis.

Sir Tom Finney passed away on February 14, 2014 at 91 years of age.

Bill Shankly and Sir Tom Finney in the '70s.

The 1941 Arsenal team had their own stars. Many, like Ted Drake and Eddie Hapgood, served in the RAF. Among the better-known are the Compton brothers. Centre half/right back Leslie Compton and outside-left Denis Compton were both footballers and cricket players, although Leslie was better known for football, and Denis for cricket. Both brothers were one-club men and have the distinction of scoring vital goals that tied games and led to replays. Denis Compton had the equalizer in the 1941 War Cup final. Nine years later, Leslie Compton tied the score in the FA Cup semi-final, leading Arsenal to a replay in which the Gunners emerged victorious. Both Comptons joined the British Army during the war. They continued playing football and cricket, representing various teams, including the Army Physical Training Corps and Civil Defence Services (pictured below). Denis served in India and played in over 120 friendly games. A centre-back-turned-forward, Leslie Compton had a 22-year playing career, making him one of Arsenal's longest-serving players. At 38 years old, he became the oldest player to debut for England in the post-war era. Together, the Comptons won the 1947 league title and 1950 FA Cup. They're part of only a handful of brothers to star in Arsenal's first team, and were the only brothers to have won both the national football and cricket championships.

Denis (front, 3rd from left) & Leslie Compton (5th from left). Photo: Sport & General, 1942

The Managers

Preston North End had a management committee from 1937-1949, one of several throughout their history. Robert Beattie, who scored a brace in the replay, was involved in coaching local youth along with some of the other older players. Scott, McLaren and Finney all came through Preston's youth programs.

BBC commentators George Allison and E.V.H. Emmett in the 1939 film The Arsenal Stadium Mystery.

Arsenal manager George Allison began his career as a journalist. Like some managers today, Allison provided commentary alongside his coaching career. He had the distinction of commentating on the first FA Cup final to be broadcast on the radio in 1927, in which Arsenal played Cardiff, as well as on the first-ever fully televised match in 1938, between England and Scotland. Allison held various positions at Arsenal, editing match programmes and serving as a secretary. He became managing director and later head coach, despite never having played professionally. Allison had a 13-year spell at the club, during which he won two pre-war First Division Championships, an FA Cup, and a Charity Shield. He was Arsenal's longest-serving manager until Arsene Wenger broke his record in 2009.

Russian Premier League, Week 11
Dynamo Moscow 0:2 Rubin Kazan
Venue: Arena Khimki
Referee: Igor Nizovtsev (Nizhniy Novgorod)
Goals: 0-1 Ozdoev (48), 0-2 Kanunnikov (71)
Cautions: Kuzmin (12), Ozdoev (41), Zhirkov (51), Buttner (53), Georgiev (68), Kanunnikov (90), Ryzhikov (90+2)

Ozdoev and Vainqueur vie for the ball. Source: Epsilon/Getty Images Europe

There isn't much to say about Dynamo Moscow's loss at home to Rubin Kazan that hasn't already been said when it comes to the Blue-and-Whites previous disappointments. Every problem with today's match has already been addressed and is no new discovery, but rather an annoying sequel that seems to have no ending. With the exception of Vladimir Gabulov in goal, most of the team had a rather poor, lackluster performance. It wasn't entirely expected, considering the team's recent form in the Europa League - a 3rd consecutive victory in the group stage. Unfortunately, Stanislav Cherchesov's side seemed to lack the flair and spark that characterized much of their European success. Say all you want about the month-long Premier League break and the postponed match against Amkar; coming off a 3rd Europa League win should have been enough of a motivator.

Rubin Kazan came off a 5-0 thrashing of Mordovia Saransk, and were themselves in need of points to keep up with the other top 5 contenders. Their solid defense, combined with the absence of accuracy in Dynamo's attack, led to the Blue-and-Whites' first RPL defeat since their game against Zenit in September. The teams seemed to start off on an equal footing, but as halftime drew near, it became evident that the hosts needed to step things up. Surprisingly, they did - thanks to Mathieu Valbuena, whose solo efforts resulted in save after save from Rubin keeper Sergei Ryzhikov. One player doesn't make the team, however, and Dynamo failed to carry the momentum into the second half. Only three minutes in, Magomed Ozdoev, on loan from Lokomotiv Moscow, scored his first goal for Rubin. Getting away from several players, including William Vainqueur, Ozdoev found plenty of space in front of goal and left Gabulov powerless. Rubin looked threatening on the counter, and one of these attacks led to their second goal. After a typical ineffective Dynamo corner, Rubin captain Kuzmin had a brilliant run that ended in a far post delivery to Maksim Kanunnikov. Douglas, who wasn't focused on marking his man, posed no problem for the Rubin forward, who netted in the visitors' second of the evening. The absence of captain Gokdeniz Karadeniz and Carlos Eduardo in midfield did not slow down the Volzhane. In fact, manager Rinat Bilyaletdinov noted ex-Dynamo forward Vladimir Dyadyun's excellent performance in place of Karadeniz. Rubin are not an easy opponent, even without Karadeniz and Eduardo in midfield. Together with goalkeeper Ryzhikov, they have one of the strongest defenses in the league, especially in away games, and that was clearly visible all throughout the 90 minutes. That being said, Dynamo still lacked accuracy on the finish, and sometimes, there wasn't much of a finish at all.

The usual suspects in Kozlov and Douglas made mistakes in defense, and were responsible for both of the opposition's goals. Douglas, who seemed to be improving in recent games, may be going back to his previous problematic spell. Kevin Kuranyi was bashed by the commentators upon coming off, although he rarely saw the ball and was subbed off in the second half. Aleksandr Kokorin came off the bench to help in the attack, but although he saw more of the ball, he had only one shot on goal and was unable to put Ryzhikov to the test. Even in moments when the opposition was a player down (Ozdoev was receiving attention off the pitch) or gave up plenty of space, the Blue-and-Whites failed to take advantage, and looked almost like a hockey team that can't make use of the power play.

Valbuena was undoubtedly Dynamo's top performer. Dynamo goalkeeper Gabulov may be the most-improved; except for one fumble where he let go of the ball in front of the net, he was at the ready for most of Rubin's attempts. Rubin goalkeeper Ryzhikov was deservedly named Man of the Match. All of Dynamo's shots on target saw excellent saves by the keeper.

The usual problems in the attack - no accuracy on the finish and few chances on target - are ever present for Dynamo. Lots of balls were going through the top, another issue for the Blue-and-Whites - they would have had far more chances if they had kept the ball lower. Set pieces were rarely a challenge for Rubin to defend, and are something Cherchesov's side need to work on.

When it comes to tactics, Bilyaletdinov clearly outplayed Cherchesov, parking the bus when needed and launching his team into swift counter-attacks. Rubin may have had less possession, but made the most of their chances, and could have netted in more. The game could have ended 4:2 or 4:3 to Rubin, had both sides made the most of their attempts.

All in all, a disappointment, but hopefully a wake-up call for Cherchesov and co.