The soap opera that is sports always rivets for what takes place on the battle field. But often times the stories that take place far away from the pitch are just as unique and special. They make for some interesting conversation and add an element to the world of sports that moves into the social, political and economic realm.
This year featured a number of off-pitch events that continued to elevate the dynamics of soccer and add new elements that are rarely discussed. As part of our Best of 2014 feature series, writer David Salazar and Edwin Molina look at two off-pitch events that really brought the soccer conversation to a new level.
When Barcelona picked up Luis Suarez this summer, there were expectations that he would form a three-headed monster alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar.But Suarez has been slow to start this year. Can he still thrive alongside his fellow Barcelona superstars?
Manchester City, playing without Yaya Toure, Vincent Kompany and English Premier League (EPL) leading scorer Sergio Aguero, managed to defy the odds, defeating Series A club AS Roma to advance to the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. Luis Suarez helped Barcelona beat PSG with an assist to Lionel Messi -- scoring his 75th career Champions League, three ahead of Cristiano Ronald on the all-time scorers list -- and scoring his first goal with the Catalan club since his transfer from Liverpool.
After scoring a hat-trick to break Spain's La Liga all-time scoring record against Sevilla over the weekend, Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick on Wednesday against Cyrus champion APOEL FC on Tuesday to surpass Raul's all-time scorers record in UEFA Champions League history.
The groups for the 2015 Copa America have been announced and feature quite a few interesting matchups. Here is a look at each group and how it might ultimately unravel.
Barcelona and Sevilla will play each other in a critical Week 12 La Liga game. Latin Post.com previews the game, breaks down the teams and predicts who will win.
Uruguay turn to Edinson Cavani and Abel Hernandez as they look to make adjustments with Luis Suarez banned from playing in the 2015 Copa America tournament. Meanwhile, Chile is looking to stay unbeaten, with help from Alexis Sanchez who is having a career year, after their heartbreaking exit from the 2014 World Cup.
Also, Southampton continues their surprising run defeating Hull City while Chelsea maintains their lead in the standings with a win over QPR despite Blues coach Jose Mourinho's disappointment in their play.
The Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious personal award in the world of soccer. And the hotly anticipated 23-man short list was recently revealed. While there were few surprises, there were some notable snubs that certainly call into question the validity of the prize. Here is a look at the major snubs.
Real Madrid cut down Barcelona's lead in the La Liga standings, handing Barca their first loss of the season, as Uruguayan Luis Suarez made his debut, assisting Neymar for a goal after coming off his suspension for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup.
Barcelona and Real Madrid have a big date on Saturday in the 2014 edition of El Clasico. Latin Post.com takes a look at the teams, potential X-factors, schedule and viewing info and predicts a winner.
The Spanish League gets underway this weekend. After much waiting, the world will get a chance to see what some of the best clubs in the world can do. From Real Madrid to Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, Latin Post.com previews this weekend's action and schedules.
The 2014-15 edition of Champions League gets underway in a couple of weeks and Barcelona heads into the tournament in a rather uncomfortable situation. The Spanish side is coming off a year in which it missed the semifinals for the first since 2006-07. In that stretch, the team has won the tournament twice.
Lionel Messi did not have a great World Cup. He pulled off some heroic moments for Argentina in the Group Stage before slowly fading into the background as the competition grew stronger and the pressure mounted. With Neymar and Luis Suarez now added to his club team, Barcelona, will they surpass the four-time FIFA Ballon d'Or winner?
There is probably no fiercer rivalry in world soccer than the one between Real Madrid and Barcelona. The two Spanish sides are not only renowned for their respective greatness but also for their tremendous spending habits during transfer windows.
For years, Messi has been the goal-scoring machine that Barcelona has relied upon but the arrival of Luis Suarez could undoubtedly spell trouble for the club and their "Mes que un club" (more than a club) philosophy with the addition the mercurial Uruguayan star known for his off-the-field antics as well as his feats on the pitch.
