Author: Joe Soriano

Joe Soriano covers West Ham for Green Street Hammers and writes about Real Madrid for The Real Champs. He has extensive experience covering world football since 2014. Joe is an editor for The Trivela Effect, where he covers the biggest clubs in European football. He has watched professional sports regularly since 2002 and can be found playing the same sports he covers with his friends.
Ranking the 10 best attacking midfielders in men’s football right now in 2023
Analysis

Ranking the 10 best attacking midfielders in men’s football right now in 2023

Although the modern game has seemingly phased out the No. 10, there are still plenty of footballers finding ways to make an impact in the attacking midfield, either playing there in a scheme with two flexible attacking mids or moving up into that area of the pitch from a 4-3-3. And even still, there are a few 10's getting to play in that traditional CAM role regularly, such as Bruno Fernandes, or in certain systems based on opponent, such as Paulo Dybala. So in honor of this wonderful position and the creators who inspire us to try out some killer through passes on our local community pitch, let's rank the best attacking midfielders in world football right now. We'll leave out players who primarily play as an 8 or on the wing and stick to only players who have frequently earned mi...
Ranking the 10 best forwards in men’s football right now in 2023
Analysis

Ranking the 10 best forwards in men’s football right now in 2023

No players are more coveted in world football than the forwards who score the goals, take the defense on, and create the chances that win matches. Every elite club needs an elite forward - and really two - in order to compete at the highest level and truly be an elite team at the Champions League level. So let's take a look at the 10 best forwards in the game, focusing on strikers and wingers whose primary job is to score the goals and create the assists that win their teams' matches. Many of these players are strikers and inverted wingers, because those are the positions that make the biggest difference on the score line in the modern game. 10. Christopher Nkunku Christopher Nkunku will head to Chelsea for the 2023/24 season after being the best Bundesliga player over the last three ...
3 problems with Manchester United signing Mason Mount
Analysis

3 problems with Manchester United signing Mason Mount

Manchester United have secured their first major signing of the summer 2023 transfer window. After aggressively pursuing Chelsea star midfielder Mason Mount for weeks, they finally agreed to terms with the Blues, who were stretching out the negotiations for just a little bit more money. Ultimately, the Red Devils will spend 55 million pounds plus an additional 5 million pounds in add-ons to sign Mount, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein. Mount is one of the bigger names in the Premier League and was crucial in Chelsea winning the 2020/21 Champions League. However, there are some valid concerns Manchester United fans should have about the cost of this deal and the way Mount fits the squad. Let's take a closer look at three of those concerns. These problems are not highlight...
Analysis

Why the Declan Rice transfer fee is worth it for Arsenal

Arsenal have turned heads by making one of the most expensive signings of the summer 2023 transfer window, spending 105 million pounds in an up-front fee and add-ons in order to sign Declan Rice from West Ham United. Such a hefty fee for a midfielder is bound to draw criticism, and it necessitates taking a closer look at the reasoning behind Arsenal making such a transfer. As we saw with their success last season in pushing Manchester City for the Premier League title, this squad was not built haphazardly, nor have Mikel Arteta and Maurice Edu made unnecessary gambles on the transfer market. So let's explain why the 100 million pound up-front transfer fee for Declan Rice is a worthy investment by Arsenal as they look to return to the summit of European football in 2023 and beyond. A...
The best all-time XI in world football
All-Time Lists

The best all-time XI in world football

Not all positions in world football get the same love. Most fans are understandably infatuated with the attackers, whether that be the strikers who score the goals, the playmakers who create them, or the wingers who dazzle with their skill on the ball. But the defenders, the box-to-box midfielders, the defensive midfielders, and, of course, the shot-stoppers in goal are also important to the entire structure. Just ask Lionel Messi at PSG or Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus. Without the right players behind them, even the best attackers of all time cannot flourish to their fullest extent. So let's take a look at the best all-time XI of players at every position, concocting a team of superstars that could conceivably work together to create an unstoppable side. GK Manuel Neuer There ...
Ranking the 10 best women’s footballers in the world right now in 2023
Analysis

Ranking the 10 best women’s footballers in the world right now in 2023

Who are the best women's footballers in the world right now? With so much quality in Europe's top five leagues, Liga MX, Australia, and, of course, the ultra-competitive NWSL, it seems like it is an impossible task to narrow the list down to 10. And then, it seems even more futile to try and sort those exclusive 10, elite of the elite footballers into a ranking. However, we aim to do our best and help you learn more about the most dominant footballers on the planet. So here are the 10 best women's footballers in the world right now, updated before the 2023 World Cup in New Zealand and Australia. 10. Bunny Shaw Khadija "Bunny" Shaw was one of the breakout stars of the 2019 World Cup. Just a couple of years later, Shaw would score 22 goals with 7 assists for D1 Arkema's third-placed tea...
Ranking the 11 best teams at the 2023 Women’s World Cup
Analysis

Ranking the 11 best teams at the 2023 Women’s World Cup

The 2023 Women's World Cup will take place in New Zealand and Australia, the first time we will have two host nations for this wonderful event. From July 20 until the Final on August 20, football fans across the world will be treated to a spectacle that has never disappointed in the past. In 2019, the USWNT reigned supreme again for the fourth time, defeating the Netherlands rather convincingly in the Final. Will they three-peat as winners in 2023? Or will another great team rise above them to capture the coveted trophy? Before the tournament begins next month, let's rank the top 10 most likely teams to win the 2023 Women's World Cup. 11. Canada Canada have a TON of experience, and nobody should be sleeping on them as World Cup title contenders. And when it comes to experience, nob...
The best all-time XI of Manchester United players
All-Time Lists

The best all-time XI of Manchester United players

Manchester United are one of the biggest clubs in the world and have one of the most storied histories in world football. They have won the Premier League title 20 times, the FA Cup 12 times, the Champions League thrice, and both the Europa League and the FIFA Club World Cup. Along the way, so many of the world's finest footballers have passed through the club, making a name for themselves at the venerable Old Trafford. So let's take a look back at the greatest XI of Manchester United players in history. GK Peter Schmeichel One of the greatest goalkeepers in football history, Peter Schmeichel was an absolutely titanic presence at the back for Manchester United. He was the definition of a leader, bellowing instructions to his defenders, holding the back line accountable, and doin...
The 10 best USWNT players you need to know for the 2023 World Cup
Analysis

The 10 best USWNT players you need to know for the 2023 World Cup

The reigning World Cup champions, the USWNT have won the world's most prestigious footballing competition four times, which is the most of any country. With the world's most competitive league from top to bottom and the collegiate circuit, the United States is able to produce world-class athletes and technicians at all positions. So once again, they will be among the favorites to win it all at the 2023 World Cup, and many expect the Stars and Stripes to repeat as champions. Even making the final squad of the USWNT is quite the challenge, given all the American talent in women's football. Tough decisions will have to be made, but before the squad is finalized, let's take a look at the 10 very best players we could see suiting up for the United States at the upcoming World Cup in Austr...
10 possible summer 2023 transfer targets for Lazio
Analysis

10 possible summer 2023 transfer targets for Lazio

Lazio surprised many by finishing second in Serie A, outlasting rivals Roma, both Milan clubs, and the penalized Juventus to end as the best team in the league after clear champions Napoli. Although the Biancocelesti had a couple of rough patches, they deserved their status in second. They played lovely football, keeping possession and defending the best they ever have in recent seasons. Once they bought into Maurizio Sarri's style, they flourished, and had Ciro Immobile been healthy, perhaps Lazio would have been even better. With a strong summer, Lazio can make some noise in the Champions League and finish top four again in 2023/24, even considering how competitive Serie A is now. So here are five possible transfer targets for Lazio in the summer 2023 transfer window. Boca Ju...