Chelsea will hire Maurizio Sarri to replace Antonio Conte.

The club has been in a state of flux with Conte expected to be fired but talks over compensation delayed the process.

The playing staff have been in the dark over the managerial situation.

Negotiations have been ongoing between intermediaries seeking to secure Sarri’s release from his contract at Napoli.

Javier Mascherano has announced his retirement from international soccer.

"This story has ended. We gave it our everything until the end," said Mascherano.

"It was a crazy match, in which we didn't start well but we recovered and we turned it around. But their tying goal did so much damage to us.

"It cost us so much to lift ourselves up again. From this point on I will be just another fan of the Argentina national team. It is over. The illusion is shattered."

Minnesota United midfielder Collin Martin announced on Friday that he is gay.

Martin, 23, is the only openly gay male athlete active in a major professional American sports league, after the retirement of LA Galaxy winger Robbie Rogers last November.

"Tonight my team, Minnesota United, is having their Pride night. It's an important night for me -- I'll be announcing for the first time publicly that I am an openly gay player in Major League Soccer.

"I have been out as a gay man for many years to my family and friends, and this includes my teammates. I have played Major League Soccer for 6 seasons: 4 seasons with DC United and 2 seasons with Minnesota United. Today, I'm proud that my entire team and the management of Minnesota United know that I am gay. I have received only kindness and acceptance from everyone in Major League Soccer and that has made the decision to come out publicly that much easier.

"As we celebrate Pride night, I want to thank my teammates for their unconditional support for who I am. In light of my experience as a professional athlete, I want to take this moment to encourage others who play sports professionally or otherwise to have confidence that sport will welcome them wholeheartedly. June is Pride month, and I am proud to be playing for Pride, and to be playing as an out gay man."

Real Madrid has reportedly decreased the release clause of Cristiano Ronaldo from €1 billion to just €120 million ($140 million).

This clause, however, would not allow Ronaldo to join any club in La Liga or Paris Saint-Germain. This could setup a return to the Premier League as several clubs in England could afford to pay Ronaldo's release clause.

Ronaldo appears to continue to seek his exit from Real Madrid this summer.

The Austin City Council has set up an August 9th meeting to make a decision on whether to move forward with a proposal from Precourt Sport Ventures to build a stadium on city-owned land to relocate the Columbus Crew.

The council unanimously approved a resolution to analyze the PSV proposal and begin stadium negotiations. 

A second resolution calling for a bidding process for the site and viewed as hostile to PSV was reworked more to PSV's liking and passed 9-1.

“I believe there is a good deal to be made here,” Mayor Steve Adler said at 3:45 a.m.

Originally, PSV wanted an agreement with the city by the end of June. Precourt officials said they can live with the delay.

“It’s not optimal for us; it might slow things up a bit,” Precourt told the the American-Statesman before the vote early Friday. “But as long as the item passes, that’s what we’re hoping for. We’re confident.”

Antoine Griezmann would like to someday finish his career in the MLS.

Griezmann is well-known for his love for the NBA and frequently makes trips to the United States to watch games.

Griezmann is 27 and committed long-term to Atletico Madrid this summer.

"World champion, win a Champions League and then I can go and quietly play in the USA. That's my ideal itinerary. It's not bad, is it?" he said.

"If the plan goes like that, I'd sign for that now. I don't know at which age I want to play in MLS, it'll all depend on the trophies I'll have won beforehand. When I'm nearer 32 or 33, I want to be there. I still have to be presentable on the pitch."

Chelsea is holding talks with CSKA Moscow on buying Aleksandr Golovin as their first signing of the summer.

Juventus had been close to securing the player earlier in the summer, with Arsenal having also been in the picture.

Expected goals (xG) is a method developed by Michael Caley for estimating the quality of chances that a team creates or concedes in a match.

The following figures show the xG differential for all 32 nations after the conclusion of the Group Stage of the World Cup.

1. Belgium: 2.00
2. Uruguay: 1.30
3. Spain: 1.20
4. Brazil: 1.13
5. England: 0.97
6. France: 0.73
7. Switzerland: 0.63
8. Croatia: 0.50
9. Senegal: 0.30
10. Sweden: 0.27
11. Russia: 0.10
12. Colombia: 0.07
13. Mexico: 0.07
14. Panama: 0.07
15. Germany: 0.00
16. Japan: -0.03
17. Denmark: -0.03
18. Australia: -0.10
19. Portugal: -0.20
20. Argentina: -0.20
21. Iran: -0.30
22. South Korea: -0.33
23. Poland: -0.33
24. Iceland: -0.47
25. Nigeria: -0.50
26. Peru: -0.60
27. Serbia: -0.63
28. Egypt: -0.67
29. Morocco: -0.70
30. Saudi Arabia: -0.73
31. Costa Rica: -1.13
32. Tunisia: -3.03

What happened in one snapshot in the 2018 World Cup, 48, Group G: Belgium 1, England 0.

What happened in one snapshot in the 2018 World Cup, Match 47, Group G: Tunisia 2, Panama 1.