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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

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Defector

Enter Our Raffle To Win A Visit And Home-Cooked Meal From Drew Magary

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Billy Haisley

Manchester City's Spanish midfielder Rodri (L) receives the Ballon d'Or award from former President of Liberia and former Liberian football player George Weah (2L) as he wins in front of second-placed Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior and third-placed Real Madrid's English midfielder Jude Bellingham during the 2024 Ballon d'Or France Football award ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on October 28, 2024.

FBL-AWARD-BALLON D’OR-2024

Soccer

The Best Isn’t Always Enough For The Ballon d’Or

<a href="https://twitter.com/petesegall?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pete Segall</a> lives in Chicago. His fiction has appeared in The Bennington Review, Conjunctions, The Drift, and elsewhere.

Pete Segall

Manchester United players Tommy Taylor, left, and Ken Morgans, line up before playing Arsenal at their Highbury Stadium, 1st February 1958. This was Taylor's last match, he died in the plane crash that killed 8 of the Busby Babes team in Munich less than a week later.

Taylor And Morgans

Defector Reads A Book

In David Peace’s ‘Munichs,’ The Dead Are Everywhere You Look

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Luis Paez-Pumar

Raphinha of FC Barcelona celebrates 0-4 with Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid v FC Barcelona at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on October 26, 2024 in Madrid Spain

Real Madrid v FC Barcelona – LaLiga EA Sports

Barcelona Has Put It All Together

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Albert Burneko

Erik Ten Hag walks through some soap bubbles on his way to the pitch for what turned out to be his final match as Manchester United manager.

West Ham United FC v Manchester United FC – Premier League

English Premier League

More Like Erik Done Hag

Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale reacts after conceding the late winning goal during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Leicester City FC at St Mary's Stadium on October 19, 2024 in Southampton, England.

Southampton FC v Leicester City FC – Premier League

Southampton Is Too Stubborn For The Premier League

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Tom Ley

Forward Temwa Chawinga #6 of the Kansas City Current dribbles the ball with defender Abby Dahlkemper #13 of Bay FC defending in the second half during a game between Bay FC and the Kansas City Current at PayPal Park on October 12, 2024 in San Jose, California.

Kansas City Current v Bay FC

NWSL

Temwa Chawinga Has Conquered The NWSL

An image from the BOS Nation rollout video depicting a goat standing in front of the words Goat Balls

Screenshot 2024-10-16 at 2.32.08 PM

BOS Nation Apologizes For Ill-Advised Rollout, Not For Being Named BOS Nation

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Defector Up All Night

It’s BOS Nation

Investigations Editor. You can reach her at diana@defector.com or, if you prefer protonmail, dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. If security is a concern, download the Signal app and send her a text at 929-251-8187.

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Diana Moskovitz

Lesley Ryder is a writer and a host covering the Chicago Red Stars. She co-created <a href="https://galpalsports.com/">Gal Pal Sports</a>, a platform that lives to make women’s sports fun for everyone.

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Lesley Ryder

San Diego Wave flags during the NWSL match between the San Diego Wave FC and the Portland Thorns on May 26, 2023, at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, CA.

San Diego Wave Logo

San Diego Wave, NWSL Sued For Team’s “Abusive And Hostile Work Environment”

Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, applauds the fans following the team's victory during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace FC and Liverpool FC at Selhurst Park on October 05, 2024 in London, England.

Crystal Palace FC v Liverpool FC – Premier League

Liverpool Hasn’t Missed A Beat Under Arne Slot

Erik ten Hag, Manager of Manchester United, reacts during the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Old Trafford on September 29, 2024 in Manchester, England.

Manchester United FC v Tottenham Hotspur FC – Premier League

Surely, Erik Ten Hag Can’t Survive Yet Another Horrendous Start … Right?

Karim Adeyemi of Borussia Dortmund celebrates the teams second on advertising band during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD6 match between Borussia Dortmund and Celtic FC at BVB Stadion Dortmund on October 1, 2024 in Dortmund, Germany.

Borussia Dortmund v Celtic FC – UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD2

Borussia Dortmund’s Newest Star Is Born

Then-head coach Rory Dames of Chicago Red Stars looks on against Washington Spirit during the NWSL Championship held at Lynn Family Stadium on November 20, 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky. (

Rory Dames

Rory Dames Disappeared From The SafeSport Database And SafeSport Isn’t Saying Why

Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona runs with the ball during the LaLiga match between Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona at Estadio de la Ceramica on September 22, 2024 in Villarreal, Spain.

Villarreal CF v FC Barcelona  – La Liga EA Sports

Lamine Yamal Is Already On Top

Leandro Trossard of Arsenal leaves the pitch after being shown a red card during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Arsenal FC at Etihad Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Manchester, England.

Manchester City FC v Arsenal FC – Premier League

Arsenal–Manchester City Clash Ruined By Premier League’s New Focus On Delays Of Game

Antonio Rüdiger of Real Madrid celebrates with team mates their team's third goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD1 match between Real Madrid CF and VfB Stuttgart at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on September 17, 2024 in Madrid, Spain.

Real Madrid CF v VfB Stuttgart – UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD1

Real Madrid Must Learn How To Walk Before It Can Run

Girona's Argentine goalkeeper #13 Paulo Gazzaniga (C) concedes Paris Saint-Germain's first goal during the UEFA Champions League 1st round day 1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Girona FC at the Parc des Princes Stadium, in Paris, on September 18, 2024.

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Brutally Late Goalie Boner Costs Girona In Champions League Debut

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Maitreyi Anantharaman

Alex Morgan of USA celebrates her first goal during the FIFA Women's World Cup Final match between Japan and USA at the FIFA World Cup stadium Frankfurt on July 17, 2011 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Japan v USA: FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 Final

Find A Job You Enjoy, And You’ll Never Have A Day Off In Your Life

Callum Hudson-Odoi of Nottingham Forest celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 0-1 during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest FC at Anfield on September 14, 2024 in Liverpool, England.

Liverpool FC v Nottingham Forest FC – Premier League

There’s Something Growing At Nottingham Forest

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Abigail Segel

in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2015 Round of 16 match at Commonwealth Stadium on June 22, 2015 in Edmonton, Canada.

United States v Colombia: Round of 16 – FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015

Alex Morgan Knew How To Use The Spotlight

Alex Morgan #13 of San Diego Wave FC waves to the crowd after the game against the North Carolina Courage at Snapdragon Stadium on September 08, 2024 in San Diego, California. This was Morgan’s final NWSL game before her announced retirement.

North Carolina Courage v San Diego Wave FC

Alex Morgan Conquered The World

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Ray Ratto

Dante Rossi of San Marino and Ferhat Saglam of Liechtenstein compete for the ball during the UEFA Nations League 2024/2025 League D match

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The World’s Worst Soccer Team Is Finally Something Else

Presentation by two secretaries of the typing robot at the exhibition 'Happiness in the office', in Paris, France, on October 13, 1960.

Le robot Facit

The Machines

ESPN Masks Cynical AI Pivot As Benevolent Coverage Of “Underserved” Sports

Raphinha of FC Barcelona celebrates after scoring his team's fifth goal during the LaLiga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona and Real Valladolid CF at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on August 31, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.

FC Barcelona v Real Valladolid CF  – La Liga EA Sports

Barcelona Finally Figured Out Raphinha

Joao Pedro of Brighton & Hove Albion celebrates scoring a goal to make the score 2-1 during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion FC and Manchester United FC at Amex Stadium on August 24, 2024 in Brighton, United Kingdom.

Brighton & Hove Albion FC v Manchester United FC – Premier League

At Brighton, Life Is Still Like A Video Game