Ronaldo world cup

DOHA, Qatar — Hello and welcome to the weekly L.A. Times soccer newsletter. I’m Kevin Baxter, The Times’ soccer writer, coming to you again from the World Cup in Qatar, where we are down to four teams. Today we’ll remember Grant Wahl, briefly explore the diversity of this tournament, wonder where all the fans have been, touch on the decision facing Gregg Berhalter and the U.S. national team and look at another first-year coach winning a title at UCLA. But we start with the inexplicable soap opera saga of Cristiano Ronaldo. At 37, soon to be 38, this season with Manchester United probably was going to be his last in a top-flight European league. This World Cup, his fifth, certainly was going to be his last appearance in that tournament. All he had to do to collect a few hundred million more in salary and endorsements on his way out the door was to keep quiet and play. Then he could retire to a life of counting his money, commissioning statues of himself and living out his days as an iconic, larger-than-life hero. But he couldn’t pull that off. United terminated Ronaldo’s contract last month, midway through a season in which the player left the stadium during a preseason friendly in which he was subbed out at halftime and refused to enter a league game with Tottenham as a substitute, causing coach Erik ten Hag to leave him out of the squad for the next match with Chelsea. Enjoying this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times Your support helps us deliver th...

DOHA, Qatar — Hello and welcome to the weekly L.A. Times soccer newsletter. I’m Kevin Baxter, The Times’ soccer writer, coming to you again from the World Cup in Qatar, where we are down to four teams. Today we’ll remember Grant Wahl, briefly explore the diversity of this tournament, wonder where all the fans have been, touch on the decision facing Gregg Berhalter and the U.S. national team and look at another first-year coach winning a title at UCLA. But we start with the inexplicable soap opera saga of Cristiano Ronaldo. At 37, soon to be 38, this season with Manchester United probably was going to be his last in a top-flight European league. This World Cup, his fifth, certainly was going to be his last appearance in that tournament. All he had to do to collect a few hundred million more in salary and endorsements on his way out the door was to keep quiet and play. Then he could retire to a life of counting his money, commissioning statues of himself and living out his days as an iconic, larger-than-life hero. But he couldn’t pull that off. United terminated Ronaldo’s contract last month, midway through a season in which the player left the stadium during a preseason friendly in which he was subbed out at halftime and refused to enter a league game with Tottenham as a substitute, causing coach Erik ten Hag to leave him out of the squad for the next match with Chelsea. Enjoying this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times Your support helps us deliver th...

DOHA, Qatar — Hello and welcome to the weekly L.A. Times soccer newsletter. I’m Kevin Baxter, The Times’ soccer writer, coming to you again from the World Cup in Qatar, where we are down to four teams. Today we’ll remember Grant Wahl, briefly explore the diversity of this tournament, wonder where all the fans have been, touch on the decision facing Gregg Berhalter and the U.S. national team and look at another first-year coach winning a title at UCLA. But we start with the inexplicable soap opera saga of Cristiano Ronaldo. At 37, soon to be 38, this season with Manchester United probably was going to be his last in a top-flight European league. This World Cup, his fifth, certainly was going to be his last appearance in that tournament. All he had to do to collect a few hundred million more in salary and endorsements on his way out the door was to keep quiet and play. Then he could retire to a life of counting his money, commissioning statues of himself and living out his days as an iconic, larger-than-life hero. But he couldn’t pull that off. United terminated Ronaldo’s contract last month, midway through a season in which the player left the stadium during a preseason friendly in which he was subbed out at halftime and refused to enter a league game with Tottenham as a substitute, causing coach Erik ten Hag to leave him out of the squad for the next match with Chelsea. Enjoying this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times Your support helps us deliver th...

DOHA, Qatar — Hello and welcome to the weekly L.A. Times soccer newsletter. I’m Kevin Baxter, The Times’ soccer writer, coming to you again from the World Cup in Qatar, where we are down to four teams. Today we’ll remember Grant Wahl, briefly explore the diversity of this tournament, wonder where all the fans have been, touch on the decision facing Gregg Berhalter and the U.S. national team and look at another first-year coach winning a title at UCLA. But we start with the inexplicable soap opera saga of Cristiano Ronaldo. At 37, soon to be 38, this season with Manchester United probably was going to be his last in a top-flight European league. This World Cup, his fifth, certainly was going to be his last appearance in that tournament. All he had to do to collect a few hundred million more in salary and endorsements on his way out the door was to keep quiet and play. Then he could retire to a life of counting his money, commissioning statues of himself and living out his days as an iconic, larger-than-life hero. But he couldn’t pull that off. United terminated Ronaldo’s contract last month, midway through a season in which the player left the stadium during a preseason friendly in which he was subbed out at halftime and refused to enter a league game with Tottenham as a substitute, causing coach Erik ten Hag to leave him out of the squad for the next match with Chelsea. Enjoying this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times Your support helps us deliver th...