☀️🌇👋 Good Monday Morning. Ever day dream about how you would celebrate scoring a championship winning goal for your team? For John Kennedy of Brazilian club Fluminense, he celebrated so much that it got him sent off, leaving his team to survive the rest of the game with 10 men on the field. They ended up winning the game, but maybe try not be like that guy.

Giveaway: We like to reward our supporters, and for our latest giveaway, we’re raffling off a $30 gift card to Miami based soccer jersey store: Golaco Kits. Every time you refer a new reader, you get an entry to the raffle, share us on your Instagram stories for some extra credit too 😉😉

Copa Libertadores

Fluminense's Historic Victory

📜🏆⚽ Unforgettable Night in Rio. In a night that will be etched in the annals of South American football, Fluminense FC clinched their first-ever Copa Libertadores title, displaying a stellar performance against the Argentine giants, Boca Juniors. The Brazilian side secured a 2-1 victory in a thrilling encounter that went into extra time, with John Kennedy netting a 99th-minute winner at the iconic Maracanã Stadium​. The triumph marked a significant milestone in Fluminense's 121-year history, leaving their loyal fan base in a state of euphoria.

👑🌟💎 Marcelo Joins Elite Club. Seasoned Brazilian left-back Marcelo's return to his boyhood club, Fluminense, in 2023, after a notable stint at Real Madrid, played a key role in the team's first Copa Libertadores victory. His on-pitch leadership, especially in high-pressure scenarios, was a hallmark in Fluminense's historic win. Overwhelmed with emotion, Marcelo regarded this Libertadores title as the pinnacle of his career, an accolade that even overshadowed his Champions League triumphs with Real Madrid, echoing the profound reverence the Copa Libertadores holds in South American football​.

Premier League

The Toffees’Non-Relegated Club Status

🔵 ⚪️ An old timer of English top tier football, Everton Football Club, founded in 1878, along with a handful other Premier League clubs have never tasted relegation. Everton, aside with Arsenal, Brighton*, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur are the only teams never relegated in the Premier League Era.

😮‍💨😩 It’s been a not-so chill time for Everton in the recent years. So much so that Everton barely avoided relegation on the final day of last season and are currently sitting down in 16th place on the table, 3 points shy of relegation zone. To add more beef in the stew, Everton are at risk of a potential 12-point deduction before the end of the 2023 Premier League with the Toffees facing allegations of breaking Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.

😨 🔍️ Referred to an independent commission, and Everton are waiting to discover whether they will be punished for a breach of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules. Specifically, Everton were charged with breaches back in March after recording losses of $388.3m over the past three years. FYI, clubs are only allowed to lose a maximum of $128.3m in such a timescale. The Premier League has recommended Everton be handed an “extremely severe” punishment with serious ramifications.

This saga could not have come at a worst time as Everton are in the midst of a potential takeover by U.S. investment company 777. Current owner Farhad Moshiri has agreed to sell 94.4% of his stake but there have been doubts over whether the deal will go ahead. Nonetheless, it’s been reported that some clubs have written to Everton’s prospective new owners indicating they plan to sue the Toffees if they are found guilty of breaking league spending rules.

Goals of the Weekend

▶ Kudus with a strong volley for West Ham United

▶ John Kennedy with the Championship winning goal for Fluminense in the Copa Libertadores Final

▶ Cello Pompeu with an outrageous take from a difficult angle for St. Louis City

Today’s Throwback Goal: 1997 Brazil

▶ Roberto Carlos with the greatest freekick in history

Gaming

End of an Era: RIP FIFA 1993-2023

🪦 👋 Moment of Silence: For nearly three decades, the FIFA video game series has been our trusted gateway to the world of soccer, gracing our homes and gaming consoles with fights among friends, shattered controllers, and, unparalleled excitement. However, on November 6, 2023, the gaming servers that connected players across the globe will be permanently shut down.

🔙 🔙 Look back: One of the remarkable aspects of FIFA video game series was its ability to transcend the boundaries between the virtual and real worlds of soccer. The game changed the careers of many professional footballers. Let’s not forget Brazilian international Wendell Lira. Just six months after beating Lionel Messi to win the 2015 FIFA Puskas Award, the 27-year-old striker announced his retirement from professional football to become a professional FIFA esports player. Wonder how he’s taking the news…

🔜 🔜 Look ahead: What makes this farewell an easier pill to swallow, is the dawn of the new era of EA Sports FC. With the introduction of EA Sports FC, it appears the void left behind by FIFA will be filled or what many hope for. Even though EA has lost the FIFA license, it retains the rights to use more than 19,000 real-life player names and images in the game, with many of them rendered for their virtual counterparts.

You can also expect to see all the same teams and leagues, including the latest versions of home, away and, often, third kits. There are actually more leagues this time too, with direct deals with a number of Women's leagues coming into force, including the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga and Spain's Liga F represented in the game for the first time.

Weekday Matches

Matches To Catch This Week

Around The Web 🕸️

▶ Harry Kane is making history in Germany in his first 10 appearances

▶ The USWNT have a new leader in Chelsea’s Emma Hayes

▶ Don’t look now but there was another Premier League VAR controversy this weekend

▶ 2 goals in three minutes for Romelu Lukaku to win it for Roma in the dying moments of the match

Tweet of the day: @ESPNFC

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