CULTURE

Footer Column 2

Footer Legal

Footer Main

Nav Bar

OTHER

SPORTS

Subscribe, at any level, to play

Thanks for your interest in Defector Crosswords!

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

Plans start at $8/month.

Subscribers enjoy unlimited, ad-free browsing.

Register to continue

Or click here to subscribe for unlimited, ad-free access!

Our gift to you: This year's post is unlocked. Register your email to get even more free articles.

Welcome to the 2025 Hater's Guide!

Just register your email:

This blog is free to read.

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.

Defector

Barry Petchesky

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - MARCH 07: Luis Vázquez #8 of Team Puerto Rico celebrates after his team's 4-3 victory against Team Panama at Hiram Bithorn Stadium on March 07, 2026 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

The World Baseball Classic Is Already Producing Some Classic World Baseball

Luis Paez-Pumar

Lauren James of England celebrates with teammate Ella Toone after scoring her team's third goal during the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Group D match between England and Netherlands at Stadion Letzigrund on July 09, 2025 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Soccer

England Unleashed Hell On The Netherlands

Ollie Watkins of England celebrates scoring his team's second goal with teammates from the substitutes bench during the UEFA EURO 2024 semi-final match between Netherlands and England at Football Stadium Dortmund on July 10, 2024 in Dortmund, Germany.

England Finally Got It Right

Wout Weghorst of the Netherlands celebrates scoring his team's second goal with teammates during the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage match between Poland and Netherlands at Volksparkstadion on June 16, 2024 in Hamburg, Germany.

Just Give It To The Big Lad

Billy Haisley

Damaris Egurrola of the Netherlands celebrates with teammates after scoring her teams third goal Romee Leuchter of the Netherlands during the UEFA Womens Nations League - League A Group 1 match between Netherlands Women and Belgium Women at Koning Willem II Stadion on December 5, 2023 in Tilburg, Netherlands

The Wildest Soccer Match Of The Week Was Between Two Teams That Didn’t Even Play Each Other

Salma Paralluelo of Spain celebrates after scoring her team's second goal during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia &amp; New Zealand 2023 Quarter Final match between Spain and Netherlands at Wellington Regional Stadium on August 11, 2023 in Wellington, New Zealand.

Salma Paralluelo Shook The Netherlands Out Of The World Cup

Netherlands' forward #22 Esmee Brugts (centre L) scores her team's sixth goal during the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Women's World Cup Group E football match between Vietnam and the Netherlands at Dunedin Stadium in Dunedin on August 1, 2023.

Esmee Brugts Only Scores Absolute Firecrackers

Lindsey Horan #10 of the United States celebrates scoring during the second half against the Netherlands during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia &amp; New Zealand 2023 Group E match at Wellington Regional Stadium on July 27, 2023 in Wellington, New Zealand.

Lindsey Horan And The Power Of Rage Saved The USWNT From Itself

Lieke Martens of the Netherlands celebrates after scoring her teams first goal, Danielle van de Donk of the Netherlands during the International Women's Friendly match between Netherlands and Belgium at the Parkstad Limburg Stadion on July 2, 2023 in Kerkrade, Netherlands

The Netherlands Will Find Life At The World Cup Much Harder This Time Around

09 December 2022, Qatar, Lusail: Soccer, World Cup, Netherlands - Argentina, final round, quarterfinal, Lusail Stadium, Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez cheers with teammates after winning the penalty shootout.

Emi Martínez Saved Argentina From Itself

Ray Ratto

Christian Pulisic #10 of the United States reacts at the final whistle after a FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Netherlands and USMNT at Khalifa International Stadium on December 3, 2022 in Al Rayyan, Qatar. He's dejected with his head in shirt and the USMNT just got a thorough drubbing.

To Nobody’s Surprise, The Americans Deliver No Surprises

Patrick Redford

DOHA, QATAR - NOVEMBER 29: Sergino Dest of USA controls the ball during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B match between IR Iran and USA at Al Thumama Stadium on November 29, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Matteo Ciambelli/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Internationals

Why Not U.S.?

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - SEPTEMBER 25: Virgil van Dijk of Netherlands celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 1-0 during the UEFA Nations League League A Group 4 match between Netherlands and Belgium at Johan Cruijff Arena on September 25, 2022 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The Netherlands Is Ready To Go Where It’s Never Been Before

France's defender Eve Perisset (3R) celebrates her goal with teammates during the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 quarter final football match between France and Netherlands at the New York Stadium, in Rotherham, on July 23, 2022.

France Needs To Be Better Than This

BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 06: Nils van der Poel of Team Sweden celebrates winning the Gold Medal and setting a new Olympic record time of 6:08.84 during the Men's 5000m on day two of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at National Speed Skating Oval on February 06, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Olympics

Speedskating Drama Flares Up After Swedish Champion Calls Out “Fucked Up” Dutch “Corruption”

Crystal Dunn #2, Rose Lavelle #16, Christen Press #11, Megan Rapinoe #15 and Alex Morgan #13 of Team United States celebrate following their team's victory in the penalty shoot out after the Women's Quarter Final match between Netherlands and United States on day seven of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at International Stadium Yokohama on July 30, 2021 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.

The USWNT Struggled, Scrapped, And Survived

Matthijs de Ligt of Netherlands looks dejected after being shown a red card during the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Round of 16 match between Netherlands and Czech Republic at Puskas Arena on June 27, 2021 in Budapest, Hungary.

The Netherlands Blew It, Again

Netherlands' defender Denzel Dumfries (R) celebrates after scoring the third goal during the UEFA EURO 2020 Group C football match between the Netherlands and Ukraine at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam on June 13, 2021.

You Don’t Always Have To Be Good In Order To Be Great

Things We Actually Like

From The People Who Brought You Boat: Bridge

Turkey's players celebrate after scoring their teams's third goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualification Group G football match between Turkey and The Netherlands at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, in Istanbul, on March 24, 2021.

Turkey And The Netherlands Kicked Off World Cup Qualifiers With A Six-Goal Banger

Sports Highlight Of The Day

The Sports Highlight Of The Day Is: Boat

Dutch skater Henk Angenent (C/red/black) is followed by others as he glides across ice on a canal at Hindeloopen on February 14, 2021, as he attempts the 'Elfstedentocht' in the Netherlands' province of Friesland. - Angenent a farmer, who was winner of the last edition of the 'Elfstedentocht' in 1997, which is an organised 200-kilometre skating tour along the 11 Frisian towns and has been adapted to comly with restrictions as part of the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. (Photo by ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN / ANP / AFP) / Netherlands OUT (Photo by ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)