Connections: Soccer Edition

About Connections: Soccer Edition

Connections: Soccer Edition is a soccer-only version of the Connections grouping puzzle, published by The Athletic, the New York Times' sports site, under The Athletic and New York Times Games names. It is a separate game from Connections: Sports Edition, with its own address and its own daily board, and every tile on it comes from soccer.

The board shows sixteen round, ball-like tiles. On one day they held names such as Saka, Pulisic and Parrott, first names such as Carlo, Xabi, José and Fabio, skills such as the stepover, elastico, backheel and dummy, and training kit such as cones, speed hurdles, resistance bands and free-kick mannequins. You pick four tiles you think share a link and submit them. A right group locks in; a wrong one costs one of your four mistakes. You can shuffle the tiles or clear your picks at any time.

The puzzle needs some soccer knowledge: who plays where, who manages whom, what a move is called. Like other Connections boards it is built to mislead, with tiles that seem to fit more than one group, so the order you solve in matters. A new puzzle is posted each day, and the game keeps your win rate and streaks.

It suits soccer fans who already play Connections or the Sports Edition, and want a daily board that stays on the one sport.

How to play Connections: Soccer Edition

1. Read the sixteen soccer tiles on the board.
2. Select four tiles you think share a link.
3. Press Submit: a right group locks in, a wrong one costs one of your four mistakes.
4. Use Shuffle to see the tiles in a new order when you are stuck.
5. Find all four groups before your fourth mistake.

Screenshots

Tips

• Look for tiles that could fit two groups, and solve the group with no doubt in it first.
• Try names as first names and surnames: a list of first names can hide a set of managers.
• Think of skills, kit and positions as well as players: not every tile is a person.
• Shuffle often; a new layout can show a link you missed.

Questions