Um, you should probably read this, especially if you have any interest in US Soccer or Major League Soccer. Basically, former USMNT player and Fox Soccer analyst Eric Wynalda gets all out of character and speaks his mind and pulls his punches at the recent NSCAA Convention in a lecture cleverly titled “Why Not US.” Go ahead. Don’t be embarrassed. As you’ll soon see, he isn’t.
If you love perms or Didier Drogba, you’ll love the Les Éléphants shirt …
Spain is trying to conquer the world again. This time, they might succeed.
Here’s the second, and last, installment of my conversation with The Two Escobars co-director Michael Zimbalist. In Part II, we dig a bit deeper into interactions with various characters in the film, discuss the 1994 World Cup match between the U.S. and Colombia, and then get a little philosophical at the end. Enjoy! Continue Reading »
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On the surface, The Two Escobars is a mesmerizing documentary about the tragic intersection of soccer and the drug trade in Colombia during the 1980s and 1990s. But just below the surface, the film reveals a deeper, personal story about a Colombian society simultaneously enriched and shaken to its core. It re-introduces us to legendary soccer icons, reducing them to emotional figures bearing the unique burden of simply being Colombian and incredibly talented during the rise of narco-soccer (loosely defined as the period when soccer was inextricably tied to and funded by narco-trafficking).
Framed by larger than life figures, drug-kingpin Pablo Escobar, and Colombian soccer player Andrés Escobar, The Two Escobars adds color to an era in Colombian history that, from the outside, could easily be viewed as a period of dramatic wins and losses, but in reality, was saturated with complexity.
I spoke with The Two Escobars co-director Michael Zimbalist about the film. In Part I, we discuss his background, the development of the story, reactions to the film, and begin speaking about his interactions with various figures highlighted in the documentary. Continue Reading »
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This David Beckham character has the world in his palm.
After successful stints at Manchester United and Real Madrid, Beckham decided to pursue a new challenge in America (the North one). As part of Beckham’s unique deal with MLS, he was given the option to purchase an MLS club if he stays with the LA Galaxy for the remainder of his contract. That’s a good deal for Team Beckham. And now, long-time Daily Mail football writer Martin Samuel wants to give Beckham English football.
I think we may be approaching the “David, I want you to have my wife” territory, which is fine, as long as everyone knows that that’s where we’re heading. Continue Reading »
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Not even Fox News can spin Paradoo’s challenging history of conflict, closed markets, government intervention, and social strife.
But that Paradoo of old has evaporated. The new Paradoo has liberalized its markets and embraced economic mobility. Paradoo is now a country reveling in many of its new found freedoms. It is now a place where everyone can feel comfortable. That is, everyone except white people.
In a recent survey of white residents of Paradoo City, Paradoo’s not-very-cosmopolitan capital, 60% of respondents said that they had been physically assaulted, while 80% of white residents claimed to have been victims of verbal racial abuse.
Even if these numbers are halved, it’s hard to deny that a problem exists. Half of 60 and 80% is still a whole lot of physical and verbal abuse. Continue Reading »
Oh no he didn’t. Yes, he did.
I know that everyone has been scouring the internet for a ginger-themed Alexi Lalas t-shirt. Well, that’s why we’re here, to do those things for you. Behold, an, um, Alexi Lalas shirt. You know you love it. Continue Reading »
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Football for Change is a feature in which Nutmeg Radio highlights work being done by organizations across the globe using soccer to promote development.
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