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.
Manchester City has moved into our backyard. City recenly announced a partnership with New York City-based Downtown United Soccer Club (DUSC) and Gotham Girls Football Club (GGFC). The goal of the partnership is to expand DUFC’s inner-city outreach program, City Soccer Initiative (CSI). CSI serves over 3,000 inner-city kids with a curriculum focused on critical life skils , fighting childhood obesity, and improving the general quality of life in underserved communities. Continue Reading »
More: Player & League Development | The Game
Jaume Marquet Cot, the Spanish genius who tried to put a hat on the World Cup trophy, has had his day in one of the 56 special World Cup courts that South Africa’s Justice Department set up around the country to deal with World Cup related crime.
Cot’s attempt at being an idiot cost him the once in a lifetime chance of seeing Spain win its first World Cup. But you’ve got to assume that he thought that part through before deciding to do a poor man’s streak across the field, especially considering that Cot, also known as Jimmy Jump, is a serial pitch invader, and to be fair, a damn entertaining one.
Cot’s official crime: Trespassing and attempted theft. The sentence: 2,000 South African rand (ZAR), or approximately 266 USD. Mind you, that’s attempted theft of the FIFA World Cup Trophy, the literal World Cup, which is presumably valued at more than 2,000 ZAR.
But that’s just the beginning of this story. Continue Reading »
More: Discrimination | Outside the Lines
Imagine if Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Paris Hilton, and the cast from The Hills all loved soccer. Now imagine that the people who like the aforementioned all liked what you like. Imagine they showed up at matches, sat next to you at pubs during games, and called into your favorite talk shows … oh, I’m sorry, podcasts. Imagine that Generation Teen Cribs, a generation that craves for attention, loves feedback, and wants to take people on tours of their parents’ houses as if they are responsible for all the glory that surrounds them took an active interest in soccer. I’ve got to say, I kind of like things the way they are. Continue Reading »
More: Culture | Supporters
Jeff and Michael Zimbalist’s documentary The Two Escobars brings us a tale of a nation gripped by crime, drugs and a passion for soccer. At the time (circa 1994), Colombia was seen as one of the world’s most reviled narco-states and one of the world’s best soccer nations, at one point ranked 4th in the FIFA rankings. During this period, many Colombians were hoping that victory at the 1994 World Cup would help rebuild the country’s tattered image. Unfortunately, that dream was never realized. Colombia’s hopes came crashing down with one errant kick during the World Cup by Andres Escobar, one of the team’s star players. Escobar’s subsequent murder was a cold reminder of how the violent drug trade controlled everything within the country, including soccer. Continue Reading »
More: Culture | TV/Movies/Books/Web
A few months ago, we brought you news about sOccket, a soccer ball that doubles as a portable, energy-storing power source. Since then, the sOccket team has pushed forward, officially introducing the ball to the world at the World Cup in South Africa. Already, sOccket seems to have more promise than its distant relative, Jabulani.
Jessica Lin, one of sOccket’s Co-Founders, believes that sOccket has a role to play in energy problems that have plagued the developing world for decades. Lin says, “sOccket may not be a solution to the energy crisis, but it is a new way of thinking about problems many people face on a day to day basis … and it enables empowerment for children literally to power their own lives.” Continue Reading »
More: Development | Social Change
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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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