Tag: Soccer

Two Blogs of Note

Here’re two blogs you need to be reading:

1. The Sartorialist. New York City man-on-the-street fashion photoblog. Sample image:

Spotted in NYC

2. Kasey Keller’s blog. The US national team goalkeeper reflects on the squad’s preparation for the world cup.

Sample text:

The mood is the camp is really high. Everyone is confident we can achieve something this summer. Our aim is to do better than the quarterfinals of the tournament. The success of Greece at Euro 2004 gives everyone hope. That such rank outsiders could actually win the competition is a big boost for dark horse teams everywhere. The World Cup is a little different though. There are so many games you need to win against so many great sides. But you never know. The US is ranked fourth in the world right now. That may or may not be an accurate assessment based on our current form. But it’s up to the twenty-three guys in Bruce Arena’s squad to prove that fourth is an under estimation rather than an overvaluation.

Categories
Misc.

The Thinking Fan’s Guide to the World Cup

A special person recently gave me a special gift: “The Thinking Fan’s Guide to the World Cup,” a collection of football-related writings that includes contributions from Nick Hornby, Eric Schlosser, James Surowiecki, Jorge Castaneda, Dave Eggers, and many other influential thinkers.

The book’s introduction, by co-editor Sean Wilsey, perfectly encapsulates the heady mix of anticipation, nervousness, and exuberance I feel as the opening match of World Cup 2006 Germany approaches (the tournament commences on Friday, June 9).

Here’re a couple of passages that I found especially poignant:

The world of the World Cup is the world I want to live in. I cannot resist the pageantry and high mindedness, the apolitical display of national characteristics, the revelation of human flaws and unexpected greatness, the fact that entire nations walk off the job or wake up at 3 a.m. to watch men kick a ball. There are countries that have truly multiracial squads – France, England, the United States – while other teams are entirely blonde or Asian or Latin American. There are irritating fans: ‘USA! USA! USA!’ (Blessedly few.) There are children who hold hands with each player as he walks onto the field. National anthems play. Men paint themselves their national colours and cry openly at opposing victories. An announcer shouts ‘GOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLL! GOL GOL GOL!’ on the Spanish language channel. A Slovakian tire salesman, an Italian cop, or a German concert pianist – having passed the official fitness tests and psychological examinations – will moonlight as referees.

And:

The joy of being one of the couple billion people watching thrity-two nations abide by seventeen rules fills me with the conviction, perhaps ignorant, but like many ignorant convictions, fiercely held, that soccer can unite the world.

Amen.

The Globalization of Soccer

To the People:

The Prospect reviews superstar Senegalese footballer Patrick Vieira’s new autobiography and says it “confirms that soccer beats banking as the world’s most globalised industry.” I’d say drugs, but soccer and banking make fine choices, too.

“Vieira was only 19 and already captain of Cannes when, in 1995, he was bundled into a helicopter and flown to AC Milan’s club headquarters to sign a contract on the spot. He had no idea what the sums in Italian lire meant—not very much, it turned out—but signed anyway. His angry agent quickly negotiated a new contract, for about £300,000 a year, or four times as much as he was getting at Cannes. At Milan, Vieira rarely played. Watching the team from the stands, he got to know the Alsatian Frenchman Arsène Wenger, who was a regular spectator despite coaching in Japan at the time. When Wenger joined Arsenal, he persuaded Vieira to be his first signing. In fact, the player arrived weeks before the manager did, and was initially deposited in the reserves.”

By my count that’s a Senegalese guy captaining a French team, taken to Italy to play. He sits while in Italy, gets noticed by a French guy who works in Japan, and together they move on to England. Cool.

Full Prospect review here.

Breaking News: Maradona Now Skinny, Still a Nutcase

CNN:

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Diego Maradona made a remarkable return to the football field when he played for 68 minutes in a charity match in Rio de Janeiro.

But he was later arrested by police at Rio de Janeiro airport, for causing a disturbance after missing his flight to Buenos Aires.

WC06: The US Enters the Group of Death

CNN:

At some point you knew it would happen: The U.S. would draw into a Group of Death at the World Cup.

It finally happened on Friday as the No. 8-ranked Yanks were placed in Group E with three-time world champion Italy, the Czech Republic (ranked No. 2 in the world) and rising African power Ghana.

Here’s the full draw. More info here.

Goodbye, Roy Keane

One of the best midfielders in the world has just left the most famous soccer club on earth, Manchester United. By “mutual consent,” Roy Keane is no longer with Man U effective immediatedly. He recently had a falling out with the club’s boss, the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, and will now ply his trade elsewhere.

While Keane plays with a sense of passion and commitment that is truly rare, and while his drive to win is remarkable, I think his legacy, even if he continues playing (he’s in his twilight years at 34), will finally be this: He was a player of monumental ability who lacked moral guidance and failed to subdue his inner demons (he fell victim to booze, depression, and his own blinding rage).

Never forget, for example, that he let his team and his country down when, as the side’s most important player, he got himself dismissed from the Ireland squad just before the last World Cup.

Goodbye, Roy Keane. You could have been so, so great. But you ultimately flattered to deceive.

African Boots of Beijing

Africans Boots of Beijing is a documentary film about an African soccer team in Beijing. The film was produced, filmed and edited by Luke Mines and Jeremy Goldkorn, long-time residents of Beijing from the USA and South Africa.

For ten years Afrika United F.C. has been a force in the amateur soccer leagues of Beijing, China. It is also a fascinating window into the growing African community in Beijing and the cross pollination among cultures that is occurring as the world grows ever smaller.

(Via Danwei.)

A Fatwa on Soccer Infidels

Absolutely amazing.

(Via #1.)

Saudi+Arabia, fatwa

Jay-Z to Buy Arsenal Football Club?

This is too cool to possibly be true. Of course, “major stake” doesn’t necessarily mean “controlling stake.”

Jay-Z, Arsenal

Categories
Misc.

Ecuador: Headed to World Cup ’06

They’re partying in Quito, Cuenca, Guayaquil, Esmeraldas, and all points in between at latitude zero: Ecuador drew 0-0 at home with Uruguay yesterday to book their passage to World Cup ’06 in Germany this summer.

Elsewhere, four teams from the African region — newcomers all — have clinched their spots: Angola, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Togo. Here’s a complete run-down of the nations that have qualified so far.

World+Cup