Where is the buzz out here on the biggest sporting event of the world?
I must be missing something. At least that’s the way I console myself when I look around and see...
Author: toots
Will the US soccer team be favorably received in Germany?
In WC 2002, the US team played a contentious match with co-hosts South Korea. The 65,000 S.Korean fans were...
Michael Owen: A thing of beauty is a joy forever
Michael Owen has been far too hurt for far too long. And because of that we mortals don’t see...
Soccer friendlies: USA shows life, Ukraine look dangerous, and Robin Van Persie serves notice
USA vs Latvia USA beat Latvia in their last friendly, 1-0 before they start their WC campaign against the...
Lev Yashin, the Black Panther: USSR’s soccer talisman
We have talismans for every country for each World Cup in soccer and then you have Pele, the most...
Brazil provides impact players in other WC squads too
Francileudo Silva dos Santos, Tunisian striker Tunisia owes much if its success in reaching the World Cup to Brazilian...
The Eurocentric effect on soccer: Juju men are being marginalized
BF Skinner, the father of behavior pyschology studied the association between ritualistic behavior and a desired outcome that leads...
Strange rituals: Soccer fans have theirs
If soccer players have their strange rituals (see Sergio Goycochea), then the fans that watch the game are not...
Cologne: The place to party at the World Cup
RhineEnergie Stadium- Cologne’s World Cup venue The NYT travel section has an article of where to base yourself in...
Double Dutch: Johan Neeskens tutors the Socceroos
Johan Neeskens, The Socceroos assistant coach Gus Hiddink is the coach of the Socceroos and his assistant coach is...
Strange rituals: Sergio Goycochea, Argentina’s 1990 WC hero
All players in every game go through every type of ritualistic behavior that they think will make Lady Luck...
Soccer round up: Socceroos over Greece
The Socceroos got a win over Euro champions Greece 1-0 in their friendly. But it was a win that...
Beenhakker thinks England is all hype: The trash talking begins
Soca Warrior coach Leo Beenhakker has had it with England will do this and that. As T&T’s friendly against...
Nature vs Nurture: What makes Brazil so good
Pele celebrating the 1970 Brazil victory Reading through Nobel Laureate Gerald Edelman’s work, of selectional theory of brain development,...
The Dutch: Marco Van Basten’s team on target
Van Basten and his boys are ready Remember Jaap Staam. One of the best defenders in the world. Now...
Soca Warrior Carlos Edwards fancies an upset over England
Soca Warrior midfielder, Carlos Edwards of Luton FC, writes his syndicated column for the Guardian and gives an insight...
Phorpa:The Tibetan version of the World Cup
It is not just Catholic priests who look to the World Cup to find their raison d’etre. But Tibetan...
Alessandro Del Piero: Peter watches but does not admit him into heaven
……. At least not this time. Impressive dribbling though. But some people are hard to please, as noted below...
The surprise team of the World Cup: Ukraine
Dimitar Vesselinov says Ukraine. I have a feeling he is biased. But lets look closely at their group. Ukraine,...
The Vatican: The Da Vinci code and the Juventus soccer scandal
Luciano ‘Lucky’ Moggi, ex-Juventus supremo If you’re Pope Benedict XVI, all hell has broken loose in the last couple...
The fastest goal in WC history
Hakan Sukur against S.Korea WC 2002. 10 seconds. The celebration took longer.
Hasan Sas and Hakan Sukur: Turkish sharpshooters WC 2002
Sas and Sukur! This video is also 4 minutes long and the first 30 seconds is nationalistic blurb but...
Davor Suker: Golden boot winner 1998 World Cup
The video is over 4 minutes long, but if you are a Suker fan or want to become one...
Stoichkov free kick against Germany, WC 1994
The free kick that stamped Stoichkov’s genius!
Which rank outsider will be the surprise of this World Cup?
Hristo Stoichkov- Bulgaria, 1994 Davor Suker- Croatia, 1998 Hasan Sas- Turkey, 2002 The last three World Cups has seen...
Fan reaction to Thierry Henry’s decision to remain a Gunner
Across the board, fans from almost every English league club lit up the airwaves praising Thierry Henry’s loyalty to...
Thierry Henry is a Gunner till 2010
My admiration for Thierry Henry went up an octave or more. Just when I thought it could get no...
Finally, Finally, the NY Red Bulls get their win
On a day that Barry Bonds tied Babe Ruth’s record for home runs, an equally significant sporting moment was...
The degree of insularity in the national soccer squads: Italy worst, France best
Examine the rosters of the national squads of the countries that have the biggest drawing domestic leagues, the big...
World Cup rosters: Group H
Spain Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Santiago Canizares (Valencia), Jose Manuel Reina (Liverpool) Defenders: Michel Salgado (Real Madrid), Carles...
World Cup rosters: Group G
France Goalkeepers: Fabien Barthez (Marseille), Gregory Coupet (Lyon), Mickael Landreau (Nantes). Defenders: Eric Abidal (Lyon), Jean-Alain Boumsong (Newcastle), Pascal...
World Cup rosters: Group F
Brazil Goalkeepers: Dida (AC Milan), Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Rogerio Ceni (Sao Paulo) Defenders: Juan (Bayer Leverkusen), Lucio (Bayern...
World Cup rosters: Group E
Italy Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Angelo Peruzzi (Lazio), Marco Amelia (Livorno) Defenders: Gianluca Zambrotta (Juventus), Alessandro Nesta (AC Milan),...
World Cup rosters: Group D
Portugal Goalkeepers: Ricardo Pereira (Sporting), Quim Silva (Benfica), Bruno Vale (Amadora). Defenders: Paulo Ferreira and Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea), Nuno...
World Cup rosters: Group C
Argentina Goalkeepers: Roberto Abbondanzieri (Boca Juniors), Leonardo Franco (Atletico Madrid), Oscar Ustari (Independiente). Defenders: Fabricio Coloccini (Deportivo La Coruna),...
World Cup rosters: Group B
England Goalkeepers: Paul Robinson (Tottenham), David James (Manchester City), Robert Green (Norwich). Defenders: Gary Neville (Manchester United), Sol Campbell...
World Cup rosters: Group A
Germany Goalkeepers: Jens Lehmann (Arsenal), Oliver Kahn (Bayern Munich), Timo Hildebrand (VfB Stuttgart). Defenders: Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Per...
England and Trinidad and Tobago: The World Cup brings together the coloniser and the colonised
Trinidad and Tobago attained independence from England in 1962. The islands of Trinidad and Tobago was fiercely contested amongst...
Portugal and Angola: The World Cup brings together the coloniser and the colonised
Angola won its independence from Portugal in 1975. It was the beginning of a long civil war between different...
Brazil’s soccer rivalry in the future will come from Africa
The WC 2006 is abuzz with the possibility of a Brazil- Netherlands, Brazil- England, or even a Brazil-France showdown...
Togo’s coach Pfister doubts German chances in WC
Another detractor. And this one is Otto Pfister, Togo’s coach to the World Cup. Pfister is German and he...
Thierry Henry decides to stay: Arsenal can breathe again
Soccerblog called it by stating that Thierry Henry would stay with Arsenal and that getting to the League final...
Video: Barca- Arsenal 2006 Champion’s League final
As promised!
Apartheid era soccer legend Ace Ntsoelengoe passes away
Patrick Ace Ntsoelengoe A few days ago I had written about the role that soccer played in the struggle...
Video: Racism against Samuel Eto’o in La Liga
Does Thierry Henry want to be subjected to this? As good a player as he is.
Arsenal’s sleepless nights begin: Is Thierry Henry coming back?
The Barca- Arsenal final was a less than fitting end to Thierry Henry’s career with Arsenal if that is...
Video: The Robo Cup Euro final 2006
We are still awaiting the Barca- Arsenal final video. And as soon as we can get our paws on...
Barca, European champions: Arsenal minus Jens Lehmann; Henrik Larsson shines
Henrik Larsson, Barca midfielder It was a match full of drama. Theater. Enthralling till the end. Barca pulled out...
Klinsmann announces the German 23
Gerald Asamoah, Schalke striker Hat tip to Alfred Worcester for drawing our attention to the hosts announcing their final...
Escape to Victory: We’ve come a long way, USA!
Remember schmaltzy Escape to Victory. The soccer movie by John Huston with a beefed up Sly Stallone playing the...
Taylor Twellman scores again: Bruce Arena, perk up your ears
The New England Revolution made short shrift of Chivas USA after falling behind. But the game was settled with...
Pele:The Autobiography
Simon and Schuster, UK has just published Pele’s autobiography. We all know Pele, the legend, the player. But in...
Video: Liverpool- West Ham FC final 2006
The two spectacular piledrivers from Steven Gerrard and some fantastic goal keeping from Jose Reina. The 2006 FA Cup...
India shops for a soccer coach: My advice, Go Dutch
Clarence Westerhof has joined a group of 10 other names being considered for coaching the Indian soccer squad. Westerhof...