football
Kick around about all things soccer; explore football's storied history, current events in the soccer sphere, the intricacies of the game and more.
The Next Galacticos?
After the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo it seems as if Real Madrid’s Galacticos have come to an end. The second generation of football players recruited under this name featured the likes of Kaka, James Rodriquez, Angel Di Maria, and Gareth Bale. The generation started in 2009 when Real Madrid bought Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo for a total of 161 million euro. But today, the Welsh winger, who joined in 2013 for a record-breaking 100 million euro, is the only one who still plays for the Los Blancos. What is the possible transfer policy in the club? And what are the options that new coach Julien Lopetegui would consider in the quest for new players?
By Ivan Neychev8 years ago in Cleats
Future of Juventus FC. Top Story - July 2018.
Today, Juventus are taking on Benfica in the International Champions Cup. Fans will probably neither witness the eagerly awaited debut of Cristiano Ronaldo in the white and black shirt, nor will they see the top players of the club perform, but Juventus will be a team any neutral soccer supporter must follow in the upcoming season.
By Ivan Neychev8 years ago in Cleats
UK's Lower Leagues - Where Soccer's Heart Remains
The metaphorical penny dropped from the scaffolding above the old St. James Park grandstand, clanging against the floor of Exeter City’s temporary ‘press area’. Or what’s left of the stand anyway; thanks to shrewd financial planning, City have secured the necessary funds and began work to replace the stand entirely, as well as selling the land behind the Big Bank standing section to a developer of student houses. The grandstand now stands as a hollow shell, with no seats and only bare wooden planks to house the visiting press and watching Exeter staff. The sound rang clearly, above the singing of the fans and the trains snaking behind the stadium—lower-league football, at least at Exeter City, still captures the romance of the beautiful game that the higher quality leagues seem to have lost.
By Charlie Morgan8 years ago in Cleats
Mesut Ozil Waves Goodbye to Germany
It was a disappointing World Cup for the German national team and German fans everywhere. Not a single German player performed to a high enough level and it saw them take an early exit from the tournament. Much like Arsenal fans do, the German fans singled Mesut Ozil out and blamed him for the failures of the team. Now, I am a strong believer of the fact that you win as a team and you lose as a team, so the fact he is being singled out is ridiculous in my opinion. But being singled out isn't a reason to never don the jersey again, is it? Well, for Ozil it seems to be more than enough reason and I can't say I blame him.
By Karl Hoscik8 years ago in Cleats
Visca Barca
Now, many may think well, of course, he likes the team that always wins! Do they though? The last three years Barcelona have not won the Champions League, and even failed to make it to the finals. They've been in the back seat watching their arch-rivals win it consecutively. Holy crap, if that doesn't infuriate you as a Barcelona fan, then I don't know what does. In actuality, if you're a true soccer fan, that should be so upsetting to see. Real Madrid has made history, and it should be respected, but at the same time being a fan of other clubs, it's sickening to see one club win the best trophy three times in a row!
By David Puca8 years ago in Cleats
Best American Soccer Bars
The FIFA World Cup is over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your favorite game on a big screen with a beer anymore. In August, all major European leagues will kick-off, and you will be watching your favorite teams and stars every weekend. Throw on your favorite soccer jersey of all time, grab some buddies, and head out to one watch the game on some big screens. If that’s your idea of a fine weekend, then you should check out our list of best American soccer bars that serve the best craft beers and stunning goals at the same time.
By Brayden Simmons8 years ago in Cleats
Hazard or Salah
This is only my opinion when I say this but I think many people would agree with it. When you look at the two players they have both performed fantastically. However, Hazard opted to play for Chelsea for six years in the hardest and greatest league on the planet. Having won PFA player of the year and winning titles at Chelsea, arguably he is the better player. The debate come to light when regarding his actual performances and how he influences games.
By Josh Richardson8 years ago in Cleats
Christian Pulisic: The Next-in-Line?. Top Story - July 2018.
When you consider the footballers that have graced the US Men’s National Team in recent years, their star players have rarely stood out anywhere other than in the US. The likes of Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, Freddy Adu, Jermain Jones, etc., graced European football, and whilst all of them were seen as the best the US has to offer, none of them set the world alight.
By Jack Dixon8 years ago in Cleats
Best Soccer Bars in NYC
Americans are no strangers to sports fanaticism. But for many years, soccer has taken a very limited, secondary role in the hearts of American fans. Instead, the United States largely invested their interests in football (the American kind), basketball, and baseball. But now, the number—and intensity—of soccer fans is rapidly growing, with soccer expected to overtake baseball in overall popularity in just the next few years.
By Nicola P. Young8 years ago in Cleats
Why It Can Be Intimidating to Be a Female Football Fan
The World Cup is here and I, a female, am loving it. Despite almost all of my girl friends showing little to no interest in the proceedings, I have unashamedly watched several hours of match-play every day for the past fortnight. But having no one interested enough to discuss it apart from my dad has made me think about the position of women in football.
By Lucy Tansell8 years ago in Cleats
It Began With Dinho
During my childhood, I heard many kids talk about their sports idols! I heard the names like Derek Jeter, Lebron James, Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps, Floyd Mayweather, and to me at the time, these amazing athletes never stuck with me for some odd reason. Now, out of all these amazing athletes, only one stuck for me, and his name was Ronaldinho! Now, many people are going to read this and say, "well of course dude, you were probably a soccer fan," but that actually wasn't the case. I knew of soccer obviously but I had never played or watch the sport as a fan. To me the sport that stuck when I was young kid was basketball, but the only thing I truly knew about it professionally was that Michael Jordan was in Space Jam and he was a freak of nature. Now, that being said, I never got to witness this phenom play live, only got to hear about how amazing he was, and got to see some clips of him in the playoffs. So, that wasn't so affectionate to me because I hadn't experienced it during my time.
By David Puca8 years ago in Cleats
