Joaquin Bueno

About Joaquin Bueno

I am a grad student in the Romance Studies department. Currently I'm starting my dissertation, which will be a study of the importance of football in Franco's dictatorship in Spain during the 50's and 60's, the first "Golden Age" of Spanish football. I hope to also explore cultural politics and power structures in the age of global democracy. My teams are my two hometowns: Celta de Vigo (Spain), and also DC United (though I haven't followed them since the first season of MLS). I also play pick-up every week with varying degrees of success.

More than meets the eye? Football as visual spectacle.

Very enthralling to see the films of the ’74 West Germany World Cup. Watching these legendary players and teams is such a different experience than it is today, in the times of HD and incredibly high frame rates. The filmic moves of Cruyff and company appear to take us to a mythical realm… who can… Read More »

Johan Cruyff, tiki-taka, & total football

When Spain won Euro 2008, “tiki’taka” became a popular buzz word in the Spanish sports press. They were referring to the selección‘s style of quick, short, incisive passes–a possession game based on high-pressure in the midfield and near the opposing area, a defense playing far forward, a style based on control and calculated effort. In… Read More »