Robert Enke German goalkeeper Robert Enke recently commited suicide. He was suffering from depression associated with the pressures of football and “the fear of failure.” As we have learned in this course, football is followed with extreme, sometimes fanatical passion, especially on the international level. However, while a player can become a national hero by… Read More »
This article from goal.com tells the news of a sensational Spanish player, Jesús Navas, who has been lighting up the Primera División for a few years now with Sevilla. Before this call-up, Navas had been unable to play for the national team largely due to an anxiety problem in which severe homesickness and fear of… Read More »
I’m something of a latecomer to following professional club soccer. Although I played the sport growing up in Western North Carolina and have watched every World Cup final since 1990, I’ve been oblivious to the comings and goings of the top European and South American leagues—mostly due to my typically spartan television habits. That’s all… Read More »
Today, in the Copa del Rey (Spain’s Cup, a knockout tournament that goes on at the same time as the league), a tiny, tiny team, Agrupación Deportiva Alcorcón, hailing from the outskirts of Madrid and competing every week in the Segunda B (the third tier of Spanish football), crushed Real Madrid, the most expensively assembled… Read More »
Here’s a link describing an incident in which Maurice Edu, an American playing for Rangers in the Scottish Premier League, suffered racial abuse from his own supporters, despite not even playing in a loss. According to the article, it was not the first time this had happened. Having written about the Celtic-Rangers rivalry in my… Read More »
Check out what occurred when Sunderland played at Liverpool recently. In second 32 you can see the Liverpool fan hit the beach ball onto the pitch. This beach ball comes back to act as a striker providing a masterful flick past the Liverpool goalie. I have always noticed soccer fields throughout the world (especially in… Read More »
This photo has been taken by Phil Noble at the Liverpool-Manchester United game during the 1999-2000 season. This was the first match of Massimo Taibi wearing the Manchester jersey where he made spectacular saves during the game. Unfortunately, Taibi had the chance to play only four matches including this match during the whole season. Another… Read More »
Everyone who has a vague interest in soccer knows the big global brands and superstars; the Manchester Uniteds and the Real Madrids, the Kakas and Messis of the global game. We see them plastered across the back pages of newspapers and adorning front covers of glossy magazines. Television coverage of major soccer matches is all-pervasive.… Read More »
Has Raymond Domenech become a mere symbol as France’s national team coach? That is what people are wondering, as France reaches do-or-die time in the struggle to obtain a World Cup playoff berth. Much-criticized French coach Raymond Domenech has been more than under fire since as far back as 2006, when a resurgent Zidane, along… Read More »
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 »
