Soccer Articles

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Patrick Omari @ Monday, 6th October 2008 @ 7:01 PM

In the sensible world of soccer there is nothing quite like scoring a goal. English football is almost unique in the world of sport in that its currency, the goal, has such a high value. With so many games decided by just a single goal it comes as no surprise that to score comes as such a relief and is met with such enthusiasm. Many players celebrate wildly after scoring, and some even plan their celebrations in advance. Many of these goal celebrations have entered the national psyche and become... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Patrick Omari @ Monday, 6th October 2008 @ 3:54 PM

At the heart of any great soccer team, there must be a great centre back. The spine of the team consists of a goalkeeper, centre back, centre midfielder and centre forward, and so the central defender is vital to a solid defence. Often, the centre back will be the team captain and need to orchestrate not only the back line but the whole team. Great centre backs are strong, good in the air and will marshall the defence with authority. Examples of this include Chelsea's John Terry, Fra... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Patrick Omari @ Monday, 6th October 2008 @ 3:24 PM

The position of left back in a soccer team gives a player many responsibilities. They must defend, as part of the important defensive unit, as well as begin and take part in attacking movements. Left backs traditionally wear the number three shirt and generally form part of the back-four with two centre backs and a right back. As the game of soccer has evolved, the role of left back has become more of an attacking position, with defenders often being very effective when going forward. The... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Patrick Omari @ Saturday, 4th October 2008 @ 9:34 PM

Often the most underrated performer in a soccer team, the right back plays on the right-hand side of the defence. The primary function for the traditional right back is to defend and play their part in the defensive unit. Great right backs in the modern game have evolved to also pose an attacking threat as well as being defensively solid. Over the last thirty years, the role of the right back has changed into a combination of defence and winger. Despite this, there is still a role in the ... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Patrick Omari @ Saturday, 4th October 2008 @ 8:55 AM

The world of soccer is littered with great examples of successful brothers playing the game. It should come as no surprise that brothers can both do well playing football, as sharing the same genes will give them similar physiques and spacial awareness abilities. In this article I'm going to look over some of the legendary siblings that have graced the beautiful game. One of the best central defenders in the world at the moment, Rio Ferdinand is hailed as a key to the success of Manc... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Patrick Omari @ Saturday, 4th October 2008 @ 8:26 AM

One of the most important positions in a soccer team, as with many team sports, is that of the goalkeeper. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to prevent the opposition team from scoring any goals. As the only player to be allowed to use their hands, the goalkeeper is also responsible for organising the defence and often beginning team attacks. Goalkeepers, as the last line of defence, have a lot of responsibility and therefore must have specific abilities and skills. There have been nu... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Patrick Omari @ Monday, 29th September 2008 @ 3:41 PM

Any English boy that grew up at school playing football in the playgrounds at lunch time has surely played more different variations of the game than they can remember. When the lunch time bell went there would be the inevitable rush to lay claim for space on the playing field for an impromptu game of football. Of course, with no referees or goalposts these games would often have to form their own improvised rule set. Even now, years after leaving school, I still enjoy the various football mini-... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Patrick Omari @ Monday, 29th September 2008 @ 2:20 PM

Diego Armando Maradona was the best footballer the world has ever seen. A controversial character that oozed undisputable talent. On the pitch he displayed a will to win and had the ability to change the game single handedly- a true footballing genius. The inspirational rougue was player of the tournament in the 1986 World Cup, particularly displaying his Jekyl and Hyde traits in the semi final victory against England- the infamous 'Hand of God' goal deceiving the referee, foll... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Patrick Omari @ Monday, 29th September 2008 @ 1:55 PM

Ask anyone what the hardest job in football is and you'll get a myriad of different answers. Maybe it's being a goalkeeper or a manager, perhaps the chairman is the hardest job? Well without doubt the hardest job is that of the referee. It has been said that the best referees will go unnoticed as the game is played, and there is certainly a grain of truth in that statement. Do your job well and people will be talking about the match rather than about your performance. However if... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Martin Sejas @ Monday, 29th September 2008 @ 1:33 PM

Another interesting weekend of results in the English Premier League. There were some wonderful goals scored as well as some shock results. In total, there were 23 goals scored and 3 red cards given out. The biggest surprise of the weekend and possibly the shock result of the season was the Arsenal's capitulation against Hull City at the Emirates. Before I begin to analyse this game, I would like to point out that I'm a mad Arsenal supporter, and have been one for more than a de... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Martin Sejas @ Saturday, 27th September 2008 @ 5:07 PM

Earlier this week, an interesting precedent was set in soccer. And it didn't happen in the big money spinning leagues of Europe, it look place in Australia's A-League. On the weekend, Brazilian player Fabiano, who plays for Melbourne Victory was sent off in disgrace for spitting at another player. And rightly so. Such action is not tolerable in society, let alone on the soccer pitch. However, it's what happened in the days following the game which set a new preceden... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Martin Sejas @ Wednesday, 24th September 2008 @ 6:01 AM

Some have already moved the Manchester United doomsday clock closer to midnight. They point out that recent performances and results are enough to suggest that Manchester United's Premier League's title defence is already becoming an big uncertainty. But they are wrong. And they have been wrong before. These are the same people that said, in March this year, that Arsenal were going to sweep everything before them and that Manchester United should begin thinking about next... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Roger Munns @ Wednesday, 24th September 2008 @ 1:27 AM

Pompey's '08/09 season is just underway, and Portsmouth fans couldn't be happier. It appears the Blue Army is geared up for another exciting season. Pompey fans are a die-hard bunch, loving their team through wins and losses alike. However, it's clear that they're hoping their home team will deliver another winning season. It remains to be seen whether Portsmouth will bring home another FA Cup this year. Last season's win for Pompey was only its second in his... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Roger Munns @ Sunday, 21st September 2008 @ 12:23 AM

Yet another celebrity figure has been spotted on a Spanish holiday recently. Soccer star Peter Crouch was photographed relaxing aboard a sailboat just off the coast of Ibiza in July. He was enjoying the afternoon with his celebrity girlfriend, Abbey Clancy. The pair has been dating since 2006. They've been an item long enough for Clancy to be referred to by British press as an official 'WAG'. Peter Crouch has had a notable soccer career since his first professional stint wi... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Martin Sejas @ Thursday, 18th September 2008 @ 2:54 PM

There's a reason why football is called football. There's also a reason why football is not called mouthball or verbalball. Unfortunately, nowadays we see more talking being done with the mouth rather than with the foot. People may say that this serves to build up the hype and tension of a football game. But for me, it is a complete distraction from what football is truly about. When was the last time you saw a game that was dominated by what happened on the pitch than what happ... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Martin Sejas @ Monday, 15th September 2008 @ 12:50 PM

Wow. What a great week of international fixtures. Great time to get away from the immoral world of money-hungry football clubs. International football is still one of the domains where the sanctity and the true beauty of football still reigns. Where football is not played for money, but for the love of the game. World Cup qualifiers took place in practically every single confederation. There were some shocks, some disappointments and some mind blowing performances. The bigg... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Patrick Omari @ Saturday, 13th September 2008 @ 1:30 PM

Carlos Alberto Perreira, former coach of the Brazilian national team, has stated that the reason why the England National team is so poor is not because there are so many foreign players in England, but it's because there are so few English players in other leagues. So does that mean the reason Brazil are so successful is because of their numerous exports? Last year, 1,085 Brazilian players were transferred to places as diverse as Vietnam, Qatar and the Faroe Islands, according to the Brazi... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Bercle George @ Friday, 5th September 2008 @ 2:08 PM

Who says playing soccer is only for men? Well, you must be wrong since lots of women are also engaging to this particular sport nowadays. There are also a number of soccer parents-- even soccer mom-- who send their players to soccer training. They even send their girls to this healthy sport activities. Anybody who thinks that women's soccer is a new idea could not be more wrong. Women have been playing this particular sport for as long as it has existed. Long before Premiership leagu... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Patrick Omari @ Friday, 22nd August 2008 @ 1:03 PM

This article will explore the structure of football in England. The pyramid system has provided the platform that allows the Premier League to flourish as the best football league in the world. The pyramid consists of over 140 leagues, 480 divisions and over 7,000 clubs. This doesn't include the amateur game which is prevalent in England, often referred to as Sunday League football. The top five levels of the pyramid each contain just one division. These are the Premier League, the C... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Sports » Soccer | By Patrick Omari @ Friday, 22nd August 2008 @ 7:13 AM

Every sporting profession has them - the talented individual that appears to struggle with their inner demons. Despite having enviable skills and physical ability, the tortured genius fails to adopt the mentality of a professional sports star. For every model professional that lives for their sport, there will be another person that plays to earn money and then will indulge in the extravagant lifestyle that their celebrity provides. Soccer players are some of the most celebrated sports p... more...