Pierluigi Collina - The Only Referee Loved by Players and Fans Alike

Pierluigi Collina was not called the “Supreme Football Judge” for nothing; he earned his fame and the respect of fans and footballers alike with his sharp eyes, strict determination and heated enthusiasm in every match.

It’s not uncommon for good matches to be killed and turned one-sided by unfair black-shirt kings these days. People don’t come to stadiums to watch acts of bullying. They want fair fights; that’s why they miss the legendary referee, whose mere appearance ensured absolutely fair matches back in his day. Pierluigi Collina was not called the “Supreme Football Judge” for nothing; he earned his fame and the respect of fans and footballers alike with his sharp eyes, strict determination and heated enthusiasm in every match.

Rarely in the history of football has there been a referee with such power and reputation, and even more rarely has there been one so loved. Collina earned his place in the flow of football throughout the years, match after match, with his swift, strict, and just decisions. His hairless head and sharp, cold eyes have become the sign of a good referee, and he is looked up to as a master by many young referees. He made few mistakes, and when he did, he was never criticized, for those mistakes never made any unfair impact on his games.

Collina was proclaimed “World’s Best Referee” by FIFA six times in a row. He is the world’s best referee for life in the heart of all true football fans. When he was still blowing the whistle, he appeared in every major games of the Series A, the Champions League, and the World Cup. In every one of those matches, he kept the scale of justice balanced, earning the respect of not only the victors, but also the defeated. 

Collina was an Italian, but he never let that interfere with his decisions. The Italian Association of Referees even let him hold the whistle for one more year after he retired, paying tribute to one of the icons of the sport. The world of football that it was not ready to part ways with one of its greatest judges, the icon who never kicked a ball.

His hairless head and sharp, cold eyes have become the sign of a good referee.

Much and more has changed in the job of football referees since Collina’s retirement. Camera technologies are now widely used, reducing the odds of a referee making crucial misjudgments, but nothing can make true fans forget the image of a bald, sharp-eyed man running tirelessly across the field, blowing the whistle with an calm, unbiased mind. Football has yet to find a referee worthy to become Collina’s replacement, and since his retirements, major matches all seemed to have become somehow…imperfect. Collina had a long career and did make a few mistakes here and there, but that didn’t matter, because he was and will always be loved, respected and remembered by football fans everywhere.

Stars rise and fall, as they always have, but Pierluigi Collina seems to be an exception. Ten years have passed since he hung his whistle, and we have yet to find for him a worthy successor. He will be missed by all, and loved even by the generations of football fans that adopted the game after he had left. 

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Iker Casillas and the Tragic End of an Era

The summer Liverpool parted ways with Steven Gerrard, Xavi said farewell to Barcelona, and Bastian Schweinsteiger left Bayern behind was a tearful one, because many great teams had to say goodbye to some of their best players. However, of those breakups, none sparked so much argument as the departure of Casillas from Real Madrid, the club he had spent 25 years of his career at.

Yes, you heard it right 25 years. It’s long enough that we can say Casillas spent the entirety of his career in Real. In 1990, at the age of nine, the Mostoles-born boy was admitted to the Real Madrid young talent team. He made it to the main team when he was in high school, and has not experienced any other football environment since. With three Champions League cups, five La Liga championship victories, and many other winnings, Casillas was one of the best players in Real’s long history. On a larger scale, Casillas can be considered one of the legendary goalkeepers of the world, with two Euro Cup championships (2008, 2012), and one World Cup grand finals victory (2010), all of which he played in as the team captain.

   

His career was not without setbacks, though, for he was the topic of debate in his last years in Bernabeu. The team itself was thrown into a small civil war, with players and fans alike taking sides to fight over whether Casillas was a “topo” (spy) or not.

It all began following Jose Mourinho’s press conference in late 2012, after a game with Malaga where Real lost 2-3. Mourinho insinuated that Casillas who was on the reserve line in that match was a spy who informed the press about the team setups prior to the match. The resulting war-like relationship between Mourinho and Casillas turned Madrid itself into a battlefield. Casillas even went so far as to meet Real Madrid’s chairman in person to give him an ultimatum: either the Portuguese coach left, or he would.

Casillas’s downfall

Ever since his 2012 “topo” scandal, Casillas forever lost his image as the perfect player in the eyes and the hearts of his fans. He became just another man clinging hopelessly to his position on the team. Mourinho clearly did not win the Madrid civil war, but neither did Casillas. When Real went on a Decima streak with its victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League grand finals last year, Casillas was blamed by fans and the media alike for his terrible plays, which led to Atletico’s first goal, bad plays that, in his final two years playing for Real, he made over and over again in every match.

Casillas went on to be the goalkeeper of the Spanish national team participating in the 2014 World Cup as the then standing champion, and partly due to his bad judgments, the Spaniards had to pack up early in the elimination rounds. People expected Casillas to leave, as he should, but he insisted on staying, forcing Real to sell Diego Lopez to AC Milan. Lopez - another player solely trained by Real, just like Casillas - bitterly said on his last Real day, “Everyone knows I am the best, right?”

Real then recruited Keylor Navas, La Liga’s best goalkeeper at the time, who had just had a successful World Cup tour with Costa Rica, but even Navas had to watch as Casillas played (and failed). The next few matches were disastrous for Real, and fans would have no more of Casillas. They claimed that its “obsolete” goalkeeper was the main reason for Real’s defeats, sparking the beginning of the end of the reign of Carlo Ancelotti. 

Casillas loved Real, and in his departure from Real to Porto, he, more than everyone else, suffered. If only Casillas knew when to stop, he would have remained a dominating champion. After Man United went on its historical hat-trick in 1999, Peter Schmeichel chose to leave the team. Xavi also chose to depart from Barca after its glorious domination the previous season. Philipp Lahm said goodbye to the international football field after his awesome performance in the 2014 World Cup grand finals. It seems that they did the right thing, and Casillas’s decision to stay in Real was what ruined his career and reputation.

By holding on to his goal, he failed to keep it, and had to look as it rusted and crumbled. He was once the “Iker God” but that didn’t help when his beloved team fell into a civil war because of him. He was no longer praised, and more often than not, he was to blame for his team’s failures. His long time teammate and friend, Alvaro Arbeloa, even said that Casillas was “like a turmoil that Real should get rid of.”

Sometimes the best thing to do is to stop and preserve your image. Casillas failed to do this, and he himself undid all of his achievements, gained over than twenty years. Having stayed with Madrid for so long, Casillas, more than anyone else, should have known Madrid’s policies when it came to dealing with bad players (and good players, for that matter). He played for a team that fired Fabio Capello after two La Liga championships, kicked Jupp Heynckes after its first Champions League victory in 32 years, and made Vicente del Bosque and Fernando Hierro go into exile after a very successful season. Real Madrid fans loved Fernando Redondo, Mesut Ozil and Angel di Maria, yet these players were sold without a second thought. Casillas had nobody to blame but himself; he should have known that he had pushed his luck too far.

At Real Madrid, what you have done in the past has nothing to do with your value in the present. This applies to everyone, be it Raul, Guti, Casillas, or any other future legend. This is the nature of professional football, and of Real, the team that builds its glory with the sharpest swords of the time and does not hold on to past victories.

Casillas’s parents strongly criticized the way his son was treated by the Real Madrid board of management, but in hindsight, maybe Casillas himself is to blame for his hopeless battle of past glory in a team that always pushes forward.

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The Miracle of Istanbul - The Best UEFA Champion League Final Ever

Liverpool gave us one of the most dramatic comebacks in the history of the Champion League Final. The final is now known as The Miracle of Istanbul.

The 2005 UEFA Champion League Final will go down as one of the greatest nights in European history. The match was between the Italian A.C. Milan and Liverpool from England. The game was played at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey on May 25, 2005. Up to that point, Liverpool had won the competition four times, while A.C. Milan had won it six times. On the road to the final, Liverpool defeated Bayern Leverkusen, Juventus, and Chelsea, while A.C. Milan defeated Manchester United, Inter Milan and PSV Eindhoven.

Coming into this game, A.C. Milan were the favorites, and their captain, Paolo Maldini, went on to score within one minute. Hernan Crespo then added two more goals, and the game went into halftime with Milan leading 3-0. At that moment, I could see no way back for Liverpool, and I was just waiting for the second half to start and finish quickly so that A.C. Milan could be crowned the worthy champions. However, Liverpool gave us one of the most dramatic comebacks in the history of the Champion League Final, proving that it’s not over until the fat lady sings.

In a memorable six-minute spell, Liverpool equalized, and the one man who inspired this comeback was their captain, Steven Gerrard. Xabi Alonso and Vladmir Smicer also added to the tally, and the game was then tied at 3-3. These six minutes shook the world of football and left the A.C. Milan players truly shocked. It seems that they switched off at halftime, thinking that they had already won the game. However, you can’t blame the players, because by halftime, they had completely outclassed their opponents and were looking like the team that was most likely to score the next goal.

After that amazing six-minute spell, the game now settled into an unfamiliar pattern. A.C. Milan were now hanging on, while Liverpool were trying to find a winner. Eventually the game went into overtime, and Milan started dominating the game once more, perhaps in a bid to score a goal and avoid going into penalties. Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Jerzy Dudek, made two fine saves, and after 120 minutes of drama, the referee eventually blew the whistle and penalties were now required to separate the two teams.

Liverpool gave us one of the most dramatic comebacks in the history of the Champion League Final.

Serginho and Pirlo missed their penalties, while Dieter Hamman and Djibril Cisse scored for Liverpool. Jon Dahl Tomasson then scored a penalty to give Milan some hope. When Riise missed his penalty, I feared that Liverpool were about to throw it away. Kaka then scored a penalty, and we were now tied 2-2. Smicer then scored a penalty to make it 3-2, and it was now Shevchenko’s turn to kick his penalty. Enter the hero of the moment, Jerzy Dudek, who went on to save the spot kick, sparking wild celebrations for Liverpool players and fans. Liverpool had done the impossible and come back from 3-0 down to win the game on penalties.

Milan players were so stunned by the outcome that they threw away their losers’ medals, much to the delight of memorabilia collectors in the stadium. Liverpool went up the podium to collect their winners’ medals and the European cup, also known as the Big Ears. This Champion League final is now known as The Miracle of Istanbul. 

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The FIFA’s Ballon d’Or: A Long Way to the Past

The first thing FIFA should do is to return the Ballon d’Or to its former glory, representing a value only available in the men whose hearts lie in their teams.

In the list of 59 candidates nominated for the 2015 FIFA Ballon d’Or by the Italian magazine, Gazzetta dello Sport, and the two Spanish magazines, Marca and Mundo Deportivo, the name David Ospina was mentioned, but not Gianluigi Buffon. Similarly, we could find in the list such names as Massimo Luongo and Shinju Okazaki, but neither David Silva nor Xabi Alonso, who are, if you didn’t know, much more famous and arguably the souls of their respective teams. This was strange, and raised a question: how does one win the Ballon d’Or?

We should go back to 1956, when the European Ballon d’Or was made an official prize. It’s “father” was the legendary journalist Gabriel Hanot, head editor of the France Football magazine, and the founder of the C1 Cup. In 1991, the FIFA’s “Best Player of the Year” title was awarded for the first time ever. Along with the European Ballon d’Or, it was the most prestigious personal achievement a footballer could dream of. Since 1991, there have been 12 players awarded the European Ballon d’Or and proclaimed FIFA’s “Best Player of the Year” in the same year, and there were five such occurrences in the from 2005 to 2009 (the players awarded in those years were: Ronaldinho - 2005, Fabio Cannavaro - 2006, Kaka - 2007, Cristiano Ronaldo - 2008 and Lionel Messi - 2009). This led to a mutual agreement between FIFA and the managers of the France Football to merge the European Ballon d’Or and FIFA’s title of “Best Player of the Year” into one prize, and they named it FIFA’s Ballon d’Or.

This merged prize has sparked countless debates since its inception. In the 2009-2010 season, Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan scored a historic hat-trick (winning the Scudetto, the Cup Italy, and the Champion’s League) under the leadership of Wesley Sneijder, who, in the following World Cup, scored five goals and led the Dutch national team into the 2010 World Cup Grand Finals. Sneijder, however, lost the FIFA Ballor d’Or to Lionel Messi, the player who failed spectacularly, never scoring a single goal, in the 2010 World Cup. Messi himself lost to Sneijder in several encounters before the World Cup. Messi’s fans could find no argument to defend Messi’s title, except for one thing: from October to December of 2009, three months before the title was announced, Messi scored many goals, while Sneijder’s Inter Milan failed to perform after the departure of Mourinho. That difference should not have had such impact. However, the FIFA Ballon d’Or is a title awarded for a player’s performance in a whole season, not just three months, and three championship victories and five goals in a World Cup are clearly more valuable than three months’ worth of good plays. In the end, Sneijder won more votes from journalists than Messi did, but Messi came back with votes from team captains and national team coaches. Sneijder could have won the European Ballor d’Or if the prize had not been merged, but he fell victim to an arguably biased voting system. He was not the final victim. Three years later, Franck Ribery lost the FIFA Ballon d’Or to Cristiano Ronaldo, despite having as many journalist votes as Ronaldo and Messi combined, simply because he was not voted for by team captains and coaches, who apparently favored the more popular names.

The merged prized created more than debates; it made it unfair for players like Ribery and Sneijder, who, if awarded the European Ballon d’Or they rightfully deserved, would have made themselves known in the history of football instead of paving the road to fame for Messi and Ronaldo. Ribery and Sneijder were direct victims of the “Messi and Ronaldo syndrome” and there have been more indirect victims of this “syndrome”: 2012’s Andrea Pirlo for example, who became the soul of Juventus and carried the Old Lady out of the Calciopoli slaughterhouse and into the Scudetto spotlight. With Pirlo’s help, Juventus became the first team to participate in a Euro Cup Grand Finals without any international-level star in its roster. Another example is Buffon, the captain who led Juventus to the Champion’s League Grand Finals, whose skills and influence were recognized by Barcelona’s then-Honorary Chairman Johan Cruyff, who famously said, “Buffon deserves Ballon D’Or more than Messi.” Buffon, in the end, didn’t even make it to the candidate list.

The Ballon d’Or used to “think” highly of the champions of the World Cup and the Euro Cup, but that was no more. In the years 2010 and 2012, the team contributions of Xavi, Iniesta and Iker Cassillas were overshadowed by the skillful plays of Messi. In 2014, Toni Kroos played a huge part in the victories of Germany in the World Cup; his contribution to the German team rivaled that of “The Last Libero” Matthias Sammer in 1996, when the Euro Cup was held high by the Germans and Sammer won the Ballon d’Or. Toni, however, didn’t even make it to the top three candidates of the list. Speaking of the top three, Manuel Neuer made it to the 3rd place, but that was it. Everyone knew he couldn’t win. Nowadays, even winning the world’s biggest championship means nothing in Zurich, because the FIFA Ballon d’Or has long since become the prize of a mass media war, whose spotlights can only shine on Ronaldo and Messi, and no one else.

The FIFA Ballon d’Or is, in my opinion, a battle between team-oriented players, whose efforts might not be obvious but are crucial to helping their teams win major championships, and self-oriented players, who have superb individual skills but don’t necessarily play on a successful team. Throughout the last five years, Messi and Ronaldo have been dominating the board with their solo plays. I find this unfair, as football is, after all, a team game, and Messi and Ronaldo alone don’t stand a chance against team-oriented players in an average match. The true reason behind their dominance, I think, is that they are the “darling” of the media; their beautiful solo plays give the media plenty of material to entertain readers with, and their “empire”, built by FIFA itself, turns them into invulnerable warriors on a battlefield that is no longer about football. All of the other players I mentioned above thus became the pawns, paving the way for Messi, Ronaldo, FIFA, and the media.

Messi and Ronaldo are champions of the football world in their own rights, and between them is arguably the biggest rivalry in the history of football. Step a few steps upwards and look at the bigger picture, however, and you will see that they are nothing compared to the glory of great teams and the bursting feelings every citizen of a country feels when their national team wins a World Cup or a Euro Cup. Football is the game where winning and losing is determined by the brilliance of the coaches, the silent contribution of tactician-captains, the astounding instinct of goalkeepers, and the countless tide-turning saves of backline defenders. The FIFA Ballon d’Or should represent all those beautiful moments, not just the here and there goals of Messi and Ronaldo.

The prestigious golden ball fell victim to FIFA and its devils, namely money, media spotlight, and personal gains, and became the playing field of the fat-bellied men behind the curtain. Even so, in the heart of true football lovers, there are always Ballon d’Ors dedicated to true legends such as Buffon, Pirlo, Casillas, Ribery and Neuer. We all want FIFA to change for the better, and the first thing FIFA should do, in my opinion, is to return the Ballon d’Or to its former glory, representing a value only available in the men whose hearts lie in their teams.

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A Breakthrough Decade for America Soccer

The art of football is an institution to so many countries around the world, with the real lovers being those who reside in England. The sport hasn’t fared so well over the years in the USA, where they much prefer American football, basketball and baseball, but many believe it has become more of a popular sport.

Ever since what they call “soccer” became a sport played regularly in the USA, many Americans have seen it as a lesser sport. It’s often joked that soccer is seen as boring when compared to the more American sports. That being said, the past decade has seen a huge boost in how people perceive the game. As of 2006, thirty percent of American households contain a soccer player, which means the sport only comes second to baseball. To many people, the idea that soccer is being played more than basketball or American football in the States is absolutely insane, but this just shows how much the perception of the sport has changed. Not only this, but soccer has become somewhat of a “cool” sport to those outside the bracket of sports fans. It will often be spurned by supposed hardcore sports fans, but welcomed openly by more casual followers.

The popularity of the sport in the USA has been growing for the past fifty years, with a lot of the momentum coming after they hosted the 1994 World Cup. While bringing the game into people’s houses, it also got people interested in the game through a nationwide togetherness. In a similar vein, there are many who do not follow football in England who will then tune in whenever the World Cup is on. Despite this increase in popularity, soccer continues to be completely different to how the sport originally was. While the rules of the game obviously stay the same, there isn’t a league that contains a system of promotion or relegation, and they have also incorporated things , such as play-offs, from their Americanised sports into soccer.

As the popularity of the sport began to take off, soccer did end up looking quite a lot like football after a while. Among the changes include the allowance of a tie instead of always having a penalty shootout, the introduction of stoppage time and the use of advertisements on the kit worn by the players. In England, football teams have their sponsors proudly emblazoned on their shirt, something that wasn’t brought into America until the last decade. Now, soccer clubs are welcomed to allow corporate sponsors to come forward for the chance to be placed on their kit. This has obviously contributed even further to the higher profile of soccer in the USA and allowed for more money to be pumped into the sport.

Along with the money from advertisements comes revenue. In 2009, the annual TV market in the USA for soccer competitions came in at $126 million. The annual revenue for the FIFA World Cup comes in at $134 million, with Fox Sports spending $475 million on a contract that allows them the ability to show the World Cup from this year until 2026. This increase in money has invariably brought players from all around the world that would’ve otherwise stayed away from soccer to play in the USA.

One of the more famous examples is David Beckham, who moved from Real Madrid to LA Galaxy in 2007. Not only do people come to the USA to play soccer, many of their own players are now moving out from the country to play football across the world, something that would not have been done much before the sport became more popular.

This move into the global sport arena has brought an increased viewership from the soccer fans. Ever since the 1994 World Cup, the amount of viewers has gone up every single time, until the most recent World Cup in Brazil, when a record 291.6 million people tuned in to watch soccer. For some reference, this is well over double the number of viewers for the SuperBowl that year. In fact, since 1994, the viewers of the soccer World Cup have gone up by just under 150 million, while the SuperBowl has only seen a 20 million rise in that same period.

It’s not surprising that soccer had its eventual rise in America. With the sport absolutely dominating globally, so many countries producing word class players, and the sport welcoming sponsorships and other commercial possibilities, it was only a matter of time before the USA embraced it. Here’s hoping that the beautiful game will continue to see a rise in not only the States, but in all countries.

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Andrea Pirlo - The Preacher of Football Strategies on American Soil

In 1971, “the King of football”, Pele, came to the US and stayed there for 6 years, becoming the pioneer for Football in a land under the gripping rule of Grid Iron, Basketball and Baseball. In 2007, David Beckham went to Los Angeles Galaxy, and with his fame, turned the MLS into a world renowned championship. 2015 saw the arrival of Andrea Pirlo to New York City.

Unforgettable career

Andrea Pirlo is not as big a name as Pele, and does not show up on the media as much as Beckham. What he brought to the MLS was new, and different: strategies. He took to the US a football strategy bearing his name. At the position above the defender line, a brain manipulating the whole field. A defensive midfielder…only not so defensive. A classical number 10, pulled low to avoid the might of the “Makeleles”. In Ancelotti’s words, Andrea Pirlo is “the smartest play I’ve ever coached. And you think you can give order to Pirlo when he’s on the field?”. 

Until now, the tifosis (followers) of AC Milan still bear a grudge against Allgeri for losing Pirlo to Juventus. The fans lost an icon, and Milan never again saw the light of a championship victory, since the day Pirlo left San Siro. 

But there is a deception the Milanistas have been imbuing themselves with: that Pirlo’s departure that day was unavoidable. Why? Because Massimiliano Allegri was a genius strategist, truly gifted, unlike Leonardo before him. While Leonardo only took after Ancelotti, Allegri could develop strategies and tactics according to his own philosophies in Milan. This caused  a divergency between him and Pirlo, Milan’s “strategy gateway” in the early 21st century. To change the strategies of the team was to remove Pirlo. To use him was to revolve the team’s strategies around his. Allegri knew that, and chose to let Pirlo go. However, had Allegri known that Milan’s board of management wouldn’t provide him with the materials needed to develop his philosophies, and if he knew that Antonio Conte from Juventus would be able to see the potential sleeping within of Pirlo, he certainly would not chosen this direction. The rest, as we know, is history.

In 2005, the football magazine World Soccer voted Pirlo as one of the 21 faces that changed the world of football. This distinguished Pirlo from the likes of Kaka, Steven Gerard, Frank Lampard or David Villa who came to the MLS earlier, since with Pirlo came a whole strategy system, which would show the Americans the power of football thinking and human revolution. Long ago, when the classical number tens were being destroyed in Europe, Pirlo with his deeply defensive positioning helped AC Milan and Italy win the world’s most prestige victories, including the Champion’s League championship and a final victory at the 2006 World Cup, all of which was achieved in the world football’s transitional period, before the formation of tiqui-taca in Spain, which would rule the scene in the following years.

A void will remain in Europe

With the departure of the grand icons of skills and awe, whose victories made up the world football scene in the last decade, the likes of Gerrard, Xavi, Pirlo. Gerrard and Xavi at least have both had successors, while Italy could find no worthy successor for Pirlo. Long ago, when Roberto Baggio left the scene, the boot-shaped country still found comfort in Paolo Maldini, Del Piero, Totti, Inzaghi. Pirlo filled the Italians’ hearts when Del Piero and Inzaghi left them behind. Now it’s Pirlo’s turn to leave, and what’s left is a void in the heart of the fans, whose love for football was devoted almost wholly to him.

In contrast to the scene in Europe, a complete fulfilment will be the case in the land of the free. After being made known by the renowned football-priests of the world, whose fame imbued the MLS with the experience and personal skills of top-tier players of the world, now the championship will see something new: strategies. 

The Americans had Jurgen Klinnsmann as a couch; now they have Pirlo. How will the football scene in Uncle Sam’s yard develop? That, nobody knows. We do know one thing, though, that is a country is like a man, it’s all about the skills. Talking about skills, well, it’s hard to find any country better than the US. It’s the same with football, nobody plays football with a way of thinking quite like Pirlo’s.  

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3 biggest benefits soccer brings to children

Plауing soccer can bе highlу bеnеfiсiаl tо реорlе of аll аgеѕ, especially for children. In this article, we will talk about 3 biggest benefits that soccer can brings to children.

1. Better health and physical ability

With сhildhооd obesity оn thе rise, tеаm sports ѕhоuld аlѕо be encouraged tо hеlр the child lеаrn thе imроrtаnсе оf ѕtауing healthy аnd fit.

Being overweight аѕ a сhild саn lеаd tо health рrоblеmѕ еаrlу on. Diabetes, lасk of еnеrgу, аnd hеаrt disease аrе not iѕѕuеѕ children should hаvе tо worry аbоut. Playing a tеаm sport will lower the amount of timе a сhild spends playing video gаmеѕ аnd watching television.

It will аlѕо encourage thеm to mаkе healthier сhоiсеѕ in rеgаrdѕ tо thеir ѕnасking hаbitѕ. Thеу will learn whаt fооdѕ givе them the energy аnd stamina thеу need tо ѕuссееd. Thе drivе tо ѕuссееd оftеn grows whеn the child iѕ invоlvеd in a group activity, bесаuѕе thеу аrе no lоngеr just wоrriеd about thеir оwn success, but thе ѕuссеѕѕ of the team аѕ a whоlе.

2. Developing social skills

Evеrуdау mоrе аnd mоrе сhildrеn аrе ѕtruggling with ѕосiаl ѕеttingѕ, mаking friends, аnd understanding ѕосiаl сuеѕ. Team ѕроrtѕ make for gооd therapy because children аrе provided for in a ѕuреrviѕеd manner аnd are offered сlеаrlу ѕtаtеd rulеѕ thаt must bе fоllоwеd.

If the sport iѕ in аn intеrеѕt area оf thе сhild, оftеn times they will nоt even nоtiсе thеу аrе being made tо fоllоw rulеѕ; thеу will ѕimрlу ѕее it аѕ a fun gаmе to bе рlауеd. Thiѕ ѕеtting аllоwѕ thеm tо рrасtiсе various ѕосiаl ѕkillѕ, еѕресiаllу wоrking аnd communicating with оthеr people. 

Communication аnd the аbilitу tо wоrk within a team are twо skills that аllоw сhildrеn tо bе successful, nоt only when mаking friеndѕ, but whеn lеаrning bаѕiс lifе ѕkillѕ. Childrеn who are ѕосiаl buttеrfliеѕ often go on tо bе successful in a соllеgе ѕеtting and еvеntuаllу a wоrk еnvirоnmеnt. 

Soccer can help children developing their important social skills such as communication and team work.

3. True fun

Childrеn tоdау hаvе also fоrgоttеn the ѕimрliсitу оf fun. It dоеѕ nоt tаkе a fiftу dollar video game tо рut a ѕmilе оn a сhild’ѕ fасе.

Tеаm ѕроrtѕ, like ѕоссеr, are a fun and exciting wау to ѕtау fit, lеаrn ѕосiаl ѕkillѕ, аnd еxеrсiѕе the mind. Lеаding bу еxаmрlе is the best wау tо еnсоurаgе this in children.

Pаrеntѕ nееd to mаkе a роint of рlауing ѕоmе physical gаmеѕ with thеir сhildrеn. Attеnding practices аnd gаmеѕ is аlѕо аn effective way tо ѕhоw еnсоurаgеmеnt and еnjоуmеnt. A раrеnt with a ѕmilе on thеir fасе and wоrdѕ оf еnсоurаgеmеnt rеаdily available iѕ a раrеnt who will be ѕuссеѕѕful hеlрing thеir сhild асhiеvе рhуѕiсаl and social wеll-bеing. 

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How has David Beckham contributed to American Soccer?

David Beckham аrrіvеd іn America a few years аgо on a mission tо trаnѕfоrm fооtbаll across the роnd. 

He lаіd оut a mission ѕtаtеmеnt іn his first рublіс uttеrаnсе, saying,  “I’m not ѕауіng mе coming оvеr to thе Stаtеѕ іѕ gоіng tо mаkе ѕоссеr the biggest ѕроrt іn America, but I wouldn’t bе doing thіѕ if I didn’t thіnk I could mаkе a difference.” 

He was ѕіgnеd bу L.A. Gаlаxу іn a whopping £130 mіllіоn mеgа-dеаl аnd tasked wіth rеvоlutіоnіzіng thе "MLS" Major Lеаguе Sоссеr. Bесkhаm went on to hеlр hіѕ team wіn thе сhаmріоnѕhір twісе. But dіd hе ѕuссееd in рrоmоtіng thе bеаutіful gаmе tо a nаtіоn thаt рlауѕ fооtbаll wіth аn оvаl bаll? 

David Beckham dеfіnіtеlу hеlреd mаkе Mаjоr Lеаguе Soccer better. Anуоnе whо dеnіеѕ that іѕ a fооl. 

There is the dіrесt impact whеn уоu tаlk about L.A. Gаlаxу’ѕ increased value, ѕроnѕоrѕhір, TV rеvеnuе, ѕhіrt аnd tісkеt sales and, of соurѕе, trорhіеѕ, but thеrе іѕ аlѕо the іndіrесt іmрасt, ѕuсh аѕ nеw frаnсhіѕеѕ, ѕtаdіumѕ, іnсrеаѕеd salaries and top рlауеrѕ соmіng frоm оvеrѕеаѕ to рlау іn thе MLS. Whаt he hаѕ done is made thе Gаlаxу and MLS rеlеvаnt іntеrnаtіоnаllу. He hаѕ shown a ѕроtlіght on the league and it wаѕ only one hе соuld dеlіvеr. It sent a mеѕѕаgе аrоund thе wоrld thаt the lеаguе hаd thе ability and wіllіngnеѕѕ tо рау hugе аmоuntѕ оf money tо get tор ԛuаlіtу players. When Beckham was ѕіgnеd, it turnеd оut tо be a ѕuссеѕѕ, but not without сhаllеngеѕ. His celebrity was nоt a Hollywood сrеаtіоn; hе already had іt whеn he аrrіvеd thеrе іn 2007 tо play for thе Galaxy. 

A celebrity was what Mаjоr Lеаguе Soccer nееdеd. MLS was dоіng juѕt fine before Bесkhаm аrrіvеd, but it was bеttеr оff by thе tіmе he dераrtеd lаѕt winter. His сhаrm and dash brоught both mаіnѕtrеаm media attention tо the lеаguе аnd lаrgе сrоwdѕ everywhere the Galaxy vіѕіtеd. He hаѕ changed thе perception оf thе game іn the U.S. аnd changed thе way people аrоund thе wоrld lооk аt thе league. Mаnу kіdѕ іn the Stаtеѕ give uр ѕоссеr іn their teens in favor of other ѕроrtѕ. Thеу mіght рlау оn because of Beckham, but раrt of hіѕ legacy wіll be thаt whеn he was оn thе field, he delivered. He wаѕ as gооd аѕ аnу signing thе Gаlаxу have еvеr mаdе. 

I wаѕ vеrу proud fоr thе Galaxy and thе lеаguе to hаvе thаt mоmеnt whеn thеу lіftеd thе MLS Cuр іn his fіnаl gаmе lаѕt tіmе. Thrоughоut hіѕ fіvе-уеаr tеnurе іn America, Bесkhаm соntіnuеd tо аѕѕіѕt ѕuсh drаѕtіс rіѕеѕ іn аttеndаnсе, іnсludіng thе 2012 ѕеаѕоn. Hіѕ lаѕt уеаr іn MLS, whеrе thе league recorded 18,807 ѕресtаtоrѕ per game, increased by 3,300 people ѕіnсе Beckham ѕіgnеd wіth thе Gаlаxу. 

Ovеrаll, amongst thе 19 tеаmѕ, Bесkhаm hаѕ assisted a 300 реrсеnt rіѕе іn attendance since hіѕ аrrіvаl іn 2007. In addition, since Bесkhаm аrrіvеd іn Amеrіса, thе league wеnt from 12 teams іn 2007 to 19 tеаmѕ іn 2013, with thе addition оf a 20th tеаm in Nеw Yоrk City in thе wоrkѕ fоr a 2015 inaugural ѕеаѕоn. Thе соrrеlаtіоn between Beckham’s аrrіvаl and the grоwth of рrоfеѕѕіоnаl ѕоссеr tеаmѕ in America іѕ not соіnсіdеntаl; rаthеr, it is a dіrесt еffесt оf thе еxроѕurе Bесkhаm has gіvеn to cities асrоѕѕ the соuntrу. 

David Beckham dеfіnіtеlу hеlреd mаkе Mаjоr Lеаguе Soccer better.

Bесkhаm’ѕ influence оn the lеаguе’ѕ popularity lеd to grеаt financial prosperity fоr Amеrісаn ѕоссеr. Major Lеаguе Soccer’s еѕtіmаtеd $350 million loss іn bеtwееn 1993 tо 2004 hаѕ since been  оvеrѕhаdоwеd bу thе gаіnѕ rесеіvеd frоm wіllіng sponsors whо, thanks tо Bесkhаm’ѕ рrеѕеnсе, vіеw the lеаguе as profitable. Sponsors have ѕuрроrtеd the trаnѕіtіоn frоm American fооtbаll stadiums to ѕоссеr ѕресіfіс ѕtаdіumѕ bearing their company nаmе, іnсludіng the Los Angeles Gаlаxу’ѕ Hоmе Dероt Center, FC Dаllаѕ’ Pizza Hut Pаrk and Cоlоrаdо Rаріdѕ Dісk’ѕ Sроrtіng Good Stadium.

Thаt popularity extends bеуоnd thе pitch аnd into the realm оf рор сulturе. Rubbing еlbоwѕ with сеlеbrіtіеѕ lіkе Tоm Cruise, Bесkhаm hаѕ raised soccer's mеdіа profile іn Amеrіса. Tо bоrrоw a line frоm USA tоdау, "Hе came, he ѕоld аnd hе conquered."

Muсh of thаt соnԛuеrіng happened оn the ріtсh, аnd most of thаt came wіth bасk-tо-bасk league tіtlеѕ іn 2011 аnd 2012. But as аlwауѕ іѕ the case wіth Bесkhаm, the full ѕtоrу іnvоlvеd hіѕ іntеrnаtіоnаl сеlеbrіtу and hіѕ unmаtсhеd аbіlіtу tо аttrасt attention іn multiple wауѕ.

Beckham dіd nоt have to соmе to America аnd lеаvе top European сlubѕ in thе duѕt. Ultimately, hе was раѕѕіоnаtе аbоut hеlріng thе American gаmе grоw tо new heights аnd, lооkіng back оn hіѕ іmрасt, Bесkhаm dіd a phenomenal job of ѕhаріng soccer’s сultіvаtіng ѕuссеѕѕ in Amеrіса.

Suсh a соmbіnаtіоn is unique tо the modern era оf soccer, and thаt іѕ an аррrорrіаtе соdа tо Bесkhаm'ѕ influence оn thе sport іn America. Bесkhаm hаѕ nоt turnеd thе wоrld'ѕ ѕроrt іntо America's nеw раѕtіmе, but he has hеlреd іt rеасh nеw hеіghtѕ by playing a rоlе hе wаѕ unіԛuеlу ԛuаlіfіеd for.

Thоugh Bесkhаm'ѕ time іn thе U.S. began unрrоmіѕіnglу аѕ hе wаѕ ѕіdеlіnеd bу injury and thеn ѕkірреd ѕеvеrаl Galaxy gаmеѕ tо рlау on lоаn with AC Mіlаn іn Itаlу, hіѕ еvеntuаl іnfluеnсе on thе ѕроrt еxtеndеd well bеуоnd his performances оn the fіеld.

Thе fоrmеr Mаnсhеѕtеr United рlауеr, whо bесаmе ѕоссеr'ѕ first household nаmе in the Unіtеd States ѕіnсе Pеlе, wаѕ іnѕtrumеntаl in hеlріng рорulаrіzе thе game іn a соuntrу where іt traditionally struggled fоr mаіnѕtrеаm аttеntіоn.

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Soccer - Putting gender inequality in an offside position

Soccer can be seen as the most skilled ambassador of equality, and its service can be used to address the topic of gender equality, by passing traditional, rigid ways.

It is true that gender equality has travelled a long distance from where it was at the beginning of the century, but this has happened mostly in well-developed, democratic countries. There are still important religious, cultural, and economical obstacles in front of world-wide implementation of gender equality. To put it in other words, societies need a certain level of prosperity in order to address topics that question the morality of their status-quo, and reforms usually come at a slow pace, and require a lot of patience. Fortunately, soccer has gone beyond any barriers and borders, uniting people faster than anything else, and becoming one of the first world-wide phenomena. Therefore, soccer can be seen as the most skilled ambassador of equality, and its service can be used to address the topic of gender equality, by passing traditional, rigid ways.

Numbers are very clear when indicating that the best national women’s soccer teams come from countries with a high index of gender equality, as well as high economical performance. The correlation is clearly unidirectional, as a progressive and matured society is able to harbor performance in leisure activities, but why not look beyond the obvious? Every type of sport, soccer in particular, is a major source of confidence building for both the individual and the team he/she is part of. It’s not farfetched to imagine a surprise winner at the next FIFA Women's World Cup triggering a real revolution geared toward building gender equality in that particular country. Enthusiasm toward an idea or concept can be fuel waiting for the spark to come.

It is not uncommon to see countries experiencing political tension play a soccer match. All differences beside the color of the shirts are put aside, and the established common denominator (the rules of the game) allows for everyone to enjoy the experience. With every match starting from equal positions (0-0), there are many saying that have entered the repertory of sport commentators around the world like “The ball is round,” or, “They also have two legs,” are just a few confidence boosting mantras used to appeal the gods of soccer. Of course, some might argue that football is far from promoting equality, as the sport itself is always searching for a winner, for the best team. However, soccer is a sport that has a very particular nature. Odds sometimes play a very important part in establishing the winner of a single soccer match, and even the winner of a competition. Last minute upsets, as well as underdogs reaching far away from their common grounds, make soccer an environment where surprise and drama feel at home. This ingredient x can be seen as the biggest promoter of equality, leveling differences, reminding everyone that we are all born equal, and that it is all about the layers life adds up according to the context.

Assembling all arguments, soccer can be used as an organic way to penetrate regions of the world where women are still secondary citizens. Stripped away from political and religious ideology, the kind of gender equality promoted by soccer can be seen as less menacing by conservative and nondemocratic societies. With women gradually stepping up to share the same benefits and responsibilities as men do, opposing to this reality has no real chance of sustaining itself in the future to come. The power of example is sometimes enough to show that women deserve to be equal to men on all terms. Hard work, creating a purpose and focusing on achieving it, as well as working as a team, are all attributes belonging to both the football field and life itself. If women prove themselves capable of following rules and pursuing success in a game traditionally belonging to men, why deny them equal opportunities in real life? Authorities/countries denying gender equality are in an offside position that only they are unable to see. When everybody makes that extra step forward, you should do the same in order to stay in the game.

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Sergio Ramos - The best soccer defender in recent time

There is a man who lights up the football spectacle, the amazing Sergio Ramos, the best soccer defender in the game right now. 

Football is one of the most globally revered sports and it’s time we discussed one of the key elements in this game, the team defenders. There is a man who lights up the football spectacle, the amazing Sergio Ramos, the best soccer defender in the game right now. Sergio Ramos Garcia is a Spanish footballer who plays for the Real Madrid club in squad number 4 and Spain is his National team. This football star was born on 30th March, 1986. He made his first appearance in football at the age of 18 and has never looked back. He became the youngest player to ever reach 100 caps, which is a soccer term referring to the number of international matches one has engaged in and played for his country.

The soccer player has been in a relationship with journalist and presenter Pilar Rubio since September 2012 and both have confirmed the story on numerous occasions. The pair has been blessed with a son, Sergio Ramos Rubio, who was born on 6th May, 2014. The pair has, however, not been officially wedded. The football star is also a fan of bull fights, which is a common sport in his hometown of Camas, Spain.

Sergio Ramos’ international career sailed to great heights and brought him into the limelight in 2004 when he played in Spain's under-21 and participated in about six international matches. His good crossing abilities give him great advantage in his soccer matches. He has good control of the game and a great personality.

He has been in Real Madrid since his move from Sevilla in 2005 and remained there since; this shows his loyalty and commitment to his team, which is not usual for the players. Sergio Ramos has a fast pace that every football player would kill to have, and due to his loyalty and impressive performance, he has become a pillar of strength for both his club and his country. It is therefore no wonder that this highly versatile player is the team captain for Real Madrid.

He hardly makes any costly errors, which makes him a valuable asset for his team. He displays an admirable goal scoring instinct and picks a win for his team almost every time. This talented guy is a jack of all trades in that he can fill in almost any position for his team, having played as a center back, right back and a defending midfielder earlier on in his career. It is a great profile for any sports man.

Sergio Ramos is an admirable defender in that he never moves out of his position, a mindset every player should keep to avoid disastrous outcomes. He is good at headers and this guy goes all out to secure a win for his team. He is not scared to put himself in front of the ball during defense. Some may say he is aggressive, but he does everything in his might to protect his team’s net. I do not think that is not aggressive; it is exceptional and commendable. You better watch out when you’re trying to break Sergio's defense!

He is a utility player in that he has been able to score over 50 goals alone as a defender compared to others. He has shown immense tactical skills and charisma in all his matches at the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Championship matches, and has won various awards and accolades for himself, including Castrol Index Winner 2012 FIFA World Cup and Castrol Edge Index Winner in UEFA EURO 2012. He has also been voted as player of the tournament. All of the above attributes make Sergio Ramos the best soccer defender. I sure hope Rafael Benitez, the club’s coach, treasures his assets.This guy is one to keep!

Sergio Ramos’ solid contribution to the game has made him a favorite among soccer fans all over the world. Keeping in mind that he is one of the youngest players in the game right now, Sergio Ramos is sure to make many more headlines and celebrate many more successes. This is but the beginning. I reserve one word only for this guy, SUPER PLAYER! Now let’s go cheer him on his team's next game and many more others to come. After all, when he is present, a win is most likely inevitable!

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