The Real Captain Fantastic
Each of us has our own ideas as to what a good captain is and how he should behave. The ideal captain for me is someone who can inspire his entire team. He puts everything out on the field and works for the greater goal rather than any individual accolades. He sticks up for any one of his teammates when necessary. He is a vocal leader but can also lead by example on the pitch. Not only that but he is a great player, plays consistently at a high level and can even win big games. Read more
Stop making excuses
Happy 50th Birthday Maradona!
Diego Maradona is arguably the best player to ever play the game of soccer. As the soccer legend turns a fantastic 50, we look back and celebrate half a century of controversy, magic and brilliance.
Click here to read 50 facts about the Argentine legend.
The Ronaldinho Flip Flap
Watching this move at full speed the way Ronaldinho does it is unbelievable. Ronaldinho is by far the best player in the world to do the flip flap. However, many players make the mistake of seeing it and thinking they can’t do it. Few players train to perfect this move and never add it to their bag of tricks. This move, like many of Ronaldinho’s other moves, originate from futsal. Therefore, futsal is a great place to practice this move. However, the move is surprisingly more deceiving than it is difficult. Below I have shared a few tips to get help you started so that soon you can do the flip flap. Read more
Extending Wesley Sneijder’s contract a no-brainer
Speculation as to the future of Wesley Sneijder has finally come to an end. Sneijder has decided to extend his contract with Inter Milan from 2013 to now 2015. The 26 year-old came off a stellar year with Inter after having won the treble and guiding Holland to the world cup finals. It was no wonder Sir Alex Ferguson was after his signature. Read more
Incredible Under 11 Fan Support
It’s obvious that the soccer fan from professional team are passionate but check out the fans in the video below in the under 11 the Lech Cup. The video starts out with simple chanting but quickly escalates into something much more. Remember, we are talking about under 11 boys. This is not the senior teams of Manchester United versus Liverpool or Inter versus AC Milan. Read more
The Perfect Goal
The Brazilian national soccer team that won the 1970 World Cup in Mexico was a team that we can always learn from. They played some of the best possession and attacking football seen to this day.
Watch the build up and finally triumphant goal that Carlos Alberto scored off the Pele assist in the 1970 world cup versus Italy. The Brazilian players were calm and collective with the ball in their defense third all the way into the offensive third before the goal was scored. What an incredible play to witness. I can only imagine what it must have felt like to be in the stadium and witness this moment of history with my own eyes. Read more
Responsibilities of a wall in soccer
There are two main reasons why a wall is created in soccer:
- Create an obstacle for your opponent who is trying to shoot/cross
- Aid your goalie who has a large net to cover
Learn the outside curve shot
Due in large to the way we kick naturally, learning to curve the ball with the inside of our foot is an almost automatic process. It takes some practice but we can easily establish a good curve. Read here and here to learn the Beckham inside foot curve. But what about the outside foot curve? Read more
Resting injuries versus doing physio
A friend recently told me that he wouldn’t be able to train because his ankle was still hurting him. This is the same ankle injury he’s had almost all season. He told me he rested the ankle earlier in the season and then it felt better. Once he started training again he hurt it all over again. Now he’s been resting it for almost a month (the second time around). He hasn’t trained at all but says he still feels pain in his ankle. Read more
The Backheel Goal – one of the greatest goals you’ll ever see
When was the last time you tried scoring by using your backheel? Have you ever given it a try? Sometimes all it takes to score is to re-direct the ball on net. It doesn’t have to be something fancy but rather something unexpected that catches the defense and goalie by surprise. This is often how the backheel goal is scored.
Gareth Bale is good enough for Brazil
This past week in Champions League action Welsh left winger and Tottenham Hotspur player Gareth Bale made a big statement for himself. He scored a hat-trick in a 4-3 loss to defending European champions Inter Milan. Not only did he score all three goals for Tottenham but the way he ran with the ball from center field all the way into the 18 yard box before emphatically scoring made him a household name in the soccer world. One could even argue an overnight success. Read more