One World Futbol

As I was looking for soccer news in order to do my last blogger update, I found an organization called One World Futbol, which really caught my attention. Basically, it is a program for kids all accross Africa. How it works, you buy a soccer ball, they give one to an organization around there. Why do they need soccer balls? Well, what do some of these kids do all day? They have nothing, don't enjoy anything, and find it almost impossible to have fun. When compared to the plastic bag balls some of these kids make, these cheap, yet useful balls can mean the world to these kids. Enough to keep them busy and enough to make them happy. In many of the world's poorest places, soccer is almost a religion. With no education, it's the only way these kids can possibly get somewhere in life. It is one of their few ways that they can climb out of the hole of poverty and step into a more advanced world. So, when I think about someone giving a ball to one of these kids, I think of it as much more than a ball. For a video this organization has made, follow this link. This other link is a video of Zambian kids playing with what little they have.

The Golden Messi

Sporting his gold Adidas "Adizeros", it seems appropriate that he should use this color. A few days ago, Messi was elected the player of the year for 2010 by FIFA. Again. Just last year, he had won it as well. Being the best player of the year when you are 22, and later again when you are 23 must mean something. His youth does not make him an inexperienced player, having been in a couple youth World Cups, two official World Cups, Olympics and other international tournaments as well as the biggest club tournaments in the world. Messi is everything in the soccer world. He is so good that he was chosen over Iniesta, one of the other two candidates for the prize. The reason I say this is because Iniesta is an amazing player, never letting people down. He scored in the last minute 2 years ago versus Chelsea in the playoffs of the Champions League. Even better, he scored this year in the FINAL OF THE WORLD CUP versus Holland, literally, in the last moments of the game. He won the World Cup for Spain. All three candidates were from the same team, Barcelona. This shows the level of that team, but also the skill Messi possesses.

Soccer Culture!

It is always a beautiful thing to experience other people's cultures. It seems like soccer is part of the culture of any country, either a big part or a small part. Different countries play differently. Brazilians are often depicted as happy, fun people, and they play that way. The term "Joga Bonito" is portuguese for "Play Beautiful." This is how many of them play. From Ronaldinho's turns and jukes to Robinho's quick, repetitive sicssors, many of them literally do play beautiful. On the other hand, the England and German teams sports a much more organized and structured style. For example, when Argentina faced off versus Germany in the quarter finals of the World Cup, the German coach revealed that he had studied every Argentinian player. Every habit they have, every move they made- he knew it. The Argentinian team was just focusing on doing their thing, using their talent, and winning. Germany won 4 - 0, a score for the record books. Here are videos of different players from Germany and Brazil, two teams that play very different. Can you see the difference in their play?

Brazil Team Nike Ad
Germany Simple Goals

Overpaid Athletes

Like in every professional sport, there are some players that earn more than one could ever imagine. One star often makes more than a neighboring team's whole salary! Is it necessary to get paid 20, 30, even 50 million dollars? It sounds crazy, and I think it is. Take into consideration some of the world's most famous players. Cristiano Ronaldo. Lionel Messi. Carlos Tevez. Frank Ribery. It seems these players have enough money to run a small country. These player's salary topple over millions of millions, reaching 40 million dollars. However, I am not against it. People underestimate the time they put into this. Watching what they eat. Training multiple times per day. Taking care of themselves. Meanwhile, paparazzi swarm around them even as they go to buy groceries. All the pressure of making a single mistake and getting criticized by the world is always with them. A colombian player, Andres Escobar, scored an own goal in the 1994 World Cup. He was later shot in his arrival home. Thousands, no millions of people watch their every move. Not all players are paid well, however. Many professional teams in Africa and Eastern Europe have players that work part time in other jobs. Soccer is actually one of the least paid sports. It is the most popular sport in the world, and only a select few get paid like this. If it was easy, wouldn't you do it too?

Bad Luck or Bad Teams?

The world of sports is often filled with superstition. Many ask the question: Is a loss due to the team or due to bad luck? Well, in my opinion bad luck can occur, as I noticed in the World Cup 2010 hosted in South Africa. Talking about the host team, they first game of the cup was against Mexico, a global permanent competitor. Everybody expected Mexico to win, but South Africa played with heart. Towards the end of the game, it was tied 1-1, and South Africa hit the post. Mpela did not win the game for South Africa, which would have made their progression from the group stage much, much easier. It would have been a first. Next, one can examine the goal that Germany scored vs England in the round of 16. Frank Lampard would have tied the game 2-2 for his country, after the ball clearly bounced in and out of the net. The ref did not count it. So much protest went on that now, for important tournaments, the rulebook was modified to have two extra referees on the goal lines to ensure the goal calls are done right. Last, the worst luck of the cup. Ghana faced Uruguay in the Quarter Finals, and a last minute chance for Ghana was saved illegally by Suazo, and Uruguayan player. It was incredible how he purposely stuck his hand out, ignoring the rules, as a last resort to win the game. The game was literally in the last seconds. The penalty, an easy chance, was missed. Eventually, the tied game resulted in overtime, then a penalty shootout. Uruguay won. This, to me, is just bad luck for Ghana. Who would have thought this would happen?
Videos:
Germany vs England
Ghana vs Uruguay
South Africa vs Mexico

Different Playing Styles

Everybody has a different personality. What they do often portrays their attitutes. Similarly, one with a keen eye can tell a lot about a soccer player depending on how they play. A shy person might be the simpler player, afraid to do something too crazy and lose posession of the ball. An extravagant, supercilious person might be the one doing the crazy tricks, posing for the camera, and trying to look as good as possible himself. This can be good or bad. Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the best players in the world, is undoubtedly cocky. This makes him have a lot of "haters", but there's an equal amount of fans who are delighted with him. When a bad player has this attitude it can be very disasterous, as they can often juke THEMSELVES out. They would quickly fumble over the ball, yet keep repeating the fancy tricks and "skills". Another person who shows his attitude on the field is Messi. Best player in the world. Best everything, actually, when it comes to soccer. He can shoot. He can dribble. He can head. He can run. He has stamina. However, his humble self is demonstrated as he can score, dribbling multiple defenders, placing the ball in the "upper 90" (top corner) of the goal, and do a simple gesture as his celebration. He does not run to the crowd, but rather just seems to say, "Yay! I scored."

Getting Recruited

A professional soccer player, like any other athletes, has to play well and showcase his or her abilities in order to be recognized by bigger teams. If one has a good season, many clubs will offer a position for the player and a certain amount of money to play there. I, along with a lot of my fellow teammates, feel like this when we try to get recruited for colleges. It is similar in the sense that colleges that witness you play well send you emails, get in contact with you, and ask for more information. Afterwards, they usually ask where and when you will be playing, to see the date that they can observe your play. Later comes the fun part. Universities will each offer a different amount of scholarship, similar to a professional with a paycheck. Looking at your options, you have the chance to deny or accept an offer. Though it is fun, it is often stressful, so I will share a few hints that I learned from one of the parents that work in the business. First, it is imperative that you get your name known. Send out many emails to different schools, a broad range, and introduce yourself. If you hook them, they might go out and watch you in the next big tournament. It is also important that one sends this email out with time, as to give them a possibility of making the game. Later, your skills take over control. Depending on how you do, you might get offers from different schools. If so, it is your choice and it's all in your hands.