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.

Florida Is Not Cold

You think Florida is cold? I, like most of the readers also shiver when I'm laying down in Miami Beach and the temperature drops a tad bit under 70 degrees. In regards to the temperature, many Floridians are high maintenance. However, it is foolish to think like this when countries like Scotland are well below zero degrees Celsius. Many countries throughout Europe have taken custom to playing the football leagues during summer, due to the difficulties of snow. For example, The Bundesliga from Germany often requires the pitch to be outlined with bright colors, usually orange, as well as the ball in play. Since Scotland keeps refusing to play during summer, a great deal of their season might be postponed. There is so much snow that, even after shoveling it all out, it is impossible to play on it. So, is Florida really that cold?