by Elizabeth 

Are you tired of coaching with the same drills year after year? Well, read on and get ready to shock your players with a new and improved practice and coach. I love coaching, but I get tired of doing the same tired drills year after year. I am constantly searching for new ways to spice up practice to keep my team motivated and ready to win! I have found that many searches bring me to books or DVDs that take time that I don’t have to study the game. Time is one thing most coaches don’t have. I was doing a sitesearch for soccer drills and I came across a website that is like none I have seen before. It offers over 250 award-winning, animated, and easy-to-understand soccer drills. All of the above is offered for a very low price and can be sent to you digitally withing minutes of your purchase! And best of all there is a 90 DAY, MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!!! What are you waiting for? Click the link below to access a side of soccer (and you) that you never knew existed.  https://paydotcom.com/r/12764/elizabeth12/4090374/

  About the Author

I work part-time from home and I am a teacher and a coach full-time. Coaching is my passion, but I often don’t have the time or money to attend coaching seminars or watch lengthy videos or read lengthy books about coaching. If this sounds like you then I have found the perfect product.

Posted by Soccer Advisor as Soccer at 11:01 PM CDT

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by Mark Burns 

At present, there is not much to look at, just numerous signs from the developers showing iconic sporting images alongside the early signs of the construction process. It’s hard to believe that in only a few years time, this dusty part of Dubai on the Emirates Road will become home to one of the worlds premier sporting destinations, Dubai Sports City.So what is Dubai Sports City? Described as a true city of firsts, Dubai Sports City will become the worlds first ‘Sports City,’ a destination totally devoted to sport and all it entails. Over 50 million square feet of state of the art stadia and venues alongside academies from some of sports leading names such as Manchester United Soccer Schools, ICC Global Cricket Academy, David Lloyd Tennis and the Butch Harmon School of Golf. Dedicated to showcasing the very finest that sport has to offer today, and developing the sporting hero’s of tomorrow.

In addition to the world class sporting facilities, Dubai Sports City will also include a wide range of residential and commercial developments expected in a world class city. Luxurious properties and world class international schools sit alongside the hotels and first class medical facilities. A true community lifestyle, in close proximity to one of the worlds leading sporting destinations.

There are a wide range of properties available in Dubai Sports City, ranging from luxury villas through to state of the art apartments ensure that the city has something to offer every taste and budget. Property developments such as the Cube and the Canal Residences have already been heavily invested in by both investors and residents alike, all keen to be a part of this truly iconic project in Dubai.

So is there a demand for Dubai Sports City, and what does the future hold for a project such as this? In order to answer this, it is necessary to evaluate the potential of this project in a number of differing contexts.

Firstly, it’s location in Dubailand, in the heart of modern day Dubai, and one of the world’s fastest growing economies. Today, modern day Dubai is a modern, liberal, thriving economy, attracting large levels of investment from overseas as well as increasing numbers of residents from all over the world. Attracted by factors including the tax free status and increasing property values, Dubai is benefiting from one of the worlds fastest growing GDP’s. This consistent growth in both the population and the economy has seen a sustained level of demand for property in Dubai, which seems set to continue for the near future. This demand has seen unparalleled levels of interest in property in Dubai Sports City and key developments in Dubai.

The second factor to consideration when looking at the demand and future for Dubai Sports City, is the growth, and increasing affluence of visitors to Dubai. Recent figures released by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai have shown hotel occupancy rates reaching levels in excess of 85%, with the highest fill rates (over 90%) being found in the 5 star hotel category. To summarise, the increasing numbers of visitors to Dubai (estimated to be approximately 15 million by 2010), are increasingly wealthy with higher levels of disposable income. Iconic and unique projects such as Dubai Sports City will undoubtedly prove highly attractive to visitors to Dubai, as they seek activities outside of the traditional venues of the beach and shopping malls.

The third, and arguably most important factor for consideration is the changing face of sport itself, in particular the increasing globalisation of major sports such as golf, tennis and football. Today, the modern day sports fan has access to an increasing array of sports. The advent of satellite television in particular has ensured that a Premier League football match in London may be watched by an audience of billions around the world. Today, Premier League games are regularly broadcast to over 600 million homes in 202 countries throughout the world. This level of access to a wide variety of sports has never been seen before, and is giving birth to a new, wider generation of global sports fan.

These global fans, who are spending increasing amounts of money to access sporting events around the world are likely to see Dubai Sports City as a leading global sports venue, offering them access to their sporting hero’s who are usually based thousands of miles away. Already leading sports teams have chosen Dubai Sports City as a future venue for training camps and touring or pre-season matches. Should Dubai successfully bid for the Olympic Games (it is rumoured that they are considering a bid), then the global focus on Dubai Sports City will intensify even further.

Given the above factors, it seems that the future is indeed bright for Dubai Sports City, and as the development slowly starts to take shape, it will become an increasingly important part of the global sports landscape.

About the Author

Mark Burns works for Property-dubai.tv, a Dubai based real estate specialist selling property in Dubai including various developments within Dubai Sports City.

Posted by Soccer Advisor as Soccer at 10:14 AM CDT

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A form of football, or soccer as it is sometimes called, can be traced back to China and Japan in 1004 BC, where a ball was kicked around a defined field of play. There is evidence of a match between China and Japan, in Kyoto, the then capital of Japan, in 611 AD.

There is also evidence of a form of football being played by the Ancient Greeks, Italians, Native American Indians, Persians, Central Americans, Scottish Clans, Vikings and Assyrians. The early Roman Olympic Games had an event that resembles modern day Football. The game was so taxing that two thirds of the players required hospitalization by the end of the contest.

However, the origin of football, or soccer, as we know it today can be clearly traced to England. The best evidence of the game’s history in England are the laws enacted in the early 1300’s by the reigning monarch to outlaw the game. A prison term was the punishment for playing. A succession of reigning monarchs also enacted laws to stop the practice of what was seen to be a very unseemly pastime. Queen Elizabeth 1st not only ordered a week in prison for players, but prison was to be followed by penance in the church.

Official sanction was finally given to the game in England in 1681. It was not until 1815 that rules were finally applied by a group of five English schools. As the sport spread, rules varied from school to school, region to region, country to country. The first united set of rules was drawn up by the world’s first football federation in England in 1886.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) was founded in England in 1888. FIFA, (The Federation Internationale de Football) is the governing body of international football and was founded in Paris in 1904. The rules of the English football association were adopted as standard for the international soccer community.

The game of football as we know it today was established in, and exported from England. For example, football was introduced to Brazil, by an Englishman, in 1885. English teachers and their students held matches in Tokyo, Japan, in 1871. British soldiers, sailors and settlers took the game with them to the four corners of the world

The first football club to be established outside England was in Boston in 1862. The first international game of football was held in 1872 with a match between Scotland and England. The first international match held outside Great Britain was between the USA and Canada in 1885.

According to a 2001 FIFA survey, football is now played by more than 240 million people in more than 200 countries worldwide. Billions watch both local and international matches live and on television. The estimated television audience for the 2006 World Cup, held in Germany and won by Italy, is up to 60 million viewers for some matches.

Records of the movement and development of individual sports were not a focus for historians in days gone by, so there is no definitive proof of the ancient origin of our current sport of football. It is just possible that the English simply recognized what many other cultures had experienced; it is fun to kick a football around a paddock!

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 2:58 PM CST

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Although not as popular in the United States and some other countries as many other sports, soccer (or football as it’s otherwise known) is by far the most popular sport in the world. Its popularity in areas such as Spain, Portugal, Britain, Central America and Asia for instance can be likened more to a religion than a sport.

Soccer consists of eleven players a side, one of which is in goal and ten players on the field for each team. The general aim of a soccer game is to score points by kicking the ball into the opposing teams’ goal and the team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Each team positions players in either of three general groups which make up attacking players, defensive players and midfield players. Although the role of any player in a group can vary depending on what is happening in the game, they generally have the following responsibilities:

Attacking players - Otherwise known as strikers, these players are in the frontline and are responsible for trying to score goals by kicking the ball into the opponents net.

Defending players - Otherwise known as the backline, these players are responsible for defending their goal from the opposition players and stopping them from kicking the ball into the net.

Midfield players - These players have the most energy draining job on the whole field and must be very fit. A midfielder essentially has two jobs; the first is to help defend their own goal by stopping the opposition players running through the midfield with the ball and thus assist their defenders to protect the goal. The other job is to help “feed” the ball to their own attacking players to assist them in scoring goals.

Offside Rule
The offside rule is a rule that can be a little difficult for beginners to grasp but can be understood using the following list as a guide. You can not be offside if you are:

- Personally in possession of the ball no matter where you are on the field.
- Behind or inline with the ball.
- In your own half of the field.
- Receive the ball direct from a corner kick, goal kick or throw-in.
- You don’t go past the last opposition field player (not including the opposing teams’ goal keeper) before the ball is kicked. (Once the ball leaves the foot of any player kicking the ball through, you can move past the last opposition field player without being deemed to be offside).

Free-Kick Penalties
If a player breaks a rule of the game during a soccer match then he is penalized and a penalty kick is awarded to the opposing team. There are two different types of penalties that can be awarded when a game rule is broken in soccer, an “indirect” free kick or a “direct” free kick. The difference between the two kicks is with a “direct” free kick the player who takes the free kick can kick the ball directly into the opponents net and score a goal, whereas with an “indirect” free kick the ball must touch another player after the ball is kicked before going into the opponents net, otherwise it will not count as a goal.

Rule breaches that can lead to “indirect” free kick penalties include such things as dangerous play, impeding the progress of an opponent, preventing an opponent’s goal keeper from releasing the ball and anytime a red or yellow card is issued and a “direct” free kick is not awarded. Breaches that can lead to “direct” free kick penalties include such things as kicking or attempting to kick an opponent, holding an opponent, tripping or attempting to trip an opponent, pushing or jumping at an opponent, charging into an opponent and touching the ball with the hands (unless the player is a goal keeper who is within his own goal area or a player taking a throw-in).

The Card System
Soccer rules include a colored card system for imposing penalties on any player that either persistently or deliberately breaks certain rules. If a player is given a card penalty the match referee does not actually give the card to the player, he simply places a mark on his match card alongside the players name to indicate that a card penalty was issued to that player.

The following guidelines apply to the issuing of colored card penalties by the match referee:

- A yellow card is issued for things such as persistent rule breaches, defying the referee’s instructions, dissent and un-sporting behavior.

- A red card is issued for more serious things such as spitting, deliberately attacking an opposition player and offensive behavior. A red card is also issued automatically if a player receives two yellow cards in a game. When a player is issued with a red card he is required to leave the field immediately and can take no further part in the game.

Throw-ins and Corner-kicks
The rules for throw-ins and corner-kicks are pretty simple to understand. If the ball goes out over either sideline, the opposite team to whichever player touched the ball last is given the ball to throw-in (this is the only time a player can touch the ball with his hands except the goalkeepers). If the ball goes out over either backline (the lines beside each goal) then if the last player to touch the ball was defending his own teams’ goal then the opposing team are awarded a corner-kick, otherwise the goalkeeper is awarded a goal-kick.

The majority of the rules of soccer are easily understood once a new player gets a little experience. All of the penalty rules for instance are simply common sense rules for the safety and enjoyment of all players. Once a beginner gets out on the field and notices what other players are doing they’ll soon pick up the rules and skills to perhaps unearth the next world cup star or at the very least have a great time.

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 4:05 PM CST

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 Here’s a brief biography of Wayne Roone of Manchester United.

By Tenqku Nuruddeen 

Wayne Rooney was born in Liverpool on 24th of October 1985. Wayne, at only 19, is the most expensive teenagers in world football. With the price tag of 27million pound Wayne Rooney is dubbed as the future hope of English football. The skillful striker fulfills his dream to play at Old Trafford on 31st of August 2004, minutes before the transfer window ends.

Wayne Rooney is the youngest ever player who has played for England. Started his career at Everton at the age of 16, he has the unique ability to score fantastic goals. He scored his first international goals on September 2003 when he was only 17 years old and he is the one who broke Arsenal’s heart with a powerful goal behind Arsenal’s net.

His reputation as the most exciting teenagers in world football has been proven in international levels when he played for England in Euro 2004. His brilliant touch and dribbling skill has been compared to the legendary Pele and has been called “the white Pele” because of the excitement he brings every time he touches the ball.

At only 14, he has been closely monitored by Sir Alex Ferguson, English Premier League’s most successful manager. The negotiation to bring him to Old Trafford was not smooth but it was worth it when the teenagers started paying his dues with a hattrick on his first debut in the Champions League against Fenerbahce.

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 1:32 PM CDT

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By John Gibb 

In a World Cup for Football the fight is for the Trophy that becomes the symbol of Victory declaring the winners as the best in Football among the whole World. So this Trophy that is given for acknowledging the Winners is so special and is depicted as the rarest of rare things on the Earth.

There have been two Trophies awarded to the winners since the advent of the World Cup in 1930. The Trophy was called the World Cup or Coupe du Monde; it was renamed in 1946 to honor the FIFA President Jules Rimet who in 1929 passed a vote to initiate the competition.

The Trophy was designed by Abel Lafleur. It is made of Gold plated Sterling Silver on a blue base of Lapis Lazuli, its height is 35cm and its weight is 3.8 kg. The shape of the Trophy was of an octagonal Cup, supported by a winged figure representing Nike, the ancient Greek Goddess of Victory.

The Trophy was held by Italy during the World War II, the Italian Vice-President of FIFA, Ottorino Barassi, hid the Trophy in a shoe Box under his Bed to protect it from the Germans. The Trophy was stolen in a public exhibition at Westminster Central Hall, just before the 1966 World Cup Final in England. It was found wrapped in Newspaper at the bottom of suburban Garden hedge in Norwood, South London, by a dog named “Pickles” after seven days.

FIFA secretly made a replica of the Trophy for use in the post-Match celebrations and on subsequent occasions until 1970 as a security measure. There were many replicas on eBay at that time so the replica was sold at an auction in 1997 for $425,015.

Brazil was allowed to keep the Trophy with them eternally when the Brazilian won the Trophy for the third time in 1970. This Trophy was again stolen in 1983 in Rio de Janeiro and never was recovered. A replica of this Trophy was made by the Brazilian Football Confederation.

The FIFA World Cup Trophy was designed by Silvio Gazzaniga; its height is 36Cm and weighs about 5kg. it is made of 18 Carat solid Gold with a base containing two layers of Malachite and two Human figures holding up the Earth. This Trophy then was called as the FIFA World Cup Trophy.

This Trophy was first presented at the 1974 World Cup. Every time a Country wins the Trophy the name of the Country and the Year of winning is engraved at the bottom of the Trophy. The winner of the Tournament receives the original Trophy and has it with them till the next World Cup and then after that they receive a replica of the Trophy to keep it with them forever.

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 8:02 PM CDT

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So you know how people throw a bunch of crap together and try to sell it to you for $47? And most of it is recycled garbage they picked up for $1 at eBay?

Well, I’m as sick of that as you are. Which is why this post is so important.

I just found a guy who is giving away brand new stuff he just put together to help us learn how to market our online business with Web 2.0 resources.

 Bob the Teacher is an expert in using free advertising. You may know him from his book, “The Best Advertising Money Can’t Buy.” Anyway, he’s put together a special set of resources to help you learn all about Squidoo.

 We’re talking a full audio interview, an eBook, and more. And believe it or not, he’s practically giving it away for about a $1.

Well, at least it was $1. I’m not sure how much it is now, since it goes up everytime someone gets their copy of this package.

This is a speedsale which means that the faster you make a decision the lower the price that you will pay. The price goes up a nickel each time someone purchases the package.

Rush over there now, so you can get started with Web 2.0 right away. –> http://www.squidoosecrets.com/chase.php?vip=leaddog50

p.s. By the way, you’ll get 100% affiliate commissions right away. You may notice when you buy the SquidooSecrets kit, you are actually paying me directly! You could be next in line to get paid the whole price.

p.p.s. Of course, if you want the full deal before SquidooSecrets launches on Friday, grab the Super Kraken membership if you get the chance. You’ll be floored by what Bob’s put together! –> http://www.squidoosecrets.com/chase.php?vip=leaddog50

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 11:54 AM CST

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If you don’t know what beach soccer is, read on. 

By Kadence Buchanan 

One friend of mine asked me recently why all men are crazy about playing football or what is known in United States as soccer. I am sick of explaining things that you can only understand based on personal experience. But although I managed to provide her with a luminous answer, she came back stating yet another question. “Is it different to play soccer on the grass than to play it on the beach?” That was a good one. “Of course it is different,” I replied. Beach soccer, as you can tell by its name, is a sport played on the beaches; preferably during spring or summer time. Although it has been played informally for decades, it was given its official name and rules only recently and specifically in 1992. Since then it managed to become a rather popular sport and I believe that if you really want to learn something about soccer you should better start playing it on the beach.

Playing soccer on the beach is considered by many fans as the paradise of the apprentice. The soft-sand playing surface can correct some usual mistakes for a beginner, as the ball often stacks on it. Actually, the element of sand does only facilitate the efforts of new players, but it is considered a heavy obstacle even for those experienced ones that wish to show off their abilities. Plus the compact pitch -measuring 28 x 37 meters if there is an official beach soccer facility- is by far smaller than the grass field and makes scoring easier, even for players who decide to try it for the first time.

A great advantage of beach soccer is the fact that one needs no special equipment to play it. An adequate size ball and the sand of the beach are more than enough for one to begin exploring this game’s unique character. Even when no organized facility on the beach exists, those interested to play beach soccer need only two canes to symbolize the area of a goalpost. Canes or just a pile of clothes are preferable in comparison to heavy stones or even huge blocks of rocks, which can be very dangerous for feet injuries, as shoes are not allowed in this game. Thus, if you are on a sandy beach, it is a sunny day, and you have nine friends willing to join you, you can start playing beach soccer. When you do experience it, let me know if you liked it. Most importantly, let your girlfriend know!

When I finished my lecture about beach soccer my friend seemed excited. “I will play it every single weekend,” she said. But before you ask yourselves how much time should you invest in practicing this sport, before you can consider yourselves good soccer players, try playing it for awhile. Since you cannot play beach soccer all year around, unless you move to California or Florida every time you have a beach soccer need, you have to exercise your soccer playing abilities on the actual lawn ground. Believe me when I tell you that it is not that easy there too!

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 3:27 PM CST

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Read about juggling and dribbling techniques and freestyle soccer. 

By Heikal Suhaili

This question raised curiosity because people are still confused with it. Freestyler’s ability to perform various combination of complex sequences of juggling and dribbling (ground) techniques makes them exciting to watch whether on the streets or through media such as internet. Nike launched freestyle campaign in the early 21st century through advertising and promoting competitions throughout the world enabling people to see the likes of Ronaldinho, Edgar Davids, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Francessco Totti, Ronaldo and others. But can freestyle football become practical to the “real” football game?

Freestyle Football Benefits

Juggling and dribbling techniques is the process to improve coordination, balancing and ball control. Mastering a complex set of juggling trick requires time, dedication and patience to become an exciting freestyler. Freestyle football allows individual to express their creativity on inventing new soccer tricks either on juggling or dribbling skills.

There are many dribbling tricks like the step-over that can be learned and practise. Each trick has different levels of difficulty varying from beginners to advance. Choosing and performing the right trick during a football match can be a crucial strategy. Applying these tricks require good timing and execution. Execute it perfectly and you’ll gain valuable seconds or create space for your teammates in tight situations. But make a mistake and you’ll allow your opposition to crawl back to their positions or you’ll lose the ball thus allowing them to hit on a counter attack.

Top professional football players such as Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo may have many tricks in the bag. But they only master or specialize one trick in a match known as their “trademark” trick like the famous 360-roulette, flip- flap and dummy are there to be seen.

The Downside of Freestyle Football

Freestyle footballer has tremendous technical ability especially ball control but may lack in other attributes that are required during a football match.

Attributes are spread into three categories:

1. Physical

Many leagues especially in Europe require football players to meet the in-game physical demand such as stamina, strength, balance, agility, pace, speed, acceleration and jumping

2. Mental

Aggression, anticipation, bravery, creativity, decision making, determination, flair, influence, off the ball, positioning, team work and work rate

3. Technical

Ball control (technique), crossing, dribbling, finishing (shooting), heading, long shots, long throws, marking, passing, taking penalties, set pieces (free kicks, corner kicks, throw-ins) and tackling

Of course when you’re involved in a football training or match, some coaches may discourage you from doing tricks on the pitch. Instead they focus on other factors like team spirit, team movement and tactical battle which in my opinion necessary to win a match.

Is All About Playing “Beautiful” Football

But who wouldn’t want to see top football players displaying their brilliance on the pitch. The “beautiful game” is more about football teams winning with style rather than scrapping for victories. After all, the modern game is more about entertaining the football fans than just winning at all cost. Sadly, some teams still adopt this unhealthy mindset. Never-the-less, being able to pull-off a trick and out-manouvering your opponent is the best feeling in the world. Finally, let’s raised the “beautiful game” to another level.

I would leave this article with a quote to ponder on:

“Ronaldinho is technically very good, but also very strong physically. He was against three players and I could not stop him. After that goal everything ended for us” John Terry

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 8:47 PM CST

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I presume that you have heard about Ronaldinho.  If not, read on. 

By James Wills 

Ronaldinho is one of the world’s greatest soccer players. You probably have seen his Nike commercial where it shows him as a young boy, and also shows him at his present age. It shows him kicking the ball up in the air and making defenders look like fools, and then at the very end he rolls the ball in with his head. The amazing thing about this commercial is that it is not much of an embellishment of the skills that he possesses. I have seen matches when he displays some of these same skills, and makes the defenders look just as bad.

Ronaldinho grew up in a poor village in Brazil. His father died when he was only 8 years old, and his family remained poor until his brother Roberto signed to play professional soccer. Ronaldinho first gained notoriety when he was 13, and scored 23 goals against a local team. Even though, Ronaldinho is the world’s greatest soccer player, he is still very humble. His humility makes he very appealing to me, because I do not like cocky players. Some reporters recently commented that he was the greatest soccer player in the world, and he told them he did not even think he was the best player in Barcelona. He has also been asked what he does with all of his money, and he says that he gives it to his mother. The reporters then asked if she was managing it for him, and he said no it is her money. He has also been quoted as saying that even if he was not paid any money, he would still play just the same. In 2005, he was the highest paid soccer player in the world, at $29.5 million, including salaries and merchandising. His image is worth an estimated $60.3 million, which is the most valuable in the world. Ronaldinho is associated with many brands throughout the world, but Nike is probably the most well known of the brands.

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 9:19 PM CDT

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By Gabriel J. Adams 

The 2006 World Cup was going to be our year to show the world that we belong on the world stage in soccer. The Americans boasted a squad with quite a bit of international experience and a hunger to show the world that they belonged. Coming into the 2006 World Cup, the United States team was ranked 5th in the world by FIFA. Another great sign of hope was that the Americans made it to the Quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup, which gave everyone hope that this could be the year everything was going to come together. For one of the first times I could remember people in America were actually excited about the World Cup.

The first soccer match for the United States was against the dangerous Czech Republic. The United States gave a lackluster performance and was dominated by the Czechs 3-0. This loss was a huge blow to the psyche of the American soccer team, but it would help them focus in their next match. One of the best teams in the tournament, Italy was next in line for the Americans, so things looked grim. It appeared that the United States team was going to disappoint again. However, the American soccer team displayed the skills and toughness everyone expected to see from them this year, and fought for a tie against the Italians 1-1. With Ghana beating the Czech Republic, American soccer once again had an opportunity. If Italy beat the Czechs, and the United States won against Ghana, the Americans would be into the Quarterfinals of the World Cup again. Italy beat the Czech Republic, but the United States suffered a very disappointing loss to Ghana, 2-1.

After the disappointing first round exit from the 2006 World Cup, the American soccer team fell from 5th to 16th in the FIFA World rankings. This was a huge setback in the American’s struggle to reach the pinnacle in soccer. However, we will not be disappointed for long, because the women’s soccer team is tuning up to make their run at the upcoming World Championships. Once again we will have to pin all of our hopes on the women’s soccer team to win on the world stage.

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 4:02 PM CDT

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By Leo Cuccione 

Soccer players are not the only persons who wear soccer jerseys. These days more and more people are wearing jerseys of their favorite soccer team. Wearing authentic jerseys to promote their favorite teams and display their affiliations is not a new concept among sports lovers. However, off late wearing authentic jerseys of popular teams has acquired the status of passion. Even though you will find people of all ages wearing replica jerseys, young and college going crowd displays and added inclination towards soccer jersey.

Soccer Jersey- Reasons for Increasing Popularity

Soccer has always lagged behind as sports apparel-merchandising opportunity in America. Traditionally soccer uniforms were not as popular as football, basketball, hockey and baseball sports gear. However, the World Cup Soccer in 1994 has added a new dimension to the popularity of this sport. Thereafter sports apparel of soccer has gained extreme popularity and sports equipment manufacturers are overwhelmed by the continuous expansion in demand for authentic jerseys and replica jerseys.

Authentic jerseys of soccer are not only popular during the soccer season but people prefer to wear them even otherwise. This jersey is a short sleeve T-shirt type jersey and is very comfortable. Since the official gear of soccer teams has bright and vibrant colors, it is more of a fashion statement and display of style for the younger generation.

You can shop for a jersey of your favorite soccer team or player at the nearby sports apparel store, departmental store or online sports apparel stores. If you are on a lookout for authentic jerseys, you should contact the sports store or the team’s store selling the official gear. It is better to buy sports apparel at least two months before the start of the soccer season. That time the stores have fresh stock of sports merchandise and you can pick a good jersey of your favorite soccer team.

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 5:34 AM CDT

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Here’s a good article about the goalkeeper of the World Cup Champion Italian team. 

By Keith MacLean 

Born in Jan 28, 1978, Gianluggi Buffon is Italy’s number 1 goalkeeper and considered by many to be among the current top five soccer goalkeepers in the world. Gianluggi, better known as ‘Gigi’, has the distinction of being the most expensive goalkeeper in soccer history. He was transferred from Parma to Juventus for a record fee of £33 million, which is the highest amount paid ever for a goalkeeper. This further adds to the notion that he is among the best goalkeepers in the world today.

In 2003, Buffon was recognized as the ‘Best Goalkeeper’ in Europe by UEFA at the European Football Awards. He helped Juventus to become the Italian League champions three out of four seasons since he joined them.

Buffon’s debut was in 1995. He joined Parma at the age of 17 and worked his way up the ladder. Although Buffon is an accomplished goalkeeper, he was actually a midfielder in his earlier teens. His switch of position from midfield to goalkeeper has proven to be the right one. His growth into a respected goalkeeper has been phenomenal. He proved his mettle along the way and was a reserved goalkeeper in the 1998 world cup. Buffon became the undisputed number 1 goalkeeper for Italy in the 2002 world cup. He will once again feature in the 2006 world cup as Italy’s first choice goalkeeper. Though he has been chosen to represent Italy in the world cup, many are concerned whether he will be in top form after suffering a major shoulder injury in 2005/06. Buffon is out to prove that he is in his best form and says that he will be ready for the 2006 world cup. He was so confident that he predicted that Italy has a 95% chance of winning the world cup.

Buffon was mired in controversy recently for his alleged involvement in betting. He was questioned by magistrates in Turin and has denied any wrongdoing on his part. Buffon said that he has not been involved in any betting after the Italian Football Federation implemented new rules that disallowed active players from betting in 2005. There is currently a major crackdown by the authorities on betting, as many people directly involved in the game are allegedly involved in betting.

With all these things weighing on his shoulders, Buffon will need lots of mental strength and mental training to stay focused on his game.

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 8:59 PM CDT

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By Michael Russell 

It seems quite appropriate to write something about soccer’s greatest event, the one now taking place in Germany from June through July, 2006. It is a culmination of four year’s work for the 32 teams that have qualified to play in this tournament.

We all know the effect soccer - or football - as I prefer to call it, has on the lives of so many people. You only have to see the television pictures of people who are lucky enough to be able to attend and even luckier, if they have tickets for the games they hope to see. Yes, it is a fact that many of the supporters visiting Germany this summer will not actually see a game, except on the public screens dotted around outside the stadiums in the country. So in that respect I guess those of us who will be watching intently on our televisions in the comfort of our own homes, will be better off. Or will we?

Judging by some of the pictures coming from the tournament, it appears that these folk at the venues seem very happy just to be there just to soak up the tournament atmosphere. I remember as a younger man being lucky enough to attend a World Cup tournament myself. I will explain if I may.

I was 21 years old and living in England at the time. I followed my local football team with a great deal of pride and attended a couple of the preliminary matches at my team’s stadium before the “business end” of the tournament got underway.

Imagine my joy when I found for a 21st birthday gift, I was given accommodation in London and tickets for the quarter-final, semi-final and World Cup final itself. I was absolutely flabbergasted. You can also image my happiness when my home country actually won the trophy in front of its home crowd. What a day!

Yet, of all the memories of that sunny Saturday in July 1966, the soccer oddly became only part of my thrill. Sure, it was wonderful to cheer the team to victory, but my memories still linger to the day itself. Not so much the game, more the friendship of everyone in the stadium. Folk from different countries all there for one reason - to see the spectacle of a worldwide sporting event. The sport in the past has been criticised for encouraging violence from the “hooligan element” within society and I am not going to discuss that here.

But this event, now in 2006 in common with 1966 and all between, encourages friendship. This I have found from my own personal experiences, certainly exists. My own lasting memory of my lucky visit to the soccer World Cup final was to be walking down the street outside that London stadium, with three other people I had never met before or since - from Belgium, Holland and Portugal, singing at the top of my voice. If you were to ask me why we did that, I could in all honesty not answer, save for happiness and a little euphoria with the occasion.

It is something I remember with a great deal of affection from my early life, totally attributed in my opinion to the wonderful sport of Soccer.

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 11:10 PM CDT

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 Soccer is a popular sport throughout the world and this article discusses its growth and future.

By Jack Summers

In recent decades football has gained popularity around the globe and is now enjoyed by millions of people both at the stadiums and in the grounds. Although the sport has a global following, all the main club teams are based in Europe, and this is where they can contest the greatest club competitions. Players from Russia, Africa, USA, South America and as far a field as Australia all cite their ambitions as to play in Europe where they can contest the greatest competitions as well as earn the most money. Traditionally South American players migrate to the Spanish League where there are cultural ties and within Europe as well you can see Scandinavian players often moving to the Premiership where the weather is similar. Obviously the time is always ticking on the time players can compete at the top level and you will often see players moving back to their own countries towards the tail end of their careers or in some cases moving to the ‘Major Soccer League’ in the US or to Japan where the teams are always for stars to promote the game on home soil.

So what of the future of the game. As globalization takes hold I think we will see successful national teams from countries across the globe. Where previously only teams from Europe and South America could seriously contest trophies I can see a time where any from a number of teams have a chance. There has been a rising of standards already in places such as the Far East and Australia and I can see now reason why the trend won’t continue. Less glamorous nations are taking much more professional outlooks on the game, often attracting the likes of experienced coaches which can only improve them further. The money there is in the game these days too can only act as a motivating factor as well for people, possibly from poorer nations to make it a career goal.

Although for many years the USA has dominated in the world of track and field athletics as well as obviously in sports such as baseball and basketball they have never competed on the same level in football. I have it on authority though that the game is gaining popularity in the states producing in recent times some exciting talents. And on the back of a relatively successful World Cup campaign last time round we may well see growing standards from what is, after all, the richest country on earth.

With globalization and increased industrialization around the planet one country in particular is seeing massive monetary growth. China has in recent times used this growth and it’s massive population to push for greater sporting excellence. The last Olympics proved this and I can see them dominating to an even greater degree when they play host to the next Olympics. Their club football teams have of late also attracted some international talents in terms of both players and coaches, albeit possibly ones at the wrong end of their careers but it is an obvious sign of the ambitions of the nation. Riding this upward trend we may well see China too competing in international football tournaments in the future.

Posted by leaddog50 as Soccer at 5:26 PM CDT

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