Real Mallorca’s Record Smashing Season

The soccer club Real Mallorca came close enough to taste Uefa victory this season. Even though they fell short of the championship title, Real Mallorca had a breakthrough season in 2008. Some rivals have referred to Real Mallorca as a ‘dangerous team’ and the players are happy to show other teams how dangerous they can be. The Real Mallorca club outdid themselves with a best goals record of 69 goals in 38 league games this year, putting them in the respectable position of fourth in their... Read more »

Ireland United - The Way Forward For Irish Football?

The Premier League format that emerged in England and that was later replicated in Scotland has been a resounding success. In 1992 the top tier of English football broke away from the Football League and has flourished with the backing of Sky TV. Scottish clubs followed suit in 1998 to form the Scottish Premier League (SPL), with Setanta Sports currently providing improved terms to extend their deal. A sports marketing firm, Platinum One, has unveiled plans for an All-Ireland Premier League. This... Read more »

Exploiting A Dream In African Football Factories

Over the last decade the global game has been lit up by an explosion of talent bursting onto the scene from Africa. The continent has evolved dramatically since the days when Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) became the first black African team to qualify for the World Cup in 1974. This foray onto the world stage is most notably remembered for Zaire’s Mwepu Ilunga receiving a yellow card against Brazil. The defender was in Zaire’s defensive wall awaiting a free kick to be taken.... Read more »

2008 UEFA European Football Championship

Better known as Euro 2008, the UEFA European Football Championship was an exciting end to an eventful season. Qualification for the final began in August 2006 after the FIFA World Cup. Groups A, B, C and D, consisting of 16 teams, battled it out on the field to find out who would be going to Vienna for Euro 2008. Spain became the first team to win all matches in the group stage since France’s accomplishment in 1984. In terms of international competitions, Germany is considered one of the most... Read more »

Modern Slavery - The Soccer Player’s Struggle For Freedom

The FIFA President and one of the most powerful men in soccer, Sepp Blatter, has again spoken out against what he calls ‘modern slavery’ in the beautiful game. Blatter is outraged at Manchester United’s apparent attempts to prevent their prize asset from ‘jumping ship’ and drew uncomfortable comparisons with the slave trade. Celebrated abolitionist author Frederick Douglass stated that ‘I didn’t know I was a slave until I found out I couldn’t do the... Read more »

How to Bend it Like Beckham

Bending the ball is an advanced soccer skill that makes it possible to kick around opponents. You’ll commonly see it performed when kicking around a wall. While beginners should focus on making hard, accurate, straight kicks, advanced players will find this technique an effective weapon in their offensive arsenal. Here are the basics for bending the ball. CONCEPT The key to bending a ball is to kick it off-center and hard enough to make the ball spin. The harder the ball is kicked, and the... Read more »

State of the Game: Soccer Clubs in Financial Crisis?

Michel Platini, the UEFA president, has already made quite an impression since his appointment. He has already reached an agreement over disputed matters, which resulted in the G14 group disbanding, so withdrawing the threat that it would form a breakaway European league. A European Club Association (ECA) is being established in its place and the planned make-up means that a majority of its members will almost certainly be supportive of Platini’s plans. The chairmain of the ECA, Karl-Heinz... Read more »

Horwich RMI’s Evolution to Leigh Genesis- The Original Franchise FC

The gradual demise of Horwich RMI has been phased in since 1995, so it’s not surprising that not many people are aware of their demise. The final nail in their coffin has been applied more recently by a ‘visionary chairman,’ Dominic Speakman. In 1995 they were transformed into Leigh RMI and since June the club have been parading as Leigh Genesis. The launch of Genesis included terms such as “ideas of colour”, “core of the new brand”, “The alignment... Read more »

Republic of Ireland World Cup Qualifying Preview 2010

The Irish will have to contend with the world champions, Italy in their group when they embark on their World Cup qualification adventure starting on September 6th, 2008. As with all of the other Celtic home nations, the Republic of Ireland find themselves placed in a very difficult group 8 of this European section of World Cup qualification to South Africa 2010. The other teams in the group are Italy, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Montenegro and Georgia. Ireland have a new a coach, Giovanni Trapattoni and the... Read more »

Soccer Tips On Blocking And Drills

Soccer is a game of great skill, combining natural skills, lots of training for ultimate performance. It is also very entertaining and exhilarating for spectators and has a strong following. The game is played with two teams of 11 players each. Some people have said, that it is one of the most exciting and fun games to watch in the world. The objective of the game is to score the most goals. The game originated in England and has since spread in popularity across the world. The ball is dribbled... Read more »