England goes to fortress Maksimir
Slaven Bilic sporting his Mads Mikkelsen look It is a telling sign that Joe Cole, England’s best player has...
Category: Soccer Culture
Gianfranco Zola installed as Hammers coach
Zola’s face is a cartoonist’s dream Chelsea’s greatest player is now West Ham’s manager. What does he bring to...
Anil Ambani: Will he or won’t he?
Now it is he won’t. If he was to takeover, the fairy tale ending would have been Keegan coming...
Something smells rotten in Newcastle
Does this scenario even look remotely plausible? Kevin Keegan agreeing to becoming a club’s manager on the condition that...
Mark Hughes is incongruous in the new Man City
Less than two months ago, Mark Hughes was the manager of Blackburn, a team with players more at ease...
Arsenal: Peter Hill Wood keeps the door ajar for Usmanov
When you talk about Arsenal’s future, it is usually in measured, nuanced terms much like its soccer. Unlike Man...
Mad bulls and english football
The comparision is not the old one between mad dogs and english men but a new one between mad...
Cobi Jones seeks to get Galaxy back on track
Before there was David Beckham in the US, there was Cobi Jones, the real deal. He was a lethal...
Video: CL qualifier: Arsenal beat FC Twente, 2-0
Arsenal came back in the second half with Gallas and Adebayor’s goal. They were missing Cesc and it showed...
One dimensional US attack: Where was the wing play?
Looking back at the difficulties with set pieces that the Nigerians had, one has to ask where was the...
Beijing Olympics: The US is elbowed out of contention
Michael Orozco’s elbow to Solomon Okoronkwo’s chest as the two grappled was picked up by the German referee who...
The longest running sideshow: Berbatov going to Man Utd
Man Utd is on the verge of landing the Bulgarian. They have eyed him for a over a year....
Beijing Olympics: Adu and Bradley to miss Nigeria match
Jozy Altidore meets the Nigerians A big day in US soccer as the men’s national team take on the...
Flamini’s replacement: Gokhan Inler?
Wenger has made signing a central midfielder to complement Cesc Fabregas a priority. With Flamini’s departure, the team has...
It is official: The Beckham hangover is over
This was not too long ago. “Alexi Lalas believes David Beckham’s legacy can be greater than Pele’s for football...
Brandi Chastain: Geographer
Brandi Chastain: “We have to remember. New Zealand is a small island in the middle of the ocean, so...
Beijing Olympics: An old nemesis rears its head
I just saw Hope Solo and Lisa Chalupny, in a tentative moment, make the first big mistake as both...
Sir Alex Ferguson: He was for foreign player quotas before he was against it
Sir Alex Ferguson on November 7, 2007 arguing for quotas on foreign players. “For the good of the game...
Adebayor was for Barca before he was against it
In political parlance he is a flip flopper. The fans at the Emirates let him have it when he...
Lakshmi Mittal in a bid for Everton
Everton opened itself up further to sale speculation contingent on government approval of its new 50,000 seat stadium. There...
Beijing Olympics: Suck up that smog
It appears that the sky over Beijing has cleared up to some extent and there is some optimism that...
David Bentley wants to stick it to Arsenal
Bentley, an Arsenal product did not leave on the happiest of terms as he could not break into Arsenal’s...
Deep thought: FIFA’s presidency should be term limited
In its 104 year existence, FIFA has had 8 presidents. The last two, Joao Havelange and Sepp Blatter have...
How Blatter’s ISL scandal impacts England’s World Cup bid
Andrew Jennings explains. Many in the 24 member executive council responsible for awarding the World Cup have been tainted...
Deep thought: Robbie Keane is the answer to Liverpool’s title hopes
Hmmmm. Eighteen years since they won their last title. Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Emile Heskey, Milan Baros, Luis Garcia,...
The enthusiasm for soccer in India rings hollow without national role models
Dileep Premachandran points out that cricket is not the only sport that captures the imagination of the Indian public....
Brad Friedel: Thou shalt be missed at Rovers
Think Rovers and the adjectives that flow are tough, uncompromising, physical, ugly, and effective. Part of the rorschach was...
Freddy Adu then and now: The growing pains
Freddy Adu, June 2006 >> “It’s still open, you never know,” he said. “The way Ghana is playing right...
Are FIFA and the UN ganging up on SA?
A week ago in the UNSC, South Africa voted against sanctions for Zimbabwe’s leaders. The resolution was defeated with...
Deep thought: Would Joe Strummer have remained a Chelsea fan?
John Graham Mellor aka Joe Strummer of Clash fame was a Chelsea fan but that was when it was...
Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: Why Scolari goes ga ga
Quick which one? Or both? As per Chelsea, two days ago it was Robinho that was supposed to alight...
Gilberto departs: So long, and thanks for all the fish
A reflective moment for all Gunner fans as Gilberto, our stout hearted defensive specialist departs for Panathinaikos. He spend...
Deep thought: Sepp Blatter is Abe Lincoln
This weekend we saw Sepp Blatter clutch the Emancipation Proclamation to his breast as he impassionately spoke about the...
England gains when its players go overseas
This Euro had England’s pundits a twitter with the perceived lack of quality players in their national squad. Who...
Samir Nasri arrives in Hleb’s Hellhole
Hleb’s thumb down to London life does not seem to have discouraged Samir Nasri who arrives in the Emirates....
Hleb’s Hempstead Haven Harrowing Healthwise
Aliaksandr Hleb’s departure seems imminent. Well, mentally at least. The man has been complaining for months of living in...
Blatter, the modern slave: Beholden to corporations and national federations
Ask Diego Maradona and he will spit in Sepp Blatter’s eye when he so self servingly talks about players...
Brad Guzan leaves for Villa
Brad Guzan becomes the latest addition to the most enduring US export to the Premiership. The Chivas USA goalie...
With friends like Blatter who needs enemies?
That is what Sir Alex must be thinking. Some months ago, Sepp Blatter and Sir Alex were whooping it...
Dunga finds himself at odds with the sport
If this is indeed right the new phenomenon sweeping through Europe augurs poorly for Dunga and his current win...
Gareth Barry ends his Villa career
This is sad because I have the greatest respect for both Gareth Barry and Martin O’ Neill. Two of...
Adebayor is being hawked to Milan
Arsenal which is now in the business of leveraging its players reportedly offers Adebayor to Milan who are looking...
Wenger’s pronouncement is odd and unsettling
Another season of unsettling news out of the Emirates. Flamini gone to Inter, Ade and Hleb’s future looking murky;...
Deep thought: If Nadal wins Wimbledon it will be because of Spain’s Euro success
Not as far fetched as it appears. Rafael Nadal is a soccer freak whose friend is Iker Casillas, Spain...
A study provides an insight into Senna’s capabilities
Marcos Senna is listed as a midfielder but his usefulness lies in his being a utility player capable of...
The English League falters in its Euro impact
I always think that international competitions like Euro or the World Cup provide much needed correctives. Fernando Torres muscled...
Barca’s belief in Ade is deluded: He is no Terminator
” Barcelona have made it clear that their priority this summer is signing a striker with physical presence, after...
Indian kids get a chance to meet Zidane
An Indian under 12 team has been included among 40 nations playing “Yakult Danone Nations Cup football tournament” –...
Viva Espana: El Jogo Bonito is alive
I have tears of joy. Watching Spain get over their mental block against their more heralded European rivals, doing...
In Spain, a feeling that they have finally arrived
The newspapers in Spain are touting the new muscular and sleek Spanish team, unified in purpose. The future lies...
Euro 2008: What to expect in Spain vs Germany
Expect David Villa not to be in the line up, the Valencia striker has a muscle tear in his...
Lehmann needs to be sharp for Germany’s sake
Germany will be feeling a bit relieved as Spain will be without David Villa who has been ruled out...
Euro 2008: The graveyard of defenders
Marcos Senna is being celebrated as a find, a player finally giving teeth to the much maligned Spanish defence,...