A Soccer Media Bonanza

Gone are the days when soccer fans had to strain their eyes to find a few paragraphs about the sport in newspapers and magazines.  Generally the sport gets pretty good coverage in the major publications, even when there is no World Cup or Olympic tournament going on.  But this week was a pure bonanza.

A few days ago ESPN The Magazine arrived and there was Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer on the cover of what was billed as the "World Football Issue."  While I love watching Neuer play and look forward to reading the story, even better than that article was Hallie Grossman's piece on Carli Lloyd.  That of course was priority reading and it turned out to be one of the best Carli Lloyd stories I have read, objective and matter-of-fact, recognizing Carli's hard work to get where she is without being over the top.

Before I even had  chance to dig into the "World Football Issue," today Sports Illustrated arrived and there's Lionel Messi on the cover of the "Summer of Soccer" issue.   While The Magazine called Neuer the best goalkeeper in the world, SI refers to Messi as "The best player on the planet."

OK, so now I have a few days of reading to do.  But wait.  There's more.  Today's New York Times has an interesting story by soccer superwriter Sam Borden on the European Champions League Cup.  Not the tournament, whose final is tomorrow in Milan between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, but the actual trophy.  Borden tells us that thew cup is 29 inches high and weighs 16 1/2 pounds - more than twice the weight of the Super Bowl trophy.  It is made by GDE Bertoni in Paderno Dugnano, Italy. 

This Year It Was Easy For Hamburger S.V.

  For the third straight year Hamburg's status as the only team to have played every season in the German Bundesliga's First Division came down to the final day of the 34-game season.  Unlike the past two seasons, however, this year HSV avoided relegation with room to spare, beating Augsburg, 3-1.

Two years ago Hamburg advanced by a one-goal difference after a two game play-off with the number 3 team in the second division.  Last year, as reported on this blog, HSV was again in a play-off, this time with Karlsruhe, and was 12 minutes from relegation  when it scored a game-tying goal, then a go-ahead goal in overtime, then saw its keeper stop a penalty to avoid demotion.

By comparison, this year was a breeze.  Hamburg started the day with 38 points, tied for 12th place with Darmstadt and Augsburg.  Hoffenheim was in 15th place with 37 points and Eintracht Frankfurt in 16th with 36.  The 17th and 18th teams are automatically relegated while the 16th plays the 3rd place finisher in the second division for a spot in the top league.   As it turned out, even if HSV had lost it would have retained its place in the First Division because Werder Bremen beat Frankfurt and leapfrogged over them into 13th place.

So next year, when the 53rd Bundesliga season kicks off, Hamburger Sport Verein will be there, just has it has always been.

Balloons

It's windy in NJ today and while I did not watch any soccer games, the windy day reminded me of many years ago - more than 50 - when I was in 10th grade and played one spring for First German Sport Club Phoenix in Feasterville, PA.  We had a coach named Otto, who, when he wasn't keeping us from trying to get a beer at the bar after games (this was a German club, after all) tried to teach us soccer. 

And he must have been a success because to this day I can remember him on breezy days like today saying in his thick German accent, "It's vindy today boys.  Keep der ball on der grund.  Don't balloon der ball."  In other words, short passing game, don't just boot it as far as you can  - still good advice today and I've passed it on to teams I've coached.  I hope someday my former players will hear the voice saying, "Don't balloon der ball," and pass it on to their sons and daughters. 

The Foxes Wait

Leicester City must wait at least one more day - and perhaps longer - to clinch the Barclay Premier league championship, and in the process defeat 5,000 to 1 odds.

The Foxes could have clinched the title with a win over Manchester United but could manage only a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.  Tottenham Hotspurs are 8 points behind and play at Chelsea tomorrow.  A tie or a Chelsea win puts Leicester over the top. Should the Spurs gain the three points, Leicester will have to try again Saturday against Everton.

In today's New York Times, Sam Borden looks at the Foxes' remarkable and improbable run,starting with near relegation just 13 months ago.