The English F.A. Cup completed its 4th Round this weekend and there were some mixed feelings among the clubs and their fans.
The Cup is open to teams from the Premier League down to the low levels of semi-pro sides and theoretically one of these clubs of part-timers could knock off a Manchester United or Chelsea. Sort of like the Lakewood Blue Claws, a Phillies Single A farm team, playing the Boston Red Sox in a play-off. It never really happens but the fans can dream.
This raises the dilemma of whether it is better for one of the "minnows" as the lower level teams are called, playing a peer against whom they have a chance, but with a lower profit, or facing a Premier League side which would guarantee a large crowd and probable television money. It's sort of like the lower level college Football Bowl Division teams playing the Ohio States, Florida States and Alabamas of the world in the opening weeks of the season. In return for being cannon fodder, they get a big payday. The difference is they have a choice. In the Cup, there is a random draw after each round.
Sam Borden has an interesting piece on this topic in today's New York Times. For all the information on this tournament that dates back to 1871, see the Cup's website. The 5th round begins February 15.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
England's Oldest International Player Dies
England's oldest international player, who gave up the most famous goal in U.S. soccer history, died yesterday at age 93.
As reported by the Associated Press Bert Williams, nicknamed "The Cat" earned 24 caps, an FA Cup and two First Division championships with Wolverhampton in the pre-EPL days and was a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE). But it was one goal he allowed in 1950 that haunted him for more than 60 years.
The United States and Britain played a World Cup match before 10,151 fans in Belo Horizonte, Brazil on June 25, 1950. The Brits came in heavily favored, having shut out Chile, 2-0 in the opener while Americans were losing to Spain, 3-1. In the early going Williams was a spectator watching his teammates bombard the U.S. goal, seemingly biding their time until the first shot went in and opened the floodgates.
But it never happened. Instead, in the 38th minute midfielder Walt Bar from Philadelphia put a shot on goal and Joe Gaetjens deflected it past Williams. That lone goal stood up - despite a foul by Charlie Colombo just outside the box that led to a free kick by the legendary Alf Ramsey that American keeper Frank Borghi barely flicked off the line. This was long before ESPN, YouTube and instant news and it took some time for the score to reach the rest of the world. When it did, some assumed the 1-0 was a telegraph operator's mistake and it had actually been 10-1 for England. Another account had the New York Times holding off printing the score, fearing a hoax.
But it was true and Williams remembered. Long after he retired following a distinguished career with the Wolves, he said in 2010 before England played the United States in the World Cup in South Africa, "It’s taken a lot of forgetting as far as I am concerned.’’
The U.S. - England match was recounted in a book called "The Game of Their Lives" and a movie of the same name. Jere Longmann wrote an excellent piece on the game in the New York Times in 2009, focusing on Bahr and the surviving American players.
As reported by the Associated Press Bert Williams, nicknamed "The Cat" earned 24 caps, an FA Cup and two First Division championships with Wolverhampton in the pre-EPL days and was a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE). But it was one goal he allowed in 1950 that haunted him for more than 60 years.
The United States and Britain played a World Cup match before 10,151 fans in Belo Horizonte, Brazil on June 25, 1950. The Brits came in heavily favored, having shut out Chile, 2-0 in the opener while Americans were losing to Spain, 3-1. In the early going Williams was a spectator watching his teammates bombard the U.S. goal, seemingly biding their time until the first shot went in and opened the floodgates.
But it never happened. Instead, in the 38th minute midfielder Walt Bar from Philadelphia put a shot on goal and Joe Gaetjens deflected it past Williams. That lone goal stood up - despite a foul by Charlie Colombo just outside the box that led to a free kick by the legendary Alf Ramsey that American keeper Frank Borghi barely flicked off the line. This was long before ESPN, YouTube and instant news and it took some time for the score to reach the rest of the world. When it did, some assumed the 1-0 was a telegraph operator's mistake and it had actually been 10-1 for England. Another account had the New York Times holding off printing the score, fearing a hoax.
But it was true and Williams remembered. Long after he retired following a distinguished career with the Wolves, he said in 2010 before England played the United States in the World Cup in South Africa, "It’s taken a lot of forgetting as far as I am concerned.’’
The U.S. - England match was recounted in a book called "The Game of Their Lives" and a movie of the same name. Jere Longmann wrote an excellent piece on the game in the New York Times in 2009, focusing on Bahr and the surviving American players.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
The End in Soccer and in Life
Sports Illustrated columnist Steve Rushin, one of the best sportswriters on the planet in my book, wrote in this week's issue about "the end," generally meaning the end of games. "Sports, especially, are all about the end," Rushin concludes.
After talking about buzzer beaters in basketball, walk-offs in baseball and quoting from the Doors' song, The End, Rushin gets around to soccer:
"Soccer surely has the best ending, because the end isn't really the end at all, thanks to the stoppage time added on after 90 minutes of regulation. And who wouldn't want that at the end of life, a fourth official at your bedside, holding an electronic signboard with a lit 7 indicating seven years tacked-on to compensate for all the time-wasting you did in the previous 90?"
Somehow I never thought of it that way, but he makes a good point.
After talking about buzzer beaters in basketball, walk-offs in baseball and quoting from the Doors' song, The End, Rushin gets around to soccer:
"Soccer surely has the best ending, because the end isn't really the end at all, thanks to the stoppage time added on after 90 minutes of regulation. And who wouldn't want that at the end of life, a fourth official at your bedside, holding an electronic signboard with a lit 7 indicating seven years tacked-on to compensate for all the time-wasting you did in the previous 90?"
Somehow I never thought of it that way, but he makes a good point.
Monday, December 30, 2013
New Soccer Media Springs From World Cup Fever
Beware that which is spawned by the World Cup.
In 1966 it is said that interest in the Germany-England World Cup overtime final encouraged the founding of not one but two professional soccer leagues in the soccer wasteland that was the United States. These were the United Soccer Association and the National Professional Soccer Association, which in 1967 merged to form the North American Soccer League, which folded in 1984. Then in 1999 the popularity of the Women's World Cup, played in and won by the United States, convinced investors to back the Women's United Soccer Association, which played from 2000 and folded in 2003.
So now the New York Times reports that interest in the upcoming World Cup in Brazil has led to three new quarterly soccer publications: Eight by Eight, Howler and XI. Eight by Eight published its first edition a month ago and the other two are just a year old but already XI is experiencing financial difficulties.
I can relate. Back in 1973, Tom Breen, Don McKee and I left the Courier-Post to work at a start-up called Soccer Weekly. Breen, who later went the the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin and McKee, who moved to a long career in the Sports Department at the Philadelphia Inquirer, were superb journalists, and we had a free-lance photographer named George Tiedemann, who later worked for Sports Illustrated. And we still didn't last more than a year.
I haven't yet read any of the new magazines, which reportedly have experienced editors, writers and financial backers. And all have digital editions. But will they be around when the glow of Brazil '14 fades? History says the odds are against it.
In 1966 it is said that interest in the Germany-England World Cup overtime final encouraged the founding of not one but two professional soccer leagues in the soccer wasteland that was the United States. These were the United Soccer Association and the National Professional Soccer Association, which in 1967 merged to form the North American Soccer League, which folded in 1984. Then in 1999 the popularity of the Women's World Cup, played in and won by the United States, convinced investors to back the Women's United Soccer Association, which played from 2000 and folded in 2003.
So now the New York Times reports that interest in the upcoming World Cup in Brazil has led to three new quarterly soccer publications: Eight by Eight, Howler and XI. Eight by Eight published its first edition a month ago and the other two are just a year old but already XI is experiencing financial difficulties.
I can relate. Back in 1973, Tom Breen, Don McKee and I left the Courier-Post to work at a start-up called Soccer Weekly. Breen, who later went the the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin and McKee, who moved to a long career in the Sports Department at the Philadelphia Inquirer, were superb journalists, and we had a free-lance photographer named George Tiedemann, who later worked for Sports Illustrated. And we still didn't last more than a year.
I haven't yet read any of the new magazines, which reportedly have experienced editors, writers and financial backers. And all have digital editions. But will they be around when the glow of Brazil '14 fades? History says the odds are against it.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Europe Explained
We recently did Egypt on this Blog, then yesterday was Brazil, so it's time to return to my favorite place, which of course would be Europe. In fact, Debbie and I were just there, as evidenced by this photo from the Hofbräuhaus in München (Munich). We were in Southern Germany from September 13 through the 22nd.So there are two versions of Europe: one found in Heaven and the other at the opposite end of things down in Hell.
It has been said that in Heaven:
The police are English;
The mechanics are German;
The lovers are Italian;
The cooks are French; and
It's all organized by the Swiss.
But in Hell:
The police are German;
The mechanics are French;
The lovers are Swiss;
The cooks are English;
and it's all organized by the Italians.
Think about it.
Prosit!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Soccer and Naked Women in Brazil
In a marvelous story in today's New York Times, Sam Borden takes a close look at the culture of pick-up soccer in Brazil, which will host next year's World Cup.
The game is called pelada, a word Borden says is used by Brazilian men to refer to a naked woman. He said a hotel doorman in Rio, waiting to play in a pick-up game, explained that, “Football and women are the only two things we really love.”
You can tell the story is worth reading just by the first paragraph: "In Brazil, the ball is always moving. It moves on grass and on sand, on concrete and on cobblestone. Sometimes, during the rainy season, it even moves on water."
Borden takes us from Rio to the quadras of Sao Paulo to the remote city of Manus in the Amazon where players play for the love of the game, because they have nothing else to do, in the hopes of being discovered by a professional team or to escape drug dealers.
The game is called pelada, a word Borden says is used by Brazilian men to refer to a naked woman. He said a hotel doorman in Rio, waiting to play in a pick-up game, explained that, “Football and women are the only two things we really love.”
You can tell the story is worth reading just by the first paragraph: "In Brazil, the ball is always moving. It moves on grass and on sand, on concrete and on cobblestone. Sometimes, during the rainy season, it even moves on water."
Borden takes us from Rio to the quadras of Sao Paulo to the remote city of Manus in the Amazon where players play for the love of the game, because they have nothing else to do, in the hopes of being discovered by a professional team or to escape drug dealers.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Is Bradley Still Walking Like An Egyptian?
Last week Grant Wahl wrote an excellent piece (as he always does) in Sports Illustrated about Bob Bradley, who was fired as coach of the U.S. men's national team, in 2011. Bradley had since taken over in Egypt where he has attained rock star status as the Pharoahs were on the brink of qualifying for the World Cup - until yesterday.
Egypt has been torn by political strife and stained by the deaths of 74 fans at Port Said Stadium last year. It has not been to the World Cup since 1990 but suddenly was undefeated in six matches as it took on Ghana in a home and home aggregate goal series for one qualifying spot. Bradley, meanwhile, was everywhere in Egypt, adored by fans and walking like, well, an Egyptian.
But now the dream may have fallen to pieces. Ghana won, 6-1 yesterday, meaning Egypt will need to win by six goals when the series resumes in Egypt next month. After the blow-out rumors surfaced that Bradley would be fired, although he told Wahl that was not true.
Egypt has been torn by political strife and stained by the deaths of 74 fans at Port Said Stadium last year. It has not been to the World Cup since 1990 but suddenly was undefeated in six matches as it took on Ghana in a home and home aggregate goal series for one qualifying spot. Bradley, meanwhile, was everywhere in Egypt, adored by fans and walking like, well, an Egyptian.
But now the dream may have fallen to pieces. Ghana won, 6-1 yesterday, meaning Egypt will need to win by six goals when the series resumes in Egypt next month. After the blow-out rumors surfaced that Bradley would be fired, although he told Wahl that was not true.
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