In Mexico, soccer is serious business. The recent shootings of Mexico City-based Club América team members Salvador Cabañas and Juan Carlos Silva have sent shockwaves through the soccer community. What motivated these shootings? Why two members of the same team? While several essential facts in this case have not yet surfaced, in some respects they don’t need to. There are several ways to come to a greater understanding about our neighbors below in the context of the world’s beautiful game.
Club America
I love Mexican soccer. My father immigrated to the United States from the central state of Michoacán in the mid 1970’s. Watching the national team’s games, as well as the weekend club games, has always been a way for me to connect with my father’s family. I witnessed firsthand the intense rivalry between Mexican club powerhouses Chivas de Guadalajara and Las Águilas de América. In fact, the most celebrated and anticipated match of every season is the game between these two teams: El Super Clásico.
Any follower of the Mexican First Division can tell you the past few years have been less than stellar for Club América. Since Cuauhtémoc Blanco transferred to the MLS in 2007, Las Águilas have failed to meet the demanding expectations of their fans. América has quite the successful history and, as such, have given these high expectations to their fan base. They currently hold ten Mexican championships as well as eight FIFA recognized international titles. They are one of Mexico’s most beloved and celebrated teams. A few dismal seasons and fans have been getting antsy.
Chivas de Guadalajara
Of course this does not justify or excuse such violent behavior towards the players. Fans in the U.K., Spain, Italy, etc. are just as fanatical about their teams and rivalries as the citizens of Mexico. However, it’s important to take into consideration the current political climate of Mexico. The government is more or less at war with drug cartels and the majority of common citizens suffer as a result. Violence and poverty are at all time highs. Gambling and betting on games is one way to break through difficult economic conditions during such turbulent times. I would be far from surprised if the shootings had direct correlation with someone losing large amounts of money on América games.
Soccer is also an escape. Watching, playing, breathing the sport is an opportunity to forget your troubles whether they are social, economic or just personal. You begin to invest yourself into your team and its players. It’s easy to get carried when you become so incredibly passionate; do I need to bring up the stereotypical soccer hooligan?
The 2008 film “Rudo Y Cursi” by Mexican filmmaker Carlos Cuarón shows the passion and pitfalls of soccer in Mexico. Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna star as two rival brothers who are lifted out of poverty by becoming star players in the Mexican First Division. They become entangled in the world of drugs and gambling that is ultimately their downfall. There’s a reason this is the third top grossing film of all in Mexico.
None of these factors excuse the actions taken by the shooters in Mexico City. However, when something of this nature occurs many of us just want to understand why. Understanding comes from obtaining knowledge and information. Get to know Mexico and the place of the beautiful game in its culture.
The heart of Argentinean soccer beats in the neighborhood of La Boca. Buried amidst a tangle of colorful Benito Quinquela Martin buildings is La Bombonera, a bastion of glory for millions of fans around the world and the home of Boca Juniors.
Over the past 104 years, Boca has risen to become one of the most storied clubs in soccer history. And they’ve racked up quite a few trophies along the way. Though most wouldn’t dare compare a South American squad to the upper echelon of European football, Boca has made the comparison necessary. The team is currently tied with AC Milan for most international titles in soccer history at 18 – the most impressive being its three world club titles.
Domestically, the squad has clutched 23 Argentine Primera Division championships, the last of which came in the 2008-09 season when the club won the Apertura. During the 2005-2006 season, Boca won the Apertura and Clausura trophies, giving them one of their most successful seasons in squad history. Los Xeneizes is second to only River Plate, 33, in domestic titles.
On the international scene, Boca has also claimed four Recopa Sudamericana crowns, the South American equivalent of the UEFA Super Cup, six Copa Libertadores and two Copa Sudamericana titles.
Beyond a stuffed trophy case, the team has churned out some of the top names in the game. Heading the list is the mercurial Diego Maradona. Arguably one of the best players of all time, Maradona joined Boca at the age of 21. Before making the move he scored 115 goals in 167 appearances for Argentinos Juniors. During his first stint with Boca, Maradona netted 28 goals in 40 appearances before leaving for Barcelona. After two years with Barca, he moved on to Napoli, where he enjoyed his most success – scoring 81 goals in 188 appearances over a seven year span. Also playing for Sevilla and Newell’s Old Boys, Maradona returned to Boca where he finished his club career.
Other former Los Xeneizes players include: Gabriel Batistuta, Carlos Tevez, Fernando Gago, Rodolfo Arruabarrena and Nicolas Burdisso.
Despite its storied past, the team has fallen on tough times recently. Finishing just 11th in the 2009 Apertura, the team is currently seventh in the Clausura. Martin Palermo led Boca with six goals during the Apertura and currently has a team-high three scores. The squad’s next match will be Feb. 14 at home against Atletico Tucuman.
It was a weekend full of surprises. Everton’s loss to a 10-man Liverpool squad saw the Reds through to 4th place, thanks to the toughness of Dirk Kuyt. Torres has been out and Gerrard might as well have taken the season off. It’s Kuyt who has carried the torch through these uncomfortable months.
Liverpool Manager Rafa Benitez has already made plans to take over at Juventus next season. Few thought that he’d leave Liverpool in top-4 standing, but it’s looking like he may actually get there.
For anyone unfamiliar with Champions League qualification, England’s top 4 clubs are included each year and Liverpool has long since been a favorite. If the Reds fail to qualify, they are almost sure to lose their star players. If the star players go, they’ll most likely be downgraded to a mid-table performer and face more serious troubles – a la Leeds of 10 years ago.
Great goalkeepers are like fine wines in that they only improve with age. No goalkeeper fits that bill better than the U.S.’s own Tim Howard. The 30-year-old keeper from New Jersey got his start in the game when former U-17 assistant coach Tim Mulqueen began to mentor him in his early teens. After successful highs school campaigns, Howard transitioned into the now defunct United Soccer Leagues playing for the New Jersey Imperials. Howard’s relationship with Mulqueen then came into play and his mentor brought the young keeper to the MLS MetroStars in 1998.
By 2001, Howard had won the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award and attracted the attention of the Senior U.S. International Team. After playing for the youth team in 1999, Howard earned his first official cap in 2002 in a friendly against Ecuador. However, it was a transfer in 2003 that made Howard a household name around the world.
English football giants Manchester United signed Howard and promptly placed him in the starting position. He had an impressive first season, but later struggled to meet the demands of the highly competitive English Premiership. After 45 appearances with Manchester United, Howard transferred to Everton in 2006. Since his debut he become Everton’s starting keeper and has even captained for the English club.
Howard has had a successful career abroad, but his recent performances with the U.S. National Team have made him the respected athlete he is today. In 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Howard helped lift hits team to a 2-1 victory over region rivals, Mexico. Under the leadership of coach Bob Bradley, Howard and the U.S. squad toppled number one-ranked Spain at the 2009 Confederations Cup. Eight saves led to a shutout against Spanish favorites, marking the first time Spain has been shutout since 2007. Howard’s talents were recognized by FIFA, who awarded him the Golden Glove Award for best goalkeeper.
The U.S. will have a tough first match in South Africa this year as the team gears up to face England. After a disappointing campaign in 2006, the U.S. is sure to want to leave a strong impression upon the international scene more in line with last year’s Confederations Cup. Will the U.S. make it into the knockout stages? Can they perhaps reach the final? Whatever the outcome, Howard is sure to play an integral part in it.
Legendary Manchester United striker Denis Law presented Wayne Rooney with the #10 jersey in 2007. At the time, few believed that the young striker would create a legacy of Law’s proportion. Well, he has. The Wayne Rooney era is underway.
With today’s 5-0 victory over Portsmouth, United push Chelsea out of first place. What’s more? Chelsea will have Arsenal to deal with before they can reclaim the top spot.
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We are a community of socially conscious people who care about one another and have the ability to create positive change in the world…and we love soccer! It all starts with each of us making our voices heard and spreading the message of ONELOVE.
Manchester City will be in prime position to leap into fourth place in the Premier League Saturday, as Wayne Bridge and Joleon Lescott will make their return to the line-up during the trip to Hull City.
Both players have been out of action for around two months after suffering knee injuries just one week apart. Bridge went down Dec. 5 against Chelsea and Lescott at Bolton Dec. 12. With the defenders sidelined, City won five of its last seven matches, but suffered key losses against Tottenham, 3-0, and Everton, 2-0. While Lescott will be on the bench to start the match, Bridge will be in the starting line-up. He and fellow defender Kolo Toure will attempt to clamp down on a Hull City attack that’s managed just 23 goals this season.
Roberto Mancini couldn’t have gotten the defensive duo back at a better time. With the next three matches coming against teams in the bottom half of the league, Mancini will have a chance to get Bridge and Lescott back into the swing of things before facing Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham in successive weeks. So far this season, City is 1-1-1 against the three, with a goal differential of minus 2.
If Mancini’s squad is to move up the league standings, it’ll need a bit of help this weekend. Currently sitting sixth – just a point behind Liverpool and two behind Spurs – City could jump into the top four with a win over Hull City and losses or draws by its two nearest competitors. The Reds will face Everton, a squad that’s gone 4-0-5 since losing its last match Nov. 29 to Liverpool. Meanwhile, Spurs will face Aston Villa and Gabriel Agbonlahor – who is coming off a two goal performance at Fulham.
Both squads will have their work cut out for them if they want to keep their place in the league and hold off a newly restocked City team. Manchester will get another boost as the newly acquired Patrick Vieira could make his long awaited debut.
MLS fans are already familiar with Honduran youngster Roger Espinoza. A staple of the Kansas City Wizards mid-field game, Espinoza is a Honduran native with American training. He is familiar with the college circuit, playing for both Yavapai College in Colorado and Ohio State University. Following his college career, Espinoza was drafted into the MLS. During his rookie year he managed to play 22 games, 12 of those as a starter.
Espinoza pressures Blanco/photo credit: Jonathan Daniel – Getty Images
Espinoza played his first game with the Honduran National Team in January of last year and has been a consistent part of the team since making his debut. He even scored the lone and winning goal for Honduras against Belize in the third place match at the UNCAF Nations Cup. Most recently, Espinoza scored the final goal in Honduras’ 3-1 win against the United States.
Even at the young age of 23, Epinoza has been able to provide both the Wizards and Honduran National Team with consistent, strong performances. While he may not make the scoresheet in all of Honduras’ games, he is an essential supporting player that may take international competitors by surprise.
In the shadow of the big three – England, Italy and Spain – the rest of Europe is quietly kicking around the pitch just hoping to be noticed.
Though most of the top players from France’s Ligue 1 and Germany’s Bundesliga eventually migrate to clubs in the big three, two of Europe’s more forgotten leagues are still churning out some great football.
Some of the best soccer being played in Europe right now can be found in France, where Bordeaux is looking to capture its second-straight Ligue 1 title. After ending Lyon’s seven year run atop the league standings last season, les Girondins are six points up on second place Montpellier – a squad that just last season was playing in Ligue 2. Led by Victor Hugo Montano’s seven goals, Montpellier is the feel-good-story of the soccer world; the only thing is, no one knows who they are.
Montpellier has a long way to go if it wants to knockoff the defending champions, though. In the pair’s first meeting this season, les Girondins took a 1-0 victory thanks to a Jussie score. The recently promoted team will look to prove it can hang with the big boys when the two teams face one another again March 6 at the Stade Jacques Chaban-Delmas.
Through 22 matches, Bordeaux is proving that it’s one of Europe’s heavy hitters. Boasting four players in the Castrol Index top 100 – including midfielders Yoann Gourcuff and Wendel, goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso and defender Marc Planus – les Girondins won’t easily give up on a second-straight championship.
Meanwhile, former giants Lyon are fourth after winning three-straight matches.
Currently in the German Bundesliga, it’s Bayer Leverkusen that’s causing headaches for the league’s best. After finishing ninth last season, Leverkusen is occupying the top spot – through 20 matches – ahead of German power Bayern Munich.
Winners of six of the last 10 league titles, Bayern Munich is trailing Leverkusen by two points in the most recent standings. The two teams played to a 1-1 draw back on Nov. 22, but they’ll meet again April 10 in what could be the match that decides the Bundesliga champion. Fielding four players in the Castrol top 20 – including defender Daniel van Buyten, forwards Mario Gomez and Ivica Olic and midfielder Arjen Robben – not to mention one of France’s top players in Franck Ribery, Bayern Munich might have too much firepower to be denied.
So remember, there’s more to soccer than just the Premier, La Liga and Serie A. In fact, if you look a little deeper you might just be surprised with what you find.
While there will be plenty of focus on South Africa, Ghana, and Cameroon heading into this summer, soccer fans should be sure to keep an eye on Nigeria’s new-found hero, Obafemi Martins.
Currently, Martins is a striker at German club Wolfsburg, but Premiership followers may remember his three-year stay with Newcastle United. In many ways, Martins’ time with United was less than ideal; he suffered a dead leg with internal bleeding, he missed several games to participate in the African Nations Cup and underwent hernia surgery. However, since his debut with Wolfsburg in late July, Martins has found the back of the net five times in just ten appearances.
Perhaps Martin’s club career isn’t awe inspiring, but his recent work with the Nigerian National Team has made him the toast of Nigeria. He has 16 goals in 27 appearances and even won the African Young Player of the Year award in 2003 and 2004. In fact, Nigeria will be competing this June in large part due to Martins and his ability to deliver results. Nigeria narrowly qualified, leaving the nation’s World Cup dreams in the hands of one final game against Kenya. Martins scored twice, the final goal coming as late as the 83rd minute. However, this brought Nigeria from behind to take the win and take the slot.
Nigeria will have to contend with the Argentine powerhouse and the skilled teams of both Greece and South Korea in their first round. Do you think that Nigeria has what it takes to progress into the next round, or is a defeat at the hands of Argentina sure to damage morale early on and see the team fail to make it into the knockout stages? Whatever the result, Martins is sure to play a key role.
Club America
Chivas de Guadalajara
