Soccer Banter

F.C. Porto: My Club, My Passion

Futebol Clube do Porto has been in both my head and heart for as long as I can remember. A club steeped in history and tradition with nearly one hundred and twenty years of existence. A club whose jersey is unmistakably recognizable and a club whose supporters live and die with each kick of the ball. A club that I love, a club that my father loves, my brother loves, and a club I hope one day my son will grow to love as well. Continue Reading

To Sir, With Love

Following Manchester United’s treble-winning campaign in 1999, cameras were allowed unprecedented access to the club the following season. ‘Manchester United: Beyond the Promised Land’ is a largely forgettable documentary, the access-all-areas schtick providing little in the way of memorable moments. There is, however, one notable exception.
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Sky Blue FC Interviews

March 12th marked the start of the NWSL preseason with my team Sky Blue FC. Leading up to the last day, exactly a month later, every aspect was abnormal to a typical professional soccer preseason. From the weather... snow flurries, extreme wind, and freezing cold to sunny, 80 degree weather to finally an epic hailstorm to close out preseason. To the availability of players... our U.S. and Canadian national team players sporadically making appearances; our Mexican national team players finally arriving for the last week of preseason; to our Australian and college players slowly trickling into the New Jersey market. Continue Reading

Q&A with Kate Deines

Imagine reaching your life-long dream of being drafted to play professional soccer and then in the next minute the league folds and your dream is ruined? Welcome to Kate Deines. After leading the University of Washington to three NCAA tournament bids, including an Elite Eight appearance in 2010, Deines was chosen by the Atlanta Beat in the 2012 WPS draft. Unfortunately the league ceased operations soon after, but Deines continued playing. First, with the Seattle Sounders of the W-League and then with Stjarnan FC in Iceland. With the launch of NWSL, Deines will finally see her dream come true as she signed as a free agent with the Seattle Reign. Follow Deines on twitter: @katedeines

Soccer Banter: With WPS folding you had to wait an extra year, but as a kid playing soccer did you ever dream of playing professional soccer in America? Continue Reading

Off The Ball

1. In 1998 Michael Owen was able to accomplish the unthinkable – get a room full of Irishmen, in a Boston apartment to cheer for a player wearing the three lions shirt. Injuries have derailed his career and led to an early retirement, but there was a period of time when he was the best striker in the world. Continue Reading

SAF: The Art of Coaching

As his managerial journey comes to an end, it would not do Sir Alex Ferguson justice to write an article summarizing his strengths as a coach. There are so many to mention, they would be better suited to a book. Instead, I will focus on two key areas that I feel were essential to his reign at Manchester United and domination of English soccer for the past twenty years. I have chosen these specific skills because I believe they can be developed and are not a result of working with the best players or being exposed to the best facilities. Understanding Alex Ferguson’s methods of management can give us an indication of just what it takes to be successful in professional management. He has probably never had an easy day in all his time at Old Trafford. Dealing with superstars is just as much work as dealing with amateur players. But the more you look at his career, the more you realize it has never been about him. Instead, it has been about the players he has led and the impact he has had on them on and off the field. Continue Reading

YouTube of the Week

A goalkeeper nutmegs a forward. Yes, you read that correctly, but no words can describe how great it is to see Christoffer Kallqvist put the ball through Marcus Ekenberg's legs. Kallqvist, the starting goalkeeper for Hacken received a back pass in second half with score 0-0 against Mjallby and calmly nutmegs the onrushing Ekenberg before passing the ball to one of his teammates. Watch Clip

Bayern v Barca Preview

It’s a real shame Ruud van Nistelrooy matched up Europe’s two best sides when he picked one of the semifinal pairings of the UEFA Champions League two Fridays ago. Quite frankly, today’s matchup between Bayern Munich and Barcelona shouldn’t be a semifinal, it’s a matchup of Europe’s two best teams. The winner of this game should be crowned champion of Europe. Continue Reading

Q&A with Veronica Perez

Soccer can take you anywhere and Veronica Perez is living proof. She grew up playing in Northern California, became a star forward at the University of Washington, which led to her becoming a mainstay on the Mexico Women's National Team. Over the course of the last year she has featured for the Seattle Sounders in the W-League, helped Stjarnan FC to the Icelandic Women's Cup, and on Sunday will make her debut for Western New York Flash against Sky Blue FC in the opening weekend of the National Women's Soccer League. It hasn't always been so glorious for Perez, but through hard work and having ability, she is now living out her own dream on a soccer field every day of the week. Follow Perez on twitter: @VeronicaPerez17

Soccer Banter: Your first go round with professional soccer in America didn't end so well, with St Louis Athletica folding in your first year as a professional in 2010. Describe the struggles to continue to keep playing at a high level and improve your game in the absence of playing professional soccer in the United States the last few years? Continue Reading

January 2013 Archives

Quote of the Day

May 21, 2013

"If we want to make it better next season we have to hold on to our best assets and this is what I have been told from the top."

- Andre Villas-Boas

Soccer Banter Friends

Malia Crushes Cancer