Play With Fun And Love it... It's Soccer

The Manchester United Shirt - A Short History

2009-04-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

Manchester United Football Club is a football club in England that currently plays in the "Top Flight" Premier League. The club has been managed by Sir Alex Ferguson since 1986 and are one of the most successful clubs in the world. They currently boast more than 300 million fans worldwide or one in twenty of the world's population. They are also the richest football club in the world valued at almost 900 million pounds. During the club's long and rich history, many notable players have worn the famous strip which can trace its origins back when Manchester United were known as Newton Heath Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Football Club.

When the club went under the Newton Heath moniker, the shirts were constructed of yellow and green panels - 1892), and looked a bit like a jockey's silks. Some additional colour schemes were also employed such as a red and white shirt (1892-1894) paired with blue shorts. This all changed in 1902 when the club changed its name to Manchester United, the club radically altered the kit colours to red shirts, white shorts and black socks. The red, white and black scheme has been used for the home strip ever since. The away strip is white jerseys, black shorts and white socks however different looks to this strip have existed. The most notorious of these was the all-grey strip employed in the 1995-1996 campaign. The club did not win a single game when sporting the grey shirts. The team were vociferous in their claims that the drab colour meant they had difficulty seeing their team-mates, hence passes were being sprayed all over the pitch! Another variation was the all-black kit used in 1994 and 2003. There is also a "Third Strip". This shirt which is not often used, is an homage to the kit worn when the club won the 1968 European Cup. The team has occasionally used the strips employed for training sessions in actual matches although this has been a rare occurance.

For home games this season, the shirt in use is the traditional red with some alterations such as the vertical white stripe running down the back. A patch with the words "The Red Devils" on a picture of the club's famous devil mascot is sewn onto to the bottom-left of the jersey. By contrast, the away shirt in use today is white with blue piping at the edges. It has red trim on the neck and the club emblem is on a white background on the left breast. The team logo is on a white shield on the left breast. The emblem has been altered through the years but was originally designed based on the crest of the City of Manchester. One day Matt Busby was watching a local rugby team in Salford and was impressed by their flair and adventure on the pitch. When he discovered their nickname was "The Red Devils" he decided to attach it to his Manchester United team.

Hopefully this article has given an informative insight into the history of the Manchester United Shirt, and should you be asked on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" for the colour scheme of the Newton Railways Club shirt, you won't need to phone a friend!

By Patrick Attlee

Patrick Attlee is a football / soccer fan writing extensively on the Beautiful Game. His main area of focus is on the histories of the big clubs in England. You can find out more about the Manchester United Shirt at => http://www.manchester-united-shirt.com

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English Football Premiership - The Run In

2009-04-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

What a strange season we've had so far in the English Premiership football. At the start of the season, teams were taking points off each other and there was no team laying claim to establishing themselves at the top and it was becoming almost impossible to predict how the season would pan out.

Even at the top of the table, we had the likes of Hull (in their first ever season in the premiership) in fourth place and the best team in the world, Man Utd in the bottom half. It was truly bizarre.

It wasn't really until December that things began settling down and we started to get an idea of how the top section of the table would pan out. Aston Villa were doing brilliantly, even having a great slice of luck. Liverpool were challenging for the title along with Chelsea and Manchester Utd finally had a great run of form and joined them. Everton began a great run that saw them rocket up the table to sixth, but the rest of the league continued taking points off each other, meaning relegation was a threat up to seventh place! Unheard of.

So, over the Christmas period and into the New Year, the top six of Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Villa and Everton began moving away from the rest. The bottom three continually changed, until West Brom decided they would like to stay at the bottom. Villa looked strong in fourth as Arsenal had a major injury crisis. Everton had their own injury crisis, playing several games without a recognised striker. It didn't hamper them as they remained unbeaten in 18 games, losing once only to a penalty to new world club champions, Man Utd.

In that period, it looked like Liverpool had lost their chance to take hold of the division as too many draws were costing them. Utd looked supreme, being several points ahead with games in hand over their nearest rivals.

However, all that was to change as a humiliating 4-1 defeat to second placed Liverpool at Old Trafford was followed by a 2-0 loss against Fulham. Liverpool then snuck a win in the last minute against Fulham themselves and they were two points clear at the top, although Utd had two games in hand. But it still looked like Liverpool would hold onto top place as the next day in Utd's game against Villa, they were losing 2-1 at home with just eleven minutes left. But Utd's class managed to overhaul that and win 3-2 thanks to a last minute goal by a seventeen year old Italian, to return to the top. Exciting stuff.

As the season approaches its climax, we are finally getting an idea of where many teams will finish. The current top four of Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal will likely remain that way. Neither Villa (5th) nor Everton (6th) have the resources to mount a serious challenge to break that elite group, although both will of course try. The battle for fifth will go to the wire, and I think Villa might just sneak it. The game at Villa Park in mid April maybe the decider for that.

Relegation wise, West Brom looked doomed. The other two clubs currently in the bottom three, Newcastle and Middlesboro, look like they have the strength to stay up, but of course there are still many over clubs that could yet get sucked in. Even though Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has taken the reigns at St James' Park as manager, I don't think this latest Messiah has what it takes to rescue this poor Newcastle team.

Mid table will be dominated by underachievers such as Spurs and Man City. Both have spent heavily, but neither have a strong team spirit. You only have to look at the likes of Jo to realise this. Bought by Man City for a cool £19 million last summer, he has struggled and so went out on loan to Everton for the remainder of the season. He wants now wants to stay at Everton rather than return to the cold team spirit of Man City. Whether Everton will be able to afford him is another matter. But it just goes to show, money cannot buy everything.

Of course, over achievers with the likes of Wigan and West Ham look set to finish strongly, but even they have to be careful to be pulled back into the relegation battle. A couple of losses there could see them in dangerous territory.

Many Premiership marketers claim that the Premiership is the best league in the world. Based on this season, they may be right, but in my opinion, there are only seven or eight good teams in it, the rest being a much of a muchness. The rest of the season will be interesting to watch, and finally we may see a great finish to a season.

By Richard Hull

Richard Hull is the site owner of Blargins' Injury Time a light hearted look at Everton FC and general football.

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The Best Domestic League in European Football (Soccer)

2009-04-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

There are many fine domestic leagues in Europe but only a handful of them are truly excellent. Spain, Italy and England's domestic football [soccer] leagues are all ahead of the pack, because of money, home grown talent, support and superior skill sets. But as far as the top league in Europe, I would have to Spain ahead of them all.

The reason I have the Spainish La Liga as the top domestic league in Europe is because of the high quality and quantity of soccer they show week after week. For example, you have Lionel Messi the top player in the world playing for Barcelona, Iker Casillas the top goalkeeper in football, Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto'o, Raul, David Villa, I could go on but you get the idea. And also besides Real Madrid, most of the Spanish teams have a considerable amount of "home grown" talent from Spain playing significant roles on their teams, or as substitutes, which is very tough to do while competing at such a high level.

Look at the English Premier League, it is very tough to find more then 3-4 English players on any of the top 4 teams. On the top 4 Italian teams in Serie A at least 6-7 starters are of Italian descent, which is similar to Spain's top 4 teams. This is another reason why I must put Spain's La Liga ahead of England. Another key as I said is not only the quality but the quantity, there are about 7 different teams in Spain that have a chance to win the League Title, unlike the leagues in England and Italy were the same top 3 or 4 clubs consistently win. Five different teams have won it in the last 15 years, and a team like Deportivo de La Coruña , has been 3rd three times, and 2nd four times, but on top of that the other teams that are usually competing every year for the title, are Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Villarreal and Seville. The teams in bold have all won La Liga title in the past 15 years.

By Matt Lostracco

http://thebesteuropeanfootball.blogspot.com/

I also have a blog about European Football [Soccer] and all the ins and outs of the major football [soccer] clubs Domestically and the Champions League/UEFA Cup, as well as World and European Cups when they come around every couple of years.

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Who is Next?

2009-04-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

Being a Manchester United supporter at the moment is highly stressful! We have had an amazing season thus far, no one can deny that we have scared every team in the premiership. At times we have looked impeccable, in all quarters of the field. The back four have been sublime even when without Neville and Ferdinand, Vidic has developed into arguably one of the best defenders in the world. Furthermore who can forget the contribution of Jonny Evans this season, a relatively inexperienced 21 year old. He played a key role along with Vidic and Van der Sar in going 14 games unbeaten without letting in a goal.

However its crunch time and the pressure is on. There's no doubt we are feeling the heat, our solid back four were unrecognisable against Aston Villa on the 5th of April. As a team we have wobbled ever since coming through against Inter in the Champions League, a game that could have gone either way. One would never put money against United not regaining composure, but the way in which we didn't hold on to the lead against Porto is another sign that the structure and assuredness has deserted Ferguson's men for the time being. Personally I think we have done enough to win the league and Porto will find it tough this week. What is troubling me is that next season could well be Fergie's last and I can't help thinking who the hell can replace him?

There's no doubt a good cluster of talented managers exist but to replace that aura Ferguson has built up over the years will be tough. It will take a couple of seasons for supporters and players to get used to the new environment. We need someone who is willing to stay long term, stamp their mark on the club and go from there. That's why for me the manager needs to be British, unless your Solskjaer or Cantona of course! Both Manchester United through and through. If our man is from the UK, being away from family wont become a factor. We all know having a run of new managers brings instability, teams under perform and spend season after season falling short of the trophies. Look no further than Chelsea, an array of world class players but have been lacking in solid leadership.

Furthermore the new manager will need to know what Manchester United is all about, bringing youth from the academy and an attitude of attack, attack, attack. Jose Mourhino's name is on many people's lips but his focus tends to lean on the defensive, making sure the back four are brilliant technically. This would not go down well at Old Trafford. If he came, there would undoubtedly be a honey moon period but the wheels would soon fall off when things get tricky. He is too much of a personality and when things get tough he can loose his cool, instead of focusing on the job in hand.

David Moyes has to be high on the list, apparently he is Ferguson's favourite to take over. What he has managed to do at Everton, out of minimum funds has to be applauded. Finishing in the top six in three of the past four seasons. He is a great manager, not flashy and knows how to get the best from his players. Then there's Martin O' Neill, another fantastic manager who enjoys building something from nothing. Focusing on bringing the youth through and showing belief in them by playing them in crucial games, similar to Fergie with Welbeck, Fabio and Rafael. Belief is what the youngsters need to propel them to the next level, look no further than Federico Macheda in the past week. Unfortunately O' Neill is doing so well at Aston Villa and still aiming to build on solid foundations, it should be difficult to prize him away.

Who can forget Mark Hughes, he played his best years under Ferguson and would probably love the job. You sense that this is the legacy Ferguson has left, he managed to keep the likes of Hughes, Bruce, Keane, Giggs, Scholes, Neville and Ferdinand at the club for years and in turn they love the club more than any supporter could. When retired those last four players will undoubtedly want to be involved with the club on some level, this promising to carry on where Fergie left off. In these terms the future doesn't look too bleak, we will always have a part of Alex.
Roy Keane, before Sunderland was one of my personal favourites but he seriously needs to learn how to build a relationship with his players. Fergie is firm and we all know who the boss is, Keane also has that steeliness but unfortunately he can come across as a scary depressive, doesn't do wonders for the confidence!

Solskjaer coaches the reserves team at the moment and will definitely be adding to what he has already learned from the man. For me it may too soon for him, a few more years as the understudy and he will be there. I can see him as a Queiroz type, the right hand man.

What made me fall in love with the club was the sense that something special was brewing, starting from the bottom and building an unbeatable club. Growing up I saw the same players play week in week out, Butt, Beckham, Irwin, Ferguson's teams have been more about building a generation rather than seeing players go in and out too often. His experience has taught him to think outside of the box, becoming a master away from the pitch also. In my eyes he bought Nani, Ronaldo's Portuguese team mate partly to keep the winger settled. Furthermore he can handle Rooney better than anyone and seems to have a huge influence on Ronaldo, managing to convince him not to sign for Real Madrid.

With departure looming Man United have a good crop of players who as far as I can see want to stay even beyond the Fergie days. For someone to ignite so much passion inside these players is great to watch. The amount of respect he has from everyone involved in the club is awesome to see, he is the heart beat of Old Trafford. That first game at home after he has gone is a day that will take the wind out of everyone's sails.

By Eryn Beynon

Something to think about if your a Manchester United fan.

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Coaching Kids' Soccer - How to Solve the Toughest Dilemma

2009-02-17T09:18:00.000-08:00

Inspiration; it can be one of the hardest issues to deal with when you are coaching kids soccer. Youth soccer coaches find it especially challenging to inspire, motivate, and build drive into youth soccer players. Coaching kids soccer with the right tactics can create the internal inspiration that can put players over the top. Putting in place a system that pushes players to play harder, run faster, be more aggressive than the other team will be a significant contributor to a team's success.

Inspiration and motivation can come in many flavors. What works for one player likely will not work for the rest. Many of us have had new players that had goals of just touching the ball five times in each half, to the extreme goal for super players of scoring at least one or two goals in each half of every game. Inspiration can be a great source of breeding consistency in coaching kids soccer.

How to inspire a soccer team may be a challenge for new coaches. It really just gets down to leveraging the basic personality characteristics of each player. Does that player want to "show up" his/her older sibling? Is the motivating factor to earn points, or skipping out on an endurance drill, or being in the starting line-up or a designated captain for the next game? While coaching kids soccer, it becomes important to determine what inspires each player. This should be a group effort by the coaching staff. Some basic characteristics of youth soccer players generally involve some of the ones mentioned previously, along with receiving certificates of accomplishment to post in their school locker or bedroom, being named a team captain and leading game or practice activities, setting personal or team records, other youth-oriented fascinations with receiving snacks after games or practices, and being able to play a position they aspire to, but haven't had the chance yet. After you've been coaching kids soccer for a few years, you learn that there are many traits that consistently run through youth soccer players that can be leveraged as inspiration to aspire to new heights.

Maybe most importantly, as inspiration is developed by youth soccer coaches, more and more benefits will emerge. Inspiration can lead to confidence. Confidence can lead to developing a team leader on the field. Team leaders can set an example and urge other players to follow suit and extend the extra effort that can win games. And winning games is a great source on encouragement for continuing in soccer in the future.

By Mark Raymond

Newer coaches usually seek out information on the best ways to inspire, motivate, and get the most of young soccer players. There is one website that has great soccer resources for coaches, such as free articles, videos, soccer field diagrams, teaching aids, downloadable soccer coaching books, and other documents. The site is dedicated to helping youth soccer coaches, and it is called Coach Mark Soccer Club. The site has free soccer strategies and soccer positioning information, roster templates, practice agendas, coaching checklists, and nearly everything required for coaching kids soccer.

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Who Invented the Game of Soccer?

2009-02-17T09:14:00.000-08:00

So, who invented the game of soccer actually? Well, the precise history and origin of football is still a very confusing debate. Some argue that it has around from 1000 BC of which its evidence was found in china. But even more primitive evidence has been discovered.

Kicking of the ball can be considered to exist as long the history of human entertainment. It can also be classified as one of the simplest games and enjoyment exercise. All that is required is something to kick with the foot which people may follow and take possession of. There might be something very addictive in the game because its traces can be found in almost all areas of the world and modern soccer also is played in almost all areas from Asia to Europe.

It is also not necessary to have a spherical object for kicking but anything which is large enough to be kicked though the kicking may not have uniform pattern and the path but still it can be played and enjoyed if one wills. And if looked with a little keenness, it can be deduced that it doesn't look possible to make a spherical shape for playing the game other than some naturally occurring ones.

The rules and types of playing the football were also different depending on the areas. Some areas may have a very differing style and rule method for playing football than others. So it could be said that the game was not a uniform one at all places. Everyone adapted what they preferred about the game and kept on playing on those rules for quite a long period.

In the middle of the nineteenth century, consideration was given to standardize the soccer game so that every place may have the same type of rules and regulations and may practice and play under same situations. The Cambridge laws were first introduced by the Cambridge University in 1848 for the very attempt to homogenize the sport of soccer.

In the 50s, many clubs within the UK were formed by non government and other people who made these clubs and played matches between themselves. Still different clubs had their own rules and regulations according to which they played the game. But these clubs and small rules can be said as the contributors in setting one body and universal rules.

In the year of 1863, an association by the name of Football Association was set and with only a few members and a single school which agreed to participate in the association, number of meetings was held between the month of October and December. These meetings proved successful and the first universally agreeable rules were laid down which can still be seen in action.

The rules were not liked by all of the clubs and many withdrew from it during a small period. One of the rules was to ban the carrying of the ball in the hand and tripping anyone with the legs. Both of these and some more were made illegal during the game. The aim of these rules were to make the game a fair and safe one for every player involved in it so that they may exit the ground with least amount of injuries and pains.

But still for some reason, many didn't like these rules and left the association. Despite all the hurdles, the first world class official match was held in the year of 1872. An international association was formed in 1904 by the name of Federation Internationale de Football Association commonly known as FIFA and after some time when the FIFA gained popularity, people also accepted it and it is still the main governing body for international football matches.

By Mirsad Hasic

Information about the Author: Hasic Mirsad is the webmaster of soccer training guide, which is a site that helps people learn how to play soccer.

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Brief History of Soccer

2009-02-17T09:12:00.000-08:00

The history of soccer can be said as old as recorded history. The game has been played in varying forms. A game resembling soccer was played by the ancient roman and had 27 players at each side. But the game was said to be so violent that most of the players had to be given medical treatment and suffered many injuries in which both major and minor types are included. Still not much record is available for sports related activities as historians at that time were not so interested in them.

Soccer also had to face difficulties in growing up as well. First it was not given too much attention and was played by people at a small scale. The 14th century also gave soccer some tuff time. King Edward passed laws against the soccer in the early 14th century. Anyone who was found playing soccer openly was imprisoned.

The king said that the game makes a lot of noise through the people watching it and also by the players playing the game. Though it may be said as a completely senseless decision but considering the time, too much noise may not be liked by the people or the kings at least.

But the game was living inside the people and they didn't seem to give up on the game. The game again saw a boom and public support from the start of the 19th century and again started to gain popularity among the masses. There was no official governing party so the game events were held by individual clubs and small group of people who were willing to keep the game alive.

But the games usually didn't seem to end peacefully. Some injuries could be seen during the game and some maybe after the game during some quarrellings between groups of people supporting different teams. Broken legs and busted heads could be heard and seen in the games and some minor injuries as well.

Still there was no official rule book for the sports. Later in the mid 19th centuries, many colleges and small groups started making their own rules and the matches arranged by them had to be played in accordance to their rules. But a little later, Cambridge University introduced some rules which were called Cambridge laws, were then followed by many groups and colleges and many matches had started to be played within those rules and regulations.

Then an association named Football Association was formed and only a single college and other small groups and people joined the association. In the year 1863, a number of meetings were held by this association and a few round of meetings between October and December 1863 proved successful and the first group of agreeable rules and regulations were decided. At first many groups decided to leave the association's governance because they were not happy with a number of laws.

One of these laws was that the ball cannot be carried by the player in the hand and tripping (known as hacking) was not allowed and was considered a foul and the opponents were given due advantage for the foul. These and some others were not preferred by some so they decided to leave.

But after some time, the football association was changed into Federation Internatinale de Football Association also known as (aka) FIFA in the early 20th century. The FIFA was also not given a welcoming hand at first but later people decided to accept it and the groups seeing this fame, joined it and this body is still governing the official matches held internationally and between clubs.

By Mirsad Hasic

Author: Hasic Mirsad is the creator of soccer training advisor, a site with lot of information on how to play soccer.

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Arsenal Transfer News - Does Arsenal Have As Much Money As They Claim?

2009-02-17T09:09:00.000-08:00

I have decided to write this little in the pretext to highlight the significance of the financial problems faced by Arsenal and had subsequently affect the team's performance.

Point: Arsenal's board lead by Peter Hill-Wood and Co has not kept their promise to hand Wenger and the fans the supposed budget to buy players.

30/08/2008: Hill-Wood says Arsenal have plenty of money to spend and that Wenger's critics should stop telling the Frenchman how to do his job. He said: Everyone tells Arsene how he ought to run the place but no-one is a better judge than him. We have plenty of money and enough to spend.

19/12/08: Arsenal's Board have made it clear that funds are available should he wish to spend them next month. Indeed, some reports have suggested that Wenger has been urged to splash the cash by the Club's hierarchy. At his pre-match press conference, the manager reiterated that HE has the final decision over potential reinforcements. "They [the Board] let me do what I want to do," said Wenger. "I know how much money I can spend and I will try to do it in a wise way."

23/12/08: Arsène Wenger admits he is more likely to enter the transfer market next month in the wake of Cesc Fabregas' knee injury. "Yes [I am more likely to buy], but we also have internal solutions so we are not desperate because of that," said Wenger.

02/01/09: Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood admits manager Arsene Wenger has a limited budget for the January market. "I don't think there is a lot of money anywhere," Hill-Wood said in the papers. "One has got to look ahead - in the future there is probably not going to be much more money coming in.

04/01/09: The Daily Mail reports that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is on a collision course with his higher-ups over the modest transfer budget he has been given this winter. The Frenchman is eager to sign Andrei Arshavin, but Zenit St Petersburg are demanding in excess of 20 million Euros for their star forward - a figure the Gunners have thus far been unable to match.

The North London club have always maintained that they will back Wenger to the hilt in the transfer market, although that claim has rarely been tested due to the gaffer's low-budget, youth-oriented approach. But now that the ex-Monaco boss has set his sights on a big-money target, the Emirates board are unwilling to free up the funds required to seal the deal. This is is not the first report of friction between Wenger and his bosses to emerge this season. Indeed, it is has been whispered that the 59-year-old could break his contract with Arsenal to join Real Madrid next summer. That remains the remotest of remote possibilities, but if the Gunners fail to secure Champions League qualification this term - they currently sit fifth in the Premier League table - their long-serving manager could consider his options.

May we know where are the 50 million pounds that the board has promised us? Where are the support that was supposedly promised to Wenger, now that we want a player?

By Abayomi Aje

If you liked this article, then I invite you to visit my football/soccer site at http://soccerfanbase.com for more football discussion and chat with other football/soccer fans like yourself plus you would have a chance to win wonderful football prizes playing our fantasy football and prediction league.

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Agility Skills - What Each Soccer Position Should Work On

2009-02-17T09:05:00.000-08:00

Do you love the thrill of a good soccer game? Do you love watching the pros and wish that you could join them some day? If you are a soccer fan and you love to play soccer, then you know that it takes a lot of hard work to become a successful player. Like any sport, whether you are talking about football, basketball, baseball, or soccer, working on the necessary skills and agility is what it takes to become great. Any athlete cannot expect to succeed if they don't give their game of choice 100 percent each and every day, including when they are not at practices. You cannot expect to do well unless you practice at every chance you get. So, you know you love soccer and you want to do better-how do you go about doing it?

A good soccer player, whether you are talking about a child or a pro, must practice. It is just the facts. Knowing how to play the game is simply not enough. A good soccer player must be able to work with their team and coach well and should also possess good agility skills. Agility is very important in soccer. Watch a soccer game sometimes and see how the best soccer players have the ability to turn on a dime, kick the ball from every direction and stay moving up and down the field. It takes a huge amount of coordination and agility to pull it off. Here are some things that you can do when you want to increase your agility when you play soccer.

Practice with the ball: When you want to better your soccer game, you must work with the ball. This means that you should work with the team and by yourself. You can practice soccer when you are at home alone, too. Take the ball and work on dribbling around tight corners. Set up cones or other obstacles that will allow you to run and dribbling the ball in tight spaces. This will improve your coordination while you are playing the game. Also, you should learn how to juggle the ball. Start off slowly and work your way up. You can dribble on your thighs, knees and even your chest. A good soccer player can master juggling on the head. Sounds hard, but it is a great way to improve agility. You can also practice kicking the ball. Kick it up against the wall and learn how to kick it using the right speeds and angles.

Stretching: Stretching your body can also improve your agility. Take some time before each game and practice by stretching. Lunges are great for soccer. You will need strong leg muscles and you should have the ability to go in low for the ball. All of your muscles are used in soccer, so make sure they are in the top condition. In addition, remember that stretching is also important so that you do not tear a muscle during the game. If you end up tearing a muscle and find yourself sitting on the benches during a game, you are not doing your team a bit of good. Get out there and stretch and stay in good physical condition.

Take care of your body: Of course you will also need to stay in good shape when you want to have agility. Eat right and drink plenty of fluids. That will go a long way in keeping you body in shape and will make you a better player. Get out there and practice other aspects of playing soccer, such as running and weight lifting.

By Eric Bau

http://www.BehindTheGoalLine.com

Eric Bau

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Fun Soccer Drills - Quality Drills Your Team Will Love

2009-02-17T09:04:00.000-08:00

I have been coaching soccer drills for various age groups for about 4 years now. Along the way I have watched over other training sessions of other age groups, and while watching a few, I found that a minority of the coaches did not seem to have any fun soccer drills. This was particularly noticeable with the more unexperienced coaches.

Some coaches go from training U16's to training U10's, and this is a whole new ball game. Teenagers, who are serious about soccer, are more professional, and you can bond with them... While on the other hand kids just want to have play and have fun, therefore the need to implement fun soccer drills in important.

My point is that coaches need to assess the age group they are training, and plan their fun soccer drills according to the age group. With adults or teenagers you can have serious fun, while with kids, you have to have playful fun. The point of soccer drills is to teach your players a situation that may arise in a match. Below is some fun soccer drills you can use at your next practice.

Dribbling Drill Race

Put 2 sets of 10 cones in a row, about 5 feet apart. Divide your team into 2 groups (If you have 20 players you will have 10 players in a group each). The groups must stand behind the set of cones each. The first person from each group will dribble the ball in between the cones to the last cone and back. Once the player is back to where he started, he or she will tag the second player, and the second player will dribble the ball in between the cones there and back, and so on. The team where all players have dribbled the there and back, are the winners. Below is a basic diagram of setting the cones up.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - Group 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - Group 2

Soccer Volleyball

This is easy to setup and the players love it. Take cones and set up the basic outline of a volleyball court. Make a few courts depending on how many players you have. Make teams of 3 players. The server starts by heading the ball to the other team. The other team has 3 touches (one per player) to get the ball on to the other side of the court, with letting the ball touch the ground, and vice versa. If the ball goes out of bounds or touches the ground, the other team gains 1 point. Below is the basic setup of the court.

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By Ry Van Buuren

Fun soccer drills will have your players coming back to training, and loving it. Most of soccer players lives are spent practising so make it fun. You will end up having fun as well. Fun Soccer Drills is a great site for learning new tips and a great resource for coaches. Click here to get access to 250 award winning soccer drills.

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Youth Soccer Drills and Skills

2009-02-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

Youth Soccer is the fastest growing sport in the US.

First, family fitness activities are a great way to get healthy together. Not only does playing as a family allow you to connect and spend time together after a hectic day, it may prevent obesity, improve heart health and put good habits in place that will last a lifetime.

Youth soccer is another ideal way for kids to get active and stay fit. One of the best youth soccer products out there is the
youth soccer drills and skills aid Kikball. If you haven't heard about it, you soon will, as it's been gaining momentum for the last ten years.

How it works: the Kikball has a sturdy elastic that attaches to your ankle, so it will quickly bounce back to you. You can kick or hit it against your knees or head again and again, but it won't bounce away from you (this also saves having to climb the fence into the neighbors yard to retrieve a soccer ball)!

Soccer Kids can practice goalie shots, curve shots and all types of soccer kicks, and since the soccer ball is super lightweight and bouncy, you can practice series of repetitions without ever losing the ball. If your child plays youth soccer, it's a great way to practice in between games. Also, unlike the majority of sports equipment or children's toys out there, the Kikball will only set you back $29.95 - parents everywhere are definitely liking the price tag!

What parents and children seem to like best about the Kikball is that it's easy for all ages, unlike many other kids' sports or activities that require a high level of athletic skill. There are many children who don't fall into the "athlete" category, making it frustrating for those who aren't basketball stars or skilled with a hockey puck. The Kikball makes youth soccer simple, and is an essential piece of soccer equipment for any child. While school physical education programs may give your kids a good start, they aren't enough to combat hours of TV watching, eating too much junk food and not getting enough exercise.

Another problem with kids' fitness activities or sports is that children often become bored easily, and don't stick with them - any parent who has a dusty pair of skates on their garage shelf or a rarely used ballet leotard in their kids' closet will agree!

That's what makes the Kikball unique - there are so many ways to have fun with it, so it will keep kids busy and engaged time after time.

The bottom line is, get your kids having fun in sports like youth soccer, and the commitment to a healthy lifestyle will follow. Kids don't want to be involved in a fitness program if it becomes routine and boring. So come up with some ways to have fun with soccer equipment like the Kick ball, and enjoy staying in shape together!

By Gerry Jersic

Youth Soccer Drills & Skills Aids.

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Old Trafford - Manchester United's Theatre of Dreams

2009-02-17T08:58:00.000-08:00

Old Trafford Football Ground is located at - Sir Matt Busby Way, Old Trafford, Manchester. Sir Matt Busby Way was created in 1993, and was formerly known as Warwick Road North.

The ground's nickname is the Theatre Of Dreams.

Old Trafford has been Manchester United's home since 1910, with the exception of an eight-year period from 1941 to 1949, when it was bombed in the second world war. During that period United played their 'home' games at the ground of their rivals, Manchester City - at a financial cost of course. They had to pay City for the privilege consisting of a flat fee, and a gate percentage.

Old Trafford's current capacity is over 76,000. It's hoped that in time it will expand even further to 90,000 with greater capacity in the South Stand.

The ground has frequently hosted FA Cup semi-final matches as a neutral venue and several England international fixtures while the new Wembley Stadium was under construction. Before Wembley Stadium was built in 1923 the FA Cup Finals were played around the country, with Old Trafford hosting several of these.

Manchester United were formerly called Newton Heath, but it was decided in 1909 to build a new stadium. Designed by Scottish architect Archibald Leitch, the ground featured seating in the south stand under cover, while the remaining three stands were uncovered terraces.

In 1965 the old roof pillars were replaced with modern-style cantilevering on top of the roof, allowing all spectators a completely unobstructed view. This was an important step, as the World Cup was to be staged in the UK in the following year, 1966. Old Trafford was one of the venues used for the tournament.

By the 1980's the capacity had dropped to around 60,000 due to all the improvements in the ground. The capacity dropped still further in 1990, when the Taylor Report recommended, for safety reasons, and with the Government's agreement, that all stadia be converted to all-seaters.

Old Trafford's most recent expansion, which took place between July 2005 and May 2006, saw an increase of around 8,000 seats with the addition of second tiers to both the north-west and north-east sections of the ground.

Further redevelopments saw United buy up additional land round about.

The Old Trafford pitch is now surrounded by four covered all-seater stands, officially known as the North, East, South and West Stands. The West End is the 'Stretford End' where the diehard, most vocal, United fans sit.

On 29 May 2008, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Manchester United's first European Cup title, a statue of the club's old stars of George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton, entitled "The United Trinity", was unveiled across Sir Matt Busby Way from the East Stand.

The ground continues to break attendance records. The newer Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal FC, has a lower capacity, just over 60,000. Only one football ground has a higher capacity than the Theatre of Dreams, and that's at the new Wembley Stadium in London.

Manchester United supporters have an insatiable appetite for watching their team play. It seems that however big the ground gets, the seats will almost always be filled. That's what success on the pitch does for this wonderful game, and this glorious team that is Manchester United.

By Geoff Cummings

Geoff Cummings maintains a blog at http://manunitedis1.blogspot.com - where updates on Manchester United`s fortunes are provided. Geoff also owns the site at http://www.ourhometools.com

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Interesting Facts About Soccer Fields

2009-02-17T08:52:00.000-08:00

Since soccer is probably the most popular team ball game in the world, some one would think that all the rules and regulations for this sport would have been formed and know from the beginning, or at least that there would be some definite rules, universally accepted and applied. This is partially true, since when it comes to terms like out, goal kick, foul, etc, we all understand the same exact thing. However there is an interesting detail when it comes to the length and size of the field.

The size of the field, when soccer was first introduced, was not defined and even the layout could be different even within the same country, which practically meant that someone could play in a field of 80yards and someone else in a 100yards. This fact was not only weird but also unfair for the players, so the first Association of Soccer, founded by the British in the 19th century, introduced the first guidelines for the appropriate length, and years later FIFA established the rules and exist currently.

Even now though the existing rules permit some kind of variation when it comes to size : the field has to be rectangular ( this rule cannot change and does not underlie to any kind of variation ), the length cannot be less than 100 yards (90 m), and no bigger than 130 (120 m) and its breadth cannot be less than 50 (45 m), and no more than 100 yards (90 m) . For international games this is a little more limited: length cannot be more than 120 yards (110 m) nor less than 110 yards (100 m), and the breadth not more than 80 yards (75 m)nor less than 70 yards (64 m).

In any case though, the length must always exceed the breadth. In modern soccer though rarely can someone see that big variations, so more or less all fields have approximately the same size without reaching the maximum suggested and allowed. The size though has to be reduced when it comes to women soccer or to fields allocated for players under the age of 16 or those with disabilities.

Except for the outer lines size there are rules that apply to the inner lines of the soccer field as well. According to those, the field is separated by a central line, which has the exact same distance from the each of the width end. There is always a circle, located at the middle of this line and its diameter has to be 10 yards.

Goal posts are placed at the middle of each pitch width and have to be 24 feet wide and 8 feet high and they are surrounded by two rectangular boxes: the bigger one, called penalty box since every foul in this area leads to penalty kick, is 18 yards wide and 44 long.

The small box, called protection area, is 6 yards wide and long. One more interesting rule about the size of the interior lines of the field is that around the corner ends there is a flag set in a circle of 1 yard (.914m) diameter - this is where the corner kick takes place.

There are many researches and analysis about the soccer field length; most of them converge at the point that larger fields are more suitable for players with better stamina and those speedy ones who tend to kick the ball forward and run, making it hard for defenders, while the smaller ones are and allow more touches and bigger fun (that is why recreational and not professional ones are usually smaller).

In a larger field players have to run more which can affect their game play since they can be easily worn out and end up playing with long kicks and make the game boring and degenerated. Longer and bigger fields demand a better coordination and coverage between the lines from the teams, otherwise the opponents have better chance to organize their game and reach the goalposts becoming dangerous.

By Mirsad Hasic

Information about the Author: Hasic Mirsad is the webmaster of soccer training guide, which is a site that helps people learn how to play soccer.

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Inter - The Best Team in Milan

2009-02-17T08:50:00.000-08:00

Inter Milan have always been top of their game, but they have stiff competition from the black and red half of the city. Inter Milan football shirts are probably seen more infrequently than their red neighbours, but don't tell that to their fans.

They currently sit top of Series A and by a few points which buffers them from their fiercest rivals just below. And with the upcoming Milan derby only around the corner someone is not going to have to wait long to light the touch paper and I expect a hard fought contest.

The Inter Milan manager needs no introduction, the self proclaimed 'special one' Jose Mourinho is a man that thrives on derby day pressure having guided Chelsea to a vast amount of success he plans to do the same with Inter Milan. If Mourinho could have his name on the back of an Inter Milan football shirt, he would. And I'm sure shirt sales would sore even more if that was the case.

He will have a tough test with an AC Milan side looking to bring him back down to earth and close the gap on the leaders Inter. Mourinho has already won the Italian super cup and only fool would bet against him claiming Inter Milan's fourth Scudetto in a row.

Whatever the outcome it is one that will surely not be missed by many Italians let alone the rest of the football mad world, one thing is for sure it won't be a bore draw. But without question 'magnifico'.

By Thomas Baugh

There's more information on the Inter Milan football shirts and much more about the club at World Football Shirts.

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The Importance of Offering First Aid Training to Soccer Players

2009-02-17T08:48:00.000-08:00

Soccer is a very physical game involving lots of running with sudden stops; a ball traveling long distances at incredible velocities and plenty of chances for violent collisions. Though, as a whole, soccer is a very safe sport to participate in, any activity with similar game play can lead to a multitude of minor injuries and potentially even some more severe ones.

There are many factors that can increase the chances of injury - like players not having warmed up properly, wet or slippery field conditions, players not paying attention or players and coaches simply ignoring the rules of safety.

Any time that there is an increased chance for a participant in any activity to become injured it's important that someone on staff be properly trained in administering first aid, in a sport that's as active and competitive as soccer, it's important that everyone be trained in first aid in a case where multiple injuries may occur and coaches or staff need assistance in caring for the injured players.

Here are some of the common injuries associated with the sport of soccer, many of which can be tended to with basic first aid principals and training.

Sprains
Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries associated with the sport of soccer. High speed running with quick and frequent stops and angular cuts is almost a recipe for a sprained ankle.

Muscle strains and Pulls
These can come from players who haven't warmed up properly, from attempting an uncommon or unusually high kick or from losing ones footing on a slippery playing field. Strains and pulls, depending upon severity can be excruciatingly painful.

Concussions
In addition to the feet, soccer players are allowed to play the ball with their heads. A ball traveling at a high rate of speed and covering forty or so yards of playing field and impacting a players head can do a bit more than just have the player seeing stars momentarily. Also when two players go up for a ball in the air, the chances increase for an accidental head but, which is also a good chance for a concussion.

Cramps
Muscle cramps are common in any sport where a good deal of running takes place, and although they aren't very serious the pain associated can be reasonably high from the onset through the time the cramp has run its course.

The aforementioned list comprises the most common injuries that occur on the soccer field, few of which are very serious and even less of which are life threatening. The most serious injuries listed above are the concussion and the ankle sprain, both of which will most likely require the player who suffers them to miss a few games, but unless either is unusually severe the player would likely be back on the field in a week to ten days. Proper first aid training will help to identify the signs of each of the injuries listed above and let the proper course of treatment begin to be followed - whether it be ice, massage, elevation or stabilization.

Just like in any sport where there is potential for impact, there is a chance that some more serious injuries will occur on the soccer field. Any time two players collide at high speed or a misplaced kick from one player makes contact with another there is a chance for things like broken bones or deep lacerations to occur.

In the event a situation like this should occur, the players who are properly trained in first aid can begin to administer immediate care while waiting for emergency personnel to respond. If immediate action isn't taken in one of these more serious injury situations, a more permanent injury could potentially occur. First aid training will teach players how to properly stop bleeding, how to administer CPR and how to tend to individuals who may be in shock from the severe pain of suffering broken bones.

A team may play twenty games in a season without a single injury occurring, but if even one injury occurs on the field, the proper first aid training can make a world of difference in a positive outcome to the situation.

By Amy Nutt

You will find First Aid Training Toronto community and you require customized programs to meet the specific needs of diverse groups for CPR Courses or CPR Training visit us.

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Two Great Fun Soccer Drills For Kids!

2009-02-17T08:46:00.000-08:00

Coming up with fun soccer drills for kids is easier said than done. One mistake many coaches make is taking a group of young children and throwing then straight into shooting for goal and header drills before they've even begun to master some of the basic fundamentals such as working in a tight space, passing, dribbling and receiving.

The key to keeping a group of kids in a happy frame of mind is to take the boredom out of the training. Shooting and heading the ball constantly will soon become laborious and for maintaining enthusiasm, developing soccer drills for kids revolves around instilling some competitive nature into their training.

Fun Soccer Drills For Kids

Let's take a look at a couple of soccer drills for children which incorporate some competitiveness but also combines teaching some basic skills such as dribbling, passing and balance.

- Drills where you pit one player against two or more are a great way to develop both the balance of a young player and their competitive nature. Ideally, for inexperienced players, putting two players are against four is preferred.

- Simply place the larger number of players around a made up perimeter of about 30 feet and then put the two other players in the middle.

- The larger group will then pass the ball to each other while the other two will be attempting to "rob" them of the ball. When one of the outside players surrenders the ball to one of the inside players they then swap positions.

The biggest benefits with this soccer drill is it teaches the kids to work in a tight space and not overwork the ball as well work as a team.

One On One Drill

This is another fun soccer drill for kids as it really gets the competitve juices going. No kid likes to look second best and when they are up against just one other opponent they generally want to win to not only impress the coach but also mom or dad who might be looking on not to mention gaining bragging rights.

- One player is the attacker and the other the defender

- Designate a space for them to work in but not too large

- The attacking player must try and pass a point(a line in the sand) using dribbling techniques

- If he succeeds he is award a number of points but if he doesn't then the defender gets the points

Set up best out of five drills and to take it a step further, you could introduce a round robin where the last two standing get to square off in a final

By Tanner Hemingway

Get The latest fun soccer drills for kids that will help develop your child's skill levels. You'll find the best free soccer drills and tips to take your kids soccer skills to the next level!

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The New Football Fans Are Only Supporters - Commitment is Optional

2009-02-17T08:43:00.000-08:00

There is one word that characterises everything that is undermining the beautiful game - money - we knew that even before Abramovich bought the Premier League title for Chelsea - but the rot is going deeper, much deeper and threatens to destroy the soul of the game. Why? The fans are different now and without "fans", let's not forget that is short for fanatic, a sterility and remoteness becomes part of the fabric of football - but football cannot survive as sterile and bland. It needs passion, commitment and it needs that affinity between the fans and their club, their team. That is disappearing.

Notice the title of this piece says "supporters" - because yes, the clubs have their "supporters", they have their armchairs, the pub screens and wear the new logo shirt and some of them go to games - probably more occasionally than frequently. They demand the club of their choice spends to bring success; they are quick to boo and complain when player performances do not meet expectation and they look around the ground waiting for someone else to start the singing yet bemoan the lack of atmosphere in the stadiums. They preface conversations with "a long time (insert name of club) fan" as they feel the need to earn credibility and make up for the fact that in reality they have only seen a few live matches in the last decade.

The reason is they feel no real affinity with the club or players - and the same can be said of the badge kissers on the pitch whose temporary stay with a club based hundreds, maybe thousands of miles from their place of birth is a money accumulating exercise rather than genuine pride in representing a club, its tradition and its fans.

Of course genuine fans do exist; they feel each game, pain or pleasure, win or lose, they shout, they sing and follow their team far and wide.

They get their team's football players photos, signed shirts and display them with genuine pride. But they are declining in numbers as the spiralling costs of being a football supporter make it available to only those who consider football as just another option upon which to spend their large disposable income; who think nothing of missing games when they interfere with family or social life.

For real fans football is their lives and football needs these fans, the discretionary spending power of the uncommitted supporter is not a business model to rely on - therein lies the problem, football has become business and it is losing loyal customers.

By Lewis Legend

http://www.fantasticphotos.tv/index.php

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How to Maintain Your Football Team's Fan List

2009-02-17T08:41:00.000-08:00

The postman carries as much mail back as he delivers. What is amazing, is how same organisations continue to send mail to the same address even when they receive bundles of it back. What does that tell us about such an organisation? They do not understand the dynamics of society. They do not understand that a list needs maintenance. All they are doing in the meantime is to enrich the post.

The following steps could go a long way in keeping your football club's fan list clean, current, accurate and relevant:

1. A list becomes outdated as soon as it is compiled

True, a list becomes outdated as soon as it is compiled. I have lived in flats before and I have witnessed movement hardly seen in other areas. Every month end tenants come and others go. But those that have gone generated mail and no sooner had they started receiving it than they moved on. People change jobs and others pass on. All these factors point to a need to continuously maintain your mailing list. If you do not do so they will be a lot of wastage.

2. Incomplete Data

Lists are often characterised by mistakes and incomplete data. Some people for one reason or another can never write information correctly or fully. Check out for this and try to correct it in order to avoid wastage.

3. Duplication

Scan your lists for duplication of fans. It is very irritating to some people and wasteful to your football club to send out the same information to one person several times. Clean the list and get rid of duplicate data.

One way you can sniff out this data is to filter similar names with a bit of variance and check to see whether the address is the same.

4. Segment your list

Your information and marketing will be most relevant and will receive the desired objective if it is sent to only the relevant people. For example you have a football match in Pretoria and you want to market it to your fans directly, it would be most fruitful to only appeal to those who can economically and geographically make it to Pretoria. It would be very wasteful to communicate with an unemployed fan based in Port Elizabeth (1,500km away). This person can not geographically and economically make it for this match, however much he loves the club.

5. Grow your list

It is very critical for your marketing team to use every working moment to grow your club's fan list. Every unregistered fan that they come across in one way or the other should be registered and communication initiated.

This helps in growing your fan base and the stronger the relationship you grow with these fans the more they act as fan evangelists and recruit new fans for your team.

Success in the business of football is about getting the business of fans right. When this happens all other factors can easily fall into place. To get the business of fans correct, you must know them by name and create a relationship with them. It is therefore imperative to work on your fan lists aggressively.

By Robert K Sebbale

Give your football club a chance to succeed beyond your wildest dreams. Fans are the corner stone of football business success, but they are the most ignored. We can help you change this for your benefit and the benefit of your club. Visit our website and learn more about how to grow your fan base, football marketing and fan relationship management: http://www.footballmarketing.biz

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Quick and Easy Soccer Training Tips

2009-02-17T08:36:00.000-08:00

Soccer training tips can help you to become a better player regardless of how old you are. It is important to be open to new experiences and trying new moves in order to improve as a player. Even professional players get advice and tips from others every once in a while. Being open to tips like the ones found below can help you learn more from someone else in a few minutes then you could learn by yourself over the course of a few years.

Communicate Well

Learning how to communicate effectively will serve you well in life as well as the soccer field, and is one of the easiest soccer training tips to remember. On the field, it is important to know how to correctly communicate with your team members. If you can't communicate as a team, then how can you be expected to work together and succeed as a team?

Be open and ready to receive the ball at all times. Look for signs of communication from other players, so that you know where the ball will be going before it is even passed. Truly amazing plays can be accomplished between team members who know how to communicate with each other.

Learn How to Freeze a Defender

Learning how to freeze a defender in their tracks is an extremely useful tip that you can put into action. This tip will cause the defender coming after you to be stopped in their tracks for a second or two, allowing you the time you need to maneuver around them with the ball.

To freeze a defender, act like you are going for a long kick or shot right before they get to you. If you do this correctly, they will either freeze to see what you are going to do next, or they will turn to one side or another in order to stop your fake motion.

Get New Tricks from Older Players

You may not be able to teach an old dog a new trick, but they sure can teach you some. One of the best soccer training tips is to play a few games with some older players. The guys have been in the game a lot longer than you, and you would be surprised at the tips and tricks that you can pick up on in only a couple of hours.

Slow it Down

Soccer is a fast paced game, but that doesn't mean that you always have to go a mile a minute. One of the most useful soccer training tips is to slow down. A lot of players make the mistake of rushing their movements, which in turn causes them to lose the ball or miss a shot. Slow down your actions and take a split second to thing before passing to a teammate or making a shot. You will be surprised by how much more accurate your motions are.

Soccer training tips are for everyone, not just new players. No matter how old you are, or how long you have been playing the game, you have the ability to improve and learn tips and tricks from others.

By Thomas Karapatsos

Could your child be the next David Beckham?

Soccer Mastermind is a little community that is packed with soccer training tips and soccer coaching tips.

Make sure to bookmark this site as it will be running competitions and free give aways for kids.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Karapatsos

Manchester United Pile on the Pressure

2009-01-20T08:17:00.000-08:00

With their impressive win against Chelsea, the title is surely going to remain at the theatre of dreams. In possibly the penultimate season of Sir Alex Fergerson managerial career, he will look to equal Liverpool's record in the English Top Football decision. With 17 league championships Man U are only 1 behind current League leaders Liverpool who have 18.

This is going to be the most challenging season for Manchester United. With Liverpool intent on dropping points to Stoke, Fulham and Tottenham they will be smarting from losing their poll position they have worked so hard to obtain. Chelsea look like a spent force, unless there is a dramatic turnaround in the fortunes of big Phil at Stamford Bridge, he is next on my firing list after Tony Adams and Mark Hughes.

The way Chelsea turned out in the second half proved to be their undoing. Instead of keeping it tight, he brought on the sulk - Anelka. Yes, they went down to a sloppy goal from a corner, but Phil has to take the share in the blame for the way Man U cut them open 2 more times after the break.

Jose said it well in a interview. "I saw Chelsea before the match, during half time and after the match." What he meant was they did not turn up to play football at the theatre of dreams. Maybe it was all a dream and Man United didn't score 3 goals past the hapless keeper.

Well Man U have a chance to close the gap to Liverpool and get 2nd place tonight against Wigan. I see a 4-0 win to Man. United. Ronaldo will be fantastic and score a hat trick!

By Ryan Sharp

Read about noo mobile.

Make cheap calls to France, Australia, China, India, USA 07744.

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Agility Skills - What Each Soccer Position Should Work On

2009-01-20T07:50:00.000-08:00

By Eric Bau

http://www.BehindTheGoalLine.com

Eric Bau

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Manchester United Vs Wigan Title

2009-01-20T07:48:00.000-08:00

Manchester United enters 2nd week of Jan facing tough competition from Wigan Athletic. Rooney scores the first goal giving the team a 1-0 lead.

Wednesday's game is the first of the Red Devils' games in hand and a win on Wednesday followed by another on Saturday at Bolton Wanderers could see Sir Alex Ferguson's men top the Premier League table by the time Liverpool are next in action.

Sometimes it seems that only the intervention of the proverbial men in white coats can stop modern English football's original mad genius. With the Champions League final looming in Moscow on 21 May, he seems unstoppable. Having beaten Chelsea to the title on the final day of the season, Ferguson proclaimed that his team had the edge for the game in nine days' time.

If Cristiano Ronaldo wanted a lesson in the respect this game can confer on a man, then he would do well to look at Giggs as the Portuguese prepares for another summer in which his name will be batted around by the biggest clubs in Europe. Ronaldo scored the penalty that set United on their way yesterday, his 41st goal of an incredible season, but we did not see the best of him.

Manchester United last meeting with Wigan in October at Old Trafford ended as a one-sided affair, with a brace by Ronaldo giving United a comfortable 4-0 victory.

There was a cost to the Red Devils as Rooney is now facing a spell on the sidelines with a hamstring injury that forced him off not long after his ninth goal of the season.

But provided the damage is not too extensive, the Red Devils will not worry, especially if they beat Bolton at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday to take top spot.

By Jim Hea

http://www.awesomeandhot.com Awesome Videos, Hot Destination.

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English Premier League - Manchester United on a Rampage

2009-01-20T07:43:00.000-08:00

The win takes Man U past Chelsea at second place and is only two pints behind Liverpool. The Red's next game will be a Merseyside derby with Everton but the match shall be played on Monday, giving United the chane to overtake the leaders as they go to the Reebok Stadium to face Bolton Wanderers this coming Saturday.

After beating Chelsea Football club 3-0 in one of last Sunday football results, United played one of their matches they have on hand and finally recorded the win after Wayne Rooney scored in a tap in from a Cristiano Ronaldo assist at the first minute. Wigan tried to look for the tying goal throughout the match but failed to breakdown the United defense which surprisingly, held its own despite the absence of central defender Rio Ferdinand who continues to suffer from a back injury, defender Wes Brown who still has two weeks to go before he gets back to the side after ankle surgery and left back Patrice Evra, who suffered a foot injury right after the match against Chelsea and has been ruled out of future United games for three weeks. He actually injured his foot when he delivered the cross that Rooney turned into a goal. It was such an unfortunate stroke of luck for Evra who just returned to the side after being suspended for four games for his participation in an incident after a match against Chelsea last April.

It shall be a big loss for Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United Football Club's title aspirations as in form striker Rooney might possibly join the list of injured players. He suffered a hamstring injury during last night's game and could possibly be missing in action for three weeks. He scored the winnning goal but imped out of the game moments later and Carlos Tevez was sent in for Rooney's place. Ferguson hopes though that Ronaldo's recovery from surgery and his recent triumph as FIFA's Word Player of The Year shall be enough for the winger to continue his progress and be the dominant player like he was during the last season.

The controversial Tevez can benefit from Rooney's expected absence as he shall fill up the other striker's position in partnership with Dimitar Berbatov. Recent reports in English papers have said that the South American striker is unsettled and wishes to leave United. But Tevez personally debunked these reports himself and insists that United manager Ferguson has not talked to him or his agent to start contract negotiations. Tevez joined Manchester from West Ham United on a two year loan that is due to expire this summer. And he desperately wants to make the move permanent.

Wigan gave a good account of themselves during the match. Emile Heskey and Wilson Palacios were constantly pressing for opportunities. Wigan manager Steve Bruce's prized find Amir Zaki was kept quiet by the United defense. The loss however did not affect Wigan's place in the team standings as they are still in seventh place.

By Peri Witny

Catch English soccer results at ScoresPro.com/soccer.

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Lionel Messi

2009-01-20T07:39:00.000-08:00

First, to understand Messi, one must understand his background. Born in the industrial town of Rosario, Argentina, Messi was placed in a world where only a few escaped. Luckily though he had a talent, which was imbued with a strength of character that comes with living in a sometimes harsh developing country.

By the age of five he was dribbling a football with the poise and assurity of a fifteen year old, however one thing was amiss, his size. Diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency Messi was told that if he didn't get the proper medical attention he'd be lucky to reach five foot. Something had to be done.

With his father's aid young Lionel was able to secure a trial at FC Barcelona, Within five minutes of playing he had impressed the coaches present so much, he was almost instantly offered a contract on the spot. Furthermore they provided the medical treatment that Messi desperately needed.

Fast forward six years and ''Leo'' was now playing regularly in the first time alongside Ronaldinho, who he more often than not, upstaged with his willingness to take on the man and make darting runs behind the defense. His eye-catching runs drew comparisons to those of Diego Maradona's and people were questioning whether after a long line of heralded ''New Maradonas'', this one would be the real deal.

Lionel is now 21 and has already been voted the second best player in the world twice in row, missing out on the coveted top spot due to unfortunate injuries and team-mate incompetence. Nevertheless his reputation as the only player of the last 20 years possibly capable of surpassing Maradona and Pele remains firmly intact.

Genius is hard to define, but it's oh so easy to notice.

By Cian Mccarthy

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Interesting Facts About Soccer Fields

2008-11-21T09:40:00.000-08:00

By Mirsad Hasic

Information about the Author: Hasic Mirsad is the webmaster of soccer training guide, which is a site that helps people learn how to play soccer.

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