soccer

I thought, if we could just come together as a community, even if that just meant playing soccer together, that could be the beginning of something good. Coming together as a community, as a people, creates more power than exists when individuals are fighting each other for scraps. Soccer has always brought people together. Soccer was where I would begin.

Until you find where the goal post is, you shall only exert all your precious energy and ability shooting in the direction of goal kick without scoring any goal

You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.

Nightmare completed, another humiliating defeat. 10 goals in 2 game. It will take time to come out from such humiliating defeat for Brazilian fans. But I think when you like something, when you fall to someone, when you are in love, you like them whatever happens, even they give tears to you time to time because you liked it from your heart.

...I've spent the last fifteen years of my life railing against the game of soccer, an exercise that has been lauded as "the sport of the future" since 1977. Thankfully, that future dystopia has never come.

Whoever believes physical size and tests of speed or strength have anything to do with a soccer player's prowess is sorely mistaken. Just as mistaken as those who believe that IQ tests have anything to do with talent or that there is a relationship between penis size and sexual pleasure. Good soccer players need not to be titans sculpted by Michelangelo. In soccer, ability is much more important than shape, and in many cases skill is the art of turning limitations into virtues.

I read somewhere that spiders can spin silk strong enough to hold the weight of a thousand trucks. I tried to imagine those lines of silver, thinner than air, stronger than steel. Sometimes I think that a hundred webs, invisible gossamers, connect Gracie and me. They coat our bodies, tie our limbs together, link our hearts. They can stretch across cities, countries _ even anger. Unbreakable. I felt them that first time I watched her play soccer.She needed to win so badly. I watched a new Gracie crack out of her cocoon that day. Grey, moth-like, she seemed covered in a dust that let her take to the air. Fly. They__e beautiful things, moths, with their dark patterned wings hooking on wind to push them forward. You have to be careful with them, though. Brush them just lightly, and they can__ fly anymore.

The problem is politics is made a sport, almost as much a sport as football or baseball. When it comes to politics, adults and politicians do more finger-pointing and play more games than children ever do. Too often are we rooting for the pride of a team rather than the good of the nation.

My father used to say, 'If you want to know the artist, look at the art'. He was usually talking about Stanley Matthews or Don Bradman when he said it.

To be perfectly honest, if I had my way women wouldn__ even be allowed inside grounds, and I certainly believe that if a ground is sold out and a male of the species is locked outside, someone should go in, grab the nearest female and throw her out so that the bloke can have her seat.

Women__ football is crap. If it were any good people would go and watch it, but it isn__ and they don__. And, to be honest, I doubt they ever will.

[H]ow was I supposed to get excited about the oppression of females if they couldn't be trusted to stay upright during the final minutes of a desperately close promotion campaign?

[F]or the most part football these days is the opium of the people, not to speak of their crack cocaine. Its icon is the impeccably Tory, slavishly conformist Beckham. The Reds are no longer the Bolsheviks. Nobody serious about political change can shirk the fact that the game has to be abolished. And any political outfit that tried it on would have about as much chance of power as the chief executive of BP has in taking over from Oprah Winfrey.

Well we certainly don't want to see that kind of thing,_ admonished Jeff Stelling. __id it calm down?___o,_ shouted Kamara. __t got worse. The police were just getting involved when the chairman was hit by a pie thrown from the crowd.___as he injured?_ asked Stelling, struggling to suppress a giggle.__ don__ think so,_ laughed Kamara. __e sat down and started eating it!

I think you're a shit,_ said Keith sharply. __ think much of what you__e done this season is shit and I think what you've put everyone involved with this club through is shit. How__ that?

Oh really?_ said Mayes raising a mocking eyebrow which put Rob in mind of a poor man__ Roger Moore. __nd what on earth makes you think that you of all people would be allowed anywhere near our board meeting? Rob__ smile widened as he realised that he was about to have one of those golden bombshell moments of the type he__ been on the receiving end of all too frequently over the last few days. __ecause Mr. Mayes, I__ your new chairman.

Jane turned and looked at Rob who was still staring into space with a crazed look on his face. __re you listening to this?_ she said as she thumped him on the arm. Rob turned to her and broke into a broad grin. __istening to what?_ he laughed. ____ loaded. I don__ have to listen to anything!___es you do,_ said England calmly. __ou have to listen very carefully.

You see football isn__ just about 90 minutes, it__ about passion and, yes, if you like, about life. We men will do things under the umbrella of football fandom that we would never dream of doing in any other sphere of life, and within the pages that follow I will try and explain why.