Category: Soccer

Soccer. It is a beautiful game. Fans love it without breaking a sweat. Because watching soccer is almost as good as playing soccer. Fans get involved in the passion of the game, exulting triumph in a victorious game and crying if the supported club lost. No other sports have that kind of passion in an arena.

An Introduction to Soccer

Soccer can be played in the streets as a simple recreation. In fact, the world’s greatest talents of soccer came from the streets. It is played with a ball, and uses the feet for control. Hands cannot be used during the game (except for goalkeepers) but the rest of the body can be.

Though it can be played on the streets for recreation, the ultimate spirit of soccer lies within the 100 plus meters tall football stadiums. It is where the passion of the game is mostly felt. The cacophony of cheering, shouts, cries, and pans, tubs, bottles and everything else being banged on metal railings are there to entice the players to perform well.

The Legends of Soccer

The game of soccer has its own renowned masters since the conception of the game. Of them all, Pel is considered the best, or Maradona as some would claim. Whoever is the best among them, the line dividing the other’s greatness is so slim that even after a decade (or decades in Pel’s case) people are still unsure who deserves the title as the -Greatest Footballer of All Time-. Ultimately the title was formally shared between the two greats, but for most soccer fans only the name of Pel was added with the title.

Pel was Brazilian and Maradona was an Argentine. Both are equally skilled, Pel with finesse and Maradona is with raw skill and strength. Both had an equal charisma to lead an entire team and both had the presence that dominated entire matches.

Of all the players actively playing today, Ronaldo is the primary candidate for the title of the best. Equally skilled like the former legends, Ronaldo possesses the raw power, strength, stamina and the innate ability to score. Just how he does it is simply amazing. That’s why he is called the -Phenomenon’. Like Pel, Ronaldo is Brazilian.

The World Cup

The World Cup is the organized play of soccer, and the governing body is FIFA (hence it is called FIFA World Cup). The World Cup is a world soccer championship of all the teams in the world. This championship takes place in a 4-year cycle and the winner is awarded the FIFA World Cup Title. The host country for FIFA World Cup 2006 is Germany who won the right to host the event last June 10, 2000. This is an important world sports event, aside from hosting the best tournament for the best sport, it also attracts tourist, encourages business deals and promotes prestige.

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Soccer is one of the fastest growing youth sports in the United States. The growth in the number of soccer players expands exponentially every year. This rapid growth of players far outstrips the number of coaches. Each year, clubs and organizations persuade parents who have never played to coach a youth team. Where does the parent start to learn how to coach a soccer team? Here is a parent’s primer to coaching kids soccer.

Kids as a rule love to play soccer. Everyone on the field is involved in playing the game. When kids play a baseball game, chances are that the player in right field never gets a ball hit to him. In soccer, there is no right field everyone on the field is involved in the match. Soccer is a game that involves running, is fast and provides opportunities for every level of player.

The parent coach has been in existence for many years in youth soccer. The necessity of utilizing parents who may never have played soccer as coaches has led to the publishing of a plethora of coaching manuals. Some are excellent some are mediocre. The United States Soccer Federation has published one of the best manuals for the parent coach. The fundamentals of the game are explained. Drills and exercises for any age group are provided. Players are usually divided into two year age groups. Youth leagues are generally arranged in Under 6,8,10 and 12 year old age groups. Most leagues play girls and boys in the same league when they are younger.

Under 6 players should be taught the basics of soccer. How to kick the ball, how to control it when it comes to them and how to run with the ball (dribble) are all that the players are truly able to learn. The mental concept of play is “It’s my ball and I’m going to play with it” is what drives a U-6 player. U-6 matches are often the ball rolling around the field with most if not all of the players on the field chasing it in a group.

Under 8 players are really advanced U-6’s many players in U-8 leagues are just starting out playing and have not been introduced to the fundamentals of the game. Once again the basics are stressed. Kicking and trapping the ball using both feet, dribbling the ball with both feet should be stressed. It is easier to teach the player at a young age to use both feet than it is at an older age. U-8 games can sometimes resemble the “bumblebee” games of the U-6 age group but the players as they get older will gain more of an idea of playing a position.

U-10 players (8 and 9 year olds) are more mentally mature and physically coordinated. This is a natural aspect of growth. The U-10’s are ready for more challenging practices and more advanced ball control techniques. When the matches are played the maturity of the U-10 player surfaces. Players actually develop the concept of playing in a position and balls are passed, sometimes successfully to a teammate. The more mature psychology and physiology allow matches to actually resemble a “real” soccer match.

At the U-12 level, tactics of play can be introduced to the players. The players are now old enough to comprehend the actual tactics and utilize them during the match. More complex ball skills should continue to be introduced in practice and these skills will be developed adequately enough to be utilized during a match. Players at this age enjoy being provided with set plays for use during the match. These set plays are generally utilized during restarts in the match. The tactical play of these athletes expands and provides an enjoyable experience for both the players and the parents in the stand.

Soccer is often described as both a beautiful game and a simple game. The pure enjoyment of running on the field provides aerobic exercise for the youth player. Practices are generally looked forward to and matches provide the necessary competition for the youth. The parent coach should provide practices that are active, challenging and enjoyable for the player. The parent coaches educating themselves as to what drills and exercises will provide these goals for the player can only accomplish this.

An England World Cup preparation wouldnt be complete without one of its star players suffering from a metatarsal fracture, only weeks before the start of the tournament! David Beckham was the first victim of the much dreaded injury in 2002, and in 2006, Wayne Rooney topped most of the newspapers with the same injury. This time, it was John Terrys turn, or so we feared.

Thankfully things werent as bad as they originally seemed, and John Terry will still be present in South Africa, leading Englands defence.

So what exactly is a broken metatarsal and why do we seem to hear so much about it these days more than we ever have done in the past?

Before we identify why, lets take a closer look at the metatarsal bones first.

The bones between the ankle and the toes are called the metatarsal bones. The first metatarsal is located on the inside of the foot, and connects the ankle with the big toe, whereas the fifth metatarsal bone is located on the outside of the foot and connects the ankle with the little toe.

The two main functions of the feet are to propel and to support. The metatarsals play a major role in these two functions. By acting like a rigid lever to aid propulsion, they manage to increase our efficiency whilst walking or running. Additionally, they act like a flexible structure to aid and support balance to cope with uneven ground.

The second, third and fourth and fifth metatarsal bones are usually injured as a result of a prolonged period of overuse, creating something we call a stress fracture. A stress fracture is an incomplete fracture in the bone. It could be described as a very small sliver or crack in the bone. These types of fractures are also known as hairline fractures. These kinds of fractures are common with athletes, soldiers, and ballet dancers.

Another common cause for metatarsal fractures is direct trauma i.e. a direct kick to the sole of the opponents boot. This typically affects the first metatarsal bone.

One of the reason why the foot is so susceptible to fractures is that is very few muscles and fat protecting the foot from any impact.

The initial therapy with a broken metatarsal bone is to rest it, absolutely no exercise for 4 to 8 weeks. The recovery time of the injury is determined by the extent of the damage and which of the five metatarsal bones is affected.
Walking boots or shoes with very stiff soles may be advised for the player to wear in order to protect the fracture while it heals. If the fracture was caused by overuse and not by direct trauma, the athletes training habits, equipment and running technique should all be investigated and possibly adapted.

Putting a time scale on the recovery of a stress fracture is very difficult as the following examples of recovery times show. Michael Owen, broke his fifth metatarsal in 2006, was predicted to return in 6 to 8 weeks, but finally made his return 17 weeks later. Steven Gerrard broke his fifth metatarsal in 2004, again was predicted to return to football 6 to 8 weeks later, but eventually returned after 10 weeks. David Beckham broke his second metatarsal in 2002, was predicted to return 6 weeks later, and stepped back on the pitch after 7. David Nugent broke his fifth metatarsal in 2006, and returned 6 weeks later. He claims that his speedy recovery all came down to drinking lots of milk!

Dr Mark S. Myerson, M.D. a renowned expert in foot and ankle reconstruction at the Mercy Medical centre in Baltimore, Maryland, United States thinks that one the reasons for these fractures in Football players is the fact that many football players are bowed legged and have a chronically unstable or loose ankles. This puts an abnormal amount of strain on especially the fifth metatarsal, increasing the chance of a stress fracture.

Other suggestions explaining why we tend to see more metatarsal fractures these days than we have in the past included: an increase in the number of games played at the top level, an increase in training intensity, or even the training that a lot of teams do on artificial surfaces, which has a higher impact on the body.

Additionally, the pitches seem to be a bit harder these days than what they used to be due to their drainage. Grass pitches are often sand-based to improve drainage. The watering of these pitches increases their speed, but does not improve their hardness.

Players themselves are fitter, faster and stronger than they used to be. Again, this increases the forces that feet have to deal with.
Finally, some specialists argue that todays boots are lighter and less supportive and protective than they were in the past.

If you have finally spent the money on puma soccer cleats, no doubt you want to make sure you make them last for a long time. These cleats are quite the investment, and you don’t want to have to spend that kind of money every couple months. The great news is that there are some things you can do to make these cleats last longer. Here are some great tips for prolonging the life of the cleats when you buy them.

First of all, when you purchase puma soccer cleats, if you want them to last for a long time, you need to break them in. This should be done before you actually play a game. Soaking them in water that is lukewarm can help, as can jogging in them or even wearing them while you are warming up for practice.

There are a variety of things you can do after a game to make your puma soccer cleats last a whole lot longer as well. When you finish your game, make sure you take off the cleats gently. Undo the laces before taking them off so you won’t stretch out the shoes. Make sure you knock off all dirt you can, and then use a cloth or brush to get the rest of the dirt off the shoes.

When you are not wearing your puma soccer cleats, ball up newspaper and put them in the cleats. This way they will keep their shape. The newspaper also helps to absorb moisture that is in the shoes from your feet sweating in them. Make sure they dry out, but don’t put them in the sun, since the heat could make them crack and grow stiff.

For leather puma soccer cleats, you’ll have to use special leather moisturizer to keep the leather moist. This keeps the leather nice and soft so your feet will be comfortable while you are wearing the shoes. You should also polish the cleats as well so you keep them looking nice and they don’t get all discolored from the grass when you are playing soccer.

You don’t have to purchase puma soccer cleats over and over again. If you know how to take care of them, you can make them last a long time. Keep these tips in mind and use them, and you’ll definitely prolong the life of your cleats.

Learning how to become a better soccer player is fun, but there is so much to know! However, the best thing to do is to continue to learn as you go, and remember that practice makes perfect. This article will help you with some great advice for taking your game up a notch.

Avoid assuming that you are no longer in play after passing the ball. Follow the teammate you passed to, and attempt to put yourself in a position to help. If your teammate is a good player, he will know when to pass the ball back to you if he gets into trouble.

To make the transition from receiving the ball to directing it more fluid, don’t trap or stop the ball completely. Instead, as the ball approaches, aim to make contact with the top or middle of the ball then tap it in the direction you want it to go and continue to maneuver down the field.

It is against the rules to use any part of your hands or arms, from shoulder to fingertips, to control a soccer ball that is in play. You can use your feet, knees, thighs, stomach, chest and head. Be careful though. A head shot can hurt and you cannot control the ball well with your knees.

The Outside Elastico is a simple beginner move. This strategy can assist you in cutting inside quickly whenever defenders are approaching you. To practice, start by grabbing a cone, bag, or shoe and then placing it on the ground. Your starting position should be about five paces behind the marker. Start dribbling to it. As you get closer to the cone, tap the ball outside then tap it in quick motion back to the inner part. Outside touching is the move that fools opponents. Know that you need to make the second touch larger than the one you did first.

Don’t be the soccer mom who makes all the other parents cringe and all of your child’s teammates ridicule him or her at school. Support the decisions of the referee and do not shout instructions from the sidelines or run out onto the playing field to consult with the ref or instruct your child.

All the practice drills in the world won’t help your game if you lack the physical endurance to play the entire match. Develop a jogging or cardio program that will allow you to build your stamina. You will find it easier to execute on the field when you aren’t exhausted.

Use your whole foot when playing. When you’re dribbling fast, you will most likely be using the front and instep of your foot. In order to get better, you have to know how to use each side of both of your feet. No matter what direction defensive pressure is on, this techniques serves to cut your ball away from it.

Well, do you feel like you could become the next David Beckham? Take things one step at a time by utilizing the advice that has been given to you. Surely, you will fare just fine if you put the time and effort into your sport. It’s a fun, fun game to play!

The author is a New York City soccer fanatic who enjoys writing on soccer topics and giving advice on soccer goalies.