EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL
Ahead of tonights big european final I’ve released this special Chelsea print of Juan Mata.
The Real Theater of Dreams
When talking about soccer, we all have a tendency to get a bit overwhelmed by transfer budgets, sponsorship contracts and wage allowances. The modern game is one dominated by a never-ending news cycle that’s difficult to avoid; one in which is cynicism has a certain inevitability. But while FIFA officials and fascist fans conspire to drag us down, soccer remains a children’s game; a fact that was made clear in Portland this afternoon.
Teaming up with the Make-A-Wish foundation, the Portland Timbers gave 8-year old Atticus Lane-Dupre, who was diagnosed with Cancer last fall, a moment in the spotlight. Alongside teammates from his local youth soccer side, the Green Machine, Atticus was invited to Jeld-Wen Field for a scrimmage in front of more than 3,000 fans against a group of select players from the Timbers starting eleven.
Backed by flares, signs and a variety of G-rated chants, the Green Machine took down the Timbers 9-8, with four goals coming by way of Atticus himself. Don’t let the television coverage or blogs fool you: the heart of soccer emanated from the Pacific Northwest today.
Check out the photos below and let me know whether it’s just me, or if AFR headquarters are especially dusty this afternoon. [Posted by Maxi]
Not one to plug my own articles on here often, but I reckon this is a worthy cause. I am in awe of the good work the coaches and staff have done into helping this group of people, who find joy through playing football and they could do with all the help they can get, especially as they are representing the nation.
If you have the time and can gather a few mates who want to play footy, why not form a team and take part in this tournament in aid of the Singapore Cerebral Palsy team? If not, it wouldn’t hurt to share this around too (:
Through Ryu’s Lens: Messi lifts Barça, PSG bows out
Fingernails were bitten, but the Camp Nou crowd saw their side edge another excellent performance from PSG. Barça were second best until Lionel Messi came on and despite playing at 60% or so due to an injury, the Argentine led the Catalans into the back of the net. Ryu was in Barcelona to see the mighty Zlatan go silent as Pedro stole the show.
[You can interact with Ryu on twitter @Toksuede and check his Flickr. Posted by Eric.]
Through Ryu’s Lens: Dortmund delivers a classic
Few gave Málaga a chance. And sure, they lost in the end, but what a fight they put up in Germany. The Andalusians climbed on top of the yellow wall, and silenced the 70,000 fans. The game was there for the taking, and Manuel Pellegrini’s side was absolutely defiant of any storylines that were supposedly set in stone. As they return to Iberia, they’ll be crushed. Dortmund rose to the occasion in the end, providing a comeback for the ages in the dying minutes, but it was a game that allowed us to see two teams competing at their very best. Ryu captured the full spectrum of emotions that both clubs experienced throughout the 90 minutes.
[You can interact with Ryu on twitter @Toksuede and check his Flickr. Posted by Eric.]
There’s bad luck. And then there is Greek striker bad luck.
Working at Opta must be pretty fun.
Congratulations to Leo Messi on winning his fourth consecutive World Player of the Year award! We’ve joined forces with illustrator Richard Swarbrick to celebrate this amazing achievement. Have a look!
