The Goalkeeper and the Void by Martz Azparren
Featuring the words of Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida, The Goalkeeper and the
Void was a Jury winning film at the 2011 Machinima Expo, and primarily uses footage from
the video game Pro Evolution Soccer (Winning Eleven).
Why does Germany wear green? The Ireland myth and the truth.
After dropping a few hints over the past few months, Adidas released the new Germany away kit
that will be used throughout EURO 2012. It's green. Really, really green. Like you, we've seen a
German flag before and could not find a trace of green on it.
The World Wildlife Fund wants Messi to wear a Real Madrid jersey for a day
If I supported Real Madrid, I'd be pumping up my bike tires as I type this. In an effort to
spread awareness for Earth Hour, which is an hour of "uniting people to protect the planet", the
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has celebrities teaming up with the organization to help spread awareness
of Earth Hour and promote sustainable habits.
By Richard Nash
2012 will see the inaugural Premier League Soccer competition take place in India. It follows in
the footsteps of the hugely successful Indian Premier League cricket competition which began in
2008 and has now run for four seasons.
#AupaMirandes (Come on Mirandés!)
Miracle is the word that comes to mind as Mirandes go to Bilbao in the second leg of the Copa
del Rey semi-final. Marcelo Bielsa's Athletic Bilbao won 2-1 at Mirandes' Estadio Anduva last week,
and the odds are overwhelming leaning towards them to reach the final, where they'll play Barcelona
or Valencia.
Stylish and Educational! 3nil's Onside/Offside Shirt.
Imagine a perfectly timed run from the far side. Ozil slips Benzema in, which is followed by a
cool finish to the far post. But there's something wrong; the assistant referee has raised his flag
and the goal doesn't stand.
The Italian fans of AC Savoia know how to support their team
AC Savoia play 5 leagues below Serie A, but they don't care one bit do they? In an age where the
ever-prominent feeling of entitlement seeps into modern football, I say bravo Savoia!
Time-Lapse Camp Nou
Egoi Suso Rius decided that capturing a match, in its entirety, at the Camp Nou would be
something special. It's been done before, but not in 110 seconds. Egoi chose to film the Barçelona
vs. Osasuna match in January and the results are fantastic. Set to musical stylings of "Sonata
No.
By Eric Beard
Today, along with his wife Lindsay, Bob Bradley joined the thousands of mourners in Cairo's
Sphinx Square to express his sympathy to the victims and families affected by the clash between
rival fans of Al-Ahly and Al-Masry in the Egyptian city of Port Said.
""Football can go to hell if this is the situation.""
-
Those were the words of Al-Ahly's star player Mohamed Aboutrika in the
wake of the tragedy in Port Said, calling for the Egyptian league to be suspended indefinitely.
"Crowds are dying in front of us, and there aren't any police or security forces,"
he said.
How did Seven Nation Army take over Italy?
It's probably the most indie sports anthem ever, but if anyone was following the 2006 World Cup
then they remember the simple, ever-so-catchy bassline of The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army. It
ended up dominating the whole world of sports, but it became the beloved song of the Italian fans
and players.
Erlan Mealla's Bolivian wondergoal
If you knew who Erlan Mealla was before seeing this, well, I simply don't believe you. The words
"must see" have lost their meaning over the years, but this is must see for anyone that can
appreciate a tremendous goal. It comes from the Bolivian Campeonato Clausura, and Erlan, a
23-year-old Nacional Potosi striker, scored a 20-yard scorpion kick that ended up being the
match-winner against their opponents who go by "The Strongest" No, really.
As we enter February, the shortest month of the year (let me be the first to remind you that
this year February has 29 days), Valencia's coaching staff must think this is some kind of sick
joke. 8 games in 29 days. It's been done before, of course. But not quite like this. To start the
month, Valencia host Barcelona at the Mestalla in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.
Pretty much. Unless you're a QPR fan, nothing worth knowing went down. Though fake stories,
false sightings of players on trains to [insert your city], and "Carlos Tevez to Aston Villa!!!"
twitter hoaxes were in abundance. If you are interested, that's fine. Our friends at The World's
Game summed up today's events succinctly enough.
Deaf Football in Great Britain
I'm well-aware of blind football, but deaf football is something that has been completely off
my radar.
Deaf Football in Great Britain has a very proud and strong history, dating back to 1871, a
history that is virtually unknown to the majority of the followers of football in Britain.
Messi and Tevez beating Maradona in Soccer Tennis
It doesn't exactly solve the "Who's better?" debate, but it's certainly a nice Friday Flashback.
There's nothing like seeing El Diego put the old boots on and duel with the best. With Enzo as his
partner, Maradona took on Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez.
Vintage Comic: Casillas wants to battle!
With the Spanish press doing their best to verbally abuse José Mourinho and a generally
overwhelming vibe ahead of tonight's Clásico at Camp Nou, we thought we would lighten the mood
with one of Jon Horner's vintage comics that dates back to the World Cup.
Poland's 58,000 seat chocolate national stadium. That's right.
If you're hungry, look away. Poland's new national stadium in Warsaw will host the opening match
of EURO 2012 (only 134 days away!), along with two other group stage matches, a quarterfinal, and a
semifinal.
The Top 100 Goals of 2011
2012 is flourishing, but it's not too late to look back on the best goals from last year. Messi
is on the list. Ronaldo too. But you already knew that. Some brilliant golazos you might not have
seen are on here too.
Highly recommended hidden gems: Hernán Barcos' exquisite dribbling for
Liga de Quito (#94), Nikica Jelavic's bicycle kick for Rangers (#91), Julio Gómez with another
bicycle in the U-17 World Cup (#87), Pa Modou Kah coming out of nowhere with a thunderbolt of a
strike (#62), Gualberto Mojica's one-two to back of the net strike (#55), Lisandro López's
textbook bicycle kick for Arsenal de Sarandi (#21), and Cleiton Xavier's surreal touch for Metalist
Kharkiv (#10).
Eye-tracking Technology at Stamford Bridge?
The final product will be much, much smoother, but technology company Technicolor released what
they called a "Personalized Content Renderer". It was on show at CES (Consumer Electronics Show)
and this clip of a Premier League match at Stamford Bridge displays what Technicolor have in
store.
By David Walker
The January transfer window is often a frenzied time with chairmen, managers and agents battling
against the clock to secure new players. As a result, many players who move during this period
often do so at over-inflated transfer fees and are hit-or-miss in terms of success.
"Me, You, and Jason Euell" by Patrick Cullinan
Shot on the way to, from, and at Port Vale vs AFC Wimbledon in England's League 2 this past
Saturday, the 14th of January, this film captures the sights and sounds of a typical football
awayday.
Beyond the style of the short film in itself, we also love that Patrick Cullinan is an avid
reader of AFR (not to mention an excellent contributor to the Off The Post podcast).
Kids day at the Amsterdam Arena
After a KNVB cup match between Ajax and AZ Alkmaar was suspended because a fan ran on to the
pitch and attacked AZ's keeper, Ajax were able to replay the match, but with one caveat: only kids
(and a few supervisors) would be allowed into the Amsterdam Arena.
Kicks, Kicks, Kicks
No, they're not for sale. *hint hint nudge nudge, Nike* Actually, Nike doesn't even sponsor most
of these clubs, but nevertheless the idea of owning such imposing FC Barcelona or Inter Milan Nike
Dunks is far too mouthwatering.
Shunsuke Nakamura's still got it.
Oh yes he does. Though he's fallen off of our radar a bit since moving to the J.League and
playing for the Yokohama F. Marinos, Shunsuke Nakamura couldn't help but show us that he still is
one of the best freekick takers in the game. Of course, the circumstances were a little strange,
but the class is undeniable.
Through Ryu's Lens - French Division 1 (Women) - Lyon vs Montpellier, Plaine de Jeux de
Gerland
In his first assignment of 2012, Ryu Voelkel found himself in welcome, yet relatively foreign
territory as he shot the women's football match between Lyon and Montpellier.
Freestyle in Rio
If my imagination could expand just a little bit more, then this video is everything I would
expect from a Brazilian freestyle futebol video. Beautiful Brazilian scenery and skills filled with
high swank to spare. There are incomprehensible skills that simply give off an abstract aura of
athleticism.
Infographic - Diversity in the Premier League
It's difficult to "rank" diversity per se, but that's exactly what was attempted in Visual News'
infographic. Race and ethnicity has been far too prevalent an issue this season in the Premier
League for anyone's liking, but it's something that cannot be ignored.
O Grande Jogo (The Big Game)
Os grandes jogos / The big games
1958 - Suécia [sweden]
1962 - Chile
1970 - México
1994 - Estados Unidos [United States]
2002 - Japão/Coreia do Sul [Japan/South Korea]
We all know that Brazilians are proud to have won the World Cup five times.
No one kicks the football like the one, Zlatan, Zlatan!
No explanation necessary. Even though it's six years old, this (ahem... "Who's Da Man?" by
"Elias featuring Frans") remains the undisputed best Swedish reggae tune about Zlatan
Ee-bra-heem-oh-vic to have ever been recorded.
By Mark Burke
Editor's Note: Mark is an ex-professional footballer who played at Aston Villa,
Wolverhampton, and Middlesbrough in the late 80s/early 90s, as well as abroad in Holland, Japan,
Romania, and Sweden. He provides deep, unique insight into the game and its surrounding business
and tactics.
The Ajax Experience x Sid Lee Architecture
Aside from my unwillingness to experience an angry pre-match speech from Frank de Boer, the new
Ajax Experience museum is one of the freshest things I've seen.
The city is completely related to its club: Amsterdam is Ajax, Ajax is Amsterdam.
Leo. The Best. 3x.
24 years old. An ego that is pushed far beneath an incomparable will to win. 5 feet, 6 inches of
skill and athleticism. The players, the media, and the coaches have spoken. Lionel Messi is, for
the third time, the FIFA World Player of the Year. With so many years left in his career, it's
mystifying.
By Ulysse Pasquier
Anyone who follows football knows the amount of emotion that the sport can bring in a split
second. From total despair to intense euphoria, every fan is ought to have experienced his fair
share of hair-raising moments. What happened at the Emirates yesterday however transcended all
these feelings.
Villarreal's tiki-taka exhibition
15 passes in about 20 seconds? Barcelona may have mastered the art of tiki-taka, short one and
two-touch passing (normally formed in shifting triangles created by three footballers), but
Villarreal showed us this past weekend against Valencia that the likes of Borja Valero are on to
you, Xavi.
The Return of Arsenal's King
"It was like a dream when he scored. It was the story you would tell a kid. It is not often like
that in our game." - Arsene Wenger
It's hard to add to Arsene's description of Thierry Henry's return to the Emirates.
Infographic - If Premier League clubs were countries
Chances are, your beloved Premier League club has accumulated a decent amount of wealth. Instead
of comparing Aston Villa to Werder Bremen or Liverpool to PSG, this infographic puts things into a
completely new perspective.
Keeping Neymar at Santos meant compromising all female football?
Europe's giants were getting ready to fight over the signing of the Neymar, the 18-year-old
Brazilian prodigy. However, in November Santos announced that Neymar had signed a contract that
lasted until 2014 and included a 50% pay increase.
Is fútbol in Mexico a sacred experience?
Did you know that fútbol became popular in Mexico because religious groups promoted it amongst
their students? In this 17-minute video, which has an honors thesis-esque style, we look into how
the experience of going to a match in Mexico or even playing fútbol has become a sort of sacred
experience.
John Terry may sue Indian government, should probably focus on more important things...
As if sleeping around and shouting racist slurs weren't bad enough for John Terry's
reputation, it appears the Indian government has been using a blurred image of Terry for
anti-smoking warnings on cigarettes.