Liverpool on its knees. Thoughtful analysis here… Continue reading
Posts under ‘Soccer’
The saddest story ever told
Tweet from great Jason de Vos
Recently alerted to a mention by the great Jason de Vos about The World Is A Ball. Back in June, jasondevos Tweeted: Met John Doyle, author of The World Is a Ball, this morning. Interesting stories. Really enjoy reading his unique perspective on the game. Continue reading
Help us, Special One. Please help!
Portugal asks Jose Mourinho to take charge for 2 games. They needs him. Continue reading
Toronto FC cleans house
And about time too. Toronto FC clears out the duds. (Well done Paul Attfield on the early morning scoop.) Continue reading
Who put the ball in the Barca net? Valdez! Valdez!
A football story straight out of Dickens… Continue reading
Bend It Like Carlos
You’ve heard of Bend It Like Beckham. Well check out a bending ball kicked by Roberto Carlos of Brazil in 1997. Now, science says it’s no fluke, this kind of artistry…
Toronto FC moves on
Well done the lads! Congratulations Toronto FC…. Continue reading
I’ll be back
Maradona to the world: “I’ll be back.“ Continue reading
Exit Maradona
John Doyle
The Globe and Mail
Published Wednesday, July 28, 2010
And so he exits as he arrived: Defiant, cocksure, more than a little mad, and worshipped.
Calling Diego Armando Maradona a soccer god is not idle exaggeration. There is after all a Church of Maradona with a reported membership of 100,000 people. Now, however, Maradona is no longer the manager of Argentina’s national soccer team. Last Tuesday, in Buenos Aires, the Argentine Football Association voted unanimously not to renew his contract. Continue reading
Maradona out
Adios, Diego. Maradona out as Argentina coach. A murky business. Continue reading
Is Brazil ready?
Less than 4 years to the next Word Cup. In Brazil. Is Brazil ready? The BBC kickstarts the finger-wagging Anglo skepticism right here. Moving right along from skepticism about South Africa. Continue reading
Menezes coaches Brazil
Hard man Mano Menezes accepts job as new coach of Brazil. Good luck with that. Continue reading
France is cursed
The Irish curse on the France team continues to bedevil them. This could last for a thousand years. Continue reading
Robbie Keane at Fulham
Robbie Keane and Damien Duff at Fulham. Anyone? Anyone….? Continue reading
Paperback writer
The author prepares the revised & updated paperback edition, coming this Fall. The author also prepares the U.S. edition, coming in October, published by Rodale. Which already has one supporter – John Doyle. That’s John Doyle, Staff sports writer and Sunday editor at Foster’s Daily Democrat in Dover, New Hampshire. Mr. Doyle described the Sorry If You Think Soccer Sucks rant as “Awesome, awesome, awesome column” on Twitter. Continue reading
Sorry if you think soccer sucks. But nobody cares what you think
John Doyle
The Globe and Mail
Published on Monday, July 12, 2010
That’s it then. Spain beat The Netherlands in a game that was persistently scrappy until extra-time. There were countess fouls. The main Dutch plan, facing Spanish artistry, was to kick at ankles, tug shirts, and manhandle opposing players. But Spain won – a victory of grace and technique over muscle and force. All good, really.
But that’s not the dominant story, is it? Certainly not in Canada and the United States. Soccer might have a new Word Cup champion, but some things never change. Continue reading
Stand by, folks, for the greatest show on earth
John Doyle
The Globe and Mail
Published on Friday, July 9, 2010
A month of madness ends this weekend with the biggest television event on the planet. Yep, that World Cup thing will end, with hundreds of millions of people watching the final. Life becomes tedious for a while, until the European soccer season starts. No, wait. That’s just me. There are a few non-sports shows this weekend, but not many. CBC ends its World Cup coverage with Popsicle Soccer Day in Canada on CBC (noon). A Toronto FC game is followed by the third-place game from South Africa (Uruguay against Germany, 2:30 p.m.) and then, women’s soccer from Nova Scotia, Quebec and Alberta, including the famous Giddy Up Cup, part of the Calgary Stampede. The menu is this – the greatest show on Earth and two good things for non-sports fans. Continue reading
Three questions for David Gutnick
Very nice remarks about The World Is A Ball from a very, very nice CBC man in South Africa for The World Cup. Continue reading
A sad summer of ‘fame whores’ and footballers
John Doyle
The Globe and Mail
Published on Thursday, July 8
I love this summer. Mind you, it makes me sad. But in a good way.
One day last month, at an ungodly hour of the morning, I was sitting in the green room of a TV station in Vancouver. Across from me sat a handsome, well-dressed young man. I asked him why he was appearing on breakfast TV that morning. Turned out he had been on The Bachelorette and had a story to tell.
“Is it juicy stuff?” I asked. “Totally, man,” he replied. “But I can’t really spill the beans right now. Confidentiality things were signed.” He did his bit on the show and then I did my bit talking about my book on soccer and the World Cup.
That situation telegraphed the entire summer, really. There are only two things worth talking about right now – the whole Bachelor/Bachelorette thing, and the World Cup. Continue reading
