For all you grid iron lovin’, ice hockey playin’ North Americans who bitch about soccer being boring, defensive and uneventful I suggest you take a leap of faith and watch a couple of World Cup matches featuring Portugal this year. They are the St. Louis Rams of international football, or possibly the Colorado Avalanche of… Continue reading Portugal
Month: May 2002
France
They eat and drink like no other nation. They consider themselves and their nation superior to any living creature. You got it–I’m talking about the French.It’s still unbelievable, how no team was able to stop the French from winning the 1998 World Cup, but well, they did. In a plain and simple final against Brazil,… Continue reading France
Italy
It has been a long wait for Italian soccer fans. Twenty years have passed since the last time Italy has had the privilege of lifting the most prestigious trophy of all: the World Cup. This, along with the significant amount of confidence that Italians retain in this year’s team, puts a great deal of pressure… Continue reading Italy
Home vs. Pub
By Nicole Kobie
Team Chinas debut
By Falice Chin
I remember watching a basketball game in Shanghai just three years ago. It was a battle between the Chinese National Team and retired NBA players. The Chinese people cheered for their team, but at the same time loved seeing NBA heroes like Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul Jabaar.Likewise, the soccer community consists of ambiguous fans… Continue reading Team Chinas debut
Italy, 1990
Twelve years ago, the soccer World Cup was hosted by Italy and even for a ten-year-old, this event had its share of drama.My native Germany had a good chance to advance as far as the final, simply because back then, they had an outstandingly talented team. However, Italy looked like the potential winner early on.… Continue reading Italy, 1990
Decades of Soccer
I am a soccer fanatic. I have a favourite nation in every hemisphere, I watch league games on Spanish-language television and I use the Gauntlet to spread the word even though it has little to do with the University of Calgary campus.One of my greatest regrets is that I’m not old enough to remember World… Continue reading Decades of Soccer
World what now?
By James Keller
I just don’t get it.A bunch of people run around a field, kick a rubber ball around–careful not to touch it with their hands–and try to get it in a net on either side of an artificial field. And this is entertainment? I think somebody played a little too much dodgeball when they were little.This… Continue reading World what now?
Putting the world into perspective
We begin with 32 teams. That may seem like a lot, but that’s what we got from the 203 who attempted to qualify.They played in every corner of the world, from Iceland to Mauritius. The ball was always the same, regardless of political system, wealth, weather or skin colour. There were 11 men per side,… Continue reading Putting the world into perspective
30 Hour famine a success
The Chaplains’ Centre kicked off its annual 30 Hour Famine in early March. The fundraiser, put on by World Vision, raised money for famine-related projects. This year’s projects included Ethiopian drought prevention, a Tanzanian water project, Cam-bodian landmine awareness and Canadian youth programs.The Chaplains’ Centre has hosted this event for the past six years."The 30… Continue reading 30 Hour famine a success