The recent return of Michael Bradley , often cited as the best active American player, from Italy's in-form Serie A outfit Roma back to MLS club Toronto left many soccer fans puzzled. Although the repetitive line from much of the American press has been that of a hero returning home to a a lucrative contract he could not refuse to help boost the...
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Africa: 2014 World Cup Qualifications – synopsis
By Sona Walla - November 11, 2013
With the bulk of their gifted players increasingly migrating away from the continent to ply their trade in top clubs all across the globe, African countries are finding that continuity in coaching in addition to their abundant football talent is now a key element for success at the national team level.
Headed into the crucial return leg of the...
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Manny Schellscheidt – Puberty: coaching boys in transition
One of the trickiest periods in youth development is the onset of puberty or the "growth spurt stage" when players' bodies seem to suddenly grow much quicker than they can adapt to resulting in physical but also psychological challenges. For some this period can start as early as age twelve and for others can last till about seventeen. Puberty presents the complex challenge of varied...
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Violence in the English Premier League on the rise
By Sona Walla
Is anyone alarmed at the level of violence in the English Premier League?
The frequency of overtly violent tackles is ever on the rise and it seems a leg is shattered every week, but the show seamlessly rolls on. English referees and the Football Association, the nation’s governing body, hardly penalize the culprits for these horrid acts, hiding behind the notion that the players...
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