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G14 disbands as Platini records 2nd victory

The G-14 knew what they wanted all along, it just took eight years and the presumed dissolution of their organization to get it. Platini called for the “elitest” G-14 to disband last year, but it wasn’t until Tuesday that he got his wish. UEFA, FIFA, and the G-14 signed a letter of intent, setting out…

Alhassan Bangura stays in England, but is Sierra Leone that bad?

The football world breathed a sigh of relief Monday as the Home Office announced that 19-year old Watford midfielder Alhassan Bangura would be granted a work permit and avoid deportation back to Sierra Leone. Though a work permit looked bleak, (Bangura has never been capped by Sierra Leone, who are absent from top 70 nations…

Why do Americans hate England?

Without being one of England’s historic sporting rivals like Scotland or Germany, it’s a bit strange that there were some Americans pleased with England’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008. No one doubts that the Americans and the English have a somewhat tenuous history, but as far as recent politics go, things have generally been…

Player vs. Club: Is the Player Ever Bigger Than the Club He Represents?

Before Tottenham Hotspur star Dimitar Berbatov began to sing Juande Ramos’ praises, the speculation surrounding whether he would stay or go swirled with rumor, one of which was that Manchester United were top of Berbatov’s January transfer window wish list. It’s no contest that this season Manchester United is performing much stronger than Tottenham, and…

Kaka vs Ronaldo, Morality vs Results

When FIFA unveiled its nominees for its 2007 World Player of the Year award, there were some grunts and groans. It may seem obvious to reiterate that some of the most influential, important, and talented players were left out for others that failed to achieve similar greatness (Cannavaro and not Totti? Lampard but no Ibrahimovic?…

FIFA Ensures World Cup Will Be Played In Rich Countries, Forever

…or at least that’s what it feels like, considering Blatter’s latest move. It was probably the panic that is quietly settling in as FIFA continues to keep a watchful eye on South Africa as it prepares to host World Cup 2010. The next World Cup is still about two and a half years away, but…

Holding a Mirror Up to David Beckham’s First MLS Season

Last week the LA Galaxy was shut out of a play off berth thanks to similarly situated team, the Chicago Fire. The Fire were also bestowed with a designated player this season, so naturally, the game was penned as the Blanco v. Beckham match-up. In the end though, it was nothing close to that head…

Racism in the name of Science? A-Okay!

This article is a submission for the Soccerlens Football Writing Competition; to participate, please read the details here. Recently Francesco Totti was under the threat of a doping investigation until his MD gave him an alibi, explaining away his tardiness to a mandatory urine test. Back in 2003, Rio Ferdinand missed a drug test resulting…