Steve Amoia
Steve is a freelance writer, editor and translator from Washington, D.C. He was the founder of World Football Commentaries in 2006. He has written for AC Cugini Scuola Calcio (Soccer School), Football Media, Italian Soccer Serie A, International Herald Tribune 2006 World Cup Fan Blog, Keeper Skool and Soccerlens. Steve has also created three football-related sites: World Football, Italian Calcio and History of the Azzurri, and The Amoias of the Americas. Steve translated player and manager quotes from Italian and Spanish to English for Soccerlens during the FIFA 2010 World Cup.
Maradona: “Julio Grondona lied to me. Carlos Bilardo betrayed me.”
The almost two-year management reign of Diego Armando Maradona ended swiftly on Tuesday night in Buenos Aires. Despite providing fans and enemies alike with an entertaining brand of football, unexpected results and a unique management style that favored hugs over tactics, Maradona could not escape the sack. According to Clarin from Buenos Aires, the Executive…
Andres Iniesta: “It was an incredible job by everyone.”
The last man to lift the World Cup trophy, Fabio Cannavaro, carried the sculpted golden figure into Soccer City. The Netherlands was on a 25 game unbeaten streak having won all 10 qualifiers and six on the trot in South Africa. Spain lost their first match in South Africa to Switzerland but were trying to…
David Villa: “We aren’t going to leave a drop of sweat.”
The Netherlands will try to win the World Cup final on their third attempt. Czechoslovakia (1934 and 1962) and Hungary (1938 and 1954) are the other two countries besides the Netherlands who have featured in two World Cup finals on the losing end. (West Germany was on the losing end in 1966, 1982 and 1986…
Sneijder: “We will take special care not to lose the ball.”
The Dutch are known for expressing strong opinions about football or anything else. Whether it be in their native Dutch, English or in this case, Spanish, to Marca.com in Madrid. Former Real Madrid man, Wesley Sneijder, along with former Barcelona man, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, provided insights ahead of the final against Spain. Long-time Oranje star,…
Vicente Del Bosque: “The players were superb in defense and in attack.”
La Furia Roja of Spain booked their first appearance in the World Cup final after decades of disappointment. They will face the Netherlands who won all 10 of their qualifiers and 6 on the trot so far in South Africa. The Oranje have endured their own World Cup near misses. In 1974, they lost the…
Forlan: “What I feel more than anything is impotence.”
Diego Forlan has been one of the brightest stars at the World Cup. The former Manchester United and Villarreal man, who now plays for Atletico Madrid, led Uruguay to a deep run in South Africa. He made comments after the match against the Netherlands to the online portal, Ovacion, of the Montevideo newspaper, El Pais….
Frank Lampard’s Denied Goal – Linesman explains his position
Mauricio Espinosa, the referee’s assistant during the England vs Germany quarterfinal match, gave an interview to Ovacion, an online portal of the El Pais newspaper from Montevideo, Uruguay shortly after his return from South Africa. Espinosa discussed the actual apparent goal by Frank Lampard, the nature of refereeing, how he didn’t see a replay at…
Diego Lugano: “Uruguay is going to play one of the most important games in modern times.”
Uruguay has arrived at the semi-final stage of the World Cup for the first time since 1970. They are the last hope of South America after the early exits of favorites, Argentina and Brazil. Uruguay is a small but very decorated footballing nation. They hosted and won the first World Cup in 1930. Uruguay achieved…
Maradona: “I don’t believe that anybody is happy with this in a country that lives and breathes football.”
The road ended abruptly for Diego Maradona and Argentina at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town. The roadblock was called Germany. For the second time in successive World Cups, the Germans broke Argentinean hearts. This victory was a humiliation for a proud manager and equally proud footballing nation such as Argentina. In comments made directly…
Dunga: “I consider myself the first person to blame for this elimination.”
Brazil manager, Carlos Dunga, who played for many years in the Italian Serie A, responded directly after the elimination by the Netherlands to the Milan sports daily, La Gazzetta dello Sport. Former Selecao star, Ronaldo, weighed in with heavy criticism on Dunga and Felipe Melo. Romario, Dunga’s teammate on the 1994 Brazilian team, also provided…
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