According to this article, it says Curitiba will host world cup game. It shows southern Brazilian city will host world cup games during World Cup. Article says that “At least 1,500 construction workers will be employed to finish the World Cup stadium in Curitiba with a new deadline on mid-May – just three weeks before the start of the tournament in Brazil.” This shows that World Cup game is deeply connected with socioeconomic factor because countries that host world cup game could have a number of tourists. Since World Cup is outstandingly influential and there are a number of fans who watch the game through TV and internet, it could be great chance for the countries that host World Cup to advertise their attractiveness and value as a place to visit after World Cup.
A FIFA official was questioned whether or not the 2022 World Cup would stay in Qatar. He said that the decision to take away the tournament would be made later this year which would allow FIFA enough time to reassign a new location. “However, FIFA President Sepp Blatter has dismissed the claims, insisting that FIFA has every faith in Qatar to stage a successful World Cup. The decision [for Qatar] will not be challenged,” he said. “We are convinced that the working conditions in Qatar will rapidly improve. The discussion alone shows how important football can be to raise awareness and, through that, also ignite sustainable changes.” The decision to move the World Cup has been brought about by the conditions of the possible construction sights and the disruption of domestic leagues. Do you think the 2022 World Cup will stay in Qatar?
Kelly Youga was born in Central African Republic he left in 2004 to join the French club Olympique Lyon, and has played two international matches for his country. As tension between Christian and Muslim militias in the Central African Republic continues, Youga has pleaded for calm. Now for those who don’t know the current situation in CAR, there’s been an ethnic cleansing of the minority Muslims since the conflict began in 2012. Youga believes there needs to be unity among the different religions in CAR and that there needs to better role models for the next generation. He says “Football is like the opium of the people. When we play at home there’s no division – Muslim, Christian, different tribes they are all together to support the team”…And even the national team, we all come from different ethnic groups and we are all together, we are all brothers. Between us there is no division, we are all walking on the same path. And I really do think that football can help bring peace to the country”. I find this really intriguing as it relates with my previous article about the West Bank. As a professional soccer player and coming from a country with conflict Youga believes soccer can bring peace. In my last article i asked if soccer can bring peace not only in the West Bank but in other countries as well and Youga believes so. But the question is how would soccer be implemented in a country in a middle of a conflict?
This is huge for the soccer world that Barcelona was charged with fraud and had to pay such a large amount for the transfer. Think they would have learned after the Messi case, but it is interesting to look at the large amount of money being transferred for one player (not counting his salary), especially since we have been discussing this in class last week.
Palestinian farmer Yousef Abu Hammad created enough boys for a soccer team. Over the years, his 12 sons have formed the core of what is now the top-ranked team in the West Bank. The players of Wadi al-Nees consistently defeat richer clubs and believe their strong family bonds are a secret to their success. Wadi al-Nees heads the West Bank’s top league which has 12 teams.
Soccer serves as a release from the pressures of their restricted lives, high youth unemployment clouds their futures and Israel’s military occupation adds further constraints. It seems like soccer plays as a distraction as well as a stress reliever to young Palestinians taking their frustrations out on the field, in turn i think it made them a top ranked team in the West Bank. Could soccer be the answer of conflicts in other countries? Could this also distract or relieve stress among the youth in countries like Egypt or South Sudan from conflict/uprising?
Any avid Chinese soccer fan can understand the pain and heartbreak that is when you start to follow the Chinese men’s national soccer team. With their horrendous records, it’s not hard to gather why it has become so difficult for fans to stay loyal. It is known that a pass time in China is to poke fun of the team on the internet, perhaps a way for the fans re-conciliate with all their past disappointments.
So imagine my shock when a friend of mine introduced me to a Chinese club team that actually holds a great record. The Guangzhou Evergrande is a club team that was established in 1954 to take part in the newly established China national football league. The team has constantly topped the Chinese soccer chart, and was the 2013 AFC champion’s winner. (becoming the first Chinese club to do so)
More about the team can be found here,
www.gzevergrandefc.com/english/about.aspx
and here is the highlights for the AFC champion’s match against Seoul
Manchester United announced that they will be touring the United States this summer. Since people can watch a game in other country’s league anytime through TV and internet, it seems that many leagues are trying to pay more attention to develop a marketing strategies for their fans around the world. The article reveals that Manchester United has over eight million fans in United States. People could have unlimited access to the information of their favorite leagues and teams through internet and they can communicate with other followers from different countries on internet. The article shows that United already played in Boston, Seattle, Chicago, New Jersey and Washington DC while they visited the United States in 2011. It shows that the global marketing is current trend and important strategy because fans can possibly consume the products of their favorite teams such as jersey through internet.
With the English Premier League constantly referred to as the best league in the world, one must ask the question if this is still the case. With Bayern Munich showing once again it can beat top-English club Arsenal, a competitor for first in the EPL, in Champions League shows a continental giant shaking up soccer. While it might not have the stiffest competition, we must ask ourselves if massive pumping of money into clubs can create even more unequal distributions, where one or two teams may dominate an entire nation, such as Bayern and Dortmund in Germany or Real and Barca in Spain. There may become the day where only Champions League soccer provides a true outlet for the world’s best teams, with competition for league titles no longer interesting.
The United States National team all time scoring leader Landon Donovan has reported that this year’s World Cup in Brazil will likely be his last in his long and prosperous career as a member of the national team. Donovan, turning 32 later this year, has said that he cannot see himself playing in the 2018 World Cup in Russia as a 36 year old. Donovan will have played in 4 World Cups after this years in Brazil with his first being in 2002 where he scored 2 goals in 5 games. Landon Donovan is an extremely recognizable American icon and to see him play his last World Cup will be quite tragic. He has had an amazing career as both a US national player and a MLS player whose legacy will be remembered for ages.
