It has been a long time coming but news has finally emerged over the well being of the forgotten Brazilian striker, Ronaldo. Once such a promising young, strong and talented striker the Brazilian star is fighting fitness and also looking for a job!

He suffered a severe injury whilst at AC Milan last year and has been in rehabilitation ever since. The injury to his knee was career threatening however his contract with AC Milan was over just in time so the club released him. There were rumours of Ronaldo playing for various Brazilian club teams such as Flamengo, Botofago and Fluminese but they are all un-true. The one bit of truth however is that he appeared in a charity match earlier this week in Brazil and is looking to regain a position in the top flight.

“I don’t know if I will continue to play or retire, I still haven’t taken that decision. I am tired because my rehabilitation work has been hard and my legs are heavy”.

Italian Serie A club, Siena have offered the striker a contract after he recovers from his injury which is probably the best deal that Ronaldo currently has on the table. Manchester City have also been in the mix to take on the striker however, Mark Hughes has refused to take on the player which is understandable as the player has been involved in various forms of trouble for the last few seasons.

It is a shame to see such a great star struggle like this but I am sure it won’t be long before he is back scoring some of the best goals we have ever seen!

Soccer is arguably the most popular sport in the world. It’s a religion for some and a favorite pastime for many. Hence, soccer fans can be considered the most enthusiastic sport supporters. Furthermore, they show their support by wearing their team colors and flocking to their respective team grounds, providing chants and songs. The atmosphere at these soccer games at times can be electric and these passionate fans want nothing more than to see their team win and be counted. This show of support and loyalty can sometimes get a little too intense though and be a cause of violence, the hooligans of Liverpool FC being a common example.

However, if you’re a soccer fan, and you want to show your support for your team, in a more civilized manner, what better way to do it than to promote your team by using soccer banners and get noticed! They come in lots of different sizes and are easy to design normally sporting the logo and your team’s original strip and attached to a surface using either screws or rope. Of course there are several types, like the image changing roll ups for instance, normally called the spectaculars. Table top banners usually put in restaurants to catch the eye of tourists and traveling supporters. The carrying types used in parades, generally consisting of a pole and flag for people who would proudly show off their team colors at a pride walk. Backdrop banners used for events, conventions and conferences, having the team’s insignia and big enough to be caught on camera in case of T.V coverage. Podium banners can also be used for such conferences.

Now coming to the on-ground promotion, banners can be put all around the stadium. There are specific types though, for each end, varying in size and shape. Like the sideline banners located at the boundaries of the field. The stand banners represent the historical significance of each stand, along with promoting them. Another common type is the hand held mini banner which supporters bring with them to the ground. Fans can also have images of team legends on their personalized designs.

The prices range anything from $20 to $300 depending on size and quality and the level of promotion. Small school teams for instance need lesser promotion and a simpler banner. A good strategy to save few bucks on while ordering the sports banner would be to order in bulk, this would lower the cost per banner considerably.

These banners are a way of expressing yourself to your team. Whether your team is losing, or winning it’s never a bad time to let your team know you’re there to back them up by showing off your banners. The effects can be encouraging and uplifting and will help your team to perform better. Weather, it be a local club team or a college squad you can always rely on banners to boost your team’s morale. These days’ sports banners are a must-have for every soccer fan so make sure yore not caught out without one the next time your want to really show where your support is.

Football is undoubtedly the most popular sport in the world, bringing in millions of fans, wealthy people and organisations, and of course large amounts of money. The modern football game first originated in the green and pleasant land of England around the year 1863 but it is known that many countries and different types of cultures played a game that was much alike the game of football that date back to the ancient Egyptians and Romans. For example the Romans played a game similar to football that had 27 players each side and often ended with minor and major injuries as the game was very violent.

The first written recording of football was found in a Chinese military manual that dates back to 300BC and was called cuju, in this game players kicked a leather made ball between a hole that was created in a piece of silk that was stretched between two poles. This was basic sport and they didn’t have the technology and facilities as we do today but back then this would have been a fun past-time.

In the medieval times there were also records of football, however during these dark times of war and anger football matches usually ended up in fights and brawls with children getting hurt seriously because there were no rules set out.

Moving to modern times the game has changed completely, with the addition of rules, a referee and organising bodies behind the game football has become a professional entity. With TV cameras, and thousands of fans packing stadiums everything can be seen and picked upon so there is no room for cheating, or foul play. Those that do, get punished by either a suspension or a fine.

Soccer Fever is coming! Soccer World Cup 2010, the most spectacular and greatest extravaganza on the earth will take place in picturesque country of South Africa and the first whistle for the Soccer World Cup in South Africa will be blown on 11 June 2010. The final game of the mega event will take on 11 July 2010. It is the first time that any African nation will be hosting a premier event. The games will be played at Cape Town, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Bloemfontein, Rustenburg, Pretoria, Polokwane and Nelspruit. The footballing world and soccer fanatic’s fans are already buzzing with excitement as the world cup approaches nearer.

Johannesburg

Johannesburg is one of the magnificent South African city to visit and is a beating heart of South Africa. Johannesburg or Joburg is largely popular all over the world for its beautiful and exotic safaris. Besides exotic safaris, the Lion Park, Museum Africa, Bunny Park, Newtown, Alexandra, Gold Reef City are some of the top rated attractions in Johannesburg. There are two main stadiums in Johannesburg that will be used during the world cup. First one is the soccer city, which will be the venue for the first game of the tournament. Another stadium is Ellis Park that is just a few kilometers away from the Johannesburg city center.

Bloemfontein

Bloemfontein is a fascinating city with a modern centre, which offers a wealth of wildlife, a wide array of sporting facilities and excellent fishing conditions. Bloemfontein has everything for the visitors. It offers adequate recreational and entertainment facilities in the form of sports fields, public parks, zoo and a game reserve. The FIFA Soccer World Cup 2010 games in Bloemfontein will be staged at the Free State Stadium, also known as the Vodacom Park Stadium. It will host first five first round matches and one second round match.

Cape Town

Cape Town certainly goes as one of top rated tourist’s attractions in the world that offers a diverse range of attractions sights and activities. It is one of the most cosmopolitan cities of South Africa. Cape Town boasts of beautiful and exotic mountains, beaches, wine estates, etc. The soccer world cup first and second round matches will probably be played in the Cape Town’s Newlands Stadium. The stadium provides excellent security, parking and various other facilities. The stadium is also directly opposite to the train station, so there is no need of thinking about any major transportation problem.

Durban

Durban is an ideal location for the business, shopping, corporate and other attractions. It is one of the most densely populated states in South Africa. The place offers a lot of opportunities to enjoy the sun and the beach. Durban is gearing itself for hosting Soccer World Cup. Some of the major matches of the world cup will played in the Durban’s new Moses Mabhida stadium. It will also be hosting the world cup opening ceremony at the king’s park stadium. It takes roughly ten minutes drive from the main hotels to reach the kings park stadium.

Nelspruit

It is a capital city of Mpumalanga province. It has abundant sunshine and lush covered hills and valleys. Nelspruit has planned a new soccer stadium for the World Cup soccer. The Name of the stadium is Mbombela Stadium and will have a capacity of 40,000. It will host only four first round matches. The Mbombela stadium has been designed specifically in order to provide world-class facilities services to the soccer players as well as to the spectators.

Polokwane

Polokwane, formally known as Pietersburg, is the capital city of the Limpopo Province in South Africa. Polokwane boasts of fine weather, excellent accommodation and its close proximity to the large game reserves as well. The Peter Mokaba Stadium will be used for hosting round one soccer matches. The stadium is situated just to the south of the Central Business District. The stadium is presently being substantially upgraded.

Pretoria

Pretoria is one of the South Africa’s most beautiful cities. Pretoria is presently known by the name Tshwane. Pretoria is also a host city for the Soccer World Cup. Pretoria is also famous for the blooming Jacaranda’s particularly in the month of October where the whole city turns pink or purple and therefore often called Jacaranda’s city. The Loftus Versveld Stadium in Pretoria, Gauteng Province, will undergo various upgrades for the Soccer World Cup and has a seating capacity of 45,000. It will host four first round matches and one second round match.

Rustenburg

Rustenburg is one of the fastest growing cities of South Africa and it lies seventy miles north of Johannesburg. It is situated at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range in the North West Province of South Africa. The Royal Bafokeng stadium will be the stadium that will be used during the World Cup Soccer. The Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, North West Province will undergo a minor facelift, increasing its capacity to 45,000. It will host four first round matches and one second round match.

Now that Gallas has been stripped of the armband who should be the Arsenal captain? It is reported that Alumnia would be stand in captain for the game against Manchester City this afternoon. But permanently? Let’s look at the choices..

Almunia

Arsenal’s most senior player, quite a fair amount of leadership qualities, respectable, well liked. However, it might be hard to lead the team from all the way at the goalpost.

Toure

Arsenal’s longest serving player, vice-captain, also very respected and well-liked. However, his form has taken a dip lately, and he is plagued with injuries.

Silvestre

Joined from a rival club, he is quite new at Arsenal, but he is one of the older players with experience. because he is quite new, he might not be familiar with the players at Arsenal.

Clichy

Arsenal’s consistent player, playing week in and out, the left back role is permanently his after Ashley Cole left. he is dedicated and loyal, but he is only 23 and lacks the experience and maybe leadership qualities.

Fabregas

Arsenal’s most vaulable player last season, his teammates love him, the fans adore him-only second to walcott because walcott’s english- he is the midfield mastro. however, he is only at a tender age at 21, and giving him the armband may not stop him from leaving the club in the summer.

So who do you think will be the next Arsenal captain? would Wenger break the tradition of choosing a French after 3 consecutive Frenchies? I would be delighted if clichy or fab got it, but they are still young.

Click here to discuss this topic on our forum.

Old Trafford Football Ground is located at – Sir Matt Busby Way, Old Trafford, Manchester. Sir Matt Busby Way was created in 1993, and was formerly known as Warwick Road North.

The ground’s nickname is the Theatre Of Dreams.

Old Trafford has been Manchester United’s home since 1910, with the exception of an eight-year period from 1941 to 1949, when it was bombed in the second world war. During that period United played their ‘home’ games at the ground of their rivals, Manchester City – at a financial cost of course. They had to pay City for the privilege consisting of a flat fee, and a gate percentage.

Old Trafford’s current capacity is over 76,000. It’s hoped that in time it will expand even further to 90,000 with greater capacity in the South Stand.

The ground has frequently hosted FA Cup semi-final matches as a neutral venue and several England international fixtures while the new Wembley Stadium was under construction. Before Wembley Stadium was built in 1923 the FA Cup Finals were played around the country, with Old Trafford hosting several of these.

Manchester United were formerly called Newton Heath, but it was decided in 1909 to build a new stadium. Designed by Scottish architect Archibald Leitch, the ground featured seating in the south stand under cover, while the remaining three stands were uncovered terraces.

In 1965 the old roof pillars were replaced with modern-style cantilevering on top of the roof, allowing all spectators a completely unobstructed view. This was an important step, as the World Cup was to be staged in the UK in the following year, 1966. Old Trafford was one of the venues used for the tournament.

By the 1980′s the capacity had dropped to around 60,000 due to all the improvements in the ground. The capacity dropped still further in 1990, when the Taylor Report recommended, for safety reasons, and with the Government’s agreement, that all stadia be converted to all-seaters.

Old Trafford’s most recent expansion, which took place between July 2005 and May 2006, saw an increase of around 8,000 seats with the addition of second tiers to both the north-west and north-east sections of the ground.

Further redevelopments saw United buy up additional land round about.

The Old Trafford pitch is now surrounded by four covered all-seater stands, officially known as the North, East, South and West Stands. The West End is the ‘Stretford End’ where the diehard, most vocal, United fans sit.

On 29 May 2008, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Manchester United’s first European Cup title, a statue of the club’s old stars of George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton, entitled “The United Trinity”, was unveiled across Sir Matt Busby Way from the East Stand.

The ground continues to break attendance records. The newer Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal FC, has a lower capacity, just over 60,000. Only one football ground has a higher capacity than the Theatre of Dreams, and that’s at the new Wembley Stadium in London.

Manchester United supporters have an insatiable appetite for watching their team play. It seems that however big the ground gets, the seats will almost always be filled. That’s what success on the pitch does for this wonderful game, and this glorious team that is Manchester United.

It was the summer of 1994 and the date was June 18, a day on which Italy would be playing its first world cup game against the Republic of Ireland. I for my part would be not only watching it but even present at “Giant’s Stadium” in the Meadowlands as I had gone through the trouble of getting a ticket, not only to see Italy take on Ireland but Norway in the next match as well. Regarding the game against Norway that had been a relatively easy task as interest had not been so high given there are not as many Norwegian Americans in New York or New Jersey as there are Irish Americans in these states. I however had pulled it off and would be sitting at “Giant’s Stadium” hopefully to watch Italy beat Ireland like they had done four years before in “Italia 90″.

By then I; it being four years after the tragedy had fully recovered from having lost to Argentina on penalties in 1990 and even from not having qualified to the European Nations Cup in 1992, which thanks to the by then already disintegrated Soviet Union, Italy did not play in. This would basically be Italy’s first competitive match in a major tournament since that night so long ago in Napoli, against Argentina. I mean after all who really counts a match for third place in any tournament as competitive.

Many had been the changes in Italy, now being coached by Arrigo Sacchi, the man who had made Milan invincible or practically and was expected to at least get to the final of USA 94. Roberto Baggio, had also become our star player after Italia 90, who surely would be starting every game; him even being considered by many at the time as arguably the greatest player of his generation, along with Brazil’s Romario and Argentina’s Batistuta. Italy, naturally also had other solid players, some of which were new to the team, such as Dino Baggio (no relation to Roberto), and Daniele Massaro, from AC Milan and Signori from Lazio.

Of course as with every team that aspires to win a world cup, Italy also had those players who were returning from the previous tournament such as the more experienced Maldini and Baressi. Both these players coming from AC Milan, who had won that year’s edition of the European Cup; presently known as the Champions League. As for notable absence, their really were not any, as most were healthy or least enough to start though some around the world wondered why Italy’s top goal scorer from the last world cup; Schillaci would not be playing but this was basically due to his poor form in the years preceding the world cup. All things considered there was great reason for Italy’s many fans to think their team could do in USA 94 what they had not managed to do in Italia 90 and that being to win the world cup.

In all this however there were other factors, and one of them being that Italy’s team was overly dependent on Roberto Baggio and the form he showed on any particular day; basically what it boiled down to was Italy was as good or as bad as Roberto Baggio was. Another thing to consider was that though Italy had qualified to the world cup without too many difficulties, they had not really been overly impressive coming in second to Switzerland in their group.

This a team, whom they barely managed a 2-2 draw against while playing at home and had even lost to by 1-0 on their return match. I even recall one particular qualifying match in which Italy was forced to play under a practical blizzard of snow in Scotland that ended in 0-0. Roberto Baggio, having to be literally carried of the field after a collision with a Scottish player, both of whom were going for the same ball which was coming down. Qualifying had definitely not been all that easy however Baggio and company had prevailed and even managed a win in their last qualifying match against Portugal at home, when a draw would have sufficed to get them to USA 94.

I, at the time (as far as my life went) no longer found myself working in John Hancock’s mutual fund department; having been laid off a couple of weeks earlier but not before having made a few bets with some of the Irish American at work, who naturally put their money on Ireland’s greens while I did so on Italy’s azzurri. I, however in looking back regarding my job would have in all honesty missed several days at work, in what would have been a first for me (who had not even taken one day off) in over a year at John Hancock, for as important as work is; this is football and a world cup at that, so it comes first. I imagine that to a lot of Americans, who do not descend from football playing countries; an attitude such as mine might seem strange, if not irresponsible but that is the way many all over the world feel about football. Some even go to the extreme of giving up their jobs and spending all their savings on going to the games to cheer their team to victory.

As for Ireland; they were definitely not a bad team, solid on defense with big strong players capable of shooting the ball with both legs, and not unskilled either. Ireland, also however did not have many good players on the bench and were limited in their attacking game to mostly plays that went down the flanks in order to set up the air ball in the box, for a header or a lucky bounce. These sometimes coming from their goalkeepers long distance kicks as had been the case with their tying goal against the Netherlands in Italia 90.

I, in all that concerned this most special day for me; will never forget the pride I took when putting on the blue shirt of the Italian national football team, in order to show my support for “La Squadra Azzurra”. I being a fan also had purchased a small Italian flag in the part of Manhattan known as “Little Italy”, where I would go on to watch the final. I was even slightly worried that I might end up being surrounded by a group of Irish fans; who probably would not take loosing too kindly. All of which made me hopeful of being in an Italian section but this I would have little control over.

As for the rest of the world cup, up and till that moment, only two games had been played with the first game ending with a surprisingly difficult 1-0 victory for Germany over Bolivia, while the second one held no unique attraction, other then it was the first world cup game ever to be played in an indoor stadium. This second game having been played the very day of the one I was getting ready to go to and having ended in a 1-1 draw between the USA and Switzerland, who in qualifying had given Italy everything it could handle.

In my excitement I also started thinking, how it was going to be the first game, I had ever seen live between two national teams which not only was not a friendly but a world cup match at that. I had never even seen as much as a qualifying match of any kind, not even to the European cup, so to me it was a huge deal to be able to see the nation of my forefathers in action against Ireland. This taking on an additional importance in New York City, given that many are either of Irish or Italian descent and are not always friendly toward each other.

I basically got in the spirit of the game that moment I bought my ticket however as for actually having it all around me; this came when I got to the Port Authority Bus terminal and saw all the flags, half of which were Irish and the other Italian. I, naturally looked to be near those who were Italian, as this was a day to be among one’s contingents. The mood was definitely right for an international football game and as I looked around I could also see fans with painted faces, the Irish applying their national colors orange, green and white while Italians red, white and green.

Once at Port Authority I had no problems in catching a bus to Giant’s Stadium, where the game would be played. As for the bus I took I would say it was evenly divided among both Italian and Irish supporters, with it being abundantly clear who was for which team based on the colors on the flags they carried. In all this however it was odd to see that most of the fans weather for Ireland or Italy were actually Americans descendent from one or the other, with most of the Italian fans not even speaking Italian. Something I noticed when I tried speaking to a few in Italian who at least recognized what language it was even if they could not understand or much less reply.

In all this I must say much to the credit of the organizers of this tournament, there was no violence of any kind from either side though the occasional racial or ethnic slur could be heard from both sides with Italians refereeing to the Irish as “micks”. This given that many Irish have the letters Mc in their last name, while the Irish responded in not so kind be calling Italians “w.o.p.s” These three letters standing for “with out papers”, as many Italians first arrived to America illegally and like the expression says without papers. However these “verbal taunts” for the most part were limited and did not, or at least that I saw degenerate in to physical violence.

After, a short bus ride, we that is I and my fellow Italian supporters entered Giant’s Stadium and by then the electricity was everywhere, today we would see who would have bragging rights in the city of New York. Would it be the Irish or Italians? This we would soon find out and though Italy was slightly favorite, this did not connote automatic victory by any means.

The national anthems were played and in all sincerity I do not remember whose was played first but this did not matter; for both were sung with equal passion by both sides after which our two captains, Baresi for Italy and Bonner (goalkeeper) for Ireland exchanged flags and the game was on. I, naturally by then found myself in my seat and was fortunate, that I was in a part were Italians outnumbered Irish, which put me at ease that I should not have too much trouble. For instance as my brother-in-law did once; at a game in Spain 82 were he suffered a broken head, this despite his being from Madrid.

Italy started much as they had played up and till that point; with Baresi leading the team and organizing it from the back. All the while looking for Baggio’s offensive creativity to provide us with the same kind of magic he had displayed for Juventus, the previous year that earned him the title of FIFA player of the year. Ireland as always solid, in their mobile defense, and always a danger on the counter attack, in fact there game was typical of the one mostly practiced on the British Isles and with Jack Charlton (brother of Bobby Charlton) as their coach why should it come as a surprise.

Chances there were some for Italy though Ireland, had studied their game plan well and goals would not come easy, however one did relatively early. It coming when Houghton lobbed our goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca at the 11 minute mark of the game to put Ireland a head 1-0. A perfect shot it was and in the net it went, after which Houghton did a roll over as all the Irish faithful celebrated and grew in confidence that they could beat the team that had not only eliminated them from the last world cup but had come in third place, along with having won three world titles.

The lines of battle were clearly drawn at that point, Italy would have to go forward while Ireland could simply wait in the midfield and take advantage of any loose ball to go on the counter and increase their lead. Baggio, was being well taken care of, as this was not only our greatest scoring threat but the key to our offense and Charlton knew it. The first half would end and still we were down 1-0 and the Irish grew more sure of themselves.

The second half came and by then Italy started to worry and go forward in attack with more desperation, though Ireland was still solid in their wall of defense, while chants from their supporters got louder as did their reason to believe this could be their day in the summer as Saint Patrick’s is theirs in the spring. It was actually half way through the second period that those of us who backed Italy could see that we might actually not only loose this game but not even end up getting on the score board. Chances we created but always the same result Bonner, and his defenders would not have anything put over on them or at least not on that day and in fact Ireland in the second half came closer to a second goal when they hit the post, then Italy did to a first.

The final whistle came, and so did the celebrations of the Irish, and did they ever want us to know they had gotten the best off us on that day. I, however for my part felt they played a good game but for Italy all was not lost. As they could still qualify, specially since many teams had lost their first match to go on not only to the second round but the finals as was the case with Argentina in 90 or Germany in 82, of course both these teams ended up loosing in the final but that was another issue. Italy could still do it but this would mean almost having to beat Norway, for a loss would really limit our chances though not completely for with the system at the time; 16 out of 24 teams qualified. This making it possible for the best four third place teams to make it and after all Uruguay and Bulgaria had both gone through to the second round in 86, on the strength of two draws and a loss. Hopefully, however it would not come to this for Italy as they would beat Norway but that is another game for that one had ended with the Irish on top by 1-0.

Italy’s fans were depressed but as I explained to someone on the bus back to New York that all it was; was a set back and not the end, which those around me eventually did see it as. I even remember passing by a pizzeria near my apartment, me living in Brooklyn at the time in a part of the city reserved mostly for Polish immigrants (Green Point) and seeing how dejected, all my fellow Italians (some Italian American, some born in the old country) were though perhaps more so because we had lost to a team we were expected to beat.

Italy at that point was down but not out, but from then on we would have to get serious and play hard! Norway who had eliminated England was not going to be easy and this we all knew so bearing this in mind we would have to be at our best to beat them. Norway, who had qualified after a very long absence from the world cup scene. This however was for another day though same stadium.

Looking for play your favorite game in an exotic location? Teams in Europe, South America and Asia offer fantastic opportunities for soccer players. World-class soccer training programs in Italy, England, France, Spain, Mexico, Brazil and China have opened their doors to young players looking to hone their soccer skills.

Like any worthwhile goal, travelling abroad to play soccer requires preparation and planning. But you’re used to hard work, right? If you’re committed, you may find soccer opportunities you never dreamed of. You may come back with a whole new game, like Chris Musto, one of our EduKick players who recently had professional trials in Belgium.

For starters, you’ll need a passport. If you’re looking to spend only a few months in the country of your choice, you can get by with a North American passport. To attend a long-term soccer school program (90 days or longer), you have to apply for a student visa.

This is important because players attending our long-term study abroad soccer schools must also participate in educational coursework. This can be one of our affiliated high schools, language study at our affiliated universities, or, as in the case of Bolton, England, studying a BTEC certificate program in Sports Science. Those affiliated schools require a student visa.

To get that valuable student visa stamp in your passport, you’ll need several things:

1. A “letter of invitation or acceptance” from the academic institution affiliated with the EduKick program you wish to attend.
2. Clean bill of health from your doctor and proof of compliant medical insurance
3. Letter of financial means stating tuition fees are paid
4. Bank account statements from your sponsor (parents or otherwise)
5. Proof of accommodation (a letter from the program directors stating your future address)
6. Supporting documents regarding means of transport and return (copy of return airline ticket)

If you’re serious about long-term soccer training abroad, it’s crucial to give yourself enough time to complete the student visa application process. This can take anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks to complete.The earlier you start, the better. In some countries we find the visa application process more difficult than others. For example, we had a boy from Senegal who wanted to train in one of our soccer programs in England. We completed and submitted the visa application process two months before his arrival date, plenty of time (or so we thought).

However, complications arose at the consulate’s office. They began to ask for more proof, more documents. We scrambled to get everything together. The initial application was rejected. We submitted the whole thing over again, and the second application was finally approved.

It took another four weeks before he could arrive in the program. That’s an unusual case. Ninety-nine percent of the time, applications are accepted without incident. So long as people put the documents together exactly as instructed, the application generally goes smoothly.

If you’re considering long-term programs, it’s also important to have current academic transcripts and school records available. One of the criteria for acceptance into these long-term soccer training programs is to be both a serious soccer player committed to developing skills and a student in good current and past academic standing.

For the younger students still at high school, one of the things they have to consider when studying abroad in a high school program is that you won’t automatically receive credit for those subjects you’re taking abroad. Students must pass courses abroad with a 51 percent or better, and ultimately it depends upon the North American school to accept transferred academic credit from abroad.

For that reason, EduKick recommends that interested players and parents communicate with your home school before you leave. Explain what you’re doing for the year. We’ll supply the foreign curriculum of academic courses to be taken to help you get the agreement. The agreement basically states, “Yes, if you receive a passing grade, we will credit that.”

Every year things change. The process is always evolving, so it keeps us on our toes. The consulates all have the same general guidelines, but each office has its own little quirks. They need a new document, or suddenly they don’t allow people to apply by mail, etc.

We keep on top of international soccer travel changes on a daily basis. When our students call us, we have the latest information to assist them in fulfilling their dreams of international soccer training.

Whether you stay for a few months or an entire year, training with professional coaches in another country adds a pretty impressive mark to your résumé. Think the guys back home will have that? It gives you an edge, and in a sport this competitive, you’ll need every advantage you can get.

There seems to be an endless stream of idiotic things professional athletes do. I guess if you put a bunch of young men together, give them a boat-load of money and lots of free time, what can you expect? When beautiful women, the media and the luxuries of life are thrown at them, their cockiness and stupidity are only amplified. Here are my top ten, but of course there are lots more. However, we must always remember, they are only human too.

1. Me Make Good Play!
Ever see NFL players beat their chest like a gorilla after they just made a good play? I guess it’s a Tarzan thing or something, but they look kinda ridiculous. Maybe if I was out there on the field and I was a 170-pound kicker watching a defensive lineman beating his chest after a sack, I may be a little intimidated, but overall, they look really silly doing it. (I attended a professional all-women’s football game this year and saw a 350-pound woman do this, which was particularly scary.)

2. The God Factor, Part I
I hate it when players point up to Heaven and thank God after a good play too. Bear in mind however, that I am not criticizing religion or anyone for having faith in God. But this just looks lame. It happens a lot in MLB for some reason. A strikeout will cause Pedro Martinez to do the chest-touch and double-index-finger-point to God as if he and God were chatting earlier about possible pitching strategies in the locker room, and the strategy they chose together worked, so he had to personally thank God using his direct line.

3. The God Factor, Part II
Locker rooms, sidelines, dugouts, bullpens, and court sides are often full of praying men. One question: “If you are praying to win, and your opponent is praying to win, who does God choose?

4. Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You?
Why do pro jocks get arrested for drug and/or gun possession so much? Of course, lots of people do this one unfortunately, we just happen to hear about the famous athletes who do. C’mon guys, keep the drugs at home, stop driving while high, and for crying out loud, stop packin’! You don’t need a gun. Who’s going to harm you? You’re six six and weigh 275 pounds!

5. It Wasn’t Me!
Telling Congress you don’t do steroids, then getting caught doing steroids is pretty dumb. I loved watching the clips where Rafael Palmero sat pointing a finger at the Congressional hearing stating with disgust and confidence, “I do not take steroids.” And then the next clip showing him apologizing profusely for taking steroids.

6. I Love You To Death
Murdering ex-lovers doesn’t happen very often fortunately, but my list wouldn’t be complete without at least mentioning O.J.

7. Rabbits
It seems that there are a lot of NBA players out there who use the phrase, “My baby’s mom” a little too often. And there’s too many pro athletes’ offspring introducing their buddies as “My brother from another mother.” Ever hear of a condom?

8. How Much Bling Bling Do You Need!?
It’s fascinating to watch professional athletes blow through all their millions in their first year or two and then have nothing left at retirement, which is usually only a few years later. How many fifty-year-olds are still playing pro sports? Not many (minus golfers of course, who will drag their canes and oxygen tanks with them on the fairway). So why don’t pro athletes save a couple of bucks?

9. Love My Hog
It’s not too smart to get injured off the job when you’re a pro athlete. Cleveland Browns Kellen Winslow Jr. crashed his motorcycle recently and will now miss the 2005 NFL season. Jay Williams, a number one draft pick of the Chicago Bulls, also got into a motorcycle accident and has not played since. What’s with motorcycles anyhow? Talk about killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

10. “When You Come To a Fork in the Road, Take It” – Yogi Berra
Saying really dumb things in the media seems to be a particularly easy thing to do if you’re a professional athlete. I looked in a lot of places online to come up with a good list here. My problem was that there were so many good ones, I wasn’t sure which ones to pick. But here are a few gems:
a. Paul Hamm, Gymnast: “I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father.”
b. Baseball player Tito Fuentes, after getting hit by a pitch: “They shouldn’t throw at me. I’m the father of five or six kids.”
c. Football coach Ray Malavasi: “I don’t care what the tape says. I didn’t say it.”
d. Baseball player Dizzy Dean, after a 1-0 game: “The game was closer than the score indicated.”
e. Boxing Analyst: “Sure there have been injuries, and even some deaths in boxing, but none of them really that serious.”
f. Soccer commentator: “Julian Dicks is everywhere. It’s like they’ve got eleven Dicks on the field.”
g. Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh Steelers coach: “We’re not attempting to circumcise rules.”
h. Jim Wohford: “Ninety percent of the game is half mental.”
i. Joe Theismann: “Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.”
j. Charles Shackleford of the NCSU basketball team: “Left hand, right hand, it doesn’t matter. I’m amphibious.”
k. Shaquille O’Neal, on his lack of championships: “I’ve won at every level, except college and pro.”

As I already asked before, what can we expect from professional athletes? They often reflect society as a whole. Too much time, money and fame at a really young age can augment stupidity, simple as that. We all say and do dumb things, but thankfully, we don’t have microphones and video cameras pointed at us all the time. As Norman Einstein used to say, “Really smart athletes stay away from problems because they can predict the future with their ESPN.”

Author Bio
Jason OConnor operates www.bestshowticketslasvegas.com and loves to attend NFL and MLB games.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com – Free Website Content

Imagine placing two flat screen plasma TV’s side by side in your living room smack dab in front of your couch. You’ve got beer, snacks a-plenty and fresh batteries in your clicker.

One TV has an NFL game on and the other has a Major League Baseball game and they both start at the same time.

Besides this being many sports fans’ idea of hog heaven and even better than clicking back and forth between games with only one TV, it’s fun to watch the differences between these two pro sports. Watching the NFL on TV is a weekly ritual; baseball is on every night of the week, but watching the two combined is almost as rewarding as joining a Cowboy cheerleader snuggle-fest.

And that’s exactly what I did recently (not the snuggle-fest, but the two TV’s thing). Here’s what happened:

The football game started with a massive kick to the opposing team, and a line of 250-pound plus men with murder in their eyes started charging after the poor slob who caught the ball. After a few seconds he was crushed by his pursuers, becoming the bottom man in a very scary adult male pig-pile. MLB players tend to be a little mellower and less physical, but all pro players in any sport need to be strong. Football players take steroids, baseball players get caught.

Meanwhile, the MLB game started off a little less exciting. My heart rate and pulse began to slow down as I watched the catcher and pitcher play catch as the batter just stood there spitting and adjusting his crotch. I got quickly bored and turned back to the NFL game.

In a matter of a three minute span two men had been injured, with one having his ankle relocated to his armpit. A touchdown was scored, the ball changed hands twice, and a whole lot of tackling, smashing, crunching and finger-breaking happened.
Football is more of an immediate gratification, ADD-friendly game to watch.

I glanced back at the MLB game for a couple of minutes. Two strikeouts and four fly outs came and went and we were already in the second inning, with little action to show for it. A baseball game is more of a wise-old-man kind of sport, where patience and number-crunching are paramount. It reveres serenity.

Football reveres mayhem. Watching football gets me angry and all charged up. Watching baseball makes me sleepy. In fact, I usually like to watch the first two or three innings, fall asleep, and then wake up to catch the last few innings. Watching football players hit each other full force and light each other up is exciting, and dozing is out of the question. Watching one grown man with ball in glove chase another grown man to tag him in a pickle is kind of funny.

As 10,000 commercials played on the football TV, I had a few minutes to catch up on my MLB game. Finally, in the bottom of the third, a man hit the ball and dropped it in the right field gap for a single. All the baseball players, including the guy running up to first base, seemed quite pleasant. Why not be? They were playing in a nice park, on a nice warm and sunny day and no one had even broken a sweat yet. The batter reached first base and started chatting with the opposing team’s first baseman. They started smiling and having a great time with each other. My lip-reading skills are not what they used to be but I think I saw one say to the other, “Hi Johnny! How’s the wife doing? It’s been a while since we saw her. We’ve got to get together sometime soon.”

Growing restless, I turned back to the NFL game just in time to see one man standing over a writhing and groaning man on the turf. I think I saw his lips yelling, “Hey Bruno, while we were having breakfast together this morning, your wife told me to tackle you into next Tuesday, did I do a good job?”

In the very next play a running back was nailed in a bone-splitting tackle. Indeed, his bone did split, and then protruded right out of his bloody skin causing a wave of nausea to spread over the crowd.

Fascinated but horrified, I quickly turned to the baseball game and witnessed a wild pitch hit the batter on the finger. The batter yelped and had to sit the rest of the game out, his pinky was smarting.

To replace the bone-sticking-out-of-his-leg guy in the NFL game, a bulky player with flowing dreadlocks sticking out of his helmet started lumbering onto the field. He had a huge cast on his arm that looked like a big club. With the hand totally encased, forming a big bulbous weapon, he shook it as his opponents in defiance while possibly struggling to stick one particular finger up, and then reluctantly joined the huddle.

It was nearing the halftime and so many timeouts had been called that they seemed to have run out of commercials to play. So the cameras started scanning the crowd. It was a lot colder where this game was being held, and I could see people’s breath. I also saw a guy in shorts and no shirt who had painted his skin from head to toe in his NFL team’s colors. His head was shaved and also painted, and he was wearing a big pig’s nose on his face.

As I briefly scanned the crowd on the other TV, I saw lots of people in button down, short sleeve shirts, baseball caps and gloves on, waiting expectantly for that ever-elusive foul ball.

The first half started to wind down in the NFL game, and I actively awaited gratuitous shots of hot cheerleaders. I was rewarded with lots of silly pompom waving and cleavage. I then happily turned back to the MLB game but only saw three heavy-set women shoving sausage dogs and peanuts in their mouths.

At halftime I got a chance to go to the bathroom and grab another cold beer and more snacks. There is never a big break in baseball, and every time I go to the bathroom while watching baseball I always miss the big play, which of course happened this time too.

My MLB game continued to plod along when I got back, inducing the unique ball-strike-out hypnotic state that only baseball can cause. I was about to doze off when I was jarred out of my trance by the flashy touchdown dance I saw on my other TV. The guy who just scored was moonwalking across the uprights while flapping his arms like wings. He then proceeded to do a magnificent swan dive which turned into a double summersault with a twist and finally landed perfectly on the field.

I then quickly caught the replay of the big baseball play I had just missed. Someone hit a grand slam, rounded the bases and was greeted by a big, warm, bouncing-in-unison group hug.

After a while, both games ended and I had experienced a full range of emotions. Both games are great to watch and if you can get past the roller coaster ride of stimulation, watching football and baseball simultaneously is a blast. I decided to keep both plasma TV’s in front of the couch permanently

Finally, no football vs. baseball article could be complete without mentioning one of the masters of comedy and this subject, George Carlin. Here’s a quote from Carlin’s famous monologue that inspired this article:

“And finally, the objectives of the two games are completely different:

In football the object is for the quarterback, also known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his receivers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy’s defensive line. In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! – I hope I’ll be safe at home! ”

Author Bio
Jason OConnor operates www.bestshowticketslasvegas.com and loves to attend NFL and MLB games.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com – Free Website Content