Author Archives: Coachie Ballgames

West Ham United have finally ironed out a deal to move into London’s Olympic Stadium come the 2016-2017 season. The deal puts an end to a stop-start struggle that has lasted almost as long as construction on the Stratford ground … Continue reading →

A recent Sunday morning in Portland, Oregon. Early. A brief gargling with Scope does little to wash out the heavy taste of Saturday night’s Rogue Ales and Jamesons. The streets are as deserted as those in The Walking Dead and the sun … Continue reading →

“It is an ode to defeat” is how the organizer of an art exhibit at Paris’ Pompidou Center describes a recently-unveiled statue of Zinedine Zidane. The 16-foot work, by artist Adel Abdessemed, is unusual in that it doesn’t show Zizou … Continue reading →

When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, there were 32 countries in UEFA, up only seven from the 25 that founded Europe’s governing body for football in 1954. The winds of change that would spur the Scorpions to lay down their … Continue reading →

It was nearly two years ago when Welsh wonder wizard Gareth Bale gave the White Hart Lane faithful one of their greatest international nights. His speed, flair, and precision fueled a 3-1 evisceration of Inter Milan in their Champions League … Continue reading →

“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!” -Michael Corleone This has been the endless summer of soccer. The opening rounds of Euro 2012 brought pulse-pounding games almost every day before culminating in Spain’s crowning. Soon … Continue reading →

Manchester City, champions of England, have launched a fantastic new feature that allows fans free access to advanced player statistics. By registering here, soccer fans will be able to go beyond mere goals scored and into the kind detailed data … Continue reading →

Old Trafford, the home of English football’s most crowned champions, hosted the most decorated team in women’s soccer Monday in an Olympic semi-final against Canada. Alex Morgan’s 123rd minute header sealed a surreal American triumph and turned the Theatre of … Continue reading →

Spain reigned supreme on the pitch, but which nation stole the sartorial show? Euro 2012 was a tame tourney for football kits when compared to some of the shock shirts of years past, but still had its fair share of … Continue reading →

Goals in football are as few and precious as the days of summer. The sizzlers of Euro 2012 rank up there with the most sumptuous scores in the grand history of this great game. Here are five worthy candidates for … Continue reading →

We American soccer fans know all about watching matches alone. On the west coast, we stumble through the cold pre-dawn darkness to our couches, desperate for coffee, slightly delirious, and droopy-eyed, just to catch the first broadcast match each Saturday. … Continue reading →

How boring would sports be without hubris and schadenfreude? In advance of Friday’s match with England, Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet gazed deep into its crystal ball and predicted England’s riotous tabloids, including the Sun, the Daily Mirror, and the Daily Mail, … Continue reading →

More than ever, football is a young man’s game. Today’s footballer plays more competitive matches than his forebears; league seasons have stayed the same length, but tournaments have bloated in size. Consider that it took Liverpool only nine games to … Continue reading →

As debates go, it wasn’t quite Lincoln versus Douglas, or even Frank the Tank versus James Carville, but Michael Ballack and Alexei Lalas went at it after England drew France on Monday. Like the match itself, it was a contrast of … Continue reading →