Los Angeles Galaxy have won their third MLS cup and they were invited to White Housed and greeted by president of United States president Obama who is a soccer fan himself. President Obama praised Galaxy, London Donvan, and David Beckham while throwing a good few jokes at him. Watch video below:
If you are a David Beckham fan, you can shop David Beckham Jerseys, shoes, and soccer apparel online.
Champions League Final is coming on May 19th and the match will be between the world known Spanish Real Madrid and EPL’s powerhouse Chelsea. Below is a brief info-graphic on the match up:
Champions League Gear & Soccer Jerseys
United looked ready. Rooney’s eyes carved a path from the kick off circle straight into Joe‘s Hart, and for the first few minutes of Mondays derby, it looked as if the Red Devils would emerge victorious. They started off on their toes, chasing every ball, not wanting to settle for the draw. Glory, glory echoed in their heads as they pushed forward, but the ball was uncooperative, and for the remainder of the game, United looked anything but.
Their frustration began to develop as the “blue moon” rose, shining brighter and brighter on City’s title hopes. Despite their almost equally shared percentage of possession, it was Kompany’s goal in the first 45 minutes of stoppage time that reminded us of how noisy United’s neighbors can be. The roar was deafening to the opposition, but melodious to supporters. The lead was inevitable, and very well deserved. Sky blue covered the stands and field, as a demoralized group of loyal fans watched their boys get humiliated feet away from were they stood.
It is puzzling to soccer fans worldwide and humorous to the soccer gods, who frustratingly watch from above, when world class teams arrogantly give away games. Of course, every team has their ups and downs, certainly not taking away from City’s unbelievable domination over United, but in the English Premier League even underdogs can win over powerhouse teams. It is what makes it the best league in the world in terms of balanced competitiveness, talent, and unpredictability.
Teams get hot and cold, some remain on fire, and others freeze unexpectedly. Both City and United have been victims of this inconsistency this year, losing “easy” games, drawing must win matches, or giving away a late goal. At least Sir Alex managed to show some grit and proved he cared about winning when he took part in an altercation with Mancini on the sideline. A true leader, a winner, not satisfied with the club’s 19 titles or dominant history. Any loss is unacceptable. For his half of Manchester, it will be difficult to sleep. The “noisy neighbors” will cheer on throughout the nights, howling at their precious blue moon, with only one dream in their hearts.
Soccer Fanatic unveils company rebrand to soccerloco
The online and retail store’s name, logo and marketing initiatives reflect its ongoing commitment to provide soccer enthusiasts with premium products through an innovative shopping experience
San Diego, Calif. (March 18, 2012)—Soccer Fanatic, the online and specialty retailer of premium and exclusive soccer gear, announced the launch of the company’s rebrand to soccerloco today. The change reflects the sheer passion and hysterical love of soccer the company has grown over its 15 years of business.
With a sleek new, more intuitive website and premium, concept retail shops, soccerloco will continue as the premiere destination to buy top value soccer balls, soccer shoes, soccer jerseys and other soccer equipment from soccer’s most trusted brands including Nike, adidas, Puma and more.
“soccerloco will move forward as an even stronger source of authentic soccer gear from the game’s best brands,” said John Lococo, President of soccerloco. “We have a well-respected name behind the company, which is recognized as a leader in the industry, yet anticipate that switching to ‘loco’ will show customers our commitment to pushing the boundaries and taking our shopping experience to the next level.”
The change will be inclusive of all four of Soccer Fanatic’s current retail locations, in addition to its online store. The newly updated website launched today and the companywide conversion is expected to be complete by mid-April.
“As we expand into new markets, we continue to create innovative experiences and position ourselves to exceed the expectations of today’s youth soccer players, club team members and soccer fans everywhere,” said Lococo. “Our new name and logo is being launched with a fresh marketing campaign that reflects a phenomenon that already exists: the uninhibited enthusiasm our customers have for playing, watching and living soccer.”
In conjunction with its re-brand, soccerloco will celebrate its 15-year anniversary with a VIP party, May 19th, in San Diego. The date coincides with one of the biggest days in world soccer, as the Champions League Final will be contested in Munich, Germany that night. The party is a celebration of soccerloco’s customers, partners and employees and will include professional player appearances, giveaways, free swag and more.
Headquartered in San Diego, soccerloco is actively involved in community events, as well as club and youth soccer leagues in-and-around Southern California.
“What hasn’t changed, is that our company is still built on the foundation provided by our employees and their commitment to excellence. We can attribute the authentic experience we provide, both in-store & online, to our great staff who always have and always will eat, sleep and dream soccer,” added Lococo.
For more information, to shop for products, or find retail locations, visit www.soccerloco.com.
About soccerloco
Driven by passion for the game, soccerloco delivers the premium products and innovative experience needed to take committed players, teams and fans to the next level.
Both online and in-store, the leading retailer of authentic soccer gear offers an extensive selection of soccer shoes, professional jerseys and other top-of-the-line equipment from the game’s most recognized brands including Nike, adidas, Puma and more.
For more information, to shop for products, or find retail locations, visit www.soccerloco.com.
This has not been a good two weeks for FC Barcelona. First, the 1-0 loss to Chelsea in London. Next, the loss to rivals Real Madrid that all but mathematically ended Barca’s chances of winning La Liga this season. Then came the 2-2 tie against Chelsea that eliminated Barcelona from the Champions League.
Quite a week for a team that has grown accustomed to winning, winning, and more winning over the last three years.
Today came the announcement that many had been dreading: Barcelona head coach Pep Guardiola will be leaving the team at the end of the season. He is not being fired; in fact the club president wants him to stay, and asked for him to reconsider his decision.
Why would the coach of a team who has won 13 trophies over three years want to leave?
Some may say being in such a high-profile, high-pressure job has taken its toll on Guardiola and that he wants a break. I don’t buy that explanation; Pep was a player at the highest level for many years, and is used to dealing with the pressures of being expected to perform well week in, week out. True, the pressures on a coach are different than the pressures on the players, but I still don’t think that’s the reason.
I don’t think Guardiola ever intended to stay head coach of FC Barcelona for an extended period of time. He has been signing 1-year contracts rather than long-term deals, and the end of every season has come with a discussion of whether he would leave or continue. He never envisioned being Barcelona’s version of Sir Alex Ferguson, even if many fans of the team wish he would.
I think he sees this as the end of the line as far as his influence over the team goes. He may feel that he has taken this group of players as far as he can take them (he has taken them on an incredible journey, to be sure), and that change is needed in order to regain their supremacy. Barcelona runs through Guardiola’s veins. He saw great success with them, first as a player, then as the “B” team coach, then as the head coach. First and foremost in his mind is always the health and success of the team, and if he feels a coaching change is the way for the team to be most successful, he has shown he has no problem stepping aside.
Could this be the last masterstroke of his time in charge at FC Barcelona, propelling on to further glory in the years to come? Or will his departure be the last straw as Barcelona’s dominance crumbles?
Many fans and analysts already had it pencilled in: An all-Spanish final. A Clasico for the UEFA Champions League title. The storylines were all written. ”Messi vs Ronaldo”. ”Guardiola vs Mourinho”. ”Good vs Evil” (Of course, which side is which depends on your loyalties). It seemed that fate had predestined this to be an epic final game. Only problem was, Chelsea and Bayern Munich didn’t read the script.
But here we sit on Thursday, reflecting on the semi-finals, and wondering where it all went wrong for the teams from Spain. Barcelona was eliminated on Tuesday, with a 2-2 draw not being enough to overturn the 0-1 deficit from the first leg. Madrid was ousted Wednesday, losing to Bayern Munich in a penalty shootout.
Much has been said and written about Barcelona’s elimination, with many people saying that Barcelona’s lack of a “Plan B” was their demise. Their intricate passing game is beautiful and usually very effective, but what about when the run into an ultra-organized and ultra-determined team like Chelsea (or Inter Milan a couple of years ago)? Shouldn’t they have a back-up plan of some sort?
The truth is, Barcelona weren’t eliminated because they ran out of ideas or because they are tactical simpletons. They lost because of poor execution, plain and simple. Their “Plan A” created them plenty of chances, but too many of them were squandered. What we saw over the course of two legs was a level of execution we aren’t accustomed to seeing from Barca: A level other than excellent. We’re not used to seeing the Blaugrana miss easy chances (really, when was the last time you saw Lionel Messi miss a penalty?). What we saw over the course of these semi-finals was that they are in fact human.
Chelsea, for their part, deserves credit for making life as difficult as possible for their much-favored foes. They used a combination of hard work, discipline, and luck to make their way to the final. Sometimes that’s what it takes to win, and they executed their game plan admirably.
The second semi-final had almost as many storylines as the first. Bayern and Madrid are both attacking teams, so we knew we were in for an entertaining couple of games. Bayern were trying to reach the final in their home city of Munich, and Jose Mourinho was trying to win the Champions League with his third team (previously winning as coach of FC Porto and Inter Milan).
This semi-final did not disappoint, with lots of goals and excitement, and plenty of good attacking play. After losing 1-2 in Munich, Real Madrid turned it around and won 2-1 at home. Cristiano Ronaldo enhanced his claim for World Player of the Year by scoring two goals (and then damaged it again by having his penalty saved-more on that in a minute). The contest finished tied 3-3 on aggregate, with neither team being able to break through in extra time.
In the end, the result came down to who could handle the pressure of a penalty shootout. So who handled the pressure? Goalkeepers Manuel Neuer and Iker Casillas both performed very well, each making two saves. Neuer blocks shots from Ronaldo and Kaka, while Casillas saved from Tony Kroos and Philip Lahm. Who didn’t handle the pressure? Sergio Ramos, whose shot was closer to the top row than to the goal. Bastian Schweinsteiger finished the winning spot-kick, sending Bayern Munich to the final.
Bayern will face Chelsea on May 19th, and will be the first team to play in a Champions League Final in their home stadium.
That’s when you know you’re the best team in the world. When the top teams, (Chelsea these semifinals and Real Madrid this past weekend), play defense even when they’re up hoping to score on a counter. I wonder how frustrated teams would get if Barcelona took a lead and defended with everyone for the remaining minutes. Call it smart soccer, sure, but its cowardice when it’s done for the entire game, every game. This is the case EVERY time a team goes up against Barcelona, which in a way might be flattering, but it’s also a huge slap to the face of any and all attacking players that go up against the Best Club in the world. They don’t get a chance to go forward and score. Not against them, and not at their own will. It’s too risky. “They are world class.” So, why not have 11 goalies or 10 defenders against FCB? Why play a full field instead of half, with Valdez standing at the kickoff circle? Obviously joking, but you get the point.
Unpredictable errors, unlikely heroes, and tactical miscalculations, are all part of soccer. It is the beauty, and the beast of the sport. There are no time outs, no short quarters, no endless substituting or oxygen tanks on the sidelines, and anyone can win at any time. Although there are many respected professional soccer teams in this world, BARCA, without question, have earned the respect from them all. They don’t need any more trophies or individual accolades to strike fear into their opponents. They needed a nightmare to become a reality, to awaken from endless years of wins and dreams. The W goes to Chelsea. Congrats. Well fought? Yes. Lucky? Probably. Deserved? No. Chelsea didn’t win, Barcelona simply lost. Nevertheless, Good luck to Chelsea in the finals, and to the teams playing tomorrow! QUE VIVA EL FUTBOL!
I watched El Classico this weekend. Not a good week from Barcelona, only slightly better for Real Madrid and that is because they took the win, but they too lost in Europe’s Championship play to Bayern Munich. Barcelona had dropped a game to Chelsea as well. El Classico was a good match, not great I thought. My first thoughts were that both teams were “hung over” from their loses in the chase for Europe’s big prize.
It could also be that both teams were thinking about their own war when they lost earlier in the week. Soccer at the professional level is always a contest of being prepared that day. Confidence and over confidence can so influence behavior on the field. Players must always be focused on the here and now and not be thinking about past or future events. It could very well have been that both Spanish clubs were looking at each other even when playing their European opponents.
This kind of focus could have been because of over confidence. Over confidence is not always a result of arrogance, but can simply be influence even subtly by the coaching influence in their preparation. Certainly in Spain the media attention was likely on La Liga Being bombarded with questions about a future event could take focus away. All it takes is just being a little off and even the best in the world can finish second. Barcelona out played Chelsea but as with many soccer games, putting it in the net is rather important. Things looked to be more even in Germany as it took a 90th minute goal to put B. Munich over the top and give them an advantage going into Spain.
Disappointment for Barca might have made the difference in the two closely matched squads this weekend. That little extra stress. Barca had to win in order to catch RM in the standings for La Liga. Could that have been the difference? We can only speculate of course. It is easy to conceive how the importance of the game and the little bit of extra stress just made Barca a bit tighter and when you play with that kind of precision it can make a difference.
For me the high light of the game was Ronaldo’s goal. I admit I am not a C. Ronaldo hater as so many are. He has a reputation of disappearing during tight games so to watch him finish with a good shot on the run was good. He and Messi are so different. I’ve written about this in other places, but great players need competition and what may very well be the two best in the world right now have each other. I’m looking forward to how they continue to play in the spot light.
Winning La Liga from ESPN & Getty Images
So the thing I’d like you to take away from this post is simply the importance that focus on the present is critical to performance and any additional stress not handled can make a difference. I suspect both teams will bounce back in Champions play, so perhaps; just perhaps El Classico was just a build up for something even better.
Play with passion. Enjoy the Game. The one on the field and the one within.
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It is for athletes and non athletes working to achieve more in sports and life. Mike has coached club and high school soccer for 35 years. Check out more on sport psychology at The Mental Game.
This week saw two close first leg games in the UEFA Champions League Semifinals. On Tuesday, Bayern Munich edged Real Madrid by a score of 2-1 in Germany. Madrid grabbed a valuable away goal that will give them a boost of confidence as they return home for the second leg. On a rainy night in London, Chelsea shocked Barcelona 1-0, making the return leg very interesting indeed. Barcelona is virtually unbeatable at the Camp Nou, but Chelsea’s first leg victory means all they have to do is tie to advance to the final.
News has come out later this week regarding both games that has given new meaning to the phrase “home field advantage”. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona experienced disruptions in their preparations for the semifinals. In Munich, the Real Madrid locker room was broken into before the game and six pairs of cleats belonging to Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil, and Karim Benzema were stolen. The Real Madrid equipment manager returned to the locker room to lay out the team’s uniforms prior to the game and found the shoes missing.
In London, Barcelona players Dani Alves and Lionel Messi were involved in an altercation with a small group of fans in their team hotel. One of the fans had asked Messi to sign a jersey, and as Alves told the fans to leave, the situation became heated. Hotel security eventually had to remove the fans from the hotel.
These are professional players who are used to dealing with distractions, but they are also human. Could these events have broken their concentration just enough to give the home teams the edge they needed? Will there be any retribution when the tables are turned and Bayern Munich and Chelsea are on the road? One thing is sure: The Champions League Semifinal second leg games will be well worth watching.