From elementary school through to college, soccer has always been a part of our lives. As we grow older, we realize we couldn't have ever predicted how many things would change. So here’s a little reminder of how things used to be and how soccer is now.
Manchester United, it's fair to say, has not had the greatest season so far. Jose Mourinho's men currently reside in the foggy depths of sixth place in the Premier League table. To put that in perspective, they're even with Everton and three points above Watford.
To make matters worse, there has been a litany of issues for United in the past few weeks. A frustrating loss to Fenerbache in midweek has left United in third in their Europa League group and Mourinho's squad is facing a mini injury crisis.
It's a tired cliche, but the game isn't over until the referee blows the final whistle. An unbelievable, historic match at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship proved as much.
As soccer fans, we typically hate to see a game end in a 0-0 tie. But, there is nothing more humiliating than watching one team lose to another by five or more goals. In soccer, it's very important for a team to score the first goal of the game. If that's the case, your team automatically sets the pace for the match, and it also shows your opponents that you are here to compete.
Liverpool has followed the examples of Tottenham and Southampton by enforcing a wage cap of £40,000-per-year on 17-year-old youth professionals according to a report by the Telegraph.
The policy aims to combat the "too much, too young" culture in the Premier League that has seen financial incentives for youth products rise to ridiculous proportions.
Everyone seems to be aware of the rise of concussions in major sports like American football and hockey, but many don’t realize that the risk of concussions has also started manifesting itself in other sports, including soccer.
A recent youth soccer study published in the Journal of Pediatrics indicated that between 1990 and 2014, soccer-related emergency room visits have increased by 111%. Of those, more than 7% were concussions and 23% fractures.
We were all freaked out after hearing about people dressing up as clowns in their neighborhoods. Then, everyone’s worst nightmare got ten times worse after the news broke about clowns kidnapping children and bringing them into the woods. Halloween might be around the corner, but people are still strongly against clowns and the latest “creepy clown craze.” Let's hope that everyone avoids the clown costumes for this year's upcoming holiday…
Just a few days ago Celtic’s Karamoko Dembele was merely the club’s “other Dembele”. Even when he made his debut for the Hoops’ U-20s against Hearts last Wednesday - as a substitute in the 81st minute - he was still second fiddle to first-teamer Moussa Dembele, the recent scorer of a spectacular brace against Manchester City in Champions League play.