Culture

As much as we at The18 love women’s soccer, it’s a sad fact that the men’s game receives far more attention, whether it’s from FIFA, other media companies, potential sponsors or the fans themselves. (We could spend hours debating why this is the case, but that’s for another story.) Despite this, there are still a large number of women’s footballers who are far more famous than their partners, who are themselves professional soccer players. 

A recent Netflix documentary about the legendary Brazilian soccer player Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pelé, tells a compelling story of the athlete’s rise to fame from 1950 to 1974. The 99-minute documentary, which includes interviews with the 80-year-old Pelé, shows Pelé’s spectacular life against the backdrop of Brazil’s politics. But the film fails to address deeper questions of race and class.

There is an Irish saying that goes Tiocfaidh ár lá, which translates to "our day will come." This refers to the day that Ireland will no longer be divided; when Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will finally come together as the single nation they were before British rule.

It is a phrase that is strongly laced politically and has some negative connotations in connection with the IRA, but it is ultimately a fight for freedom guided by hope.

The hope that Irish people will one day be united.

There are some crazy superstitions and lucky charms that soccer players make sure they have before any match they may play in. Some players have lucky underwear, some have to put a certain cleat on before the other and some have to step on the pitch with a certain foot first. These may seem out of the ordinary, but these are real things players make sure they stick to before each and every game or practice for good luck. 

March 12 marks a full year since soccer in the U.S. — and around the world — shut down over the Covid-19 pandemic. Though we’re not out of the woods yet as we race to vaccinate as many people as possible before new variants threaten to add to the dreadful death toll, it’s a time for reflection on the strange, difficult year that was. 

Amy Poehler has a new hit movie streaming on Netflix. “Moxie” was released March 3 and has been a regular in Netflix’s Top 10 since. While not technically a sports movie, the film features a depressingly accurate depiction of high school soccer in America.