by on December 20, 2015

Top Soccer Stadiums in the World

 

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Estadio Azteca

This historical stadium was built in the 1960’s and is the home of Club America. This is one of the stadiums that hosted a match in the 1970 World Cup. Throughout the World Cup, they hosted a total of 10 matches, and most importantly the stadium was able to to play host to two of the most important games on the schedule, the Semi-Final and Final between Italy and Brazil. The stadium is located in the south of Mexico City and it extremely easy to reach by metro and the connecting light rail. The stadium currently holds an astonishing 104,000 people and it is an awesome place to watch a game, especially when it is a sell-out crowd.

Stadio Olimpico

Stadio Olimpico is located in Rome, Italy, and is the home for both AS Roma SS Lazio. The stadium opened in 1953 and holds approximately 72,698 seats. When the stadium originally opened to the public it was able to hold 100,000 spectators mainly because the terraces around the stadium. Stadio Olimpico hosted the 1990 World Cup and was able to host all of Italy’s matches. This was a great treat for the Italy fans. The stadium is located north of the Vatican City. Stadio Olimpico is also a must see if your a die-hard soccer fan.

Old Trafford

This stadium is located in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England and is the home to the Manchester United Soccer team. Old Trafford opened in 1910 and has been a historical venue for soccer matches ever since. In the 1966 World Cup, this stadium was able to host 3 group matches. A promising achievement for the citizens in England. Old Trafford is located near Manchester’s city centre and Manchester Piccadilly Station. If you have the opportunity, please come check out this incredible stadium

Maracana

Maracana is located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and is the home to both the CR Flamengo and Fluminense FC. The stadium opened in 1950 and holds 78,838 seats. One of the first main games this stadium played host to was the 1950 World Cup between Brazil and Mexico. In 2014, Maranca hosted yet another the World Cup. This time they were able to host seven matches including the World Cup Final.

Filed Under: Soccer Tagged With: , ,
by on August 7, 2015

The End of a Soccer Rivalry

The Syracuse Silver Knights may no longer find a rival in the Rochester Lancers. Why? Because the team will soon cease to exist.

Lancer’s owner Salvatore “Soccer Sam” Fantauzzo explained the reasoning for the soccer teams disbanding on their official website, citing a hefty worker’s compensation bill as a major factor. According to Fantauzzo, the Lancer’s premium rose from $20,000 to a completely unaffordable $277,000.

In a letter to the Professional Arena Soccer League, the owner divulged the of Lancer’s abusing the system and granting special privileges to players, such as allowing players who were actively competing to receive disability payments. Apparently, the state neither informed the Lancers of those claims nor fought the awards granted.

“There’s no going back,” said Fantauzzo.

The Lancers nearly disbanded last summer, but new management revived the franchise just before last season began. Unfortunately, it’s doubtful they will be granted the same fate.

 

“I think in order to be saved, they have to be moved,” said Silver Knights coach Tommy Tanner, also a friend of Fantauzzo. Indeed, many of the players will be looking for new teams for this upcoming season.

As for the fate of the Silver Knights, they aren’t in jeopardy anytime soon. Tanner reaffirmed the four-year old team will come back this upcoming season, and that it’s premiums are nowhere near that of the Lancers.

They will have to find a new rivalry, however. An average of 150 fans would travel between Rochester and Syracuse to see the two teams face off, and replacing a quick trip to Rochester a few times a season with more distant journeys will likely add about $15,000 to the Silver Knight’s travel budget.

There are rumors that a new team in Connecticut is slotted to replace the Rochester Lancers in the Syracuse Silver Knights division. Many fans will definitely mourn the loss of the great rivalry between the two upstate New York soccer teams, with Tanner commenting “…that was a great one that we had.”

There is chance that the Syracuse coach may pursue a few Rochester players, but didn’t name any names.

To read the original article, click here.

 

Filed Under: Football, Soccer, Sports, Syracuse, Uncategorized
by on July 6, 2015

Best Women Soccer Players in the World

Ralph CotranSoccer is one of the most televised and loved sports in the world. Many consider it a religion, and this excitement is now more present than ever during the 2015 Women’s World Cup. Professional soccer players have an important role in keeping the high standards of the game, and continually pushing their boundaries during matches. This world cup has been especially fun to watch, which is why I have put together a list of some of my favorite players.

3. Hope Solo

The American goalkeeper is a two time Olympic gold medalist, and is considered as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. She began her career with FIFA in 2007, and has since lead the US soccer team to countless of victories against teams like Brazil and Japan. She won the Golden Glove and the Bronze Ball for her performance during the 2011 Women’s World Cup.

2.  Dzsenifer Marozsan
Dzsenifer is from Germany and began playing on the country’s national team in 2010. As one of the leaders of Germany’s women soccer team, Dzsenifer is regarded as one of the best players in the world. At only 14 years old, she was welcomed to the Bundeslega team, and was one of the youngest players to score.

1. Marta
The forward Braziliera is considered one of the best female players in the world, and is currently playing for the national team of Brazil in this year’s World Cup. She is recognized for her speed, and excellent leadership skills on the field. She received the FIFA World Cup player of the year  from 2006-2010. Marta is also one of the highest goal scorers in the world cup, and was the recipient of the Golden Ball and Golden Boot awards.

After the amazing win from the US team last night, I have included some highlights from the 2015 Women’s World Cup US- Japan final.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5__1PwHRpAM

Filed Under: FIFA, Ralph Cotran, Soccer, Women's World Cup Tagged With: , , ,
by on May 7, 2015

The Origins of Soccer

This presentation focusses on the origin of soccer and its rise in popularity throughout the last decades. Soccer is extremely popular among European countries and Latin America, however, its popularity in the US is slowly increasing.  This is the Newest soccer presentation via Prezi.

Filed Under: Football, Ralph Cotran, Ralph Cotran - Soccer, Soccer Tagged With: , , , ,
by on April 5, 2015

New York City FC Collaborates with Alcohoot

Ralph CotranNew York City Football Club, is the newest sports team to join the legendary NY sports family, and play in Yankee stadium for the foreseeable future. The newest Major League franchise has taken US soccer by storm, and are expected to play at least three seasons. NYC FC’s roster has been stacked to the nines with well known players such David Villa, Andrew Jacobson and Sebastian Velasquez.  Along with others, these players will be competing with other Major League teams, making this the 21st addition to MLS. 

Not long after their arrival, NYC FC announced their collaboration with Alcohoot- a smartphone app that acts as a breathalyzer in order to help people check their blood alcohol content (BAC)  before driving or engaging in dangerous activities. During the FC matches, Alcohoot will be showcasing “last call” reminders to people in the stadium in order to promote responsible drinking and remind everyone to not drive if they have been consuming large amounts of alcohol. This initiative is meant to remind sports fans to act responsibly after a long day of drinking. NYC FC’s President, Tom Glick,  is proud of this partnership and believes that it will be a great way to reach out to large quantities of people at once, especially during a weak moment they might be experiencing. 

The collaboration between Alcohoot and NYC FC will go even further in setting up booths at soccer matches and remind fans to plan accordingly when getting home. Alcohoot success has also been recognized by the tech industry, and was the receiver of the 2014 Red Dot Award for Product Design. The device has been registered and approved by the FDA and will continue to improve its technology in order to promote safety through mobile devices. 

For more information visit: http://www.kten.com/story/28665543/alcohoot-kicks-off-new-partnership-with-new-york-city-football-club

Filed Under: Alcohoot, New York City Football Club, Responsible drinking, Soccer Tagged With: , , , , , ,
by on March 11, 2015

Chelsea v PSG : An Agressive Match to Date

Ralph CotranJosé Mourinho, the manager for Chelsea, has announced that his team members will not be awarded a bonus during the Champions League playoffs unless they take home the Champions League trophy this upcoming June. After his return to Chelsea in 2013, Mourinho restructured his team’s salaries and the per match bonus give aways. Although these payouts are by no means on the low end scale, Chelsea’s manager wonders whether money is an adequate incentive to motivate his players to do better. 

Mourinho believes that unless the team comes out victorious in the finals, they are not deserving of team bonuses, given that they already get paid very well. In a recent interview regarding this matter he was quoted:  “If we take the club into quarter-finals, semi-finals, finals but we don’t win the competition, we are doing a very good job for the club financially but I don’t think we should get extra money if we don’t win the last prize. Every player at the high level has enough money in salaries and I think everyone plays to win.” Mourinho states that the pride and success that comes with each win should override the desire to incentivize players with large bonuses. The love and passion the players have for the game should be enough encouragement to try their hardest and win each match. 

The Champions League has been a time of reflection for the Chelsea coach and his team, and as they close on the first part of CL, Jose believes that Paris Saint-Germain is one of the most aggressive teams they have played thus far. On the game against PSG, Mourinho voiced a real disappointment stating that the game was more about foul calls and aggressive interaction among the players and much less about soccer. 

Filed Under: Chelsea, Ralph Cotran - Soccer, Soccer, Syracuse Tagged With: , , ,