Laurent Dubois's Blog, page 82
January 25, 2015
Barcelona, Real Madrid; The politics in the play
Every time these two soccer heavyweights square up we all love it. This rivalry has been home to the biggest names in soccer and produced some of the most memorable moments in the history of the beautiful game. However, watching the style of play for both teams closely, something stands out.
Just to give you a brief history about the two sides. Catalonia, the home of Barcelona had been independent until they were forcefully put under a political system based in Madrid under king Philip V. The people of Catalonia lost their culture, most importantly they had to use Spanish as an official language resulting to bitterness. There have been several unsuccessful attempts by Catalonia to separate itself from Spain, most recently the 2014 referendum in which the people in Catalonia voted for freedom but the vote was ignored by Madrid.
Real Madrid is famous for its counter-attacking style of play. Laying back and letting the opponent have the ball before breaking out on deadly attacks, most often than not resulting to goals. When Madrid goes out to play, they get out there for serious business and the main target is to score goals and win. For them, that is what is expected in soccer, scoring goals and winning championships and they strictly abide by the rules. The philosophy has been very effective for the Santiago Bernabéu based team winning them multiple championships.
Barcelona`s style of play is the exact opposite. Barcelona has been known for the `tiki-taka’ brand of soccer. A sign of yearning for freedom. The need to go out there and not just play to score goals. The style that allows players the freedom to move around with the ball and make the game more entertaining. Players are given a chance to be creative and find a way to score goals. For them, this is a rebellion against the system, a rebellion against Madrid!
Next time as you enjoy the El-Classico remember to pay attention to the politics playing before your eyes.
La pérdida de más patrocinadores de FIFA
Siguiendo doce meses de tumulto en relación con los escándalos de FIFA, tres más de los patrocinadores de FIFA han confirmado que van a juntarse con Sony y los Emirates en abandonar FIFA.
Castrol, Continental y Johnson & Johnson terminaron su alianza con el organismo gobernante del fútbol después del fin de sus contratos al final del año pasado. Ninguna de las empresas han declarado que las polémicas habían sido la razón de su terminación de apoyo a FIFA pero la pérdida representa un golpe a las finanzas del órgano. Cada cuatro años, FIFA gana aproximadamente un mil millones de libra esterlina de sus socios comercios. Sin embargo, ha obtenido Gazprom, una empresa de energía, como un socio oficial para la próxima Copa Mundial celebrada en Rusia.
Muchas de las polémicas se centran en el régimen de Joseph Blatter, el que ha sido el presidente de FIFA desde 1998. En particular, Sony expresó preocupación sobre las alegaciones del error en la presentación de las dos próximas Copas Mundiales.
Hay un sentido muy anti-FIFA ahora en el mundo del fútbol causado por alegaciones de corrupción en cuanto a la polémica elección de sesdes para las Copas Mundiales de 2018 y 2022 y la mal gestión financiera de Blatter. Con la elección presidencial inminente, un grupo ha lanzado New FIFA Now, una organización dedicada a expulsar a Blatter de su posición y regresar el mundo de fútbol de la corrupción que ha fastidiado el órgano mundial.
Para más sobre la corrupción de FIFA visita www.elmundo.es
January 24, 2015
La Coupe du Monde Féminine et le Gazon Artificiel
Dans ces derniers mois, un polémique a eu lieu dans le monde de football. FIFA, et l’Association Canadienne du Foot, l’association qui organise La Coupe du Monde de football féminin, ont décidé que tous les terrains pour le tournoi seront gazon synthétique [1] . “La FIFA et l’Association canadienne de soccer, dans son rôle de comité organisateur du tournoi, ont été placées sur la défensive à la suite du dépôt d’une poursuite par un groupe de joueuses vedettes. La procédure judiciaire se trouve devant le Tribunal des droits de la personne de l’Ontario, qui étudie une requête des joueuses pour une instruction accélérée” [3]. Ce group de joueuses inclus la joueuse de l’année de FIFA, Nadine Angerer d’Allemagne, gagnante du 2012 Ballon d’Or Abby Wambach des Etats Unis, et la coéquipière de Wambach, Alex Morgan[2].
Des joueurs de foot se battent contre cette décision pour plusieurs raisons. Notamment, elles disent que cette décision indique une discrimination contre les joueurs féminins, puisque la Coupe du Monde masculine n’a jamais dû connaître une telle situation (depuis 1930, tous les matchs de la coupe masculine ont été joués sur de la pelouse exclusivement [2]) [1].
Pour dire autrement, “une des principales récriminations avancée dans la poursuite du groupe de joueuses, soit qu’elles soient la cible de discrimination, puisque les matchs de la Coupe du monde masculine ont toujours été présentés sur du gazon naturel” [3]. Ce genre de discrimination est une violation de la loi canadienne [2], alors cette récrimination est grave si les joueuses peuvent trouver de l’évidence pour confirmer leurs accusations.
FIFA et l’Association Canadienne du Foot ont expliqué que c’est difficile à préparer des terrains en gazon naturel en avance dans un pays comme Canada, ou les saisons sont très variables et un mauvais hiver peut détruire le gazon [3]. Le CSA dit que ce n’était pas une décision basée sur le sexe des joueurs, mais sur les conditions des terrains actuels, et la possibilité de créer des nouveaux terrains avant l’été [1].
Pour évaluer les déclarations des joueuses, “le professeur Eric Harrison, consultant indépendant, s’est rendu au Canada du 29 septembre au 8 octobre [2014] pour évaluer l’ensemble des terrains, dans les stades comme sur les sites d’entraînement, en amont de la compétition” [4]. Pour sa visite, il devait vérifier que les terrains d’entrainement étaient assez similaires aux terrains pour les matchs officiels [4]. Il est important que la surface soit de bonne qualité, car un terrain en gazon artificiel “peut être dangereux pour les joueurs, qui doivent porter une attention particulière à leurs appuis lorsqu’ils se déplacent ou changent de directions sur la surface. Dans le pire des cas, la chaussure peut glisser sur la surface, ce qui peut entraîner un étirement excessif des ligaments de la cheville, voire de potentielles lésions du ligament croisé antérieur”[4].
Certains combattants contre la décision disent que Hamilton ne peut pas être un expert s’il ignore les problèmes liés avec le gazon artificiel [4]. Par contre, Harrison cite qu’il existe plusieurs études au sujet de la différence entre la fréquence des blessures sur le gazon naturel et le gazon artificiel. Ces études proposent qu’il n’y ait pas de différence signifiante entre les deux types de terrain, malgré l’opinion populaire [4].
Pourtant, après des semaines de discussion, les joueuses ont décidée d’arrêter leur poursuite. Il faut attendre pour comprendre tous les raisons qui ont joué des rôles dans cette décision et voir les développements à l’avenir.
[5] Jay H. Williams, Emmanuel Akogyrem, and Jeremy R. Williams, “A Meta-Analysis of Soccer Injuries on Artificial Turf and Natural Grass,” Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 2013, Article ID 380523, 6 pages, 2013. doi:10.1155/2013/380523 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jsm/2013/380523/cta/
Featured Image: © Getty Images
Pourqoui le Foot? Une expérience personelle
Quand j’étais petit, le football était le premier sport que j’ai commencé à jouer. Mon père ne m’a pas permis de jouer au football américain, donc le foot était le seul sport pour moi dans l’automne. Mon ami Grayson m’a convaincu de jouer au foot avec lui et nous nous sommes joints l’équipe les rats musques. Pour mes cinq années avec les rats musques, j’étais forcer de jouer comme gardien mais je voulais marquer des buts. Donc, j’ai transféré à une autre équipe où je pouvais jouer la position d’attaquant. Au même temps, j’ai commencé à jouer au lycée.
Comme un attaquant, mon joueur préféré à ce moment dans ma carrière du football était Ronaldo, le célèbre attaquant brésilien. J’aimais Ronaldo parce que le monde l’a vu comme le meilleur joueur et il joue pour les champions en titre de la coupe du monde, le Brésil.
En 2006, la coupe du monde était en Allemagne. Ma famille et moi étions en France pour visiter les sites de bataille de la deuxième guerre mondiale en Normandie. Cependant, notre premier jour en France nous restions à Paris pour la nuit où la France a joué contre le Brésil, mon équipe préférée, dans le quart de final de la coupe du monde. Le match, qui s’est passé à Frankfurt, était tendu dans son intégralité. À ma grande déception au moment, la France a gagné le match avec un beau centre de Zidane à Henry, qui a lancé une volée dans le fond du filet.
Oui, la façon avec laquelle l’équipe française avait gagné était un exemple extraordinaire du beau jeu. Mais, j’étais stupéfait par la réaction des français et la célébration qui a englouti la ville. Il y avait des fêtes dans chaque bar, les gens en train de danser dans les rues, et les feux d’artifices. Tout cela pour une victoire dans le quart de final ?
Ce que j’ai réalisé dans ce moment était comment les résultats d’un match du foot sont plus profonds que le score ou la signifiance du tournoi. Les victoires dans les grands étages comme cela peuvent éclairer une nation entière, au moins pour une nuit. Mais le contraire est vrai aussi. J’ai commencé à aimer le foot pour ces raisons plus profond que les buts marque.
January 22, 2015
Hope Solo and False Analogies
2014 was a busy year for domestic violence.
American football held most of the spotlight, with the likes of Ray Rice, Greg Hardy, Jonathan Dwyer, Adrian Peterson and Ray McDonald earning suspensions. The public has begun to question the sport’s violent implications. While the discourse has focused on American football, one of soccer’s best, Hope Solo, is guilty of beating two relatives in June. Many have complained that her crime and U.S. Soccer have hid behind the National Football League (NFL)’s attention and not received the punishment or surveillance they demand.
The fallout of Solo’s situation has involved less scrutiny than that of the NFL players. Nike cut endorsement ties with all of the athletes, except Solo. While the football players are serving major suspensions, Solo only sat out for thirty days. In fact, after the news of her misconduct had surfaced, U.S. Soccer still allowed her to play wearing her yellow captain’s band and even honored her with a ceremony during her record-setting 73rd shutout.
US Soccer Federation spokesman Neil Buethe said in August: “We are aware that Hope is handling a personal situation at the moment. At the same time, she has an opportunity to set a significant record that speaks to her hard work and dedication over the years with the national team. While considering all factors involved, we believe that we should recognize that in the proper way.’’
The New York Post’s Andrea Peyser described this reaction as “the crowning disgrace of the sports world”.
What those crying, “double standard!”, are guilty of is a false analogy; they fail to note critical differences between the two cases. While Ray Rice’s punch knocked his fiancé out cold, Solo only left her nephew with a bloody ear and her half-sister with a bruise. While the built Solo stands over the 5 foot 8 inch Rice at 5 foot 9, she cannot match his 212 pounds of muscle. Solo is considered big in her sport, and Rice is relatively small in his stature. Still, Rice’s one punch caused more damaged than Solo’s rampage did.
A man striking a woman is different than a woman striking a man. One continues a treacherous history of abuse, and the other stands as a rarity. As Slate’s Amanda Hess notes, “the perpetrators of domestic violence are overwhelmingly male”.
Similarly, a football player guilty of domestic violence is different than a soccer player guilty of the crime. The former adds to a disturbing trend in a fundamentally violent sport, while the other does not. Soccer certainly incites its fair share of riots and often violent discord, but does not deserve the same examination that football does. If you search “football domestic violence” on google, a slew of names and cases appear. If you type “soccer domestic violence”, you will only read about Hope Solo.
While Hope Solo must be held accountable for her drunken violence, and not be acquitted of blame, the public should avoid any grand conjectures about the sport of soccer’s role as a perpetuator of violence. Save that for the NFL.
La homofobia en el futbol mexicano
La homofobia en el futbol mexicano
La FIFA investigo a la afición mexicana por conducta inapropiada en el mundial del 2014. FIFA lanzó la investigación después del partido de México contra Camerún después de quejas que venían de varios espectadores porque los hinchas mexicanos gritaban la palabra puto cuando el portero de Camerún despejaba el balón de su meta. La palabra puto tiene varios significados pero en este contexto es una expresión de rechazo y desprecio hacia las personas homosexuales. Gritar la palabra puto es una tradición de la afición Mexicana que se empezó a usar en un encuentro entre México y Estados Unidos durante la Final del Preolímpico en febrero del 2004. Desde este entonces, gritar este insulto se ha vuelto una costumbre del futbol mexicano que se grita en el despeje del portero rival.
El ‘ritual’ es el siguiente: cuando el balón sale por la línea final de la cancha y lo toma el portero, los aficionados levantan los brazos, agitan las manos y preparan la garganta para gritar en cuanto el jugador del equipo rival despeje el balón. En ese momento se termina el grito que enseguida provoca risas. Cuando la FIFA lanzo su investigación fue una tema muy controversial para los hinchas mexicanos y para la comunidad internacional porque por un lado el público mexicano veía el uso de la palabra como tradición y por el otro la comunidad internacional lo veía como una forma de discriminación.
Muchos de la afición Mexicana argumentaban que la palabra puto no es un insulto homofóbico y que la FIFA no respeta los tradiciones mexicanas. El entrenador mexicano, Miguel Herrera defendió el uso de este insulto y dijo que no es homofóbico ni ofensivo, sino una manera de presionar al portero rival y que es una manera en la cual se puede expresar el público mexicano. Aunque la palabra tiene muchas definiciones, esta palabra además de ser una expresión homofóbica es un insulto hacia alguien que le falta masculinidad que sirve para denigrar el potencial atlético y deportivo de la persona. Por lo tanto, la palabra puto por lo tanto es una expresión del machismo y de la homofobia que existe en México.
Aunque el presidente de la FIFA, Joseph Blatter y la presidenta brasileña Dilma Rousseff prometieron utilizar el Mundial como un vehículo para combatir el racismo y la discriminación, la FIFA no castigo a la afición Mexicana. Sin embargo, la investigación resulto en una controversia internacional y los días en que la afición Mexicana pueda gritar la palabra puto con impunidad son pocos.
Soccer and National Identity in Belgium
(image courtesy of the BBC)
This past summer during the World Cup viewers learned a lot about the political troubles of Brazil and how the World Cup helped unite the nation to some extent during the games. A conflict we do not hear much about in America is that of Belgium: specifically the French and Dutch speaking sections of the country. For the most part, the South of Belgium speaks French, while the North, including the tourist cities of Ghent and Bruges, speak Dutch [1]. Brussels, lying in the center of the country, is relatively bi-lingual, although from my experiences, English, Dutch, or French will suffice in most areas of the capital. However, this divide is much more serious than just a language. These two sides have a different national identity. While this following story is anecdotal and extremist, I feel like it portrays the magnitude of the conflict. A French co-worker of mine was rear ended in Flanders. The drivers pulled over and when she started speaking French to the other driver, he punched her and threw her against his car, breaking her wrist in the process, all because he thought it was disrespectful of her to speak French in Flanders.
In a recent European Union study, Belgium was one of the least patriotic countries of Western Europe. [2] After the 2007 election, Belgium did not have a government as there was a six month government shutdown, and an 18 month shutdown occurred again in 2010. In 2010, Vlaams Belang, a Flemist Nationalist Member of Parliament, yelled out “Long live free Flanders, Belgium may die!” This sentiment was echoed by Willy De Waele, the mayor of Lennik, a small Flemish town, who stated “I’m Flemish, not Belgian. There’s no loyalty to a country called Belgium” [3]. Currently, the Flemist National Party is currently the largest party in the Belgium Parliament, which leaves some to be worried about the future health and utility of the country [5]. In the following photo, the yellow seats on the right each represent a member of the Flemish National Party, which is currently in the coalition that is in power in the Belgian Parliament.
(image courtesy of Wikipedia User Shabidoo)
Before Belgium’s matchup with the USA in the Round of 16, Belgian Head Coach Marc Wilmots stated “I don’t understand. Is there a war in Belgium?” when asked about how his team deals with the differences between the Flemish and Wallonia (the French speaking South) members. However, there has been political pressure for the Belgian National Team to select as many French speaking members as Dutch speaking members for their World Cup and European Championship squads [5]. The Belgian team is relatively diverse in terms of Northern and Southern Belgian members, for example, Eden Hazard is from the French speaking South (La Louviere), while Thibaut Courtois is from the Dutch speaking North (Bree) and Marouane Fellaini is from Brussels [4]. Clearly, there is no Flanders in FIFA (although some are petitioning for Flanders to have their own independent soccer team), and therefore players from the Flanders region such as Courtois and Lukaku must play for Belgium. However, ever since the 2008 Olympics where the Belgians placed 4th in the men’s soccer competition, and the rise of the Belgian Golden Generation, Belgians have seen the team as much more Belgian and focus much less on the regional makeup of the team [5].
This past World Cup was Belgium’s first since 2002, and unified support of the soccer team across the country was something that had not been seen in a long time. From my experiences in the country this summer, Belgian flags were waving off balconies through Brussels, but also in the Flemish tourist towns. While watching the games in Grand Place and Good Kompany in Brussels, I remember listening to Belgians in front of me from Ghent still supporting the Belgian team, despite their pro-Flemish views and political differences (thanks to some translation help from a different co-worker). The experience in Brussels during Belgium games was incredible as it seemed like the whole city would be out on the streets and fireworks would be set off. The Belgians seemed happy (until Argentina defeated them and they had to work the next day) and it hardly seemed like a country that was going through so many political troubles. As we have discussed in class and through our readings, that is the beauty of sport. Johan Vande Lanotte, a Flemish socialist, stated that the World Cup has helped bring Belgium together and given minorities and immigrants more respect in the country. “We can vote one week for a party that wants to split the country, and another week we can wave the Belgian flag for the football team,”Lanotte stated. “Yes, it is strange, but then we were the inventors of surrealism” [6]. Others, such as an IT consultant from Ghent praised how the Belgian squad worked together as a unified team. One can only hope that Belgians off the pitch will work together to settle their differences as well.
Works Cited
[1]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/world...
[2] http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/ar...
[3] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010...
[4] belgianfootball.be
[5] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/m...
[6]http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014...
Images
Title Image- Stu Forster of Getty Images
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/new...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamber_...
Is James Rodriguez Really Worth €81 Million?
James Rodriguez is a 23 year old Colombian soccer player, who was recently transferred to Real Madrid after playing for AS Monaco FC. James has been an excellent player for some time now, but gained significantly more fame recently after stellar performance playing for Colombia at the 2014 World Cup. That being said €81 million is about $109 million USD, a lot of money to pay for the transfer of an athlete. Even though James is an excellent player, that transfer price is the same as Real Madrid paid Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009.
While Real Madrid has never been shied away from a transfer that they want by financial reasons, the interest in acquiring James is a bit puzzling. It’s curious because Real Madrid already has Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, and Isco contending for the same position, and it doesn’t really seem that they need more power here. Even more, Real Madrid has had the historical tendency of overpaying (depending on who you ask) for players after the World Cup, and this could follow in the same vein.
Its important to note however, that there are many factors at play when signing a high profile player like James. Whether they need him or not, James became one of the worlds most popular players after the World Cup and fits right in to Real’s superstar lineup. That is, there is a lot of buzz that Real Madrid created for itself after signing James. Even further, James is marketing power for Madrid, pulling on fans who supported James during the World Cup and generating huge profits from jersey, ticket, advertising, and memorabilia sales. For example Read Madrid sold 345,000 James Rodriguez jerseys within 48 hours of the jersey being unveiled generating £20.7 million in sales from the jerseys in this 48 hours alone. Finally, there could have been considerable political motivations at play. It seems that buying James was Real’s response to Barcelona buying Luis Suarez, a common phenomenon between Real Madrid and Barcelona. All in all, James was an expensive buy and not one that Real Madrid necessarily needed, but he’s an excellent player, brings great publicity to Real, and generates incredible revenue for Real Madrid.
Referee Complaints: A Part of the Game, or Pulling the Game Apart?
While excited about this course, I have not grown up with much soccer background. I play lacrosse and also participated in football and basketball. The soccer culture is unfamiliar to me, and although I have watched a few World Cups now, did not understand the lifestyle and die-hard passion soccer fans overseas have for their teams until I spent time in Florence this summer during the World Cup. Watching the streets erupt after Italy’s big first win, and then deflate over the next week or so as they finished a disappointing overall performance without advancing to the next stage. Although I consider myself a big Baltimore Ravens fan, by no means will the Ravens playoff loss affect my attitude more than a few hours after the game.
After reading the article “Outrage over Premier League Officials is Damaging the Game” by Rory Smith, it gave me insight into how big of a deal refereeing and complaining about referees has been in the soccer experience. My point here is not to argue the quality of officials and whether or not their performance has declined, however to argue that the focus on officiating takes away from the game. The constant arguing and bickering, while present in many sports, slows the game and takes away from the focus on the quality of play. Refereeing is subjective and during the course of a high paced game, it can be tough to get every call right and there are examples throughout the world of sports over the years of poor calls that have decided outcomes and shifted momentum in the course of a game. The addition of replay has helped to reduce these judgment errors in many sports.
The problem with the constant complaining about referees is also that it creates excuses and allows coaches and players to blame others for the outcome. Post game, instead of reflecting on a loss and how one could have performed better, or feeling satisfied after a win, the discussion too often comes back to the officials. Where is the accountability? Why might one think that complaining will get him or her anywhere? Clearly, sometimes this bickering might be rewarded. In March of 2014, Roma and Sassuolo were competing in a Serie A match where a referee overturned a decision after the constant complaining.
How can credibility be preserved if a referee allows this to happen? A decision, once made final, is final, unless using an instant replay to determine the opposite call should have been made.
It is an interesting discussion, but I have always been raised in a sporting environment revolving around respecting officials and taking accountability for the outcome, positive or negative. Not every call will be perfect and it is something every athlete has to deal with. No team or player is entitled to more calls or more discretion, and allowing for this takes away the focus of the true essence of soccer, and any sport. The constant begging for calls, flopping to sway the officials, and blame of outcomes on officials are things I personally believe have no room in any sport.
January 21, 2015
Ballon D`Or, is it all about goals ?
As an avid soccer fan, one who yearns for the beautiful game to be played in a beautiful way, I have come to appreciate the role of the playmaker. In the words of Galeano, “Years have gone by and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good soccer. I go about the world,hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead:”A pretty move, for the love of God.” And when good soccer happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.” To soccer, the playmaker is what a point-guard is to basketball, he`s the quarterback of the soccer world. He is the signal caller and he ‘runs the show’. Without the defense being linked up well with the offense, then we will only hope for but never get the exciting brand of soccer we live for. Without Iniesta and Xavi ‘doing their thing’ in the Barcelona midfield, we would never have been witnesses to the exciting `tiki-taka’ brand of soccer we all fell in love with.
In the article linked below, the author makes a case for Toni Kroos, the Germany defensive- minded playmaker formerly of Bayern Munich but currently playing for Real Madrid. Toni Kroos won the domestic double with Bayern Munich and went on to win the World Cup, world`s biggest trophy in which Ronaldo was a no-show. He added the Club World Cup and European Supercup with Madrid to make him the `winningest` soccer player in 2014( a total of 5 trophies) but did not make it to the final list for consideration as the world`s best. The last time a playmaker won the trophy was in 2006 with the rest of the wins going to offensive players. The world has not lacked in great defensive players or playmakers but the game of soccer seems to have very little appreciation if any, to players who make things happen in the pitch. While in the past players like Zinedine Zidane managed to win the best player award without having scored the biggest number of goals(He only scored 24 goals between 1996-2001 and won the award twice, Ronaldo scored 49 goals in 2014 alone), today the only way to win the award seems to be scoring goals.
I believe for the good of the game, we need to reward players who are not necessarily scoring the goals but facilitating the goals. If the dream of a beautiful game is to come true, then lets appreciate the playmaker because it is in the pitch where the best moves happen not by goals.
Sources
Edouardo Galeano, Soccer in Sun and Shadow (New York: Verso Press, 2003)
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