Cultured Football #195
Speaking on Goalkeepers. American Shareholders. Young Spain. Remembrance in Germany. Finding the Difference.
The Edge of Failure
By Cameron Ponsonby for The Blizzard
Nothing, it seems, irritates goalkeepers as much as former players turned pundits talking about their role and how they do it. Especially when they repeat cliches’ that have no basis in reality. And it isn’t just pundits; few people truly understand what makes elite goalkeepers so good. Read this and you’ll think of goalkeepers differently the next time a shot seems to ‘just hit the goalkeeper’.
Why one pro soccer team in Orange County has 1,463 shareholders
By Kevin Baxter for LA Times
There are many signs pointing at the growth of football in the US, from the increase in popularity of the local league to the number of investors buying European football clubs. But perhaps this is the most wholesome example where almost 1,500 people paid up money to own part of their local team replicating a model similar to that adopted in German football (well, sort of).
La Liga Gets Younger, Spain Gets Stronger: Spanish Football’s Homegrown Youth Revolution Explained
By Jamie Kemp for The Analyst
When Barcelona were so tight for cash that they couldn’t spend any money, they simply turned to their youth team and picked a host of super-stars. And, the thing is, they’re not alone: almost 18% of all minutes played in La Liga are going to players under the age of 23. Yet both the national team and Spanish clubs remain competitive. How is this happening?
Bonus Pick: Lessons from the Copa del Rey
[Jordan Thomas x ]
The FA Cup is loved because of its ability to produce shock results. But recent changes have made such upsets all the more possible in the Copa Del Rey to elevate its status.
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Remembering Football in the Third Reich
By for
There are currently two exhibitions aimed at exposing the complicity of football in furthering the cause of the Third Reich and to address ongoing issues of racism and discrimination in German society. Given what is happening in the world, it is worth remembering what passivity can lead to.
What's the difference?
By for
Fan blogs (and, worse, podcast and youtube channels) are often dismissed as the territory for biased rantings of obsessive lunatics. And, that’s the case many times. But it is also where some of the most interesting writing takes place. Writing such as this where an Arsenal fan compares his side to the current leaders Liverpool. Yes, there is a desire for Arsenal to win but it is largely well thought out and reasoned fact based piece the quality of which I haven’t seen anywhere else.
Every Saturday, Cultured Football brings you five great football articles you will enjoy reading. And you get a free copy of the book Master of the Azzurri.
Last Week’s Most Read: Operation Ligue 1: USL Dunkerque's Historic Bid for Promotion
By The Ligue 1 Story
That of USL Dunkerque is one of the most interesting stories of this season across European football. With a former Newcastle and Chelsea striker who learned his trade under Ralf Rangnick as Sporting Director, a chief scout who is barely in his thirties, a former coach with Benfica’s youth teams managing the team and a squad made up of largely free transfers they are pushing for a historic promotion to Ligue 1. A great story.