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Football as an extreme sport: The Canadian Premier League final
When I was growing up, often in my neighbourhood playground, there were heated arguments between groups of kids who wanted to play cricket and those who wanted to play football, respectively. One of the many justifications regularly…
Cha Bum-kun: A trailblazer | Part II
The tireless work ethic that Cha Bum-kun exemplified had impressed the Eintracht manager Friedel Rausch, who called him “the best and the most willing forward" he had ever seen, soon after Cha joined Eintracht. His first goal came at the…
Cha Bum-kun: A trailblazer | Part I
When Son Heung Min played his last game for Tottenham in a friendly game at Seoul, there were widespread discussions surrounding the proper place of Son in the pantheon of Asian footballers who have excelled in European club football.…
Hearts this season: fairytale and anomaly
Something miraculously beautiful is happening in Scotland now. And no, I am not talking about another lock ness monster sighting. However, the utter rarity and near incredulity of the event have left me with no other parallels. The Scottish…
How many subs are too many subs?
The board with two numbers goes up – one number in red, the other in green, and a player trudges out of the ground as another darts in. Substitutions have been a part of the game since the 1950s. But for the first thirty years, there could…
Unsung Heroes in World Cups: Tostao | 1970 Mexico
The 1970 FIFA World Cup was held in Mexico. It was the first World Cup to be televised in colour, staged outside of Europe or South America, and allowed for in-match substitutions. Red and yellow cards were introduced for the first time in…
Unsung Heroes in World Cups: Martin Peters | 1966 England
The 1966 FIFA World Cup was held in England, the birthplace of modern football. The Beatles were preparing for the release of Revolver, the Vietnam War was ongoing, and Martin Luther King was leading rallies in Chicago. England were a…
Unsung Heroes in World Cups: Amarildo | 1962 Chile
The 1962 World Cup in Chile is one of the least fondly remembered tournaments in the history of the World Cup. The lack of infrastructure, widespread poverty, and unemployment issues, in addition to the poorly addressed Valvadia Earthquake,…
Unsung Heroes in World Cups: Didi | 1958 Sweden
The 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden was the first time that video technology in the World Cup seemed good enough to match the spectacle. And a spectacle it was. From Fontaine’s record goal-scoring spree to Garrincha and Pele’s self-exposition…
A look back at Sunderland’s six top-flight titles | Part II
After a weak season by their standards in 1893/94 when they finished second, six points behind Aston Villa, Sunderland returned strongly for the 1894/95 season. Their first game of the season against Derby County at home is a famous one in…