LBJ SoccerThree Years of

DivisionDominance

Brazil 2014: What to expect

from the next

World Cup

BIOS and Mission StatementLUIS LOPEZ

Favorite Athlete: Cristiano RonaldoFavortite Sports Team: Real MadridBest Soccer Experince: Beating three defenders, and then putting in the game winning cross in a tournament game.Favorite Celebration: “Ai Se Eu Te Pego” dance, made famous by Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo.Three Words That Describe Me: Smiley, Estatic, Swag

“Your love makes me strong, your hate makes me unstoppable.”

--Cristiano Ronaldo

MILAN RIVAS

Favorite Athelete: Arian FosterFavorite Sports Team: Netherlands National Soccer Best Soccer Experience: Shooting the winning penalty kick in Austin’s middle school championshipFavorite Celebration: Victor Cruz’s SalsaThree Words That Describe Me: Tall, Sarcastic, Active

“Every disadvantage has got it’s advantage,”

--Johan Cruijff

SEBASTIAN TANAKA

“Never say never”

--Justin Bieber

Favorite Athlete: Usain BoltFavorite Sports Team: Manchester United F.C. Best Soccer Experience: Saving the final penalty of the State Cup final match vs Houston Dyna-mo and winning first placeFavorite Celebration: “Why Always Me?” per-formed by striker Mario BalotelliThree Words To Describe Me: Athletic, Funny, Happy

GABRIEL SLAGADO “I wonder why man was put on this earth. Why are we here? “Tiger Food” --Calvin and Hobbes

Favorite Athelete: Tim DuncanFavorite Sports Team: San Antonio SpursBest Soccer Experience: Coming back from being down four-zero in the last 10 minutes of a game.Favorite Celebration: Screaming like an idiotThree Words That Describe Me: Energetic, Quick, Enthusiastic

Mission statement:

Raise local interest and awareness for regional and international soccer.

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4 Best Selling Jerseys and Cleats 6 LBJ Soccer 8 Youth Soccer in Austin 9 Austin Aztecs 10 UT Women’s Soccer 12 Barclay’s Premier League 13 La Liga 14 Major League Soccer 15 Liga MX 16 World’s Wierdest Stadiums 17 Famous Commentators 18 Player Rankings 20 Brazil 2014 Preview 22 Celebrations 24 Refs and Rules 26 Formations 27 Soccer Traditions

Table of Contents

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1.Nike Mercurial Vapor/SuperflyMercurial Vapors are cleats famous for being lightweight, an im-portant aspect in the ever-increasing speed of today’s game. The Mercurial line is known for bright neon colors, which is increas-ingly popular. The first ever Vapor was released during mid-2002, right before that year’s World Cup. The latest model is the Vapor 8, which was released March 29, 2012. There are two different types of Mercurials, the Vapors and the Superflys. They differ in both stud configuration and material composition.

3.Adidas F50 AdizerosThe Adidas F50 range of football boots is Adidas’s signature line of customizable, lightweight boots. The Adidas F50 Prime owns the record for the worlds lightest cleat at 5.1 ounces. This cleat is meant for speedy players, such as wingers and forwards. The original F50 was released in 2004, its purpose was to provide competition with the Nike Vapor line. The latest version is the F50 adizero. The F50 line uses a super lightweight synthetic material, but also started releasing a leather version of the cleat to provide more comfort.

4.Nike Total 90 (or T90)The Nike T90 line of soccer cleats is a line of power cleats, much like the Predators. The main feature of the T90 line is a large, refined, strike zone used to improve your shot. The latest model of the T90 line is the T90 laser IV, which debuted on 18 September 2011. The latest version, the T90 IV, has a flexible upper strike zone, which gives added power and accuracy on instep shots. The swerve zone has special flexible fins that give added spin for swerve shots.

5.Nike CTR360(Control 360)Nike CTR360 cleat line is designed specifically for the playmaking midfielder. All CTRs have two main features, pass/receive pads and asymmetrical lacing, which help improve touch and passing with the ball. The new CTR360 maestri iii also has ACC(all conditions control), which means they perform well in all conditions.

2.Adidas PredatorThe Adidas Predators are a shooting/control cleat. The signature of all the Predators is the have a presence of rubber (or similar mate-rial) on the top of the cleat, which gives allows you to control spin on your shot. Adidas has also added power spine technology, which reduces the amount the foot bends back while shooting, adding more power to your shot. Most recently, Adidas added lethal zones which give added control, spin, or power depending on which zone you use.

Most Popular Cleats Austin By Luis L.

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Most Popular KitsBy Luis L.

1.Real MadridThe beautiful, classic, all white kit of Real Madrid Club de Fútbol is the most popular kit around today. Produced by Adidas, this year’s kit is all class, with no gimmicks with its basic white base, and dark blue trim. Some notable Real Madrid players are Cristiano Ronaldo, Iker Casillas, Xabi Alonso, Mesut Özil, and Sergio Ramos.

2.BarcelonaThe colorful, yet classy, dark red and dark blue kit of Futbol Club Barcelona is very popular world wide. The kit is being produced by Nike, and this is the first year that they went away from the clas-sic stripes(many stripes), with only three stripes this year. Notable Barcelona players are Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi Hernández, Gerard Piqué, and Cesc Fàbregas.

3.ChelseaWhenever you see this deep blue step onto the field, you can’t help but be memorized by the beautiful Chelsea FC home kit. This year, instead of having the trim be the classic white, Adidas decided to make the samsung logo, number, kit name, and trim a reflective gold. Notable Chelsea players are Fernando Torres, Petr Cech, David Luiz, Frank Lampard, and Eden Hazard.

4.Manchester UnitedThe classic red and black worn by Manchester United for decades has always looked good, and Nike kept it that way. They didn’t mess with the classic look of the jersey, they just added a few extra de-signs, such as an alternating pattern on the jersey with two different shades of red that when seen from a distance, the blend perfectly. Notable Manchester United players include Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Nani, Shinji Kagawa, and Nemanja Vidić.

5.USA national teamFor the 2012/2013 season, Nike reinvented the USA jersey with ma-jor changes. The home jersey went from a solid white with a single red slash, to white based jersey with seven horizontal red stripes. No-table players of the US national soccer team are Tim Howards, Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan, and Carlos Bocanegra.

All photos credited to creaative commons5

Reigning SupremeLBJ Soccer’s continued division dominance gives players and coaches confidence for the future.By Milan R.

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Of the many high school soccer programs in Austin, few compare to Lyndon Baines Johnson High School. Led by Coach Cipria-no Martinez, the LBJ boy’s soccer program has stayed atop their division (26-4A) for the last three years, culminating in their latest season. An impressive 13 wins and only two losses has lead to increased interest in the program, in both the comprehensive and magnet programs. Their last season culminated in a trip to the play-offs last year. Though no cham-pionships were won, the regular season was considered a major accomplishment for a school, despite its’ diverse population, is not known for athletic prowess. The magnet portion of the school is only a little over 800 students, but contributes players to all three teams, including the majority of players in last year’s varsity team. Though expectations are high for all teams (Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Fresh-man team), the Freshman team is thought to be especially dangerous considering the number of player who have club soc-cer experience on the team. Over six of the players are currently playing for a youth soccer club, including Lonestar and Houston Dynamo. All three teams play in regular seasons and tournaments, but varsity play-ers experience the longest season and get to play in more tournaments representing the school. This may be the only instance of varsity players experiencing benefits, as both Junior Varsity and Freshman team members receive full equipment and travel benefits. Martinez’s personal approach when treating his players is to act like they were his children.

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Dripping Springs

Marble Falls Tournament

Lockhart

Akins Tournament

Lanier

Reagan

Travis

Crockett

McCallum

Eastside Memorial

Lanier

Reagan

Travis

Crockett

McCallum

Eastside Memorial

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2013 Spring ScheduleDate

Jan 5th

Jan 11-12

Jan 15

Jan 17-19

Jan 25

Jan 28

Feb 1

Feb 6

Feb 9

Feb 16

Feb 19

Feb 22

Feb 25

Mar 1

Mar 4

Mar 18

Opponent Time Location11:00 AM

TBA

7:30 PM

TBA

6:00 PM

6:00 PM

6:00 PM

6:00 PM

9:00 AM

6:00 PM

6:00 PM

6:00 PM

6:00 PM

6:00 PM

6:00 PM

6:00 PM

Dripping Springs

Marble Falls

Lockhart

TBA

Noack #2

Nelson Field

Nelson Field

House Park

Nelson Field

Nelson Field

Nelson Field

Noack #1

House Park

Noack #1

House Park

Nelson Field

Seen below are the LBJ Jaguars taking on the Travis Rebels in a play-off match last year. Photo credit and special thanks go to Becky Gdula

With his approach, Martinez knows he can both reward his players for good behavior, while still holding them to the standards of character necessary for a functional team. This strategy, along with Martinez’s focus on physical fitness has lead to tons of success in play around Austin, especially in division. With Martinez only seven wins away from an even 100, the program certainly shown itself to be effective.

The first couple of days of practice are known to be especially rough on new players and freshman, as the first week has a special emphasis on fitness and many players fresh from middle school are not ready for the transition. With over 100 applicants to play this year, Martinez knows he has a program for the future. Right now, all Martinez and his players want to focus on is the upcoming season. No game can be taken for granted, and any mistake can lead to a year of work wasted. While underclass-men and junior have years after this to play soccer, for the class of 2013, this may be the biggest soccer opportunity of their lives. Focus on the field, and you can have fun afterwards. This is the message Martinez preaches to his players. Without focus, nothing can be accomplished. Above all, the jaguars want to win. Their coach is thus a perfect match, and his players know it. With their history of division dominance, the LBJ Jaguars can be sure that every team in their division will be gunning for them.

Having a daughter who plays select soccer (soccer in club teams), Mrs. Furgeson truly un-derstands the competitiveness

financial commitment. She says, “select soccer in Austin can cost $2500 a year, and that’s not including gear, or travel, or tournaments.”There are three main divisions to select soccer. And Division one

Starting Early Youth Soccer: Austin By Gabriel Salgado

contains different layers of competitiveness, such as premier league level teams that play in different states a lot of the time. And other levels where it is not as competitive in an area radius of a few counties, or one begins to see Olympic development. “I highly recommend more youth soccer!” She said, “What’s so exciting to me about soccer is [the] unifying democracy building possibilities...[it brings] people together in really a positive influencing experience.”

Being a soccer mom of two kids and the assistant director of the Soccer Shots at Austin, Texas, Brooks Furgeson is very busy.

“There is so much competition coming later,” she says, “our goal is to have a pro-gram...that will give [the kids] a positive first experience that builds confidence and builds

Soccer Shots is a soccer program offered to 2 to 8 year old kids through out Austin in daycare cen-ters, schools, and parks.

and commitment kids have toward

playing soccer as they get

older. And as the soccer

commitment from kids “ramps

up”, so does the

“What’s so exciting to me about soccer is this

unifying democracy building possibilities.”

-Brooke Furgeson

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To learn more about Soccer Shots go to http://www.soccershots.org/

Soccer Shots Logo

Kids playing Youth SoccerUsed under creative commons

Used under creative commons

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Wonder Women On July 17, 2011, the United States Women’s National Team played against Japan in the Women’s World Cup Final. And lost. After 120 minutes of standard play and two goals from each team, the game went into penal-ties. Japan made three and USA made one, ending the game and crowning Japan as the winners. A year later and Japan and USA are again playing each other, this time in the Olympics final match. Throughout the past twelve months, the US team had been working hard and training to win the Olympics. And on August 9th, all of that hard work paid off, beating Japan 2-1 and showing that they are the best women’s team at the moment. Carli Lloyd, a center midfielder, shown below scored both goals and led her team to victory.

Photo used under creative commons

by Sebastian Tanaka

Soccer Shots Logo

When ever you hear University of Texas(UT) athletics, the first thing that probablycomes to mind is the prestigious footballprogram being ran by Mack Brown. New UTwomens soccer team coach Angela Kelly isout to change that thought. In her first yearas the head coach, she made school historyby ending the season 4th in the Big 12,the best finish ever. The longhorns endedthe season going 8-10-2, including out ofconference play, and they also never lost aconference game. The team is also highlydecorated individually with having three allBig 12 selections from midfielder KristenCummins, midfielder Sharis Lachappelle,and goalkeeper Abby Smith.

Photo credit to austinpixles.com

Photo credit to austinpixles.com

The team clebebrating a win against SDSU

Kristen Cummins and her team trying to score of a set piece.

The famous logo of UT, the burnt orange longohron.

Burnt orange all the way

The UT womens soccer team is out to become as dominant as the football program. By Luis Lopez

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Kristin CumminsPosition- Midfielder #8Class- SeniorBio- Kristen Cummins was born October 27, 1991, in Lewisville Texas, and attended Lewisville high school. She graduated high school in three years and is currently majoring in government. Notable achievements by Kristen are being part of the All Big 12 first team, 2012 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award nominee, 2011 Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team, 2010 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 5), 2010 CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District 6 Second Team, 2010 Academic All-Big 12 First Team. She also ended the season with 4 goals, and 4 assists.

Hannah HigginsPosition- Forward #5Class- SeniorBio- Hannah Higgins was Born on Feb. 7, 1991, In Flower Mound, Texas. During her collegiate career, she has gained many awards such as being a 2012 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award nominee, 2011 All-Big 12 Second Team, 2010 Academic All-Big 12 Second Team, 2009 Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Oct. 19), 2009 Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. And during her time at Flower Mound high school, she was a two sport athlete with being a track star. She won the district championship with winning the 100 meter hurdles and long jump, and placing second in the 200 meter race.

Photos credited to creative commons and austinpixles.com

Photo credit to austinpixles.com

Photo credit to austinpixles.com

Super Seniors

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BPL: Being the Premier of the World By Milan R.

What many consider to be the most competitive and lucrative league in the world, the Barclay’s Premier League utilizes its advantages. English fans are known for their pas-sion, both at home and abroad. The BPL has managed, for the most part, to avoid fan vio-lence while still seeing great fan turnout and ticket sales. With total revenue in 2011 equal-ling close to $2 billion dollars, and 13.4 mil-lion people visiting Premier League matches, the BPL is certainly doing well for itself. While the BPL may not have the top one or two players in the world, it is renowned worldwide for it’s competitiveness. Despite the recent dominance of the Manchester United soccer club, if you look to the BPL’s history, stretching back to 1991, the win-

Past Premier League Winners Runners-Up2000 Manchester United2001 Manchester United2002 Arsenal2003 Manchester United2004 Arsenal2005 Chelsea2006 Chelsea2007 Manchester United2008 Manchester United2009 Manchester United2010 Chelsea 2011 Manchester United2012 Manchester City

Photo used under Creative Commons

ners have been varied, with five different teams having claimed a championship and nine teams having been runners-up. Originally estab-lished to bring more money into an English league plagued by poor at-tendance and a dwindling revenue source, the BPL has managed to be in the top soccer league in the world in total revenue. This stat is dominated by American sports like football and baseball, and the first European team is the Barclay’s Premier League. Also known for its wide range of international players, the BPL features 300 international players from 68 nations (visitbritain.com). This is out of the league’s 522 players, making the total per-centage of foreign players in the Premier League 59.4%. The BPL

is topped by Wigan Athletic in this category, with the club having over 86% of its players coming from outside of the UK. With a total of $2.6 billion going to player salary in 2011 (BBC News), players are finally seeing revenue rising to meet the wild increase in ticket sales and viewership that has come in recent years. Because player sal-ary makes up over 70% of league income for the first time ever, many people are caution-ing clubs in England to make sure spending does not get out of control. Either way you look at it, the Barclay’s Premier League is a smashing success.

ArsenalArsenalLiverpoolArsenalChelseaArsenalManchester UnitedChelseaChelseaLiverpoolManchester UnitedChelseaManchester United

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La LigaHome of the greatest rivalry in soccer, and the two best players in the world.

By Luis Lopez

The Primera División (First Division) of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional (LFP), commonly known as La Liga in English, is one of the best leagues in the world, and is home to the most watched sports rivalry of all time. The league is composed of 20 teams, with the bot-tom three teams of the standings moving to Segunda División each year, and the top three of the Segunda División standings moving up to La Liga. The league was created in April 1927, and ever since then, the three powerhouses of La Liga have always been Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Athletic Bilbao. These three teams are the only ones not to have been demoted to the Segunda División.

El Clásico, is the world’s most watched sports rivalry, between two of the best soccer clubs in the world, Real Madrid and FC Barcelo-na. This historic matchup has had 221 official matches, with Real Madrid having a slight advantage in wins with 88, and Barcelona having 86, and 47 tied games overall. This rivalry has lasted for 83 years, with the first ever rivalry match being held on February, 17, 1929, which ended in a 2-1 Real Madrid victory. The latest game, on October 7, 2012, ended in a 2-2 draw. The old rivalry has contin-ued today with the emergence of the rivalry between Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, two players who are widely considered the best in the world.

Not only is La Liga home to some of the best clubs in soccer, La Liga is home to the best players in the world too. There have been the historic icons such as Raúl, Roberto Carlos, Samuel Eto’o, Ronaldinhio, and David Beckham. It also is home to the best players today such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Iker Casillas, Andrés Iniesta, Falcao, and Xavi. The league is so stacked with talent, that eight of the last ten win-ners of the FIFA Ballon d’Oro (FIFA world player of the year) have been from La Liga.

All photos used under Creative Commons

VS

Raúl is the all time leading scorer for Real Madrid, he is also has the most caps for Real Madrid.

For the past 3 years, every time El Clásico comes around, everyone is looking at Messi and Ronaldo.

Pep Guardiola, a Barcelona Legend as a player and manager.

El Copa del Rey trophy.

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The Rise of FútbolSoccer’s Growth in America.By Milan Rivas

Art Credit Bill Turianski www.billsportsmaps.comUsed with Permission by Bill Turianski

Started in 1996, originally as only a part of the United States’ World Cup bid, MLS has grown to be 5th biggest league in the U.S. MLS is currently composed of 19 soc-cer clubs, from the nine teams that originally composed Major League Soccer to the Montreal Impact, who joined in 2012. Soccer in the United States goes be-yond just MLS. The World Cup, the world’s biggest soccer competition, was more popu-lar than ever in 2010. With American ratings 68% higher than in 2006, resulting in 24.4 million viewers just in the U.S., North Ameri-can soccer has taken off. This, combined with NBC’s purchase of television rights to the Barclay’s Premier League for $250 million dollars, clearly shows that Americans have many more ways to get their soccer fix that MLS. Not to say that the MLS has not seen success in recent years. Beginning as a league

of only 10 teams, with no teams having a soc-cer-specific stadium, the MLS certainly has changed.

“There is no chance (MLS) will survive. Absolutely no chance whatsoever.”-Nye Lavalle

Surprising many, the MLS has grown in the United States with a rate not seen in other sports. Especially in the last six years, MLS has started to have activity in the U.S., but also real profitability. Increased money in the league has rewarded not only players, but coaches, managers and stadium staff. With more money to be made, clubs have built their own stadiums, resulting in every team but one having its own venue. Soccer in America is bigger than ever.

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Club name Manager City Nickname(s)

América Miguel Herrera Mexico City Las Águilas (The Eagles)

Atlante Ricardo La Volpe Cancún Los Potros de Hierro (The iron colts)

Atlas Tomás Boy Guadalajara Los Zorros (The Foxes)

Guadalajara John van’t Schip Guadalajara Las Chivas (The Goats)

Cruz Azul Guillermo Vázquez Mexico City La Máquina (The Machine)

Chiapas José Guadalupe Cruz Tuxtla Los Jaguares (The Jaguares)

León Gustavo Matosas León Panzas Verdes (Green Bellies)

Moreila Rubén Omar Matosas Moreila Monarcas (The Mon-archs)

Monterrey Víctor Manuel Vuce-tich

Monterrey Los Rayados (The stripped ones)

Pachuca Gabriel Caballero Pachuca Los Tuzos (The Go-phers)

Puebla Carlos Poblete Puebla La Franija (The Slash)

Querétaro Sergio Bueno Querétaro Los Gallos Blancos (The White Roosters)

San Luis Eduardo Fentanes San Luis Potosì Los Reales (The Roy-als)

Santos Laguna Pedro Caixinha Corona Los Guerreros (The Roylas)

Tijuana(won Ap-ertura 2012)

Antonio Mohammed Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles (The Aztec Dogs)

Toluca Enrique Meza Toluca Los Diablos Rojos (Red Devils)

Tigres U.A.N.L Ricardo Ferretti San Nicolás de los Garza

Los Tigres (The Tigers)

Pumas U.N.A.M Antonio Torres Servín Mexico City Los Pumas (The Cougars)

GooooooooalHome to some of the craziest fans in the world is Liga MX.

By Luis Lopez

Established in 1943, Liga MX is the top level of proffesional soccer in Mexico. The play style of this leauge is like no other, with the high pace dribbling and short passing, this league has a copious amount of goals and exciting plays. But what truely makes this leauge special, are the die hard fans, and I mean that literaly in some cases. In a country where gangs and drug cartels control neighboorhoods, supporting your team in a wonrg place could mean death. Rivalries are so intesne, that often during rival games such as Gudalajara vs. América, or Tigres vs. Monterrey, that riots and bar fights are common after games.

NotablePlayers

Duvier Riascos FWD- leading goal socrer for Tijuana

Cristian Benitez FWD- Leading goal scorer of the leauge, plays for América.

All photos used under creative commons

WEIRDEST Soccer Stadiums By Gabriel S.

Crocodilos Sports ParkThis stadium in Caracas, Venezuela, lies

just next to the highway and a cliff. Tough a multi-use stadium, it mainly hold soccer matches and has a capacity of 3,000 people.

Skali StadiumApproximately halfway between Scotland

and Iceland, one of the Froe islands’ football teams’ stadiums is located right next to the

sea. There’s even a man who fetches balls that fall into the sea.

Brazil Eco-stadiumThis stadium’s chair seats were built on a hill and the dugouts are made with Bamboo and nearly no concrete was used in the process of

its construction.

Aalesund Old StadiumThis arena, in Aalesund Norway contains no

stands and the spectators stand on the cliffs to watch the soccer matches.

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Singapore StadiumThis stadium’s pitch lies on a floating plat-form in Singapore,, Marina Bay. It is made of steel and can hold the weight of 9,000 people. The the seats can hold is 30,000

people.

Ray HudsonA former player, Ray Hudson’s commen-

tary make fans cry of laughter. As the most enthusiastic commentator in all of sports, his exaggerated and excited metaphors of plays and players keep the audience enjoyed.

Chris KamaraWell known for his gaffes and very odd

phrases such as “fighting like beavers” when-ever he comments for the Soccer Saturday

programme. Any kind fan can be amused by his commentary.

Paul MersonWhen you see this guy get over exited you

will too. He has a great attitude and you sure will enjoy it when you se him commenting in

close matches.

“El Bambino” PonsNot every day will you hear a soccer com-

mentator sing, unless you listen to “El Bam-bino” Pons. This Argentinian will surely give you a nice tune to listen to when you see your

favorite players score.

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Crudeli TizianoThis man may be too passionate about soccer for his own good. An Italian sports journalist and television presenter, when he’s broadcast-

ing for the AC Milan channel, you can see how true of a fan he is. Even if you have to cover your ears as he screams himself red.

WACKOCommentators By Gabriel S.

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1. Lionel Messi - Forward - FC Barcelona Lionel Messi is the best player in the world, as of now, and the best that has been seen for quite a while. At the age of twenty-five and in the prime of his career, Messi plays as a forward for the Spanish club FC Barcelona, and is also captain of the Argentinian Na-tional Team. With 180 goals in just over 200 games, Messi has won the FIFA Ballon d’Or, the award given to the player who has per-formed the best in the season, three consecu-tive years, from 2009-2011. His ball skills are like no other. He has the ability to breeze past the best defenders, and place the ball away from the keeper and into the back of the net from almost anywhere. Combining his bal-ance, speed, and touch, Messi is almost im-possible to stop when he puts his head down and runs at the opposing team. Only 5’ 7’’, Messi can still make a fool of any opposition.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo - Forward - Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably one of the most complete players ever, with speed, skill, and an eye for goal. Moving to Manchester United as an 18 year-old, Ronaldo spent six years at the club, building his reputation, before being bought by Real Madrid FC for 80 million pounds, becoming the most expensive soccer player in history. Scoring 109 goals in 121 games for Real Madrid, Ronaldo had won the Ballon d’Or in 2008, and the Premier League title with Manchester United, the same year, and the La Liga title with Real Madrid in 2012. With all skills needed to be one of the best, Ronaldo is not a force to be reckoned with, especially when he is running straight at you on the pitch.

3. Andres Iniesta - Midfielder - FC Barcelona From when he was a Barcelona youth player to when he won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, Andres Iniesta has always made an impact to the game. Although naturally a center midfielder, Iniesta possesses versatility and can play in many different positions and still perform at his highest level. And although he lacks a physical presence, Iniesta’s technical skill alone is enough to make himself one of the bests.

4. Robin van Persie - Forward - Manchester United Robin van Persie scored 30 goals in the Barclays Premier League and was the top scorer for the 2011-2012 season. His precision in his touch and finishing, as well as his attacking intel-

ligence, help him find the way to goal. His left foot is one of the best in the business, contributing to the fear defenders all over Europe have him.

Best of the best By Sebastian T.

Many people debate who are the best players in the world but here are our picks for the top 10 in the world right now with a reason why they belong on this list.

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5. Xavi - Midfielder - FC Barcelona Xavi is a legendary center midfielder who gets his team playing well. Part of both FC Barcelona and the Spanish National Team, it is no surprise that Xavi has won more trophies than any other Spanish player. Creativity, vision, dribbling, and passing skills make Xavi the ultimate playmaker, with almost 200 assists since the start of his professional career. His touch and precision of passes are unlike any other and spending 14 years at Barcelona has made him into an ultimate engine in midfield.

6. Wayne Rooney - Forward - Manchester United Wayne Rooney is an English striker who plays for Manchester United and is the face of English football. With dribbling and passing skills, Rooney also has the strength and aggression to compete in the English Premier League. Powerful, strong, and unselfish with the ball, Rooney’s ability to pick out a pass or score from a distance is unlike any other. Paired with his passion for the game, which is unparalleled by anyone, Rooney is the one to show you what real football is.

7. Mesut Ozil - Midfielder - Real Madrid With 17 assists last season, more assists last season than Xavi and Iniesta combined, Ozil, 24 years old, played a supporting role for the Real Madrid, feeding the ball around the pitch and score goals as well. In his prime, and playing on the best stage in Europe, Ozil is part of Real Madrid and Germany National Team, playing as both teams’ starting playmaker. He uses his style and finesse as an attacking midfielder to provide the players around him with perfect opportunities.

8. Vincent Kompany - Defender - Manchester City Winning the Barclays Premier League with Manchester City in the 2011-2012 season, Kompany is a solid center back, leading and being the base of his defense for both his club and country. Performing dependably and consistently whenever he plays and one of the quintessences of defenders, Kompany is complete with all traits needed to stop the world’s best attackers. With the ability to intercept passes, stop shots and win headers, he is always in control of the situation his team faces, and motivates his team to win.

10. Dani Alves - Defender - FC Barcelona Although a defensive player, Dani Alves is a player feared for his attacking work rate and pace off the ball. With speed and strength, Alves is suited to play any defensive position, but works best as a right-back, where he can run up and down the line. Born in Brazil, Alves copes well with Barcelona’s play style, using his touch to play in the final third of the field, and show why he is the most expensive right back in the world.

9. David Silva - Midfielder - Manchester City David Silva is an attacking midfielder with great touch and dribbling skills, but not the best physical qualities. He has been part of the Spanish squad to win back-to-back European Championships in 2008 and 2012 and the FIFA World Cup 2010. A primary attacking force that helped Manchester City win the Premier League and the FA Cup, Silva is still considered a young player and has a bright future ahead of him.

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Thirty-two teams. One winner to become the best national team in the world. The Brazil 2014 World Cup. This will be the second World Cup held in Brazil and the first World Cup held in South America for over 20 years. Brazil automatically quali-fies, being the host country, while the rest of the teams must play in qualifiers among their regions of the world in order to be part of the tournament. After qualifying, teams from all around the world will gather in Brazil and play at twelve venues in order to determine a winner.

VenuesFor the first time in world cup history, the host country will have 12 host cities, which means there will be 12 different venues. Of the twelve selected stadiums, five will be upgraded, five are being rebuilt, and there will be two new stadiums in the cities of São Paulo, and Recife.

Estádio do MaracanãLocation: Rio De JaneiroMax occupancy: 76,804Opened: June 16, 1950(originally), reno-vated 2006

MineirãoLocation: Belo Hori-zonteMax occupancy: 62,547Opened: September 5, 1965, under renova-tions

VerdãoLocation: CuiabáMax occupancy: 42,968Opened: April 8, 1976

Estádio Nacional de BrasíliaLocation: BrasíliaMax occupancy: 70,064Opened: March 10, 1974

Estádio Beira-RioLocation: Porto AlegreMax occupancy: 48,849Opened: April 6, 1969, due to undergo up-grades

Arena AmazôniaLocation: ManausMax occupancy: 46,000Opened: Under con-struction

Arena CorinthiansLocation: São PauloMax occupancy: 65,807Opened: not yet opened, broke ground May 30, 2011

Arena Fonte NovaLocation: SalvadorMax occupancy: 48,747Opened: Is being rebuilt

João Cláudio de Vas-concelos MachadoLocation: NatalMax occupancy: 42,086Opened: Due to open January 1, 2014

Estádio Plácido Ad-eraldo CasteloLocation: FortalezaMax occupancy: 64,846Opened: November 11, 1973, under renova-tions

Arena PernambucoLocation: RecifeMax occupancy: 44,248Opened: Due to open January 6, 2013

Estádio Joaquim Américo GuimarãesLocation: CuritibaMax occupancy: 41, 456Opened: 1999

Brazil 2014 World Cup

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Spain 4-5-1GK: CasillasRB: Sergio RamosCB: PuyolCB: PiqueLB: Jordi AlbaCDM: Sergio BusquetsCAM: XaviCAM: IniestaLM: Juan MataRM: David SilvaST: Torres

Play style: Tiki-Taka possession, a lot of short precise passesPlayer to watch: Iniesta

Brazil 4-3-3GK: Diego AlvesRB: Dani AlvesCB: David LuizCB: Thiago SilvaLB: MarceloCM: Lucas LeivaCM: RamiresCAM: LucasRW: HulkST: Alexandre PatoLW: Neymar

Play style: High pres-sure, fast counter attacksPlayer to watch: Neymar

England 4-2-3-1GK: HartRB: WalkerCB: CahillCB: SmallingLB: BainesCDM: WilshereCDM: MilnerLM: YoungCAM:RooneyRM:WalcottST: Welbeck

Play style: Slow devel-oping play with a long ball end productPlayer to watch: Rooney

Portugal 4-3-3GK: Rui PatricioRB: PereiraCB: Bruno AlvesCB: PepeLB: Fabio CoentraoCDM: Miguel VelosoCM: Joao MoutinhoCM: Raul Meireles RW: NaniST: Nelson OliveiraLW: Cristiano Ronaldo

Play style: High speed counter attack dic-tated by wingersPlayer to watch: Cristiano Ronaldo

France 4-2-3-1GK: LlorisRB: SagnaCB: SakhoCB: KoscielnyLB: GlichyCDM: M’VilaCDM: DiabyRM: Ben ArfaCAM: Nasri LM: RiberyST: Benzema

Play style: Fast paced, when in possesion tar-get man as playmakerPlayer to watch: Nasri

Germany 4-2-3-1GK: NeuerRB: BoatangCB: HummelsCB: HowedesLB: LahmCDM: KhediraCDM: SchweinsteigerCAM: OzilRW: MullerLW: PodolskiST: Gomez

Play syle: Good orga-nization, fast scoringPlayer to watch:Ozil

Italy 4-1-2-1-2GK: BuffonRB: AbateCB: BonucciCB: ChielliniLB: CristicoCDM: De RossiCM: MarchisioCM: MontolivoCF: GiovincoST: El SharaawyST:Balotelli

Play style: Strong de-fense with a balanced offensePlayer to watch:Balotelli

Argentina 4-1-2-1-2GK: RomeroRB: ZabaletaCB: OtamendiCB: GarayLB: InsuaCDM: MascheranoLM: LavezziCAM: MessiRM: di MariaST: AgueroST: Tevez

Play style: Free flow-ing with fast dribbling and short passesPlayer to watch: Messi

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What would you do if you scored the winning goal?

Goal Celebrations By Gabriel S.

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Not many people can do the robot, and even less people would be willing to do such a childish dance after a soccer goal. But not Peter Crouch. First tried in 2006, Peter Crouch would keeps doing the robot now and then in big games.

Tardelli’s ScreamMarco Tardelli’s cry after scoring the winning goal in the 1982 World Cup championship against West Germany is the most memorable scream in the world of soccer. Giving Italy a 2-0 lead with 21 minutes left in the game, he ran to the Italian bench, shak-ing his fist and screaming, “GOL! GOL! GOL!”As tears poured down his cheeks. He made Italians and soccer players worldwide proud of their passion and spirit of the game of soccer.

Scoring the win-ning penalty kick against China in the Women’s World Cup, Brandi Chas-tain would sprint to the other side of the field and throw off her shirt. Later, she described the feeling as, “Momentary in-sanity, nothing more, nothing less”.

No team is more creative than this Icelandic club. Their best celebration of many is “The Salm-on”. The scorer casts out a pretend fishing rod. Another play-er is “caught” and dragged to the “fish-erman”. Then the team takes a group “photo” holding the dead “salmon”.

One usually doesn’t see gymnastics in a soccer game. But this guy’s flips and spins won’t cease to amaze you if he scores. It gives you a good feeling to see someone so happy he is willing to do back flips and spin around in the air in front of a stadium full of fans.

In 2008, Phil Brown, the manager of the Hull City soccer team gave a lecture to the team on the pitch during half-time. Later, in 2009, after scoring a goal, Jimmy Bullard got his teammates to sit in a circle around him and imitated Phil Brown.

Sticking out your tongue as far out of your mouth as you can is what Alessan-dro Del Piero would probably call a typi-cal celebration. Some may call it childish but it brings cheer-fulness to others, and his tongue will be embedded in the minds of fans for-ever.

Take out the ‘to’ from his name and you get Bebe--baby in Brazil-ian. A few days after his third baby was born, Bebeto scored a goal against the Netherlands in the 1994 World Cup. He ran to the side-line with a few team mates and pretended to rock a baby.

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Peter Crouch

Alessandro del Piero

Jimmy Bullard

Stjarnan FC Obafemi Martins

Brandi ChastainBebeto

Eden Hazard Age: 21From: Losc Lille FCTo: Chelsea FCPrice: £32 millionPosition: Attacking midfielder Nationality: BelgianPlay style: A world-class attacker with speed and balance

Robin van Persie Age: 29From: Arsenal FCTo: Manchester United FCPrice: £24 millionPosition: StrikerNationality: DutchPlay style: A left-footed goal scorer who can finish in any type of space

Luka ModricAge: 27From: Tottenham HotspurTo: Real Madrid CFPrice: £34 millionPosition: Center midfielderNationality: Croatian Play style: A smart play maker who can be an impact off the ball

Alex SongAge: 25From: Arsenal FCTo: FC BarcelonaPrice: £15 millionPosition: Defensive midfielderNationality: CameroonianPlay style: A smart defensive-minded player who acts as an engine in midfield

Zlatan IbrahimovicAge: 31From: AC MilanTo: PSGPrice: £16 millionPosition: StrikerNationality: SwedishPlay style: A striker who uses his domi-nance and skill to score

Thiago SilvaAge: 28From: AC MilanTo: PSGPrice: £34 millionPosition: Center backNationality: BrazilianPlay style: A consistent player who leads the defense around him

Out with the old, In with the new For the months of July and August, teams are given the chance to buy, sell and trade their players. Here are some of the biggest moves of the past summer transfer window.

What would you do if you scored the winning goal? By Sebastian T.

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Obafemi Martins

Brandi Chastain

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mon

Why Refs keep Reffing By Gabriel S.

Different kinds of referees

Linesmen The linesmen are the officials that hold the yellow flags. They signal when the ball is out of bounds, throw-ins goal and corner kicks. They also signal off-sides in the games, but their calls don’t take effect without the main refs’ whistle.

Fourth Official This type of ref keeps track of stoppages in the game and substitutions. He/she is also the communicator between managers and refs during the game.

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Imagine you are on a soccer field in the middle of a stadium, surrounded by fans of all ages, different and alike. Colors waving in the crowd. A roar of noise buzzing around your ears. Now imagine all that is directed at you, and it is not a sign of reassurance, nor is it applause to congratu-late you. But is of insults and accusations. Just because you blew a whistle. Professional soccer Refs have it tough.One may not like what a referee may or may not call, but these people don’t stand on the soccer field for tele-vision, or so people can like them. They do it because they love the game of soccer, and wish it to be fairly played. Soccer all over the world wouldn’t be as orga-nized as you see it now if it weren’t for the referees. We must respect their patients and how they have learned to be refs. Wherever there is professional soccer, there are professional refs. With soccer as the world wide sport, there has got to be a requirement for refs to be. Not any one can just pop up and ref a professional soccer match. To be a referee for an official soccer game, a person must have patience with fans players and coaches, and understand the controversy of any call,, especially calls such as off-sides and penalties. A ref has a lot of free-

-dom to call what he wants in matches too, therefore he/she must have responsibility and knowledge of the game and rules. When learning to ref, referees must know hand signals for when false plays occur and how to get other refs attention on a certain play. A ref will needs to have a keen eye to see plays and fouls while they are at a distance from the action the players are do-ing, so they won’t get in the way of the ball or players. They must also follow the soccer ball as it gets kicked and passed around while making sure other players don’t do anything not allowed in the game. And espe-cially, the ref must have confidence. He/she must be sure of their calls, or someone can easily blame him/her on the call. Refs may not get that much attention except for calls, or have posters of themselves, but they have the spirit of soccer, willing to do this for the game. It is true about refs betting on the games they are going to ref, and rigging the game by calling calls for their team. But refs are still being trained and know not to bet or be unfair. Because that is what refs are for. To be fair, or bring more fairness to the game. Professional soccer refs have it tough.

A list of six famous refs are on the next page--

A linesman

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Pierluigi CollinaA former Italian

Football referee, Col-lina has been named FIFA’s “Best Referee of the Year” six con-

secutive times.

Gottfried DienstA Swiss ref, he is one of the only 4

referees to have ref-fed a European Cup final twice. In 1961

and 1965

Tofik BakhramovThis Azerbaijan ref

is famous for reffing the 1966 World Cup final. A stadium was named after him in his home country.

Said BolqolaBorn in Morocco,

Bolqola was the first African referee to

officiate in a World Cup final. He died

from cancer in 2002.

William LingHe is famous for reffing the 1994

World Cup final, and calling controversial calls throughout that

world cup.

Jack TaylorKnown for awarding two penalties in the first 30 minutes of

the 1974 World Cup finals. The first ever, in a World Cup final. 25

FormationsStrategy is essential in any sport, and soccer is no exception. Here are a few classic formations that have worked for the pros:

4-4-2

4-5-1

4-3-3

This classic formation, famed for its balance offensively and defensively, has everything you could want. With two strikers and wide midfielders, there is plenty of offensive capability. In contrast, while on defense, the center midfielders have the capacity to tuck in and hamper any attempts on goal by the opposition. Solid defensive play and capable wide midfielders will optimize your success with this formation.

Possession and a strong defense are both provided by the 4-5-1, and counter-attack options are very strong. However, the lack of players upfield, shooting on goal, can have negative consequences. Your striker can be isolated by the other team’s defense, leaving you almost no offensive capability. If your team can establish strong wide midfielders, their crosses into the center of the field will give your center midfielders and striker plenty of opportunities to score. This, along with the five midfielders in the 4-5-1, will allow you to hold the ball and frustrate your opponents.

In order to win with this formation, you have to put goals in the net. Having three forwards gives you lots of chances on goal, but at the cost of a strong center midfield. A forward that can score consistently is imperative for success. Having possession for most of the game is harder, leaving the other team more time on the ball. If your defense can stop counter-attacks by the opposition, you have a great chance of winning with the 4-3-3.

By Milan R.

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Traditions By Milan R.

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Soccer is an ancient sport, its origins traceable back to many historic civilizations. It’s only natural that after so many years, some pretty important traditions would form. From the ultimate prize in soccer to measures meant to increase camaraderie, these traditions give

game its flavor...

An image synonymous with not only international, but club soccer, the flag exchange at the beginning of a soccer match has long been a pre-game tra-dition. Established officially by FIFA in order to foster better relationships between soccer clubs, the flag (or pennant) ex-change has lead to many iconic meetings throughout the years.

These pennants are meant to help teams remem-ber their opposition, hopefully with fond memories. Also known as friendship pennants, every club and national team has it’s own specific design, and in some cases, shape. The most common shapes for a pennant are triangles, shields and crests. Besides being used to commemorate opponents, pennants are also used to celebrate famous victories and championships. Many such pennants are sold on a large scale to fans, producing a large amount of revenue for teams.

Pennants

Cup Trophy is 11 pounds of solid gold. Due to the tragic theft of the Jules Rimet trophy, each country is now issued their own gold plated copy of the new trophy, but also gets to hold on to the original until the next World Cup. Every winning country has had its name inscribed in the bottom of the origi-nal FIFA World Cup Trophy since West Germany in 1974. Spain is the current holder of the ultimate prize in soccer, after winning the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Since the institution of the first World Cup, there has been a trophy. In the beginning it was the Jules Rimet trophy, a cup on the arms of Nike, the goddess of vic-tory. After Brazil won its third World Cup, the trophy was given to them permanently. This meant a new trophy was needed.

“From the remarkable dy-namic tensions of the compact body of the sculpture rise the figures of two athletes at the stirring moment of victory”-Silvio Gazzaniga The result was epic: our current trophy, and the new system that came with it. First presented to Franz Beckenbauer after the 1974 World Cup, the FIFA World

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Made famous by Pele and Bobby Moore in the 1970 World Cup, the post-game jersey exchange has since been established as a way to show respect and camaraderie with opposing players. Though perhaps not the most sanitary of traditions, the jersey exchange is deeply ingrained in the spirit of soccer. Since the jersey of the most skilled player on the oppos-ing team is the most sought after, some players may participate in the jersey exchange every game, while for others it may be a rare occurrence. Either way, the jersey exchange is a clear way to convey respect, no matter what language barriers may exist.

Jerseys

The Trophy