I'm an enthusiastic supporter of the U.S. World Cup soccer team because: A. It's my country after all, my homies; and B. It's always fun to root for the underdog. The U.S. dominates in so many sports, but in world soccer it has almost no impact at all. That gives the current squad - which qualified for a 2010 World Cup berth on Saturday - an aura of rebellion, like they've got the potential to upset the natural order of things. I like that. ]]>
There’s only a few months left until the Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament hits the field. Starting in January, soccer fans from around the globe will travel to Angola to check out some heated competition, while patiently awaiting the arrival of the World Cup tournament. However, British fans of the football are being warned by their government to be extra cautious regarding their travel plans.
Crime levels in the capital city of Luanda are high according to the British Foreign Office, and they are encouraging fans to attend only if they are traveling with someone familiar with the local conditions. Angola only ended a long civil war in 2002, so things over there are still a little touchy. It might be a good idea for the British fans to keep their hooligan antics to a minimum, or at least save them for the games of the World Cup in South Africa. ]]>
Los Angeles is Dodgertown, meaning that locals have plenty of reason to be enthused about home runs, hot dogs, and post-game drinks at The Short Stop. But sports fans should remember that there are other athletic past times well worth buying tickets for. If you've yet to see David Beckham "bend it" in person, seize the opportunity to do so this weekend, when the LA Galaxy takes on FC Barcelona in what's sure to be an epic match at Pasadena's Rose Bowl. Spaniards take soccer seriously, after all, but Galaxy players are no competitive slumps themselves. ]]>
With summer vacation right around the corner, it's high time for The New York Times to devote an issue to family travel. And what better way to experience a summer vacay in England than watching your favorite soccer team lose to West Ham United?
That's what writer Henry Fountain did recently, and though Arsenal lost, he and his son had what sounds like a bang-up time at the team's new stadium:
There were plenty of cheers and some vulgar language, but the place was so big and open that the noise was hardly overpowering. Which left us to concentrate on the game.
We're especially impressed that he bought his tickets from a contact he found on Craigslist. You should have plenty of time to dig up your own tickets if you want to catch a game: the next Premiership season doesn't start up until August 11.
[Photo: Jonathan Player for The New York Times]
Related Stories:
· Father and Son, Just Two More Soccer Fans [NYT]
· Jaunted's Soccer coverage [Jaunted]]]>
We are expecting the same sort of grainy video, choppy sentences, and snapshot photos that you are use to seeing from embeds. The rub is, at the end of the day we should be left with a backyard travel guidebook like no other.
Our first embed is Benji Lanyado of London, UK. He is a budget travel columnist for the Guardian Newspaper in the UK. He also is the fearless leader of Youngin Europe, so expect his guide to skew young, but not that young, we intend to keep this thing legal. He lives in London and enjoys ranting about football.
Now that you have all the particulars, sit back and enjoy the trip.
London :: Football
Pie, mash, and jellied eels along the way.
For our penultimate jaunt round London, I'm taking you all to the footy. My relationship with the beautiful game, or soccer as the yanks would have it, borders on obsession. But there is method to my madness. Football is, and always has been a cultural vehicle, offering real, local experiences beyond the scope of any usual tourist experiences. In fact, I try to catch a game every time I travel.
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With the World Cup approaching, there will be much discussion in the coming months equating the behavior of fans to their national stereotypes: the English are drunk and belligerent, the Brazilians are drunk and naked, the Italians are drunk and enthusiastic, and so on. While we don't buy into those kind of stereotypes--we went to a school that encouraged sensitivity--there has to be some kernel of truth in them. After all, there's a book about it, called How Soccer Explains the World, written by Franklin Foer, who currently edits the New Republic.
Keeping those things in mind, we present to you this clip of the 1991 European Championships semifinal, played at Red Star Belgrade's home stadium. Americans may think their fans are tough, but all they do is hurl abuse, possibly some beers, or disco records. These fans have organized chants and their own pyrotechnics. Hardly seems in the same category. In a related note, whipping a bunch of Serbs into a frenzy in the early 90s didn't end so well. Maybe keeping soccer fans drunk and happy instead of organized is the way to go after all.
Related Stories:
· World Cup Coverage [Jaunted]]]>