By Justin Bodanac The 2021 season of the J1 League has reached its quarter-mark at a break-neck pace. Last season’s success was a testament to the league’s commitment and agility in the face of the unfolding pandemic. It was even more incredible that they managed to do so with fans in the stadiums. This year, … Continue reading Pulse Check: The J1 League (April 2021)
We check in mid-season to see just how far wide of the mark we might have been in our predictions...
Football in the Islamic Republic is a national obsession, but not without obstacles to overcome. Could a World Cup on the back doorstep be the catalyst for re-emergence? By Nick Boffa As football around the world gets going again after COVID-interrupted seasons, much of the world has re-ignited their love affair with international football … Continue reading Iran: Sleeping Giant Ready to Awaken on the Biggest Stage?
A legendary Latin playmaker who could do the truly remarkable yet struggled with some aspects of professionalism. Yes, surprisingly, he was great mates with Diego. By Nick Boffa I’ll set the scene for you; Napoli in the summer of 1986 at the team training camp as Diego Maradona, fresh from Argentinian triumph at the World … Continue reading Jorge “El Magico” González: The Greatest Footballer You’ve Never Heard Of
We made our predictions at the start of the season, let’s see how we’re tracking just past the halfway mark... By Will Guthrie At the start of the Premier League season, we created a ‘cheat sheet’ for anyone who might be new to the league. Aforementioned sheet contained a number of predictions regarding teams and … Continue reading Pulse Check: English Premier League (February 2021)
By Justin Bodanac It’s been a J1 season like no other – no goal-line technology, no VAR, no relegation, a five-month hiatus, 33 rounds across 25 weeks, league-wide coronavirus testing, a tangle of rescheduled fixtures, the welcome return of fans to stadiums and records broken at both ends of the pitch. Given the intense level … Continue reading Pulse Check: The J1 League 2020 Wrap-Up
The young defender opens up on his journey so far and life in Vilnius By Nick Boffa Football, truly the world game, has long facilitated the movement of people from one side of the planet to another. However, even with that in mind, Kody Maude has found himself about as far from home as possible … Continue reading Kody Maude’s Latest Football Sojourn in Lithuania’s Capital
Every now and then, a moment in sport comes along that becomes etched in your mind, that no matter how old you grow, you’ll be able to remember it like it was yesterday. 15 years on from that historic night against Uruguay, the sparkle refuses to diminish... By Will Guthrie I’m going to break from … Continue reading Finally!!
You don’t win a World Cup without stars and this league, like their wine region, is home to some serious quality, santé! By Will Guthrie STYLE OF PLAY Much like the French national team, this league is a melting pot of styles of play from all across the globe. The influence of other cultures on … Continue reading Cheat Sheet: Ligue 1 20/21
It’s more than just the prep school of world football, you know? Get to grips with The Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football. Hup! Hup! By Nick Boffa STYLE OF PLAY The Eredivisie has long been known as a production line of top-level talent for more lucrative European leagues to plunder. In the golden … Continue reading Cheat Sheet: The Eredivisie 20/21
