Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Cleats.
Football comes back to Shotton
One of the unexpected side-effects of the coronavirus lockdown has been a groundswell of support for our local communities. And, in Shotton Colliery, an old pit village in East Durham, it’s been a trigger for a new football club aiming to bring the game back to town after 15 years without a team in the Saturday leagues.
By Andy Potts6 years ago in Cleats
Hope in East Durham's 'Black Hole'
This story was originally published on Groundhoppers.blog in November 2018. Two years later, happily, both Shotton and Murton have Saturday football back at their grounds. Shotton Colliery FC, newly formed for the 2020/21 campaign, plays in Wearside League Division 2, one level below a reborn Horden CW. Among their opponents, Ryhope CW U23s have moved into Murton's ground. Peterlee is still home to the local rugby club.
By Andy Potts6 years ago in Cleats
Christian Pulisic: *Potentially* America's best ever male player
When Christian Pulisic first broke through at Borussia Dortmund in early 2016, there was an insanely large amount of excitement around him especially from sports media outlets based in the United States. This is to be expected given the lack of top class football players that USA has produced relative to its massive 300 million plus population. This lack of truly top class professional American footballers has often in the past lead to the over hyping of mediocre talent by the US media, Freddy Adu was earmarked to become one of the best players in the world at one point in time. The less said about his career the better. With the benefit of hindsight, it is clear that not only is Pulisic an exceptional player worth all the hype he receives, he has all the tools to become the USA’s best ever player. In this piece we will analyze the excellent season he’s had at Chelsea and what he needs to do to be certain of achieving that accolade
By Michael Black6 years ago in Cleats
How to continue the legacy of our grandparents
[Disclaimer: The original version of this article, addressed to the people of Rosario (Argentina), was published on Newell’s Old Boys’ official website on the 24th of April, 2020. The following is a direct translation that contains political and geographical references, and it is not intended to offend the residents of any territory.]
By Alejandro G. Conta6 years ago in Cleats
Promotion and Relegation?
The great debate of North American soccer enthusiasts: Promotion versus Relegation. Arguably since the early days of pro soccer the idea within the North American soccer landscape has been an ongoing debate (I’m talking specifically in reference to USA/Canada). Yet, roughly 100 years later North American soccer still does not have promotion and relegation at any level. This is made all the more curious by the fact that the pro/rel system is a system of league organization that is widely used throughout the world. Further still the fact that it is not part of MLS league makeup makes MLS one of the few first-division professional soccer leagues in the world where clubs don't have to fear of getting dropped to a lower league. But the question is why the resistance? Sports after all feed on drama and what better way to add drama than to include a tried and true method to a league looking to attract more fans. The way I see it promotion and relegation is not some monumental hurdle that can’t be overcome but one that has too many excuses as to why it can’t be accomplished.
By Sam Hazelwood6 years ago in Cleats
Top 3 Clubs that Lionel Messi Could Sign In 2020
A crisis is a word that gets used too readily when a team hits some bad form, but one is developing rapidly at Barcelona. After losing their La Liga title to bitter rivals Real Madrid, they were served up, a Champion's League humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich. Barcelona were beaten 8-2 by the German giants in Lisbon, and now the Camp Nou club is in disarray. Manager Quique Setién got the sack along with sporting director Erik Abidal, losing by six goals simply isn't accepted at Barcelona. They're in danger of losing players, too, with defender Gerard Piqué volunteering to leave in a bid to help his club rebuild.
By Vishnu Aravindhan6 years ago in Cleats
Final Four (Part 3 of 4)
When I decided to write about this whole experience, I did not intend for it to be made up of multiple parts. But once I started, I realized that there was a lot more to write about than I originally thought. And still, I’ve left a lot out. Looking back to what was technically the second round (first round for us) of the national tournament against Notre Dame College, I remember the general vibe was “great we get an extra game”. As I mentioned before, the conference championship was our big goal that season and after coming up short, it almost felt like our season ended there. But it didn’t.
By Will Marshall6 years ago in Cleats
Final Four (Part 2 of 4)
I learned a lot in my four years of soccer at the University of Pittsburgh. My soccer IQ increased drastically in my last 2 and a half years. Thinking back on it now, it’s absolutely insane that I got to play for a coaching staff of that caliber. I was recruited by mostly Division III schools in high school. I didn’t play for a very high-level club. The high school I went to was not on the map for soccer, at least not since the 90s. I got to Pitt mostly because, like my year at West Chester, things just seemed to fall into place.
By Will Marshall6 years ago in Cleats
Final Four (Part 1 of 4)
Highmark Stadium sits in the shadow of Mt. Washington on the south shore of the Monongahela River. Built in 2012 on the same ground that used to house the Chevrolet Amphitheatre, Highmark Stadium became the new home of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. It gave soccer a presence in Pittsburgh. I first stepped foot into Highmark Stadium some time in 2013. I started training there as a part of the Riverhounds Goalkeeper Academy. It was difficult to find consistent and quality technical goalkeeper training in the Pittsburgh area back then and the club I played for didn’t offer consistent goalkeeper training. I remember thinking about how cool it was that I got to train on that field.
By Will Marshall6 years ago in Cleats
