Tag: ESPN

A Conversation With…Derek Rae

A Conversation With Derek Rae is pure football poetry. One of football’s finest voices, Derek always paints a beautiful picture through his commentary. Do you know anyone who can marry the famous poet Robert Burns with football?

From Team GB and the Olympics to all things Premier League including Luis Suarez, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Andre Villas Boas, Brendan Rodgers, Manchester City, mid-level clubs and beyond, Derek discusses it all with an honest perspective. There’s even time to talk a wee bit of Rangers!

Football, soccer, call it what you want, it’s just like being down the pub with your mates.

A Conversation With…Janusz Michallik

Talking Italian in A Conversation with Janusz Michallik from ESPN. AC Milan are going through a huge change in personnel having lost some legends together with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva. How will the Rossoneri cope? Is Allegri the manager under the most pressure in Europe before the season starts?

And what of the Old Lady? Can Juventus repeat their magical season? How will they perform in the Champions League? We even dabble in a little Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey and Robin van Persie, plus Janusz shares his thoughts on the players he’s most excited to see as the new season approaches. You won’t want to miss this conversation. Pour a glass of fine Italian wine and enjoy!

Another round of Becks please…

142496_u9fq3u8k_szuivkgks1lia6n_-736192After playing in football wilderness with the LA Galaxy for 18 months, David Beckham is about to make an incredible comeback to the big leagues. His determination to keep his England career alive and his desire to become the most capped English player are the main ingredients that could trigger a crazy transfer for the never-say-die superstar. Why is anyone shocked? He’s made it clear he wants to continue playing for his country for as long as he’s asked. The quality of football in the MLS is not comparable to Serie A in Italy. And didn’t you all think the motive to go to Milan in the first place was to somehow wangle a permanent move to fulfill his final ambitions in the twilight of his career? The fact the LA Galaxy let this happen in the first place is shocking. Surely they knew this was coming.

When he landed in the States, LAX came to a standstill as fans and the world’s media greeted him and his wife Victoria. He did the ESPN documentary while Posh Spice appeared in a one-off reality show on network television. He became one of the many celebrity faces sitting court side cheering on the Los Angeles Lakers. Hollywood’s elite – Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Will sSmith and Jada Pinkett Smith – rolled out the red carpet and hosted an extravagant welcome party for Lord and Lady Becks. But the truth is, as much as he loves all the attention and trimmings of fame, this Essex boy has only ever wanted to play football. He loves the game and now he believes he can play at the highest level again.

Ultimately, the people who will miss out are the LA Galaxy and MLS fans in general. It will hurt more though for those Galaxy fans. They have had to pay increased prices for tickets and merchandise in order to subsidize the wages of Mr.Beckham. They totally bought into the idea of #23 and were desperate for him to succeed by bringing the MLS Cup home. The hopes and dreams of the Galaxy fans could be dead. Meanwhile, for Becks, his dreams are very much alive…

What’s it all about..?

42-17021668I am a Brit living in the United States. I grew up in London watching the beautiful game. Arsenal is my team. I had the privilege to watch them play at Highbury for many years. Then I moved to the States. Luckily, Fox Soccer Channel and Setanta Sports have given me my weekly Premiership fix. My fix also requires the images and sounds of La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Eredivisie and the Bundesliga. ESPN came to the rescue too when they started broadcasting the Champions League in High-Definition. Life got better that day. I am also a huge fan of international soccer, especially European and the flare of those exquisite South American teams. Brazil and Argentina have been an art form for decades.

So living in the States has not affected my football. The sport will never be as big as the NFL, NBA and MLB. It might get close to the NHL! Soccer can have a place though. It just needs to realize where it sits in the pecking order of US sports. Let’s not get greedy too fast. David Beckham is only one piece of the jigsaw puzzle that has been building for a few years now.
It is on these pages where we will discuss the world’s most popular sport. It has its beauty and yes, it can be ugly too. The passion and love for the game is often misunderstood. Some of my best life experiences have been associated with football. Don’t give the red card until you’ve truly exhausted all avenues in your pursuit to like this game. And if you are already a believer, we have much to debate and discuss.

This is the freedom of football speech blog. Our soccer sovereignty is governed by you the people. The only twist is that I have a woman’s perspective on the game. A different insight with all the qualities and qualifications of a seasoned soccer lover. So call it what you want. Football. Soccer. Pick your poison. I’m still weighing up my own options. All that matters is opinion.