Campfire Football

Sam Chappell, the Founder of Denver Soccer Society, installed two 5-a-side turf fields in the heart of downtown Denver. Here is his story and how we was inspired to plant a seed for soccer culture to grow and to bring folks together. Inspirational for all football lovers.

I previewed these 5 big clashes in Ep. #86 so why not recap them.

Ajax vs PSV Eindhoven

Inter Milan vs Juventus

Marseilles vs Paris Saint-Germain

Barcelona vs Real Madrid

Manchester United vs Liverpool

And I close out with my awards of the weekend.

This Sunday is packed with 5 massive rivalries across Europe. El Clasico, Le Clasique, Il Derby D'Italia, De Topper, and the unnamed Manchester United vs Liverpool fixture. So much is expected in each of these games that we are sure to emerge from this weekend with a flood of storylines, narratives...hopefully unforgettable games and goals.

FC Sheriff just beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the Bernabeu in their first ever Champions League campaign. It is a football fairytale story. The club from Transnistria, an autonomous region of Moldova, and are owned by The Sheriff Company which was founded by ex KGB servicemen. It is an incredible story of geopolitics, economics, sport, war, and media.

Debate and discussion on this topic continues to grow, which is a good thing. FIFA trialling a match with no headers can make the blood of purists boil and the Lee Dixons of the world to say, "Game's Gone."

Let's get into some of the data and I'll provide my point of view as a coach, player, and lover of the game on how we can educate safety instead of banning headers full stop at any age group.

References

Davis, N. (2017, April 25). What happens when soccer bans heading? The Ringer. Retrieved September 22, 2021, from https://www.theringer.com/2017/4/25/16041684/us-soccer-header-ban-concussions-4805684f63ca. 

Mooney, J., Self, M., ReFaey, K., Elsayed, G., Chagoya, G., Bernstock, J. D., & Johnston, J. M. (2020). Concussion in soccer: a comprehensive review of the literature. Concussion (London, England), 5(3), CNC76. https://doi.org/10.2217/cnc-2020-0004

The Champions League with full stadiums is back, hopefully for good. We were treated to a feast of fantastic football this week. Fans and spectators contributed so much as we get to enjoy some interesting stories and narratives that will only build as the fall rolls on.

Sometimes things are just meant to be. This past weekend we witnessed plenty of moments that felt destined to happen. CR7, Haaland, Edouard, Zlatan, Mourinho... It was a good time.

CR7 sets another record. The groups of UEFA World Cup Qualifying are getting interesting. The USA trip and stumble in their campaign. But another Covid Crisis occurs and CONMEMBOL is in disarray after unprecedented scenes in Brazil cut the Argentina game short after 6:30 minutes played.

So where is all this going?

I start out by going over some of the talking points from Premier League games this weekend. Liverpool vs Chelsea, Man Utd vs Wolves. Roma and Milan's new recruits are flying in the Seria A. Own goal of the weekend from Villareal.

And I close out with my experience watching the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. A true spectacle that deserves more attention and hype.

I am back from a 2 week break recharged for the new season. In this episode, I start with an update on my Masters Degree, the boys I coach winning a tournament, everybody sleeping on the Colorado Rapids, and big news from the football world as usual.

I also went on the Football Misfits Podcast so some takes from that conversation make up the middle of this installment of Campfire Football.