It was a pretty hard week to be a fan. Out of our favorite 11, playing a total of 7 matches we saw a combined two goals scored and only one victory recorded.
The goal is that way boys…
Even my birthday on January 25th was tempered by discouraging results. The maximum MacKenzie team, Ross County, got burned by Celtic on Burns Day. Moreover, Alex and I ventured out to try to watch the Staggies only to be stymied by the fickle fiends of streaming services.
Not all was lost though. We did get to play some coaster soccer in the back of a bar. (Please send Father of the Year trophies to me directly) Then Alex discovered a new kind of soccer, where you throw the ball into one of six holes. We adults might give this game a different name, like, say, pool. But for Alex this too was soccer and he was invested.
Alex’s insistence on trying and trying again is not unlike the fans who still show up week after dispiriting week. Or the player mid-slump who puts in the time and effort knowing it can be done and wanting to do it.
Put simply: we want to do hard thingsbecause they are hard to do.
Improve public schools: hard. Learn to walk: hard. Get the ball in the hole/goal: damned hard. We do it, to paraphrase a former president, “not because it is easy, but because it is hard.”
Alex, you already get that. You already try and try and try again because it’s going to happen, and you want to do it yourself. Would that I could take credit for teaching you that, but that just seems to be you, and that is beautiful.
The Poet Burns as a winger
In honor of Burns Night and the boys from Dingwall who now must face that other Glaswegian Giant (Rangers). I’ll let Rabbie himself have the final word on loving what is hardest:
January is a special time of year. Things are new. Possibilities abound. Hope sprouts through the thick blanket of snow.
Beyond people’s natural desire to see the best at the start of the year, football fans have another mechanism to instill hope: the transfer window.
With the transfer window, contending teams seek a push for glory, and struggling sides look for players to rejuvenate a tired squad. For fans both dreaming of trophies and those fearing a nightmare campaign this means checking and rechecking transfer rumor mongers in hopes that they will see some golden glimmer of hope peeking in between the blurry lines of newsprint.
Mr. Fowles
Reasonable lose all logic this time of year. So it reminds me of a favorite phrase about truth from the writer John Fowles which I interpreted thusly:
There are three kinds of people: those so stupid that they believe anything; those intelligent enough to doubt everything; and those truly wise enough to accept everything.
Let me explain.
Lots of people can believe freely and fully. Belief is fun. It helps us imagine freely and realize our dreams. Believing that pandas are right around the corner makes each day a little richer in possibilities. Just as believing that Mario Balotelli, the recent all-world striker would leave bitterly racist Brescia for bitterly cold Minnesota makes the chances of our local team much brighter.
But belief can be foolish. If you both go to kindergarten calling raccoons “trash pandas” because you believed your dad, your belief would seem silly. (Particularly to me, which is why I call them that.) In the same way believing Mario Balotelli is about to join the local eleven will only leave you looking as ridiculous as if you cut your hair in that style only he can pull off.
Seriously, these are Trash Pandas…I promise
Those who abandon blind belief often find that doubt is satisfying. Doubting what you hear allows for a buoyant pride when you are right and others are wrong. It’s naturally gratifying to be validated in your skepticism amongst the faithful. In our examples, this could include telling your old man he’s wrong, or swiftly deflating delusions of grandeur among fans who think a millionaire would happily leave home to join an average team on the frozen Midwest tundra.
But while your cynicism can net a little grim gratification, doubt is a bitter pill for the rest of us to swallow. To be sure: right is right and you don’t need to pretend for the sake of others. But while doubting your dad’s name for raccoons might be wise, I hope you make a little room for my fairy tales lest you live in the drab reality that plagues so many people’s lives of quiet desperation. Doubting the arrival of Signore Balotelli might prove your wisdom amongst fellow fans, but why be a buzzkill for an amusing idea that carries us through the long, dark winter?
Signore Balotelli future Minnesota Legend
Acceptance allows you to have fun when it comes true and to be satisfied if it doesn’t. You need not believe that your unreliable narrator of a father is right about raccoons, just accept I have an odd sense of humor and a wish things were a little brighter than they are…not bad traits for a dad. You needn’t play the killjoy in Balotelli banter, just accept that fans are desperate for a little hope and would rather reach for the stars than the frozen sod in front of them.
Transfer rumors are an ideal arena to practice this skill. Sure I can say: Miguel Ibarra has drawn the interest of Ross County, or Asier Dipanda might make the move from Punjabi plains to Grenoble Alps. If you believe me, you might enjoy the daydream. if you doubt me, you’ll be satisfied to know you’re right. But if you accept that I’m a romantic who hopes teams he loves might swap players he loves, you can appreciate both my dreamy idealism and your righteous reality.
Please become a Staggie…Please…
In short boys: I hope you strive to accept what you hear whenever you can and to challenge believers and doubters to stretch beyond their comfort zones.
Oh, and I really hope someone at Ross County reads this and reviews Miguel Ibarra’s tapes. He’s available for a free transfer and while he’s been making more than you normal pay, he’s worth every penny…or Euro…or I guess penny again.
The Staggies season seemed auspicious when they fought for a draw in Edinburgh early in the season, but the calamitous collapse of Hearts has made it seem like less of a quality result each week.
Desperate for a win Hearts came to Dingwall looking to stanch the bleeding in their potentially lost season. Ross County had the better opportunities all night long including multiple Billy McKay chances that just came to nought. It says something about both teams that newly promoted, tiny Ross County was clearly better and ought to be disappointed not to take 3 points against one of the glamour teams in Scottish soccer history.
Then again, maybe Hearts just got a lousy pep talk.
Insert Succession Reference here.
Universidad de Guadalajara 1 v Alebrijes de Oaxaca 0
The return of Liga MX Acenso could have been a celebration for first half champions Alebrijes away from home. Instead it was a frenetic affair with many chances for the home side, and even more frenzy when things exploded in the 66th minute.
Omar Bravo clocked Mario Orozco, and Giovanni Leon responded with a shove of his own that escalated to a mini-melee. I’m the end Bravo and Leon were dismissed, and the match restarted with a different shape.
The change in tactics gave the Black Lions an advantage they did not waste. Without a center back, and with their left back Orozco hurting, the defense fell apart even more. In the 81st minute Jose Hernandez struck to give the hosts a victory and start Alebrijes’ second half of the season on the wrong foot.
Legon Cities FC 1 v Bechem United 0
After three matches without a goal and two underwhelming performances in their new home, the Royals didn’t take long to change their fortunes in Accra. In what can best described as an attempted trick play, two Legon Cities players feigned an argument over who would take a 5th minute free kick, only for Abdul Karim Jabila to strike it clean and true past the Bechem keeper.
Striking quickly to start the game gave some the feeling that the Royals were about to blast off. Instead, they were again unlucky not to score another despite numerous strong chances.
Still a win is a win, and the Royals fans don’t mind if it was five minutes of fun and 85 more of fear.
Grenoble Foot 38 0 v Chambly 0 (Men)
The most engaging thing in this game was learning about all the sponsors for Chambly
Grenoble Foot continued their goalless 2020 with a torpid affair at home against Chambly. The result was their league leading 12th tie of the campaign and kept their goals for/against at a delightfully relevant 20-20
Freiburg 0 v Paderborn 2
After a rip-roaring return to action last week, the Breisgauer might be accused of taking bottom of the table Paderborn too lightly, and they paid for it at home Saturday.
The same strategy of long crosses to hopeful heads was far less successful against the bigger Paderborn defense. Some opportune goal scoring was all the last-place side needed as even going down a man wasn’t enough to help Freiburg over the line
Celtic 3 v Ross County 0
Given that the previous installment had ended 6-0 to the Green-Hooped Gods of Glasgow, this result might feel like a big step up for the Staggies.
It was a close run affair until a late first half penalty allowed Callum McGregor to put the Hoops ahead. But the second half belonged to diminutive Odsonne Édouard who netted his 15th and 16th goals of the campaign just in time to inspire some last minute transfer bids. Glad we could help.
Grenoble Foot 38 1 – Lille 2 (Women’s League)
Credit: Julien Diaferia
The Grenobloise managed as many goals as the men’s teams combined this weekend, but it wasn’t enough to see off Lille.. the result brought much delight to your uncle Simon, who likes Lille much as I like Grenoble. Only, I–of course–am right.
News & Notes
Minerva Punjab FC Owner Urges Youth Investment
Ranjit Bajaj cuts an outsized figure promoting soccer in a cricket mad subcontinent. Unapologetic and provocative, he believes whole heartedly in youth training. (His Minerva Punjab training camp reluctantly rebranded the first team this session to expand beyond their own tight knit community to the whole state.)
On the “Rupeeball Podcast” Bajaj took time to reaffirm his love for youth training. His ardent belief in cutting out fees to make coaching easier for others is a basic plan for improvement. The big dream though, World Cup 2036,requires a bit more: national agreement to offer top notch coaching to five year olds in academies. That may seem staggering but frankly, I’m for anything that gives more young people a harsh reed educatin
Welcoming the league leaders to Ludhiana, Punjab had a great opportunity to inject some drama into the title race. An early goal from Asier Dipanda offered exactly that possibility. Stout defense for 88 minutes made it much more of a probability. But, Subha Ghosh’s late equalizer left everyone with a point and the guys in gray 3 points behind despite an extra game.
Legon Cities FC 0 – Ashanti Gold 0
It was Ladie’s Night, and the feeling was right. It was Ladie’s Night. Oh, what a night….for another goalless outing by the Royals.
The official return to league action saw Freiburg take the field in a purple kit that might best be described as: dueling highlighters.
The team provided their own highlights with a pair of pretty side volleys in the first half to leave the home side chasing the match and earn a convincing win to start the year.
Ayr United 1 – Ross County 0
The Staggies started their year by falling out of another cup competition. Debutants Jordan Tillson and Coll Donaldson offered strength in the back, but the Honest Men of Ayr were honestly better and took the victory.
Aduana Stars 2 – Legon Cities FC 0
Even the normally indefatigable LCFC media team struggled to find silver linings here. A pair of free kicks saw the Stars to victory, including an admitted howler from Legon’s keeper Prosper Gbeku.
Punjab FC 3 – Gokulam FC 1
The guys in gray with gratitude
At the same time Baby Owen broke his poop less diaper streak, the Punjabi Warriors broke their winless streak.
As I rocked Owen, bottle in hand and soothing shh-es on blast, Sergio Barboza scored and danced. And when Owen dozed off, Asier Dipanda braved himself for a second half brace to seal the victory.
It may be coincidence, but just in case I’m going to need Punjab FC to win a match every night. Please and thank you.
News & Notes
Any Man in Possession of a Love of Soccer Must be in Want of a Women’s Team to Root For
While I always make a point of bringing up the University of Montana Lady Griz, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge and recognize that many of the clubs I’ve included here also feature a women’s team in competition. I’ll do my best to track down data and results for them too. So when SC Freiburg and Emelec Feminina return they’ll be included above, and while there are few photos and fewer highlights I’ll shout out Les Femmes de Grenoble Foot who won 4-2 at the start of the year against Olympique de Valence.
In the meantime, please appreciate the Lady Griz keeping warm in a Montanan winter with squash games
As for our local XI, the thinking seems to be to expand the club vision from Minnesota, to the Upper Midwest, and then just outside of Wellington.
In addition to international center back Michael Boxall, the Loons drafted fullback Noah Billingsly, then signed Central Midfielder James Musa. This means that the rest of the team will need to binge Flight of the Conchords as soon as possible to keep up on references.
Transfer Roundup
Minnesota did the most adding this week with the two Kiwis plus Los Angeles goalkeeper Tyler Miller and homegrown goalkeeper Fred Emmings.
Across the pond there were mostly departures, as Rosenborg waved farewell to stalwart Midfielder Mike Jensen who spent 7 years in Trondheim before heading to Cyprus. (Olaus Skarsem and Djordje Denic also left Lerkendal).
Ross County’s young midfield star Mark Gallagher looks on the cusp of a move to Aberdeen (the pereptual bridesmaid to Celtic and Rangers) and Freiburg sent Jerome Gondorf on loan to second division Karlrhuser
What’s Next
Wednesday, January 22
1:45 PM–Ross County v Hearts
Thursday, January 23
8:30 PM–Universidad de Guadalajara v Alebrijes de Oaxaca
You probably have heard your mother and I talking about “Forks”. As in “Fork that” or “all out of forks to give” etc. There is a reason why.
You come from a long line of “fork-givers”. People who got worked up about politics and went to war. People who refused to accept their situation and instead moved to unseen, unknown locales. People who really care. Who care so much, in fact, that it gets in the way of doing justice to yourself.
I have been, and probably always will be, someone who gives a lot of, what we’ll call on this G-rated blog, “forks”. I give lots of forks about my lesson plans, about what students achieve and don’t, about where people cross the street, and use grammar, and speak to others, and show care for the world around them, and, naturally, how you two grow up. I give so many forks in a day, I often don’t have many left to give about myself, my health, or my welfare.
There’s nothing wrong with caring. Giving forks is good. But please boys, give a fork about what you do, don’t give a fork over how it is received.
Few things show this better than Grenoble Foot’s disastrous attack last Friday night against AC Ajaccio.
That’s three chances. Gilt-edged chances. Gimme-put style chances. Your-great-grammy-Zoe-would-have-finished-it-and-she’s-been-dead-ten-years. Chances. But they didn’t go in. Not for Jessy Benet, not for Arsene Elogo, not for Florian Raspentino. The result was sealed. And defeat was made still more painful.
Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be Shawn Bradleys.
If you give a fork about the game, your job, your team, then it would be easy to be upset.
Obviously, fans would be upset. The coaches would be upset. The players would be upset. That kind of performance is not why you go into sports. You aren’t there to be the butt of the joke; you’re there to win.
But fans don’t put in the effort, they just watch the entertainment. Coaches don’t make the plays they just help train players to make it happen. Even players can’t control every part of the game; they just participate in it.
If you give a fork, it might seem like you ought to be upset when it goes wrong. It’s certainly how I’ve always responded when the class goes wrong, or people are rude and unsafe in public, or I don’t change the world three times over before breakfast. But that’s not the way to do it.
By all means, give a fork about how you prepare. Give it your best effort. And when it’s done, accept that it leaves your hands. My meticulous lesson may not move the needle in a student’s understanding. Your preferred candidate may lose. And you may, despite years of preparation, strong game planning, and the will of thousands of fans miss…and miss…and miss again.
Otherwise you may find that you’ve lost your pride in your own work, in the face of things beyond your control. And that would be a forking shame.
The first game of a busy back-to-back weekend for the Warriors saw them pay a visit to one of the hottest regions in India on rather cold day.
Makan Winkle Chothe capitalized on an early attack that swirled around the Snow Leopards’ box. The young striker hammered a low cross home to give the Warriors the lead, but the team then sat back trying to keep Kashmir at bay. The persistence of Kashmir’s foriegn imports, particularly Englishman Kallum Higginbotham and Ivorian Ghnore Krizo eventually overcame Nepali keeper Kiran Kumar Limbu (who had an otherwise sterling performance)
North Indian Derby
SC Freiburg 1 – Borussia Munchengladbach 2 (in both friendlies)
Freiburg seeks to solve a problem like the defense
In gearing up for the second half of the Bundesliga season, Freiburg ran out two different squads to take on the 2nd place team in the table. The result was a pleasingly palindromic pair of matches, with Munchengladbach scoring the first two, Freiburg the next two, and Muchengladbach the last two of the day.
Sitting just 2 points off of the European league spots, Freiburg will be looking to steel their defense from a league worst 8.1 tackles per match, but Munchengladbach’s attack didn’t help them find any answers.
AC Ajaccio 3 – Grenoble Foot 38 1
As Ligue 2 returned to action, Grenoble was in dire need of an offensive jolt. There were a pair of lightning strikes, but they came from AC Ajaccio’s Gaetan Courtet who left fans reeling with a brace of beautifully struck goals.
Bright spots were few and far between for Grenoble though Jessy Benet’s first half corner was perfectly placed for a player making a run. (That it was AC Ajaccio’s Cyrille Bayala who made the run and scored the own goal is a minor note). Most frustrating was a trio of close range shots from Benet, Arsene Elogo, and Florian Raspentino that were deflected by Benjamin Leroy to stymie another attack.
Ajaccio Goals
Legon Cities FC 0 – Dreams FC 0
Another week, another wait for fans of the Royals. While there was strong support from fans in the stands, the team on the pitch couldn’t quite connect. Despite a strong showing from Sadick Sulley and a penalty cry from defend Ahmed Rahaman.
On the plus side this video is now my son Alex’s favorite song.
A big thank you to the fans who made the journey from Accra to cheer the team up the mountains..It was an honour to have your time and your support..From the depth of our hearts, all of us at the club express our utmost appreciation to you.Lets do same against Ashgold. pic.twitter.com/dKIMtFs0Td
The Lady Griz are back in training, including using squash courts to practice volleying (which is pretty clever use of resources given most Montanan winters). They’re also back in the classroom where, well, let’s just show the domination shall we?
Ps Gasconade means to boast from the French gasconner
Reunited and it Feels So Good
While a few teams are still in regular action, most others came back from their winter breaks this week with a little bonding and a lot of practice.
Aleksa Jankovic joins the Dragons
I know what you’re thinking: “I thought Aleksa Jankovic died in the 19th century after serving as prime minister before the start of the Kardordevic Dynasty, how is the reanimated corpse of that Serbian leader going to help the defense?!”
(You weren’t thinking that? Well…you should have been.)
This Alksa Jankovic is actually a 19 year old winger fresh from Belgrade rivals Partizan’s training grounds. He mostly figured in cup ties and is eager for some first team action.
📢| NOVI ZMAJ JE SLETEO NA KROV!
Aleksa Janković, jedan od najtalentovanijih igrača rođenih 2000. godine, prvo je zimsko pojačanje Zmajeva 🔥🐉
Seeking to shore up the defense, Ross County have brought in two more players including English Defensive Midfielder Jordan Tillson, and Scottish Center Back Coll Donaldson.
Tillson moves north after a series of loans out of League 2 Exeter Town, while Donaldson will switch sides in the Highland Derby, leaving Inverness CT for the boys in Dingwall.
📺 Coll Donaldson speaks to us after completing his move to the Global Energy Stadium from Inverness CT. pic.twitter.com/LtrKdEIFDw
Some things are special. They might seem every day or inconsequential to others, but to you they grab your attention, fill your heart with hope, and offer a new beginning for a long standing love.
Owen, at two months old, this is probably any time you hear a play mat toy jingle. Alex, any bus related noises (particularly beeping and break hissing) demands commentary so that others might know that “that’s a bus” and tell you “where the bus go?”. For me, it’s any time someone or something alludes to Ghana.
While for other parts of the world, I have affection, fondness, or appreciation, with Ghana (and Montana) it is love. Pure and simple love. So when it comes up in daily life, it fills me with hope that this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship, or a great conversation, or the chance to get my hands on some high quality nkatekwan (peanut stew).
I’m still not over this…
I’m starting this blog, at the same time Ghanaian soccer is starting a new beginning of its own. For most of its past, Ghanaian soccer was the story of a great team and a star player (Abedidi Pele) who rarely had the chance to shine on the global stage (thanks ingrained FIFA bureaucracy). Then it was the story of an immensely talented team that never reached its full potential (thanks Luis Suarez). But most recently, Ghanaian soccer was the story of staggering corruption and near ruin.
Two years ago a group of Ghanaian journalists, dug deep into the local soccer world and brought to light the 12th Man of Ghanaian soccer: corruption. Referees and executives who played a major part in organizing teams and determined winning teams admitted a willingness to take bribes. (Of the 94 officials investigated, only 3 turned down the bribe).
Anas Arenewat Anas and Kwesi Nyantaki (The journalist and power broker at the center of the scandal)
Most discouraging of all was the head of the game in Ghana, Kwesi Nyantaki, a banker and lawyer who had overseen some of the country’s greatest triumphs, but who also crowed about using the nation’s President to get deals done and make more money. He resigned. He forfeited ownership of his own team (side note: if someone makes the rules and owns a team that profits from them, you shouldn’t be surprised when they turn out to be self-dealing.) Then, he was banned for life from all soccer activities.
The country and its favorite game were shaken. The organizing body was disbanded. The triumphant national team went on hiatus. And the national league was cancelled.
Just before the new year, the league started again, and Nyantaki’s old team was re-formed in a new city for its own new beginning. As Legon Cities FC, they are what I like to think of when I think of new beginnings. I hope, when you face new beginnings, you’ll do it like Legon Cities FC: with optimism and gratitude.
Think of new beginnings like you think of play mat toys jingling, or wheels on a bus squealing. You have hope in that moment of something new, something remarkable, as long as you approach it with optimism.
For Legon Cities, there are new fans, new hopes and new energy. Every social media post is hashtaged “#We Deliver” or “#BringBacktheLove” everything is possible, everything can be done. In this new beginning, all things are possible. Pessimism is not allowed. Every match, every kick, deserves an optimistic eye.
At the same time, new chances aren’t always on offer. Sometimes we succumb to the trap of thinking we deserve it, or just being glad for it without realizing that we have it through the grace of others. So please, practice gratitude for the new beginning.
The bell jingles because you’re there again, and because your mom helped you get there. The bus sounds because the driver made a stop. The chance to restart a team, a league, a love of the game, it all comes down to fans. Legon Cities knows that and shows that. Y’all can do the same.
To be sure, this second chance came about not because of contrition, or apologies, or a desire to change, but because one businessman saw the opportunity to take over where another had failed. Richard King Attipoe, the club’s new owner has splashed serious cash into his investment, trying to, in the eyes of competitors, buy his way into a title.
But the truth is that Attipoe did something that had to be done. He seized a new beginning and did so while letting go of assumptions of the past. Legon Cities isn’t just a flashy new team, it’s a team that is exploring new media, new fan engagement, new promotions (with dance hall music stars popping up to perform at every home match). Attipoe has done what Bill Veeck used to do in American baseball, drawing people with a game plus bread and circuses rather than just the game and a long still silence.
New beginnings bring hope, whether they come gilded with an owner’s gold, or just arrive when you least expect it. But they do not last long, so boys, take it when it comes, approach it with optimism and gratitude and do what you can.
Oh, and Alex, like Legon Cities, you can approach it with a really nice bus.
The Royals’ first home game in Accra garnered a massive amount of hype and enthusiasm. The result left many wanting.
Legon Cities was first off the mark with a daring run by Panayotis Papadopoulos, into the six yard box that led to the first goal. Unfortunately, the Porcupines were able to pin back the debutantes, finding the net against a frayed Legon Cities defense who had no answer for Burkina Faso international Sogne Yacouba’s precise passing.
TRAU 0 – Punjab FC 0
The Warriors’ visit to newcomers Tiddim Road Athletic Union (of Impahl, Manipur) seemed primed to provide many points.
Unfortunately, despite some dogged attacks and pretty passing by midfielders Cavin Lobo and Sanjuh Pradan, they couldn’t find the right touch to put the ball past keeper Mithun Samanta. The draw left Punjab third in the table, but with title rivals holding games in hand, it will feel like an opportunity wasted.
Transfer Season Opens with Rosenborg’s Swedish Star
While most of the global transfer buzz surrounds which 18 year old is about to command a prince’s ransom from the epic powers of European football, it’s worth remembering that every team seeks to improve themselves.
Islamovic Is All Smiles-ovic
In particular, Rosenborg Ballklub (RBK) in Norway will be looking to boost their standard in European performance following another dismal tour in the Europa League. To that end they brought in Dino Islamovic from Sweden’s Ostersund to bolster their attack.
Islamovic’s pedigree includes being part of an Ostersund side that beat Arsenal in London at the start of 2018 and a history of selections by Swedish youth teams. By himself, he seems unlikely to boost RBK back into consistent European contention, but he’ll improve a tiring and aged attack for sure.
Grizzlies Welcome Transfer
Similar to RBK, the Lady Griz would like to return to the most prestigious competitions (in their case, the NCAA tournament). To that end, they’ve welcomed in a transfer from Forest Lake, Minnesota (via North Dakota) Mimi Eiden
Eiden is Enough
Eiden, part of the Liberian diaspora in the Twin Cities, will bring a knack for attack to Missoula where, despite her smaller stature (5’3″), she plays with big energy and excellent intensity born of battling 16 siblings in her family. (We also whole-heartedly endorse using North Dakota as a stop over between Minnesota and Montana…sorry North Dakota.)
What’s Next?
Friday, January 10th
12:00 AM Real Kashmir v Punjab FC
6 & 8 AM SC Freiburg v Borussia Munchengladbach (Friendlies)
I’ve always liked sports, but with wonky eye sight and minimal muscle mass the stories and themes made a greater impact than the scores and the stats.
In the last two years I’ve become a father to you two amazing pumpkins and as you grow and play and live in a wider world that fixates on results, I want to give you another perspective.
So, I made a place to share reflections, ideas, beliefs, and thoughts about the past, present, and future inspired by the global and personal passion that is soccer.
Starting this site seemed like the thing to do for a few reasons. I’m a talkative, bombastic, chatty person and slowing down my words has significant benefits. Publishing what I write isn’t terribly comfortable for me, but if I am going to help you face your fears of darkness and potties and cans of seltzer water that open with a loud *Kccch*, I should face my fears too.
Most of all, trite as it is, talking during and about sports can really help. The games give you a habit and an arena to talk and talk freely. When I was a kid, I gained so much from morning runs with my dad, backyard battles with my brothers, and mid-tournament talks with my mom. Heck, your mother and I announced our love for each other in the middle of a nine-part baseball documentary.
Right now you’re still learning to jump and roll over, so we’re not really ready for big conversations yet. But we have our habit in the mornings and the evenings, at the bottom of the stairs. We pull boots on and tug them off. So, welcome to the boot room.
Here, with the help of eleven teams from around the world, we can talk about what brought our family here, what shapes our world and what will inspire our values. Watching these teams shows us how to savor the moments of each match while also planning for the future; how to navigate the world at the moment and study the structures that got us here.
Our Starting XI
University of Montana Lady Griz (Big Sky)
Rosenborg BK (Norwegian-Elitserien)
SC Freiburg (German-Bundesliga)
FK Vozdovac (Serbian-Super Liga)
Ross County FC (Scotland Premiership)
Grenoble Foot (France Ligue 2)
Legon Cities FC (Ghanaian Premeirship)
Emelec (Ecuadorian Serie A)
Alebrijes of Oaxaca (Mexican Ascenco MX)
Minnesota United (MLS)
Minerva Punjab (India I-League)
Your First XI as a Fan
For some, this might seem silly. A collection of life advice through the prism of football clubs may be the height of irrelevance. If nothing else, it will present the power of tribalism, separation, and segmentation that is the exactly what hurts us now. Why leave an account of this nonsense, or this ugliness for two young kids?
Because, put simply, you should know about ugliness and nonsense just as much as you know about beauty and truth. You should know about fracturing, fiercely independent, cultures because those are the cultures who will shape our shared world. You are unique and powerful individuals, because you live a life shaped by 11 unique and powerful communities.
Out of many you are one. You should do what you think is best, and you can use the opinions of those who’ve gone before to help guide you to that decision. You should know your history, and the histories of those who share your space. By all means, play your own way, but never forget that you’re playing with a team.
This site is built with love to show you where we’ve been, where we are, and where we could go. It’s built for you, whenever you find it.
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MacKenzie's Boot Room 