This week we learned a lot about some of our newly and not-so-newly-announced FIFA presidential candidates, and most of what we learned was bad. Thanks Michel Platini. But there was also some fun to start your weekend off with, like the delightful story of the rise of Jamie Vardy, a parody of training ground interactions and an epic on Manchester United's class of '92 vs. the Liverpool's "Spice Boys." Soccer is fun. Weekends are fun.
Michel Platini And The Best Articles Of The Week
1. Life as a fictional superstar winger. (SB Nation)
2. Life as a real-life superstar winger — Raheem Sterling. (ESPNFC)
3. The history of turf soccer fields. (These Football Times)
4. James McClean, poppies, Ireland and football fans. (The Set Pieces)
5. How to fi match-fixing. (VICE Sports)
6. Jamie Vardy is an unlikely Premier League leading scorer. (The Guardian)
7. Michel Platini's FIFA President campaign has his a bit of a snag. (Fusion)
8. There are lots of articles about the state of statistics in soccer. Here's another one. (Grantland)
9. Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa sounds fun. (The Guardian)
10. How a New Yorker ended up coaching the Nepalese national team. (The Guardian)
Bonus: 20,000 words on a 2-2 draw between Manchester United and Liverpool — not for the faint of heart. (The Guardian)
Top Of The18
1. Jermaine Jones reveals what makes Ronaldo so good.
2. We ranked every MLS franchise.
4. The rise and fall of Joe Cole.
5. You can buy the Bastian Schweinsteiger Nazi doll for just €79.
Enjoy your weekends everybody.
Contact The18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or gollow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus
