Lukas Podolski, a World Cup winner with Germany and a former striker for Arsenal and Bayern Munich, has always been a fan favorite, wherever he goes. The man with a hammer for a left leg is finishing out his career in Japan with Vissel Kobe right now, but while back in Cologne rehabbing an injury he opened up a doner kebab shop over the weekend to plenty of fanfare.
Everyone plays football for different reasons. For some it’s the love of the game, others for money or fame and still more do it to impress the opposite sex. But winning free pizza for playing football is a prize everyone can appreciate. That’s exactly what goalkeeper Chris Neal won by helping Fleetwood Town shut out Leciester City in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday at Highbury Stadium.
It’s the time of year when people decide to make personal promises to be better in the coming 12 months, because nothing says motivation like waiting until the end of one year to do better. But if you really want to make a difference in 2018, instead of resolving to spend more time in the gym or less money on Starbucks, might we suggest these new years resolutions to be a better soccer fan in 2018.
Introspection is not easy, so we did the heavy lifting to give you these six resolutions perfect for any soccer fan.
U.S. Women’s National Team star Julie Ertz is one of the best players in the country, even if she wasn’t named to the CONCACAF XI on Tuesday. Her goal-scoring exploits from her defensive position are impressive, but her home life may be even more notable.
Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez is good at a lot of things. Chicharito can score with his feet, his head and, most impressively, his face for both club (West Ham) and country (Mexico). Hammers teammate Pablo Zabaleta is also a pretty good football player, having played right back for Manchester City and the Argentine national team for many years. But neither are very good at the game they played Friday: a Don’t-Laugh Challenge.
The FIFA corruption trial for three South Americans started weird, got weirder and ended with a little bit more weird on Thursday in New York City. During the closing arguments, the defense attorney for a former president of Brazil’s soccer federation basically tried to make the case that his client was too dumb to be involved in the bribery scandals that have rocked FIFA.
Paolo Guerrero thought he could be Diego Maradona. Now Peru’s captain and all-time leading goal scorer will be suspended for the country’s first World Cup in 36 years. FIFA handed down a 12-month ban to Guerrero for testing positive for a banned stimulant following a CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier, football’s world governing body announced Thursday.