Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Cleats.
UK's Lower Leagues - Where Soccer's Heart Remains
The metaphorical penny dropped from the scaffolding above the old St. James Park grandstand, clanging against the floor of Exeter City’s temporary ‘press area’. Or what’s left of the stand anyway; thanks to shrewd financial planning, City have secured the necessary funds and began work to replace the stand entirely, as well as selling the land behind the Big Bank standing section to a developer of student houses. The grandstand now stands as a hollow shell, with no seats and only bare wooden planks to house the visiting press and watching Exeter staff. The sound rang clearly, above the singing of the fans and the trains snaking behind the stadium—lower-league football, at least at Exeter City, still captures the romance of the beautiful game that the higher quality leagues seem to have lost.
By Charlie Morgan8 years ago in Cleats
Mesut Ozil Waves Goodbye to Germany
It was a disappointing World Cup for the German national team and German fans everywhere. Not a single German player performed to a high enough level and it saw them take an early exit from the tournament. Much like Arsenal fans do, the German fans singled Mesut Ozil out and blamed him for the failures of the team. Now, I am a strong believer of the fact that you win as a team and you lose as a team, so the fact he is being singled out is ridiculous in my opinion. But being singled out isn't a reason to never don the jersey again, is it? Well, for Ozil it seems to be more than enough reason and I can't say I blame him.
By Karl Hoscik8 years ago in Cleats
Visca Barca
Now, many may think well, of course, he likes the team that always wins! Do they though? The last three years Barcelona have not won the Champions League, and even failed to make it to the finals. They've been in the back seat watching their arch-rivals win it consecutively. Holy crap, if that doesn't infuriate you as a Barcelona fan, then I don't know what does. In actuality, if you're a true soccer fan, that should be so upsetting to see. Real Madrid has made history, and it should be respected, but at the same time being a fan of other clubs, it's sickening to see one club win the best trophy three times in a row!
By David Puca8 years ago in Cleats
Best American Soccer Bars
The FIFA World Cup is over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your favorite game on a big screen with a beer anymore. In August, all major European leagues will kick-off, and you will be watching your favorite teams and stars every weekend. Throw on your favorite soccer jersey of all time, grab some buddies, and head out to one watch the game on some big screens. If that’s your idea of a fine weekend, then you should check out our list of best American soccer bars that serve the best craft beers and stunning goals at the same time.
By Brayden Simmons8 years ago in Cleats
Hazard or Salah
This is only my opinion when I say this but I think many people would agree with it. When you look at the two players they have both performed fantastically. However, Hazard opted to play for Chelsea for six years in the hardest and greatest league on the planet. Having won PFA player of the year and winning titles at Chelsea, arguably he is the better player. The debate come to light when regarding his actual performances and how he influences games.
By Josh Richardson8 years ago in Cleats
Move Over Gareth Southgate Mbappe is Football's New Humanitarian Star
Gareth Southgate has been showered with praise this World Cup, with feminist publication The Pool even hailing him as "the symbol of positive masculinity we've been waiting for." Most notably, he comforted Colombian football player Mateus Uribe following England's first ever World Cup penalty shoot-out win. He quickly became the hero of this World Cup, not only for bringing the England team to a respectable 4th place but also for his kindness, empathy, and general lack of toxic masculinity.
By Ziggy Moth8 years ago in Cleats
Best Soccer Universities in the US
Sure, having the best cleats and must have women's soccer gear can help you get a leg up against the competition, but it takes hard work, stamina, and the right coaching and team to really make it in the soccer world. If you’re looking for credible and successful soccer universities in the US, you have a lot of options. But, because there are hundreds of universities with NCAA Division 1 soccer programs, it can be difficult to make the decision on which you should apply to. You must consider factors like academics, location and size of the school, and more. Take a look at some of the top schools in the nation for soccer and we’ll help you decide.
By Alicia Springer8 years ago in Cleats
Best Soccer Documentaries on Netflix. Top Story - July 2018.
With the 2018 World Cup heating up in Russia and international fans heating up around the globe, it seems like everyone is obsessed with soccer. The beautiful game has been dominating the media for what feels like forever, but unfortunately for soccer fanatics, it will soon be over. For those of us not lucky enough to score tickets to the coveted event, there are a wide variety of amazing soccer documentaries on Netflix that bring viewers up close and personal to the action on the field. While the World Cup may only come around every four years, these documentaries keep the action going year round.
By Brad Gould8 years ago in Cleats
Croatian Firefighters Show the Heart of First Responders as Duty Calls Even During the World Cup
As the 2018 World Cup draws to a close, we often realize that the heart of a champion often doesn't just reside in the realm of sports. Some Zagreb, Croatia firefighters demonstrated this first hand as they were watching the penalty kick to see whether their home country of Croatia would be able to advance to the final match last week. The tension was palpable in the air as these men cheered on their home team. However, as they were enmeshed in the football match, the fire siren went off and no one even hesitated: they all bolted right out of their chairs and immediately sprang to action and rushed to the call, regardless of how the penalty-kick went. At the end, there was only a small handful of people to see that Croatia made a game-winning kick and was able to advance to play against France. There is no questioning the fact this tells us something really interesting about the mindset of first-responders the world over. Here are some points to consider:
By Vaden Chandler8 years ago in Cleats
