[THE PITCH 2013: Blog 1] I spent the first half of my short offseason traveling and the latter half at home for the holidays. Everywhere I went, indecision andinsecurity accompanied me like my passport; what to do in 2013? Every person I talked to asked me about my plans for the upcoming season, and their […]
sweden
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Press joins Swedish champion Tyreso
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Christen Press has joined Swedish champion Tyreso from FC Gothenburg, the club for which she scored17 league goals, second in the Damallsvenskan, and 25 goals in all competitions in 2012. Tyreso won the Damallsvenskan on the final day of the 2012 season with a 1-0 win at LdB Malmo,which went into the game […]
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'Zlatan' Becomes a Verb in Sweden
The Swedish Language Council has officially added a word to the Swedish dictionary that is named after Sweden international Zlatan Ibrahimovic. “Zlataner”, literally“to Zlatan”, means to “clear anything with force” or “to dominate” in English. The verb has been in common use by Swedes for a few months after initiallytaking off in France, where Ibrahimovic […]
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Four MLS preseason tournaments return in 2013
[DATEBOOK] Four preseason tournaments in four states will again provide an opportunity for MLS clubs to gather and test themselves. With the start of the MLSseason on March 2, the fourth annual Disney Pro Soccer Classic at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Florida, FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup, Carolina […]
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Scandinavia, stepping stone or not?
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Scandinavia has been a popular destination for American players, dating as far back as 1990 when U.S. internationals John Doyle, Hugo Perez and Christopher Sullivan moved to Sweden. In recent years, it’sbeen considered a stepping stone for Americans seeking to move on to bigger clubs. Faeroe Islands (1) StephenBoyle (Kl, 1999) Finland (11) […]
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Big Mountains, Small World
[THE PITCH: Blog 36] We had been warned — this trip would be hard, but with a good attitude, or at least a good excuse, we sang sans inhibition as we marchedon: “Blame it on the backpack/ Blame it on the kicks/ Blame it on a lack of oxygen got ya feeling sick.” November 25. […]
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From My Dear Friend, Hindsight
[THE PITCH: BLOG 35] When it’s finally over you will discover a newfound strength in your bones. Well, actually, yourbody will seem to deteriorate through the course of a long, tough season. Hmm… Perhaps your new strength will reside in your brain. It is funny how connected the two are: body and mind. Onlyyou will […]
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Zlatan Goal Debate: Best of the Century?
“Goal of the Century” exclaimed England’s Daily Telegraph. “DID YOU SEE THAT?” came the headline from Sweden’s Dagens Nyheter. “From nowon it’s called Zlatan arenda,” wrote Expressen sports columnist Mats Olsson. By now, you’ve probably seen Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s stunning goal againstEngland on Wednesday (if not, you can view it here). One day later, newspapers across […]
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Ibrahimovic: 'It was a nice goal …'
[VIDEO PICK: Golazo] Zlatan Ibrahimovic capped one of the greatest individiual performances ever against the Englandnational team when he scored his fourth of four goals in Sweden’s 4-2 win with an incredible 30-yard overhead kick from an impossible angle, taking goalie JoeHart‘s attempted clearance out of the air and firing it into the goal in […]
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Circles
“What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? … Or does it explode?” – Langston Hughes [THE PITCH: Blog34] I really had hoped to write something insightful for my last in-season blog post. I figured that after this phenomenal experience of life and soccer abroad, I would […]