Paul Okon was one of the most gifted players to wear the Australian green-and-gold colors, even though he lacks the profile of today’s current crop of superstars. In the early 1990s, he was the first Australian captain to play regularly in Serie A, pioneering a rarely-trodden frontier for Australian players. During his club career, Paul … Read more
Djalma Santos is regarded by many as the best right-back ever in the history of soccer. He was a FIFA World Cup winner with Brazil in Sweden in 1958 and Chile in 1962. Twice a Rio-Sao Paulo Tournament winner with Portuguesa, Djalma Santos, would later shine in the great Palmeiras side of the 1960s. This … Read more
Pelé is widely recognized as the greatest soccer player the world has ever seen, yet he played in just a handful of games in England and never at the country’s home of football, Wembley Stadium. A total of six club games for Santos and two internationals for Brazil represents his English experience. Except for an … Read more
Craig Johnston deserves a special place in the history of world soccer. He was born to Australian parents, on 25 June 1960, in Johannesburg (South Africa). However, his parents soon moved back to Australia, and this is where Johnston spent his childhood. When he was six years old, Johnston suffered from osteomyelitis. He was close … Read more
Cristian Benitez was one of Ecuador’s leading players at 27 years old when he passed away in Qatar in 2013 from a cardiorespiratory arrest while playing club soccer for El Jaish SC. The gifted frontman, popularly known as Chucho, died after his first game for Qatari club El-Jaish SC, having just finished top scorer as … Read more
The trajectory of a young player’s career is often a result of potential and determination, and sometimes it is at the mercy of pure luck. For example, when Cristiano Ronaldo was part of Sporting’s youth system, it was evident that he had talent. Still, nobody, not even his coach, could have foreseen him developing into … Read more
In 1977, Yasuhiko Okudera made history when he signed for Cologne, thus becoming the first Japanese player to play professionally in Europe when the game was still amateur in Japan. We examine the soccer career of the first Asian to score in the European Cup, as well as his transition to life in Germany and … Read more
Let’s admit it. It takes a special kind of mentality like Pierluigi Collina to referee football at the highest level. Enforcing the soccer laws of the game and managing players’ tempers while keeping up with play for 90 nonstop minutes is an unenviable task. On the sidelines, soccer referees deal with harassment from rabid supporters … Read more
In 1978, the Football League lifted a 47-year ban on signing foreign players, and an influx of new talent flooded England’s shores. At the forefront of this revolution was Osvaldo Ardiles. He became to be known as ‘Ossie.’ Osvaldo Ardiles Is A Roaring Success In July of 1978, Tottenham Hotspur announced the signing of Argentine … Read more
One can only truly appreciate art once it’s been finished, but as Andrés Iniesta applies the final touches to his magnificent body of work, let’s take a moment to acknowledge the man behind the craft. A Generational Talent Andrés Iniesta is often portrayed as an undersized, elegant playmaker with an unrivaled passing range. While that … Read more