Gather around folks for another post on the benefits of soccer. The latest study took place in Denmark.

Scientists have concluded that Adults who regularly kick around a soccer ball with friends have better heart and bone health.

The life of a soccer mom is hardly glamorous and usually involves carpooling kids to games and supervising them. But here’s some good news for all the soccer mums around the world.

Hot of the press, women who join in the fun and kick around a soccer ball can dramatically improve their bone and heart health.

The study involved 70 women of different ages (20-47) who had never played the game of soccer before. The women were split into 3 groups, a running group, a soccer group and a control group or placebo for all you wanna be scientists.

The case study lasted for 14 weeks and involved an hour a day for just 2 days a week.

The results clearly showed that the active groups of running and soccer improved their health, balance and muscle groups in comparison to the control group. What surprised the Danish researches was that the soccer group outperformed the running groups in all health indicators.

Most would argue that running is a great aerobic workout. The running group showed a cardiovascular improvement of 10% against the control group. Not bad for 14 weeks don’t you think? Even more surprising was the soccer group that increased their health indicators by a whopping 18%.

Playing soccer also improved balance and muscle strength but had a significant effect on the woman’s bone mineral density by an average of 2-3%. According to the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, (I know, I have too much time on my hands) women after the age of 40 lose bone mass at the rate of about 0.5 to 1% per year. Simply kicking a soccer ball around is the equivalent to reversing 3-6 years of bone aging.

Don’t just take my word for it, Peter Krustrup, associate professor of exercise physiology at the University of Copenhagen said,

“We analyzed the activity patterns during soccer, and we observed multiple sprints, turns, tackles, headers and shots on goals. Soccer gave women a more diverse workout than running. The varied activity patterns were more stimulating to the bones than simply jogging or running at a steady pace.”

I know what you’re thinking. What about injuries and broken bones?

“When you play soccer in the park or among friends, the injury risk is much much lower than if you play competitive games with local rivals from another club.” Dr Krustnup said.

So next time you want to exercise, forget about jogging or the gym and grab yourself a soccer ball. The value of recreational soccer is enormous, so what are you waiting for?

“May the winds of destiny blow you to the stars.”

Fabio Capello has done a fantastic job as England coach and has shown his class with several, lets say, unconventional situations. England was one of the first countries to qualify for the World Cup and look destined for a deep run in the tournament.

Capello has done a great job preparing the squad and players like Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard are ready to take on the world.

So why does Fabio “Discipline” Capello look worried?

For those that have been living under a rock fasten your seat belts.

Ashley Cole has separated from his wife Cheryl Cole after X-rated photos of him surfaced in the hands of adoring, big-breasted models. Cheryl has been living in a London hotel and the couple are definitely facing troubled times. Nothing like a woman scorned just before a major tournament.

To add to Capello’s pain, Ashley Cole regarded by most as the best left back the country has to offer broke his foot against Everton. While in hospital, he admitted to taking the photos with his mobile phone.

This is the second time Ashley has been caught fooling around. In January 2008 hairdresser Aimee Walton claimed she had engaged in some drunken fun with him.

With all this going on, Capello better find a replacement for Ashley in case things go pear shaped.

Hang on a minute!

I know what you’re thinking. Wayne Bridge is the number 2 left back for England.

Oh dear.

Preparation for the World Cup is crucial with fitness, strength and organization being the key. Wayne Bridge publicly refused to shake john terry’s hand before their clash and has claimed that he will not go to South Africa with the England squad.

So what has Wayne been up to?

The Manchester winger has been drowning his sorrows with beer and ciggies in Miami of all places with a flock of women. Looks like his recovering and might have a change of heart.

John Terry continues to receive abuse from the England faithful and the jitters and boos continue to haunt him. Surely this will affect his form leading to South Africa. Carlos Tevez also added salt to the wounds by claiming Johnny would have been killed in Argentina for his sins. Sounds a little dramatic but no one needs reminding of the Andres Escobar shooting in Medellin.

In a nutshell, Capello has stripped Terry of his captaincy and has no proven left back at International level. The majority of the fans want to kill Johnny and Wayne Bridge is partying in Miami.

What else could possibly go wrong?

Well, according to EuroSports and the beauty of Sky television, the Football Association has released a statement claiming that the England team was secretly recorded before the Egypt game.

The recordings range from player conversations to tactical discussions of the coaching staff. Good times.

On a positive note (sarcasm), England has two more matches before travelling to South Africa for the biggest prize football has to offer.

Can Capello hold the England team together?

The England squad will be named on May 16 and his final 23 will be unveiled June 1.

For the recorded discussions go to

www.england-has-no-chance-of-winning-the-world-cup.com (giggle)

You pressed the link didn’t you?

“May the winds of destiny blow you to the stars.”

If you listen to the rumours and the bloggers from Nigeria, don’t worry; I do not need your banking details to put millions in your bank account for a small fee, giggle, believe something fishy is happening to Nigerian Soccer.

If you had the pleasure of watching some of the African Cup, you couldn’t help but notice that Nigeria, the once power house of African Football looked slow, timid and to be honest, they looked old.

So what could be the problem?

Nigeria was labelled the sleeping giant and the next powerhouse of Soccer. Strong showings in the Olympics and the youth World Cups suggested that the Nigerians were ready for world dominations with big scalps, which included both Brazil and Argentina.

Soccer great Pele declared that Nigeria would easily win the World Cup before the turn of the century after electrifying performances in the U-17 and U-20 age groups.

So what are the whispers that have escaped Angola?

Nigerians have a bad reputation in the Internet world and are the proud owners of some of the biggest scams. But here’s something new. The whispers that have grown to international angst claim that the Nigerian players have falsified their age with fraudulent passports.

Don’t believe me?

The President of a leading Nigerian club was quoted,

“What happened in Angola is a confirmation of what has been happening in the past where most of our players falsified their age during competition. Most of the players are beyond the age they professed and this made it impossible for them to withstand the pace of teams like Zambia and Benin.”

A former national doctor Ken Anugweje said,

“Our boys are old, we are paying the price for age cheating.”

This is hilarious and very amusing. This could be the second biggest scam in the sporting world. I know what you’re thinking, second? The cake definitely has to go to the Spanish basketball team that won Gold at the Paralympics. The only problem was that the players were neither physically or mentally handicapped.

This scam was around 20 years ago when Nigeria got banned from internationals for a period of 2 years. FIFA banned Nigeria back in the 1988 Olympics for presenting falsified passports. Makes sense looking back at some of the results at youth level. Even Brazil looked second rate compared to the Nigerians.

The plot thickens even further. With the World Cup just months away, the Nigerian Federation has decided to sack their coach and discard 15 players from the squad. Mmm, a little suspicious don’t you think?

The immigration department of Nigeria can change your name, place of birth, and date of birth for around 7,000-10,000 naira. Naira is Nigerian currency and is the equivalent to $46.53 US or the hefty price of $51.79 AU.

So for $50, you can have a new passport and they will throw in a new identity and if you’re a footballer, they will dip you in the fountain of youth.

An American journalist quizzed a Nigerian player and nearly fell off his sit by the reply. The Nigerian said his real age was 34 but his Football age was 21.

If you follow the Premier league chances are you remember Jay Jay Okocha who finished his career with Bolton. How old do you think Jay Jay was when he retired? Speculation has him at the age of 42. What about Obafemi Martins who was picked up by Inter Milan as a 14 year old and played his first senior game when he was 16. His passport declares that today he is 25, but Newcastle believe its 34.

For all you American soccer fans think about this for a moment. Does the name Fredua Koranteng “Freddy” ring a bell? He was the youngest player to sign a professional contract for DC United in the 2004 Draft at the age of 14. Sorry but I don’t believe it.

Nike proudly sponsored Freddy and America fell in love with him.

Where is he now?

Freddy now plays for Aris Thessaloniki in the Greek Super League and I use the words Super League loosely. After cracking the MLS at the tender age of 14, he now plays with all the other pensioners in the Greek Divisions. Players go to Greece to prolong their careers, as they can no longer get a game in the big leagues. Freddy at the old age of 20 is playing in Greece and will inevitably fit right in, if you know what I mean.

“May the winds of destiny blow you to the stars.”

I’ll give you some clues.

The royal tyrant is the bearer of the supreme power, which he uses according to the evil maxims against his country, against law and order, against life, security, justice, morality and internal peace. For those that are guessing it’s not the Prime minister.

The radically evil is pestilence himself and is infectious and attracts other kinds of evil.

At the end of the day, radical evil must be dethroned. It can only be dethroned by civil war, but a kind of civil war that will become also a kind of purgatory. That is, if evil reigns, good must rally against evil.

How can radical evil acquire the position of supreme power? Well, it doesn’t acquire it, but takes it at all costs. There is no single recipe or blueprint. He becomes a tyrant when he begins to smell resistance. Is the Australian tyrant smelling resistance? Will the tyrant be dethroned through civil war?

If you’ve read this far, thank you. Believe it or not I do have a point.

The Australian tyrant I talk of is AFL, better known to Australians as Aussie Rules. The leader or dictator is Andrew Demetriou.

To all those who have opposed Soccer in Australia for decades I have something for you.

“Say hello to my little friend”

One word for the haters, Socceroos. With the valiant showing in the last World Cup and with one foot planted firmly in South Africa, the tyrant once again has surfaced his ugly head.

The AFL needs to have a hard look at itself. Lets rewind the clock a bit. The A League Grand final was schedule on the same day Collingwood was due to play Richmond. Andrew Demetriou insisted that the AFL was going to play at the Telstra dome. Hahahahahahah. What is the attraction Demetiou? The NAB cup? Please go away. Hang on a minute I nearly forgot, Ben Cousins returning to football. Demetriou we are talking about the A League Grand Final. Why would you ever think you could override this? Although you still flexed your muscles, the decision went to Soccer Australia and rightly so. Is the tyrant ready to be dethroned?

Lets recap some past headlines shall we,

“Has the King of the Codes been dethroned?”

“Against monumental odds and an apparently invincible foe, Soccer Australia has defeated AFL”

“Soccer beats AFL to Gold Coast Club”

“AFL has hissy fit over use of grounds”

“New arena specifically designed for Soccer”

Let’s talk about the last headline for a minute. Anyone remember it? The Government and the sporting governing body decided to allocate some funds to the greatest sport in the world. Everyone was happy and Melbourne Victory was given a new hunting ground. But there was a catch! The stadiums capacity would only be 10,000. Why? AFL decided to add fuel to the fire arguing that we didn’t need another sporting arena in Melbourne. Melbourne Victory declined the offer and rightly so. Is good rallying against evil? Is the underdog rising to the occasion? David and Goliath anyone?

Demetriou and all Soccer haters in Australia, why are you digging your heels in over seemingly trivial issues? I’ll tell you why! The AFL has identified a threat. A growing threat that if left alone will surely dethrone the tyrant and knock AFL of the top of the sporting pile.

Go to the local primary schools and you will see kids wearing Manchester united and Liverpool tops. The country has decided and it’s Soccer. If I really want to push the envelope it’s Football. When people refer to football the chances are they’re talking about Soccer not AFL Demetriou. If it’s not Soccer than I’ll bet money its American Football.

Okay let me cool down for a minute. I accept everyone has their own sporting preferences. But all I ask of Demetriou and the Australian media is this,

Keep your hands of the World Game! Why have we got Aussie Rules reporters posting articles when Soccer has turned ugly. When soccer has been tainted with Hooligans or ethnic violence. Why are you reporting this? Are you trying to manipulate the public?

This is a quote from a trusted journalist from the big papers,

Soccer is a sport for stupid, violent peasants, and terrance violence is a soccer thing, not seen in Australia or AFL.

“Soccer is un-Australian”, is a cliche that has been thrown around for years. If you don’t believe my comparison of AFL/Demetriou to the tyrant open up the back pages of any newspaper. The chances are you will read about Buddy Franklin falling out of his bed or Gary Ablett hurting his finger while the biggest competition in the world is being played, the Champions League.

Let’s not forget the World Cup. Where the Socceroos defied all odds and battled like true Australians with  Aussie Spirit to eclipse some of the biggest soccer nations in the world. The Herald Sun still managed to print 10 pages of AFL to every page of Soccer. Give me a F%$#ing break.

At the end of the day, Soccer, not the supporters or players, deserves the respect of the Australian media. If you can’t, hands off. Don’t only cover and report the negatives. The positives, the passion, the atmosphere surely outweigh the negatives. Demetriou have you ever stopped and wondered why Soccer is played all over the world? Why soccer players earn on average $100,00 per game and the total AFL salary cap couldn’t pay Christiano Ronaldos wages.

Stop and think for a while, it’s not hard. Have you ever questioned why kids are turning to Soccer? Can you feel the resistance that will inevitably dethrone you in the coming years.

Civil war or should I say battle of the codes is alive and well. Personally I can’t wait till soccer reverts back to a Winter sport here in Australia so it can compete directly with the AFL. What then Demetriou? Your reign is coming to an end and there will be many soccer supporters celebrating while simultaneously chanting S S SSS SSSS Soccer.

To finish up I’ll leave you with this,

Many believe that soccer has achieved popularity because it is very easy to play. It’s also a team sport and the rules are very basic for everyone to learn. Soccer can be played by anybody and can virtually be played anywhere. From the Colleges and high priced Academies to the streets and slums of Brazil. Soccer does not distinguish between the rich and the poor and is freely available to everyone. The Simplicity and the Beauty of the game attracts an incredible number of supporters and spectators as well.

The simplistic nature of the game has gradually helped soccer to become such a popular sport to the point that it is now a mass phenomenon. Soccer has grown to the point that the soccer phenomenon is and always will be a social and economic event. The soccer phenomenon has now become a form of religion in our modern culture. The stadiums representing the temples and churches, players as its clergymen while supporters are its followers. The game itself is the ritual, a ceremony that takes place once a week as if you would attend a church service. The service or the game is carefully prepared during the week through discussions and the reading of the Holy Script that are sports journals and newspapers. Most may not approve that soccer is compared to religion, but soccer was and is still so popular in our society because it is able to attract the interest of millions of people, while also gratifying some of their needs.

Soccer which is a mass phenomenon is seriously ill today, suffering from a disease called violence and to a lesser extent racism. This is a very serious problem which left unattended will result in the destruction of the world game. This disease if left alone will result in a large number of potential players or even spectators to lose interest in the beautiful game. How many games today are forced to play in front of empty stadiums? In the last few years we have seen an increasing amount of games played behind closed doors because of the fear of violence and hooliganism. Why does this fear and violence exist?

Lets try and think outside the box for a moment. Soccer unconsciously symbolises hunting where both teams play the role of the hunter and the prey. The preys weakness is the goal and the ball can resemble a weapon such as an arrow or a bullet. Once your weapon penetrates your preys goal, this signifies a kill or a victory. So how does this effect the supporters? The supporter, who cannot take part in the game or the hunting, identifies himself with one of the teams and therefore transfers their behaviours directly on himself. By watching the game and supporting his team, he manages to relieve part of his tension and discharge aggressiveness through the movements, action and behaviours of his favourite players on the field.

Consequently, soccer helps to release, through emotional participation, those aggressive elements which would be discharged in other situations of everyday life. Soccer has built its fortune on these emotional and passionate psychological mechanisms. But modern soccer must address this mechanism and deal with the resultant violence that is produced. Violence has reached worrying levels in the last few years. Serie A at the moment is plagued by violence and hooliganism. Last year alone over 8 games were stopped and replayed behind closed doors. So what has happened to our beautiful game?

Before we point the finger at anyone, lets investigate the supporter/s. The word supporter identifies a person who regularly follows a team or an athlete. In a perfect world, the “perfect supporter” would

• applaud with the same enthusiasm both the winner and the loser.
• avoid any prejudice towards particular clubs, countries or races.
• respect the decision of the referee.
• react the same in victory and in defeat.
• and always maintain respect and correct behaviour, both inside and outside of the stadium.

Does this perfect world exist with its own perfect supporters?

When I was growing up watching soccer, violence was not a major issue. In the past, little violence developed in the stadiums. These violent behaviours were generally limited to quarrels and swearing which suddenly stopped once the game was finished. In today’s modern game, the reality of violence has changed. Violence is increasingly spreading out everywhere to the point that stadiums and the surrounding areas have been transformed into battlefields.

Why has the game the world loves turned into a battlefield? For starters the game of soccer has not changed much. The rules are basically the same and the objectives of the game are still the same. So what has changed? The spectator has changed and his mental attitude and approach has changed dramatically.

The supproter feels that he is personally involved in the soccer match he is watching. His team becomes a personal and private affair, which becomes an extension of his own personality. So when his team wins it inevitably becomes his own personal victory. The most passionate supporters are those who are unable to put a limit betwen themselves and their team. You might ask whats wrong with this? The truth is, whatever interferes with the performance of their team and hinders its success becomes a potential personal enemy. Both the referee and the opposing supporters are seen as enemies.

Today, it will be safe to assume that the match is played in the terraces before it is ever played on the field. We, the public and the media unconsciously satisfy the needs of these social misfits who search for a role in our society through violent behaviours. Sport, in this case soccer was originally concieved as a leisure activity and not as a social activity. Sport has has always been considered as a means and never as an end.

Violence in sports is nothnig new. What is alarming is the increasing magnitude of the violence that surrounds the game today. Similar situations also existed in the past as the Romans could relieve their tensions watching tough fights between gladiators. The most important thing to take away from this post is, that soccer is just a game and the opponents should not be seen as enemies. At the end of the day, they are human beings with loving families waiting for them at home. Would your family miss you if you didn’t come home from a soccer match?