soccer posts
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (1 month ago)
May 15th, 2013 at 9:00AM: It sounded like one of those crazy ideas that should have led to fun and adventure and ended in triumph. Instead it ended in tragedy.
Richard Swanson, pictured here, of Seattle, decided to raise money for charity by dribbling a soccer ball 10,000 miles to Brazil in time for the 2014 World Cup. Sadly, The Guardian reports that he only made it as far as Oregon. While walking down US Highway 101 ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (4 months ago)
Jan 20th, 2013 at 11:00AM: One of the byproducts of travel is that you become more aware of events that don't get much coverage back home. The sports pages here in Spain, for example, aren't exactly full of stories about the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.
This continent-wide football championship, starting today in South Africa, is sure to be watched by millions of Africans. I'm especially curious as to the public ...
by Anna Brones (RSS feed) (5 months ago)
Jan 18th, 2013 at 2:00PM:
A new year isn't just the time to look ahead, it's also the time to look back and commemorate. 2013 marks plenty of centennials, from the birth of civil rights activists to metro lines. Here is your chance to not only explore new destinations, but also learn a little bit about the past with a list of places that all have something worth celebrating this year.
If you're looking to help ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (7 months ago)
Nov 13th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
All I wanted was to buy an Iraq National Football Team uniform for my son, a perfectly normal thing for a father to do on his first day in Baghdad. The problem is, doing something normal in Baghdad can land you in serious trouble.
We were in one of the city's many souks, those famous Middle Eastern markets where you can buy just about anything. There were shops for metalwork, books, hardware, ...
by Dave Seminara (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
Jun 17th, 2012 at 11:00AM: There's nothing like being in a soccer-mad country when the national side scores a big win in an important tournament like the World Cup, The European Championships or the African Cup of Nations. On Saturday night, Greece shocked Russia, 1-0, to send the Russians home and advance to the quarterfinal round of this year's Euro 2012 soccer tournament, and I was in Naxos, a Greek island in the ...
by Dave Seminara (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
May 9th, 2012 at 10:00AM: I'd just been hit with a plastic bottle of water square on the back, but I was pretty sure it was nothing personal. But moments later, when I was pelted again, I started to wonder. Another minute passed and two thugs with tattoos on their thick necks ended the suspense with a blunt, intimidating message.
Thug number one barked at me in Italian and when I protested that I didn't understand, his ...
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
Apr 21st, 2012 at 2:00PM:
While most people believe soccer to be Argentina's national pastime, I was surprised to learn from a local that it's actually something with very unsavory beginnings. Pato, or duck, is a game that combines polo and basketball, and is the national sport of Argentina. To play, two teams of four on horseback fight for possession of a ball that is equipped with six leather handles. The object of ...
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
Apr 12th, 2012 at 4:30PM: Excited for the upcoming Olympics? While you may have a favorite athlete in mind or a specific team you're rooting for, there is actually a lot more that goes into preparing for the Olympic Games than working out and training. To give you a better idea, here are 20 things you probably didn't know about the upcoming Olympic games:
There will be 26 featured sports from 39 disciplines
The ...
by Jeremy Kressmann (RSS feed) (2 years ago)
May 8th, 2011 at 10:00PM:
Though many American sports fans are currently preoccupied with the NBA and Stanley Cup Playoffs, there's a different sort of post-season sports fever going on right now in Europe: the UEFA Champions League. The annual event, which pits the top soccer clubs from across Europe against one another, is among the most-watched sporting events in the world. This past week, two of Spain's top teams, ...
by Stephen Greenwood (RSS feed) (2 years ago)
Dec 4th, 2010 at 9:00AM:
On Thursday, FIFA announced that Qatar defeated South Korea, Japan, Australia and the United States in the race to host the 2022 World Cup. This historic decision marks the first time a Middle Eastern country will welcome a major sporting event.
FIFA's choice has brought a significant backlash in the American media, with critics claiming that the summer heat (as high as 120 degrees ...
by Mike Barish (RSS feed) (2 years ago)
Sep 13th, 2010 at 6:30PM:
Perhaps the first travel book that kids read is Where's Waldo? The striped explorer travels around the globe in search of...well...nonsense, really. He encounters scenes that go beyond the imaginations of children the world over and, hopefully, inspires them to seek out their own adventures when they get older (whether he inspires them to get Lasik is up for debate).
It's hard to go on the ...
by Stephen Greenwood (RSS feed) (2 years ago)
Aug 9th, 2010 at 10:00AM:
GadlingTV's Travel Talk, episode 26 – Click above to watch video after the jump
Are you ready for some (ahem) football? In part two of travel photographer Austin Mann's trip to the 2010 World Cup, we bring you a look at the intensity and passion of the world's biggest sporting event.
Watch as Austin navigates his way through the games and experiences how far people will go to show ...
by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (2 years ago)
Jul 30th, 2010 at 3:00PM:
The North Korean World Cup soccer team never had a chance in South Africa, but that didn't make the trip home any easier. At the beginning of July, they faced a "grand debate" because they let down the regime in the "ideological struggle" to put the ball into the net a lot during the tournament. More than 400 government officials, students and journalists watched the spectacle, though I have ...
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (3 years ago)
Jun 14th, 2010 at 8:00AM: While the World Cup is currently taking center stage in South Africa, the country has plenty of other things to offer travelers who venture away from the stadiums to take in some of the amazing culture and adventure there. Here are five other suggestions for things to do while your favorite team isn't taking the pitch.
Go on Safari
If you're going to visit Africa, you simply have to go on ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (3 years ago)
May 24th, 2010 at 12:00PM: With the World Cup barely two weeks away, Johannesburg has shifted into high gear to get ready.
The city's 2010 FIFA World Cup page proudly proclaims that a huge amount of effort and money has been spent on cleaning up the city and improving infrastructure. It has spent 1.2 billion rand ($151 million) to revamp Soccer City, a giant stadium where the opening ceremony and final game will be held. ...
by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (3 years ago)
Mar 19th, 2010 at 4:00PM:
True fanaticism isn't cheap. Cars, cigars and treats from bars – you can spend an absolute fortune satisfying your itch for a particular vice. Though the fans are few but fierce in the United States, soccer draws addicts around the world, and the upcoming World Cup in South Africa is sure to attract a committed crowd. If you want to put yourself in the middle of the action, don't settle ...
by Katherine Leitzell (RSS feed) (3 years ago)
Mar 5th, 2010 at 11:00AM: When you travel abroad, it can be hard to meet locals, especially if you don't know the language. But if you play a sport -- soccer, swimming, football, even ultimate frisbee -- then you have a head start.
Before you go, search the internet for a tournament or scheduled practice. Chances are you'll find a welcoming crowd, whether you're traveling to Bogata, Prague, or Morocco. Join a friendly ...
by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (3 years ago)
Jan 12th, 2010 at 1:30PM: Every soccer football soccer fan in the world knows what's going to happen in June. The World Cup is coming to South Africa. The die-hards will find their way to the festivities, with many leaving the ladies behind. If you're among the world's World Cup Widows, should you be stuck at home? Hell no! Get your own trip off the ground, and put yourself as far away from anything World Cup-related as ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (3 years ago)
Dec 30th, 2009 at 1:00PM: The annual Chitwan Elephant Festival in Nepal always brings large crowds to honor South Asia's favorite animal. This year, as this funny video shows, visitors were treated to a football match between two teams of elephants. That's football in the Nepali sense, meaning soccer, not American football. Thankfully the elephants weren't tackling each other. The festival has been going on for six years ...
by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (3 years ago)
Dec 14th, 2009 at 2:00PM:
Fewer than 1,500 Americans have been to North Korea on vacation, according to Koryo Tours, making it one of the truly remote destinations in a world that's becoming increasingly interconnected. So, if you're looking for an unusual stamp in your passport or bragging rights when the conversation turns to "most unusual destination," a trip above the DMZ remains one of the top alternatives.
If you ...
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