What is a cap in soccer?

September 11, 2021 By Leave a Comment

When you watch a soccer game whether it is on the Television screen, on that very slow and annoying internet stream, you might hear many soccer commentators, reporters, or even players talking about ‘caps’, ‘being capped’, ‘first cap’? You might have been puzzled about what a cap actually means.

In this post, I am going to explain what is a cap in soccer and I am going to give you some examples.

What is a cap?

What is a cap in soccer

In soccer, a cap is a word used to refer to an international appearance for their country by a soccer player. When they play their first international game, it is called their first cap or being capped for the first time. Each additional appearance adds to the number of caps a player has.

The history of the term cap

The word cap dates from the practice in the united kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match where they represented their country.

In the early days of soccer, the concept of each team a set of the same shirts and shorts was not universally adopted so each side will distinguish itself by wearing a certain type of cap.

The first player to reach 50 caps and 100 caps

 Imre Schlosser had the distinction of being the first soccer player to reach 50 caps, he did it in1916. While the first soccer player to have 100 caps was England Billy Wright, he did it in 1959.

Who is the player with ost caps in men’s soccer?

Soh Chin Ann from Malaysia is a soccer player with the most international caps in men’s football. He played 195 times for his country. 

The second place goes to Bader Al-Mutawa from Kuwait with 186 caps and the Egyptian  Ahmed Hassan comes number three with 184 caps.

Active players with the most caps are Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos, both have 180 caps at the time of writing this.

Who is the player with ost caps in women’s soccer?

While none of the men mentioned above has reached 200 caps, the story is different when it comes to women’s soccer. At the time of writing this 23 women has 200 or more caps for their countries.

Kristine Lilly is the most woman with the most caps in women’s soccer, she represented the United States Women Soccer Team (USWST) 354 times.

Carli Lloyd also from the United States comes second with 312 caps while Christie Pearce comes third with 311 caps.

The active player with the most caps in women’s soccer is also Carli Lloyd with 312 caps, her last cap was 5 August 2021. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games.

Filed Under: Soccer Knowledge

What is the role of a Goalkeeper in Soccer

June 28, 2021 By Leave a Comment

We all know that in each soccer team someone must play as a goalkeeper. Do you know what is the role of a goalkeeper in soccer? in this article I am going to discuss the role of the goalkeeper in soccer.

the role of a goalkeeper in soccer

The role of a goalkeeper in soccer

The goalkeeper is the one player that has the very difficult role that is solely dedicated to keeping the opposing team from successfully scoring any goals.

Being on guard at the goal area, the goalkeeper is allowed to use both hands and legs to stop any balls from entering the goal area and thus scoring a point for the opposing team.

Characteristics of a good goalkeeper

Ideally, goalkeepers should be well built and agile in movements. Being alert and able to read the body movements of the players is also something goalkeepers are directed to master.

Most goalkeepers stay close to the goal area and depend on the defenders to help is keeping the ball maneuvered by the opposing team from successfully reaching the scoring area.

Ideally, the more experienced the goalkeeper the better the skills portrayed, and this usually means they are older than the other members of the team.

Most goalkeepers have a set stance and body position that they adopt when focusing on stopping the ball from getting into the goal post area.

This stance would ideally be, standing with hands at the side with palms facing the anticipated direction the incoming ball is going to take.

The feet would be placed as firmly as possible without actually being wider than the width of the shoulders and finally the low positioning of the body in a semi crouched position with the center of gravity providing a stable stance and weight distribution, the goalkeeper would be ready to stop the ball from finding its target.

Some of the catches the goalkeeper should be trained in executing would be such as the diamond or W catch, the chest catch, the scoop catch, the full extension dive, the cross catch, and the high cross catch. With regular practice and experience, the talented goalkeeper would have no problems exercising a high level of competency.

Filed Under: Soccer Knowledge

Why Are Soccer Balls Black And White?

June 28, 2021 By Leave a Comment

We all like to watch a soccer game either by going to the stadium or catching it on TV, this does not matter. But what about the soccer ball? Have you ever wondered WHY are the soccer balls black and white?

The history of Soccer balls

The game of soccer or football as it is known in some parts of the world can be traced back to around 200 BC, and back then, players usually kicked around an inflated animal bladder or stomach, usually covered in leather.

Around 1844, Charles Goodyear (the investor of Goodyear tires)  started making balls from vulcanized rubber with internal, plastic bladders replacing animal organs.

Soccer ball colors at this time spanned the spectrum from light brown to dark brown; not exactly mind-blowing. Eventually, they started being dyed white.

When black and white soccer ball first used?

At this time and up until the 1970s, black and white televisions were more popular than color TVs because the color TVs we still have are still too expensive for most people. This means that most people watch football matches on a black and white screen.

Watching soccer games on black and white screens made it very difficult to track so Adidas had to come up with a new ball design which was black and white and they called it Telstar, this ball was used for the first time in the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico

Why are soccer balls black and white?

Why Are Soccer Balls Black And White?

The reason the soccer ball is black and white is to make it easier to see on a black and white television screen. The contrast between black and white makes it easy for onlookers to follow the path of the ball as it moves around the field.

Also, some people believed that black and white balls helped players to be able to track the trajectory of the ball after hitting them ( as it was easier to see how the ball was moving), this helped them to practice how to hit the balls better and this led to some players becoming very good at dead balls ( free kicks, penalties, corners, and fouls).

Modern  soccer balls

Due to the advance in technology and now everyone has color tv, soccer balls have evolved substantially from the classic black and white soccer balls of the 70s.

These days soccer balls are manufactured in a variety of intricate designs and a combination of vibrant colors.

Even with the evolution of soccer balls, brands still continue to pay homage to the icon, by applying a modern take to the classic black and white soccer ball designs of the past.

Final words

I hope this article has answered any questions you had about the reason why are soccer balls black and white. Thank you for reading.

 

Filed Under: Soccer Knowledge

France Olympic Squad Announced

June 27, 2021 By Leave a Comment

France Olympic squad for Tokyo games has been announces, and there are some big names included in the squad.

France Olympic squad

Coach Sylvain Ripoll announced his 18-man squad who will take part in the Tokyo Games and Mbappe was left out.

Included in the list, however, are the in-demand Eduardo Camavinga who is rumored to be wanted by Arsenal, Real Madrid, Manchester United, and a host of European football clubs, plus Tigres teammates Andre-Pierre Gignac and Florian Thauvin.

Another inclusion that what not expected in Arsenal teenager center back, Willian Saliba, Saliba was signed by Arsenal two years ago and yet to play an official game with the club, he was expected to be given a chance to impress in this preseason but now he is going to miss that chance.

France Olympic Squad for Tokyo Games

Goalkeepers: G. Larssonneur, P. Bernardoni.

Defenders: B. Badiashile, A. Caci, P. Kalulu, C. Michelin, W. Saliba, M. Sarr.

Midfielders: E. Camavinga, M. Caqueret, J. Ikone, T. Savanier, F. Thauvin, L. Tousart.

Forwards: Andre-Pierre Gignac, A. Gouiri, R. Kolo Muani, A. Nordin.

Filed Under: News

What Does a Yellow Card Mean in soccer?

June 23, 2021 By Leave a Comment

Ever you wonder, what does a yellow card mean in soccer? if this is you, today you’re in luck as in this article I am going to explain what does it mean and how it can affect a player who receives it.

What Does a Yellow Card Mean in soccer?

What Does a Yellow Card Mean in soccer?

Along with the red card, the yellow card is a penalty in a soccer match. The yellow card penalty is heavier than the warning and is lighter than the red card penalty.

The yellow card is valid to warn players playing on the field, the substitute player, or the player who has been substituted.

When the yellow card was invested?

The idea of the yellow card was bought by referee Ken Aston. One day Aston was driving a car and when he was at the traffic lights in London, he saw the lights change from amber to red and back to amber again.

As he sat watching the changing lights sequence, he thought: “Amber, get ready to stop”; “Red, stop!” This sparked the idea in his mind on how to communicate with soccer players on the pitch no matter what language they speak.

Ken presented his idea to FIFA (International Federation of Association Football). They approved, and after some trials, the yellow-red carding system was introduced in the 1970 World Cup Finals in Mexico.

How a Player Gets a Yellow Card

To get a yellow card during a soccer game a player has to commit an offense that is deemed deserving of receiving a caution.

When the referee judges that a player has committed an offense, they will blow their whistle to stop the game, caution the player, show them a yellow card, and then award a free kick to the opposing team.

Yellow Card For Fouls

Most yellows we see are given for fouls, often resulting from a heavy tackle. The referee has to decide if the action was reckless or simply careless. If he thinks it is reckless, then he will take out his yellow card.

  • A reckless tackle that could cause an injury.
  • Preventing a player from getting to the ball by holding or shirt-tugging.
  • Preventing an attack by handling the ball.
  • Trying to influence the referee with a feigned injury to punish an opponent.
  • The Player has unsporting behavior.
  • The player uses words or actions to protest against the referee’s decision.
  • Players constantly violate the rules
  • Players do not comply with distance rules in free-kick, penalty, or corner.
  • Leave yourself or enter the field without the referee’s consent on purpose
  • Take off the shirt to celebrate the goal
  • Take off the shirt when changing people while feet are still in the field
  • Repeatedly committing fouls or misconduct.
  • Time-wasting and delaying play.
  • Obstructing a ‘dead-ball situation, such as a free-kick.

How Long Does A Yellow Card Last In Soccer?

Once the game is over, the caution is removed from the player, and they start the next round with no yellow card to their name. However, in competitions that run over a season, yellow cards may be accrued up to a particular previously decided number, and then that player will be suspended for a game.

Do Players Get Fined For Yellow Cards?

They are not classed as fines, but they have to pay some administrative fees. In some countries, if one team gets too many yellow cards in one game (more than three), the team might be fined.

Do Yellow Cards Expire?

Depends on the competition. They expire at the end of the match but, if previously decided, may count towards a predetermined number, say five, and then lead to a one-match suspension.

How many yellow cards a soccer player can get in a game?

In any soccer game, it is entirely possible for a player to be shown not just one but two yellow cards.

Once a player has committed an offense that warrants a yellow card that same player can then go on to commit another offense that also deserves a yellow card.

If any player does get 2 yellow cards in one game they will immediately be shown a red card which means they must leave the field of play straight away and will be suspended for at least one game.

Can You Be Suspended For A Yellow Card?

Not as a rule for one yellow card but possibly for an accumulation of cards over several matches.

Although you will most commonly see players on the field is shown a yellow card, the referee isn’t restricted to only showing the card to them.

Any team official, including managers and coaches, can receive a yellow card for committing an offense during a soccer game.

And if an offense is committed and it’s not clear to the referee who the offender was then the referee is permitted to caution the most senior member of the coaching staff present.

Filed Under: Soccer Knowledge

What is a red card in soccer?

June 23, 2021 By Leave a Comment

Ever you wonder, What is a red card in soccer?? if this is you, today you’re in luck as in this article I am going to explain what does it mean and how it can affect a player who receives it.

What is a red card in soccer?

What is a red card in soccer?

A player who is given a red card is instantly sent off of the field and is forbidden to play for the remainder of the match. They are also handed a suspension starting from the next game.

This leaves the team in a vulnerable position as they are left with 10 men on the pitch, giving the opposite side the advantage.

Why yellow and red cards are used in a soccer game?

Yellow and red cards are used as a means to discipline players for misconduct during the game. A yellow card is used to caution players, while a red card results in the player’s dismissal from the field of play. Thus, yellow cards are used to punish milder forms of misconduct than red cards.

When the yellow card was invested?

The idea of the yellow card was bought by referee Ken Aston. One day Aston was driving a car and when he was at the traffic lights in London, he saw the lights change from amber to red and back to amber again.

As he sat watching the changing lights sequence, he thought: “Amber, get ready to stop”; “Red, stop!” This sparked the idea in his mind on how to communicate with soccer players on the pitch no matter what language they speak.

Ken presented his idea to FIFA (International Federation of Association Football). They approved, and after some trials, the yellow-red carding system was introduced in the 1970 World Cup Finals in Mexico.

How a Player Gets a Red Card?

A player will receive a red card if they:

  • are guilty of serious foul play
  • are guilty of violent conduct
  • spits on a person
  • deny the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball
  • deny an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offense punishable by a free kick or penalty kick
  • use offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures
  • receive a second yellow card in the same match.

What Happens If a Player Gets a Red Card?

If a soccer player gets a red card during a game then they are required to immediately leave the soccer field. The player can then no longer take any part in the game and the team cannot bring on any other player to replace this player.

How Many Players Can Be Sent off in One Game of Soccer?

A maximum of 4 players from one team can be sent off in a single game of soccer. If after this a 5th player on the same team is shown a red card the referee will end the game immediately and the team who had 5 players shown a red card will forfeit the game.

What happens if a goalkeeper gets a red card?

If a goalkeeper receives a red card, the same thing happens to any other on the pitch – they get dismissed.

The team is then reduced to 10 players and must call on the substitute goalkeeper to replace the dismissed one and change their formation.

If, in the event that a team has used all three of their substitutes by the time that their goalkeeper has been sent off, the manager will have to select one of the outfield players to be the makeshift goalkeeper.

Filed Under: Soccer Knowledge

What Does FC Stand For in Soccer?

June 22, 2021 By Leave a Comment

In soccer, “FC” stands for “Football Club.” Since professional soccer is a relatively new sport in the United States, many Americans ask, “What does FC stand for in soccer?”  In this post, I am going to answer that question and give you some examples.

What Does FC Stand For in Soccer?

So what’s the FC thing all about?

Outside of the US & parts of Canada, Soccer is called Football. FC is the abbreviation for Football Club.

As in my favorite team and the English Premier League Invincible … Arsenal FC or Arsenal Football Club. Some people call it AFC or just Arsenal.

The origin of FC

The use of “FC” as an abbreviation for “Football Club” has its origin in England, in late 1880 many groups of workers in big corporations started to form groups of people who wanted to play soccer as a recreation activity after heavy work, these people named themselves depending on their location, for example, Liverpool FC, was a group of people from Liverpool who wanted to play soccer.

Even these Football clubs grew and became worldwide recognized brands, they decided to keep their original names as honor and acknowledgment to the founders of these teams.

FC in Spanish speaking countries

Teams from Spanish-speaking countries also followed this way of naming their soccer teams, the greatest example is FC Barcelona. Also, you can find teams like Club de Futbol America ( or America) and Club de Futbol Monterrey all from Mexico.

FC is MLS

Even in the United States where the word soccer is more used than football, there are some teams that have FC in their names, for example, Atlanta United FC and Chicago Fire FC, have FC as part of their names.

That is it if you were asking yourself What does FC stand for in soccer? now you know the answer, it stands for Football Club.

Thank you for reading.

Filed Under: My Opinion

Soccer Shooting Skills You Should Master

June 19, 2021 By Leave a Comment

Every player should be trained to be able to master making good soccer shooting skills. This is important to ensure the complete game overall knowledge and skill so that any player can and should be able to capitalize on goal scoring whenever the opportunity arises.

This would be better than passing the ball to another player to score the goal.

soccer shooting skills you should master

The following are some tips on how to capitalize on shooting skills that should be mastered in the quest to ensure all players are well equipped to score goals:

Being quick enough to take a good look at the goal and the keeper’s position and stance will allow the player to make the split-second decision, on how to position the kick towards the goal. This calculation should be done with precision and swiftness and can only be mastered with a lot of practice.

Making a shot as quickly as possible is also another action that should be mastered in the quest to capitalize on goal-scoring opportunities. Being able to execute this in one quick motion will prevent the goalkeeper from reading into the motion to be used, thus being able to counter it successfully.

The player should also master the skill of taking a shot confidently as any hesitation will jeopardize the percentage of a successfully scored goal. Being confident will contribute to the mental and physical advantage of accuracy which will enhance the chance of a successful shot.

Learning how to make an accurate shot through the middle or top half of the ball is also something that should be mastered with speed and power. This will help the travel time of the ball to be faster, thus finding its target without conceding control of the ball to the opponent.

So those are the soccer shooting skills that you need to learn, thank you for reading.

Filed Under: Soccer Skills

Copa America 2021-All You Need To Know

June 1, 2021 By Leave a Comment
This summer will we be able to watch a lot of soccer, we have the Euro 2020, the Olympics soccer tournament, and the Copa America 2021. So let take a look at Copa America 2021.
Copa America 2021-All You Need To Know

Where Copa America 2021 will be played?

In the last week, we have seen three changes, originally it was planned that Colombia would host the tournament, but due to political instability in the country it was moved to Argentina, but the coronavirus situation is getting worse, so it was decided that Brazil will host it. 

So the short answer is Brazil will host the Copa America 2021.

How the change of the host was received in South America?

The news was received with mixed emotions, but most of the fans are against the decision, first because it is believed that the coronavirus situation in Brazil is worse than in Argentina so it will be difficult to travel there.

Some fans think that this is a move that will benefit Brazil and there is a conspiracy theory that the CONMEBOL is actually helping Brazil.

Inside Brazil also there are some fans and journalists that oppose the idea, they think the country should be focused on buying Covid-9 vaccines and not using taxpayer’s money to invest in football, it is chaotic right now.

How many teams in Copa America 2021?

10 teams will be competing for Copa America. Brazil will be joined by the national sides of Argentine and Colombia despite their respective nations being unable to stage fixtures. Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

They are divided into two groups.

group AGroup B

Is Mexico playing in Copa America 2021?

No, Mexico is not going to participate in this year’s tournament. Mexico has been the most regular invitee, competing in ten consecutive Copas from 1993 to 2016. However, they did not play in the 2019 edition and are not scheduled to play in 2021.

When the Tournament will start?

Conmebol announced that the Copa America 2021 will be played on the stipulated dates. Thus, the opening match will be on June 13 and the final on July 10.

That is what I know about Copa America so far, there are rumors that they might change the hosting nation again, some people even suggesting that the USA could host the tournament, personally, I do not think that will be possible due to the time left between now and the start of the tournament.

Also, there is a chance that CONMEBOL could cancel the tournament, I do not think they will do that, this is because they used a lot of money, and canceling it at this stage will hurt them financially, so unless it is impossible to play, they will not cancel.

Filed Under: News

All You Need To Know About Men’s Olympic Soccer Tournament

May 31, 2021 By Leave a Comment

After being suspended for one year due to the pandemic outbreak, Olympics games are back and in this post,  I am going to share with you some information about Men’s Olympic soccer tournament.

All You Need To Know About Men's Olympic Soccer Tournament

Why do we like this competition?

Most of the players who participate in this competition are under 23 years, this is the tournament to watch if you want to see who will become the future superstars, most of the superstars we like to watch played in this competition when they were young, Neymar, Leo Messi, Brazilian Ronaldo to name few of them.

Where men’s Olympic football tournament will be held?

The men’s Olympic football tournament will be played in Tokyo, Japan from 22 July to 7 August 2021 across six Japanese cities.

How many teams go to the Olympics for soccer?

16 teams from all the continents go to the Olympics for soccer, they will be divided into groups of 4 for the qualifying round.

What teams will be participating in the tournament?

Africa
  1. Côte d’Ivoire
  2. Egypt
  3. South Africa

Asia

  1. Australia
  2. Japan
  3. Korea Republic
  4. Saudi Arabia

Europe

  1. France
  2. Germany
  3. Romania
  4. Spain

North, Central America, and Caribean 

  1. Honduras
  2. Mexico

Oceania

  1. New Zealand

South America

  1. Argentina
  2. Brazil

Men’s Olympic Football Tournament full draw

Group A: Japan, South Africa, Mexico, France.

Group B: New Zealand, Korea Republic, Honduras, Romania.

Group C: Egypt, Spain, Argentina, Australia.

Group D: Brazil, Germany, Côte d’Ivoire, Saudi Arabia.

Did US men’s soccer qualify for the 2020 Olympics?

The United States men’s national team failed to qualify for the Olympic tournament for the third straight Games after losing in the CONCACAF semifinals to Honduras.

When does the tournament begin?

The men’s Olympic soccer tournament of the Tokyo 2020 Games will take place from 22 July to 7 August 2021 across six Japanese cities.

Always among the most popular of the team competitions in the Summer Games, the men’s soccer tournament is made up of youth teams – with each participating country allowed to supplement their squad with three overage players.

That is all I have about the men’s Olympics soccer tournament 2020, what team do you think will win this tournament? let me know in the comment section below.

Filed Under: News