This is the 16th in a weekly series of World Cup history lessons brought to you by our very own “Professor” Guy Bailey. He is not actually a professor; the only professor on staff is Jamie Clary. Well, sort of. The 1998 World Cup The 16th World Cup was held in France between June and July 1998. The tournament format was changed again to incorporate an extra eight teams from around the world, which necessitated two extra groups in the First Round stage but… Read more
Number 10: Franck Ribéry Position: Winger Country: France Club Team: Bayern Munich American Based Professional Athlete “Soulmate”: Chris Paul, Guard, New Orleans Hornets Franck “Don’t Call Me Frank” Ribéry is an offensive dynamo, capable of dictating the flow of an entire football match from the wing, something that can’t be said about more than a few players in the world. He’s the most relevant “Franck” since Martin Short’s… Read more
This is the third in a weekly series of World Cup history lessons brought to you by our very own “Professor” Guy Bailey. He is not actually a professor; the only professor on staff is Jamie Clary. Well, sort of. The 1938 World Cup Staging the 1938 World Cup was a tricky affair. Three of Europe’s major powers were under fascist control, Spain was in a civil war with Germany and Italy allowing their forces to get some much needed training for forthcoming… Read more
Before every World Cup, nations dare to dream. Plucky minnows relish the prospect of taking a big scalp. More established countries seek to bring honor to their flags. And some nations dream of taking home the trophy itself. That optimism though, carries with it the weight of expectation, a weight that can be a burden. Some teams thrive under pressure, but others buckle. Here are four teams who disastrously underperformed at the World Cup England -… Read more
After deliberating for nearly two months, FIFA announced on Monday that French striker Thierry Henry will not be handed down any disciplinary action for his blatant hand ball that effectively secured France a berth in this summer’s World Cup. As most of you already know, Henry twice extended his left hand to handle the ball down to his feet before passing for William Gallas to head home the winner. Despite Ireland’s entire back line actively protesting, head… Read more
