UEFA Champions league

The UEFA Champions league is past the round of 16 and will be entering the quaterfinals. The eight remaining teams are FC Barcelona, PSG, Bayern Munchen, Juventus, Malaga, Dortmund, Real Madrid, Galatasaray. The first leg games will be on April 2 and 3; with the second leg on April 9 and 10. The four remaining teams will move onto the semifinals. To move on the team with most goals scored between the games will move on, and in the case of a tie in total goals, the away goals will be doubled and then that will be the counted as the final total score. Tee first four teams to compete are Barca versus PSG, and Bayern versus Juventus. At UEFA Champions League Website you can browse match highlights and make predictions for the next games. In the meantime catch up on some of the best goal celebrations.

Amputee Football

Yes, there is such a game. It may seem like it would be very demanding and challenging, and it is. I cam across this sport while looking at the UEFA Champions page and they had a poll for which national team did not have it's own amputee team. So I searched it and found World Amputee Football. The game is played internationally throughout many different countries and with 7 players on each side including a goalie. There are requirements for what limbs amputated can play certain positions. To play on the field a player must have both arms and one leg, and goalies must have two feet and one arm amputated  The field players use crutches and are only allowed to use their foot to hit the ball. Need less to say these players are very dedicated and inspirational to all soccer players or anyone from any other sport. If you would like more details on the game you can click the link above.

Soccer in the Winter

Did you know that the coldest world was at the last world cup, and the coldest game was between Brazil and North Korea. 

During the winter it can be hard to play soccer depending on where you live. For everyone who can't play year round because of the cold and weather, it can be hard to improve your skills during this period. For me,  my club rents out some of the gyms from the local schools and play there, and we also play in an indoor league, where we play on turf inside a large warehouse. Finding 'creative' ways to play can be helpful as well.  One of the best ways to improve skills, especially during the winter, is juggling. It is usually very tedious at first, but it will help your ball control when the fields reopen. Strength training is also a good way to get a head start before the season, along with endurance conditioning. One application I have found very useful for strength training  is the Nike Training App. There are many different types of workouts that require little to know equipment.

There are many different ways to still play soccer and improve during the winter, and these are just a few ways that I have found, that have worked. 

UEFA Champions league

UEFA Champions league is in the round of 16! Champions league schedule, watch your team play to get to the next round!

Anyone can Play...

I started playing soccer when I was 8 years old and have played for a competitive team since middle school. Personally I enjoy the competition, but sometimes it is also fun just to scrimmage my friends in a friendly game. What I really want to say is that soccer is great for anyone, not just for the competitive and highly skilled players, but for anyone looking to get exercise and have some fun.

In this article (complete soccer guide) it list many great reasons for why children should play soccer or at least try it at some point. There are many plus sides that will benefit anyone mentally and also it is one of the only sports that requires very little equipment. This is one of the reasons I believe that soccer is the most popular sport in the world. All you need is a ball to start playing.