“Sven-Göran Eriksson, confronted with arguably Europe's weakest qualifying group, has a problem; it is the same one that afflicted Jacques Santini, the France coach at the time, before Euro 2004. Not that there are no easy matches at international level; rather, there are no hard ones. In qualifying for the 2004 European Championship finals, France faced a group not of death, but of sun-block, comprising Slovenia, Israel, Cyprus and Malta, which they duly won by ten points, averaging 3.6 goals per game. We all know what happened next.” KnowsHardProblemNextGamesEasyGoalLevelsSunHappenedGroupsFootballTenEuropeFinalsInternationalIsraelCoachesBlockFranceSoccerRanAnalysisChampionshipEuroQualifyingCyprusMalta Author:Martin Samuel
“I ain't never been in no college with famous people. I was a drifter for a while. I just was desperate to fit in with a group. Really, I was swimming. I was lost, treading water, trying to find my way. I wanted to play football. It didn't work out. I didn't really know what I wanted until I found acting in a theater department, and then everything just fell into place, and I had a passion about something. Then, I started living my life.” PeopleKnowsWayTryingPlayWantedPassionFoundLostWaterActingGroupsFootballCollegeFitTheaterWork OutMy WayDesperateDepartmentSwimmingLiving My LifeTreadingDriftersTreading Water Author:John Goodman
“So it would be a good thing for Chinese parents to instill enthusiasm among their kids for football. It's a great game, not only regarding the emotions behind it, but it's also a game for young people to gain experience of working in a bigger group and work to achieve goals.” PeopleWould BeKidsYoungGamesParentGoalEmotionBehindsGroupsAchieveFootballGainsBiggerGood ThingsEnthusiasmChineseInstillAchieving Goals Author:Berti Vogts
“It's a group of guys that put their mind to going out and playing great football. Everybody that needed to step up, stepped up. Everybody that needed to make a play, made a play and that's what it's all about.” MindMadePlayGuyStepsGroupsFootballNeededGoing OutStep UpGreat Football Author:Kurt Warner
“Bruno opened his eyes in wonder at the things he saw. In his imagination he had tough that all the huts were full of happy families, some of whom sat outside on rocking chairs in the evening and told stories about how things were so much better when they were children and they'd had nowadays. He thought that all the boys and girls who lived there would be in different groups, playing tennis or football, skipping and drawing out squares for hopscotch on the ground. As it turned out, all the things he thought might be there-wern't.'' -The boy in the striped Pajamas” ChildrenDifferentStoriesMightWould BeEyeGirlImaginationWonderBoysSawsGroupsFootballToughDrawingEveningSatHis EyesTennisChairsSquaresBoy And GirlPajamasHutsHappy FamilyRocking ChairsHopscotch Author:John Boyne
“You ever think Charlie, that our group is the same as any other group like a football team? And the only real difference between us is what we wear and why we wear it?” ThinkingRealDifferencesGroupsTeamFootballCharlieFootball Team Book:The Perks of Being a Wallflower YA edition Source: The Perks of Being a Wallflower YA edition
“When I was in high school I asked myself at one point: "Why do I care if my high school's team wins the football game? I don't know anybody on the team, they have nothing to do with me... why am I here and applaud? It does not make any sense." But the point is, it does make sense: It's a way of building up irrational attitudes of submission to authority and group cohesion behind leadership elements. In fact it's training in irrational jingoism. That's also a feature of competitive sports.” IfsKnowsWayDoeFactsCareSchoolGamesWinningSportsBehindsAttitudeGroupsTeamBuildingFootballAuthorityElementsTrainingHigh SchoolMake SenseFeaturesI CareIrrationalSubmissionFootball GameBuilding UpCohesionJingoismCompetitive Sports Author:Noam Chomsky