The Weekly Rekrap: FC? Like for Fail Child?

Here we go with some stories from soccer this week...

No draws, no mercy

It turns out that MLS wasn’t the only American soccer league to deploy the 35 yard shoot out in the 1990s. Something called the USISL also used it. While penalty shoot outs are something of a legend in proper football history with books written about them and mythical properties applied to entire nations hanging in the balance of a short one on one shot, the 35 yard shoot out is more or less mocked as a shameful American adaptation that condescended to soccer fans and amused casual match attendees. Check out Billy Merck’s thought process when he was a 35 yard penalty shoot taker in Howler.

Late Stage Capitalism FC has a new crest

Check out the new Austin FC crest. It has TRADISHUN and will let fans show their PASHUN for their lifelong love of a soccer team ripped from the midwest by a billionaire from California to Austin for some reason. Can’t wait to write all about how this storied club captured the hearts of the American soccer public with it’s standard of excellence and long rich history of corporate trash-jargon.

A soccer writing legend perhaps put it better than all of that though...

Imagine being proud of this

When people say that players fall though the cracks this is how it happens - putting the burden on families and parents to spend immense amounts of time and money to get kids to practice while USSF makes it difficult for coaches to get training basically says everything there is to say about how and why nothing is changing within the federation.

Checking in on the NCAA women’s season

The NCAA season has kicked off and while we had a spread about some of the men taking the field this year Equalizer Soccer has a piece about the women to watch in the college game this season. Some of them have experience with the USWNT at various levels and could be featuring for the Stars and Stripes in a World Cup of some manner or another. At the very least, they will be fighting for one of the few draft spots that are claimed every year in the NWSL.

Wait, now I have to change my mind about something?

Something that makes sports fun is that it gives fans the freedom to make irrational statements and assert them as if they were facts when really, they’re opinions and hot takes masked as analysis. International soccer transfers can play a pivotal role in making these interactions possible. For example, a fan may have a huge amount of revulsion for a player a feel repulsed by them in their very DNA and then end up having to want them to play well should the be transferred to their team. One such player is Cristiano Ronaldo and one such fan is Manu C at Black & White & Read all Over.

Arsene who?

Arsene Wenger is credited with being a revolutionary soccer manager. While his retirement after last season is seen as something of a tragi-comic lesson in the way that a legend should not end their career, Wenger is widely recognized for what he brought to the game. However, his departure from Arsenal overshadowed another club legend leaving the team. Vic Akers is a name most fans probably wouldn’t know, but he was with Arsenal for over 30 years. He originally joined as a kit man, but eventually began coaching Arsenal Ladies and won over 30 trophies with the team. These Football Times has a look at his career and his contribution to the women’s game in English soccer.

Goals

MLS makes it really hard to like the league - well, a lot of the time, but David Villa scoring his 415th career goal is pretty cool. Not cool was Luis Robles failing to make the save on this one though.

Sky Blue FC is still without a win this year, but perhaps this late goal will get things going in the right direction as they have four games to get in the win column.