From a Left Wing

Blog Thumbnail
Website
http://fromaleftwing.blogspot.com/
Syndication Feed
http://fromaleftwing.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
Last Updated
December 2, 2008 11:11 EST
Added
February 12, 2008

November 20, 2008

Fútbol Mania: Local Teams Featured on Time Warner On Demand

1
Time Warner's digital on-demand service has a channel dedicated to local amateur soccer. Fútbol Mania profiles teams playing in the 2000 leagues (their figure) in Southern California. I just went through their current offerings (they post new 15 minute episodes every week) and was really psyched - the highlights are good, and the commentary is fun (as far as I can tell - it's in Spanish). Click to continue reading...
From a Left Wing @ 10:11 PM EST | Blog Profile | Post Detail
Tags: , amateur soccer in los angeles, fútbol mania, time warner on demand soccer

My Favorite Couple: Soccer + Basketball

2
Soccer's closest cousin is basketball. While basketball's scoreboard couldn't look more different from the minimalist tally of an exemplary football match, the best games in both sports have nearly identical point differentials (1-2 points). They are distinguished by similar brands of spectatorial intensity - the time-outs in a basketball game are all that keeps its audiences from having a mass Click to continue reading...
From a Left Wing @ 11:20 AM EST | Blog Profile | Post Detail
Tags: , Soccer, backyard gambits, basketball

November 17, 2008

Who Wants it?: Playing Against Boys/Playing With Girls

0
Sometimes I think I play with women, and I play against men. Let me explain: I play in a weekly scrimmage in which I'm the only woman on the field. Last week I had fairly typical night for a female player in an all-male setting. That sort of game looks like this: My teammate has the ball, and there is plenty of space between us. Click to continue reading...
From a Left Wing @ 12:24 AM EST | Blog Profile | Post Detail
Tags:

October 29, 2008

Kick It Out?: What do we mean by "It" when we talk about homophobia & football?

0
England's Football Association is apparently developing a campaign targeting football's homophobic culture. This isn't the first time the FA has made gestures in this direction, so pardon my cynicism about the depth of this organization's commitment to the topic. That said, the current campaign is being generated by Kick It Out, the FA's anti-racist program, which seems fairly successful in its Click to continue reading...
From a Left Wing @ 01:41 PM EST | Blog Profile | Post Detail
Tags: , homophobia, homophobia and football, homophobia and soccer, sexism and soccer

October 23, 2008

New Brunswick, NJ - A Secret Center of the Women's Soccer World?: Left Wing Meets Charlie Naimo

0
Yesterday I got to meet Charlie Naimo, who is currently the coach of the W-League league champions The Pali Blues and is also the manager to the WPS Los Angeles team (whose name will be unveiled this weekend at Sunday's Galaxy game). Walking into the Pali Blues office in Santa Monica, my eyes went first to the Formiga jersey on the wall (framed by shirts from Kelly Smith and Marinette Pichon). Click to continue reading...
From a Left Wing @ 01:32 PM EST | Blog Profile | Post Detail
Tags: , Charlie Naimo, Formiga, New Jersey, Pali Blues, WPS

October 19, 2008

Falling Down

0
If I ask myself how playing soccer has changed me, I'd have to say that I fall a lot more than I used to. Coaches say "stay on your feet" before a game. They need to say this because falling is such a big part of soccer. Who says "stay on your feet" before a baseball game? Nigerian Faith Ikidi is pictured here surprising North Korea's Ri Kum Suk with a reverse kick. Click to continue reading...
From a Left Wing @ 11:38 PM EST | Blog Profile | Post Detail
Tags:

October 7, 2008

Modern Minstrels: Sexist Jokes about Women Athletes

2
A popular youtube video poking fun at women playing basketball is in my view little more than a modern day incarnation of old-fashioned minstrelsy. Those lightly "comic" routines were once found funny by racist audiences who enjoyed having their attitudes confirmed in entertaining spectacles that should turn the stomach. Click to continue reading...
From a Left Wing @ 01:28 AM EST | Blog Profile | Post Detail
Tags: , Sexism, basketball, sexism and soccer, sexism and wnba

September 24, 2008

MARTA MARTA MARTA MARTA!!!: Marta Viera de Silva is (maybe?) coming to LA!

6
MARTA has apparently been 'drafted' by the new LA professional women's team. I have a pickup game to join shortly, so can't do my research on this just yet - but OH MY GOD, I am so HAPPY! I am going to pass out from excitement! FORMIGA is going to the Bay Area!!! Look out, though - Cristiane will be (might be? Click to continue reading...
From a Left Wing @ 09:29 PM EST | Blog Profile | Post Detail
Tags: , Formiga, Marta Vieira de Silva, Women's Professional Soccer, excitement

September 22, 2008

Soccer Monogomy: Why Don't Women Play Pick Up?

0
I am putting the question out there. Why don't women play what we Americans call "pickup"? A friend of mine joked that it was because women want soccer monogomy - to commit to one team, whereas guys will play with anybody. It's a funny joke, but not much of an explanation. Pickup is by far my favorite way to play soccer. Click to continue reading...
From a Left Wing @ 08:59 PM EST | Blog Profile | Post Detail
Tags: , Soccer, pickup soccer, women's soccer

September 21, 2008

Defensive Thoughts

0
Why is playing defense so satisfying? I know it isn't everyone's cup of tea, but there are more than a few of us who love the high anxiety of the back line in a tight game - who love the challenge of trying to shut down a player with more speed, more skill - who live for the peculiar victory of engineering another's defeat. Click to continue reading...
From a Left Wing @ 12:41 AM EST | Blog Profile | Post Detail
Tags: , Faith Ikidi, Nigeria, Sweden, defense, faith, victory

September 3, 2008

Soccer Moms vs Hockey Moms?

7
I just finished watching Sarah Palin's speech at the Republican Convention, and noticed all those folks waving home-made "HOCKEY MOMS" posters. Palin calls herself one, and got a big cheer when she told a good joke about this demographic (Q: What's the difference between a hockey mom and a bulldog? A: Lipstick). Click to continue reading...
From a Left Wing @ 10:20 PM EST | Blog Profile | Post Detail
Tags: , cheer, hockey moms, soccer moms

August 28, 2008

Half Time

0
From A Left Wing is on vacation until late September. Check out "Left Wing's Best Shots" in the left column for a sampling of articles posted on this blog since December 2007. Click to continue reading...
From a Left Wing @ 10:54 AM EST | Blog Profile | Post Detail
Tags: , blog

August 21, 2008

Dazed and Confused: Brazil Comes Up Empty/USWNT Takes Home 3rd Gold Medal

2
It's past midnight, and I've spent the day a bit lost and confused. I drank too much wine, I talked too fast and didn't really listen to people. Or, I didn't talk much at all, and didn't listen to what others were saying. I just waited for a decent time to call it a night. Is 9:30pm respectable enough? Click to continue reading...
From a Left Wing @ 05:26 PM EST | Blog Profile | Post Detail
Tags: , Brazil, beautiful losers, brazil national women's team, brazil/usa, carli lloyd, gold medal match, olympic women's soccer

August 18, 2008

Olympic Women's Soccer Semifinal - Brazil Levels Germany 4-1: Formiga Ends Angerer's Unprecedented Record in the Goal

7
Wow. All I can say is Wow. (Click here for FIFA match summary.) As Canarihnas just played the game of their lives against Germany (Check out Amanda Vandervort's article on them here). After a rocky start, in which Germany looked on path to beat Brazil at her own game in a repeat of the 2007 World Cup Final, Brazil came back from one down with a brilliant strike from Formiga (pictured here) and Click to continue reading...
From a Left Wing @ 06:55 AM EST | Blog Profile | Post Detail
Tags: , Amanda, Brazil, Cristiane, Marta, World Cup, brazil national women's team, germany national women's team, olympic women's soccer, olympic women's soccer; formiga, prinz

August 15, 2008

Olympic Women's Soccer: Japan Beats China?! Germany Seals the Deal. And, well, Brazil Makes You Crazy.

0
OK: First off - Japan beat China (FIFA summary here). The two are rivals, but I can't say as I saw this one coming. I only caught the second half, and it was good enough to explain why. I felt for China, as I can't imagine how it must feel to give up a game like that in front of so many adoring fans. Click to continue reading...
From a Left Wing @ 10:10 AM EST | Blog Profile | Post Detail
Tags: , China, FIFA, Sweden, atmosphere, chinese national women's soccer team, germany national women's team, japan, japanese women's national team, nadine angerer, norway NWT, olympic women's soccer, rivals