30 Goals In 30 Days
[#23] Chicago Lakefront near Morse Ave
During a bike ride in late June I came across this wonderful match
that played with a sixty to seventy yard field, with garbage can goals
at either end. There was plenty of action, and the fitness of the players
was undeniably extraordinary. Kids are rubber bands, and these kids
were bouncing all over the park along with the ball. It was brilliant.
30 Goals In 30 Days
[#22] Warren Park Athletic Fields
Always a Futbol, Baseball or Basketball game happening here.
This park contains vendors of some of the best Elotes in Chicago.
If you want to play, watch, walk or eat – Warren Park is the place
to be at dusk.
30 Goals In 30 Days
[#21] Loyola Univeristy
This beautiful little pitch hides amongst the extraordinary campus
of Loyola University. Located at N. Winthrop and W. Loyola Ave.
there is always a kick happening.
30 Goals In 30 Days
[#20] Niles West High School
This was a playoff game last October.
I want to say Evanston beat Niles West : one to zero.
I might be wrong in regards to the opponent.
Either way, Evanston played well, but a dull brand of football it was.
Too many American soccer players learned their game
from schooling, rather than from the street.
While it is no fault of the kids, there is a lack of
invention and creativity within the American brand of soccer.
When today’s youth begin inventing moves;
a la the basketball dunk or crossover…
The American brand of football [soccer] will improve and excite.
I have witnessed this brand of creativity
on the West Side of Chicago. North Lawndale.
It is a Football [Soccer] Future.
30 Goals In 30 Days
[#19] Seaside, Oregon • North Promenade Beach
The two shooters were taking great set pieces,
and the goalkeeper was up for the task making save after save.
It was quite the site on the beach at ten in the morning.
Added to the wonderful walk, it did.
30 Goals In 30 Days
[#18] Peralta Trail
Where there is recent construction,
there are new goals to play football.
30 Goals in 30 Days begins again,
after an extraordinary visit to Oregon
we have nine days remaining until kickoff.
30 Goals In 30 Days
[#17] Lakefront Montrose
This place has nothing to do with Lovelace Park.
It was the official Grosse Point Soccer Club pitch.
Good Northshore Football.
Even better though, was the unofficial dirt-bike track that
was behind Lovelace Park. Those were the times……
breaking my balls on via bike frame after taking
too large of a jump in on my bmx bike.
30 Goals In 30 Days
[#16] Bio-Dome Subbuteo Pitch
If one has played Subbuteo, then one has played the greatest table
game devoted to the beautiful sport of football.
Subbuteo is played just like real football, but it is eleven on eleven -
flickable, one-inch, little plastic men. The men have rounded bases
that allow the figure to slide across the pitch when flicked correctly.
A highly skilled Subbuteo player can flick his player around other
figures and curve the ball. The action takes place on a large surface
which could cover an entire dining room table.
To me, the game is a mixture of chess and billiards,
but is distinctly football. Subbuteo is also a very good tool to
illustrate the rules of the game and display tactics.
After three years in hibernation,
we are rolling out the Subbuteo pitch next week.
Angola eyes the free kick against Zimbabwe.
International Football can change the Earth.
amazing paintwork by Michael Peacock
from his line of Little Plastic Men.
30 Goals In 30 Days
[#15] Olympiastadion • Berlin
This was the World Cup Final in 2006,
and I was watching this match on a television in the
drivers area on a tour bus. Ben Harper had just finished
[was finishing] his set, and I snuck away to watch the end
of the match – just in time to catch the Zidane incident.
We were in Ireland at the Oxegen Festival.
The only thing I could do was take pictures of the television.
Italy v. France
1 – 1
a.e.t.
(after extra time)
5 – 3
penalties