Egypt’s worst-ever soccer disaster: at least 73 people died at a match in Port Said on Wednesday. “This tragedy is not simply a story of a match gone horribly awry,” writes James Dorsey at The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccerblog. “It will have important and wide-ranging political ramifications.” (Full post here.) The causes for the tragedy are unclear.
According to the New York Times, “Politicians, fans and Egyptian soccer officials all faulted the police as failing to conduct the standard gate searches to prevent fans from bringing knives, clubs or other weapons into the match.” Did the ultras — hard-core supporters — of home side El Masry and Cairo heavyweights Al Ahly walk into a trap?
“People here are dying, and no one is doing a thing. It’s like a war,” said Al Ahly star midfielder Mohamed Aboutrika; “Is life this cheap?” He then promptly announced his retirement from the professional game.
“The ultras whether they walked into a trap or initiated the Port Said violence have no doubt again dug themselves into a hole,” Dorsey observes (full post here). “This time round it will be a lot tougher to dig themselves out. They have played into the hands of the military and the police in dealing a lethal blow [to] contentious street politics as opposed to electoral politics and the horse trading associated with it.”
We at Footballiscominghome extend our condolences to the families of the victims.
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Additional coverage of the Port Said disaster and its aftermath here.
This just in from Alex Galarza: NPR’s Andy Carvin is curating tweets live from Cairo @acarvin. Osama Diab at The Guardian also has a worthwhile story.
Read David Goldblatt’s “Egypt’s Political Football” here.
23-year-old forward Erlan Gastón Mealla of the team Nacional de Potosí scores the first of his two goals against Bolivian capital La Paz side The Strongest with a flying back heel volley (or scorpion kick) from outside the box. Nacional de Potosí won the game 2-0 in the first match day of the Bolivian Torneo the Clausura 2012 on Sunday, January 29.
Although scored a few months ago, these two jewels by new Brazilian phenom Neymar and old Brazilian magician Ronaldinho scored in the same game deserve a spot in the series. São Paulo team Santos hosted Rio de Janeiro side Flamengo for the twelfth round of the Brasilerão on July 27, 2011 in one of the greatest Brazilian games in recent years. Down 3-0 early in the first half, the red-and-black carioca team led by hat-trick scorer Ronaldinho ended up with an amazing 5-4 comeback victory.
With the African Nations Cup about to kick off this weekend in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, it’s time to put the spotlight on Yaya Touré, the Ivorian international and Man City midfielder. In this part of a longer interview produced by his new endorser — Puma, an expanding commercial force in African football — the best-paid player in the English Premier League reflects on growing up in Ivory Coast, learning the game in Bouake, and then moving to big-time football in Abidjan.
Thanks to Tom McCabe for telling me about this interview.
Athletic Bilbao resourceful midfielder Gaizka Toquero scores this brilliant goal against Albacete in second leg of the Spanish Copa del Rey round of sixteen on January 12. The Basque side won the match 4-0 and will face Mallorca in the quarterfinals.
A Happy New Year to all football aficionados! We kick off our 2012 collection with a double issue.
Everton’s American goalkeeper Tim Howard scores a spectacular (and lucky) goal against Bolton in the EPL’s first matchday of 2012. Despite this unusual score by the home team, Bolton went on to win the game 2-1.
And then some smiles…
The game saw Sunray Cave JC Sun Hei face Citizen in the Hong Kong First Division on Dec. 16, 2011. Sun Hei’s defender Baise Festus scores with a fantastic reverse scorpion kick . . . but in his own goal. Citizen will go on to win the game 3-2. Image quality of this video is worth bearing the somewhat funny soundtrack.
As the new year approaches, we leave 2011 and its great goals with this gem by Argentinian player Lucas Emiliano Maina of Rocca Massima Latina, a team competing in the second division of Italian 5v5 (“calcetto”) league.
A Happy New Year to all football “aficionados” with best wishes for a 2012 full of spectacular goals!
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