serving the beautiful game whoa henry! · carrie serwetnyk, first woman canadian soccer hall of...

September 2010 • FreeKickMag.com

+ EXCLUSIVE BRANDI CHASTAIN INTERVIEW

Serving the Beautiful Game

FRENCH FOOTBALLER NOW RUNNING FOR THE BULLS

Whoa Henry!

STARTERS

6 Brandi ChastainInterview

10 Beach Soccer By Trevor Kew

12 Henry lands in New York

14 Whitecaps in Transition Mode

16 Vuvuzela Fun

17 Soccer Shorts

19 What Kicks You Off

20 Kid's Corner

21 Comics

21 Red Card / Yellow Card

22 Recipe

22 SoccerScopes

KICK OFF

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The Whitecaps are excited to make the jump to the MLS. Page 14

3September 2010 Free Kick

At the 1999 Women's World Cup Brandi Chastain stepped up to take the penalty kick to win the championship and cement her place in history. Page 6

Carrie Serwetnyk, First Woman Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame

There is that saying, "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

That statement comes to mind when I think of celebrity star Brandi Chastain, the one known to many as the girl who whipped off her jersey the moment she scored the winning penalty shot in the ’99 World Cup.

Now, I know lots of people liked her because she’s hot. And we couldn’t help but be excited for her because she is just so darn happy and exuberant. But the reason I bring this up is because she really is a kind person who reaches out to people and makes them feel good – that is the effect she has on individuals. She truly is a sports role model, which isn’t always the case with a lot of athletes.

Brandi and I go way back, having played in Japan at the same time. I have always admired and appreciated her for her giving, compassionate and fun nature. With this in mind, I am proud to share an exclusive interview with you to highlight what she has been up to after such an extraordinary career.

Our other mega celeb is Thierry Henry, who recently injected star power into the MLS with his signing to the New York Red Bulls. With Vancouver heading into the big leagues in April, Whitecaps fans now have so much more to anticipate. Fastforwarding to next year, we couldn’t help but wonder out loud, ‘who are we going to see?’ ‘What should we expect?’

Free Kick met with Tommy Sohen, Director of Soccer Operations to discuss the Henry-effect and the future of the Whitecaps.

Now that the summer buzz of the World Cup is over and the blast of vuvuzelas is just a Canadian goose in the park or someone on the bus blowing their nose, there are new seasons to turn our energies toward. We hope you enjoy our September issue and we wish you the best in your pursuit of the beautiful game.

Free Kick is a free publication distributed monthly in The Province Newspaper,

at Vancouver Whitecaps FC home matches and at local soccer and cultural events. For more information, please contact

[email protected] or visit: www.freekickmag.com.

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Publisher’s Note:

Why “Serving the Beautiful Game?”

As a magazine we have the ability to give a much needed acknowledgement to individuals who

contribute their energy to soccer. Our mission is to serve the players, fans, parents and coaches who

want information and support for their passion.

Brazilian star Pele’s most renowned quote was when he called “football” the “beautiful game.” The quote speaks for itself to all those who have played soccer or admired it in the stands. It hits the mark between how it looks on the outside and how it feels on the

inside playing it.

We feel the combination to “Serve the Beautiful Game” matches our ambitions as a magazine.

Copyright © 2010. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, without the written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

Free Kick Magazine is an environmentally friendly publication. Printed on recycled paper.

Letter from the Publisher

PEP TALKFREE KICK TEAM & CONTRIBUTORS

STARTING LINEUP

Myles Constable, Design & ProductionMyles is a former soccer player, coach and UBC Human Kinetics grad that drifted into sports media (24 Hours, The Point) and now enjoys the creative rewards of graphic design, editing, photography and much more. www.thinkswell.ca

Gil Gatchalian, PhotographerGil’s passion for sports, music and news events led him to photography during the Expo ’86 era. His sporting and editorial images have appeared in numerous local and international publications. To Gil, making images that move people is priceless.

Lindsay Marsh, Editorial AssistantEquipped with a BA in English Lit and a Sustainable Community Development Post-Bacc Diploma, Lindsay spent 3 years teaching and volunteering in Japan and SW. Asia. Her passion for sports led her to many muddy games of soccer with boys and girls at a children’s home in Thailand. www.shantiuganda.org

Bruno Fonseca, PhotographerBruno is a photo journalist for the Portuguese News Agency LUSA where his work appears in newspapers, magazines and books. He has a passion for football and can be found at most of the major championships throughout Europe and Africa.

Trevor Kew, WriterTrevor is a Canadian teacher and writer based in Japan and spends most of his time playing, coaching or watching football. Trevor supports Watford and Manchester United. He claims to have fouled strikers on three continents. Red Card!

Randip Janda, WriterRandip is an avid sports junkie who loves to chat about sports with all-takers. When away from sports, he works in television news for OMNI BC and enjoys traveling and reading. Randip supports Arsenal F.C. and the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Steve English, CartoonistOutside of many romps on pitches in England, Steve enjoys kicking around with his cartoon Soccer Earth.

Chakri Gajula, CartoonistChakri is a local cartoonist, specializing in sports and Olympic cartoons. www.chakrigajula.com

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Brandi Chastain ~ Better with Age

FK: What are you doing now? BC: First and foremost, I’m the mother of a 4 year old son, so that’s enough work for any one person.His name is Jaden. He’s the smartest, sweetest little boy ever. Jaden says hello. FK: So you’re a mom right now? BC: I’m a mom. And also, 5 years ago I began a non-profit Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative. The letters are BAWSI and it’s pronounced ‘bossy,’ so we’re BAWSI girls. We facilitate activity and healthy lifestyles for girls and women using collegiate female student athletes at elementary schools. So I’ll bring Santa Clara, Stanford and other local college athletes from different

sports out to the schools. We do basic general activities with these girls and teach them about how taking steps will improve their health, wellness and their ability to focus in the classroom. About three years ago, after that started going really well, we noticed a lot of moms sitting, waiting for their girls. So we started a program for mothers and that is done in Spanish because the majority of our girls are in Title I schools, which means 51% or more live under the poverty line and are mostly immigrant families. One woman happens to be the American record holder for race-walking for the 50k. So we run those programs concurrently on playgrounds. We started with 7 girls and 11 moms and we now have had 7,500 girls and 400-500 moms. The URL is www.bawsi.org FK: And at the same time, you were playing in the women’s professional league? BC: Actually, that spawned from the WUSA.

I did that with my –ex-general manager of the CyberRays, Marlene Bjornsrud. We realized that with all these girls coming to the stadium, it’s really important for them to have these actual, physical role models in front of them because it makes so much more of an impact. FK: Absolutely. BC: So that’s what we started. Last year, I was playing with the FC Gold Pride. FK: And then your final year was this year? BC: No, last season. I wasn’t given a try-out,

unfortunately. FK: How old are you? BC: 42. Very young! FK: You made it to 41 playing soccer, wow! You’re one in ten million! How did you keep your body fit enough? What can you share with our readers? BC: I think being around young, active people my whole life, playing soccer, building upon that. I think earlier in my days, I didn’t like the physical fitness, the strength and conditioning. That part wasn’t of much interest to me, but then I really found after being injured so many times, that that was actually my power and that was going to be my foundation. So that became more of a part of my habits and my everyday lifestyle then it did about the occasional ‘oh, I gotta go to the gym. I gotta do strength training.’ I embraced it. It has served me pretty well. I’ve had major knee surgeries, but I’d say overall, I’m pretty lucky. I don’t suffer from any major terrible side effects...one knee gets swollen more than the other, I can’t squat down and stay down in that position for

very long, but at my age, that’s maybe asking too much.

FK: By the time you played in

Japan in ’93 - ’94, you had already done both your

ACLs. At that time, you were written off to be on the national team.

BC: Yeah, actually when I decided to go to Japan, Anson (Dorrance US National Team coach) was like ‘why are you going there, you’re not going to get any better going there. But I was like, well, I’m not going for you so what do you care? Don’t tell me what to do.’ FK: Did you say that to him? BC: Well, yeah. I said, where am I going to get better? I’m out of college and you’re not asking me to come to training camps, so at least I’ll be playing. FK: How did they discover you were playing well? BC: What ended up happening was Anson and Tony (Diccio next US National Coach), they changed. That was right before the ’95 World Cup.

Her famous fist-clenched celebratory removal of her jersey after scoring the winning goal in

the 1999 World Cup Final is one of the most memorable images in sport. When US defender Brandi Chastain finished her penalty shot in the top right hand corner, the iconic image of her falling to her knees with sheer emotion was captured and replayed worldwide. This image appeared on the front cover of Time, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated. Her take on the moment was “momentary insanity, nothing more, nothing less. I wasn’t thinking about anything. I thought, This is the greatest moment of my life on the soccer field.”

Free Kick caught up with the legendary figure to see what has been happening in her life since she captured gold.

This iconic image was captured seconds after Brandi Chastain scored in penalty kicks to seal the 1999 World Cup for the USA.


CORB

IS

BRANDI CHASTAIN INTERVIEW

I didn’t get on the ’95 World Cup team. I had gone into a couple of camps, but because Tony was new to the team as the head coach, I don’t think he felt comfortable enough making any super changes. He kept the same team and then right after that, they took third place but they didn’t play particularly well. That’s when he called me into a camp and I decided for the first time that ‘I’m going to be stronger, fitter than I’d ever been.’ I worked really hard. I had a lot of great support from therapists, friends and family, of course. You know, that was my resurrection as a soccer player. FK: Nice. One thing that comes to my mind was you were very adaptable on the field. You had always been a striker before and you ended up playing outside-back. How did that happen? BC: That was more so, ‘do you want to be on the team or not on the team?’ When Tony said ‘Hey Brandi, we think you’re a great player, you’ve had a great camp and we’re very impressed and we want you to be on the team but as a defender,’ I think my jaw dropped and I was gasping for air. But I realized that if I wanted to be on this team, I better be flexible and I better be willing to make the change. I also realized that it took a lot of courage for him to say that to me, as a player that never played in the back. Him saying that he wanted me on the team, that I was an asset, gave me some confidence. Then having Kristine Lilly in front of me, and Carla Overbeck to the side of me and Michelle Akres in the middle, I was thinking if I can’t play with these players around me, then I don’t belong anyway. We’re going to figure it out. FK: You have a great touch on the ball, the midfielders and forwards must have appreciated better passes from the back. BC: Yeah, I think so. I think that was Tony’s feeling. He wanted to have a team that could play more. You remember Anson back in those days, it was like two-man markers and a third back, you just man-marked all over the field and the defenders were just the destroyers. You weren’t relied upon to play soccer so much.

FK: Thinking about your significant goal in the World Cup finals, can you describe that time and how that event shifted everything for you?

BC: Now, with so much time to look back on my own personal history with the national team, I have people even to this day saying, ‘gosh, what an amazing moment it was and how it changed the perception of women in sports, there’s not another picture out there that can do that, that has made as many strides.’ It’s hard to think ‘oh my gosh, that was me’ because I just look at it like I was the soccer player, but not the figure so to speak. Like all the players on our team at the time, as I remember from the national team even from ’91, we were just going out there because we loved playing soccer, we loved each other, we loved being on a team, and we loved competing. Obviously, you didn’t get to start every game, or play every minute, and sometimes you missed the goal, but just being together and going through all these experiences was the greatest thing. What kind of came from that is this idea of women in teams. Men have been associated with teams for so long – whether it be all the sports in America or hockey like you guys are crazy about in Canada. That kind of team environment and how that spills over into everyday life. And I think that’s why that time was so memorable, really. FK: Regarding the women’s pro league, can you tell us more how it’s impacting soccer in the US? Is it living up to the expectations? Why is this league important?

BC: I don’t have a good feel for the league anymore because of my unfortunate dismissal. I’ve lost contact. Once the coach said ’you’re not going to tryouts’, nobody called me. It’s like I didn’t even exist. I think we’re not overflowing with fans, and that’s too bad because we have the majority of the best players in the world playing in this league. I’ll point to one of yours – Christine Sinclair is a great goal scorer. Last year, she wasn’t her greatest, but this year she’s scoring beautiful goals, the team leads the league, and she’s a player who’s fun to watch. It’s too bad that for some reason we can’t translate the millions of girls that play soccer in this country to actually going to the stadium. I think it still is in a transformation stage, not soccer, but female sports fans, getting into the culture of buying tickets for women’s sporting event. It’s still morphing into a good idea like ‘yes, we’re committed.’ FK: You’re like one in five out of 3 billion women on the planet who still has marketing power in sport after retirement. Do you get calls all the time from sponsors? What impact is still happening for you? BC: I do all types of different event or speaking engagements. I can do a 5-minute speech to the HR Department at Disney like I did this year about change. I’m going to New York tonight working with a pharmaceutical company about the flu and how vaccines are important since we have so many kids playing soccer and so many kids carrying water bottles. On October 2nd, I’m hosting my final testimonial game. I’m working with NIKE on jerseys that will be worn, men and women will be playing, ex-national team members. FK: Can you tell us a little bit about what the game represents? BC: Historically, testimonial games were created because back in the 1950s and ’6os when players retired, they really hadn’t made a lot of money and it was a kind gesture by their friends who played the game to come and celebrate their career but also for the fans to see the player play one last time. The money from

the game went to the player. The player would take home that money to start his new profession outside of football. In 2004, after the Olympics when we played the post-Olympic games, when Mia and Joy and Julie had already decided they would retire, they did the ceremony after the Mexico game, they put their shirts in frames. It was a really nice ceremony. But I had no intention of being done, but that was when we switched coaches and he didn’t even give me a chance to try out, so I was left without that team. We didn’t have the league at the time and I basically wasn’t playing soccer at all. So this friend of mine, Dr. Joan Oloff she’s a podiatrist by trade and we worked together when I had a foot issue when I was with the national team. She kept talking about this. She said ‘you need to have a game that’s significant. You’re a big part of this soccer thing.’ I agreed. I wanted to do something but I just didn’t know what. Finally, we’ve gotten the nerve and we are scraping pennies and begging people to sponsor the game so people can buy tickets to come watch players they loved from the national team – Mia Hamm, Julie, Cindy Parlow, Aly Wagner, Marcelo Balboa, Eric Wynalda, Hugo Perez, Tony Meola to name a few will come and play a soccer match. And instead of the money coming to me, the money will go to teen girls. My BAWSI girls are elementary school age. The Reach Up Foundation will be an organization that will help or assist other non-profits who are doing work for young girls to help them be successful and reach for their dreams.

FK: That’s awesome!

BC: We have a big mountain to climb and we’re one month away. The stadium holds 10,000 and we’d love to have it packed. For me, it’s a celebration. I love soccer. I love my teammates. I love the game. I love going as a fan. I want to see it grow and develop. I remember as a young player, when my parents had tickets to the San Jose Earthquakes, I would just sit there mesmerized in my stadium seat and be in awe of the players. I remember one summer in particular when I was ten, with my camp team I got to play 20 vs. 20 and I scored a goal and the crowd cheered and

that was the best thing I’d ever heard. That sealed the deal! I also want to hopefully give that to a young person who will have a chance to come down and play on the field with his or her favourite player. FK: Fabulous. You talk about retirement. Maybe there’s something you can say to the coaches and organizers about how a players needs to be treated near the end of their career.

BC: I’m very emotional about this. I was very upset for a long time. I still felt like I had something to give to the game and to the fans coming to the stadium. Because if nothing more, I could interact with them and put a smile on their face and on mine at the same time. So I just think that having players still being connected to the game... it seems that we have so many great players that have gone through the national team, but are no longer connected in a really organized, professional way to the game itself where they’re literally impacting the young people who come to the stadium. That’s too bad. I think we need to have that connection. I think for it to continue to grow and for people to feel like it’s a personal attachment as opposed to its some business thing, we need to find a way to keep those connections. What I’ve also experienced in these last years I’ve been participating, we (as a US culture) have gotten too far away from the reason that young kids start playing sports. We need to return to that for our sports to grow, for our children to really benefit. When it becomes wins and losses, and when the people don’t matter,

you’re going in the wrong direction. FK: We can hear about the struggles you’ve had with injuries. People can just assume you’re on the team and its easy from there on, but it’s so much tougher than that.

BC: Joy Fawcett was a great example of that. She played in two Olympic games and two World Cups. I’ve heard her say in interviews throughout the years, ‘I need to go to training because I need to earn my spot.’ Here’s a player who was the starring figure for as long as you can remember and she still was training with that mental focus and that knowledge that she’s not going to take anything for granted. As far as for fans who come to the stands, they deserve to see a player who cares that much. As for teammates, it’s really amazing and life-impacting to have people such as that around you who get the big picture and say ‘I’m here to prove that I belong on a daily basis.’ It was very refreshing. FK: What impact do you think you’ve had on your teammates? BC: I think the kind of impact I’ve had is that they know I really care about the game, I respect the game and players, both my teammates and opponents. I care about the details. I like to have fun. I love soccer. It makes me smile. It’s not going to be a perfect day, but at the end of the day, you can walk off the soccer field and go ‘gosh, I did my best to improve and with the people I care about. I’m going to come back tomorrow for more.’

David Letterman labeled the World Cup champs,”The girls of summer.”

“...what an amazing moment it was and how it changed the

perception of women in sports, there’s not another picture out

there that can do that, that has made as many strides.”

Football Followers: Twitter.com/FreeKickMag8

TRAVELJOURNAL

Many times in my life – perhaps too many – I have been guilty of being a sports snob.

It started with Ultimate Frisbee, I think. Until I moved to Vancouver to attend UBC in 1999, I was firmly convinced that Ultimate was invented by my high school teacher to fill the time between real sports like hockey and soccer. At UBC, it was everywhere! I was shocked—not only did people actually want to play this Frisbee game, there were actual leagues, tournaments and teams.

This didn’t stop me from looking down my nose at ultimate Frisbee. What was so ultimate about it, anyway? Why didn’t they have referees—who were you supposed to yell at? There were also a suspicious number of granola bars being consumed.

Moving to England in 2004 had its share of sporting shockers as well. The first time I saw darts being televised, I nearly used my TV as a bull’s eye for the food I was eating. Darts on TV! It was one step up from the International Olympics of Watching Paint Dry.

Don’t even get me started on cricket. Or skeleton, which is really just luge done the other way round. Or anything with the word Xtreme in it.

My cynicism also extended to bastardizations (or “variants,” if you want to be nice) of my favourite actual sport (see…I still do it!), soccer. Futsal, indoor, five-a-side – all just methods of training for the real thing, as far as I was concerned, albeit rather useful ones when you live in a country that is encased in ice for a large part of the year.

When I heard there were international tournaments for futsal, my main reaction was: Why?

And so when I found myself in the balmy 52-degree Celsius

steambath of Dubai in mid-August of 2007, I was less than enthusiastic when I heard that the Asian qualifiers for the World Cup of beach soccer were in town. What possible reason could they have for making a World Cup of beach soccer?

I wondered. Isn’t the one we play on grass enough? Hypocritically, of course, I was a bigger fan of beach volleyball than regular gym volleyball, but to be fair there were a lot more bikinis involved in that sport than there would be in beach soccer.

It had been a good few months, however, since the Premiership had ended and there had been no major tournament that summer, so I was a little bit soccer-starved. And so, I decided to climb down off my pedestal of soccer snobbery and give beach soccer a chance.

The matches started at 8:30 p.m., in order to take advantage of the more pleasant 40-degree temperatures of the summer evenings. Iran, China, Japan and the UAE were taking part. Climbing up into the temporary stands, ticket in hand, I looked down on the perfectly-combed rectangle of sand below (which was bordered with taut ropes) and sneered, as if there could be anything here to impress me.

If you have never seen an official beach soccer match, you may be unaware of some of the sport’s rule differences from regular soccer.

First of all, it’s played on a beach (playing on grass is strictly forbidden). Free kicks are all direct, and both teams need to get out of the way, effectively creating a duel between keeper and striker. It is permissible to create a little sand “soccer tee” before taking a free kick. Shoes are not allowed, although ankle supports are. Yellow cards result in a two-minute “power-play”

just like in hockey and red-carded players can be replaced after two minutes (they wisely went with referees, rather than the Frisbee honour code, which was wise: beach soccer players are soccer players, after all). To this day, I’m not sure if kicking sand in someone’s eyes is against the rules or not. I’m sure it’s been tried.

I was completely blown away by beach soccer, I’ll freely admit. The quick build-ups, the athletic goalkeeping and the ability of strikers (and even goalkeepers) to shoot from virtually anywhere on the pitch makes the game irresistible as a spectator sport. One of the two matches I saw involved a particularly dramatic multi-goal comeback in the final seconds of the match.

It wasn’t soccer. But it was still pretty awesome.I had the chance to try the sport out myself while doing

some post-World Cup travelling this summer in Mozambique. Mozambique’s coast is pretty much one huge 1000 km beach soccer pitch, waiting to be played on. This fact has not escaped the locals, whose regular soccer pitches are knobbly old dustbowls that probably snap legs with great regularity. The beaches, on the other hand, are resurfaced by the tides every day, kind of like a massive wet salty Zamboni.

Two hours of soccer on this beautiful beach chasing zippy little Mozambicans were definitely a lesson in the endurance

aspect of beach football for this tall Canadian goalkeeper. I’d been unanimously elected to play up front and so had spent most of the match either getting nutmegged or shooting the ball high, wide and into the Indian Ocean.

“Keep playing, Mlungu!” shouted someone with a heavy Portuguese accent.

Heavy breathing from the Mlungu (white guy) in response.Now, I’m pretty sure that my last goal in a competitive match

was in Vancouver, in 2003, in the Chinese League. It only rolled in because the net was on a downhill slope. And so forgive me if I boast a little about the scorching strike that set the Mozambican sands on fire and won the game 3-2 for my beach soccer team. I couldn’t refrain from a little celebratory dive into the sand, which was copied by about fifteen Mozambicans and resulted in a pulled neck muscle that bothered me all through the rest of my trip.

I won’t be trading in my soccer boots for bare feet permanently, but the excitement I felt both watching and playing beach soccer were good reminders that innovation and diversity within sport are things that should be welcomed, not feared or dismissed. If more people can enjoy soccer in different guises, I, as a soccer fan, am a happy man.

At the very least it will keep them away from Frisbees, cricket and Xtreme darts.

Beach Soccer Kicks Sand on Sketchy Sports By Trevor Kew

"...the excitement I felt both watching and playing beach soccer were good reminders that innovation and diversity within sport are things that should be welcomed..."

Football Followers: Twitter.com/FreeKickMag10 11September 2010 Free Kick

Thierry Henry in his final international game.France vs. South Africa (World Cup 2010)- BRUNO FONSECA PHOTO

HENRYHEADSTOMLS By Randip Janda

Major League Soccer enjoyed a huge boost this summer when French megastar Thierry Henry shed his Barcelona and Les Bleus maillot to sport the jersey for the New York Red Bulls. After a turbulent World Cup campaign where the French team imploded into an outright mutiny against their head boss Raymond Domenche, the prolific goal scorer left the tattered summer behind for the Big Apple. Though ripe in age at 33, the time when soccer bodies start to disintegrate, Henry brings with him every team trophy a player could ever fantasize including: the 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000, 2003 FIFA Federation Cup, the Spanish Supercup, UEFA Super Cup, the Club World Cup ... the list goes on and on, including bragging rights as France’s top goal scorer of all time.

MLS supporters could not be more delighted. As a bonus, the Red Bulls also pulled off a major double

coup, by securing the services of Mexico captain, Rafael Marquez.

For Vancouver fans there is even more to cheer about with the Whitecaps FC joining the MLS next spring and players like Henry coming to town. The game is surely already sold out.

Think back to 2007 when Beckham mania officially started in North America. The arrival of David Beckham was celebrated with much pomp and circumstance. The paparazzi amassed at LAX airport to welcome ’Posh and Becks’ to the United States, followed by a glitzy confetti showered Los Angeles Galaxy press conference. Even locally, a packed BC Place Stadium greeted the MLS’ first ever designated player as Beckham and his club played to a 0-0 tie against the Whitecaps FC. The designated player rule, which is also not so originally called ’The Beckham Rule,’ allows each team in the MLS to sign up to three players whose salaries do not count against the team’s salary cap. The rule has allowed the MLS to compete for star players in the international soccer market. But since Beckham’s arrival, a designated player signing has not created anywhere near the hype that Beckham did for the MLS. Until now, that is.

Critics of the MLS often slam the league for the caliber of its players but these two acquisitions last month have taken the league to a new level. Although, Marquez is an important and very skilful defender, Henry is undoubtedly the key signing. Some may say that the 33 year old striker is over the hill and was a surplus to requirements at FC Barcelona, but the fact of the matter is that Henry is a world class striker, who when 100% healthy, would be starting on any major European soccer team. The pedigree and skill of Henry may even allow the MLS’ latest major acquisition to overshadow Beckham mania in the long-term.

While he may be in the twilight of his career, the Henry experiment in the MLS is likely to be successful, possibly even more so than Beckham’s. Quite simply, Henry has more to offer on the field at this moment than Beckham has had at any point of his MLS career. Beckham has been a clinical dead ball specialist over the years, who can expertly send in a cross from the wing for his attacking teammates or score off of a free-kick himself.


TS: First and foremost, we want to build a winner. We’re assembling what we feel is a good roster to finish this year strong and parlay that into next year. We’ve set some parameters for what we feel fits into the organization from a player standpoint. The player needs to fit into our criteria – that we get a guy that obviously makes us better on the field but also a guy that fits into what we see as someone, character wise, that fits the organization. FK: Do you already know the established style of play that you intend to have next year? TS: We want to be an attractive attacking team. We want to be easy on the eyes in a lot of ways. We want to make sure we sell a product that fans want to see and are excited to see. FK: Can you tell me who you’ve already brought in for next year’s team? TS: We’ve made a lot of moves in the transfer window. It’s given us a chance to showcase all these players. It’s a unique situation for us to experiment with and make sure we’re carrying a decent roster over into MLS. There are so many stages we go through. We evaluate this year’s roster. There is the expansion draft, the super draft, and the discovery period in which we can add more. I think the compilation of all that is what determines what your team looks like come MLS kickoff. So there are still loads of stages we need to go through before we establish the MLS roster. FK: Is it a big risk to bring in someone who has high profile? TS: It’s a risk if you get the wrong guy. (laughter) We think it’s something that could be intriguing, but we’re not going to do something in a hasty way. We’re going to analyze, observe, and make sure it fits the criteria that it fits that of a designated player. That will all take care of itself. FK: Where do you travel? TS: It’s a global game. We’ll continue reaching out to areas untapped, where other MLS teams aren’t looking. Everywhere! You rely on those relationships. FK: There’s a domestic player rule. Can you tell me how that is affecting decisions. TS: At this point, we have a high emphasis on Canadians, which is why we have our Residency Academy. The development of Canadians is so important for what we’re trying to achieve not only with the Whitecaps, but for Canadian soccer. FK: Since Canada hasn’t done well internationally, maybe we

don’t care if most of the players are Canadian.

TS: I just think that professional soccer hasn’t been as established as it should be. Having Vancouver, and Montreal and Toronto in the MLS will raise the profile of the game and it’ll bring awareness to the casual fan and you’ll start seeing names of kids who potentially started with our Academy. It’s raising awareness of the Canadian fan. FK: Who are the top Canadian players you have right now? TS:I don’t like to single out anybody. We’re happy with the young Canadians we have. We’ve spent time and money on them. We’re excited where they can get to. These kids are developing and will hopefully be the faces of our franchise. Our intention is to create stars, not to just bring in stars. It’s our philosophy. Canadians you can identify with! We’ve had a number of players who’ve come through the residency program. We’re building. They’re not household names yet but they’re getting calls to the U-20s and U-23s so that’s a good indication. They’re making a name for themselves on the international stage. FK: It must be such a dream for Canadian kids now who have the opportunity to be recognized. TS:Anyone who’s playing the game, and say with Residency, you’re in an environment where you’re coached properly and living the dream, it’s pretty cool. I wish I had that opportunity. It’s an exciting time and here in Vancouver, we feel we’re doing something even more special than the rest of them. Something that falls into this unique opportunity is a dream. What we’re doing will benefit Canadian soccer.

As important as that is, Henry is a striker and as we all know, strikers get the most goals. His finishing skills are impeccable and when he takes on defenders, his speed is still very difficult to handle (just ask Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos, who Henry terrorized as a member of Barcelona a couple of seasons ago!). The fact is that Henry will undoubtedly get chances to score as a striker, and as in any sport, the goal scorer tends to get more credit than the set-up man.

Although the Red Bulls’ signing of Henry may not be welcomed with the same euphoria in the mainstream media as Beckham’s did, especially lacking the frenzied screams of teenage girls, the move does have North American footy fans salivating. For many supporters, who scoffed at the league for what they saw as the signing a part-time soccer player and a part-time model in David Beckham, Henry brings a sense of real legitimacy to the league. The lanky striker, who was born and raised in the suburbs of Paris, can add to his list of accolades with his impressive record of 226 goals in 349 games during his career with Arsenal FC (1999-2007) in England. This record is unlikely to be beaten by any member of Arsenal or any other Premier League player for a very long time.

Yet, Henry’s personal legacy has definitely taken a hit recently. First, after he decided to play ‘handball’ in a crucial World Cup qualifying playoff match against Ireland. Henry used his hand to direct the ball towards his teammate William Gallas, who headed the ball home for a decisive game winning and World Cup qualifying goal. Despite many apologies by Henry to Irish fans and the suggestion for the game to be replayed , the Irish will sulk in their envious green and basterdize him to their graves. Somewhere in their spoils though the Irish relished in the abysmal collapse of the former World Cup champs as Henry sat equally miserable on the bench watching his team disintegrate from grace.

Given the mindset of great athletes, Henry will be looking to turn the page on a dark period of his career and strike back against all those that believe his best days are long behind him. The legendary Frenchman is likely to embrace the MLS due to his love for the city of New York and his approachability. Long before his move to the Red Bulls, Henry attended his good friend (and BC’s favourite son) Steve Nash’s charity soccer tournament in New York’s Chinatown where he claimed “I love American sports... For me New York City is the best city in the world.”

Fast-forward three years and Henry has put his money where his mouth is. Prior to his first match as a member of the Red Bulls on July 22nd, the French sniper jumped on a PATH commuter train, like a regular New Yorker, and rode to his first match by rubbing shoulders with his new best friends, Red Bulls fans.

THE NEXT ERA OF MLS

Ridge Mobulu

FK: Henry just came to the Red Bulls. Can you tell me what he brings to the league? TS: First, I think it shows the progression of the league. It’s grown to the point where we’re getting interest from players of Henry’s calibre. The ‘Beckhams’ are wanting to come here to play. The ability to get guys like that obviously raises the profile of the MLS and lets the casual fan identify with some names that are famous around the world. FK: Do you think he’s in a bit of a vulnerable position right now, like Beckham near the end of his career. How do you think he’ll show? TS: Beckham’s still playing for top clubs around the world and doing well. It’s hard to say he’s at the end. Injuries are a setback but are also part of the sport. He’s been a blessing for the league for what he does on the field and also for what he does off the field. Beckham sends great messages, he’s the ultimate professional. You don’t see that in too many sports, someone who is so well balanced.

FK: With Vancouver coming into MLS next year, fans are waiting for the ’wow’ factor. A lot of people are hoping that a big player will come in. Can you speak about that?

Free Kick caught up with Tom Soehn, the Director of Soccer Operations with the Vancouver Whitecaps, to see where they are now with over half a year until their debut in the MLS.

New-look Whitecaps FC in transition mode to MLS

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604-605-READ | [email protected]

STAY IN THE GAME. GO BIG. Follow B.C.’s biggest team of sports writers for unbeatable soccer coverage. From in-depth upcoming World Cup coverage including exclusive insight from bob Lenarduzzi, to our popular Goal! section every Friday covering the Whitecaps as they prepare to join MLS in 2011, The Province Sports is the place for your soccer fix.

Alternative uses for leftover Vuvuzelas

Chapeau Fashion Statement

“Dutch” Pipe

Plummer’s Assistant Cheap CostumeBeer Bong

David Beckham and recent New York sign-ings Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez are MLS’s top earners, each making more

than $5 million this season in guaranteed sal-ary, according to the MLS Players Union. Landon Donovan is the only American millionaire, coming in fourth at more than $2.1 million in guaran-teed salary. Defending champion Real Salt Lake, Kansas City and expansion Philadelphia are the only teams paying no one more than $300,000 in 2010. Of the 414 plus registered players in MLS, 107 (26%) earn $40,000 or less. $3,333 a month.

MOST 'VALUABLE’ PLAYERS2010 MLS Top Earners PLAYER CLUB GUAR. SALARY1. David Beckham Los Angeles $6,500,0002. Thierry Henry New York $5,600,0003. Rafael Marquez New York $5,544,0004. Landon Donovan Los Angeles $2,127,7785. Juan Pablo Angel New York $1,918,0006. Nery Castillo Chicago $1,788,0617. Julian de Guzman Toronto $1,717,5468. Freddie Ljungberg Chicago $1,314,0009. Mista Toronto FC $987,33810. Branko Boskovic D.C. United $516,200

SOCCER SHORTS

NORTH KOREA: OFF THE HOOKAccording to FIFA, they have “checked all of its sources” and

have “closed the matter” on unconfirmed reports that North Korean players and coaches were mistreated after returning home from the World Cup. Allegations that players were summoned to Pyongyang for “harsh ideological criticism” and were ordered to reprimand Coach Kim, who was sentenced to hard labour for the team’s demoralizing losses, were “baseless,” according to the North Korean Football Federation. Radio Free Asia reported that the team was tortured and faced a public scolding by more than 400 students and sports fans (sounds a bit like England and France, n’est-ce pas?) FIFA says the North Korean Football Federation has written explaining the team is “training as usual” (in the coal mines?) and will soon play at the Asian Games. Poor guys, you would think torture enough would be listening to reruns of their cuckoo leader Kim Jong Il threatening to bomb all of their neighbours. Best wishes to those skinny look-alike robotic players who had to train in public gyms during the World Cup because they couldn’t afford anything better.

PRO REFS CAN AFFORD GLASSESFIFA boss Sepp Blatter is now insisting that future World

Cup referees will need to be full professionals. In South Africa, only two of the thirty officials selected listed refereeing as their full time job. After many high profile errors during the tournament, FIFA is setting aside $43 million dollars for grassroots training worldwide. “You can’t have non-professional referees in professional football,” said Blatter. Officials were paid $50,000 to work in South Africa, but FIFA believes that better salaries will raise the standards and lower the risk of them being vulnerable to corruption. One cannot help but wonder how much of a raise they will need to notice when a player is kung fu’ed in the chest or a ball crosses the goal line by a metre!

WHAT ABOUT RUSSIA!Arsenal’s Russian striker Andrei Arshavin believes his

country deserves the chance to host the 2018 World Cup more than England. He told talkSPORT, “you should not have it. If you say, ‘Let’s start the World Cup tomorrow,’ you have everything already. For us, it’s going to be much more. In general, in worldwide football, it would be better. It will let us get infrastructure because at the moment it is not good enough for football. Our people love football and it will probably be the biggest event this century for our people.”

FIFA President Sepp Blatter paralleled his comments by saying: “the easiest way to organize the World Cup is to go to England. Everything is there - fans, stadiums, infrastructure - it’s easy. You cannot deny Russia if they bid for something. They are more than a country. They are a big continent, a big power.”

Is this foreshadowing for another England loss?

The Two EscobarsJeff Zimbalist, Michael Zimbalist

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 6:40pm, Granville #4 Thursday, Oct. 7, 2:30pm, Granville #4Colombian footballer Andrés Escobar was murdered by minions of drug cartel kingpin Pablo Escobar (no relation) after the player scored an own goal at the 1994 World Cup. Jeff and Michael Zimbalist’s grip-ping film details the two incredible and interlinked dramas that galvanized a whole country.

Vancouver International Film FestivalSeptember 30 - October 15

FOOTBALL FLICK


WHAT KICKSYOU OFF

“I kept wanting to watch the World Cup and Olym-pics – it looked so thrilling but we don’t have cable and I forgot to order it in time. Oops. “

- Raine PostLeucadia, California

“Watching Brit-ish fans get all excited and then go through all the drama. It’s like watching a tragic Opera.”

- Merlin SheldrakeMystic Gypsies BandCambridge, England

“Winning the World Cup! It was one step, another step...little by little and it happened. We didn’t take anything for granted. It was trust. We were all together. There was little criticism. We just believed it could happen. Especially with all the economic crises going on, it stopped the coun-try for awhile. In hard times, when we are all togeth-er, we can make something. We don’t wave our flags often.”

- Mar ZapataMadrid, Spain

SOCCER SHORTS

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SUB!To subscribe visit

www.freekickmag.com

Free Kick caught up with Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson during his summer vacation on Cortes Island.

What kicks you off, Gregor? What do you love or hate about soccer?

Choosing his words more politely since the last time we asked him – he had a lot of #*@% words to describe his feelings on FIFA’s penalty shots deciding a match – he chose to reflect on his bi-weekly scrimmage game with the locals.

Pulling up his socks over a nasty wound the size of a meatball on his shin from mountain biking earlier in the late spring, he was disappointed to have to wear one shin guard for the entire summer while the rest of the folks were practically barefoot.

“To tell you the truth, I am really proud of the local players like Liz Hansen who grew up across the street from us. She went on to star at U Vic, and now plays in the English Premier League (Doncaster Rovers Belles LFC). For some reason she wasn’t pegged for the national team but she has been a

great player. She grew up playing with us in a really supportive community, she babysat our kids and now she makes the odd cameo appearance and puts in a few goals. She’s our star. The whole island scene is unique.

We have played in a bunch of native tournaments each with about 6-8 bands that have soccer clubs. The style is rough, intense and physically demanding, but there is a special energy and a whole cultural scene that nobody really knows about.”

FROM RAGS TO RICHESIn a sport where the

good and uplifting stories are often outnumbered by falls from grace and controversy, the story of Tiago Manuel Dias Correia, also known as "Bebe," is as rare as they come. Almost four months ago, Bebe was living and working in the orphanage

where he had been raised. Today, he is a member of arguably the world’s most popular soccer team. Bebe learned his trade in the streets of Lisbon and only started his professional soccer career last season with a third division team in Portugal. Prior to this, he had played with amateur sides in Portugal and even represented the country at the Homeless World Cup. After impressing coaches in his appearances in the third division, Vitoria Guimares, a Portuguese first division team, purchased the 20 year-old’s contract. But Bebe never played a single regular season match for Vitoria because Manchester United’s legendary coach Sir Alex Ferguson scouted the 6 foot 2 inch striker and demanded to sign Bebe, after only watching him in a handful of pre-season matches. The Red Devils paid a hefty fee of 12 million Euros for the Portuguese speedster last month. In a story that Hollywood could not even make up, Bebe will be playing with the likes of Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs at Manchester United’s Old Trafford, which is also fittingly nicknamed “The Theatre of Dreams.”

PAUL PICKS ENGLAND FOR 2018 CUPApparently Paul the

Octopus’ fifteen minutes of fame are not up just yet. Paul, a resident of the Oberhausen Aquarium, received world-wide acclaim during the World Cup for his perfect punditry, where he correctly predicted the result of 8 consecutive matches, including the

final. Following South Africa 2010, Paul has signed a book deal, is set to appear in a movie, and will be the subject of a merchandising campaign that will raise money for charity. Now, as Paul heads into retirement, he had one last prediction before calling it quits. Paul has put his perfect reputation on the line by choosing England to host the 2018 World Cup! Paul joins the elite company of David Beckham, Formula One racer Lewis Hamilton, Oasis lead guitarist Noel Gallagher, and Sting, as backers of England’s bid. As bold and patriotic as Paul is, you can bet he won’t risk his perfect record and reputation by picking England to win the World Cup!

AU REVOIR ANELKAAfter France’s embarrassing debacle during this summer’s

World Cup in South Africa, it was quite obvious that the French Football Federation and their new coach, Laurent Blanc, would come down hard on the French players that chose to mutiny in South Africa. After players chose to strike during a training session under then coach, Raymond Domenech, the French team, lacking any chemistry and cohesion, bombed out of the tournament following a loss in their final group stage game to South Africa. Last month, Blanc suspended all 23 players on the World Cup squad for the next international match against Norway. But stiffer punishment was saved for the players that were seen as ringleaders. Captain Patrice Evra, who allegedly led the strike has been suspended for 5 matches, while Nicolas Anelka, who was kicked off the team for a verbal altercation with Domenech, has been suspended for 18 matches. Anelka, who has been unflatteringly called by the English media as ’Le Sulk’ over the years, will most likely retire from international football due to this ban. But if you thought the Chelsea FC striker was distraught and staying quiet, you are sadly mistaken. Anelka parted with the French team by calling the French Football Federation a bunch of clowns and that “he is dying of laughter.”

BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITYA couple months after

representing Portugal at the World Cup in South Africa, Canadian-born and East Vancouver -raised goalkeeper Daniel Fernandes is on the move yet again. The 6 foot 4 1/2 inch custodian has completed a one year deal to play for Greek giants Panathinaikos. After successful stints with the Vancouver Whitecaps, FC Porto in Portugal and PAOK FC in Greece, the former Killarney Secondary student will be battling Alexandros Tzorvas of Greece for the starting goalkeeper position of the Athens-based club.

THE MAYOR CHIPS IN

“Bebe”

Fernandes

Beckham


We interviewed folks about their "nightmare" dating moments. Just for fun, you get to be the referee in this scenario. Does this person get a red card, yellow card or would they be a perfect match for your team?

I asked this attractive girl wearing a Barcelona shirt on the bus if she wanted to a kick a ball around one day and she said, “you’re talking to the wrong team, I can pick up hotter girls than you.”

- Bruce, Vancouver

This guy came to one of my games and gave me a card with Rod Stewart’s song You’re in My Heart saying “You’re Celtic, United but baby I’ve decided, you’re the best team I’ve ever seen.”

- Candace, Seattle

On our first date, I realized he could fit into my cleats. I dumped him.

- Charlize, New Westminster

This white girl from Sweden with a Bafana Bafana jersey asked me out, telling me she wanted to ease racial tensions in our country.

- Freeman, South Africa

I met this girl from Plenty of Fish cause she said she was a Galaxy fan. Turns out she just likes to go to Planetariums.

- Rich, Toronto

Chakri's Cartoons

TRY THIS AWESOME MOVE1. With the ball in front of

you, swing your right foot over the ball and plant foot on left side of ball.

2. Pivot on right foot.

3. Touch ball with left foot.

4. Take ball with left foot.

Keep hands out to be dynamic and keep defenders away from you.

Remember, always practice both ways: left and right!

THINK OUTSIDE THE RECTANGLEPromote your business to the soccer community!

Our readers are active, healthy, fun people who would love to spend money in your business. Call 604-551-7006 or [email protected] to inquire about advertising rates.


SoccerScopesAries: Honking your vuvuzela in your workplace or school may extend your summer vacation.

Taurus: Singing Liverpool’s “You’ll never walk alone” song to yourself after completely screwing up and causing your team to lose will help alleviate suicidal fantasies. Gemini: Taking Salsa dancing lessons for Brazil 2014 may help alleviate post-South Africa depression.

Cancer: Listening to the losing team’s fans complain about the refereeing may be toxic to your positive outlook on life. Best to plug in your earphones and meditate to Deepak Chopra.

Leo: Back to hockey being the front page. Hanging soccer balls on your rear view mirror will remind you ‘soccer is the bomb’.

Virgo: Clearing your car of reeking shin guards and soccer shoes may increase your chances of a second date.

Libra: Listening to ‘Wavin’ Flag’ and ‘Waka Waka’ has been scientifically proven to ensure happy endorphin releases for a good night’s sleep.

Scorpio: Showing off your speed and endurance chasing down the ice cream truck might not impress your coaches.

Sagittarius: Volunteering to sing the national anthem at your next game may lead to karaoke invitations.

Capricorn: Attempting flips for throw ins may shorten your family’s insistence on you playing soccer.

Aquarius: Bringing a battery charged cappuccino machine on the sidelines for your team will bring you more glory than scoring a winning goal.

Pisces: Using your vuvuzela to listen into other conversations may help you discover if people are talking about you.

POSTGAMESNACKZUCCHINI BREAD

INGREDIENTS:• 3 eggs, well beaten• 2 cups of sugar• 2 cups raw, grated zucchini (alternatively, a third of

the zucchini with grated carrot)• 3 cups of whole wheat flour• 3 tsp vanilla extract• 1/2 cup of canola oil• 3 tsp cinnamon• 1/2 tsp nutmeg• 1 tsp salt• 1/4 tsp baking powder• 1 tsp baking soda• 3/4 cup of mini chocolate chips• 3/4 cup of walnut pieces

PREPARATION:Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Coat two 8x4 bread pans with cooking spray.

Combine the eggs, oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla in a large bowl then mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Slowly add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well. Add the chocolate chips and walnut pieces and mix again.

Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared loaf pans.Place in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes before slicing. Slather with butter and enjoy!


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“I’m really excIted about beIng part of the team. I know that together we’re goIng to make a huge dIfference.”NBA superstar Steve Nash isn’t the kind of guy to take his role as the captain of Team Power Smart lightly. Frankly, he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to take any challenge lightly.

Take his Vancouver fitness club. Nash set out to promote every aspect of healthy living with the club—from the nutritious offerings in its café, to the recycled rubber on its floors, to the energy-efficient light bulbs that brighten its spaces.

Light bulbs as a part of healthy living? Well, if every home in BC switched just four lights to energy-efficient compact fluorescents, then we would save enough electricity in one year to power GM Place for the next 20. Think of it as healthy living on a very big scale, for generations to come.

Commit to saving 10% and we’ll help you succeed. Join Team Power Smart and receive exclusive member benefits. Sign-up at bchydro.com/joinme.

JoIn teampower Smart

serving the beautiful game whoa henry! · carrie serwetnyk, first woman canadian soccer hall of...

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