5 Cold-Facts That Could Change Freestyle Soccer in 10 Years Time

On a cold day while walking along the streets, I stumbled a couple of kids doing silky tricks while juggling with the ball. To my amazed, they can do tricks in different combinations or what they called as combo and link among themselves. The soccer tricks intrigued me that I began practicing a few of them, well at least one of them. So then I walked along the park to watch guys playing a nice friendly game on a cold hard rainy afternoon. Some of them particularly in the midfield outmaneuver the defenders with silky skills that left the defenders puzzled. Cool soccer tricks and skills. On my way back, I watched some videos on Youtube, usually I received a link from my friend via email and immediately I watched the video link and thought, " The guy's insane to pull off those tricks!". I researched on these guys and found out that they're definitely freestylers.
Cool and silky tricks in different combinations during juggling or dribbling are what freestyle soccer is all about. A new trend and relatively new to the world of soccer. It's addictive and mouth-watering to watch that most people perceived freestyle as a hobby rather than a professional activity. Freestylers typically practice their soccer tricks and work on their combinations to showcase their skills to their friends and the world itself. Silky tricks and skills are recorded and edited to the video including slow motion and credits in order to upload to the streaming sites like Youtube. Freestylers even go one step ahead by performing in competitions and performances like advertisements and documentaries.
A couple of well-knowned freestylers like Billy Wingrove, Abbas Farid, Soufiane Touzani and Palle perform in competition and some of them even releases their very own DVD to teach the newbies in freestyle soccer. Other forms of soccer like beach soccer and five-a-side futsal have flourished in the last 10 years. So, can freestyler soccer follow the same footsteps to grow as a sport? I believe that freestyle soccer has the hidden potential that's yet to be harnessed. Unless these potential actions are taken, freestyle soccer is prone to dullness. 5 factors that could impact on the world of freestyle soccer:
1. Making it a "Big" hit
Performing irresistible silky and cool soccer tricks in front of the audience on a live performance raise freestylers' reputation and recognition worldwide. Profit-making companies play a huge role in promoting these outstanding individuals to a world stage like for instance, Nike in promoting top dog superstars such as Billy Wingrove and Abbas Farid. These freestylers often featured in Nike commercials along with soccer superstars like Ronaldinho, Edgar Davids, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Television programmes play a crucial role in promoting freestylers by broadcasting informative documentaries about their lifestyle for example, the BBC Match of the Day program featured a special section about Billy Wingrove and his lifestyle as a freestyler.
2. Engage freestyler with the club via a contract
A boring plain piece of paper that includes all the nitty gritty information on engagement between a freestyler and the club in order to validate their relationship for an agreed number of years. Freestyler's role are explained in the contract including their wages, privileges with the club like access to the club's stadium and training ground and travel with the club.
Billy Wingrove, a British freestyler, is contracted to his childhood club, Tottenham Hotspur which gives him the privileges to watch Tottenham's matches at White Hart Lane, access to their training ground and meeting top players like Aaron Lennon.
3. Train and Travel with the Club
Under a contract, freestylers have the access to the club's training ground to participate in five-a-side matches with the first team or even teach them some new soccer tricks to the players as Billy Wingrove did with Tottenham Hotspurs.
By training, freestylers have the privilege to travel with the club for away matches or continental championship like the Champions League. This allows them maximum exposure on different lifestyle and cultures on soccer and other things.
4. Coaching the Players
Freestylers have the option to coach whether on a part time basis or on a full time basis.
On a part time basis, a freestyler teaches soccer tricks to the players of the club as Billy Wingrove did with a former Tottenham player, Robbie Keane.
The fun begins in a full time basis. A freestyler coaches the players about freestyler soccer that's integrated to the club's training regime. He could influence on coaching decisions on their training regime like improving the team's ball control and also travel with the club on away matches as well as watching home matches to monitor the team's progress.
5. Half time Shows and Team Mascot
It's a rarity in the world of soccer but more common in American sports like the NBA and NFL. But, half time shows evolved in the world of soccer quite recently thus an opportunity for freestylers to shine on the soccer pitch.
Maradona first did half time shows during his days at Boca Juniors. Similarly, Billy Wingrove did the same for the Premiership pre-match entertainment and for international friendlies involving England and Wales.
Freestylers also act as a mascot for the team to welcome new signings or as a pre-match entertainment. Recently, Abbas Farid and his friend did a pre-match entertainment about freestyle with Ronaldinho. The fact that Ronaldinho stares the whole time and giving ovation to those freestylers was a hilarious moment. So, I could conclude that freestylers are related but completely different to soccer.
Conclusion
There's no doubt that a breathtaking sport embeds into freestyle soccer and the governing body, FIFA should harness to its full potential. An addictive hobby that can earn freestylers a lot of money for their uniqueness in producing exceptional combinations and awesome tricks that should be rewarded and why not. I believe that freestyle can rise to be as good as soccer if these factors or others are put into practice.

Freestyle Soccer - Confused on Where to Start?

First of all, let's start with a simple question, what is freestyle soccer? Freestyle soccer is simply the style and ability to combine various soccer tricks in juggling and ground moves. It's a new trend in soccer along with other types like five a side futsal and beach soccer. In a soccer context, freestyle is perceived as less significance to the modern game. However, freestyle soccer does improve a footballer's ability to control the ball.
The ball control is what I perceived as the most important element in soccer before other attributes like fitness and tactics. There's a saying that if you can control the ball you can control the game. In fact, I stumbled one of Zlatan Ibrahimovic's, an Inter Milan player, quotes saying that as long as you have the ball, you'll have the advantage. Yet majority of footballers still ignore the importance of freestyle soccer. There are reasons behind it and one of them is that the soccer tricks are difficult to execute and only brings less to the modern game. True enough, but let's not forget the concept of ball control. Learning freestyle allows a player to enhance his touches especially the first touch. A great first touch buys you thousands of mili seconds to give you an edge over the opposition.
Those seconds could change the game in an instant especially in the modern game where it demands fast and furious soccer. As a result of those reasons, they don't even bother in the first place. On the other side, the ones who love freestyle soccer perceived it as something that they can express their creativity and improve on ball control and touches to a greater heights. But I'm more concern to those who are ignorant and may not have the slightest interest on freestyle soccer. The problem is, they may not know where to begin especially after watching a series of freestyle videos on streaming sites like YouTube. I'm assuming that they only watched the difficult tricks and instead forget the basics of freestyle soccer. I believe that freestyle soccer should begin with the basics like juggling and planting before moving on to the more advanced soccer tricks like the around the world, crossover, flip flap and others. It's important since juggling is the principle of all types of ball control along with dribbling. In this case, I shall focus on juggling since it's related to freestyle soccer.
Juggling the ball
Simply done by doing kick ups without letting the ball fall on to the ground and expanded to different parts of the body from foot, thigh, shoulder and head. The aim is to be able to link your juggling skills from one part to the other. For example, transfer your juggling from foot to your thigh. You can start with a simple transfer and improve to more advanced transfers like juggling from foot to thigh and then head. Once you've mastered juggling, you can start planting or stalling a soccer ball.
Planting the ball
The ability to balance the ball on a specific part of your body like balancing the ball on your foot. You can start by placing the ball on your foot and once you've mastered, you can plant the ball during your juggling. For example, juggle with your foot which is then transferred to your thigh and then balance it with your foot i.e. foot plant. Focus on these two abilities will help build confidence for you to start on learning some of the basic freestyle soccer tricks. Improving your juggling and planting skills increases your coordination abilities especially when you practice your transferring or linking skills. For this one, I'd recommend the around the world trick because it's the principle of all soccer tricks. Once you've mastered this trick, you have a great chance of doing other tough soccer tricks like the MATW, TATW, crossover etc. The trick is simply to rotate your foot around the ball after either juggling or footplant and kick it as you finish the rotation to complete the process.
These are a couple of basics that you'd need to constantly bear in mind. Similar to soccer, the techniques are very important and I highly encourage you to practice these tricks with a lot of dedication and once mastered, you'll begin to appreciate the beauty of freestyle soccer.

The Organizations That Made Football What it is Today

Ever wonder how many associations there are for what probably is the world's most watched sport? Wonder no more. We have listed them for your convenience.
1. The Football Association
In 1863, the English FA (Football Association) was established and is responsible for all its leagues in England, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It has been a member of FIFA since 1905 and UEFA since 1954. Currently, blue-blooded Prince William is seated as president of the association. It manages England's national football team generating considerable income each year.
2. Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Formed in June 15t, 1954 in Basel, Switzerland and initially composed of just 25 associations, UEFA is the now the governing body of football in Europe (including international competitions) with currently 53 members making it the richest among the other organizations by far.
3. Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)
The famous FIFA was established in Paris on May 21, 1904 initially handling European national associations. Today, it is the chief governing body in world football having quickly expanded across the globe which is why it is now comprised of 207 domestic Football Associations. Along with the changes over the years, its nerve center is now in Zurich, Switzerland.
FIFA organizes the World Cup which is why the latter is almost synonymous to the organization's name. Also, it operates the Confederations Cup taking place every four years between the winners of six confederation championships. It is also interested in the host country's football and the World Cup winners.
FIFA actively engages itself in the sport and its development around the world. It has even created less notable awards such as the FIFA Club World Cup, where the leading clubs from the six confederations compete with one another yearly; the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, a beach football which first happened in 1995 in Brazil; and the FIFA Futsal World Championships which is an indoor football.
The FIFA World Player of the Year award ceremony is also their making. This is an avenue for honoring the best player in the world of football.
It is said that FIFA's motto is "for the good of the game" but there have been allegations of a so-called "financial irregularities" in the organization. A major deliberation in recent years has been FIFA's financial interest in football. This goes the same for domestic FAs and UEFA.
Concerns have been expressed with the establishment of the Club World Cup and the Confederations Cup due to a clash for clubs and national sides and mainly with the profits of these clubs going to FIFA. This is supported by the fact that FIFA indeed took a big slice of the cake between 2003 and 2006 with reports of its $1.64 billion revenue and on top of that, its $144 million profit.
The establishment of the Club World Cup and Confederations Cup were met with some consternation due to fixture congestion for clubs and national sides, particularly with the profits predominantly going to FIFA. Indeed, between 2003 and 2006 (the four year cycle including the World Cup), FIFA announced $1.64 billion worth of revenue, with a $144 million profit. In effect, FIFA directives are now being monitored other footballs clubs and associations.

Watch Sports on the Internet With ESPN360

If you do not necessarily want to buy the full Dish Network sports package, or you have basic cable and cannot afford more, or you just are one of those people still in the Dark Ages of TV with only an antenna and you still want to watch sports, that is what ESPN360.com provides. ESPN360 allows you to watch sports on the internet that you otherwise not might be able to watch. Even if you have every sports channel possible on DirecTV or Dish Network (they have more sports than anyone as they are satellite providers), you will still be able to catch a few sporting events exclusively on ESPN360 and nowhere else.
These days, a lot of internet users want to watch sports on the internet for whatever reason. Of course it helps if you have a fast connection, but fast connections are common these days. Most readers of this article will be able to watch ESPN360, provided their internet company provides it. The list of providers will continue to grow, I am sure, as it is becoming quite the popular place to watch sports on the internet in general and to watch soccer internet matches exclusively, for one.
As for the ESPN360 schedule of live events, on the day I am writing this (Thursday, October 9) I see 15 live events scheduled to show. Some events like college football, UEFA Champions League matches, NFL games, etc. will be shown live on TV and on ESPN360. For the soccer lovers who do not have the dough to be able to get all the soccer channels on satellite TV, ESPN360 includes Serie A, the Dutch league, Chinese league, U.S. soccer and other soccer matches that you will not see on any channel in the U.S. So for the soccer fanatics like me, it is fantastic to be able to watch soccer on the internet with ESPN360. They even show some futsal and beach soccer when they have tournaments.
These days, sports fans want more and more options for watching sports. I know as I am one myself. When I miss a game or can't find it anywhere else I'm often able to go to ESPN360 online and catch it. One of the best features is they save most every game shown on ESPN360 for you to come and watch it later. You just have to search on their convenient list for the game you want to see, even after it has already ended. That is the beauty of watching TV online and that is why I think it will happen more and more in the future.

New Soccer Coach's Sample Letter to Parents

You are a young or inexperienced youth soccer coach, and you have a bunch of excited and excitable parents who are yelling at their kids or who are simoply eager to help. What do you say to them to get them on your side? How can we enlist them to be part of a great organization? If we don't manage their expectations and focus their energy we are missing a great opportunity or worse, running th risk of drama. Drama is not good for the team!
Don't worry! All will be well! Here is a technique I have used with great success: a Coach's Letter To Parents" which establishes firmly the expectations of parents, players and coaches for the season. You can easily adapt this to suit your own needs. It has worked like a charm for me. It's gratifying to see the parents using the right language of support and encouragement for their girls and it lets me focus on the job of coaching.
Here's the letter:
Memo for: Parents of ___________Girls soccer team for _________ Subject: My coaching goals, perspectives and intent
1. I will coach the U10Gs as a volunteer. I have a lifelong love of soccer, played on a really good club team for a couple years in college and am competent in building skills and managing practices/games. I've coached many of the girls on the team already through 2 outdoor and 1 futsal (indoor) season, with excellent results as measured by our Big 5 (see below).
2. My focus for the girls are the Big 5, and it's how we as a team will keep our focus and evaluate ourselves during and after every game:
1. Play hard
2. Have fun
3. Support your team
4. Love the game
5. Respect the other team and the referees
We are winners when we do that. I will keep asking them to express what these mean to them in their own words.
3. It's very important for you to be the parents of your girls, and let me be their coach. They thrive on knowing they have your unconditional love, admiration and enthusiasm, and letting me challenge them on the technical aspects of the game. The Big 5 would be an excellent set of discussion points with your girls to reinforce what's really important for them at this age.
4. My goals are to provide a supportive environment for the girls to grow strong character through healthy competition and to develop their individual and team skills in soccer. I want them to contribute to and value the strength of their team. We know that strong, positive, social groups are an important source of moral strength for our girls in the teen years.
5. My focus on the girls as players is to give them equal time to play, and to help each girl grow her skills each practice, game and week. We measure success by our effort, our attitude and how far we have come.
6. My relationship with parents has been very good and I appreciate your help in reinforcing the lessons above through positive language and good sportsmanship.
7. I strongly encourage you to be active with your daughter in between practices. Soccer is great fun and kicking the ball around is a great way to burn some calories and enjoy playing together. If you'd like to help at practice, we can make that work too.

Exercise Your Stress Away

Sitting around at the office all day can't be that relaxing for most. And after a long day at work, not many people have the energy or motivation to want to get up off their bum and get some exercise. A run, a short work out session in the gym, futsal, tennis or even a swim are great ways to keep in shape and at the same time burn some stress out of your mind and body.
Exercise Releases Endorphins
Endorphins are natural pain killers and also help lift your mood. They are basically a natural way of getting yourself high, much like a sugar high might improve your mood, except with exercise, there's no down after the high, it just slowly fades away back to normalcy.
People who are in depression often lack these neurochemicals and hence are stressed and sad all the time. High amounts of exercise could slowly pump back these neurochemicals back into their brain and pull them out of the hole of depression that they are in.
Exercise Is An Outlet For The Mind
Let's face it, running on the treadmill or swimming in the pool can get a little tedious and repetitive. It's at times like these that you can use exercise as an outlet for mental soothing and repair. The best way to demonstrate this is through an example. Imagine you are running on the treadmill and just staring out straight. Rather than focus on the task at hand and trying to ignore the building burning sensation in your legs, why not try a few mental exercises?
For those 15 minutes, try and imagine your frustrations and stress burning away out of your body through your arms and legs. Or try reinforcing your metal state by thinking of very positive thoughts, such as how successful you will be in the future or how happy you are with your family and friends. It'll do you a world of good.
Exercise Is The Best Vice
When people are feeling stressed of frustrated with a situation, it is too easy to reach for a vice to calm yourself. These include alcohol, smoking, gambling and excessive eating which are all bad for you in the long run and may double up on your stress levels in the future.
Exercise is something that you can and should use as a vice when times are bad. Feeling the pressure at work and your boss? After work, try and put in a 15 - 20 minute medium intensity work out. It won't prevent your boss from shouting at you the next day, but at least it'll keep your mood up for whatever is left of the current day.
Thinking of exercise as a way to keep your mind and body healthy is the best approach to it, instead of thinking of it as a chore. Exercise has been proven to increase life expectancy, reduce heart problems and cancer as well as a great way to keep your mind in a positive mood.
So get up, do a sit up, a push up, a pull up, anything. And get on the road to reducing stress and improving your life today.

William Lee has worked for a large multinational corporation as a marketing executive and deals with work related stress every day.

The History of FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona, or Futbol Club Barcelona, is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. Though it is primarily known for its football club, FC Barcelona also consists of four other professional sports teams, competing in basketball, handball, futsal, and roller hockey. FC Barcelona, known familiarly by its fans as Barça, has been around for over one hundred years and has been consistently popular throughout.
FC Barcelona was founded in 1899 by Joan Gamper, a Swiss businessman who had relocated to Spain after falling in love with the country. Gamper sought to start a football club and placed an ad in a paper, receiving several responses and quickly assembling a team that went on to emerge as one of the leading teams in their home region of Catalonia and the greater country of Spain. In 1902, the club won the Copa Macaya.
In 1908, Gamper became club president in order to save the club from going under. FC Barcelona had been experiencing hardships due to many of their best players retiring and the fact that they had not won anything since 1905. Gamper was able to get the club its own stadium, formally moving into the Carrer Industria on March 14, 1909. Gamper was also able to recruit top-notch players and managers and get the club back into the business of winning with him at the helm. The club moved yet again in 1922 to an even larger stadium, Las Cortes, which eventually had a capacity of a whopping 60,000.
The mid- 1920s and 30s marked a period of hardship for the club. During this period, a crowd at a Barça game jeered the Royal March as a spontaneous objection to Spain's dictatorship. As a result, the stadium was shut down for three months and Gamper was forced to concede the presidency of the club. The club's founder committed suicide on July 30, 1930 following a bout of depression brought on by personal and financial problems.
After the Spanish Civil War, Dictator Francisco Franco banned football clubs from using non-Spanish names. As a result, FC Barcelona was changed to Club de Futbol Barcelona. During this period, the club was oppressed by Franco's regime, which favored their rivals, Real Madrid. Despite the political climate and oppression, FC Barcelona was able to go on and win many trophies and championships during the 1940s and 50s.
Though they became the first club to beat Real Madrid in a European Cup eliminatory in 1961, the 60s were not a great decade for CF Barcelona. Because the club lacked money to acquire better players after building a new stadium, the league was dominated by Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. The 1970s, however, saw the arrival of the soon-to-be-legendary Johan Cruyff, who led the team to the championship in '74.
Despite winning many championships, the next fourteen years saw the team experience conflicts with their management. Finally, in 1988 Johan Cruyff returned as team manager and assembled the "Dream Team", a group of elite players. Cruyff led the team to many victories and remains their most successful manager to date. After Cruyff's departure in 1994, managers and players came and went, but the team continued having limited successes.
Finally, in 2003 a young new president took over FC Barcelona. Joan Laporta brought in manager Frank Rijkaard and many international stars that led the team to many victories for a few years. In 2008, after many failures Laporta decided to replace Rijkaard with Barça B coach Josep Guardiola.

The Champions' Approach to Life - 4 Simple Steps to Becoming a Champion

As a mother, I have been blessed to have had the privilege of seeing my son, Nick, grow from a baby into his first year of adolescence. I was talking to a fellow mother of a teenager recently on the subject of why our sons are so special. Yes we are biased and I make no apology for that but I have reason to believe that my son is truly one of my heroes and a fabulous role model for all champions.
Our conversation centered around the news that Nick had just received a letter saying that he had been selected to represent his country in a sport that he loves. He has been playing soccer and futsal (indoor soccer) since he was four years old and absolutely lives and breathes it. To the point that in Year 1, at age 6 he wrote that when he grows up he would be a Socceroo. He has gone on to represent his school and town at higher and higher levels, until later this year he will travel to Brazil and Chile representing Australia in the Under 14 squad. We began talking about what does it take to become a champion?
The following four ideas kept coming up and I ask that you think how they might apply to your life.
1. What do I want?
You need to have a clear picture of what your goal is. Nick knew that one day he would play soccer for Australia. I still remember the day that he came home from school saying that the reason he had to learn the national anthem was so he could sing it before any big games. Have a reason to get up every day and do all the mundane training in the cold. You have to be able to see the big picture and often it helps to surround yourself with reminders of these goals. Nick has a picture of his heroes that sits in his room, an unconscious reason to live his dreams and make them come true.
2. How will it happen?
You also need a game plan. What skills do you need to learn, or habits need to form? Champions do what they do without thinking about it because they have done it so many times before. They know where they want to be and have a road map to get there. Nick realised that he needed to make representative teams and worked hard long before that he became a member of these teams, so that the selectors would think about overlooking him. He did not always start off as the "best" player in a team, but soon found out what was needed and worked on improving his skills so that often he finished the season with the "most consistent" award. So work out what steps you need to take to get where you want to be and make small consistent improvements on your skills.
3. I will make it happen
You need to take responsibility for making your dreams come true. I think this involves taking ownership of both the good and bad sides. When things have gone off track ask yourself what have I done to make this happen and what do I have to do to change it? Do not blame anyone or anything else. Firstly check your own actions and attitudes before looking outwards because in the long run that is the only thing that you are in complete control of. But also take ownership of all the positive things too. Be proud and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small they might seem at the time. This will not only make your journey much more enjoyable, it will also bolster your confidence to take the next step.
4. Who else do I need on my team?
Nick was also the under 10 regional tennis champion but had to choose between tennis and soccer. Soccer won as it was his true passion, but when I asked him why, he replied that he got to play soccer with his mates, he had a team to enjoy it with and tennis was only fun at squad time. Every champion needs to have a team with them to get them over the line. A coach, to point out what skills that needs to be worked on and to give ideas for improvement. A trainer, to push them when they do not have the motivation or confidence to take the next step. Mentors, in whose footsteps you can follow and on whose actions you can learn from and improve on, mentors who you may not have even met personally but have done what you want to do. And finally a cheer squad, the people who believe you can do it and stand on the side line in the cold and rain waiting to tell you how wonderful you are regardless of the outcome. Who do you need to get on (or off) your team in order for you to become a champion?
It really is that easy to become a champion and a hero. So you just need to decide where your passion lies and follow four simple steps so that one day soon you can be a champion in the eyes of your parents, your children or maybe a whole nation if that is what you want.

What Are You Doing to Improve Your Blogging?

Bettering yourself comes so naturally as a kid. whether it be attending weekly soccer practices or getting piano lessons (the two things I did as a kid!), practice and learning seemed like a given. We had a set time each week where we knew we had to be there to learn more about something we love.
I'm not sure if it is just because our parents pushed up, but have you noticed as people get older they seem to focus more on the task instead of bettering themselves in that task. I mean when I was a kid playing soccer, I would always have at least one weekly practice (usually two), but now I am playing futsal (indoor soccer) and we just all rock up 10min before the game not having practiced at all the whole week!
I think that if you want to be good at something you really need to be committed to it - and learning is such a bit part in commitment. If you want to be the best you have to learn from the best.
For example. I recently started singing first at my youth group, then I was given the responsibility of children's worship director and started singing in church. I must say I absolutely although love it and am doing it at either a practice or service 3-4 times a week, I know I can be so much better. I want to be able to do so much more. I have goals of being involved in professional cd recordings for both kids church and youth, and would love to tour the world with our youth band -so I decided I needed to be even better, and to start taking lessons from a professional vocal coach.
After having my first singing lesson today, my eyes have been opened to the possibilities and potential I have as a singer. She was able to tell me what I was doing wrong and the exact steps I needed to take to start seeing results.
I think this is exactly the same as with blogging. So many people are saying they want to be an a-list blogger but what are you doing to prepare yourself to be one. I know you can strike it lucky with digg and stuff like that, but even if you have a lucky break what are you doing to make sure you keep them?
You need to consistently be improving your writing technique, your posting style, your marketing strategies, your blog monetization, your networking. You need to be mentored by someone who knows more about things than you do.
Now it doesn't have to be anything formal. I mean for you it could just be reading ProBlogger and learning from his posts. Or it could be chatting with a higher profile blogger than you and just learning from him.

Football Training - First Touch

Football Training-First Touch
First touch is crucial. Watch all the world class players and you will see benefits of a true first touch. World class players have the skill to bring the ball under control quickly while moving the ball away from defender and into space. But what ever level you play, you cannot afford to waste extra time taking an extra touch to control the ball.
The side of the foot
The most simple and effective of controlling the ball. If done correctly the ball will be under your control on the ground. It's important to note that your first touch should move the ball away from the defender and onto space, secondly you should know where to take your your before you get the ball and keep the ball moving. all player should be able to control the ball with both feet.
Things to remember
1) Get in position early and try not to put all your weight through standing leg. If you stand lightly on the balls of your feet, this allows you react if the ball takes an award bounce.
2) Watch the ball onto your foot and cushion the impact by pulling your foot back slightly.
3) Try to guide into to your stride rather than get the ball stuck under your feet. If the ball is to close to your body it allows defenders to shut you down while you have an extra touch.
Sole of the foot
The with sole of the foot control is often used to control a bouncing ball. It takes great concentration to use the sole of the foot due to less surface area. It's important not to stab the ball, also not to have your foot to far off the ground. this for of control can be extremely effective in poor weather conditions or on a bouncy pitch. A enjoyable way to train this technique is to play futsal.
Dos and Don'ts
-practice both feet
-don't take your eye off the ball
-use the side foot control where ever possible
-keep the ball moving
-move the ball away from defenders
-know what to do with the ball before you get the ball

Exercise Programs for Non-Gym Goers

Even though gym is the 'in' thing nowadays, it is not for everybody. Therefore, I dedicate this article to those who do not intend to sign up for gym but wants to be fit:
1. Conduct your own research
If you have cable TV that has exercise programs on it, check it out.
You can go to bookstores, internet or library to browse on the types of exercise programs available.
Once you have identified the type of exercises that suits you, you can browse in YouTube to get visuals on how the exercise works- just to ensure you do not do it wrongly.
You can also invest in a number of different exercise videos once you check out exercises that you like as one downside of YouTube/ Videojug is that you cannot download the videos. I do not have any personal trainers in the gym and I really a lot on tips that I have learned from YouTube and Videojug.
2. Plan your exercise program
After you have conducted your research, you can now proceed to plan your own exercise program.
Your exercise program should be realistic and with good variety:

• not too intensive that you get discouraged and give up easily
• not to relaxed- that you will not lose any weight at all and end up feeling more negative about yourself.
• variety will stop you from becoming bored with your program.
• During the initial stage, you may want to start with 3 times of 1-2 hours exercise per session or break it down to 5- 6 times of half hour each.

3. Be disciplined

• the success of your exercise program depends on how disciplined you are. After a while of repeated slips up and self made excuses, it is really easy to give up and resort back to your inactive ways. After all, you do not have reminders that you are literally burning your hard earned money if you do not show up at the gym.
• There are many people who do not go to the gym and are very fit and healthy. You can see these people at your normal hiking trails and parks. Years ago, when I was still studying in another state, I used to spend the evenings hiking up a popular hill area. There, I see senior citizens, more than double my age, literally running up the hill paths with literally no effort at all. They love exercise and they love the nature.

4. Get exercise buddies

• Ask around for colleagues or friends who really like to exercise or play games such as badminton, squash, futsal.
• Plan to meet in parks and jogging trails. You can motivate each other to train towards a marathon, long distance cycling trip, mountain climbing, etc. I have seen cycling groups and a few of my friends are avid mountain climbers- they do not go to gym but they practice by going for hiking and jogging.
• Else, scout around the internet for exercise groups nearest to you, or
• If you cannot find anymore, join online supportive groups.

5. Do not sabotage yourself- watch your diet

• the calories that you burn while exercising on your own (unless you are a long distance marathon runner) will tend to be less compared to the same time you spend at the gym. Why? Take a look at running at the park vs running on the treadmill. Treadmill has pre-adjusted speed- if you plan to run 10 minutes at 8km per hour, you cannot slow down on a treadmill or else you will risk tripping. But if you run alone at the park or in your neighbourhood, you have to slow down to avoid the car, check and cross the road or avoid running into other joggers.
• So, make sure you watch your diet. It does not mean that you can help yourself to a plate of steak and fries or lasagna after an half hour hike on the hill. You really need to have more self restraint and work on portion control if you want to see results.

Sample: My exercise programThe following is something that I might plan if I decide to quit the gym. Use your creativity and expand on the exercises that you want. I will invest in some dumb bells and Swiss Ball if I am exercising at home.
Monday:
Morning: rest
Evening: turn on my YouTube dance playlist and dance away (1hr). Else, will alternate with some exercise tapes (tae bo and active moving).
Tuesday:
Evening: Go walking with my colleague- a colleague of mine have been trying to put up the evening walks sessions for friends after work. If it rains and could not make it, will come back and do some Pilates exercises while watch TV

Wednesday:
Rest

Thursday:
Morning: Exercise using videos or cable TV that have exercise programmes. Alternative, switch to MTVs/ CDs and do yoga/aerobic dancing (duration: 1.5hrs to 2hrs)
Evening: Pilates or yoga while watching TV (1/2 hr)
Friday:
Morning: if feel tired, then will do some stretching or light yoga (maybe sun salutation exercise for 20 repetitions).
Saturday:
Morning/Evening: organise with friends to go to park for hiking/walking. Else, can also organise as a family outing with family members to the park, club or swimming pool.
Sunday:
Optional. But try to squeeze in some time for at least 1/2 hour of Pilates or yoga.
The intensity of the exercises above is a lot lesser than what I am currently doing in the gym. So, I will need to watch my carbs intake and stick to light dinners- should be alright for me as I am used to not eating starch based food like rice, noodles and pastas for my meals.

History and Progress of FC Barcelona Football Club

You can visit the fantastic city of Barcelona, if you want to have wonderful football vacation in Europe. The fabulous capital of Catalonia certainly is one of the top venues to enjoy football in Europe. Located on the mouths of Llobregat & Besòs Rivers on the Mediterranean coast, Barcelona surely is a perfect destination for football.
Football is the first passion for the Catalan People. Probably that was the reason that FIFA chose Barcelona as venue for several matches of the 1982 Football World Cup. The magnificent city is widely known for FC Barcelona or Futbol Club Barcelona, which is one of the major sports clubs of Europe.
The Club is best known for its Football team, but the club also has teams for rugby, wheelchair basketball, ice hockey, athletics, baseball, cycling, field hockey, figure skating, and volleyball. Some of the Club's other known teams include FC Barcelona B (Football), Barca's Women's Football, FCB Rugby, Institut Guttman, AXA Barcelona (Basketball), FC Barca Handball, Barcelona Futsal, and Barcelona Sorli Discau (Rink Hockey).
Founded by Joan Gamper with the support of a group of Swiss, English, and Catalan men in 1899, the Club is popularly known as Barca. The club has progressed brilliantly to virtually become the major sports institution of Catalonia. The Club's motto is "Més que un club," that literally means 'More than a club'.
In 1928, the Club teamed up with Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao to set up La Liga, and it became the first La Liga champion. The club has shown brilliant progress in Football, and has a great contribution to the Spanish and the European Football. The club has 18 La Liga, 24 Copa del Rey, 7 Supercopa de España, 32 Joan Gamper Trophy, 2 UEFA Champions League, 4 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, 3 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and 2 European Super Cup titles under its name to date.
The Club's football squad has one of the world's finest football players. Its football squad in 2007 included Víctor Valdés (vice-captain), Gabriel Milito, Rafael Márquez, Carles Puyol (captain), Xavi Hernández (vice-captain), Eiður Guðjohnsen, Andrés Iniesta, Samuel Eto'o, Ronaldinho (vice-captain), Gianluca Zambrotta, Thierry Henry, Edmílson, Sylvinho, Giovani dos Santos, Santiago Ezquerro, Lionel Messi, Deco, Lilian Thuram, Éric Abidal, Oleguer Presas, Yaya Touré, Albert Jorquera, Marc Crosas, Bojan Krki

Football Freestyle - Shoes for Football Freestyle

Shoes or not shoes... it's totally up to you. I would suggest that you start wearing shoes if you plan to do performances in the future. Would be kind of funny if you got a performance in a stadium and performed bare feet=) It is a bit different to juggle bare feet and with shoes.
What kind of shoes are best then? The easiest guideline I would give is that the shoe should be sort of flat and at the front(where your toes are) it should not be hard at all, no sole attaching there etc... totally soft. You want to feel the ball! Also if it's hard and edgy in the front the bounce can be kind of odd sometimes.
The next thing to think about it the sole... if you move on to more advanced tricks you want to have a sole that allows you to juggle with your soles(soccer boots sucks when it comes to sole tricks). Personally I prefer turf shoes because one you freestyle on concrete you will wear the sole out, and a turf sole lasts longer. You might find it a bit harder to do sole juggles with turf shoes... but it's all about practice. Also after a couple of weeks of practicing there is almost nothing left of the studs.
A lot of people prefer indoor shoes though. They are great but as I mentioned above, they doesn't last for as long and they are as expensive as turf shoes. So I would go with turf. Futsal shoes is starting to get very popular but since a lot of them have a rather thin sole they last even shorter. But they are really great, they are very light and you can really feel the football when you're juggling. I would like to recommend "Nike First Touch" if you would like to go for a turf shoe. They do the job for me and I really like them. At one point I bought 4 pairs so I knew I had new ones when it was time to change.
You might also wonder how long a shoe lasts for... well, if you only freestyle indoors they last for a long time. If you freestyle on concrete you will wear them out. How long they will last depends how much you freestyle. But to give you some guidelines, if you freestyle for around 2h a day they will last for around 3 month.
I hope you know a bit more about shoes for football freestyle now!

Why The Name Ronaldo Is So Popular In The Football Arena!!!

Football, which is also known as soccer, is played by over 240 million people in more than 200 countries.
Over the history of the world game, many players have risen to stardom and greatness. One such player is the famous Pelé, he is a former Brazilian football player who is regarded as one of the world's greatest players of all time. In Brazil, he is THE national hero. In the world he has been officially declared as the soccer ambassador by FIFA. Other names he is commonly known as include "The King of Football" and "The King Pele". He truly is the footballer of the century.
So what has Pele got to do with the name Ronaldo? Well in the 21st century the name Ronaldo is the most recognized name in the football world. Why? Thanks to the Brazilians we have again been gifted with 2 of the most talented players in the world, Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima and Ronaldo de Assis Moreira Ronaldinho. Together with Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro from Portugal, they all share the name Ronaldo and are the most respected players in the football world today. They are icons similar to Pele that most likely will never be forgotten.
About the 3 Ronaldos:
Cristiano Ronaldo was named after the former US president Ronald Reagan because he was his father's favourite actor.He started playing football at the early age of 3 and by the time he was 17 he represented Portugal in the under 17 national team at the UEFA Under 17 championship. Ronaldo made his international debut in August 2003. He is now one of the most sort after players.
Ronaldinho means "little Ronaldo" in Portuguese and was originally initially a way of distinguishing him from his fellow Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo. In his childhood years his love and skill for the game began to flourish when he was playing futsal and beach football. Later on this grew into a love for the standard game and at the age of just 13 he was in the spot light when he scored all 23 goals in a 23-0 victory against a local team.
He was awarded the FIFA World Player of the Year award 2 times in a row in 2004 and 2005. Additionally he was also the European Footballer of the Year and the FIFPro World Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006.
Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima is know as one of the worlds greatest players. He is also known as "The Phenomenon" and was also named by the great Pele as one of the world's greatest 125 players. At the age of 14 he was recommended for the Brazilian Youth Team and later was transferred for US$6 million to PSV Eindhoven.
So if your name is Ronaldo and you are a soccer player, chances are you will be looked upon with high expectations and will have to live up to the great name.

The Maradona 7 - A Classic Soccer Trick

Diego Armando Maradona invented this very soccer trick in the early 1980s in one of the Argentine Clausura soccer matches at half time.
He combines a set of juggling soccer skills starting from left foot to right foot, then left knee to right knee, then left shoulder to right shoulder and finally heading the ball to complete the whole sequence.
Each part benefits for both freestyle soccer and in any kind of soccer matches like futsal:
Foot
The single most important part that improve your touches which allows you to apply other soccer skills and tricks like dribbling, foot plant, volley and so on.
Knee
Normally used to control in a long ball situation and juggle while moving with the ball.
Shoulder
Less beneficial in a soccer match but very useful in freestyle soccer. Plant, juggle or transfer from shoulder to shoulder or shoulder to head.
Head
Useful for both in freestyle soccer and in a soccer match. A difficult skill to master that requires maximum concentration on the center of the ball and great balance to avoid the ball from falling.
These skills may sound simple but improves your overall ball control, coordination and balance which makes you less vulnerable to lose the ball or possession during an important soccer match.
As for those who are interested in freestyle soccer. Maradona 7 is a good starting point for newbies in the game before trying out the harder tricks like Around the World.
A soccer skill that's worth mastering for both newbies and professionals which in my opinion, the most fundamental skill in the world of soccer.

Why The Name Ronaldo Is So Popular In The Football Arena!!!

Football, which is also known as soccer, is played by over 240 million people in more than 200 countries.
Over the history of the world game, many players have risen to stardom and greatness. One such player is the famous Pelé, he is a former Brazilian football player who is regarded as one of the world's greatest players of all time. In Brazil, he is THE national hero. In the world he has been officially declared as the soccer ambassador by FIFA. Other names he is commonly known as include "The King of Football" and "The King Pele". He truly is the footballer of the century.
So what has Pele got to do with the name Ronaldo? Well in the 21st century the name Ronaldo is the most recognized name in the football world. Why? Thanks to the Brazilians we have again been gifted with 2 of the most talented players in the world, Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima and Ronaldo de Assis Moreira Ronaldinho. Together with Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro from Portugal, they all share the name Ronaldo and are the most respected players in the football world today. They are icons similar to Pele that most likely will never be forgotten.
About the 3 Ronaldos:
Cristiano Ronaldo was named after the former US president Ronald Reagan because he was his father's favourite actor.He started playing football at the early age of 3 and by the time he was 17 he represented Portugal in the under 17 national team at the UEFA Under 17 championship. Ronaldo made his international debut in August 2003. He is now one of the most sort after players.
Ronaldinho means "little Ronaldo" in Portuguese and was originally initially a way of distinguishing him from his fellow Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo. In his childhood years his love and skill for the game began to flourish when he was playing futsal and beach football. Later on this grew into a love for the standard game and at the age of just 13 he was in the spot light when he scored all 23 goals in a 23-0 victory against a local team.
He was awarded the FIFA World Player of the Year award 2 times in a row in 2004 and 2005. Additionally he was also the European Footballer of the Year and the FIFPro World Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006.
Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima is know as one of the worlds greatest players. He is also known as "The Phenomenon" and was also named by the great Pele as one of the world's greatest 125 players. At the age of 14 he was recommended for the Brazilian Youth Team and later was transferred for US$6 million to PSV Eindhoven.
So if your name is Ronaldo and you are a soccer player, chances are you will be looked upon with high expectations and will have to live up to the great name.

The Maradona 7 - A Classic Soccer Trick

Diego Armando Maradona invented this very soccer trick in the early 1980s in one of the Argentine Clausura soccer matches at half time.
He combines a set of juggling soccer skills starting from left foot to right foot, then left knee to right knee, then left shoulder to right shoulder and finally heading the ball to complete the whole sequence.
Each part benefits for both freestyle soccer and in any kind of soccer matches like futsal:
Foot
The single most important part that improve your touches which allows you to apply other soccer skills and tricks like dribbling, foot plant, volley and so on.
Knee
Normally used to control in a long ball situation and juggle while moving with the ball.
Shoulder
Less beneficial in a soccer match but very useful in freestyle soccer. Plant, juggle or transfer from shoulder to shoulder or shoulder to head.
Head
Useful for both in freestyle soccer and in a soccer match. A difficult skill to master that requires maximum concentration on the center of the ball and great balance to avoid the ball from falling.
These skills may sound simple but improves your overall ball control, coordination and balance which makes you less vulnerable to lose the ball or possession during an important soccer match.
As for those who are interested in freestyle soccer. Maradona 7 is a good starting point for newbies in the game before trying out the harder tricks like Around the World.
A soccer skill that's worth mastering for both newbies and professionals which in my opinion, the most fundamental skill in the world of soccer.

Billy Wingrove - Learn Freestyle Football Vol 1 Review

I'm very keen in freestyle football since last year, 2006. So I watched a few video clips on the internet to learn a few tricks. I thought I'd give it a go on this DVD and see how it can improve my freestyle soccer tricks. Here's the review:
There are several features on this DVD and all are guided by Billy himself.
First Part
Recommends proper equipment like the outfit, shorts, shoes and a soccer ball for freestyle soccer. Teaches some basic warm-ups like stretching knees and calfs before you start practicing freestyle soccer. Then some basic juggling soccer skills and simple stalls on each part from foot to head.
Second Part
You'll learn some intermediate skills like Guardiolas. You'll also learn on combining previous skills that you've learned to form a simple combination. There are 3 combinations showed in this DVD varying in difficulty levels.
Third Part
In this section, you'll learn on how to apply certain tricks in the soccer field. Billy will show you on a futsal turf on how to do soccer tricks like Penalty X, Cyclone and many more.
In between the 3 parts of this DVD will show Billy Wingrove's background, his favourite Premiership team, his career and where he started playing freestyle soccer.
My Recommendation
After watching this DVD for several times, I found that the DVD is useful for newbies in freestyle soccer. If you're unfamiliar to basic soccer skills, then this is the DVD for you because Billy will show step-by-step with slow motion in each soccer trick. But for those who are intermediates and advance freestylers may get disappointed because the lack of cool, hard-to-do tricks.
Overall the DVD has an excellent replay value and it's worth investing to start your freestyle soccer adventure.

Ronaldinho Biography

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira is a famous Brazilian football player who is better known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho. His name Ronaldinho was used to distinguish him from a fellow Brazilian football celebrity whose name is also Ronaldo. Gaúcho was used when the existing Ronaldo was also known as Ronaldinho.
He was born on March 21, 1980 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. He is the youngest among the three siblings. Miguelina, his mother, was a sales woman who soon decided to take up nursing. João, his father was a worker in the shipyard and a football player for Cruzeiro. He died due to a heart attack when Ronaldinho was at the age of 8. Ronaldinho's brother Roberto was also a professional football player for Grêmio. But his career ended too soon due to his injuries. And now he manages Ronaldinho. His sister, Deisi, is his press manager.
During Ronaldinho's childhood days, his interest in football was already evident. He started playing futsal and beach football which later lead into his passion for a more established football game. His character as a football player developed in his early years.
His career as a skilled football player started when he joined the youth team in Porto Alegre club Grêmio. His extraordinary ball control and capability to score was rapidly displayed which lead him to fame. Many clubs from all over the world attempted to get him to be part of their teams. Eventually Ronaldinho signed a 5-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain which he joined at the start of the new season.
During his years with PSG, there were still much larger offers from different clubs, but he opted to stay with the team. But after some time he decided to leave the team after their many unsuccessful attempts to qualify for any European competitions. This caused a bidding war among the many clubs. Finally, the bidding ended up with FC Barcelona as the winning club for Ronaldinho's services. They acquired him for £18 million. He was a very high paid player in Barcelona. He has had his terrible times in his career but his many achievements was far more overflowing than that. He had also joined the Brazilan National team.
Ronaldinho is one of the most successful football players in the world. He had so many achievements in his arena which includes the FIFA World Player of the Year wherein he was awarded in 2 consecutive years (2004-2005), the European Footballer of the Year award and the FIFPro World Player of the Year award which was also awarded to him in 2 successive years (2005-2006).

Personal Life of Football Stars

Raúl González
Raúl grew up in a modest neighbourhood of Madrid, in the suburb Marconi de San Cristóbal de los Ángeles. His father, don Pedro, was a fan of Atlético Madrid, the club where he started playing after a short period in San Cristóbal's team. Atletico Madrid coach didn't notice anything special about him because he was very thin and weak. Raul later turned to Real Madrid's C team and quickly made it to the first team in 1994/1995 season. Raúl possesses a distinctive celebration, with each goal acclaimed by a kiss of his wedding ring, an acknowledgement to his wife Mamen Sanz. They have four sons: Jorge (February 25, 2000), who is named after Jorge Valdano, Hugo (November 20, 2002) and twins Héctor and Mateo (November 17, 2005). He likes reading, especially the books of Arturo Pérez Reverte, and listening to all sorts of Spanish music. He also enjoys hunting and watching bullfighting.
Luís Nazário de Lima 'Ronaldo'
Ronaldo was born in Bento Ribeiro, a neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Like many of his contemporaries, he began to play football in the streets of his neighbourhood.
In April 1999, Ronaldo married Milene Domingues. The marriage lasted four years and ended in divorce. The couple had a son, Ronald (born 2000). In 2005 he got engaged and married Brazilian model and MTV VJ Daniella Cicarelli, who became pregnant but suffered a miscarriage, their relationship lasted only 3 months. He is currently dating brazilian model Raica Oliveira. Besides being of interest to tabloid journalists, Ronaldo's relationships with women apparently have a deep effect on his performances on the pitch. A soccernet.com article by Andrew Downie assessing Ronaldo's fitness ahead of the 2006 World Cup pointed out a correlation between the striker's form and the happiness of his love life, noting that his most prolific periods of goalscoring have coincided with the times when he was happily married In 2005 Ronaldo became co-owner of A1 Team Brazil, alongside Brazilian motorsports legend Emerson Fittipaldi. The team participates in the newly launched A1 Grand Prix series, with Nelson Piquet, Jr., Tony Kanaan and João Paulo Oliveira as drivers.
It is rumored that Ronaldo is considering leaving Real Madrid, expressing discomfort with their fans at the stadium. He has been linked with a return to former club F.C Internazionale, where he has often spoke of his desire to one day return. AC Milan could also show some interest in his name, especially after Andriy Shevchenko has left for Chelsea F.C.
Major League Soccer has also expressed interest in signing him. According to reports, Ronaldo turned down a ten-year, $120 million contract from the New York Red Bulls of MLS, saying
Right now I have a contract with Real Madrid and I'm only thinking about the World Cup, but without a doubt, the American market is one of my goals for the future.
(It was reported on ESPN during the broadcast of the Brazil-Croatia match on June 13 that the Red Bulls actually denied making Ronaldo an offer.)
Michael Ballack
Ballack is 6' 2 ½" (189 cm) tall and weighs 179 lbs (80 kg). He and his girlfriend Simone have three children - Louis, Emilio and Jordi.
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira 'Ronaldinho Gaúcho'
Ronaldinho was born on March 21, 1980 in Vila Nova, a poor suburb of Porto Alegre, Brazil. He was the youngest of three children. Ronaldinho's mother Miguelina is a former salesperson who later studied to become a nurse. His father João was a shipyard worker and amateur footballer for Cruzeiro. The family moved to a more affluent district of Porto Alegre when Ronaldinho's older brother Roberto signed to play professional football for Grêmio. João died when Ronaldinho was 8, after suffering a heart attack while swimming in the family's pool. Injuries ended Roberto's career prematurely, and he now manages Ronaldinho. Ronaldinho's sister Deisi works as his press coordinator. Ronaldinho's son, named João after his father, was born on 25 February, 2005. João's mother is Janaína Nattielle Viana Mendes, a former dancer on the Brazilian television show Domingão do Faustão.
In his childhood, Ronaldinho's skill in football began to blossom due to his particular interest in futsal and beach football, which later developed into a fondness for more standardised football. His first brush with the media came after a 23 goal flurry against a local team, at just 13 years of age. His reputation as a footballer was built up through his childhood, particularly since he was a prolific goalscorer in the Egypt 1997 under-17 world championship. His stylish play at the tournament also caught the eye of many. He is a huge fan of Brazilian music, and occasionally plays the drums and sings with friends in Barcelona.
David Beckham
In 1997, Beckham started dating the Spice Girl Victoria Adams and their relationship attracted a great deal of media interest.
He married Adams at Luttrellstown Castle, Ireland on 4 July 1999. The wedding attracted tremendous media coverage. Beckham's teammate Gary Neville was the best man, and the couple's son Brooklyn was the ring bearer. The media were kept away from the ceremony as the Beckhams had an exclusive deal with OK! Magazine, but newspapers were still able to obtain photographs showing them sitting on golden thrones. 437 staff were employed for the wedding reception, which was estimated to have cost £500,000.
The Beckhams have three sons: Brooklyn Joseph Beckham (born 4 March 1999), Romeo James Beckham (1 September 2002) and Cruz David Beckham (20 February 2005).
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite 'Kaká'
Kaká married Caroline Celico on 23 December 2005 in São Paulo, Brazil. The wedding was attended by fellow players from his national team, as well as other well known international players. Guests included Ronaldo, Adriano, Cafu, Dida, Júlio Baptista and Brazilian national coach Carlos Alberto Parreira. Kaká first met Celico in 2002, and they started dating soon after. The relationship survived Kaká's move from São Paulo to Italy in 2003, while she was still at school. It is likely that Celico will stay in Brazil in the short-run, but the couple plan to live together in Italy soon. Against the stereotypical trend of football stars, Kaká is proud he was a virgin when he married. Celico's mother, Rosangela Lyra, is the director of Dior in Brazil.
Zinedine Yazid Zidane
His wife, Veronique, is a former dancer and model of French-Spanish ancestry. They married in 1993 and have four sons named Enzo, Luca, Théo and Elyaz.

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Sanctions in Sports - Fair?

In sports there were always talks about fair play and respect for others. Which should be obvious to anyone playing the game or participating in the sport. Of course, that is not the case. During the years and years of the development of sports there have been many changes on how it is governed, protected by different rules and the mentality of the participants. People developed different organizations who would control the sports (FIFA, UEFA, FIBA etc.), bring different regulations that would better the game, but over the years started to also discipline sports people for their bad actions.
I don't think anyone knows when or in which sport the first sanction for a player or some other person appeared (I couldn't find it anywhere), but nowadays they are fairly common. You can hardly go through a day without hearing something about someone being punished for his actions. Of course, these punishments are almost never the same, and of course it all depends on the crime, and the sport. We have a wide variety of sanctions, so let us look at them.
One of the most controversial and problematic crimes someone can commit in sports is doping. Many sports organizations have lots of drug testing over the course of the season, but there are still many players who subdue to this act. Doping is used to enhance your abilities and strengths and give you a better chance of winning. But due to the rigorous anti-doping tests that are regularly performed, most of the frauds are spotted and punished on time (with exceptions, of course, with the process lasting as long as two years). Sanctions include the withdrawal of the title and a suspension of performing in the sports that can last for a few events up to a life time ban.
FIFA ( the international football association) particularly does not like when a certain political force influences the football in that country. This may be universal to all sports, or it should be, but I have not heard such big problems in other sports. The most recent example is Nigeria, where the government is influencing the work of the football organization there. They have been, therefore, suspended from playing any international matches and all help from FIFA has been cancelled. Sports should not be influenced, and even involved with politics, because that can never turn out good for it.
Then there are sanctions that are executed against one person. Against a single player, or a coach or whomever. These can happen for a variety of reasons, and can have very different punishments. Because of swearing or other verbal attacks on the referee, When they do not agree with the referees decision, both by players and coaches is very common. The punishment is usually not being able to participate in a couple sporting events and a money sanction, which is often given to charity. Due to the increasingly violent actions on the field, not towards the referee, but to other participants in the sports or the crowd they are more and more punished. These sanctions are not the same everywhere, for instance, Paolo Guerrero, a football player for HSV got sanctioned with five games of not playing for throwing a bottle at a fan, but Martin Taylor, a player of Birmingham broke the leg of the Brazilian born Croat Eduardo da Silva and only got a three match ban. Hardly seems fair, but that is the case as the rules are not the same everywhere. Reckless fouls on other players should be severely punished, because of some of those fouls you would probably go to jail in the world outside of football.
And finally, there are the bizarre sanctions that make us laugh and wonder if they are even real. The latest one in sports was a 91 year suspension for a French futsal player because he had a license to play both futsal and football. The FFF (French football association) did not like it. But the question is if this was their fault in the first place.
So there are many punishments in sports, some right and others needing even more sanctions. Because if someone did something wrong, on the sports field, he should be punished. Almost all of them will say that it was not intended, but when will we and how know if it was on purpose? Punish them now, maybe not so harsh, and maybe they will think about it in the future and not do such a reckless act in the field of sports.

Different Variations on Futsal

Futsal is the only indoor soccer variant that is approved by FIFA. You play it indoors on a hard surface with a smaller, hard ball. The field has no walls, and is very similar to a basketball court.
There are five players on the arena at any time, goalie included. Unlimited substitutions are allowed, which means players go all-out for their entire shift before they sub off.
The game is very quick, and to succeed, you must be incredible at short passes. Short passes and give-and-go's rule this game. Getting past players one on one can be effective as well, but many more goals are scored off of passing combinations up the field.
Because the ball doesn't bounce and is harder than a regular soccer ball, it stays close to the ground for essentially the entire game until somebody shoots it!
Futsal is a fantastic game, and because it is sanctioned by FIFA, there are many tournaments and competitions.
North American indoor soccer is really distinct from Futsal. Firstly, it is typically played on turf rather than a hard surface. It's also played with a regular outdoor ball. These two combine to make it much more like outdoor soccer than Futsal is.
The court is usually larger than a Futsal field, and more importantly, there are walls on the sides of the arena. You can play the ball off these walls, which adds a new part to the game.
North American indoor, while still focused on passing, also has a lot of dribbling, especially on the sidelines. Since defenders cannot force the attackers out of bounds (because of the walls), the attackers are more likely to attempt to dribble past their defender.
North American indoor adds a whole new part to the game, which includes lots of different strategy as well. It is interesting to some people and not others, so definitely go watch a game before you sign up!
European indoor soccer is very similar to North American soccer, so this is a shorter section.
European indoor soccer fields are essentially the same as North American indoor soccer arenas. The difference is that in European indoor, they use a Futsal ball instead. This makes an interesting dynamic where there is more passing than in North American indoor soccer, because the ball is harder to dribble.
If you live in Europe, you should check this variant out, it's really fun.

Futsal: The Secret Behind Playing Beautiful Soccer

What do Ronaldinho, Messi, Zidane, Kaka, Fabregas and Cristian Ronaldo all have in common? They have great ball skills. These great players don't even think about what to do with the ball, it comes to them naturally. This is a result of lots of touches on the ball and lots of practice. Do you know what else these great players have in common? They all played futsal.
Futsal is the official FIFA version of indoor 5 a side soccer. The sport is played on a hard flat court roughly the size of a basketball court with a ball that is smaller and heavier than a regulation soccer ball. Substitutions are made "on the fly" and a fast tempo is maintained by limiting kick-ins, corners and goal kicks to four seconds. Although still in the early stages of its development in North America, futsal is hugely popular in countries like Italy, Brazil, Spain and Argentina.
The fast flow of futsal enables young players to improvise, be creative and use individual skills such as ball control and feints. It doesn't allow for "kick and run" tactics as the playing area is too small and too crowded. It requires players to think and act quickly many times over on the futsal court, often only having enough time for one touch. Players must be resourceful with their one touch and use any and all parts of the foot to pass, redirect, flick and shoot the ball.
Futsal continuously places players in challenging decision making situations, which forces players with the ball to use proper technique to make quick passes. Players without the ball are encouraged to make their way into the space and create passing options. Futsal's quick passing environment is one of the finest teachers of the quick pass and move or "give and go". Did you ever notice how Messi and his Barcelona FC attacking teammates effortlessly respond to quick short passes? They all played futsal.
Playing beautiful soccer is developed by playing futsal.

101 Reasons to Travel to Brazil

There are many reasons to go to Brazil, probably thousands of reasons. I've listed the top 101 reasons to travel to this beautiful country filled with warm, fun loving, people, and very beautiful exotic feminine women.
#1. Carnival - A world-renowned celebration in Rio which takes place 40 before Easter. Carnival in Rio, Brazil's world-renowned celebration, takes place 40 days before Easter. Rio is considered by many to be the carnival capital of the world!
#2. Copacabana Beach World famous beach that attracts millions of tourists every year. In 2005, Lenny Kravitz performed there in front of 300,000 people.
#3. Cariocas (Define Carioca) The women of Rio de Janeiro are called 'Cariocas'. They are known for being very friendly and hospitable to visitors.
#4. More Women then Men The ratio of women to men are higher then in most other countries in the world. Especially in Rio, where it is believed there are 100 women for every 86 men.
#5. Great surfing Beaches In Rio you have the Arpoador beach at the north end of Ipanema beach, and it's great for surfing. Brazil has many great beaches for surfing such as Florianopolis in the state of Santa Catarina and the island of Fernando de Noronha, located off the northeast coast of Recife.
#6. Brazilian Bikini Babes millions of young Brazilian women love to sport bikinis---and with warm weather all year long, trust me you won't miss seeing them in winter coats.
#7. Median age in the late 20's According to indexmundi, the median age in Brazil as of 2008 is 29. This is much lower then most Western European countries (late 30's), United States (late 30's) and Japan (40). This means more younger sexy ladies!
#8.Fitness Culture: most women are thin or fit It only takes one trip to Rio, Sao Paolo, Recife or any other Brazilian city to realize that in Brazilian culture the women---and men have a keen interest to stay in shape. Thousands of young ladies work out on the beaches every day.
#9. Small percentage of obesity in Brazil Because of a culture of fitness and health conciseness, most Brazilian women are in good shape and are not obese. Brazil doesn't have an obesity crisis like the United States, Australia, England and some other Western European countries. How can a young Brazilian woman where a bikini if she is obese? I guess the bikini craze keeps the pressure on them!
#10. Brazilian women love foreign men! If you are North American, German, British, Australian, Japanese---or from any other Western European country, then Brazilian women will love you. They have a thing for foreign guys---most Brazilian women are fed up with Brazilian guy's reputation of 'players'---but can you blame these guys? With such nice ratios of women to men and numerous hot young ladies to go around, it's very easy to fall to temptation!
#11. Great place to learn Portuguese If you want to practice some Portuguese, then this is a great place to start. Be sure to practice some basic phrases before you come! You will have plenty of women to practice with trust me.
#12. Brazilian women are fun to be with Most Brazilian women are very fun and know how to have a good time. In there culture it's all about the carnival and having a good time, dancing and just living life to the fullest
#13. Brazilian women are friendly and hospitable In comparison to American and some Western European countries, the women in Brazil are much friendlier and approachable. You can easily make new friends with young sexy Brazilian girls---just by being sincere, and they will make you feel at home very quickly.
#14. Great food Brazilian food is very good. Be sure to go to a 'churrascaria' while your down there. The 'Frango Asado' is a good dish, it's barbecue chicken with rice and fries. Very good.
#15. Ipanema Beach The other great beach in Rio besides Copacabana. Ipanema Beach is also one of the safest areas in Rio, giving you yet another reason to stay here. Plenty of young ladies to check out.
#16. Great weather all year round The average weather in Brazil fluctuates around 70's to 80's degrees all year long. For example, the average annual temperature in Rio De Janeiro is 73.5.
#17. Help Disco Almost half of the girls you will meet here are working girls. Either way, it's a great way to warm up with the local ladies.
#18. Club Six in Rio - A very popular nightclub in the Ipenema section of Rio. A great place to have some drinks while enjoying all kinds of music, including dance music, hip-hop, etc. Plenty of women to talk to.
#19. World famous Topless beaches Copacabana and Ipanema have great nude beaches. Don't forget the sunglasses!
#20. Lots of single attractive women who are not committed Unlike many other countries, Brazil is full of attractive single women who are not committed. Many are having a hard time finding a normal, down to Earth guy who isn't married.
#21. Friendly Brazilian culture In Brazil it is culturally accepted to treat everyone, especially foreigners---with great hospitality. A smile and a friendly greeting is very common from strangers. Not like in NYC!
#22. Variety of women from mullata to blonds You can find all kinds of women in Brazil. To date, there are roughly 11,714,000 people in the Rio De Janeiro metropolitan area. Out of these, 53.6% are white, 33.6% are brown, 12.3% are black, and .5% are Asian or Amerindian. This means you have plenty of different shades of women to choose from!
#23. Great soccer games If you like soccer, then you will be in the right place. There are many soccer games to go to.
#24. The Maracana Stadium The most famous soccer stadium in Brazil. It's located in Rio and the local clubs Flamengo and Botafogo play here.
#25. Open sexual culture Unlike women from many other countries, in Brazil sex is embraced openly---it's considered the national pastime!
#26. Brazilian women enjoy sex and are very sensual Great news guys! In Brazil sex is not used as a bargaining chip by the local women like in other countries. In Brazil sex is used to make love!
#27. Stable Government, Stable political climate The Brazilian government is experiencing a period of political stability. President Lula Da Silva has won the faith of the people and it's showing.
#28. Improving economic situation - Compared to other Latin American countries, Brazil is experiencing a period of unprecedented economic growth and investment.
#29. One of the easiest places on Earth to find an attractive girlfriend It's the most populated Christian country in the world that has a higher female to male ratio---China, India and USA have a higher male to female ratio! Indonesia is an Islamic country.
#30. Pay for play is always an option, especially in Rio There are many popular places in Rio where you can find plenty of young hot working girls. Help Disco is one of them.
#31. Hot Brazilian girls will flirt with you Hot Brazilian girls, from working girls, university students, professional ladies, to traditional ladies, they all flirt with you!
#32. No game needed, the sexy Brazilian girls will do all of the seducing They have no choice. Remember, in Brazil there are more women then men. This means the women have to compete over the fewer guys---like you!
#33. Beach soccer: A great way to work out and have fun also. Many women play soccer also, making it even more enjoyable.
#34. Brazilian thongs and bundhas World Famous "Dental Floss" thongs, very popular and very sexy. You won't find these in NYC, Dublin or London! Have fun!
#35. The Euro, Pound and Dollar are stronger then the Real (the Brazilian currency) Your currency is stronger. This means while in Brazil most local goods will be much cheaper for you. Especially the Euro and Pound, you guys will live like Kings!
#36. Brazilian culture is one of the most open minded in all of the Americas and the World - Due to a history of mass cultural absorption by Portuguese, Indigenous, African, Japanese, German, Italian, Spanish and many other ethnicities, Brazilian culture has evolved into a very diverse, 'everyone get along' culture.
#37. Brazilian women love to dance The local ladies are known for having a great time, especially on the dance floor. This is one reason they stay in such great shape.
#38. The exotic culture, women, and feel - Brazil is being discovered as the world's most exciting destination and the local Brazilian people are vibrant and the nightlife is simply extraordinary.
#39. The drums in Pelourinho - Salvador has some of the best nightlife in Brazil. Pelourinho explodes with music and people and activity search harder and on any given night in Pelourinho you could probably uncover scores of groups playing. Many of these concerts are free.
#40. The tan - Beach life is considered a normal part of Brazilian culture and a major attraction for tourists and foreign investors.
#41. New Years party on the beach Rio de Janeiro has the largest new year's celebration worldwide---well over 3 million people every year go to Copacabana.
#42. The Caipirinha's Brazil's most famous cocktail drink---so popular that even in Miami and NYC people enjoy it. It is delicious and potent!
#43. The view from Corcovado - Corcovado (Christ the redeemer) is one of the best-known landmarks in Rio and it is definitely the best view in Brazil. Recommended for one of the seven wonders of the world, you can see all of Rio beneath you.
#44. Sugar loaf mountain around 600 million years ago mother nature's formed a natural wonder, called Pao de Acucar or Sugar Loaf. Today it's one of the most recognized and sought after tourist attractions in Rio.
#45. Botafogo Bay (Rio) - Botafogo is a beautiful beachfront neighborhood (bairro) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Botafogo's beach is within Guanabara Bay and it's also home to two of the city's largest shopping centers, Botafogo Praia Shopping and RioSul.
#46. The malls filled with beautiful Brazilian ladies Botafogo Praia Shopping Mall and RioSul Shopping Mall are just two of the many malls filled with beautiful young ladies in Rio. This is a great place to get a few emails and make a few dates!
#47. Ipanema Beach - Ipanema is a neighborhood located on the southern region of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, near Copacabana beach. It is a sunbather's paradise filled with thousands of young beautiful women wearing Dental Floss bikinis. Ipanema is also regarded as one of the safest districts in Rio.
#48. Bello Horizonte (means "beautiful horizon" in Portuguese) - The capital of Minas Gerais state, located in the southeastern region of Brazil and with a population of 5.3 million it also has the third largest metropolitan area in the country. The city offers interesting leisure areas and it's known for a traditional characteristic: regional hospitality.
#49. Bahia - one of the 26 states of Brazil located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is also the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais. It is also one of the most important states in terms of history and culture. Bahia's capital is the city of Salvador (São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos). Salvador is known for having world class beaches for surfing.
#50. Minas Gerais - one of the 26 states of Brazil and also the second most populous with 19,522,000 people. The capital is the city of Belo Horizonte. In Tourist attractions are Monte Verde and the national parks of Ibitipoca and Aiuruoca. You also have the Sete Lagoas, Cordisburgo and Lagoa Santa, and waterfalls which attract many tourists.
#51. Recife - the fifth largest Metropolitan area in Brazil with a population of 3,646,204. The capital of the state is the city of Pernambuco. It is also known as the Brazilian Venice thanks primarily to its resemblance with the European city. Recife is considered one of Brazil's cultural capitals.
#52. Fortaleza - Fortaleza is the state capital of Ceará, located in northeastern Brazil, and has a population of over 3.4 million (in the metropolitan region). Nightlife in Fortaleza is filled with energy and excitement, local nightclubs and discos open every day of the week.
#53. Florianopolis (nicknamed Floripa) - The capital city of Santa Catarina State in southern Brazil. It is composed of one main island, the Island of Santa Catarina. It has a population of 406,564 while the metropolitan area has an estimated population of 821,552. The city has 42 pristine beaches and is a center of surfing activity, considered by many Brazilians as one of "the best places to live in Brazil." As a result Florianopolis is growing as a second home destination for North Americans and Europeans.
#54. Porto Alegre (Joyous Port in Portuguese) - The 10th largest city in Brazil and also the capital city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is one of the most important cultural, political and economic centers of Southern Brazil. It is also considered to have one of the highest standard of living in all cities of the country.
#55. Curitiba The capital city of the Brazilian state of Parana, with a population of 1.8 million---it also has the fourth best GDP ranking in all Brazil. As most of Southern Brazil's population, Curitiba is mostly inhabited by Brazilians of European descent. The city has the largest population and also the largest economy in Southern Brazil.
#56. Trancoso - A small town in the municipality of Porto Seguro in the state of Bahia, Brazil, it's the perfect sunny getaway---a place to slow down and relax. There are many great beaches---one of the most popular by visitors and locals is Coconuts Beach.
#57. Osklen Swimming trunks Here is your opportunity to sport some of the most popular Brazilian swimwear for men---and check out the ladies in bikini! This is not New York guys! In this environment everyone shows 80% of there skin every day!
#58. Sao Paolo - The capital of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, this city is also the largest in the country and the most populated city in all South America (10,886,518 people). Located in the South East of the country, Sao Paolo is also the richest city of Brazil. Again, like Rio, there are unlimited number of blondes, brunettes, mullattas, etc.
#59. Futsal The indoor version of soccer, 'Futsal is very popular in Brazil. Futsal is played with a smaller ball and places more emphasis on improvisation, creativity and technique. It's a great way to stay in shape.
#60. World cup champion soccer Brazil is the world cup's most successive national team, having won the prestigious tournament a record 5 times. Brazil is also the only country to have participated in every World Cup tournament.
#61. Porto Seguro- A municipality in Southeastern Bahia, a North Eastern Brazil state and one of the oldest settlements in the country. Many Brazilians believe it is in Porto Seguro where Pedro Álvares Cabral, (a Portuguese discoverer) first set foot on Brazil on April 22, 1500. An interesting note: A significant number of Bahian women have married Italian and Swiss men---and the trend continues to grow
#62. Investing- Apart from life's pleasures, Brazil is also a great country to invest in. The Brazilian economy and importantly the rates of interest and currency are recognized as stable and supportive for foreign investment. The country is also experiencing unprecedented growth.
#63. Outdoor culture unlike many other countries where people tend to spend a lot of time indoors, in Brazil people tend to spend more time outdoors, usually with beach related activities such as surfing, swimming, beach soccer, or just working out. This means there are plenty of sexy women outdoors!
#64. Brahma Beer a very popular Brazilian beer, originally made by the Companhia Cervejaria Brahma which was founded in 1888. It's very sensual and a great way to relax in the sun.
#65. Daily Flights to USA and Europe More then 5 million people visit Brazil every year. There are numerous flights from USA---Europe is literally connecting with Brazil, particularly via Fortaleza with direct flights from Germany, Netherlands , Spain , Norway and others.
#66. Great scenery and diversity One nice word to describe Brazil is diversity: a mix of cultures, food, music, dance, drinks, art, crafts, architecture and love of the sea.
#67. The nature Covering 3.8 million hectares (9.4 million acres), Tumucumaque Mountains National Park is the world's largest tropical reserve - the same size as Belgium and about 500,000 hectares (1.23 million acres) larger than the state of Rio de Janeiro. Nature untouched!.
#68. The Amazon Rain Forest - Brazil has the largest forest in the world in the Amazon Basin which houses 20% of the worlds living species and have 14% of the worlds renewable fresh water. Another interesting note: more than one third of all species in the world live in the Amazon Rainforest
#69. The Amazon River - The largest river in the world by volume, with a total river flow greater than the next top ten largest rivers flowing into the ocean combined. It also has the largest drainage basin in the world, accounts for approximately 1/5 of the world's total river flow. The Amazon river has over 3,000 recognized species of fish and that number is still growing. Some estimates go as high as 5,000.
#70. Beautiful waterfalls - Brazil is much more than beautiful beaches: a trip to the southern state of Paraná reveals one of the countries most popular tourist destinations. This is a beautiful waterfall named Cataratas do Iguaçu located in the town of Foz do Iguaçu,
#71. Lots of international food (from previous migrants and communities) - The cuisine of Brazil is very diverse and varies greatly by region. This diversity reflects the country's mix of native Amerindians, Portuguese, Africans, Italians, Spaniards, Germans, Poles, Syrians, Lebanese and Japanese among others. There is great variety and great food!
#72. Lapa (Small bar/club zone in Rio, close to club Six) - The Lapa street parties are among the best of Rio nightlife and there are bars open all week as the crowds gather from around 11 am until 5 in the morning. Hundreds even thousands of sexy ladies mill up and down the street, drinking beer at street bars and just going with the flow.
#73. Brazilian coffee - Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer. Santos Brazils is the most traditional Brazil coffee, and the kind most likely to be seen in specialty store. Be sure to try some when your down there!
#74. Salvador - a city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of joy due to its countless popular outdoor parties, including its famous street carnivals. The first colonial capital of Brazil, the city is also one of the oldest in the country and in the New World.
#75. Manaus - a city in the northern part of Brazil and capital of Amazonas State, it is an important centre for ecological tourism. Located on the Rio Negro near its confluence with the Amazon River it is the chief port and a hub for the region's extensive river system. It is also a common point of departure for tourists visiting the Amazon region.
#76. Belem - the second biggest city of Amazonia, in the northern part of Brazil. It is the capital of the state of Pará, part of the greater Amazon River system. It is the entrance gate to the Amazon region and together with Manaus the most important city in the north of Brazil.
#77. Goiânia - The capital and the largest city in the state of Goiás, it's also the largest city in the Central-Western Region of Brazil. With a population of nearly 1.25 million Goiânia is the twelfth largest city in Brazil.
#78. Pao De Queijo (Cheese Bread - a famous bread from the state of Minas Gerais) - A typical Brazilian snack which is made of manioc flour and cheese--- served hot. Very delicious and very popular sidekick for coffee.
#79. Cachaca This Brazilian sugarcane liquor has become the second most popular drink in Brazil---after beer. Cachaca is distilled in such a way that the scent of sugar cane and inimitable flavor typical of rum are retained---making an enjoyable drink!
#80. Brasilia - The capital of Brazil which borders the states of Goiás and Minas Gerais. The city and the district are located in the Central-West region of the country and has a population of about 2,455,903 making it the fourth largest city in Brazil. It is also listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
#81. Praia do Pinho First official nude beach in Brazil's history located in the southern state of Santa Catarina. Praia do Pinho beach in Brazil is a naturists dream. It is one of very few nude beaches in the world where it is legally required to be nude!
#82. Scuba Diving There are more then beaches in Brazil. Arraial do Cabo Marine Reserve is considered the best scuba diving on the southern coast of Brazil---it's located just 2 hours by car from Rio de Janeiro. The splendid waters of Arraial do Cabo are teeming with marine life - turtles, sea horses, moray eels, colorful coral and some exotic tropical fish like the famous Holacanthus Ciliaris). For around 200$ you can take a tour that includes Scuba equipment, bilingual guide, boat operation and a 10 hour duration.
#83. Fishing - Peacock bass fishing in Northern Brazil (Manaus) is as good as it gets! The peacock bass is legendary in its explosive top-water strikes and bullish runs. In a class of its own, the peacock bass is one of the hardest hitting and most aggressive sport-fish---plentiful in the Amazon. The Amazon offers fishers a haven of fish life that makes fishing as fun and exciting.
#84. Trekking- One of the most traditional backpacking trails in Brazil, a 36 kilometer (22 miles) crossing linking the two Brazilian imperial towns of Petrópolis and Teresópolis. The crossing takes 2 to 4 days, hiking through valleys, ridges and mountaintops where Atlantic rainforest vegetation is exuberant and pristine. It's located just 100 km off Rio.
#85. Rafting - Hold on tight and experience a great adrenaline rush: rafting down the wild rapids of the Paraibuna River! The Paraibuna is located in Três Rios city, 2 hours from Rio de Janeiro by car. The Paraibuna is also a full 20 km (14 miles) of level 3 and 4 rapids so bring a change of clothes! For around 100$ you can enjoy up to three hours of great adventure!
#86. Amazonia National Park This massive park covers almost 40% of Brazil's landmass including seven of Brazil's 27 states. Every year thousands of visitors come here to witness the splendour of this magnificent natural wonder. You can go bird watching here. A journey into the Amazon rainforest can be an experience of a lifetime!
#87. Iguassua Falls The waterfalls of the Iguazu River located on the border of the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. It's a great once in a life time opportunity!
#88. Brazil's Oil Boom Last year a huge offshore oil discovery in Brazil could raise the countries oil reserves by a whopping 40 percent and boost this country into the ranks of the world's major exporters. The future of Brazil looks bright indeed.
#88. Great ecosystems - many of Brazil's plants and animals are found no where else on Earth.
#89. Brazilian women are generally very friendly the best part of Brazil is how friendly the women are. The great weather, nice beaches, growing economy, it's all great, but without the sexy friendly women---it's all in vain!
#90. The nice hips and bottoms Hourglass figures are very common in Brazil. How many women do you see where you live that have a nice .7 waist to hip ratio? If it's not 80% of all the women, then you need to come to Brazil!
#91. Proximity to other great destinations for men Brazil borders many great countries for meeting women, such as: Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Venezuela!
#91. Language close to Spanish If you learn Brazilian Portuguese, then learning Spanish will not be so difficult. These two languages are cousins, so learning either one will only make it much easier to learn both!
#92. Brazil is considered the world leader in production of Ethanol based fule Brazilian Ethanol is made from sugar cane, which is cheaper then gasoline and is much less harmful to the environment and the world.
#93. Brazilian currency weaker then U.S. Dollar, Euro, Pound, Yen and Australian Dollar Get more bang for your buck. In Brazil you will find much cheaper prices then you would in the United States, Western Europe, Japan, U.K. and Australia!
#94. Brazil has the eighth largest economy in the world Their are a lot of potentials for investment in Brazil. Many people are realizing that Brazil has great resources and is a major player in the world economy.
#95. Political Stability Brazil hasn't had a major conflict as some of it's neighbors have had. It is politically stable, and is a leader in Latin America, such as the recent crisis between Colombia and Venzuela, Brazil's government led the peace and helped keep Latin America in a period of stability.
#96. Brazil is self sufficient in Oil! Due to the leadership in Ethanol on a global scale, Brazil today produces enough oil/ethanol to run its own economy.
#97. Brazil is not a Hurricane risk Unlike other countries such as Cuba, United States (Gulf Coast Area), Honduras and Guatemala,Brazil does not experience Hurricane risks.
#98. Cost of living very low compared to USA and Western Europe You can live like a King in Brazil. In some places of Brazil, you can live with 30% of what it would cost you in Western Europe, USA, Japan, UK, Canada, Australia and other wealthier countries.
#99. Real Estate in Brazil is Booming! Don't wait til it's too late. Now is the time to invest in Brazil!
#100. Brazil is believed to be a leader in the future Many leading world economists and politicians believe that Brazil has the potential to become a world leader along with China, India and Russia.
#101. All the young Brazilian ladies that are waiting for you! That's the icing on the cake! Remember, in Brazil there are more +women then -men = great news for you!