Learning to swear, carioca style

Fluminese 1 x Coritiba 3
Campionato Brasileiro, Serie A
Maracanã
16 August 2009

For many years, when I told people that my research was "stadiums in Latin America", the inevitable response was, "Have you ever been to that huge stadium, I can't remember its name, but it holds, like, four hundred thousand people, that must be crazy." The name of the stadium is Estádio Mario Filho, aka Maracanã. Yes, I have been there, many times, and it doesn't hold nearly as many people as it used to. It can be crazy though it’s also just a local stadium where people go week in, week out to watch soccer.

The Maracanã is arguably the most famous stadium in the world. Built for the 1950 World Cup, the original capacity was somewhere between 180,000 and 190,000. The Brazilians were so sure that they were going to win the 1950 World Cup that they offered to paint this colossus, the biggest stadium in the world, the grandest stadium since Imperial Rome’s Circus Maximus, the stadium that was to represent Brazil’s emergence as South America’s post World War II industrial, technological, and cultural leader – in the colors of the winning team. On 16 July 1950, 220,000 people witnessed the unthinkable. To this day the Maracana is celeste, the sky-blue of Uruguay a continual reminder of the folly of hubris. It is surprising that so few Brazilians know the story behind the colors.

Despite the infamy and drama, going to the Maracanã is really just an ordinary thing to do on a Sunday afternoon in Rio. I arrived late to the game but there were so many others doing the same that I wondered if the kickoff hadn’t been delayed. I bought my R$20 ($US 12) ticket for the cadeira comum and hustled into the stadium. Fluminese were a goal down after fifteen minutes and the fans were clearly angry. There wasn’t much to recommend in the play of either team – Fluminese entered the game second from bottom and Coritiba third from bottom. This was a mid season relegation battle.



Before half-time, I moved from behind the goal to behind the player’s benches and below the media cabins. This is usually the most crowded section of the stadium as the fans are within earshot of the coaches and players. When I first started going to the Maracanã in 2003, this area was known as the geral, an open area where young men ran back and forth screaming at the players, coaches, and referees. The geral was eliminated in 2006, reducing the capacity of the stadium to 87,000 (from an already diminished 119,000) . Families have taken the place of the ruffians and it is no longer possible to watch the game form the railings as Military Police shunt everyone into seats before kickoff. This hasn’t stopped the streams of vitriol flowing from the stands to the pitch, but the police are omni-present.



One of the other changes that has come with the architectural modification is that prices have increased from R$5 to R$20. It literally goes without saying that when you put people in seats they become more sedate. But there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the former geral, now cadeira comum, continues as a place where the norms and mores of Brazilian society are transferred from one generation to the next. I can’t decide if it’s funny or not, but hearing dozens of pre-teen voices fill the air with “Oi juiz, vai tomar no cu!” (Hey referee, go take it up the ass!) is pretty funny.





One of the main differences between going to a stadium in Europe or the USA and Latin America is the amount of information about the event. At the Maracanã, there is a scoreboard but no game clock, no game day programs, no stats, no player profile magazines, nothing. People just know these things. There is also no place to buy souvenirs, and no half-time show. There is half-time entertainment, though it hardly compares in Lolita-esque sensuality with the RailHawk dancers. I hope to get an interview with this guy in the coming weeks. He goes the length of the pitch and then returns to midfield, which takes him about 15 minutes.



Fluminese went 2-0 down mid-way through the second half, thanks to some shocking defending and even worse goal-keeping. The newly reinstated coach, Renato Gaucho, clearly had nothing and no one to bring off the bench and paced the sideline with his head in his hands. Somehow, a long ball out of defense combined with a lucky bounce and a bit of pace to pull a goal back for Fluminese, but hope was short lived as Coritiba killed the game on a counter-attack. Once the result was beyond doubt, the fans spilled into the old geral to take up their swearing positions. There was nothing the police could do but let the abuse wash over them and onto the coaching staff and players.

In the movie clip below, there is an impressive diversity of ages, all screaming “Frangeiro” which can be loosely translated as “chicken shit”. Those familiar with Monty Pyton will be surprised to see a cameo by the “It’s” man. Just another Sunday at the Maracanã.

World Cup 2014 Memory Project

“A Copa é nossa, a memoria é global”

Overview

The FIFA World Cup is one of the world’s most powerful sources of collective memory. Every time a World Cup Final occurs, it is the most watched event in human history. World Cup games define national and personal histories, stimulate exchange between distant and disparate cultures, and renew rivalries that resonate through time and space. Since 1930, the quadrennial World Cup has marked time for billions of people, connecting generations and cultures through a shared memory.

The World Cup is a global event that occurs in local stadiums. These stadiums function as stages for sport but also serve as repositories of global memory. Players, coaches, dignitaries, residents, tourists, and television audiences share the emotional and cultural space of the stadium, remembering what happened there long after the floodlights dim. Despite the importance of the game and stadium in peoples’ lives, there are very few mechanisms through which they can build upon, share, and connect with the memories and events they helped to create. Long after the World Cup has passed, the stadiums and the games they host occupy a permanent position in the global memory of sport.

Twelve Brazilian cities will host the 64 games of the FIFA 2014 World Cup. Incredibly, there are currently no stadiums in Brazil that meet FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) requirements for the month long event. Therefore, the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) in conjunction with national, state, and city governments have embarked upon an ambitious stadium building program. The minimum projected cost for seven renovated and five new stadiums is in excess of R$4.3 billion (US$ 2.15 billion). The estimated investment in transportation, communication, and tourist infrastructure is a staggering R$100 billion. The historic nature of the World Cup and its profound impact on Brazilian cities call for a project that can contextualize and memorialize these monumental projects.

The mission of the 2014 World Cup Memory Project (2014WCMP) is to document, enhance, and catalogue the histories and events associated with the stadiums of the 2014 World Cup. This unique project will serve as a resource and archive for laborers, project managers, government officials, residents, tourists, researchers, and policy makers. Multiple forms of public engagement will allow a diverse cross-section of Brazilian society to interact with international tourists so that the experience and events of the 2014 World Cup can be preserved as a living history.

The Calm Before the Storm

In preparation for the 2007 Pan American Games, Rio de Janeiro invested heavily in sporting infrastructure. The urban and social legacies of the Pan 2007 are deeply ambivalent yet have positioned Rio de Janeiro and Brazil in a situation where more investment in sporting infrastructure is forthcoming.

Twelve Brazilian cities will host the 64 games of the FIFA 2014 World Cup. Incredibly, there are currently no stadiums in Brazil that meet FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) requirements for the month long event. Therefore, the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) in conjunction with national, state, and city governments have embarked upon an ambitious stadium building program. The minimum projected cost for seven renovated and five new stadiums is in excess of R$4.3 billion (US$ 2.15 billion). The financing for the stadium projects and their associated tourist, communications, and transportation infrastructures will come from the public sector with significant contributions from private enterprise.

The World Cup is a global event that occurs in local stadiums. These stadiums function as stages for sport but also serve as repositories of global memory. Residents, tourists, and television audiences share the emotional and cultural space of the stadium, remembering what happened there long after the floodlights dim. Despite the importance of the game and stadium in peoples’ lives, there are very few mechanisms through which they can build upon, share, and connect with the memories and events they helped to create. Long after the World Cup has passed, the stadiums and the games they host occupy a permanent position in the global memory of sport. My 2014 World Cup Memory Project intends to augment and preserve this memory in multiple forms.

Brazil is also one of the four remaining candidate cities to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. On October 2, 2009 the IOC will make its choice between Rio, Tokyo, Madrid and Chicago. If Rio de Janeiro is chosen, the process of preparing for the Olympics will begin immediately, stimulating large scale construction projects thoughout the city. In the event that Rio is selected I anticipate beginning a longer-term project.

My research into mega-events in Rio de Janeiro will build upon my book, Temples of the Earthbound Gods (University of Texas Press, 2008). In Temples, I trace the development of soccer stadiums in Rio and Buenos Aires, situating the stadiums in their political, urban, and cultural contexts. The book was runner-up in the Association of American Geographers's Globe Book Award competition and was called a "damn fine geography book" by one of the reviewers. There is a permanent link to the book at the right of the page.

I am really excited about heading off to Rio for the rest of the year and hope that you subscribe to the blog so I can keep you posted on what I'm up to.

Ate mais!

2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics Research - Press Release

2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics Research

The years 2014 and 2016 may seem distant, but for Brazilians they are very much in the present.

In May of 2009, FIFA confirmed twelve Brazilian cities as hosts of the 2014 World Cup. Incredibly, there are no stadiums in Brazil that meet FIFA’s architectural specifications. In order to host the 2014 World Cup, Brasilia, Cuiaba, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Natal, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio De Janeiro, Salvador, and Sao Paulo are building or renovating stadiums, constructing new hotels, upgrading transportation systems, and preparing for the quadrennial soccer tournament. Construction on all twelve projects will begin in 2010.

According to the Brazilian Soccer Confederation (CBF), the cumulative cost of the 2014 World Cup stadium projects will be R$ 4.648 billion ($2.32 billion Dollars). The average stadium project will cost around R$ 387.3 million ($190 million Dollars). Billions more will be spent on upgrading transportation infrastructure and communications facilities, building new hotels, and security. Host cities and states will bear the brunt of the financial burden as the current economic climate has reduced partnerships with the private sector.

On October 2, 2010 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will select either Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, Chicago, or Madrid as the host city for the 2016 Summer Olympics. GamesBids.com, the leading indicator of Olympic Games selection, places Rio de Janeiro in a dead heat with Tokyo. The Olympics have never been in South America and the Brazilian federal government has guaranteed financing for the R$80 billion project (US$40 billion). The Rio Organizing Committee (RJOGOC) has already spent in excess of US$ 100 million in preparing and promoting the Olympic bid. Rio de Janeiro has hooked its Olympic Bid to their experience with hosting the 2007 Pan American Games. The cumulative cost for the Pan 2007 was in excess of US$ 5 billion, more than ten times over budget. Hosting Pan 2007 was a process fraught with corruption scandals, incomplete projects, and militarization of parts of the city.

While politicians and construction firms see mega-events as opportunities to accelerate development projects and promote cities and country on a global stage, others point to the inevitable corruption, graft, and uneven distribution of financial burdens and rewards as evidence of continuing social injustices. The state and city of Rio de Janeiro continue to invest heavily in the constellation of facilities necessary to host global mega-events, using these events as mechanisms to accelerate social and economic development. Whether or not this works as a strategy for solving Rio’s grave social and urban problems is debatable. The evidence from the 2007 Pan American Games suggests that the promised new and/or improved transportation lines will not be completed, environmental remediation projects will stall, and that construction of vip accommodation in stadiums and five star hotels will take budgetary priority.

As a recipient of a Fulbright Scholar Grant from the U.S. Department of State, in the Fall of 2009 I will be researching the social and urban effects of mega-events in Rio de Janeiro and Brazil. My recent book, Temples of the Earthbound Gods (University of Texas Press, 2008), traces the history and culture of stadiums in Rio de Janeiro from the late 19th century to the early 21st. My current research is a continuation of the themes I cover in Temples: exploring the larger political, cultural, and geographic worlds of Brazilian cities through an analysis of their building projects relatative to the 2007 Pan American Games, 2014 World Cup, and 2016 Olympics. In addition to my research, I will teach a course on mega-events in the Department of Geography at the State University of Rio de Janeiro.

If your media outlet is in need of background information, interviews, or news stories from Rio de Janeiro, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank You,

Chris Gaffney


About
Dr. Christopher Gaffney holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Texas at Austin and is on leave from UNC – Chapel Hill where he teaches Urban Geography and International Studies. His book, Temples of the Earthbound Gods: stadiums in the cultural landscapes of Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, is available on Amazon or from the University of Texas Press. Gaffney hosted a weekly talk show called Soccer Mad on 91.7 KOOP (Austin, TX), has been a radio and television commentator for the USL-1 Carolina RailHawks (Cary, NC), and covers the RailHawks for the Independent Weekly in Durham, NC. He covered the 2006 World Cup at www.soccerprofs.blogspot.com and maintains a blog at www geostadia.blogspot.com. He is also a principal of Six Dimensions Sports Consulting (www.6dsports.com). He can be reached at geostadia@gmail.com or by phone at 512-585-9866 (USA) or 011-55-21-xxxx-xxxx (Brazil).

Battery charges by RailHawks 2-1

May 7, 2009
Cary, NC
USL-1
Carolina RailHawks vs. Charleston Battery

On a night when thunder and lightning knocked out an hour of power and heavy rain unequivocally defined the term fair weather fan for several dozen families who sheepishly made their mini-vanning way home, the Charleston Battery and Carolina RailHawks huffed and banged their way through 90 minutes of football.

Carolina entered the game on top of the USL-1 table and had never lost to their Southern Derby rivals, posting a 7-0 record over the past two seasons. Keeper Caleb Patterson had not conceded a goal in his RailHawkian tenure and Martine Rennie was able to field his strongest side with the exception of Josh Gardner who had picked up the flu in Portland. 4500+ fans braved the game-time tempest and were rewarded with cool weather and eerie, ominous skies. It looked like a promising night for the home side.

Things had obviously changed in Charleston in the off season however. The cutting of MLS rosters has been a boon for USL-1 as some excellent players have come to ply their trade in the second division. Rumors about the Battery’s new Japanese signing Tsuyoshi Yoshitake proved to be accurate as he made a number of incisive passes and was able to get the better of Carolina’s right back Gilkerson as Charleston dominated the early stages of the game.

In the third minute, Yoshitake played a diagonal ball into the box that fell for Dan Antoniuk (who had a frustrating year for the RailHawks in 2008). Antoniuk found himself with three yards of space, and stroked the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the goal. It was a portentous sign for the RailHawks as they have never come from behind to win a game.

The goal clearly unsettled the ‘Hawks as they looked uncomfortable on the ball and had difficulty finding a rhythm to their passing. Cunliffe was a liability on the left side of midfield as he was frequently caught in possession and seemed to lack a sense of urgency in the final third. Bundu was left to battle for possession in attack and was constantly swarmed by two or three players. The RailHawks managed to win a corner in the 18th and then the wheels came off as Amir Lowrey went in late and high for a header with his elbow raised. The referee showed him a red card. This was the first of ten cards brandished on the night.

Carolina battled bravely as the Battery bandied the ball to and fro without making productive use of their man advantage. Low managed a twenty five yard effort at goal in the 26th minute which was the first of the night for the RailHawks. Then he and Kreamelmeyer picked up yellow cards in the space of six minutes. There was a general sense of randomness when both teams had the ball and the remainder of the half was entropic. The fans were practically begging for the half-time circus to begin.

Carolina came out in the second half resolved to get at least a point. Watson signaling their intent by shaving the post with a right footed drive from the top of the box. More yellow cards followed as the referee tried to add some spice to the game.

In the 54th minute, Frankie Sanfillippo added all the spice that Charleston would need. Following a poor decision by Patterson to clear to touch instead of collecting the ball in his box, the Battery played the ball to Antoniuk’s feet. Antoniouk laid off for the former RailHawk captain who somehow curled a drive with the inside of his right foot from the top right hand corner of the penalty box into the top left corner of Patterson’s net. Sanfillippo ran to the press box side of the stadium and did his best Napoleon Dynamite imitation. “The best goal I ever scored,” said Sanfillippo. Not the best dance, mind you, but a stunning goal. Two former RailHawks playing for the Battery, two goals, two nil and a mountain to climb.

In the 68th minute, Rennie brought on Plotkin for Watson and in the 72nd Glinton for Bundu. McKenney played a long searching ball into the box, it fell to Plotkin 25 yards out and he ripped a shot with his left. Dusty Huddock spilled the ball to the onrushing Glinton who scored with his first touch of the game. 2-1 and the game finally sprung to life.

Charelston had begun to find their rhythm playing against eleven and nearly put the game out of reach in the 78th minute but the ball pinged against the far post and fell into Patterson’s hands. The ensuing counter attack went through Plotkin who found Glinton streaking into the box where he was foiled by a saving tackle. The crowd screamed for the equalizer.

The screams intensified in the 83rd when Charelston’s Wilson was shown a straight red for a horror challenge on Plotkin. The atmosphere was tense as the players shoved each other. The game was finely balanced. Two minutes later Plotkin was again the victim of a terrible knee high challenge that echoed through WakeMed Park. The referee made the sign of the ball, repeatedly curling his hands as if he were conjuring a mini-pizza. When Carolina won a corner he then decided to go for his book for Plotkin who was involved in the usual hurly-burly in front of the keeper. My head is still bleeding from the vigorous, querulous scratching I gave it.

The crowd raised its collective voice to urge the Orange on to the equalizer. Carolina was able to dominate possession for the remainder, but they were unable to fashion any real chances and the Battery claimed their first victory over the RailHawks, taking the first leg of the Southern Derby Cup 2-1. The RailHawks play their next three games on the road at Miami (May 16), Cleveland (May 22) and Austin (May 24). The Cleveland game will be shown live on Fox Soccer Channel and the others can be seen on usllive.com

Squawk!

RailHawks grind Rhino horns into powder, rebalance trade deficit with China

USL-1
Carolina RailHawks 1, Rochester Rhinos 0
18 April 2009
Cary, NC

In the murky wilds of Cary, NC the Carolina RailHawks claimed the collective hide of the Rochester Rhinos with a 53rd minute goal by Salleu Bundu. The goal poacher from Sierra Leone gave the home fans a much-deserved reward for their consistent, if tepid exhortations. This was the first time in six attempts that the ‘Hawks had been able to sink its talons into Rochester and now have maximum points from their first two league matches.

The goals should have been faster in coming and if not for the inspired play of long time Rhino’s netminder Scott Vallow, the second half would have been devoid of tension. Carolina dominated possession for much of the opening stanza and though the game had become choppy and increasingly violent by the end of the first half hour, it was clear that the crash of hyperborean Rhinoceros was lost in the Appalachian piedmont ecotome.

While dominating in possession, Carolina struggled to find clinical form inside the 18 and 6 yard boxes, squandering a beakful of chances. Part of the trouble was the lack of support provided to lone runner Bundu by attacking central midfielder Plotkin, who remained anonymous throughout most of the half. His Rochester counterpart, the 5 foot 6 inch Johnny Menyongar was well marked out of the match by Lowrey, Stewart, and Schulte whose combined height gives the RailHawks 18 feet 7 inches of defense in the middle of the park.

Rochester did not manage to sustain any possession at all until the 41st minute and their forward surge left them open for a swift counter that Paladini contrived to blunder when all signs pointed to a half-time advantage for the home side. It was an encouraging display, sullied only by a lack of crispness in front of goal and three yellow cards for the ‘Hawks, McKenney’s coming on the stroke of halftime.

The second stanze opened with an attackin flurry that may have been inspired by the syncopated thrashings of the half time tae-kuon-do performance. In the 47th minute Vallow again came to the Rhinos’ rescue as he saved well from Gardner who profited from Bundu’s muscular efforts and delightful lay-off. In the 52nd, Plotkin made his presence known with a steal deep in the attacking half, and played Paladini into the box with Vallow well beaten. Yet a casual toepoke sent the ball against the post and back to the grateful keeper. It was only two minutes later that Bundu slashed into the six yard box to expertly turn in Gardner’s cross.

A frustrated crash of Rhinos is a dangerous thing. In the 56th, left mid Earle came raging into Kreamelmeyer from behind and received a straight red. This turned out to be the best thing possible for the visitors who took advantage of Carolina’s newly relaxed attitude to fashion several chances. Yet Carolina continued to have possession and created more good chances of their own, the best falling to Plotkin who flubbed a rolling ball past the far post with only gnats and oxygen to beat. The Hawks’ lack of precision in front of goal should have cost them at least two points in the 73rd and 82nd minutes as the looming Tai Atieno might have done better with a pair of free headers at the RailHawks’ back post.

The game became even more delicately balanced when RailHawks right back Devon McKenney was shown his marching papers for a second bookable offense. There was some suspicion of softness about each of the cards he received, but the tone of the game had deteriorated to overt aggression towards the end. Rochester’s Ball was shown a straight red in the 90th minute for unknown reasons, brining the card total to 6 yellow and 3 red. Carolina finished with an 11 to 1 advantage in corners, and 12 to 8 in shots - strong indications of which side of the field most of the game happened.

The RailHawks look for an unprecedented third victory in a row next Sunday at 2pm against the Minnesota Thunder.

The Shirt

This is the text of a speech delivered at Trinity University on March 27 as part of the 2nd annual Timothy Isom fund-raising banquet. Dozens of soccer jerseys were auctioned off to raise money for a memorial. Isom died suddenly at the age of 22, just after his graduation from Trinity.

The shirt

Soccer’s great poet-historian Eduardo Galeano recounts the tale of a Gimnasia de La Plata fan who, knowing he was going to die, asked to be buried in the shirt of their bitter rivals, Estudiantes de La Plata. His lifelong friends, shocked that he would betray them at the end asked, ¿por qué?. He responded: so I can take one of those bastards with me.

From a distance, you can tell this is a soccer shirt. It’s not a Hawaiian, or a polo, or a tee, it’s a soccer shirt. It has a badge, distinct colors, a history. Sure, it has a sponsor and a globally recognized corporate icon and is probably manufactured in a sweatshop, but it’s stylish, comfortable, embodied, laden with meaning. You have likely seen this shirt before, in person with tens of thousands, or tele-visually with hundreds of millions. You are receiving messages; the shirt is doing the talking, it awaits your response.

Manchester United formed in 1878, when Florida was still a Spanish possession. Arsenal first took the pitch in 1886, the same year Geronimo surrendered his guns after 15 years of resisting the U.S. army. Liverpool first kicked about in 1892, just as British ships left ‘Pudlian docks for the Opium Wars in China. Chelsea arrayed themselves on the pitch in 1905, prompting Einstein to propose his theory of relativity. Red Devils and Gunners, Reds and Blues their histories contained within the collective memory of those who have worn and loved the shirt. The shirt is talking to you more than it was a minute ago.

Lao Tzu (sage footballer that he was) was asked by a student how he could best demonstrate love for his team. Master Tzu, who practiced a form of goalkeeping known as “saving without diving”, replied: score goal, kiss shirt.

One of the greatest signs of respect in the beautiful game is to trade shirts with a worthy opponent. With this act, you give your number, your shield, your identity, your sweat and blood, your shirt for gods’ sakes, to your adversary; a mutual exchange that years later, when you find it in your bottom drawer, you will remember the man, the moment, the game, the stadium, the result. The shirt gets heavier by the day.

Shirts bring us closer to those who see them hanging in their lockers. We buy their likeness so we can be part of the team, even though we could never play for it. The Argentines respect the shirt of the fan more than that of the players, because the fan will wear it for longer. You may easily pull one on, but it may be impossible to take off.

It is time to call it what it is: a complex symbol of multivariate interaction that both defines and transforms the individual while communicating socio-geographic messages of identity, place, and meaning. It is a symbol, a fashion statement, encapsulated history, a marker of identity, a sense of belonging, a memory, a man, a teammate, a son who is no longer with us.

Shirts. What do they tell us?

FIFA thinks they are so sacred that you can’t take one off in joy or anger. Referees tell us to tuck them in, opponents pull them to gain advantage, they expand in the middle over time. Archaeologists may have discovered that the shirt was born when a group of cave dwelling lads decided to go out hunting rabbits. “What shall we wear to hunt rabbits?”, they asked. “How about a shirt?”, they answered. It is unclear what the rabbits wore.

A shirt does not only function in one direction. The shirt takes everything you will give it: your heart, sweat, blood, passions, your life. Ideally, it comes to represent that which is best in us, shows us our limitations and helps us to overcome them through a collective commitment to something greater than ourselves. Although it is not necessarily a badge of courage, the badge is worn with courage (especially in enemy territory). It is defended and honored and kissed and held high. When a sea of fans transforms a stadium with their shirts, they become greater than the sum of their parts – they create and participate in history.

Tonight we ask you to think about the value of a shirt. You can walk into any soccer store and pay $80 dollars for any shirt you want, scribble a name on it and Bob’s your bloody uncle. The shirts collected here tonight are special because they come directly from the grandest temples of the beautiful game. These shirts have touched human greatness, handled personally by the earthbound gods of our time. Their namesakes have performed on our brightest stages for incredible stakes. This is a chance to touch that, to wear it, to feel the power of the shirt.

These shirts represent the apex of an entire complex of relationships, spaces, places, and events. Right now, in Manilla and Marfa, San Antonio and Sao Paolo, Durban and Dublin, there are millions of kids practicing, dreaming that one day they will pull on one of these shirts in a competitive match. They have been doing so for more than a century.

With this global context in mind, these shirts are much more than they appear. They are powerful symbols recognized the world over. Tonight they take on extra significance, an extra level of respect and meaning.

We are brought together by the shirt, the team, and the community that meant so much to Tito. Tito wears the Trinity shirt in his final resting place. To remember his life, his love for the shirt, and what he gave to us, we gather to create place, to build a stadium, to erect a memorial so that those who follow will better understand the meaning and memories behind the colors.

We are here to honor and remember those who have worn the Trinity shirt, lived with this second skin, been marked by it and left their mark on all that follow. This is a Trinity University soccer shirt. This is me, this is you, this is us, this is Tito.

USA 3, Sweden 2

Cary, NC is a sad and dark place. Beware to those adventurous souls who brave its divided highways to go to a faux Irish pub to watch the national team in action. The most impressive feature of O'Denny's (aka Hibernian) is that it manages to get two apostrophes in its name. They also serve a mean pork chop. But for watching a game of football, it's absolute rubbish.

Though it is a stretch to correlate the quality of the US national team's B side with the geopolitical quagmire of Cary, it seemed like a reasonable assumption at the time. Most USAmerican soccer players come from suburbia, Cary is the paradigm of suburbia, therefore the shameful quality of the side on display against Sweden witnessed in the simulacra of an Irish pub on a non-descript street in the middle of an equally anonymous landscape was a direct result of the socio-spatial conditions of its production.

There was plenty to be appreciated in the play of Sacha Kleijstan however. Though Sweden offered scant resistance other than their ubiquitous christian muscularity, Kleijstan was clearly in command of the game. Fresh off a week's trial with Glasgow Celtic, the CD Chivas USA midfielder looked the business well before he stepped up to lash a 30 yard free kick into the top left corner. A stunning way to score one's first international goal. His second came before half time through a half-deserved penalty as right back Wynn was caressed to the penalty box grass. Kleijstan's third was borne of a piece of brilliant control from Ching, who brought under control a ball that came over his head, took a touch, and slotted through two defenders to the onrushing Kliejstan who side footed home with his left. A glorious hat trick - unfortunately, the shameful defensive line of the USA made sure all three were necessary. (all goals available at www.tvgolo.com)

All in all, our B team is one goal better than Sweden's B team. Kliejstan cemented his roster spot for 2010. R We may see him in the starting lineup against Mexico on Feb. 11th. odgers (especially), Bornstein, Perkins, and Thorrington are out of the mix and that is as good as finding someone to fill a position at this point for head coach Bob Bradley. The Mexico match starts the final round of qualifying for 2010 and will be a blood and guts battle in Columbus.

Railhawks announce new head coach

Railhawks announce Martin Rennie as head coach

The Carolina Railhawks announced Scotsman Martin Rennie as the team’s new head coach. Rennie comes to the Railhawks from the Cleveland City Stars of the USL’s Second Division. At Cleveland, Rennie compiled an impressive record, taking the Stars to the USL-2 semi-finals in his first year and winning the league in his second year. This is clearly a coach who knows how to develop and implement functional tactical systems. Rennie is also noted for his ability to maximize player potential. A high percentage of his acolytes went directly into the MLS or foreign professional leagues following their stint in Cleveland.

Rennie comes to Cary with Europe’s highest coaching qualification: the UEFA “A” license. This is an unusual accomplishment for someone who has yet to begin plucking grey hairs before press conferences. Rennie also carries the UEFA youth license, which will be a huge asset in identifying and developing local talent to bring through the Railhawks’ fledgling development system. He has significant connections with professional teams in Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean and suggested that he will immediately look to add to the international character of the Railhawks’ squad.

During today’s well-attended press conference, Railhawks owner and president Brian Wellman identified the synergy between the Railhawks organization and Rennie saying “we are here to deepen our roots in the community, promote a family-friendly soccer environment, and put a championship team on the field. Martin will bring us consistency, a winning attitude, and a proven track record of success.” Wellman was also very clear that the Railhawks are not content to just compete in USL-1 but will continue to bring in top Mexican and MLS teams, and will target the new CONCACAF Champions League which would bring meaningful (and lucrative) international competition to WakeMed Soccer park.

Among the key changes that fans can look for will be a new attitude on the training ground. Rennie gave every indication that he expects players to work within his tactical system and to be committed to team play. The individual midfield peregrinations of Nuñes, Watson, and Fusilier may be a thing of the past. “Winning is not enough,” Rennie said, “we want to win with style and we want to win as a team.”

Fans can expect Rennie’s Railhawks to play a fast tempo game that is possession orientated (vs. lumping the ball forward), that builds from the back, and that works collectively to defend (vs. waiting for Chris McClellan to work miracles in goal). Perhaps the most encouraging statement of the afternoon was when Rennie said, “Winning is nice, but it is much sweeter when you can share the joy with the community.” While the Railhawks represent a bigger stage on which to display his coaching acumen, Rennie seems to understand that he is part of a much larger endeavor.

The Railhawks have a hugely talented group of players to draw from and Rennie will have much work to do in the coming months as he restructures what has been a disfunctional team culture. The Railhawks will host open tryouts on December 13th and 14th and hope to capture some local talent who are knocking around in the many Latino leagues in the Triangle. Though the 2009 season seems impossibly far away, it began in earnest today. The Railhawks have made a hugely positive step in hiring Martin Rennie: bienvenidos al triangulo, laddie.

Rilhawks weekend preview

Railhawks v. Battery Preview

In a final flurry of very ruffled feathers, the Cary-based Carolina Railhawks flap into a doubleheader against the Charelston Battery and Portland Timbers in USL-1’s final weekend. The stakes are high, as anything less than six points will snare no better than an 8th place finish for the sophomore ‘Hawks. In addition to winning two in two, they only make the playoffs if Atlanta and Minnesota choke.

On the bright side, if they do manage this Sisyphean task, they will be in the playoffs, which is of uncertain benefit other than fashioning a mantle of Cinderella to be lugged about. On the confusing side, why are there only seven teams in the playoffs? The Hawks finished 8th last year and made it in before being beaten soundly by Seattle.

It has been a rough year for the Railhawks who have struggled to find consistency, though they have been playing much better of late. The additions of players from Cuba, El Salvador, Mexico, Uruguay and Chile have begun to gel with those from Raleigh, California, Colorado, England, and Cote d’Iviore (to name a few), scoring 21 goals in their last nine games. There is a core of young talent spiced with some graybeards in their early 30s, which bodes well for the future. This season will look better in the Annals of American Soccer.

Before the avoidable 1-1 draw with Rochester last weekend, Scott Schweitzer pleaded for patience from the fans, and possibly the management. It was a pretty convincing plea, until with a 1-0 lead in the 82nd minute, an attacker was pulled off for a defender and in the 82nd minute it was 1-1. Even the staunchly supportive commentating crew were aghast at the decision which left the ‘Hawks scratching out a point when three were beak-bound.

Regardless of their chances of getting to the playoffs, I always recommend that people go to see the Railhawks play. They feature a great mix of international and home grown soccer talent in a comfortable, public transportation-free place to watch it. Almost like home, with all the niggling beauty of reality. You might also want to see proof of the old Wall Street adage: even if you don’t make it, they will come.

Carolina Railhawks v. Charleston Battery

USL-1 Regular Season Match

Wake Med Soccer Park

Cary, NC

September 6, 2008

Wake Med Soccer Park is one of the finest venues in the United States to watch soccer, if you have a car. The total absence of public transportation to the stadium would be more noticeable if anyone seemed to mind.

A light crowd came out to see the last place ‘Hawks roll the dice in their bid to reach the post-season. They were facing a Charleston Battery team that had looked very impressive in a 2-1 loss to D.C. United in the final of the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday. Almost everything went well for the home side as they notched three goals for the third time in five games.As Charleston sat back and hoped to spring on the counter, Carolina dominated early possession, attacking with fluidity through Ronald Cerritos in the center of midfield. When they were able to get the ball to the flanks, Nuñez took on defenders with his usual aplomb, creating trouble in the Battery backfield.

As the ‘Hawks opened some space they were reluctant to play early balls over the top, and after several abortive attempts Cerritos finally hit a one time ball through to Diallo who was bundled over in the box in the 25th minute. The ref did not hesitate in pointing to the spot, and Kupono Low stepped up to slot a wonderful penalty past the outstretched arms of Huddock.Inexplicably, Carolina did not press their advantage in possession but resorted to lobbing balls into the 6’4” Antoniuk, who paid dearly for his yeoman efforts in a nasty aerial collision with the 6’4” Nylen. An all too typical clash of monsters in the USL. It wasn’t long after that Cerritos, who should simply know better at his age, went flying into a 50-50 ball, smashing heads with a Battery defender and crumpled in a heap on the grass. The ref called for a stretcher, but all that could be found at WakeMed was a roller chair. One wonders if the trainers ask the players for their insurance cards. Unfortunately, Cerritos could not continue after the half-hour mark.

In the 37th, Charleston finally came to life and demonstrated some of the flowing soccer that put them in the Open Cup final. Five deft touches through midfield released Richardson on the left wing and his cross put Carolina’s back line to the test. Soon after, another midfield combination released Jamie Holmes on the right wing and his angled slot slid perilously close but Carolina escaped the danger.After a period of listlessness, Carolina responded through another series of passes in which play switched from left to right. Nunez released Diallo on the left, who played centrally to Waston, who slotted to the overlapping Curfman. His cross was directed into the net by Alewari in the 43rd minute. Charleston nearly pulled one back in injury time, but McClellan ended the half without having to make a save.

The half time entertainment featured the Railhawk Dancers performing a mock gang war, ironic given the recent escalation of gang violence in both Raleigh and Durham that seems a world, and not miles, away from Cary. There were also racing dogs and kids playing small sided games, in case anyone keeps track of these things.

Nothing much was generated by either side in the opening 20 minutes of the second half. Diallo continued to look slippery and dangerous running at the defense but it was Antoniuk who deserved the third goal of the night. Receiving a bouncing ball with his back to goal, he flicked over his defender and took the falling ball at full volley, sending it screaming to the top left corner. Hudock was equal to the task, flying across the goal to tip just over. This alone was worth the price of admission: two moments of athletic genius within one second.

The Battery are a good side, and they continued to look for combinations through midfield to prize open the heretofore stingy defense. A neat one-two in the attacking third allowed Spicer a chance to outmuscle Stokes and power underneath McClellan, who will wish he had another chance.

In the 74th minute, Diallo was taken off and Carolina looked to lock down their 2-1 advantage. They managed to give much of the initiative to Charleston who could not make too much of ten minutes of sustained pressure. As Carolina began to go backwards as much as forwards, this commentator was anticipating the worst, until a long sequence of passes ended with Curfman finding Watson on the right wing. Watson neatly turned his defender, dribbled to the line and cut back for the surging Cuban, Rey Martinez, who scored on his home debut. 3-1, and three points for Carolina.

This was one of the better displays of the season for the Railhawks who looked intent and confident. They continued their mastery of Charleston, running their all-time record to 5-0 against their Southern Derby opponents.
With three games to play, Carolina will need to put together even better performances if they are to defy the odds-makers who last week put their chances at a playoff spot at 5%. Nonetheless, they played well, scored some goals and will keep those that were there coming back for more.

Railhawks lose again, come to screeching halt in cellar

Montreal Impact v. Carolina Railhawks

USL-1

8 August 2008

Cary, NC

Wake Med Soccer Park

Do RailHawks bounce when they hit the ground?

The numbers are not pretty, but do tell the story. In the last 6 games, the Railhawks have scored two goals, suffering five shutouts. They have scored just 19 goals in 22 games, conceding 31. They have not won since June 27, and since then have taken 3 out of a possible 27 points. The strains of Ozzy Ozborne’s “Crazy Train” that play as the team is introduced should be replaced with Tom Petty’s “Freefalling”. It might soften the blow for the crowd.

At the end of another anemic performance marked by mental lapses, bitching at the ref, another churlish red card for Stokes (3^rd in 10 games), and a gear grinding attack, the disgust was about as palpable as it is likely to get in Cary. A dozens fans took their souvenir Frisbees and heaved them onto the pitch, a strong statement in staid suburbia.

This was the first choice team for coach Schweitzer and on paper one that looks the business. But after an opening five minutes of nice possession and good movement, the wheels fell off as Montreal countered, breaking the trap. Segovia lost precious ground as he remonstrated with the linesman. Jefferson took full advantage, turning the Chilean in the box and slotting past McClellan into the far corner. That really made an Impact. Having NEVER won after going a goal down, the only remaining work was to chart the positives and negatives of the players in terms of possession and influence.

Player	Positive		Negative
McClellan	3		2
SanFilippo	3		9 hideous going forward
Segovia	2		2 ball and fwd, not ref!
Stokes	2		3 another red card!
Worthen	2		0 pulled hammy, really odd luck there
Fusilier	0		5 subbed at ½ time
Low	7		3 solid in DCMF role
Watson	4		7 lost on right wing, more comfortable in middle
Nunez	5		4 no service in 2nd ½
Cerritos	3		5 static
Antoniuk	2		1 lack of service, hard work
Diallo	1		1 sparked attack briefly
Norkus Curfman		1	5 not a left back, easily gave away poss. Late sub, some nice touches
		2

It’s hard to know what to say about a team with no clear direction. For now, the only way to go is up, but that seems increasingly unlikely given the force of the impact of their crash into the cellar. Next up: Miami FC and the return of Connaly Edozien. Has enough time passed to call him prodigal? No matter, he’ll likely score a brace.

Vancouver Whitecaps v. Carolina Railhawks

Vancouver Whitecaps v. Carolina Railhawks
USL-1
1 August 2008
Cary, NC
Wake Med Soccer Park
Partly cloudy, balmy, perfect field conditions
TV: Fox Soccer Channel

It was a big week for Carolina in the front office. Gone was Connoley Edozien, last year’s leading scorer and stylish poster child. In comes fading El Salvadorian star Ronald Cerritos and rising Mexican estrella Eddie Gutierrez (click for more details). National television cameras were rolling, skies were clear, a much needed three points for the 9^th place Railhawks , lovely night for optimism and football.

After the most soulful rendition of “O Canada” this commentator has ever heard, it took less than one minute for Vancouver to score. Carolina kicked off, passed backwards (as is their wont), Low lost possession at left back, and gave up a foul deep into the right attacking third. Vancouver threw five players into the box (five of them 6’1” or bigger, with two verifiable monstros at 6’5” 220+ pounds), the ball bounced around, got rammed back across the front of goal, one nil, Bob’s your uncle. Carolina had the pleasure of being the first team in USL-1 to kick off twice within 75 seconds this year.

Nine minutes later, the groans were even more audible from the directors box. After right wing Fusilier rashly fouled in the depth of the ‘Caps’ tidal surge, McClellan bobbled the threatening cross, no ‘Hawks could move with so many huge standing waves around, 2-0. Bob’s your uncle and your father.

Things weren’t too bad for Carolina after that. Though they continued with their nasty habit of wasting free kicks and corners and their forwards have lost the confidence to take people on with the meager service they get, they looked pretty good for long stretches. Vancouver never really got much going, depending on the physicality of their forwards and pace of their defenders to generate and close openings. Santiago Fusilier gave some real delight to the home fans with an 18^th minute strike from outside the area. A thing of beauty, artfully lobbed over the ‘keeper, dipping just below the bar, diving into goal over the head of an outstretched Whitecap. Lovely stuff and well deserved. Hope sprung. It was mortally wounded in the 35^th minute.

For the third time in two home games, the ‘Hawks gifted a goal that left McClellan with no chance. Low’s one time pass to retreating center midfielder Solle (who had a disaster) was intercepted, Segovia was exposed holding a high Chilean line, and Eduardo Sebrango didn’t need his tiocubano to help him make it 3-1. The sound of air leaving a roof-less stadium is very odd indeed.

Though all was lost, the referee soon completed his rightful duty as an entertainment manager and expelled Vancouver’s incredibly pacy right back Takashi Hirano in the 43^rd minute for a blistering two footed tackle on Dombrowski. Carolina made no use of the ensuing freekick or man advantage until the 83^rd minute.

After Zuzga, Lemons, Curfman, Worthen and Antoniuk had been thrown into the mix for Norkus, Diallo, Fusilier, Dombrowski, ,and Solle, Nuñez pulled back a deserved goal for Carolina. As the game inexorably moved to its end, Vancouver held on to their three points like barnacles to a boat. Carolina screwed away several chances, hit the post, were denied by good saves, and their own lack of je ne sais qua.

They may be under some kind of curse. This is the thirteenth winless game on the trot. They have never once won after being a goal down and have only scored 3 goals in their last 5 games. Why then does the game get handed to the opposition within 60 seconds? Is there no idea of what to do at the very beginning of the game, much less adjust to it as it gets increasingly complicated? One wonders how this is going to translate to the new signings. Bienvenidos amigos, nececitamos ayuda. No le pasan la pelota al otro equipo, por favor.

Railhawks match report, 7/18/08

July 18, 2008

USL -1

Wake Med Soccer Park

Cary, North Carolina (National Geographic Article, very telling)

Carolina Railhawks 0 v. Puerto Rico Islanders 2

As usual, it rained just before the game, “killing the walk up”. Game time rain means many thousands of lost dollars to team management. Playing simply and intelligently in the back should mean more to the coaching staff. Both Puerto Rico goals were gifts: Carolina’s Solle and Stokes contrived to put Hansen through in the 16th minute through a bungled clearance. He simply couldn’t miss. Left-back Low’s seeing eye pass to attacking mid Villegas needed a touch but left McClellan no chance in the 34^th and the game was effectively done and dusted. Carolina has never come back to win after being two goals down, and there was the general sentiment that one point would constitute both moral and pyrrhic victories.

The first was perhaps the worst half of soccer Carolina has played all year. If not for the enterprise and bustle of the alas rioplatense, Nuñes and Fusilier, there was little energy to be found in the Railhawks’ nest. Like a climate threatened glacier, attacks were slow to develop and quickly ended. Set pieces were pedestrian, rarely threatening, and ill-rehearsed. To be fair, on the occasions when Carolina did get the ball into the box, the referee could have gone for three penalties and certainly should have given at least one. Does he have no sense of how to build positive emotion amongst a partisan crowd? For Chris’s sake (very funny), it’s a second division game in a suburb, it’s the 70^th minute of a 2-0 game, give a damn penalty to the home team to make it interesting!

The Hawks stay in 8^th place in the league, while the Islanders jump up to the top of the table for the first time this year, perhaps ever. Next up for the Hawks are the Rayados de Monterrey, Mexico who will be starting their first eleven in front of a partisan, Mexican crowd. If Carolina does not solve their back line problems soon, Jared Borgetti (you tube) will be shitting bird feathers for a week.

Darting away

It is difficult to talk critically about culture without poking a finger in someone’s eye. Since long before Hammurabi, we have been poking right back. From this we have no doubt come to understand the wisdom in keeping one’s singular eye on things such as the ball, the bottom line, the road, the prize, etc. With these trepidations in view, I venture into the world of darts.

As a cursory search of the internet and a modicum of casual observation will confirm that “darts began in the drinking halls of England”. The idea of drunken men slinging about shortened arrows at overturned wine barrels seems about right even now. Even the feaux cracks we see on modern dart boards are a remnant of medieval dudes throwing sharp points at an immovable object. I imagine that their spaces of sotted leisure were as given to banal expressions of masculine solidarity as ours, and that they drank the Miller Light and Budweiser (perhaps, Guinness) of their day.

I first played for Armed & Hammered in season 42 of the Bull City Dart League (hereafter, BCDL). Because it was my first season in the league and I had the highest average points per dart of the “rookies”, I was “BCDL Rookie of the Year”. I have a trophy to prove it. I also won a trophy for “high out”, meaning that my “136 out” in a singles game of 301 (where you have to count down and finish on zero by hitting a double) was the best in the league for the season. I was so excited about it that I took a picture of the darts, triple 20, triple 20, double 8. Overall, my numbers weren’t bad, but at around a 14 handicap I was in the middle of the statistical pack. There were guys throwing at 21 and 22, knocking down 180 once or twice a night, 5 marks on command, three bull outs to scare the pants off ya. I tell you, there were some serious players. And they keep some serious stats to prove it. It took me a full three weeks to figure out the scoring.

What seemed Byzantine in complexity turned out to be an interesting way of organizing an evening of arrows for between 10 and 16 people. As ESPN invariably flickered like a sad, decaying constellation in the background and Lynyrd Skynyrd hitched up his panties for another go at Freebird, with Joe Cocker limbering up in the box, some snuck outside for a “safety meeting”, everyone made sure their beers were full, the room filled with smoke and the game was on.

The BCDL kicked off at 8, finished by 11, and continually left me feeling either good about my darts and indifferent about the night, or badly about my darts and downright hostile for spending so much time and money thinking it was worth it. Nonetheless, I played another season (Season 43) of Tuesday nights in the BCDL (with two more trophies to boot), and then switched to the Triangle Dart League, now playing on a team called, Still Armed, More Hammered (see p. 2).

The geographic overlap between the BCDL and the TDL is minimal, only one bar, the West End Tavern (WET) hosts teams in each league. What these two leagues don’t cover in the Triangle the Raleigh Dart League with 8 divisions picks up in droves. All of these local teams and bars have an affiliation with the Piedmont Dart Association which has a fantastically complex and comprehensive geography of its own. But that organization is modest relative to the American Darts Organization (ADO) which is in turn humbled by the World Darts Federation. Successive levels of inanity each more befuddling than the next. However, if we look at the member countries, the ol’ British drinking game rears its head, with some EU company:

► AUSTRALIA ► AUSTRIA ► BAHAMAS ► BDO ► BELGIUM ► BRAZIL ► CANADA ► CZECH REP ► DENMARK ► ENGLAND ► FRANCE ► FINLAND ► GERMANY ► GIBRALTAR ► HONG KONG ► HUNGARY ► IRAN ► ITALY ► LATVIA ► LITHUANIA ► NETHERLANDS ► N. ZEALAND ► N. IRELAND ► NORWAY ► PAKISTAN ► PORTUGAL ► SCOTLAND ► SWEDEN ► SWITZERLAND ► USA ► WALES

Wait a minute…Who is that between Hungary and Italy? Perhaps the next president could establish some kind of “darts diplomacy” with our Persian brothers.

It seems absurd to comment on the culture of darts without talking about the places and people in more detail. The places where darts are thrown with something more than sloppy attention tend to have pool tables, electronic bar-top gambling, drop ceilings, fluorescent lighting, perpetual sports programming, primitive toilets, NFL/Budweiser advertising, and rock and roll on the three song for a dollar jukebox. The bars either don’t serve food or don’t do it well enough to bother. Some serve decent beer on tap, all have something good in bottles. A majority of people smoke. Nearly everyone drinks, and if they don’t it is likely on doctor’s orders. Whiskey shots are unceremonious. Fist punching, ubiquitous; high fives, impromptu and frequent. Casual racism, homophobia, and misogyny pervasive. Following tough norms of masculinity are welcomed, but not required. Being able to protect one’s self physically seems unnecessary, though fights are a part of life’s great mystery. There are also women present. To call it a disproportional representation would be both cruel and accurate, yet as I have frequently heard, "no one wants to lose to a team of bitches".

In short, the world of the BCDL and the TDL is a common one, where petty antagonisms and historical trajectories of intolerance manifest in predictable and lame forms. It’s almost hard to muster righteous cries of indignance when people are so grossly ignorant as to continue half-hearted, yet pointed attempts at making intolerance clever. Yet, in darts, it is ever necessary and increasingly important to get one’s point across. A small world in a large universe leaves little room for distinction.

CTG

April 7, 2008

Durham, NC