Zidane Disaster Yo Mama plays Soccer Dangerous Games

Serving the Beautiful Game
Zidane
Disaster
By Carrie Serwetnyk
Dangerous
Games
By Travor Kew
Yo Mama
plays Soccer
By Stephanie Hawco
Countdown
freekickmag.com | Aug 2009
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Contents
Photo by Damien du Toit
4
Contributors
5
Editor's Note
6
World Cup: Less than one year to go
By Michael Oldham
8
Yo Mama Plays Soccer
By Stephanie Hawco
10
Red Card Yellow Card
Zidane Disaster
12
By
Carrie Serwetnyk
Dangerous Games:
16
Soccer and Landmines in Northwestern Cambodia
By Trevor Kew
18
Soccer Shorts
19
Recipe: Fruit Crisp
By Heather McLean
21
Kidz Section
22
SoccerScopes
Cover Photo by Neil McCartney / The Citizen
2
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August 2009
August 2009
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Free Kick Team
Fernando Fei, Design & Production
Martin Bazyl, Photography
Raised in Argentina, Fernando always jokes
that football runs through his veins. His passion,
knowledge, and design talent gives Free Kick its face.
Martin is a freelance photographer, with a passion
for the game that unites all. Based in Toronto, he
hopes to be a part of a rise and breakthrough in the
nation where football is the number one played sport.
Lindsay Marsh, Editorial Assistant
Equipped with a BA in English Lit and a Sustainable
Community Development Post-Bacc Diploma,
Lindsay spent 3 years teaching and volunteering in
Japan and SW. Asia. Her passion for sports led her to
many muddy games of soccer with boys and girls at
a children’s home in Thailand. www.go-mad.org.
Neil Humphrey, Webmaster
Neil is a passionate local coach and suit in the football
community. His multi-talented skills in competitive
sailing and the beautiful game gave him a compass to
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consults in marketing, PR, Internet sectors and all the
latest soccer junkie info. Beware Voyageurs!
Contributors
Serving the Beautiful Game
Design & Production: Fernando Fei
fernando@freekickmag.com
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Trevor Kew
Trevor is a Canadian teacher and writer based in
Leighton Buzzard, England and spends most of
his time playing, coaching or watching football.
Trevor supports Watford and Manchester United.
He claims to have fouled strikers on three
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Michael Oldham
Mike is a soccer journalist from Edinburgh.
Along with Scottish haggis, he eats up anything
to do with the beautiful game. He is the
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is presently writing a book on the MLS. www.
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Publisher’s Note:
Why “Serving the Beautiful Game?”
Stephanie Hawco
As a magazine we have the ability to give a much needed
acknowledgement to individuals who contribute their
energy to soccer. Our mission is to serve the players,
fans, parents and coaches who want information and
support for their passion.
Stephanie Hawco grew up writing in
Newfoundland Now, she’s a Vancouver mom.
She lives with her new little person, Oliver and
her Cornish husband, who is forever reminding
her that “it’s football, not soccer.”
Brazilian star Pele’s most renowned quote was when
he called “football” the “beautiful game.” The quote
speaks for itself to all those who have played soccer or
admired it in the stands. It hits the mark between how
it looks on the outside and how it feels on the inside
playing it.
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Editor’s Note
Editor: Carrie Serwetnyk
carrie@freekickmag.com
Copyright © 2007. No portion of this publication may
be reproduced in whole or in part, without the written
permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.
Carrie Serwetnyk,
First Woman Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame
W
elcome back. With all the talk about the Winter
Olympics in 2010, it seems a pretty important event
happening next summer has been way overlooked
in our part of the world. Everywhere else on the
planet, the big news is the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, June
11th to July 11th 2010. An African nation has never before hosted
football’s biggest tournament.
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and I am always
amazed to know that over 160 eligible countries participate in
competitive matches in five regions over two years to qualify for
32 spots in the World Cup. Canada has only qualified once in 80
years: during their ‘86 run in Mexico. Of course, our struggles are
an entirely different story, but pointing this out is a reminder of
the magnitude of participation involved in earning the right to play
in the big dance. I often imagine the logistics required for each
country, especially in poor African nations or islands in the Pacific,
to find the resources to pool together coaches, players, equipment,
playing fields and transportation to compete against neighbouring
rivals. How great it must be to cheer for your home country.
Obviously we have a lot to learn before we are able to one day
fully understand this experience.
As great as the Olympics will be in Vancouver, only a percentage
of the world has tasted a snowflake. Its time we also tap into the
buzz happening everywhere else.
In addition, we wanted to respond to the Zinedine Zidane tour
that took place in June and July. Our publication gave credit and
attention to the man known here in Canada more for his infamous
head butt than his exceptional career as a World Champion. We
were also proudly involved as an organizer and sponsor of a free,
two-day camp that gave 100 kids the opportunity to meet Zidane.
However, the tour itself received significant criticism due to the
questionable practices of promoter Achene Adlani, so much so that
we felt it was necessary to define our involvement in the event.
We strive to be a positive publication, but so many people were
profoundly affected by the mismanagement of the event that we
have exercised our freedom of expression to air this viewpoint.
Our joy for the game remains with our kid’s section, funnies,
Soccerscopes and stories on our soccer mom and the way the
beautiful game is saving lives in Cambodia.
As always, we wish you the best in your game.
Free Kick Magazine is an
environmentally friendly publication.
Printed on recycled paper.
August 2009
free kick
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Story by Michael Oldham
WORLD CUP:
LESS THAN ONE YEAR TO GO
W
atching the recent
Confederations Cup and
admiring the style of Spain,
the determination of the United
States and the overall class of Brazil, we were
reminded of the romance, excitement and sheer
unpredictability of international football.
With less than twelve months to go until the
entire world’s attention switches to South
Africa and the Soccer City Stadium in
Johannesburg, it was hopefully just a taste
of things to come at World Cup 2010. And
Japan, South and North Korea, Australia, the
Netherlands and host, South Africa, can already
look forward to seeing their names in the draw
for the finals, which takes place on December
4th.
Traditionally, the better the host nation
performs, the more successful the tournament.
And South Africa, who are the only automatic
qualifiers since 2006 winners Italy were forced
to qualify in order to defend their title, will
hope to fare better than they managed during
the Confederations Cup, which they also
hosted.
A win over New Zealand sandwiched between
a goalless draw with Iran and a 2-0 defeat to
Spain did little to impress, and former Bafana
Bafana star, Lucas Radebe, has suggested
they may need to look at bringing one of
their biggest names out of international exile.
Benni McCarthy, who was not picked for the
Confederations Cup squad by head coach Joel
Santana, has played in two World Cups and
finished top scorer at the African Nations Cup
in 1998. Former Leeds United captain Radebe
warned: “We need McCarthy at the World
Cup.”
It is not only on the pitch where South Africa
faces problems, with the occasional question
mark still hanging over their preparations for
the finals. The success of the Confederations
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August 2009
South Africa 2010
Cup has helped answer many of
these queries, though the blasts of the
vuvuzela – the horns that were heard
almost incessantly throughout some
matches – will be a concern for anyone
worried about the atmosphere at the
games.
Players, coaches, fans and journalists
alike pleaded for the plastic trumpets,
which have become a tradition in
South African soccer, to be outlawed.
Liverpool & Spain midfielder Xabi
Alonso said: “I think they should be
banned. They make it very difficult for
the players to communicate with each
other and to concentrate.”
But while FIFA have announced
they will discuss the future of the
vuvuzela, FIFA’s President Sepp Blatter
maintained that he wants the World Cup
to reflect African traditions, not Western
European ones. “It’s noisy, it’s energy,
rhythm, music, dance, drums”, he said.
“This is Africa. We have to adapt a
little.”
The good news is that the stadiums look
on course to be completed comfortably
by the deadline of December this year.
It bodes well that the only outstanding
complaint that lags over from the
Confederations Cup surrounds the
vuvuzela. Most importantly, the South
Africans are determined that the World
Cup will be remembered for the right
reason; the football that’s on show.
South American teams always tend to
fare well on the global stage, and their
strongest challenge is likely to come
from Confederations Cup winners
Brazil who have lifted the trophy a
record five times. Dunga’s men look
to have finally moved on from the
2002 winning generation of the R’s –
Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos and
Ronaldinho – with a few new faces,
including Real Madrid’s maestro Kaka,
Milan’s teenage goal-scoring sensation,
Alexandre Pato, and Confederations
Cup top scorer, Luis Fabiano.
Another of the consistent challengers,
Argentina have struggled slightly
in qualifying, losing four games so
far, including two at high altitude in
Bolivia (6-1) and Ecuador (2-0). Head
coach Maradona faces a challenge
to get his midfield passing like they
did in the group stages of 2006.
Spain, with Barcelona’s dynamic duo
Xavi and Iniesta at their heart, have
taken Argentina’s mantle as the best
passing team in world football, and the
European champions will be among the
favourites to lift the Jules Rimet trophy.
In Europe, World champions Italy
will qualify if they beat Georgia and
Bulgaria in September, though their
ageing squad might need an injection
of youth in the upcoming season if they
want to retain the trophy.
One team who have youth on their
side is Germany, with their U21 side
recently crowned European champions.
Several members of that team, including
Schalke’s Mesut Ozil who starred at the
tournament, will be knocking on the
door of Joachim Low’s senior side if
and when they qualify.
qualifying section, while team-mate
Didier Drogba is hoping his Ivory Coast
side can also make it two tournaments
in a row after an impressive showing in
2006. No African team has ever made
it past the quarter-final stage at a World
Cup, despite Pele’s prediction that one
would win it by the year 2000.
In CONCACAF, Canada is long gone.
Costa Rica, Mexico and the US appear
destined to pack their kit south. The "El
Tri recently hammered the US 5 - 0 in
the Gold Cup.
And in the Middle East, Bahrain face
Saudi Arabia with the winners taking
on New Zealand for a place in the draw,
though whoever makes it through is
likely to land a difficult group thanks to
the seeding process.
The next couple of months will see the
qualifying process completed and the
final 32 teams announced. It represents
an important time for any players
looking to secure a place in their
national team’s squad for 2010, and
will see excitement grow as each nation
takes its final steps to the World Cup.
With four years between tournaments,
there is just enough time to start
forgetting how special the World Cup
really is. But with the prospect of
seeing the likes of Kaka, Leo Messi
and Fernando Torres in action for their
countries, plus the inevitable birth of
a new star or two, the countdown to
South Africa is well and truly on.
Chelsea’s Michael Essien will be
looking to lead Ghana to their second
successive finals in the African
August 2009
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om
er
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Yo Mama Plays Soccer
cc
T
So
his spring I became the one thing I had always feared the
most: a soccer mom. Before you get the wrong idea, you
should know that I don’t live in the suburbs, I don’t vote
conservative and I don’t drive a mini-van...yet. Perhaps I
should rephrase: I am a mom who plays soccer. A soccer playing mom.
A ball-kicking, grass-stained, offensive, defensive tornado of flailing
limbs - with a newborn baby. Hence, a soccer mom.
Story & photos by
Stephanie Hawco
Yo Mama
Plays Soccer
When I found out some girlfriends were joining Britannia’s 7 v. 7 ladies
league I figured it would be a good opportunity to a) get back in shape
after gaining 60 pounds in pregnancy b) get out of the house and c)
socialize with people who speak and walk and who don’t expect me to
wipe their bums for them. Thus, after a 15 year hiatus from the sport,
soccer and I have rekindled the old flame. I am still as unlikely to win
the Golden Foot award as I was in 1992 (when I cried for hours after
being cut from the ‘C’ team) and my body is barely - just barely - in
working order, but the spark is still there.
The first time back out on the pitch my entire childhood came back
to me: the smell of the grass, that perfect sound of laces and ball
connecting with just the right amount of force, the freeing euphoria of
physical exertion, the camaraderie of teamsports. The only thing that
brought me back to my present-day reality was - quite literally - gravity.
The last time I’d run was for the toilet with morning sickness sometime
back in my first trimester. After birthing a belter of a baby boy (I believe
“strapping” was the term the obstetrician used) it has become clear that
some of my ‘parts’ are no longer made for running. Let’s just say that, if
I were an old car, my rusted underbelly might be ready to fall out. And
every time I jump I pee a little. And maybe I need a bra for my saggy
newstomach.
zoom down the street (perpetually ten minutes late) all in the spirit
of friendly competition, resocialization, personal freedom and
sanity.
I admit to feeling like such an exhausted zombie that this whole
process often seemed like too much trouble. Running my jalopy of
a body around a soccer pitch was generally the last thing I wanted
to do at the end of a long day. The fear of coming home to an
inconsolable child was always in the back of my mind, but every
time I showed up for soccer I never regretted it. Some weeks I was
a winner; some weeks I scored twice. Sometimes I dropped the
ball, sometimes my shots missed the mark and sometimes I spent
the entire time running up and down the pitch humming “Baby
beluga in the deepblue sea...”. At least once I had to leave early to
avoid drowning my teammates in el Rio de Leche and another time
someone pointed out that I had some mysterious white chunky
stuff on my shoulder, but one thing was consistent: I always felt
better going home after playing soccer. My body had the chance to
relieve necessary tension, my mind never had to think beyond the
ball and the moment and my psyche was saved by the chance to let
loose with some super-fun, athletic women. Oh, and as a bonus, I
lost some of that 60 pounds.
Maybe I won’t be needing that stomach-bra after all. Instead, I will
invest in some fancy, new, golden cleats so next season I won’t just
be Soccer Mom but Super-Unstoppable Soccer Mom!
My idea of fun is “soccer lite” and my level of skill discomforting. At
least I have an excuse, I thought. I made a point of mentioning my three
month old baby as much as possible. Most of the ladies showed true
sportsmanship by offering support, encouragement and congratulations.
Some threw elbows and stole the ball from me. To my surprise,
however, I left the first practice unembarrassed and unintimidated, with
that sweet, almost-forgotten endorphin rush and a feeling I had not had
since junior high.
That Olympic-sized glow lasted the whole ten minute walk home, until
I returned to a wailing baby boy in my defeated husband’s loving, but
boobless, arms. I frantically ripped off my sportsbra only to discover
that baby doesn’t like the salty taste of sweaty nipples and then I
realized too late that one should most certainly remove their cleats
before jumping onto a bed. With a few adept, multitasking mom-of-theyear moves, however, I avert disaster and suddenly am simultaneously
feeding my son and pulling my shinguards and socks off each leg with
the opposite big toe. Soccer mom is back in the game.
And so this tango ensued: every Thursday and Sunday feed baby, haul
on cut-off maternity-jogging-pant shorts, stuff sportsbra with enough
pads to prevent major leakage, fish through husband’s sock drawer for
old rugby socks that fit over shinguards, lace up second-hand cleats and
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August 2009
Congratulations Whitecaps!
August 2009
free kick
9
W
e interviewd folks about their
"nightmare" dating moments. Just
for fun, you get to be the referee
in this scenario. Does this person get a
red card, yellow card or would they be a
perfect match for your team?
He eats oranges during half time commercials. It
makes him feel like he’s in the game.
Sandra, Coquitlam
After we broke up, she sent my very first jersey to
Good Will.
Matt, Vancouver
He told me his ex-girlfriend was a great player
and they always watched games together. And
he asked why I don’t want to get up at 6am on a
Saturday mornings to watch some English league.
Frankly, I don’t give a damn about soccer.
Kris, Delta
We have matching Man U pajamas.
Lisa & Dave, Seattle
He wasn’t interested in me until I told him I have
soccer cable.
Laura, Toronto
After our third date, I was expecting a kiss and he
high fived me goodnight.
Michelle, Burlington
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August 2009
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11
Zidane Disaster
Story by Carrie Serwetnyk
Photos by Martin Bazyl and Emmanuel Rousseau
I
've never actually seen a train wreck,
except for photos in newspapers of
Amtrak derailments or toy-like train
cars flipped over on their bellies in
far-flung countries. When I was growing
up in Mississauga, we had the great
evacuation of 250,000 people when a train
carrying chlorine gas exploded near our
backyard. Our family was one of the few
who hunkered down at home and watched
it on TV.
have thought when he came up with the
idea to convince Zidane to take his family
on vacation to Canada and play in a few
charity matches in Montreal, Toronto
and Vancouver. It was a great idea. He
planned to bring in top stars to play the
Impact, TFC and the Whitecaps. The tour
would be a sensation. Anywhere else on
earth, club teams and associations would be
falling over each other for the opportunity.
The stadiums would be packed.
Now, I see I was a small part of one of the
biggest promotional train wrecks in sport
that I am aware of happening in Canada. If
you followed the disaster of the “Zinedine
Zidane and Friends Canadian Tour,” you
will know what I am talking about. In
the end, it was the “no friends tour”
with plenty of fans feeling slighted after
promises of superstar appearances such as
Samuel Eto'o, Fabien Barthez, Christian
Vieri, Franco Baresi, Gennaro Gattuso
and former Italian coach, Arrigo Sacchi.
Worse, there is a long line of confused and
scammed business supporters who are still
demanding money promised to them, and
filing lawsuits. “It was a dog’s dinner,”
quipped British fan John Biermingham
who didn’t even know the Vancouver game
had been rescheduled to Swanguard. This
was one of the more flattering comments
from ticket buyers. Rants from disgruntled
fans who bought expensive seats are all
over the internet and too graphic to print.
“I'd like to just say **** YOU to the
organizers of Zidane and Friends for overhyping and under-delivering. It was like
paying to see Guns N Roses in concert and
Axel showing up with a local highschool
band.”
But not in Canada. At least, not under
Adlani, who in the end appeared to have
the organizational abilities of fruit flies in a
kitchen. The concept “disorganized” is too
complimentary with the word “organized”
as its root. Scam artist was a description
often used by many.
Let’s put ZZ aside. He is a great athlete, a
three time FIFA Player of the year, a World
Cup Champion MVP. After his infamous
head butt and past glories, he is arguably
one of the most well known athletes on
the planet. He is also an ambassador for
the UN. If you wanted to sell tickets to
a match he was playing in or promote a
mug with his photo on it, you would make
a million. Your grandmother could do it
without knowing how to send an email.
At least that is what Achene Adlani must
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August 2009
No one bought the idea. By the time
Zizou was about to play the final match at
Swanguard Stadium in Burnaby on July
12th, Adlani was literally selling tickets
out of an empty store front on Kingsway
and Victoria in Vancouver. There had not
been a single ad in any of the newspapers
for over two months. The only hint that
ZZ might be showing up appeared through
homemade signs and posters that were
scattered throughout the city at traffic
lights like promotions for local garage
sales or charity dances. The tour title “&
Friends” was literally being peeled off
signs days before the match. Amin, the
owner of the sign making shop Somartech
on Kingsway was one of the last to realize
he probably wouldn’t be paid after months
of “wanting to do the right thing for the
game, the right thing for Zidane.” Luckily
for him, he collected revenue from tickets
at his shop and he is still hopeful Adlani
will come through with the rest. Altruism
was a compelling enough reason to get
involved for many followers who believed
Adlani’s song about no support from the
CSA, the Provincial Associations and
the professional clubs. With countless
stories of screw ups in Canadian soccer,
Achene could have been seen as a hero
for overcoming the odds: an Algerian
immigrant succeeding in Canada outside
the system and the old boys club. His
story was believable - for awhile - and I
suppose even the great Zidane was taken in
especially since his parents share the same
heritage.
Unfortunately, in Toronto, Zizou played
to a half empty stadium at BMO field. In
Montreal, 15,000 watched an 11 nothing
drubbing to a squad of police officers.
There were no sponsors, there were no
occurred around the same time 90,000 fans
turned up at a Real Madrid event just to
watch superstar Cristiano Ronaldo show off
his new uniform after signing a world record
transfer fee of 142 million dollars (CAD).
Zidane had once held the world record for a
parallel trip to Real Madrid where he led the
squad to a UEFA Championship in 2002.
By the time the tour turned to Achene’s
hometown of Vancouver, a lawsuit seeking
$70,000 in damages had already been
filed by Donnelly & Associates, who were
originally hired by Adlani to market the tour
in Vancouver and Toronto. Owner John
Donnelly stated, “This was the worse event
“We were directed to place advertising to
promote the event and we had a tremendous
team involved. He brought us a cheque
that was not negotiable – it didn’t have
enough money to clear. He said, the money
was coming but it never came. He never
reimbursed us for the ads and he stalled.
Unfortunately we got brought in under
false pretenses. I thought I was going to be
on board to see it through, I was confident
to in our ability to promote, organize and
find sponsors for the event. If the game
happened, we would at least get paid from
the box office. But by May 15, he took
us out and we ended up not involved. He
wanted to do it all by himself and the event
operation was dodgy.”
By July 1st, Zidane appeared to have hurt
his back picking up his three year old boy
during the Canada Day Fireworks, just
three days prior to the July 4th match at BC
Place where less than 8000 fans had bought
tickets. A hot July evening, a cavernous
concrete bubble home to 50,000 seats anyone could see the match was headed to a
lonely disaster. Although we would all love
to believe ZZ was indeed hurt, his timing
was unfortunately compromised and many
people wondered if it were true.
From a promoter’s plot, the injury gave the
perfect excuse to dump BC Place where a
$250,000 deposit was originally required.
The initial dream of hosting Zidane in the
stadium seemed to be a calculated risk after
the Vancouver Whitecaps hosted a full crowd
for David Beckham and the LA Galaxy a
year prior. Surely, Adlani’s fantasy saw
Vancouverites flocking to see the World Cup
MVP Zinadine Zidane. But by the beginning
of July when sales were skinny and few
on board, the $4500 rent for Swanguard
Stadium became more attractive, realistic
and a potential road out of a giant loss.
souvenirs to buy and there were none of
the other promised players. All of this
experience of my career. We are extremely
disappointed and we have not been paid. We
have suffered serious loss and damage to our
reputation.”
If only BC Place would give back the
deposit in time. And Ticketmaster would
refund all of the fans who bought a seat
for the July 4th game and tell them about
the new date at Swanguard without Adlani
needing to pay the sales fees. With
little support, Adlani blasted the soccer
community blaming everyone but himself.
What he didn’t realize is that his karma
would lead him to failure: to cheat and to
deceive well wishers ended in derailment.
With a long list of broken promises, legal
threats over the years for unpaid bills, the
more seasoned Vancouverites didn’t bother
getting on Adlani’s Zidane train at all. In the
end, around 4000 fans made it to Swanguard,
ticket prices had descended from $30 to $20
and there was barely a mention in the media
to document arguably one of the best players
in history.
Zidane did come toVancouver and he was
a thrill to see. His touches on the ball, his
movement, his presence and his demeanour
were magical. Even though you may not
have known anyone else on the field (unless
he was your cousin or neighbour,) it didn’t
necessarily matter, Zidane stole the show.
As a publication, we organized and
sponsored a free camp for 100 kids in the
East side at Britannia Community Centre
where Zidane thankfully came out. It was
certainly an honour to have him spend time
with the children and to connect with the
media. We are grateful to everyone who
made it happen and we are proud to have
given our best to the community.
But for Adlani, the tour was surely a disaster.
Often he claimed to have mortgaged his
house to gain our sympathy, but it is difficult
to know the truth after a chorus of businesses
and individuals have charted trails of lies or
deceptions. In retrospect, we can admire a
man for having a dream but not if it takes
advantage or hurts others along the way. The
sign maker who laboured on still hoping to
be paid or at least get to meet Zidane (he was
promised ZZ would come to his house for
dinner) in the end said, “I feel bad about the
way I was treated. I was the only one who
helped him. He never appreciates people
who help him. He has totally humiliated me.
I am still hoping to be paid. He was a bit of
a friend.”
Its not surprising that even Zidane was
overheard asking Adlani for money for
his services at a business meeting in the
Bayshore hotel lobby. According to John
Russel, his bilingual wife translated the
French conversation with Zidane asking for
his contractual agreement “You don’t have
the $400,000 do you? He repeatedly stated,
“I’m not going to go down for this.”
Yes, even the great one - who doesn’t need
the cash, or fame or anything that we can
offer but a peaceful country where he can
be a bit anonymous was left feeling like the
rest of us – used, mismanaged and definitely
perturbed - a bittersweet ending for him and
all of us who love the game.
Hopefully, Zidane will at least consider
returning here for a vacation one day. Surely
we can prove to him that we can be better
hosts.
August 2009
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Photo by Glenn Baglo / The Vancouver Sun
Free Kick Magazine and Scrimmageville Soccer offered a free two day camp for 100 children with Zinedine Zidane at Britannia Oval in the East Side.
children were maimed in the same incident. Since 1996, SOS
has worked in a number of countries afflicted by landmines
and unexploded ordnance (UXO), including Bosnia, Kosovo,
Iraq and Cambodia.
Story by Trevor Kew
Photos by Neil Richards
Before that day, I had assumed, naively but perhaps
understandably, that landmine casualties simply occur when
someone is unlucky enough to step on a mine. But as with so
many far-off horrors in this world, the reality of landmines and
UXO in Cambodia is more complex. Firstly, for the people
living in Battambang and its surrounding provinces, it is a
horror that is anything but far-off. As a result of Cambodia’s
more than thirty years of conflict, much of the area was
abandoned and reclaimed by the jungle due to the sheer
amount of dangerous material. Now, as populations expand,
poverty drives farmers to take chances and clear new plots of
land. De-mining operations are painfully slow and are only
able to clear about 10 percent of the new land.
Dangerous Games:
Soccer and Landmines in Northwestern Cambodia
T
he road is rusty brown, lined with mango trees
and ramshackle houses on stilts. In the distance,
verdant hills rise dramatically, some dotted with
temples andpagodas, some simply impenetrable
walls of green.
A blaring horn shatters the illusion – a huge grey
truck is heading straight for us, swaying as it skips
across deep potholes and ruts. Its mountain of bulging
white sacks rocks back-and-forth precariously, with
five smiling Cambodians lounging atop it. If they are
actually holding on, I sure can’t see how.
Our driver, Soun Sokhorn, director of the Spirit of
Soccer (SOS) program in Battambang province,
Cambodia, swerves ever so slightly. We miss the
heavy goods vehicle by about five inches. My
knuckles turn pink again and I actually manage to
exhale.
Not even a close call in Cambodia.
I turn around. SOS coaches Heang, Mohabara,
Kamsoth and Chhion flash wide grins at me. Sokhorn
chuckles. A family of five whizzes past my window,
chatting to one another on a motorbike.
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Our destination is Plou Maesh primary school, about
an hour’s drive outside the city of Battambang in
northwestern Cambodia. We pull into a courtyard
ringed with battered old school buildings. There are
two soccer goals with endless fields of mango trees
behind each.
Scores of boys and girls of all ages pour out of their
classrooms, kicking off their sandals and rolling up
their trousers. Kamsoth, the one female coach on this
trip, hoists a big bag of SOS soccer balls out of the
back of our jeep and suddenly we are surrounded by a
sea of wide eyes and nervous whispers.
Within minutes, everyone is up and playing and
everything reverts to the familiar. Soccer and school
– pretty much my everyday reality back home. What
strikes me above all, however, is the creativity and
energy of the coaches. For an hour, despite the heat,
the students barely stop jumping, dribbling and
laughing.
Spirit of Soccer was founded in 1996 by an
Englishman named Scotty Lee. While on a
humanitarian mission to Bosnia, Lee was deeply
affected by the deaths of three children who triggered
a landmine while playing pickup soccer. Four other
“Many of these casualties are preventable,” explains Stephen
Sonderman, head director of SOS in Cambodia. “But poverty
definitely makes it more of a challenge. Many of these people
depend on scrap metal for extra income. Often, they are
willing to take a chance. Just three weeks ago, a kid picked up
a landmine and put it in his bicycle basket. Before he got far,
it exploded. As with so many of these incidents, he was not
killed, but sustained injuries that will affect him the rest of his
life.”
After the soccer session at Plou Maesh school, the children
sat on the ground, eyes on the large laminated posters in the
coaches’ hands. And as the coaches tried to convey their
serious message, and Sokhorn translated, I realized something
about the danger these kids faced.
In a place like Cambodia, trying to educate people about
danger is difficult. It has been a part of their lives for too
long, especially in Battambang, the former haunt of the Khmer
Rouge from the 1960s well into the mid-1990s. The road I’d
thought so trecherous that morning once contained more than a
hundred anti-tank mines. While they have now all been safely
removed, experts claim that it may take up to three hundred
years to completely de-mine Cambodia.
combining this education with the worldwide passion for
soccer. The children receive T-shirts sporting Cristiano
Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney holding warning signs about
mines and receive free coaching, free soccer balls and free
schoolbooks (with more soccer stars on the cover).
Local coaches receive professional training for both soccer
coaching and their more serious task. “This program
changed my life,” 25-year-old Lee Heang told me. “Before
this, I couldn’t get a good job…but now I can help children,
help my country…as well as go to university, learn English,
support my family.”
Four students at Plou Maesh school alone had family members
who had been injured by landmines. The girl’s father lost
a hand while trying to modify a mine for fishing. It is not
uncommon for kids to use slingshots or fires to try to detonate
mines for fun (they are kids, after all) or to attempt to remove
them from soccer pitches or playgrounds. It is hard to teach
people to change, especially children, when they live with that
daily reality and you do not.
Donations, government assistance, celebrity soccer players
and anti-mine signs on soccer balls have, of course,
contributed to the success of the SOS program. But the real
achievement of this program is that it helps Cambodian
children find role models from their own country. By the
end of that football session in Plou Maesh, the children
were looking at Heang like he was Rooney or Cristiano
Ronaldo.
It is not Lee’s decision to teach children about landmines,
which is groundbreaking in and of itself. It is his genius in
For more information, visit the SOS website at
www.spiritofsoccer.net
August 2009
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Fruit Crisp
Beckham Booed
S
by Heather McLean
ome fans may have been goo goo over David
Beckham’s new underwear ads for Emporio Armani,
but a large percentage of LA Galaxy supporters
were not too impressed when he returned for a
home game at the Home Depot Center. After spending a
five month loan with AC Milan, fans in the L.A. Riot Squad
supporters section were holding up Beckham’s jersey and
beating it. Home made signs read “Go home fraud” and “Hey
Becks, here before you, here after you, here despite you.” At
halftime, Beckham walked toward the group while shouting
and pointing. He challenged fans to meet him on the field and Photo credit Gogae Rich
tried to lift himself over advertising boards before security
intervened. Police snatched and arrested a fan who left the
stands imposing a life long ban. Becks was later fined $1000
by the MLS.
Earlier this year, Beckham said he wanted to remain with
the Italian club rather than return to the Galaxy because he
believed the level of play was much better in Europe.
Just prior to arriving, Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl’s
released a book titled The David Beckham Experiment
where teammate Landon Donovan, a star figure on the US
National Team blasts the England midfielder for his lack of
commitment to the team.
“I can’t think of another guy where I’d say he wasn’t a good
teammate, he didn’t give everything through all this, he
didn’t still care, but with [Beckham] I’d say no, he wasn’t
committed.”
One has to wonder how great a teammate Donovan is when
he ensured that scathing remarks appear in a book days before
Beckham arrived back in town. Rumours that Beckham is
hoping to skip town have been denied for now.
South African
Free Kick Wall
Photo credit Victor Gregory
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Instructions:
1
Preheat oven 350 degrees
2
3-4 cups chopped fruit (your choice
of fruits) and put in bowl.
3
Photo credit Gogae Rich
Lightening Strikes
The Tampa Bay Lightening team has probably never seen
action like the Vancouver Whitecaps did when they hosted Puerto Rico on July 25th. With a couple of minutes
remaining in the first half, an electrical storm whipped
into the game forcing the match to be abandoned for
nearly two hours. Flashes of lightening striking the field,
including a blast close to the Couch Potato sofa in the
north end entertained fans huddled in the Grandstand.
4
5
Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice,
2 tablespoons corn starch, 2
tablespoons maple syrup,1 teaspoon
cinnamon, 1/4 cup sugar may be
added if fruit needs to be extra
sweet.
Toss fruit until well combined. The
mixture should be wet, without a lot
of liquid, because the fruit will cook
down.
In a separate bowl: cream together
1 cup of butter and 1 cup of brown
sugar. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
Mix in 1 cup of flour and 1/2 cups
of oats. Finally mix in 1 teaspoon of
cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of cloves,
2 tablespoons of sunflower/pumpkin
seeds and 1 tablespoon of flax
seeds.
6
Spread the mixture evenly over fruit.
7
Bake 30-40 minutes when fruit is
bubbly.
8
Let sit for 10 minutes.
Photo credit CapsCRU
August 2009
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Word Cup 2010 Word Search
Capetown
Find names of Host
Cities in South Africa:
Nelson Mandela
Polokwane
Tshwane
Pretoria
Nelspruit
Rustenburg
Johannesburg
Mangaung
South Africa
2010
Zakumi the
Mascot
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SoccerScopes
Aries: Kissing your ball prior to your
practices or games will improve your
bond and soccer love. Expect your feet
to dazzle with excitement.
Taurus: Admitting Ronaldo and
Beckham are hunks will dampen your
social life.
Gemini: Dressing your pet up as the
team mascot will encourage teammates
to give treats to your four-legged friend,
saving you extra money on pet food.
Cancer: Offering a half-time orange
slice to a cute fan may lead to romance.
Which sport do you wish
your girlfriend played?
Leo: Meditating with a ball in your lap
will open the universe to higher powers
in your soccer journey.
Virgo: Organizing a drumming group
for your local matches will suggest that
you are cool and hip.
Libra: Using your player ID card will
not help you cross the border at US
Customs.
Scorpio: Kicking goal keepers will lead
to unwanted body scars.
Sagittarius: Partying the night before
your game may lead to your breakfast
appearing on the game pitch.
Capricorn: Wearing vertical striped
socks will help your body weight image.
Aquarius: A secret admirer will find
your bruises, cuts, sweaty hair and salty
demeanor sexy.
Pisces: Asking others to explain the
offside rule will annoy your soccer
friends unless they have romantic
intentions. Best to look it up on the
internet.
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