Shaolin Soccer

Today I will be finishing my blog posts with a fun critique of the Chinese movie Shaolin Soccer! The first time I saw this movie, I fell in love with it so much. It is an action, comedy and sport movie. This movie is about soccer, obviously, but there is a nice story to it. Here is the synopsis:

" All his life, an ordinary young man Mighty Steel Leg Sing has been treated like dirt. Still, he's never given up believing that all the world's problems could be solved with a little kung fu. So he's teaming up with a band of misfits - six friends who were kung fu masters in their youth - to form a soccer team that only he believes has a chance to win a $1 million grand prize. Together, they're going to apply their hidden talents to a whole new game -- and soccer will never be the same"

I really like this movie because it inspires people to find their talents and to go get what they want in life. It teaches them to never give up in what they believe in no matter what! It also teaches people some kung Fu! Just like real professional soccer players and the characters in this movie, both of them show their burning passion to play the game which is even more inspiring to others. This movie gives a nice example of friendship between the 7 kung Fu members and can motivate others to be more social. Another reason why I am such a big fan of this movie is that it is realistic and non- realistic. In the movie, there are some parts when they kick the soccer ball so hard, the ball get super-hot from the amazing speed. I find that funny because while the movie has a serious concept and story, their kung Fu and soccer mix is unrealistic. It breaks the seriousness. I love kung Fu, well not specifically kung Fu but any kind of martial arts. I was once in karate for 2 years then stopped but I still enjoy martial arts very much. Soccer is just amazing; you already know I love it. The portraying in the movie of this mix is very nice and fun to watch.

Stephen Chow

 I highly recommend this movie to everyone because it is a movie directed by Stephen Chow and he is the main actor in the movie. Stephen Chow is the director, writer and the principal character in Shaolin Soccer. Stephen chow has been in many very fantastic movies such as Kung Fu Hustle, CJ7, God of Cookery, etc. If you are a big martial art/ kung Fu fan, you should watch his movies. Here is a funny clip of the movie.

Hahaha I love this part. As you can see, it is very unrealistic but in my eyes it has a very funny effect. I mean I wish I could kick a ball and it would curve right away in the net. Also, who wouldn't like to stand meditate on a soccer pole. That looks like it would be fun. You can see all these different kinds of moves in kung Fu. As a matter of fact, I forgot to mention that Stephen Chow grew up looking up to Bruce Lee and he was a martial arts addict so in moves in the movies are from his own capabilities. In my opinion, I think it would be amazing and unique if we actually used martial arts in soccer but of course not to hit anyone but to upgrade some skills. Just a few steps can make a difference but we can't go overboard with it though, having legs flying everywhere and such. Okay I will end it here, hope you enjoyed my blogs, bye byeeee!



Used sources:

"Shaolin Soccer." IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 17 June 2015. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286112/

"Shaolin Soccer." Metacritic. Web. 17 June 2015.

http://www.metacritic.com/movie/shaolin-soccer/details

"Stephen Chow." IMDb. IMDb.com. Web. 17 June 2015.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0159507/

Women's FIFA World Cup

Welcome back to my blog! Today I will be talking about the Women's FIFA World cup which is currently being broadcasted. You know, I am very glad that soccer, the most popular sport in the world, has a big tournament for boys and girls. Even though the FIFA World Cup for men is more popular, it gives a chance to women to show their capabilities and skills in soccer. Women can show everyone that they can be better than men in some sports. Many people are usually biased towards women playing sports. They say that only guys should play sports and women should clean the house. That's how it is many different religions too but of course we can't do anything about it. That person should decide what they want to do. 

Christine Sinclair

One of my favorite players in the Women's FIFA World Cup is Christine Sinclair. She is Canadian just like me! She represents Canada very well and she is an amazing player. Canada does not really have a good men's soccer team thus not being able to get in the men's FIFA World Cup. Therefore this is another opening for Canada not to be looked down on in this amazing sport. It's all thanks to the women. Canada presently advanced to the Round 16 of the World Cup. If Canada wins in the Round 16, they can get into the quarter finals. It would be amazing if they won the World Cup this year!!! It would be a huge inspiration to all the women in Canada who enjoy playing soccer. We haven’t won a world cup yet. The more wins they have, the more they show everyone around them how they got better, through practice and practice. This doesn’t just go for the Canadian team, but all the teams around the world so they can show their best side and the incredible abilities of a woman. 

Used sources:

"FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015™ - Matches - FIFA.com." FIFA.com. Web. 16 June 2015. http://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/matches/

"FIFA Women's World Cup™ Archive - FIFA.com." FIFA.com. Web. 16 June 2015. http://www.fifa.com/fifa-tournaments/archive/womensworldcup/index.html

Bodenner, Chris. "Why Aren't Women's Sports as Big as Men's? Your Thoughts." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 9 June 2015. Web. 16 June 2015. http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/06/women-and-sports-world-cup-soccer/395231/

Racism in soccer

Hello there! Welcome back to my blog! Racism? It's a big important topic all over the world. Being discriminated and insulted against your colour, your religion, your race, etc. Racism is everywhere and one of those places is in soccer. Racism in soccer was very surprising to me at first because it's a game filled with teamwork and joy but I guess I was wrong. Racism should be stopped completely everywhere let alone in soccer but of course we can't change the way people act. There are many incidents that happen in soccer related to racism. It is not just the soccer players at times but also, the managers or the fans.



 For example, the Juventus, a professional soccer club, supporters chanted out to the Italian soccer player, Mario Balotelli, saying "A negro cannot be Italian". Well then, first of all, tell me, tell me why a Negro cannot be Italian. Let's say I'm black and I go to you saying oh a white man cannot be Italian, would you like that! In my opinion that was one of the stupidest things to say. I hate people like that. People are people and they can be what they want to be and sometimes they are just born that way. That fan who said that harsh thing should know that. He/she should be taught that. Like, seriously, just because of his skin colour, oh he can't be Italian. Let me go to Italy and see if there are no black Italians. I doubt that there are none Just what does this supporter have against black people? No matter what kind of situation or history he or she has had with black people, those kinds of words should not be said. Just think about how Mario would have felt. I mean he was being betrayed by his own race and country just because he is black. Perhaps it wasn't because he was black but maybe because he was on a different team that the supporter did not like. Juventus has a black Italian soccer player too though, Angelo Ogbonna, yet they still picked on Mario. Racism should stop period.

Angelo Ogbonna

Use sources:

"Luis Suarez, Patrice Evra and 13 Alleged Examples of Racism in World Football." Bleacher Report. 16 Oct. 2011. Web. 12 June 2015. 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/895975-luis-surez-patrice-evra-and-13-examples-of-racism-in-world-football/page/5

"Angelo Ogbonna - Player Profile - Transfermarkt." Angelo Ogbonna - Player Profile - Transfermarkt. Web. 12 June 2015. 
http://www.transfermarkt.com/angelo-ogbonna/profil/spieler/48002

"Mario Balotelli - Player Profile - Transfermarkt." Mario Balotelli - Player Profile - Transfermarkt. Web. 12 June 2015. 

http://www.transfermarkt.com/mario-balotelli/profil/spieler/45146

Things I hate about soccer

Hi hi ! Mona is back again with another blog post. Today I am going to be talking about the things I hate about soccer. There are many many things I really don't like and that get on my nerves but today I will speak about 2. They make me want to explode and break a wall. Because I am 16 years old, it also makes me want to swear very much. Anyways let's get to it.

The referees...

Oh my dear god. The first thing I hate specifically about soccer are the referees. They just mess up the whole game and ruin everything. Now of course, not all referees are like that but many are. I think everyone knows that the FIFA World Cup soccer games have a lot of cameras recording it. We can see everything, from every corner. When I watch soccer, I can see the referee look at the foul that had just happened in the game but do they call it, yes but was it the right call, sometimes no for example this event 

"In the first 62 matches of the World Cup, there were no yellow cards shown for simulation. The first one came in the 68th minute of the third-place playoff game—and it was the wrong decision.Oscar had the chance to shorten Brazil's 2-0 deficit to the Netherlands when he went down in the area. Algerian referee Djamel Haimoudi believed the Chelsea star was diving, but replays clearly show that Daley Blind stomped on his right foot."

Fouls are very important in soccer games because they can cause major injuries to some players and they won't even get a free kick or penalty kick in return. Free kicks and penalty kicks can change the score in the game so it is super important. And the players who didn't really commit a foul yet still gets called for it will result them with a yellow or a red card which is very crucial to the players and the team. If he/she is the one of the best players on the team, it will be very hard to win without that person. Soccer is not supposed to be an aggressive game, some players need to calm down and do some yoga. Also, in my eyes, I feel like some referees side with one of the teams playing on the field just because they are probably from that country or just because they like that team more. I'm sure many other people would agree with me too. Soccer should be a fair game. In addition, I feel like referees interrupt the game because they run all over the place. I don't know if that's just me but yes.

Ball hoggers

I also do not like ball hoggers in soccer. Ball hoggers, for those who do not know what they are, are people that always keep the ball to themselves in a soccer game and barely pass to anyone because they think they are the best. Soccer is a team sport for goodness sake, understand that please. Even if the other players are not that good, passing the ball to them once or twice is not going to kill you and it won't kill the game either. Be nice. At the beginning of the game pass the ball to them and see how good they are, and then if you have that moment where you're about to score a goal, go for it. The others won't be mad at you. Don't risk a goal just to pass a ball but what I am saying it pass it once in a while. Those players that are not that amazing would understand your situation and won't get mad. Don't just keep it to yourself and pass the ball once in a full game. No don't do that. Who knows? Maybe those not so good players will be lucky and score a goal. The point of soccer is trying to win while having fun and good teamwork in safety. And being nice to everybody!

Used sources:

"Worst Refereeing Calls in Brazil." Bleacher Report. 16 July 2014. Web. 5 June 2015. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2128492-10-worst-refereeing-decisions-of-the-world-cup/page/9

"Major Soccer Fouls | What Will Get You in Serious Trouble?" Major Soccer Fouls | What Will Get You in Serious Trouble? Web. 5 June 2015. http://www.soccer-academy.net/soccer-fouls.html

 

The question always asked

Thomas Muller's nose bleeding after having collided with John Boye

Hello again! Now you might be wondering about the title to this blog post, well here it is: Are soccer players paid too much? In my opinion, I don't think so. Many people think it is very stupid that people running around kicking a ball make over 10 million dollars a year but I personally think it's not. They are soccer players and they put their lives and the state of their bodies on the line. They could break a leg or have a concussion. For example like the famous German soccer player Thomas Muller, who was headbutted by Pepe, a Portuguese soccer player. Thomas Muller ' head was bleeding in the match versus Ghana in the FIFA World Cup when he collided with John Boye, a player from that team. Soccer players suffer from many injuries so it's not that bad to pay them a little extra. Also soccer players are loved from all over the word and they bring us joy and entertainment. Go ask 10 people if they watch/play soccer or have a favorite player and 7 out 10 will answer to one of those questions, maybe even all three. Kids and adults around the globe love buying jerseys,flags, hats and many other kinds of merchandise because of their love for soccer, so it's normal if soccer players make a lot of money. To become a professional soccer player, it takes skills. These people have a passion for soccer, they worked so hard to get where they are right now. They sweated tears and blood and a lot of people recognize that and want to become just like them. Soccer players give dreams to all the people that are sitting alone in their room and that didn't find their talent yet or don't know what to do with their life. Soccer players also donate a lot of their money to charity like Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as I mentioned in my other blog. So in the end, I don't think soccer players are payed to much, they are paid as much as they deserve.





Used sources:

"Portugal's Pepe Sent Off for Headbutt." Bleacher Report. 16 June 2014. Web. 2 June 2015. 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2098891-portugals-pepe-sent-off-for-headbutt-on-germanys-thomas-muller-at-world-cup

"Thomas Müller Head Collides with John Boye, Bleeds like Crazy (GIF)." FanSided Thomas Mller Head Collides with John Boye Bleeds like Crazy GIF Comments. 21 June 2014. Web. 2 June 2015. http://fansided.com/2014/06/21/thomas-muller-head-collides-with-john-boye-bleeds-like-crazy-gif/

How to play soccer? There is this way and that way.

Welcome back to my blog! I hope you guys have enjoyed it so far and find it fun and interesting to read. Now then, here is the question that is almost never asked but always stands out; how do you play soccer? Many people do not know how to play the game and just kick the ball around anywhere, but like in any other sport there are rules that must be followed in order to play the game fairly. As most of you know, the point of the soccer is to try to get as many points as possible in the opposite's teams net by kicking/shooting a ball in their net. In that process, there is also one person from each team that stands in front their net and try to block the ball from going in; they are called goalies.

Here are the rules that every person should commonly know when playing soccer in my opinion.

1- The most important rule in soccer is that it is only played with the legs, feet, chest, shoulders and the head but mainly the feet. Touching the ball with the hands is prohibited for any player on the field except for the goalie. If such occurs inside the goalie's box, it is a penalty shot for the opposite team but if it occurs outside of the goalie's box, it is a free kick for the opposite team. A penalty shot is when one player from a team has the chance to kick the ball into the opposing net without having anyone blocking him except for the goalie. A free kick is similar to penalty shot but the opposing team lines up in front of the player who is kicking and the moment the ball is shot, they are allowed to defend.

2- The second most important rule that everyone should know, is that there is no physical contact. This is not American Football.Getting beaten and hit hurts very much as you might already know. Fighting just breaks the whole teamwork and the friendliness between teams. If you cannot handle yourself like a professional, get out. To play soccer, you need passion, not anger and rage. When I am doing something I love I won't let anyone mess it up for me. Also, fighting sets a very bad example for the others around you so please don't do it. Ok, putting that aside for now, in soccer you are not allowed to trip, excessively push, bite, punch, etc. For example like Suarez that keeps biting people, Pepe, member of the Portugal team, that headbutted Thomas Muller, member of the Germany team and many other incidents. Some players exaggerate or fake their injuries just to get the other person in trouble. In my opinion, that is very unfair and a cowardly thing to do.That is not the way to play soccer. If you want to win, win fairly. Anyways, continuing with the rules, in some cases, like tripping, can be called in as a foul and you could receive a yellow card. A yellow card is a warning to the player of getting a second yellow card. If a player collects 2 yellow cards in one game, it becomes a red card. A red card is when a player cannot play for the present match and following match and you cannot the player with a red card with another player so your team would only have 10 players on the field instead of 11. Some players could get a red card in one go depending on their prohibited action like Pepe. Pepe got a red right away when he headbutted Muller.

3- You should always pass the ball to your team mates instead of hogging the ball. Soccer is a team sport. Everyone should at least touch the ball. A lot of people don't like when one person thinks they're the best and never passes the ball. I hate that. This situation happens to me a lot. I am not really a calm person so I yell very loud so they could pass the ball. Once the game is done, I tell them to stop hogging the ball because there are a lot of other people that want to play but never get the chance too!

4- In soccer there is a zone on the field where the ball should not go over. When a player hits the ball out, it is given to the opposite's team to do a thrown in outside of the sidelines. A throw in is when you throw the ball with your both of your hands while you have both feet on the ground. I think that is a great way to keep the game fair. It gives openings for another team to have the ball in their possession. It wouldn't be fun if one team had the ball the entire time until they get a goal. It would be very boring. And this rule makes full sense, it doesn't sound dumb at all. It' s like " you kicked out so it's ours now". Why should the other person keep it if it was the others persons fault it went out of the lines? Anyhow, of course, they are many people that don't care if the ball goes over the lines, they will either keep playing or not give the ball to the other team. I do not like that at all. It just ruins the game. Seriously, just stop, if this is the way you're going to play soccer, I'm out. Please, just play the game right so everyone can enjoy it.

5-When the ball is kicked out by a team in the left and right corners of their net/goal line, it is a corner kick. A corner kick is when the ball is kicked back into the game from one of the corners of the field depending on which side the ball was shot. When it is kicked out by a team in the opposite's teams net, it becomes a goal kick. A goal kick is when the goalie is allowed to get out of his zone and kick the ball back into the game. At first, I was very confused about what these two kicks meant but my big brother explained it very clearly to me. He has been playing soccer for 6 years so he knows his stuff. In addition, these kicks are very important because they happen very often and it gives the opportunity to a team to score a goal.

Although there are many other rules in soccer, these are the essentials. I know this blog is a  little bit long but I hope you enjoyed and finally know how to play soccer instead of just awkwardly standing there kicking the ball where ever. Of course not everyone is like that, but I wished that this helped the ones that are. I know I have talked about the people that do not listen to the rules, if I have offended you in any way, I am very sorry. Go ahead do whatever you want, those were just my opinions. I mean, it's fine to do it for fun or if all your team mates are doing the same thing, but just not at a real or serious game. It makes it hard for everyone on the team. Anyways, thanks for tuning in at my blog.

Here is a picture of a soccer field to help you learn more about the zones and the rules I explained above. See you next time!

Used sources:

"Pepe Hit & Headbutting Muller Face | Red Card | Germany vs Portugal | FIFA World Cup 2014." YouTube. YouTube. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. .  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlN8fGSAa5c

" My younger brother is a soccer player. I got information from his coach."
" My big brother used to be a soccer player."

 Rules of soccer
 http://www.syossetsoccer.org/home/683808.html

How does soccer influences our society?

Since soccer is so popular, it has a great influence on society. For example, the fashion these days; many people walk around wearing their favourite team or favourite soccer player jerseys and have labeled caps/hats. Myself, I have 3 Germany jerseys, a Germany hat with the colors of the their flag, a pencil, shorts and flags. I know I have lot but that just shows my love for that team and football (soccer). Soccer also influences the socialization and communication between the young generations. Those who love soccer but are not very outgoing begin to slowly become comfortable with talking and playing with others. This not only helps the person to be more social, but it also prevents loneliness and depression. Depression can lead to suicide in some cases and soccer has the ability to stop that sometimes. Soccer may have many good influences but it also has some bad influences too, just like any other famous sport.This amazing gameplay can cause a lot of problems such as, physical conflicts between two players or more because of negative comments/ a great disagreement. There could be physical and verbal conflicts because of a somewhat hatred to different referees in reason of their missed vision, interruption in the game and their cheating tricks, etc. I for one, hate when the referees cheat. I get so mad and frustrated because one little mistake of the other team can change the whole game around. Everything counts in a soccer game.

The famous soccer players like Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zidane are heroes and idols to so many kids all over the world. These kids look up to heroes to someday becoming exactly like them. They copy their gestures, strategies and give it all that it takes to reach their dream. My brother is one of those kids as it was mentioned in my last blog. They really are great human beings because they also influence the future of many people, but of course with that comes responsibility. If one of them make a huge mistake regarding their behaviors or actions, some kids and adults will be disappointed and stop looking up to them, but there are others that will follow in their footsteps which could be a problem later on in their life. One of those players named above is taking very good actions and has a great behavior. It is Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo donated money to a little 10 month baby's operation. That is an outstanding thing to do, especially for someone that is rich. Usually we would think the rich is very cocky and loves their money a lot but Cristiano showed us that not all are like that. I am very happy about his action. In my opinion, if you have a lot of money, you should at least donate some to the poor people and charity. Being over protective about all of that wealth that you probably don't need seems kind of selfish but everyone can definitely do whatever they want with their money. I am not in place to tell them what to do but I am just saying it would be nice to donate like Cristiano Ronaldo. Certainly he is not the only one who does these kinds deeds but he is a very nice example. 

Playing soccer improves the health of a person. You become more fit and it reduces fatigue. Since soccer is played outside most of the time, vitamin D is gained by the sun and gives a nice glow to the face and body, rather than being pale or yellow. FIFA World Cup had commercials promoting Coca-Cola and the big tournament, which is a good profit for the economy and increases the popularity of the sport. I am so sure that the whole world drinks and loves Coca-Cola, so the ad would have many viewers. As you can see, soccer influences society in numerous different ways; the fashion, the health, the communication and socialization, conflicts, economy, good deeds, etc. 


Click on the video below to watch the Coca-Cola ad provided by the FIFA World Cup 2014.

Used Sources

Ronaldo donating money
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/cristiano-ronaldo-donates--83-000-to-pay-for-sick-child-s-operation-155950192.html 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2579466/Cristiano-Ronaldo-astonishing-gesture-pays-operation-10-month-old-baby.html