Golden Shoes Soccer Movie

Official Site

  • IMDb
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Casting Director
  • Music Supervisor
  • 
  • 
  • 

Norman Koza Production

  • Home
  • Order
  • About
    • Soccer Clips
    • Best Soccer Movie Poll
  • Actors
    • Eric Roberts
    • Vivica A. Fox
    • Christian Koza
    • Dina Meyer
    • Dominic Burgess
    • David DeLuise
    • John Rhys-Davies
    • Joshua Morrow
    • Montel Williams
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
  • Producer
  • Director
  • Music
  • Movie Clips
  • Gallery
  • Investors
  • Awards

The Best Soccer Movies of All Time – Part 2

August 26, 2013

In The Best Soccer Movies – Part 1, we discussed some of the greatest soccer movies of all time including Bend It Like Beckham, United, and Goal! The Dream Begins. Today we are going to take a further look into some of the best soccer movies throughout history, and what makes them so important.

Escape To Victory (1981)

Escape To Victory - Best Soccer Movies of All Time

Escape to Victory

Escape to victory is easily one of the best soccer movies of all time. It takes place in a German prison camp during World War II, and stars professional soccer players such as Pele, Paul Van Himst, Mike Summerbee, Osvaldo Ardiles, Kazimierz Deyna, Booby Moore & Werner Roth. In this movie, Captain John Colby (Played by Michael Caine) is the coach of a group of Allied POW’s that will play a soccer game against a German team in a propaganda stunt. The POW’s ultimately devise a plan to escape during the game at halftime, however they decide to play the entire game despite losing 4-1 at the half. The allied POW’s battle back to tie the game after their game winning goal was disallowed by the biased German referees. Through the confusion that ensues after the game ends, the allied POW’s are able to escape their captors. Escape to Victory is the story of good triumphing over evil, making it an easy pick for our list of the best soccer movies of all time.

Mean Machine (2001)

Mean Machine - Best Soccer Movies of All Time

Mean Machine

The next film on our list of the best soccer movies is the 2001 British comedy/drama Mean Machine. This movie falls into the same prison genre as Escape To Victory and is an adaptation of the 1974 American film The Longest Yard. The story of Mean Machine focuses on the former captain of the English National Soccer team, Danny “The Mean Machine” Meehan. Meehan was banned from playing soccer ever again after throwing a match between England and Germany, and was sentenced to three years in Longmarsh prison after drunkenly assaulting police offers. Once he is locked up, the governor of the prison gives him the offer to coach the warden’s soccer team. He refuses to do so but offers to assemble and coach a group of prisoners to take on the guards in a practice soccer match. Meehan with the help of an older convict name Doc, and a contraband dealer named Massive, begins to train his team for the practice match against the Warden’s team. During the final game, the prisoners are up at half time by a score of 1-0. The Prison Governor bribes Meehan into throwing the game. At first he complies, but ultimately gets the assist for the game winning goal over the Prison Warden’s. This classic tale of the underdog prevailing makes Mean Machine an easy addition to our list of the best soccer movies of all time.

Fever Pitch (1997)

Fever Pitch - Best Soccer Movies of All Time

Fever Pitch

Another great addition to our list of the best soccer movies of all time is the 1997 romantic comedy, Fever Pitch. This movie is based on the 1992 book written by Nick Hornby. Fever pitch tells the story of Paul Ashworth an English teacher in London whose love for the Arsenal Soccer team is border line obsessive. Paul falls in love with Sarah Hughes, a new teacher at the school Paul teaches at who is nearly perfect in every way for Paul except for the fact that she doesn’t like soccer. The film follows the story of this burgeoning romance and how Paul’s love of soccer & the Arsenal team may ultimately drive the two apart. Sarah becomes pregnant and issues an ultimatum to Paul to decide which is more important to him – Sarah & the baby, or the Arsenal soccer team. Fever Pitch is an excellent addition to our list of the best soccer movies of all time. Make sure to check out this great film and see what Paul decides to do!

Stay tuned for Part 3 of our list of the best soccer movies!

Filed Under: Best Soccer Movies, News

The Best Soccer Movies of All Time – Part 1

August 12, 2013

Throughout the years Hollywood has often times tried to capture the heart and soul of soccer, the most popular game in the world. Just like any other genre of movie, there are some soccer movies that rise to the top, and others that fizzle out. Today we are going to take a look at some of the best soccer movies of all time.

United (2011)

Best Soccer Movies - United Movie Poster

United Soccer Movie

Some of the best soccer movies of all time tell the story of the underdog rising above and overcoming adversity through hard work and dedication. United is a true story that tells the tale of the Busby Babes, a Manchester United soccer squad that was the youngest ever to win the European Cup. Initially aired on BBC, United is now distributed internationally as a theatrical picture. The movie primarily follows in the footsteps of assistant manager Jimmy Murphy (Played by David Tennant) and of player Bobby Charlton (played by Jack O’Connell). Murphy gives Charlton the opportunity to play his first match on the Manchester United Squad. And this ultimately serves as his stepping stone to success. The story becomes more dramatic when a plane carrying members of the Manchester United team crashes killing 8 members of the team. This amazing true story surely makes for a great watch and is why it’s found it’s way onto our list of the Best Soccer Movies.

Goal! The Dream Begins (2005)

Best Soccer Movies - Goal! The Dream Begins

Goal! The Dream Begins

Following suit just like the rest of the best soccer movies of all time, Goal! The Dream Begins tells a story of young man by the name of Santiago Munez following his dream to become one of the best soccer players of all time. Working as a gardener alongside his father, Santiago plays for a local soccer club and doesn’t think he’ll ever have the chance of becoming anything more. Noticed by former Newcastle United player, a tryout is arranged for Santiago in England. After a failed tryout and almost giving up, Santiago is offered a second chance and takes it. His perseverance eventually pays off and he makes his way onto the first team for Newcastle. Goal! The Dream Begins follows the hopes and dreams of a young man, ultimately coming to fruition due to hard work and overcoming adversity, making it another great addition to our list of the best soccer movies of all time.

Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

Best Soccer Movies - Bend It Like Beckham

Bend It Like Beckham

Bend It Like Beckham is an inspirational story about a young woman who follows her dreams of playing soccer despite being forbidden to by her parents, earning it a spot among our list of the best soccer movies ever. The main character, Jesminder “Jess” Bhamra, comes from a conservative Indian family living in England. She is discovered to be a natural talent in soccer and must overcome resistance from her family to compete on the local team, The Harriers. Eventually after winning a local championship and securing a scholarship to play soccer in the United States, she gains her parents acceptance and is able to pursue her dreams. This film is truly an inspiration to anyone that has ever been faced with adversity and intolerance, making it a welcomed favorite on our list of the best soccer movies.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our list of the best soccer movies!

Filed Under: Best Soccer Movies, News

Different Types of Bullying

May 20, 2013

Bullying is a huge social issue that affects school children of all ages. Bullying is the use of superior strength or influence to intimidate others, and typically involves a real or perceived power imbalance. While this definition remains true, it is important to note that there are many different forms of bullying that are prevalent among school aged children, and all of them are equally harmful. There are five different types of bullying that will be discussed in this article – Physical bullying, Verbal bullying, indirect bullying/Social alienation, Intimidation, and cyberbullying. This article will take a closer look at each of the five types of bullying that affect children in today’s society.

Physical bullying is the type of bullying that most people automatically think of when defining what a bully is. Physical bullying is any physical contact that would injure or hurt another person. Hitting, kicking, pushing, tripping, slapping, and punching are common examples of physical bullying. Theft or destruction of property also fall into the category of physical bullying and can include stealing books, clothing, personal belongings, or lunch money. Physical bullying typically occurs at school or on the way to or from school and is most common during elementary and middle school. So how do you know if your child has been a victim of physical bullying? There are a number of indicators that can alert a parent that their child may be a victim of physical bullying including:

  • Unexplained cuts, bruises or other physical injuries
  • Damaged books, clothing or other possessions
  • Complaints of not feeling well before school or other social activities
  • Low Self Esteem
  • “Losing” possessions they take to school

Verbal bullying is the next type of bullying and is very closely related to physical bullying. Verbal bullying normally involves name calling, making offensive remarks, joking about an individual’s religion, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or simply comments on the appearance of an individual. Verbal bullying is the most prevalent form of bullying accounting for nearly 45% of all instances of bullying. In General, verbal bullying occurs more often between females than between males, and will often lead to social exclusion. Verbal bullying can cause both emotional and psychological damage to someone and can lead to lowered self-esteem.

Another form of bullying is Indirect or Social Alienation, which is defined as when a bully intentionally excludes another individual from a specific social group. Social Alienation is often accompanied with other acts of physical or verbal bullying, but can be carried out on its own. Social Alienation is also seen as one individual spreading rumors about another in an attempt to exclude the person from a specific group.

Intimidation is a form of bullying that involves a verbal or physical threat. Intimidation is done to frighten someone enough that the person being bullied submits to the bully and does whatever it is that the bully wants them to do.

The last and newest form of bullying comes in the form of Cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a very broad term and can encompass messages, pictures, or information that is spread using computers and/or cell phones. Social media sites provide an outlet for cyberbullying to occur and allow the spread of information among peer groups very quickly. This ease of communication can enable a bully to spread rumors or post embarrassing content about an individual that is quickly seen by others and can be quite hurtful. Cyberbullying is still a new form of bullying, but as technology spreads it is expected that the percentage of cyberbullying incidents will increase.

No matter what the type of bullying that is occurring, the victim always ends up being physically or emotionally hurt. There are many ways that we can help prevent bullying from occurring. Talking about what bullying is to children and teaching them how to stand up to bullying can be an important part in stopping bullying. It is important to encourage children to speak to a trusted adult if they’re being bullied and also to keep an open line of communication between parents and children.  Talking to your child about their day on a daily basis can help to identify when a child is being bullied and what subsequent actions should be taken to prevent any future abuse.

Filed Under: Information About Bullying

Bullying In Sports

April 10, 2013

Bullying is one of the hardest things that children have to deal with when growing up, and is especially prevalent among children in sports. Bullying is defined as the use of superior strength or influence to intimidate others, and typically involves a real or perceived power imbalance. Bullying can have a long lasting effect on the development of a child, whether the child is bully or the victim.

Bullying-In-Sports

Bullying In Sports

There are a variety of different types of bullying in sports, some of the more common examples include targeting team members that do not perform as well as others, intimidation of the best players in order to eliminate competition, coercing new team members to prove they belong on the team, targeting the “coaches favorite”, and harassment of players that make mistakes. The National Education Association reports that an estimated 160,000 children miss school every day due to bullying and that 1 in 7 children k-12 is either a bully or has been bullied. Another survey reveals that 48 percent of students that are involved in sports have been the target of hazing. Hazing is another form of bullying in which kids are humiliated and/or required to participate in dangerous activities in order to be accepted by other team members.

There are many different effects that bullying has on children that play sports including loss of focus,  they will play or perform tentatively, increased levels of anxiety and may drop out of competitions or sports altogether. The victims may also be too afraid to speak out against bullying due to embarrassment or shame.

The good news is that there are ways to combat bullying in sports. It is the responsibility of parents to listen to their child. Parents should explain that it’s ok for them to feel afraid of bullies. Concerned parents need to find out what is going on, and what actions the bully is taking to make their child feel inferior. Parents should also ask their child what they would like to do about the bullying. It is important that parents try to let children resolve the bullying issues by themselves at first. Parental involvement can spur future bullying or increase the severity of incidents.  Letting children deal with bullying on their own is a great way to help them boost their confidence.

So how can children stand up to bullies in sports? One method is by reinforcing the fact that children should not show fear to the bully. Bullies feed off of fear; It lets them know that what they are doing is having an impact. Body language plays a major role in this, parents should instruct their children to refrain from slumping their shoulder or pouting, and should try to keep eye contact with the bully.

Another method for coping with a bully is by throwing the bully off guard. When the bully is expecting the victim to stand down or walk away, the victim should say something friendly in an attempt to show the bully that their actions did not faze them. Approaching a bully with a friendly “Hi, How are you?” before they begin to bully a child is another method to throw a bully off. In general, bullies do not harass children that take initiative; they will target those that manifest fear.

Parents and Children are not the only ones that can take initiative to prevent or stop bullying. Sports coaches can also play a major role in deterring bullys in sports. Coaches should clearly outline expectations of their team in regard to bullying. They need to explain that bullying is not tolerated by members of the team, and that anyone caught bullying or talking negatively about another team member, a member of an opposing team, or any officials will sit out.

Filed Under: Information About Bullying

Andres Iniesta Lujan

April 5, 2013

Andres Iniesta

Andres Iniesta

Andres Iniesta Lujan is a center midfielder for the La Liga team, FC Barcelona and also plays on the Spanish National Team. Iniesta was born on May 11th, 1984 in Fuentealbilla, Spain. Iniesta’s Soccer career began to flourish at the early age of 12 when he drew the attention of scouts all across Spain while playing for Albacete Balompie in a 7 v 7 junior tournament. Iniesta’s parents were friends  with Enrique Orizaola, the FC Barcelona youth coach, and in 1996 persuaded him to let Andres attend the Barcelona youth academy. In 1999 Iniesta lead the Barcelona youth team to victory in the Nike Premier Cup with a game winning goal in the last minute of the game and was ultimately named the player of the tournament.

Iniesta continued to develop as a player under the FC Barcelona soccer club, moving up to the Barcelona B squad in 2001 and remained on the squad through 2003. Iniesta made a few appearances as a substitute during the 2002 – 03 season for FC Barcelona and finally became a fulltime member of the squad during the 2004 – 05 season.  During the 04-05 season Iniesta played in 37 of 38 games (25 appearances were substitutions), more than any other player on the team, scoring 2 goals on the season. An injury to Xavi Hernandez in the 05-06 season gave Iniesta the opportunity to make more regular starts for FC Barcelona at the center midfield position. Barcelona ended up winning a league and Champions league double in 2006 and coach Frank Rijkaard praised the contribution that Iniesta made to the team that year.

The 2006 – 07 season was Iniesta’s highest scoring season on record scoring 9 goals on the season. (He tied this record in 2010-11). Coach Frank Rijkaard moved Iniesta all around the pitch during the season, playing as a left wing for the first time in the Champions League he scored twice against Levski Sofia. Iniesta was able to switch his number from 24 to 8 after fellow teammate Ludovic Giuly left the team. In 2007 there was rumor by the Spanish newspaper Marca that Iniesta would be moving to Barcelona Rivals Real Madrid. Iniesta publically denied the claims stating “I’ve been told about that and I’m very surprised. I cant do anything about it, but I’d like to insist once again that I want to stay here (Barcelona). When I say I want to retire in Barca, I say it with all my heart. And my wishes are above everything else.”  In 2008 his contract was renewed firming his spot on the team until 2014 raising his buy-out clause to €150 million. In 2007 Iniesta was ranked the fifth most consistent player by Don Balon, a Spanish Soccer Magazine,  and fourth in 2008. He also placed ninth in the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year voting.

Midway through the 2008 season Iniesta suffered an injury to his leg which kept him out of the season from November to January of 2009. On February 5th of 2009, Iniesta made his 250th appearance in a Barcelona jersey in a match against Mallorca in the Copa del Rey (King’s Cup), an annual competition for Spanish soccer clubs. Barcelona went on to win the 2009 UEFA Champions League final against Manchester United with Iniesta playing a crucial role in the game at the center midfield position. Iniesta was a candidate for the 2009 FIFA Ballon d’or along with teammates Lionel Messi and Xavi Hernandez and was one of 5 nominees for the World Player of the Year award. In 2009 Iniesta extended his contract with Barcelona until 2015, and his buyout clause was raised to €200 million. In 2012 Iniesta was once again a candidate for the FIFA Ballon d’or but came in second to teammate Lionel Messi.  Iniesta was named the best player of the 2011-12 UEFA Champions League.  Iniesta’s  ability to create space and find passing lanes serves as a vital part of the Barcelona offense, and will remain one of the greatest players to watch in all of soccer.

Here’s an excellent highlight reel for Andres Iniesta:

Filed Under: Soccer Players

Wayne Mark Rooney

April 2, 2013

Wayne Rooney Manchester United

Wayne Rooney – Manchester United

Wayne Mark Rooney was born on October 24th, 1985 in Croxteth Liverpool, England to parents Thomas Wayne and Jeanette Marie Rooney and is of Irish descent. Rooney has two younger brothers Graham and John, all of which attended Our Lady and St. Swithins primary school, and the De La Salle Humanities College, a boys voluntary aided secondary school in Liverpool. Wayne Rooney currently plays as a forward for the English Premiere League club Manchester United, wearing number 10, and is a member of the England National team.

Wayne Rooney’s early soccer career began when playing for the Liverpool Schoolboys, a team which he held the club record of 72 goals in one season until it was recently broken in May of 2010. When he was 9 years old Rooney moved from the Liverpool Schoolboys to the Copplehouse Boys’ club, a part of the Walton & Kirkdale Junior League, scoring 99 goals in one season and gaining the attention of Bob Pendelton, a scout for Everton F.C.  After being recruited by Everton Rooney scored 114 goals in 29 games in the Under 10’s and 11’s and by the age of 15 he was playing for Everton’s under 19’s. In 2002 Rooney scored 8 goals in 8 games for Everton leading up to the clubs victory in the Youth Cup Final. Rooney worked his way up to the senior Everton team and made his league debut on  August 17th, 2002 becoming the second youngest first-team player in the team’s history behind Joe Royle. His first senior goal for Everton came on October 2nd, 2002 when he scored twice in a 3-0 victory against Wrexham in the League Cup, Making Rooney Everton’s youngest ever goal scorer at the time. On October 19th, he scored a last minute game winner against Arsenal becoming the youngest player to score in a Premier League match at the time.  Rooney was named the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2002, which is awarded to the sportsperson aged 16 or under as of January 1st of that year, who has made the most outstanding contribution to the their sport in that year.

In August of 2004 Rooney was offered a  £12,000-a-week contract from Everton, but his agent refused the offer. After hearing of the refusal, Manchester United and Newcastle United began to compete for a contract with Rooney. Manchester United eventually won the contract bid with an offer of  £25.6 million. Rooney was only 18 at the time of the offer, making it the highest offer ever paid for a player under the age of 20. Rooney wore number 8 for Manchester when he made his league debut on September 28th, 2004 scoring a hat trick and an assist in a 6-2 victory against Fenerbahce in the UEFA Champions League. Rooney became the youngest player to ever score a hat-trick in the UEFA Champions League. Although the 2004 season ended without winning a trophy, Rooney won the PFA Young Player of the Year award and was Manchester United’s top league scorer with 11 goals.

In 2007 Rooney was given number 10, formerly worn by Ruud van Nistelrooy ex Manchester United player and the third highest goal scorer in Champions League History. On October 4th, 2008 Rooney became the youngest player in league history to make 200 appearances. He became the 20th Manchester United player to score at least 100 goals for the club on August 22nd 2009. On January 31st, 2010 Rooney scored his 100th Premier League goal against Arsenal (Rooney’s 1st Premier League goal also came against Arsenal). Later during the ‘09-‘10 season Rooney was named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year Award, an award given to the best player of the year in English Soccer. Rooney continues to play for Manchester United and the English National Team in 2013 and will continue to impress with his incredible goal scoring ability.

Here’s a great video highlighting the skills and goal scoring ability of Wayne Rooney:

Filed Under: Soccer Players

Ronaldinho de Assis Moreira

March 28, 2013

Ronaldinho Kazan

Ronaldinho playing for F.C. Barcelona

Ronaldinho de Assis Moreira or more commonly known as just Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaucho was born on March 21st, 1980 (Age 33). Ronaldinho currently plays for Atletico Mineiro a Brazilian football club out of Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerias, and also plays for the Brazilian national team as an attacking midfielder or forward.

Ronaldinho Gaucho was born in Porto Alegre, the state capital of Rio Grande do Su, to mother Dona Miguelina Eloi Assis dos Santos and father Joao de Assis Moreira. Ronaldinho’s father Joao died when Ronaldinho was eight years old from a heart attack while swimming in the family swimming pool. Ronaldinho’s older brother, Roberto de Assis Moreira, signed a deal to play soccer for the Brazilian club Gremio, based in Porto Alegre, and their family was offered a villa in Guaruja, a more affluent section of Porto Alegre, in an attempt to get Roberto to stay with the club. Ultimately Roberto’s career was cut short due to a knee injury

At the early age of 8, Ronaldinho’s soccer skills began to blossom.  He gained an interest in playing futsal and beach soccer, but was first noticed by the media in a match where his team won 23-0 and all 23 goals were scored by Ronaldinho. His first big game was in 1997 during a U-17 World Championship match in Egypt where he scored two goals off of penalty kicks. Ronaldinho’s professional career began when he was 18 with the Gremio youth squad, the same club that his brother Roberto had played for. Arsenal noticed the skill that Ronaldinho had in 2001, but ultimately the deal fell through because Ronaldinho could not obtain a work permit as he was a non-EU player without enough international matches to be eligible. Ronaldinho ended up signing a 5 year contract with Paris Saint-Germain in 2001 to the tune of  €5 million, was given the number 21, and made his Lique 1 debut on August 4th, 2001 in a 1-1 tie versus Auxerre. He spent the remainder of the season alternating between bench and starting roles, and scored his first goal on October 13th, 2001 in a 2-2 draw versus Lyon.

In 2004 FC Barcelona offered Ronaldinho a €30 million offer after failing to pick up David Beckham. Ronaldinho made his La Liga debut for FC Barcelona in a 2-0 victory against Milan in a friendly match at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington DC scoring 1 of the teams 2 goals. Ronaldinho was injured during the season, but returned to the team during the second half of the season to help FC Barcelona secure a 2nd place league finish. Ronaldinho won his first league title in the 2004-2005 season with FC Barcelona and was named the 2004-05 FIFA World player of the year award on December 20th 2004, and again in 2005.

Ronaldinho was offered £25.5 from Manchester City and ended up signing a three year contract with A.C. Milan, an Italian Serie A powerhouse,  for approximately £5.1 million a year. Ronaldinho scored his first goal for A.C. Milan in a 1-0 victory versus Internazionale Milano. Ronaldinho finished his first season with A.C. Milan with 10 goals and 32 appearances. His second season with A.C. Milan started off slow but ended up finishing the season as arguably the best player for the team.

On January 11th, 2011 Ronaldinho ended up signing a deal to move to the Campeonato Brasilerio Serie A League for Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, a Brazilian soccer club based in Rio de Janeiro. Ronaldinho scored his first goal for Flamengo on February 6th, 2011 against Voavista. On May 31st, 2012 Ronaldinho sued Flamengo claiming that they had not paid him for months and cancelled his contract with the club. He then made a surprise move to Atletico Mineiro on June 4th, 2012 just 4 days after leaving Flamengo. Ronaldinho continues to play for Atletico Mineiro as #10 and plays as an attacking forward/midfielder.

 

Filed Under: Soccer Players

Cristiano Ronaldo

March 27, 2013

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo playing for Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (Commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo) is a Portuguese soccer player who is currently a forward for the Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid. He was born on February 5th, 1985 in Funchal, Maderia, Portugal to parents Maria Dolores dos Santos Averio and Jose Dinis Aveiro. His second given name, Ronaldo, was chosen after President Ronald Reagan, who was his father’s favorite actor.

Ronaldo’s  soccer career began at the early age of 8 when he played for the amateur team Andorinha that his father was the equipment manager for. A year later he then signed with C.D. Nacional, a Portuguese soccer club based in Funchal. As a member of the C.D. Nacional team he won a championship in 1995. After his championship run, he was offered a 3 day tryout by Lisbon, Portugal based team Sporting CP (Commonly known as Sporting Lisbon) and was offered a contract with the team.

When he was 15, Ronaldo was diagnosed with a racing heart (Tachycardia), which is defined as a heart rate of over 100 beats per minute. This condition was one that could have potentially ended Ronaldo’s career, but was admitted to a hospital where he underwent a laser procedure that cauterized the area of his heart that was causing the problem. Ronaldo recovered quickly from this procedure and began training again shortly after.

In November of 2002 Arsenal F.C. based in Holloway, London expressed interest in the young Cristiano Ronaldo and invited him to come visit the Shenly Training Center to meet with Arsene Wenger and the coaching staff for Arsenal. Before Arsenal could sign the young player, he came to the attention of Alex Ferguson of Manchester United when Ronaldo and Sporting CP defeated Manchester in a 3-1 victory during the inauguration of the Sporting CP stadium, Estadio Jose Alvalade. Manchester United ended up Signing Cristiano Ronaldo to the sum of  €15 million, and was the first Portuguese player to ever play in Old Trafford with Manchester United. When he signed, he initially requested to have the number 28, which was his number on the Sporting CP squad, however his coach, Alex Ferguson, told him that he would wear #7. Ronaldo was not too happy about the number at first as #7 had formerly been worn by great players like David Beckham, Bryan Robson and George Best and was ultimately forced to live up to the number. Ronaldo scored his first goal for Manchester United on November 1st, 2003 on a free kick in a 3-0 win over Portsmouth. He later scored Manchester United’s 1000th Premier League goal on October 29th, 2005 in a 4-1 loss to Middlesbrough. In 2005 he was voted FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year award by his fans.

Cristiano Ronaldo continued to play for Manchester United until July 1st, 2009 when he Joined Real Madrid, the Spanish soccer club based out of Madrid, Spain. Ronaldo signed a 6 year, £80 million deal with a €1 billion buy-out clause, becoming the most expensive soccer player in history. Ronaldo was to wear #9 for Real Madrid, and was presented the jersey by former Real Madrid soccer legend Alfredo Di Stefano. He made his debut for the club on July 21st, 2009 against Shamrock Rovers in a 1-0 victory for the team. Ronaldo’s first goal for Real Madrid came a week later with a penalty shot against LDU Quito in a 4-2 victory.

Ronaldo is heralded as the best modern-day soccer player, along with Lionel Messi, and his style of play is often described as fast, tricky and strong. The winger and striker has incredible dribbling skills and hits his free kicks with power and pace. His ability to score with both his head and his feet make him a threat no matter what the circumstance. Cristiano Ronaldo continues to play for Real Madrid and is one of the most entertaining players to watch in all of the soccer world.

Filed Under: Soccer Players

FIFA Ballon d’Or Award

March 25, 2013

Lionel Messi Ballon d'Or

Lionel Messi Winning the 2012 Ballon d’Or Award

The FIFA Ballon d’Or is the most prestigious soccer award given to the player that is considered to be the best in the previous soccer season. Ballon d’Or is French for “Golden Ball” and is awarded to the player who was voted as the best performer in the previous calendar year.  The FIFA Ballon d’Or was originally known as just the Ballon d’Or and was created by France Football’s chief magazine writer, Gabriel Hanot in 1956.

The FIFA Ballon d’Or was originally made by Mellerio dits Meller, the prestigious jewelers founded in 1613, and continues to be made by the company. It is only fitting that The Mellerio dits Meller continue to manufacture the award as they have fashioned jewelry, silverware and ceremonial swords for royal courts all across Europe. CEO of Mellerio dits Meller, Francois Mellerio, says that the making of the Ballon d’Or is “a process that involves several craftsmen: a silversmith, repousseur, chaser, engraver, gilder and a polisher. All of them are highly valued and rare trades these days, and we are immensely proud to have created this legendary trophy.” The Ballon d’Or measures 31 centimeters high, 23 wide and 23 deep.

In the beginning, the Ballon d’Or was only voted on by journalists, and only European players on European teams were eligible for consideration. So players such as Maradona, who played for a European team but was not European himself, could not win the award. The first player to be awarded the Ballon d’Or was Stanley Matthews of Blackpool in 1956.

It was not until 1995 that the rules for the Ballon d’Or changed and allowed non-European players playing for European soccer clubs to win the Ballon d’Or. The same year that the rules for the soccer award changed the first non-European player, George Walsh of Milan, won the Ballon d’Or. Further amendments to the rules for awarding the Ballon d’Or were made in 2007 and dictated that any player in the world could win the award. Also in 2007, the number of journalists who were allowed to vote changed from 52 European based journalists to 96 journalists from all over the world. Each of the 96 journalists chooses their top five choices for the award. In 2010 the Ballon d’Or and the men’s FIFA World Player of the Year award were merged into one award, currently known as the FIFA Balloon d’Or.

Here is a complete listing of the Ballon d’Or & FIFA Balloon d’Or winners:

1956 – Stanly Matthews – Blackpool
1957 – Alfredo Di Stefano – Real Madrid
1958 – Raymond Kopa – Real Madrid
1959 – Alfredo Di Stefano – Real Madrid
1960 – Luis Suarez – Barcelona
1961 – Omar Sivori – Juventus
1962 – Josef Masopust – Dukla Prague
1963 – Lev Yashin – Dynamo Moscow
1964 – Denis Law – Manchester United
1965 – Eusebio – Benfica
1966 – Bobby Charlton – Manchester United
1967 – Florian Albert – Ferencvarosi
1968 – George Best – Manchester United
1969 – Gianni Rivera – Milan
1970 – Gerd Muller – Bayern Munich
1971 – Johan Cruyff – Barcelona
1972 – Franz Beckenbauer – Bayern Munich
1973 & 1974 – Johan Cruyff – Barcelona
1975 – Oleg Blokhin – Dynamo Kyiv
1976 – Franz Beckenbauer – Bayern Munich
1977 – Allan Simonsen – Borussia Monchengladbach
1978 & 1979 – Kevin Keegan – Hamburg
1980 & 1981 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge – Bayern Munich
1982 – Paolo Rossi – Juventus
1983,1984 & 1985 – Michel Platini – Juventus
1986 – Igor Belanov – Dynamo Kyiv
1987 – Ruud Gullit – Milan
1988 & 1989 – Marco van Basten – Milan
1990 – Lothar Matthaus – Internazionale
1991 – Jean Pierre Papin – Marseille
1992 – Marco van Basten – Milan
1993 – Roberto Baggio – Juventus
1994 – Hristo Stoichkov – Barcelona
1995 – George Weah – Milan
1996 – Matthias Sammer – Borussia Dortmund
1997 – Ronaldo Luís Nazário – Internazionale
1998 – Zinedine Zidane – Juventus
1999 –  Rivaldo – Barcelona
2000 – Luis Figo – Real Madrid
2001 – Michael Owen – Liverpool
2002 – Ronaldo Luís Nazário – Internazionale
2003 – Pavel Nedved – Juventus
2004 – Andriy Shevchenko – Milan
2005 – Ronaldinho  – Barcelona
2006 – Fabio Cannavaro – Real Madrid
2007 – Kaka – Milan
2008 – Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United
2009, 2010, 2011 & 2012 – Lionel Messi – Barcelona

Filed Under: News

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior

March 21, 2013

Neymar Soccer PlayerNeymar da Silva Santos was born February 5th, 1992 in Mogi das Cruzes, Sao Paulo, Brazil to Neymar da Silva, Sr. and Nadine Santos. Inheriting his name from his father, who was a former soccer player himself, Neymar’s father has been his adviser throughout his development as a soccer player.  He is currently a forward for the Brazilian National Team and Santos FC in the Brasileriao Serie A.

As a child, Neymar began playing soccer at a very young age and was offered a contract to the youth academy of Santos FC in 2003. The Santos FC youth academy has fostered players like Diego Walsh, Elano and Bruno Coutinho Martins.  When he was fourteen, Neymar went to spain to try out for Real Madrid, and passed the trial for his possible move to Spain. Santos FC ultimately paid 1 million Brazilian reals to Real Madrid in order to keep Neymar on the team. At age 17 he was finally awarded a spot on the Santos FC first team making his debut on March 7th, 2009, playing the last 30 minutes of the game. One week later, Neymar scored his first goal for Santos FC against Palmeiras  in the Campeonato Paulista semi-final game. Neymar and the Santos FC club ended up winning the Campeonato Paulista in 2010 and Neymar was named the best player in the competition. In his first season, Neymar ended up scoring 14 goals over the course of 18 games.

Often compared to Pele, who also came from the Santos Youth Academy, Neymar, is one of the greatest young talents in the sport of soccer that the world has ever seen. Neymar thinks of Pele as a role model and doesn’t like to make comparisons with Pele. Pele belives that Neymar is in fact a better player than Lionel Messi, but lacks the experience that Messi has. Neymar aspires to be like his Idols, Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid, Wayne Rooney of Manchester United, and Andres Iniesta and Xavi, saying “I like to watch good football so I like to watch good players. I like Cristiano Ronaldo, Iniesta, Xavi and Wayne Rooney.”   Neymar  was ranked as the most marketable athlete in the world by SportsPro Magazine.

Neymar describes his style of play like that of Garrincha, a right winger and forward known to be the best dribbler in soccer history , and who won the World Cups of 1958 and 1962. Neymar is commonly known for his creativity, passing, finishing skills, exceptional dribbling and his explosive nature.  Although still a young soccer player, Neymar has already received some very big contract offers from European powerhouse soccer clubs such as West Ham United for £12 million and later from Chelsea to the tune of £20 million.

Santos FC renewed Neymar’s contract at the end of 2011, securing his position with the team until after the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Due to his extreme talent, many speculate that he will never become a player the likes of Pele while playing for Brazil and as such may soon be looking for a move to a European team to fulfill his dream. Obstacles that Neymar needs to overcome to become one of the greatest soccer players ever are his temperament and his tendency to be selfish with the ball.

Check out the video below to see some of Neymar’s greatest moves!

Filed Under: Soccer Players

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • …
  • 6
  • Next Page »

Order on Amazon


Golden Shoes Movie

Order Golden Shoes Today on Amazon

Order Digital HD or DVD!

Categories

  • 2014 World Cup Brazil
  • Best Soccer Movies
  • History of Soccer
  • Information About Bullying
  • Interviews
  • News
  • Soccer Players

Recent Posts

  • Vivica A. Fox Speaks about Golden Shoes
  • Thank You!
  • 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Host Cities – Part 1
  • United States 2014 FIFA World Cup Jerseys
  • Lionel Messi Vs. Cristiano Ronaldo – Who is best?

NORMAN KOZA – Producer

Norman-Koza2Detroit native Norman Koza, whose love for film got his experience from making his first feature.

Read more…

LANCE K. R. KAWAS – Director

lance-kawasBBA-Banking & Finance from University of Michigan. Lance has written 30 screenplays and directed 4 features.

Read more…

CONTACT US

emailEmail Us
or please visit contact page

Soccer Alabama, Soccer Alaska, Soccer Arizona, Soccer Arkansas, Soccer California, Soccer Colorado, Soccer Connecticut, Soccer Delaware, Soccer District of Columbia, Soccer Florida, Soccer Georgia, Soccer Hawaii, Soccer Idaho, Soccer Illinois, Soccer Indiana, Soccer Iowa, Soccer Kansas, Soccer Kentucky, Soccer Louisiana, Soccer Maine, Soccer Maryland, Soccer Massachusetts, Soccer Michigan, Soccer Minnesota, Soccer Mississippi, Soccer Missouri, Soccer Montana, Soccer Nebraska, Soccer Nevada, Soccer New Hampshire, Soccer New Jersey, Soccer New Mexico, Soccer New York, Soccer North Carolina, Soccer North Dakota, Soccer Ohio, Soccer Oklahoma, Soccer Oregon, Soccer Pennsylvania, Soccer Rhode Island, Soccer South Carolina, Soccer South Dakota, Soccer Tennessee, Soccer Texas, Soccer Utah, Soccer Vermont, Soccer Virginia , Soccer Washington, Soccer West Virginia, Soccer Wisconsin, Soccer Wyoming
Copyright © 2023 Golden Shoes Movie · OMA Comp · All rights reserved.

Watch Golden Shoes on OnDemand now!