Adidas is probably the largest retailer for Soccer Equipment in the world. Adidas carries whatever you need when it comes to soccer. I have bought gear from Adidas as long as I have played and it has never disappointed me. Their gear is comfortable, durable and reliable. Whether you are playing a game or hanging out with friends Adidas has you covered. Check out there site and look at everything they have to offer you. They have a wide range of soccer balls for getting started, as well as cleats, shin guards, socks, shorts and shirts.

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I’m always amazed at how people attempt to make legitimate comparison arguments about two things that aren’t really comparable. It’s the old “apples and oranges” problem; yet few seem to understand that you just can’t say one is better than the other. It’s always a matter of personal preference coupled with life experience and thousands of other elements. I can’t believe the number of articles or comments on articles out there of people saying soccer is better than baseball or baseball is better than soccer. Sure, baseball and soccer are both sports just as apples and oranges are both fruits, but saying one is better than the other is just absurd. First off, what does “better than” even really mean?! the answers to this question are so ambiguous, how could one even begin to develop a case for the underlying elements within “betterness?!” (I love inventing new words…) Let’s look at the real issue at hand… Ignorance! I played baseball and soccer until I was 15 years old. I love the Yankees and I can feel my heart pound ever year around October when the playoffs begin. I feel like a 12 year old every time “The Sandlot” comes on TV, and have to admit I shed a tear when Kevin Costner asks his dead ghost dad “wanna have a catch?” the last time I caught “Field of Dreams” on TBS… I love peanuts and cracker jacks and would give my left arm if I could find a pack of strawberry Big League Chew…
When I was around 15 years old, my friends all stuck with soccer, and I followed in their footsteps. Ever since, I’ve had an enduring love affair with the game. When Salt Lake was chosen to house an MLS team, I was ecstatic. I stayed up to the wee hours of the morning to watch the 2006 world cup in Germany… I didn’t even care who was playing. Walking into Rio Tinto Stadium for the first game under the lights was a glimpse into heaven. I love the beautiful game and it has been a huge influence on who I am today. The years spent on competitive soccer teams has provided me with friends, memories and life lessons that are truly priceless.
Obviously within both games, there is strategy, skill, endurance, strength, and agility. Both require athleticism, intelligence, perspective and heart. I think it is a real shame when people don’t see these amazing elements of both sports and insist on slinging around their verbal slander of one game or the other! In my opinion, it shows the true ignorance of that person towards the sport they insist on bashing. “My apples are better because they have a red peel over your gay oranges that have an orange peel…” Idiots! Please, take the time to understand a game/sport for sometime before you come to the idiotic conclusion that it’s unworthy of the game/sport you have the most experience with. In reality, that’s all it is. Your exposure and world experience is so minute that you can only see one side of the picture. I feel sorry you’ve been trapped in your own closet of bias for so much of your life. Baseball and soccer fans alike, it’s time to come out of that closet. Take the time to understand the other! Appreciate the games for the contribution they give to the world of sports. Study the athletes. See how much work, sweat, blood and heart goes into perfecting themselves for the games they love. Millions of people all over the globe are obsessed with both sports… it’s not a matter of which is right and which is wrong, it’s a matter of seeing the right in both.

Saturday was the world cup qualifier at Rio Tinto stadium… Wicked! We sat on the south west side of the stadium on the very right edge of the section. The stadium looked great. I wish, however, that they would have started the game around 8 to get the full effect of a night game under the lights. There’s something electric about playing under the lights that’s hard to beat. Rio Tinto has a new program where you can text in your halftime food requests and they will bring it to your seat. Me and some friends of mine decided to try it out… uh… it still needs some help… to say the least… we didn’t get our food until the 80th minute, and the concessions guy delivering the food insisted on passing our filled to the brim tray across the entire row instead of walking back up half a flight of stairs and coming back down to our side… Then he proceeded to sit on the steps and wait until we had extracted all our goodies and passed the empty tray back across the same row… luckily no one attempted to kife my bratwurst and cap-less sierra mist as the tray passed, or there would have been hell to pay… The game was exciting, but I have to say, I’m not all impressed with our team at the moment… not to discredit El Salvador, because they did a fine job, but come on fellas! Their first goal came from a 5 foot nothin’ forward on a head ball… That’s like the least likely scenario to expect El Salvador to score… and it happened! I thought we looked out of sync and sluggish. Our passing was sloppy and uninventive. Sometimes it seems like we want to beat the beautiful game with the ugly stick… Granted, we got the job done and a win is a win… I just thought we didn’t look like a top ranked national power… Hey, at least my bratwurst was delicious…

It is the 4th of July tomorrow and I am going to go out today and buy me a USA Soccer Association T-Shirt to wear tomorrow. I love following our national team, and I am sure that if you live outside of the US you love to support your national team as well. I can’t think of a more patriotic thing to wear than a soccer shirt that supports my national team!

I apologize for not posting for awhile, like most of you I have been out playing soccer as much as possible. It is great to get out in the summer and kick the ball around with friends. I play any evening I can and try to play most Saturdays as well. I have been trying to start pick up games on Saturday mornings and it has not worked out very well. I have received feedback from at least 15 people that want to play, but when it comes time to play they are nowhere to be found. We did this 2 summers ago and had excellent turnout every Saturday for the entire summer. It was a blast, but the last 2 years I have not been able to get people to show up. If any of you have had success putting together pick up games, let me know how you do it.  I could really use the help! If anyone in the Salt Lake Valley wants to play leave me comment and let me know that you are interested and I will let you know when and where we will be playing.

Enjoy the summer while you can, and play as much as possible!

I love watching the World Cup Qualifiers, there is a sense of urgency and determination that gets my blood boiling.

Last Saturday the US pulled out a tie against El Salvador. They were down 2 in the 75th minute and they managed to score 2 goals in the final 15 minutes to tie the game. Frankie Hejduk would not be denied, he willed the team to the result they received. Granted they should have won the game going away with the way they dominated the entire game. We were lucky to get out of their with a point, sitting alone on top of the standings.

Tonight is another big game with Trinidad & Tobago. I think the US wins big, especially since we will get Howard and Oyewu back for tonights game. They should be extremely focused and motivated to play well, I don’t expect anyone else to catch them on their heels the way El Salvador did.

I am excited for tonights game! Here is a little video to help you get ready to support Team USA!

Roberto Baggio is my all time favorite soccer player due to his field management and his ability to score. He had some incredible soccer skills and played his hardest every time he stepped on the field. I play the same positions as Roberto Baggio and I learned a lot of the things I do from watching him through the years. He controlled the midfield better than almost anyone that has played the game and when his team needed it he was able to step up and score.

I know many people will point to his miss on the penalty kick in the 1994 World Cup final against Brazil and say he wasn’t a good player. One play can sometimes define a player, and his miss in the World Cup probably defined his career. It is unfortunate that one miss can overshadow a career of brilliant moves and fantastic finishes. He will always be my all time favorite player and a big reason is because of that miss in the World Cup. If you remember correctly he probably should not have been playing at that point in the game. He had severe cramps and the only reason they left him in was to take the penalty shot. He was a tremendous competitor and I appreciate the respect he had for the game. Enjoy this video of Roberto Baggio and remember him for the great plays he provided!

Here is a soccer tip for you today in honor of Roberto Baggio:

Always remember to lean over the ball when you are taking a penalty kick, or any other shot on goal!