Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas!

I just had to share some information on my favorite player in the world....Ricardo Kaka'!!!

May 25, 2007
Kaka’s outpouring of faith brings joy to leaders within Christian community

Rick Broadbent

It has been a long time coming, but more than two decades since God had a hand in a World Cup triumph, football is returning the favour. With heart on sleeve and slogan on chest, Kaká’s postmatch celebration in Athens on Wednesday night thrust his faith into the spotlight. “I belong to Jesus,” the statement said. Liverpool fans shuddered, undone by an ineligible deity.
As arguably the best player on earth, Kaká’s high-profile commitment to his religion is good news for church leaders. In recent times, the Italian church’s efforts to infiltrate the mainstream and spread the gospel have been much derided. When Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Pope Benedict’s No 2, created The Clericus Cup this year, an international tournament for priests and seminarians, he spoke without irony of creating a Vatican City team to take on the likes of AC Milan in Serie A. However, even Bertone would not argue that the stated aim of “reinvigorating a sporting tradition within the Christian community” is better served by Kaká and his T-shirt than kickarounds in cassocks.
Kaká, who was born to a middle-class family in Brasilia, said that he became deeply religious when he was 12. “I learnt that it is faith that decides whether something will happen or not,” he said.
Some might consider that the Liverpool fans who “kept the faith” in the face of the most testing circumstances during the Champions League final two years ago actually endured a quasi-religious experience. Other similarities shared by football and religion are obvious – tribalism, sacrifice, conflict. However, few people remember that a third of the clubs that have played in the Premiership owe their existence to a church. Barnsley and Swindon Town were founded by clergymen, while Louis Rocca, the ice-cream baron who came up with the name “Manchester United”, set up a network of Catholic priests to scout for players.

Kaká’s own faith was strengthened in October 2000 when he slipped on a swimming pool slide and broke a vertebrae. “The doctors said that I was lucky to be able to walk normally,” he said. “They were talking about luck and my family was talking about God. We knew that it was His hand that had saved me.”

In terms of religious commitment, Kaká has been there, done it and bought the T-shirt. He wore his “I belong to Jesus” vest when Milan won Serie A in 2004 and has “God is faithful” stitched on to the tongues of his boots. An evangelical Christian, his influence was reflected by the febrile reaction to Middle Eastern reports last year that he had converted to Islam.
But with church attendances falling and religion a contentious issue, could Kaká’s faith actually put bums on pews? Monsignor Keith Barltrop, director of the Catholic Agency to Support Evangelisation, said: “A lot of people think religion is quite fundamentalist, so if there is a major sporting figure whose lifestyle backs up his words, it is a positive thing.

“It is not a question of getting people into church, but it is good to have positive role models. It is easy to be excited by pop stars and sporting celebrities, but you have to ask if that leads to a life of hedonism.” A religious footballer is far from unique. Portsmouth’s success this season may or may not have had anything to do with the prayer meetings attended by the likes of Kanu and Lomana LuaLua. Meanwhile, the organisation Score continues a 16-year battle to make chaplaincy available to the world of sport and 70 per cent of league clubs have a chaplain; tonight, at Huish Park, the Reverend Jim Pearce will lead prayers in the Vice-President’s lounge before Yeo-vil Town’s Coca-Cola League One play-offs final on Sunday.

“It’s good to get out into the community,” Rev Simon Stevenette, the vicar of Christ Church, Swindon, and the football club chaplain, said. As for Kaká’s show of faith, he believes it can help the church’s cause. “I’ve got five football-mad boys and when they saw Brazil praying at the World Cup, they were all talking about it at breakfast,” he said. “It sparks debate.”
It can also spark a comeback if Marvin Andrews is to believed. Having injured his cruciate ligament in March 2005, the then Rangers defender was ruled out for the season. Andrews said that God would keep him fit and made a speedy recovery that baffled doctors. The flipside to such tales is the sectarian bigotry that blights football in Glasgow, where Andrews was plying his trade.

But if the Hand of God Church in Rosario, Argentina, with its commandment to name all first sons Diego, seems extreme, the deification of Kaká may be more useful to religious leaders seeking to attract football’s youth. “We can only win being on Jesus’s side,” Kaká said. This year, anyway.


Kaka declares God's love to fellow Brazilians
by Jenna Lyle
Posted: Thursday, November 6, 2008, 10:02 (GMT)

Brazilian football superstar and Fifa world player of the year, Kaka, will tell his home country of the love of God in a major televised outreach by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
Kaka will share his testimony of hope and faith in Jesus Christ in a series of programmes to be broadcast during prime time hours from Thursday to Saturday in one of the largest evangelistic efforts ever to hit the country.
My Hope Brazil is inspired by Matthew 9, in which tax collectors and sinners gather at Matthew's house to have dinner with Jesus.
The "Matthews" are Christians who will invite friends and relatives to their homes to watch the special broadcasts before sharing their personal testimonies of God's love. They will also invite those present to accept or rededicate their lives to Jesus.
More than 48,000 churches and 850,000 homes across Brazil, the largest country in South America, have received resources and training to take part in the massive campaign.
"My Hope Brazil is one of the most exciting projects BGEA has had the privilege of facilitating," said Bill Conard, vice president of international ministries at BGEA.
"The churches in Brazil have put an enormous amount of time and energy into reaching their loved ones with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we expect God to do powerful things through their faithful efforts."In addition to Kaka's testimony, Thursday's broadcast will include a message from renowned evangelist Billy Graham dubbed into Portuguese, whilst Friday's broadcast will feature a message from his son and head of the BGEA, Franklin Graham. Christian singers Paulo Baruk and Aline Barros will perform during the broadcasts.
The BGEA evangelistic film, "A Vow to Cherish", will round up the broadcasts on Saturday.
The next BGEA My Hope campaign will take place in Singapore from December 12 to 14.


Kaka' on Faith Above Fame
By: Paul Rudatsikira

Kaká, the athlete whom Pelé described as "the outstanding talent of the moment" and who was named in Time Magazine 100 most influential people in the world, is less concerned with what people think of him and more on what God thinks. The title of best fútbol ("soccer") player on the planet is not as important as the title he has proclaimed to the world "I belong to Jesus".
The Brazilian soccer legend in the making believes in the importance of sharing the love of Jesus Christ in word and deed. Kaká has become the "Ambassador Against Hunger" for the World Food Program of the U.N. as he has actively worked to uplift those who are struggling in poverty all over the world. As a believer in Jesus Christ he understands that faith is not just manifested through words but also through action as Jesus said of the righteous "I was hungry, and you gave me food."
In a world that glorifies the rich and famous, it is refreshing to see Kaká has not become caught in the trap of self importance but instead has pointed the direction on the one who deserves all the glory, Jesus Christ. Kaká states in an interview with Atletas de Cristo;
"To those who already have Jesus: you have made the best choice and are in the best team. Go ahead. Do not give up. The fight is great, but we can only win being on Jesus’ side. To those who have not yet surrendered their lives to Jesus: What are you doing being outside of this team?! Come to learn the Word of God, come to know who God really is. Stop eating cookies, while God offers us a banquet."
There is a great pressure that we all face to live our lives by the expectations of others and to be politically correct by blending in. But Jesus says in Matthew 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.Kaka, my dear brother in the faith of Jesus Christ, I too belong to Jesus Christ. He changed my life, put my feet on solid ground and gave me the peace that passess all understanding.
In my life, I have been face to face with what so many people spend their entire lives chasing after; I have seen those with wealth that is astronomical, fame and power that is consuming and I count all of these things as nothing compared to the awesome gift of knowing Jesus Christ, who is ”Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” Isaiah 9:6For the reader who is reading this blog and does not know what I am speaking about, I want to tell you that it is not by accident that you are reading this. God has a purpose for your life that is beyond what you can imagine for yourself, family traditions or society pressures. God loved you so much that he sent Jesus (his only begotten son) to die on the cross that through faith in him you might be saved. ”Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8).


Wednesday, December 17, 2008

2008 Quakes Season Recap Video

I finally found this online in a format that I could add to the "Zone". Enjoy watching it over and over!

Quakes '08 Season Recap

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

2008 UCL Knockout Phase Lineup


My favorite European team, AC Milan, again did not reach the knockout phase. So who am I rooting for? Chelsea FC. I don't know much about the Greek team (Panathinaikos FC), but they might be fun to support if for some reason Chelsea stumbles. I know that H must be behind his AS Roma club.


Lineup finalised for knockout draw (from: uefa.com)

The lineup for the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League has been finalised after Manchester United FC, FC Bayern München, FC Porto and Juventus all clinched their places in the first knockout round as winners of their respective sections.


Fascinating ties: The four clubs join the four other group winners and the runners-up from each of the eight sections in the draw for the next stage, which is held on Friday 19 December from 12.00CET at UEFA headquarters in Nyon. Among the contenders are Liverpool FC, five-time winners of the European Champion Clubs' Cup, last season's runners-up Chelsea FC and Italian champions FC Internazionale Milano.

Draw conditions


* Teams from the same association cannot be drawn against each other.

* The winners and runners-up of the same group cannot be drawn against each other.

* Group winners cannot be drawn against each other.

* Group runners-up cannot be drawn against each other.

* All group runners-up will play their first-leg matches at home.

2008/09 UEFA Champions LeagueFirst knockout round – to be played 24/25 February and 10/11 March

Monday, December 8, 2008

Sharks and Quakes


Posted: Tuesday December 2, 2008 10:13AM; Updated: Tuesday December 2, 2008 10:13AM
NHL's Sharks to invest in San Jose Earthquakes
By Zac Lee Rigg, Special to SI.com, Goal.com

The San Jose Sharks of the NHL are set to purchase a 10 to 15 percent stake in the Earthquakes of Major League Soccer.

Quakes owner Lewis Wolff confirmed the pending deal to Sports Business Journal. It is expected to be worth between $2 and $3 million. "It's a done deal," Wolff said. "It will help us as we continue to grow."

The two teams will share databases of fans and cross-promote each others' games, as well as coordinate marketing strategies. It's easy to see what the Quakes get out of the partnership. They receive cash and help from an experienced sports organization to break into the Bay Area market. The Sharks, on the other hand, are investing. They are banking on soccer and last year's expansion team to continue to grow in the region. In that regard, their actions can be taken as a bold affirmation of many of the strides MLS has taken in the past decade. This is another sports team reaching out and including MLS and soccer as its equal.

Wolff also said the Earthquakes plan on hiring an architecture firm by next year to design a soccer-specific stadium. It is expected to cost between $40 million to $60 million of private money and hold 15,000 fans. The Earthquakes currently rent Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., which holds 10,300.

Quakes Training Center - Morgan Hill?

There has been some talk about the Q's having approached Morgan Hill to locate a team training center. Sounds like the Quakes are continuing to invest resources locally to build a foundation for a strong team association with the community.

Earthquakes eye Morgan Hill
Nov 14, 2008 By Natalie Everett - Staff Writer

San Jose Earthquakes officials are looking to locate their team training center at the site of the Golden Oak Restaurant on Condit Road in Morgan Hill.Further, Earthquakes officials have proposed to operate the Outdoor Sports Center, located across the street, a move they say would increase activity and generate more spin-off effects with hotels and restaurants, according to City Manager Ed Tewes.Earthquakes Executive Vice President David Alioto said Morgan Hill is a "soccer hotbed.""Morgan Hill not only has some good soccer clubs, but it's home to the state cup tournaments," Alioto said.That's why the Earthquakes submitted an application to the city to locate the Major League Soccer team's training center at 16695 Condit Road, where the Golden Oak was open for more than 20 years. Parks and Recreation Committee members will discuss the application at their meeting tonight."The Earthquakes Training Center will include a professional practice field developed to MLS league standards," San Jose Earthquakes partner Keith Wolff wrote in a letter to Tewes Nov. 5. The campus would include a weight and cardio facility, treatment rooms, personnel offices and dining, video and meeting rooms.According to the letter, the center would be used year-round and provide tours to youth groups and other community organizations.Tewes said Monday that the center's use would "definitely include the 40-something weekends a year that the CYSA has its tournaments."Wolff requested a joint meeting with the city, the California Youth Soccer Association and the Earthquakes development team to discuss the "potential benefits to all parties involved."Recreation Department Director Steve Rymer said that for the last eight months, the city has had several conversations with private parties to find a different way to operate the Outdoor Sports Center."We're looking at other ways of running our facilities, to limit operations and maintenance costs and enhance community access," he said. Rymer said one of the issues with the center is that there's no community access to it. Leasing to the Earthquakes would allow more, he said.The city's desire to convert some soccer fields to baseball or softball fields across the street at the sports complex and the relocation of the soccer association to a 171-acre site in San Benito County would not impact Earthquakes officials' desire to locate the training center in Morgan Hill, Wolff wrote. The state cup tournaments would remain in Morgan Hill, according to Alioto and Rymer.The Golden Oak Restaurant closed recently after at least a year of financial troubles, according to several Morgan Hill Rotary Club members. The Rotary Club held a weekly luncheon at the Golden Oak for years until word of financial issues reached them and a new site for the luncheon was sought.The Rotary Club now meets at the Community & Cultural Center.Several calls to Golden Oak Restaurant owner Ken Harlan were not returned by press time.Alioto said Morgan Hill is not the only location the Earthquakes are considering, but declined to identify other locations or say how many there are."But we like the Morgan Hill location," he said.
Natalie EverettNatalie Everett covers education and city issues for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106, ext. 201, or neverett@morganhilltimes.com.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Afghanistan - 2008 Homeless World Cup Champions!


Congratulations to Afghanistan for winning the 2008 Homeless World Cup title!! Check out all of the results at http://www.homelessworldcup.org/


What an amazing event and I pray that this will be an event that helps those needing encouragement to make positive strides in their lives.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Ah...football

An article from a Ipswich Town publication:

Darren Huckerby and the Passion Problem
by Tim Sansom, Columnist
Thursday 04 Dec 2008 11:14:19

Tim Sansom ponders the effects of footballing passion ahead of Sunday's derby.


It was about four years ago when I was in Norwich’s St Stephens’ Street. Norwich City Football Club had just been promoted to the Premiership. My team, Ipswich, had crumbled to another play-off defeat. I was nursing my wounds and wondering why my footballing world had fallen into ruins.

I was debating whether it was worth booking a table at my favourite Chinese restaurant in Norwich, when I spotted Darren Huckerby coming out of a well-known department store. I froze. At that time, and still today, Huckerby was public enemy number one in the minds of Ipswich Town fans like me. We detested the spiky blond-haired winger with passion. It may have been something to do with his swagger around the pitch, a comment that he may have made in the local press, or a goal that he scored in the East Anglian derby? I can not remember why we hated him so much, but I know that I hated him. I know that I was being totally irrational. Hate is an unforgiving emotion. I had never personally met the man to make a sound judgement, but I still felt that Darren Huckerby was shorthand for everything that I hated about modern British football and Norwich City Football Club.

Back in St Stephens’ Street, I fixed a stare on Huckerby. He was just how I had angrily imagined him to be. He was dressed in holed jeans and a dreary American biker T-shirt looking like an X-Factor wannabe wailing that ‘This competition means everything to me.’Huckerby looked at me in readiness to do another ‘Good Luck, love Hucks’ autograph to another Norwich fan. However I am never that good in covering up my emotions and something in my glare told him that I was not interested in any Canary small talk. I like to think that a little bit of fear came into his eyes, although I now think it was derision. I flounced passed like a rush hour commuter, with the hope that I had taught Huckerby a lesson. Now I feel embarrassed. I would not usually behave like this to random people.

There is something about football that makes normal people lose any sense of rational thinking and behave like extras on Eastenders. We take an instant dislike to players who we have never met, and will never likely meet, because of the colour of their football shirt. Some fans feel that they should throw coins at players as a way of expressing their hatred and bile. Certain fans have attempted to recreate pitch battles in the pubs and streets around their ground as part of their football experience. Some of us now read the books of those days with rose-tinted spectacles. Some of us revel in that ‘passion’ and ‘devotion’ to their club. It can be embarrassing. We do not want to see the return of the Saturday afternoon incidents of hooliganism. Mostly gone are those days when the vast majority of Saturday afternoon matches ended in re-creations of the Battle of Waterloo. Most matchday programmes ask fans to inform their nearest stewards about unacceptable abuse being directed to the pitch, and penalties are being handed out for the worst offenders. The worst excesses of racial bile are just about eradicated and we have to accept that ‘anything does not go’ from beside the pitch. I also accept that players have their own responsibilities on the pitch. The players that provoke the fans with gestures and comments are not helping the situation. I also know that I will struggle to like anything about Norwich City Football Club.

I am pretty sure that I will never warm to Darren Huckerby too, and there will be another City player who will join my ever growing list of hated players including Darren Eadie, Ian Crook, Keith O’Neill, Bryan Gunn, Craig Bellamy, Ade Akinbiyi and Robert Fleck. I also know that those feelings will be reciprocated by the Norwich faithful.I also know that I will always be able to keep my emotions in check. We can love our football. We can have passion for football, but we can keep our dignity and self-respect, whilst we support our teams.

http://www.clubfanzine.com/ipswich_town/v2.showNews.php?id=16364

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

A Quote from "Bloody Confused"


I just couldn't let the day go by without sharing this quote from the book I'm reading, "Bloody Confused" (a journey through the 06/07 EPL season with an Amercian sportswriter).


"Even a lost novice could see that (Cristiano) Ronaldo had spent the year bolstering Portugal's hopes in the Olympic diving competition for both Bejing 2008 and London 2012, in both platform and springboard."


:)

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Homeless World Cup - USA UPDATE


The US squad has played 2 matches so far. A loss to Ireland 11-2 and a loss to Romania 7-2. Our next match is against Hong Kong. I am sure the losses have been disappointing to the lads, but let's stay behind the team. Each of them is facing even greater battles in their lives and hopefully that representing the USA and playing football will help kick start the change they desire for themselves.


U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A.