5 Soccer Mysteries Solved

5 Soccer Mysteries Solved

Why are there so few goals?

A scoreboard rarely shows a double-digit score in soccer for a few reasons. Take a look at the field and the number of players. �nlike basketball or hockey where the field is smaller and you can create more chances for a goal, soccer has a bigger field,�says Richie Williams, New Jersey Red Bulls assistant coach. On top of an expansive field, there are only 11 players covering a field that is usually 120 yards by 75 yards. Translation? A bigger field with man-on-man coverage makes it harder to nail a goal. The other reason for soccer� low-score finishes is because of the off-sides rule, which prevents any forward or attacking player from hanging out by the goal behind the defender. Instead, when a player has the ball and is trying to score, he must have at least one defender between him and the goal. The only way to beat the off-sides rule is a perfect pass to a player who accelerates past a defender to meet the ball or to dribble around a defenderRecently, FIFA relaxed the off-side rule, so that the offensive player now only has to be in line with the defender, thereby creating more goal-scoring chances.

Why is called the beautiful game?

It is beautiful because it is simple�ou can play anywhere as long as you have a ball, and if you don� happen to have one, you can make one, explains says Jamie Trecker, the Fox Sports Senior European Correspondent for the World Cup and author of Love and Blood: At the World Cup with the Footballers, Fans and Freaks. �here are no elaborate rules, there� no BS like there is in American football where there� a rulebook the size of the telephone book and you never know what� going on.�Soccer is different from other team sports in that it� a collaborative effort, but it relies on individual athleticism and intelligence, says Trecker. �ome of the most attractive things in the game come from individual play and movement of the ball and doing things�aking shots, dribbling, passing�hat seem to at first be mistakes and then turn out to be rather brilliant.�

Are oranges the best half-time snack?

The orange myth is up: You�e better off downing a sports drink in the short window between halves. Oranges are fibrous and contain fructose� sugar that is hard to digest�o they are a ripe target for causing a pain in your gut, says John Seifert, Ph.D., an associate professor at the department of Health and Human Performance at Montana State University. The citrus half-time staple is scarce in carbohydrates and fluid, the two things you�e body desperately needs. You want to down as much liquid and carbohydrates as possible without having a slosh bucket in your stomach, says Seifert. Check the label: Look for glucose and sucrose as the top two ingredients. They are sugars that are easy to digest and can be used as energy fast. The optimal effect comes from a 6 percent carbohydrate drink, like original Gatorde or Powerade. Fructose works if it� the third or fourth ingredient because it sweetens the drink, making it taste better. Forgo solids unless you have an iron stomach. As exercise intensity increases, blood flow to the gut decreases, making digestion more difficult, says Seifert. Finally, consider a drink with a 4 to 1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein, which studies have shown to increase endurance compared with a carbohydrate only drink.

How can you head the ball and not get brain damage?

Stay alert. A ball that takes you by surprise is more likely to cause harm because you aren� braced for its impact. The best way to attack a ball is to stabilize your head, says Mark Lovell, Ph.D., director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center� Sports Medicine Concussion Program. �f your head is flopping around, you are increasing the chance your brain is going to slide around in the skull,�says Lovell. Instead, tighten your neck muscles to absorb some of the ball� energy, use your core to control your neck, and keep your legs shoulder width apart. If you�e attacking aim to head the ball down with your forehead, and if you�e defending aim up. A good way to learn the good heading technique�o activate your core�is to lie on your back and have someone throw the ball toward you and you do a crunch like movement and head it back, explains Greg Ramos, a certified soccer coach with Lehigh Valley United F.C. Then practice on your knees; and finally do the drill standing up. This will teach you to head in a controlled way and not to push up or jump with your legs.

What are the fans always singing about?

They want to build up their own team and disparage their foes�t� tribalism. �inging and chanting has become wrapped up in the aesthetics of the game,�says Jamie Trecker, the Fox Sports Senior European Correspondent for the World Cup and author of Love and Blood: At the World Cup with the Footballers, Fans and Freaks. The opposing fans sing to each other to goad each other on. In fact, Trecker says one of the greatest soccer taunts is to tell a losing team that their fans only sing when they�e winning. Singing also expresses solidarity�all together, we are behind you,�says Colin Jose, the Historian Emeritus for the National Soccer Hall of Fame. �ne of the most popular songs for English fans is �ou�l Never Walk Alone,�which an anthem for fans of Liverpool in particular,�says Jose. Whatever you do, don� stoop to the level of �le, ole, ole, ole...�the song meaning �o�or �in�in Spanish that originates from Mexican fans at the 1986 World Cup. That� hardly a soccer song, and it� the kind of thing American novices erroneously think the game� all about, says Trecker.