Argentina–explored

The country of Argentina enjoys both a rich soccer tradition and a cultural heritage. Officially known as the Argentine Republic, Argentine functions as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city-the capital, Buenos Aires. Without a doubt soccer is hands down the most popular sport in Argentina. Although other sports such as rugby union, basketball and volleyball are also popular. The national team won the FIFA World Cup twice, as well as winning the Copa America tournament fourteen times. The domestic soccer league is also considered to be one of the best in the western hemisphere, producing countless starts that end up playing for huge European Clubs. Argentina’s top soccer league is known as the Primera Division, and it was founded in 1893. Like many other leagues, it is made up of 20 teams.  Also, like many South American leagues, the year is split into two tournaments the Clausura, which runs from February to June and the Apetrura, which runs from August to December. The two biggest teams are Boca Juniors and River Plate. When these two giants of soccer play each other the match is referred to as the Superclasico. The Superclasico is known throughout the world as one of the most important derbies. (a derby is the term used to describe a match between two teams which are geographically close to each other). Both Boca Juniors and River Plate have their origins in La Boca, a working class area of Buenos Aires. River moved to the more affluent district of Nunez in 1925. Thus, many fans see Boca Juniors as the working class or peoples club and River Plate known by the nickname Los Millonarios, supposedly supported with an upper-class fan base. Of course, both clubs draw fans from all social classes.

Argentina is a unique country which has a great soccer tradition both in its domestic leagues and as a nation on the national team level. A good friend of mine is currently living in Argentina. She has created an interesting blog about her experiences. Check it out at http://leahloverton.blogspot.com/

Argentina Demographics

Population: 40.3 million
Language: Spanish
Ethnic Groups: European (Majority Spanish and Italian descent) 97%; Mestizo, Amerindian or nonwhite groups 3%
Religions: Roman Catholic 70%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 1.5%, Jewish 0.8%, other 2.5%
Adult Literacy: 97%
Health: Infant mortality rate-16.16/1,000, life expectancy 75.48 years
Work Force: Industry and commerce 35.8%, agriculture 9.5%, services 54.7%
Geography: 2.8 Million sq. km (1.1 Million sq. mi.)
Government: Type-Republic, Constitution: 1853; revised 1994, independence: 1816
Gross Domestic Product: $261 billion

Champions League Final: Two Champion Cities

 

Its almost game time-the much anticipated Champions League Final between two of the largest clubs in the world: Manchester United and FC Barcelona. It is unclear which one of these giants will win the match. One thing that is clear is that there has been an abundance of statistical analysis regarding the match. Thus, I thought it might be interesting to research the respective cities and compare and contrast various demographics, cultural threads and interesting facts.

 

The city of Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Great Manchester, a metropolitan country in North West England. Greater Manchester has a population of 2.56 million and encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom. Manchester is referred to as the Capital of the North. It is known as a center for higher education, media and the arts. The band Oasis formed in Manchester in 1991.Manchester has a rich sporting tradition being home of two Premiership football clubs-Manchester United and Manchester City. Outside of football the Manchester area is home to Lancashire County Cricket Club and various Rugby League clubs.

 

The city of Barcelona is the most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain with a population of 4.9 million in the Barcelona metropolitan area. Barcelona is a global city because of its importance in the commerce, finance, media, arts, entertainment and international trade. The city is well-known for the architectural works of Antoni Gaudi. Barcelona has a rich sporting history including hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics. FC Barcelona, which is best known for its Football teams, also has teams in the Spanish Basketball league and Handball league. RCD Espanyol, the other top-flight football team, plays FC Barcelona in the local La Liga derby.

 

The 2009 Champion League Final show cases two of the most tradition rich football teams in the world along with two world-class cities.

The Effects of Globalization on Soccer in India

The nation of India supports over fifteen percent of the world’s population, making India the second most populous nation in the world. Interestingly, the median age in India is 25; India is one of the youngest nations among large economies. India’s history has been marked by numerous invasions from various cultures which have been absorbed and modified to create the current racial and culture synthesis India enjoys. India is home to many intense sporting fans. Indians are passionate about a variety of sports – especially cricket, field hockey and soccer. Despite domestic passion for the previously mentioned sports India has not, yet, exported itself onto the world’s global sporting stage in the realm of the World Cup or the Olympics. It is worth mentioning that the Indian cricket team is considered one of the strongest teams in the world. At the Sydney Olympics of 2000, India won one bronze medal, which seems surprising considering India’s large population and the county’s love of sports. To better understand the world of Indian sports it is helpful to look at some background information. For instance, 44 percent of Indians spend less than a dollar a day, which would seem to have a great effect on the training, recruiting and development of many sports within India. The technology boom of the 1990s created many technology driven industries within India. Likewise, the advent of relatively easy access to satellite television created a vast market within India for soccer, particularly European leagues such as the English Premier League (EPL). The popularity of foreign soccer leagues has had a positive effect on the development of soccer in India because it exposes many more Indians to the game. However, the high ratings for English soccer have not done a great deal to improve domestic interest. As in other countries, there is a disconnect in soccer’s popularity.  Though many avidly watch the EPL and similar top-ranked leagues, fewer Indians have proven to actually follow their own local leagues.  Watching televised international soccer stars continues to be more popular  than attending or playing games locally.  This lack of interest in Indian domestic soccer has hurt the national team-dropping it to an all-time low rank in the FIFA world rankings.

Globalization has had a deep impact on India in many positive and negative ways.   It creates technology-driven industries yet spurs the migration of Indians with technical skills to other countries, creating a “brain-drain” at home. Likewise, globalization has impacted the sporting culture in India, particular the sport of soccer. Soccer clubs such as Manchester United and AC Milan are household names in India, due to the effects of globalization. Soccer is basically viewed as a commodity – created in Europe and then exported around the world to the masses. V. Krishnaswamy in his article, “Football and Globalization,” discusses the impact of teams from countries such as Senegal and Korea making the World Cup:

But before you start clapping or dreaming of a Senegal or Korea up there on the top of the heap in 2010 or 2014, look at the other side. Globalization does not necessarily mean the gap between the first world (European and Latin American teams) and the Third World (Asia largely and to some extent Africa) in football is going to become narrower. Within Asia, only a handful of teams – primarily South Korea, Japan and China – are likely to rise further. And in Africa it will still be the same four to six countries – Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal or Algeria. Add to that South Africa and in times to come, maybe Ghana or Sierra Leone. The globalization of world football may only mean more European and Latin American coaches in Asia and Africa and more talented Asian and African footballers in Europe – not even Latin America, which is itself struggling from the lack of funds. Just when it seems it is helping perk up standards, it turns its face and moves away. It does enrich the world, but leaves its own home in tatters. Not even for a fleeting moment should one believe that the rise of Senegal in the world cup … will raise the standard of football in that country. Just forget it. It has not happened, nor is it likely to happen. If anything, the domestic football scene in Senegal will be even more impoverished.

This is an interesting and popular view of the impact of globalization on countries that are not as developed as the Western industrial democracies. This quote highlights the disconnect between the growth of the sport of soccer amount the population in terms of viewership of foreign leagues without the growth of the sport on the field.

It is yet to be seen if the domestic league in India will gain support and be able to  grow talented Indian soccer players to be able to qualify India for the World Cup in the future. It is now unclear what the future effects globalization will have on the sporting culture of India.

Sources:

Majumdar, B. and Bandyopadhyay, K.  “A Sporting Colony of Growing Global Capital: Globalization and Indian Soccer.” Soccer and Society vol. 6, 2005.

Krishnaswamy, V.  “Football and Globalization.” Frontline, 19 Jul. 2002, 10–11.

United States Department of State

India Demographics

Population: 1.14 billion

Language: Hindi, English, and 16 other official languages

Ethnic Groups: Ethnic groups: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, others 3%. While the national census does not recognize racial or ethnic groups, it is estimated that there are more than 2,000 ethnic groups in India

Religion: Hindu 81.4%, Muslim 12.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other groups including Buddhist, Jain, Parsi within 1%

Literacy: 64.84%

Health: Infant mortality rate-34.61/1,000, life expectancy 68.59 years

Work Force: Agriculture 60%, industry and commerce 18%, services and government 22%

Geography: 3.29 million sq. km. (1.27 million sq. mi.)

Government: Type-Federal republic

Gross Domestic Product: $1 trillion

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Trinidad and Tobago: History, Culture and Sport

Trinidad and Tobago is a sovereign nation and member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Geographically, the nation is composed of two large islands in the Caribbean known as-Trinidad and Tobago. Christopher Columbus named the island of Trinidad in 1498. The Spanish colonized the island a century later. For the most part, the Spanish wiped out the native inhabitants of the island the Arawak and Carib Indians. The survivors were slowly assimilated. The British captured the island from the Spanish in 1797. The island of Trinidad’s economy was supported by large sugar and coca plantations. In contrast, the island of Tobago’s economic development was closer to that of other plantation islands in the Lesser Antilles and very different from that of Trinidad. French, Dutch, and British forces fought over possession of the island of Tobago during the colonial period. Possession of Tobago changed hands 22 times-more often than any other West Indies island. The British took control of Tobago in 1803 and the two islands of Trinidad and Tobago were incorporated into one single colony in 1888. Trinidad and Tobago achieved independence from Britain in 1962 and became a republic in 1976.

Trinidad and Tobago enjoys a rich culture, laying claim to original music and Nobel Prize-winning authors. The music of Trinidad and Tobago is distinctly unique-it is often hailed as the birth place of calypso music, due in part to the diverse cultural and religious backgrounds of its inhabitants.

Trinidad and Tobago has a strong sporting history and culture. The sport of Cricket is very popular in Trinidad and Tobago along with the rest of the English West Indies. Soccer is also a very well-followed sport. The national team, affectionately known as the Soca Warriors, qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup for the first time in its history. This was an amazing accomplishment, making Trinidad and Tobago the smallest country in terms of population to ever qualify for the World Cup. One of the most well-known players to come from Trinidad and Togbo is Dwight Yorke, who has enjoyed a career with the national team as well as with clubs in England and Australia. Most notably, Dwight Yorke played for Manchester United from 1998 to 2002-scoring 47 goals in 95 appearances for the Red Devils. The current national team squad is composed of talented players many of whom play their club soccer in the domestic league known as the T & T Pro League. The T&T Pro-League became fully professional in 1999. A few players such as Dwight Yorke and Carlos Edwards play Sunderland, a team currently in the English Premier League. Several other players play in lower leagues in England. Another notable player is Stern John who played in the MLS for the Columbus Crew before playing in England.

Trinidad and Tobago is a unique country-that enjoys a rich cultural and sporting history. It is yet to be seen if Trinidad and Tobago will be able to follow up on their 2006 World Cup appearance and make the 2010 addition. As of the date of this entry Trinidad and Tobago is at the bottom of its qualification group with only 2 points out of 3 games played.

Sources:

United States Department of State Trinidad and Tobago background information

Trinidad and Tobago Demographics

Population: 1,303,188

Language: English

Ethnic Groups: East Indian 40.0%, African 37.5%, Mixed 20.5%, European 0.6%, Chinese 0.3%, Other 1.1%

Religions: Roman Catholic 26.0%, Hindu 22.5%, Anglican 7.8%, Pentecostal 6.8%, Baptist 7.2%, other Christian 5.8%, Muslim 5.8%, Seven Day Adventist 4%, Other 10.8%, unspecified 1.4%, none 1.9%

Adult Literacy: 98.6%

Health: Infant mortality rate-25.81/1,000, life expectancy 66 years male, 68 years female

Work Force: Trade and services 62.9%, construction 18.9%, manufacturing 9.5%, agriculture/sugar 3.8%, oil/gas 3.3%, utilities 1.5%

Geography: 5,128 sq. km (1,980 sq. mi.)

Government: Type-Parliamentary democracy, present constitution:-September 24, 1976, Independence- August 31, 1962

Gross Domestic Product: $20.9 billion

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US vs. Trinidad and Tobago—Match Recap

Tonight in Nashville the United States took on Trinidad and Tobago in the third game of the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. The U.S. appeared in charge of the match from the first minute until the end of stoppage time thanks in part to the great crowd that showed up to support the team. U.S. coach Bob Bradley made several changes in the starting lineup from the squad that started Saturday in El Salvador; most notably-moving DaMarcus Beasley from Forward to Defender. The U.S. came out strong against Trinidad and Tobago, enjoying the majority of possession in the first half. 19-year-old, Jozy Altidore was rewarded for his play coming off the bench on Saturday with a spot in the starting eleven. Altidore played like he had been starting at the international level for years scoring the game’s first goal in the 13^th minute from a hard low pass from Landon Donovan. Overall, the U.S. played well in the first half despite only scoring one goal by halftime. Trinidad and Tobago had to play without legendary player and former Manchester United star Dwight Yorke due to suspension, which did not help the Caribbean nation’s chances.

I was pleased with the aggressive play by the U.S., although I was equally nervous at the number of great chances the U.S. missed in the first half. Next summer, the U.S., most likely, will be playing in South Africa against the likes of European and South American power houses like Italy, Germany and Brazil. The U.S. can get away with missing chances to score goals against Trinidad and Tobago—it will not be able to squander such chances next summer. Trinidad and Tobago played better in the first ten minutes of the second half enjoying a nice run of possession. However, ultimately the U.S. proved too strong for the Caribbean nation. Jozy Altidore found himself on the receiving end of two more Landon Donovan assists—making Altidore the youngest American to score an hat rick for the senior national team. In the end, the U.S. played well-the combination of Jozy Altidore and Landon Donovan seems promising for the future.

The Soccer War

The game of soccer is notorious for provoking many emotions among its fans. Unfortunately, it is common to hear stories of violence inside and outside soccer matches. What is less common is hearing the phrase “soccer war” an actual government sanctioned military conflict between two sovereign nations. The soccer war of 1969 was fought for much more than soccer loyalties. I do not in anyway mean to suggest that this was a war that grew out of a single soccer match or is as simple as a disagreement about a referee’s call. The 1969 war between El Salvador and neighboring Honduras had a variety of causes including complex social, economic, ethnic and political factors.

To understand the factors leading up to the soccer war it is important to first understand what both El Salvador and Honduras were like in 1969. El Salvador is a relatively small country, geographically speaking, compared to the larger Honduras. However, despite El Salvador’s smaller geographical area it has a larger population than neighboring Honduras. In addition to having a smaller population, Honduras in 1969 also had a less developed economy than El Salvador. Around 300,000 Salvadorans had crossed the border into Honduras with the intention of staying in Honduras to work and live. According to Global Security.org, the Honduran government was less concerned with losing land to the Salvadorans and more concerned with the image of being pushed around by El Salvador. Furthermore, Honduras was worried about the possibility of being enveloped by the Salvadorans.

Throughout the 1960s, the Central American Common Market seemed to favor countries with more developed economies such as El Salvador and Guatemala. In Honduras, there were many examples of Salvadoran-owned businesses prospering. The government of Honduras, led by President Oswaldo Lopez Arellano, moved to remedy both the perception of economic inequality and territorial integrity between El Salvador and Honduras. The Honduran government invoked a dormant agrarian reform law to evict Salvadoran squatters from the country. Global Security.org states that tension between the two countries continued to build as stories of displaced Salvadoran refugees surfaced in the Salvadoran press.

In June 1969, during and after a second round World Cup qualification match between the Salvadoran and Honduran national teams, the Honduran players were subject to harassment by the home Salvadoran fans. This was exploited in the Honduran press. Conversely, the Salvadoran press exploited alleged Honduran security forces and citizens attacking Salvadoran immigrants. The press coverage in both countries increased the tension between the two . The Salvadoran government decided to lunch a military strike against Honduras for a variety of reasons. National pride was a part of the Salvadoran decision to go to war but there were other factors as well. The influx of Salvadoran squatters from Honduras burdened El Salvador and even threatened to provoke social unrest, according to Global Security.org. The government in El Salvador was concerned that social unrest would undermine its political support. The fighting between the two countries was relatively brief. The Hondurans destroyed the majority of the Salvadoran Air Force and the Salvadoran Army had the advantage against Hondurans on the ground. It is estimated that as many as 2,000 Hondurans, mainly civilians, were killed in the fighting and over 300,000 Salvadorans were displaced.

The Organization of American States negotiated a cease fire treaty between the two countries on July 20^th 1969. In 1980, El Salvador and Honduras signed a peace treaty to put the issue of disputed border land before the International Court of Justice. In 1992, the Court awarded most of the disputed land to Honduras. This decision was implemented by treaty in 1998. The impact of the Soccer War was deeply felt in both countries. The Central American Common Market was suspended for 22 years in the wake of the war. Additionally, the wave of citizens departed from Honduras worsened the social satiation in El Salvador which was a factor in causing civil war in the country.

Sources:

Acker, Allison. Honduras: The Making of a Banana Republic. Toronto: Between the Lines, 1988

Anderson, Thomas P. The War of the Dispossessed: Honduras and El Salvador 1969. p. 145-155 Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1981.

Global Security.org “El Salvador Soccer War”

El Salvador Demographics

Population: 5.7 million

Language: Spanish

Ethnic Groups: Mestizo 90%, Indigenous 1%, Caucasian 9%

Religion: Roman Catholic about 52%, with significant and growing numbers of Protestant groups

Literacy: 86.1% nationally, 77.6% in rural areas

Health: Infant mortality rate-22/1,000, life expectancy 72.1 years

Work Force: Agriculture 17%, retail, hotels, and restaurants 29.8%, industry 16.9%, construction 6.3%, other services 20.9%

Geography: 20,742 sq. km. (8,008 sq. mi.)

Government: Type-republic

Gross Domestic Product: $20.4 billion