President of Liberia was a position for which George Weah was eminently unqualified when he ran for election in 2005. He never completed high school and had no political experience. Liberia was mired in a state of despair, coming off of years of civil war which had divided the country and crippled the economy of the west African nation. Yet despite all of this, Weah finished a respectable second in the run-off election (after winning the first round). George Weah had something that no other candidate could match: a glowing career in soccer.

Surprisingly, George Weah is one of the few former soccer players to use their fame to move into a career in politics. Former players are some of the most prominent people in society and were they to move into politics, they would begin their new careers with higher name recognition than many politicians in office for years. But, for whatever reason, few players attempt to make this transition. A few of those who have (along with some former coaches, officials, and referees) are listed below. I’m limiting this list to those who have played at the professional level. Many politicians played soccer as kids (though few are as bad as Tony Blair).

Blair attempts to at least make contact

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Note: This is the second part of my American Soccer Road Trip, which will involve me traveling across the country, finding stories that exemplify the diversity that exists in American soccer. Check back soon for further updates.

One the most important factors shaping people’s lives in the 21st century is the ever-increasing pace of globalization. We are familiar with many of the changes globalization has brought: the multitude of products manufactured in China, information available on-demand on the Internet, and people increasingly moving to different countries in search of a better life. But sometimes, globalization brings about a change that is totally unexpected.

When DC United signed forward Nicolas Addlery at the beginning of the season, I read in the press release that the Jamaican had spent the previous year playing in Vietnam. How strange, I thought. How could a player from Jamaica end up playing in a country halfway across the world from his homeland? Well, the short answer is globalization, but the long answer is far more interesting.

Nicholas Addlery sat down with me recently and talked about how he ended up playing in Vietnam and what he took away from his time playing and living there. (more…)

During qualifying matches for the 1998 World Cup, I had an argument with some friends about how to pronounce the last name of Costa Rican forward Paulo Wanchope. They said that since Wanchope (who just signed with the Chicago Fire) was from a Spanish-speaking country, the e at the end of his last name had to be pronounced. I claimed it was silent, but I couldn’t explain why. It was only when I went to Costa Rica in 1997 that I came to understand the reason why the e is indeed silent. The reason has everything to do with the history of the Central American country.

Paulo Wanchope (photo: AP / Deutsche Welle)

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In Trinidad and Tobago, Christopher Birchall is known by his nickname: “Me Mum.” The nickname was his two-word response to a reporter who asked him how he was eligible to play for the country’s national team, the Soca Warriors. It is rare that a player would be asked to explain their eligibility, but Christopher Birchall is himself a rarity: a white player on the Trindadian national team.

Can you find Christopher Birchall? Hint: he’s the one lacking pigment.

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