Greenland is an autonomous province of Denmark with a population of around 50,000. The Faroe Islands are an autonomous province of Denmark with a population of around 50,000. The Faroe Islands belong to FIFA; Greenland does not. A reasonable person might wonder why the Faroes are given membership into the international soccer governing body while Greenland is excluded. Such a reasonable person would not come up with anything resembling a reasonable answer. Greenland is one of the “countries” featured in Steve Menary’s new book Outcasts: The Lands That FIFA Forgot. The book is a whirlwind tour of forgotten lands scattered throughout the globe. During his visits with teams from places as diverse as Greenland, The Falklands, Northern Cyprus, Zanzibar, and Occitània, Menary introduces us to players, coaches, and officials struggling for international soccer recognition for their countries which, according to FIFA, don’t exist.

The Tibetan national team (photo: Kaos Pilot)

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Throughout history, soccer teams have been founded for many reasons. Many of the most prominent teams today were begun by groups of friends eager to find a source of amusement.

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Note: This is an idea I’ve been kicking around in my head for a while. It’s something I believe to be true, but am not 100% sure of it, especially being as far away from England as I am. I would love to hear readers’ thoughts on this post, especially those of my English readers.

Perhaps it’s the Marx I’ve been reading, but I’ve been thinking about the class identity of soccer recently. Is soccer a sport of the working class, the middle class, or the wealthy? Of course, the answer is yes. It is everyone’s sport. But I believe that throughout time, and especially in England, the sport has shifted in terms of the class of people it is primarily identified with.

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This is part 2 of this article. Part 1 can be read here.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, there was a dramatic change in American soccer. It moved out of its almost exclusive home in ethnic communities and was adopted by suburban families across the country. Soccer became the sport of choice for many suburban parents, who gave the sport a unique character. In his book Soccer in a Football World, David Wangerin writes about the ideals that some suburban soccer messiahs brought to the game.

It would be an exaggeration to claim soccer for the counter-culture, yet the sport often found its most fertile soil among those with egalitarian leanings. In 1964 a Californian named Hans Stierle founded the American Youth Soccer Organisation, which treated the game more as a highly participative, fun activity than a competitive sport. Its ‘everybody plays’ motto contrasted sharply with the win-at-all-costs philosophy of other youth sports. Kids were guaranteed to appear in at least half of every AYSO match, and to avoid lopsided scores leagues spread their talent equally across the teams. Though many perceived this as patently un-American, others were inspired. Soon soccer organizations with similar philosophies emerged across the country, signing up children by the thousands. (149)

AYSO Soccer (photo: Christopher Michael Darrouzet-Nardi)

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Note: This article ended up being quite long. As a result, I have broken it into two parts, the second of which will be published tomorrow.

A book came out shortly before the 1994 World Cup whose title almost perfectly summed up many Americans’ ideas of soccer. It was called Twenty-Two Foreigners in Funny Shorts. Something about soccer has always been, to many in this country, a bit foreign. Perhaps even un-American. Why is this? I believe there are several reasons.

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Note: This is the sixth 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.

Frank Borghi is a gentle giant. When he opened the door to let me in his house in St. Louis, I was struck by his height – well over six feet tall – and the size of his hands, which enveloped mine. But any thoughts that he might be an intimidating man were quickly put to rest as Borghi sat down with me to discuss his career in soccer.

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