This is the slow season for soccer. With many leagues on vacation, the number of interesting stories has decreased. Thank God, then, for Hugo Chavez.

Hugo Chavez speaks at the opening ceremonies of the Copa America

The Venezuelan president has been basking in the worldwide attention that his country’s hosting of the Copa America has brought. There have been many reports on the Copa America, many of which have looked at the political context that surrounds the tournament.

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English clubs are being taken over by wealthy foreigners at an alarming rate. But Thaksin Shinawatra’s bid to buy Manchester City is different from all the other takeovers. That’s because Thaksin is the former prime minister of Thailand. Not only that, the reason he is currently pursuing Manchester City is because he was ousted in a military coup last September. Part of the justification for this coup was that Thaksin had allegedly been corrupt and enriched himself and his family during his time in power.

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American soccer fans were overjoyed this week as they read Steven Wells’s piece in the Guardian headlined Americans are soccer-savvy … and that scares little Englanders. In the article, Wells argues that Americans know more about the beautiful game than those across the Atlantic care to admit and that fear of us becoming better than the English scares them. “Why are we scared? Because as a nation we have a desperate need to feel superior to the vibrant barbarian culture that’s replaced us as top global ass-kicker.”

Alexi Lalas celebrates after scoring the second goal in the US national team’s 2-0 victory over England

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There has been much discussion recently on the impact of foreigners buying teams in England. One effect has been angry English fans who see people come in and buying their local clubs simply to make a buck. Some fans have protested by setting up their own teams (see FC United of Manchester). The Christian Science Monitor reported this week on another scheme to counter the current trend of wealthy investors buying teams. The website myfootballclub.co.uk, writes Mark Oxley, is pooling £35 investments from everyday folks in the hopes of buying a team. When they have enough money, the group will then purchase a team voted on by these small-time investors. In voting on the website, the club most fans are interested in taking over is Leeds United.

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The United States has a long and sordid history of interventions in Latin America. The “banana republics” of that region have often had policies imposed on them by the American government or business. But in Ecuador, one American brought something to the locals that they all welcomed. His name was George Capwell and he founded Emelec, one of the most popular soccer teams in Ecuador.

George “El Gringo” Capwell

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Given how often he sticks his foot in his mouth, it’s a bit of a surprise that Sepp Blatter has become president of FIFA. Blatter, who has previously called for female players to wear tighter shorts, recently made headlines by saying that FIFA had alternate plans in case South Africa is not ready to host the 2010 World Cup. Blatter apparently thinks little about how his proclamations will be received, and this case was no different.

The Christian Science Monitor’s Scott Baldauf wrote this week that in South Africa itself, Blatter’s words were seen as insulting and border-line racist. Many there believe that Blatter’s willingness to question South Africa’s readiness is because it is an African country. Baldauf writes that “any public statement about South Africa will be seen through the lens of race, even if it is about something as harmless as sports.”

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