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Leopoldo Lares Photo Credit: bleacherreport.com

Manchester City: a proud metropolitan borough located in Greater Manchester, England. Home to over 500,000 people, the world’s first railway station, and where scientists first split the atom. For Leopoldo Lares, Manchester is made more memorable by its two football clubs: the favorite Manchester United and the underdog Manchester City.

Leopoldo Lares Photo Credit: firstpost.com

For over four decades, the Red Devils dominated the football scene. Even Lares, an American, is a staunch supporter of the club. But earlier this season, something happened that turned the tide. The Citizens defeated the Red Devils time and time again, and the sky blue soared high in the eyes of the Mancunians.

It came to a point that the Old Trafford outfit manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, was even asked if City would ever overthrow United as favorites. Ferguson’s response was a proud “not in my lifetime.”

Leopoldo Lares Photo Credit: stuff.co.nz

Yet Leopoldo Lares witnessed how Ferguson was forced to eat his words before the whole world. The City was hailed as English Kings, as the team conquered the English Premier League for the first time in 44 years. Fans stormed the stadium after the last goal and brandished banners emblazoned with “Manchester is BLUE.”

To add insult to the injury, the Red Devils would have brought home the silverware had City not scored two more points that placed the Citizens at the top of the league. Signage was already present at the Stadium of Light hailing Man U as the Premier League’s Champions 2011-12, but it turned out that it’s just money wasted.

For Leopoldo Lares and the rest of the football community, City winning the EPL title is more than the parade of Blue through Manchester. It’s about showing the world that even underdogs can be winners.

Additional musings about football may be accessed at LeopoldoLaresSultan.com.

Leopoldo Lares Photo Credit: bleacherreport.com

Manchester City: a proud metropolitan borough located in Greater Manchester, England. Home to over 500,000 people, the world’s first railway station, and where scientists first split the atom. For Leopoldo Lares, Manchester is made more memorable by its two football clubs: the favorite Manchester United and the underdog Manchester City.

Leopoldo Lares Photo Credit: firstpost.com

For over four decades, the Red Devils dominated the football scene. Even Lares, an American, is a staunch supporter of the club. But earlier this season, something happened that turned the tide. The Citizens defeated the Red Devils time and time again, and the sky blue soared high in the eyes of the Mancunians.

It came to a point that the Old Trafford outfit manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, was even asked if City would ever overthrow United as favorites. Ferguson’s response was a proud “not in my lifetime.”

Leopoldo Lares Photo Credit: stuff.co.nz

Yet Leopoldo Lares witnessed how Ferguson was forced to eat his words before the whole world. The City was hailed as English Kings, as the team conquered the English Premier League for the first time in 44 years. Fans stormed the stadium after the last goal and brandished banners emblazoned with “Manchester is BLUE.”

To add insult to the injury, the Red Devils would have brought home the silverware had City not scored two more points that placed the Citizens at the top of the league. Signage was already present at the Stadium of Light hailing Man U as the Premier League’s Champions 2011-12, but it turned out that it’s just money wasted.

For Leopoldo Lares and the rest of the football community, City winning the EPL title is more than the parade of Blue through Manchester. It’s about showing the world that even underdogs can be winners.

Additional musings about football may be accessed at LeopoldoLaresSultan.com.

April 14, 2012 was an emotionally charged day for Leopoldo Lares and the football community.

Leopoldo Lares. Photo Credit: en.rian.ru

Piermario Morosini, on loan from Udinese, donned Livorno’s livery and fought his last battle inside the pitch, only to succumb to cardiac arrest 30 minutes after the kick-off whistle shrilled. The 25-year-old was known for his vibrant energy and positivism despite the numerous tragedies in his life. Mario’s mother died when he was 15, while his father passed away after just two years. The death of both his parents was made more profound by the suicide of his handicapped brother.

Mario, who is described by his team captain Antonio “Toto” di Natale as being “full of life,” was an inspiration to the Series A team. “He was always at the disposal of the team,” says di Natale. “Everyday he gave us all strength.” Leopoldo Lares is especially pleased to hear that Udinese will provide financial and medical care for Mario’s sister, who is the sole survivor of the family.

Leopoldo Lares. Photo Credit: obritanada.files.wordpress.com

If a good thing is to come out of the passing of an esteemed footballer, it is that FIFA will reinforce its support of medical research. FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter wrote to his Italian counterpart Giancarlo Abete to give his condolences and stress the importance of doing more to prevent such tragedies from happening in the future. Blatter’s request was echoed by Italy’s sports minister Piero Gnudi, when he called for more stringent and frequent medical tests for athletes to ensure that they are at the peak of their health.

Leopoldo Lares. Photo Credit: fifpro.org

As for Leopoldo Lares and countless football fans all over the world, the Italian football scene will never be the same again.

Additional musings on football may be accessed at Lares’ blog.

Sports are beneficial to one’s health. For football coach and independent sports consultant Leoplodo Lares, it became his objective to share his knowledge of the sport to help encourage others to take up football as a way to keep healthy and learn life’s lessons on the pitch.

Leopoldo Lares Photo credit: chelseafc.com

Governed by the global sporting body regulatory Federation Internationale de Football Association or FIFA, football first began in England in 1863 with the establishment of the English Football Association, though records show that football was played more than two millennia ago in China. The modern-day association football (the official title for football) organization was founded in 1904 with Belgium, Denmark, France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, and Switzerland as the original members of the group.

Leopoldo Lares Photo credit: news.bbc.co.uk

Learning life lessons through football

Leopoldo Lares wants to take his knowledge of the game and impart what he has learned to teach children not only about the game itself, but also on how playing football can help them in life. By applying his knowledge and combining them with his training principles, Lares can teach children about such lessons as overcoming obstacles and working with others in a team. For Lares, playing football resembles life. Teamwork, communication skills, survival, and accepting and facing challenges are honed and can be applied in real life.

Leopoldo Lares Photo credit: forzaitalianfootball.com

For more information about Leopoldo Lares, visit www.myspace.com.

Over 4.5 million votes were cast by users all over the world as the UEFA.com users' Team of the Year 2011 was finalized yesterday. Leopoldo Lares joined the ranks of avid footballers as they selected, voted, and deliberated on which footballer is best suited for a particular position.

From Leopoldo Lares: Teamwork

The latest batch of XI is yet again predominantly packed with Spain-based talents. The users' picks are as follows:

Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid CF & Spain)
Right-back: Daniel Alves (FC Barcelona)
Centre-back: Gerard Piqué (FC Barcelona & Spain)
Centre-back: Thiago Silva (AC Milan)
Left-back: Marcelo (Real Madrid CF)
Right midfield: Arjen Robben (FC Bayern München & Netherlands)
Centre midfield: Xavi Hernández (FC Barcelona & Spain)
Attacking midfield: Andrés Iniesta (FC Barcelona & Spain)
Left midfield: Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur FC & Wales)
Forward: Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid CF & Portugal).
Coach: Josep Guardiola (FC Barcelona)

Leopoldo Lares is extremely pleased with the inclusion of Gareth Bale in the XI. Bale is the first Welshman and Spurs to join a “Team of the Year,” representing Wales for the first time in 11 years. Silva and Robben are other first-timers on the prestigious list.

From Leopoldo Lares: Teamwork

Spain's Xavi once again made it to the list—and this time took the silverware by receiving the most individual votes. He was also voted to be the captain of this dream team. Because of this, he is the winner of €100,000 check from the league, which he happily donated to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Did you enjoy this? Additional football stories from Leopoldo Lares may be accessed at Leopoldo-Lares.com.

Sports consultant and soccer expert Leopoldo Lares pays tribute to Valentin Ivanov, one of the greatest footballers from USSR.

Leopoldo Lares Photo credit: mbsportscamps.com

In a sport where betrayal, wrong calls, and politics play a large role, it is something short of amazing when a player stays with one team for the duration of his career. 1962 FIFA World Cup Chile™ Golden Boot award winner Valentin Ivanov stayed with Torpedo Moscow from 1952 to 1966 and racked up 124 goals in the 286 games he played with the outfit. This impressive statistic is followed by the fact that the late Ivanov remains to be the official ninth top scorer in the Soviet league.

Leopoldo Lares mpysa.com

Ivanov's striking performance as an inside forward hoisted Torpedo to two league silverwares in 1960 and 1965. Leopoldo Lares and his colleagues even noticed how Ivanov's impressive performance with the national team during the 1956 Olympic Football Tournament helped USSR to take the crown in the finals. Ivanov had the ability to run and dominate the attack, oftentimes catching the defense team off-guard.

Ivanov's loyalty was further proven when immediately after retirement, he took charge of Torpedo Moscow as the team's coach. Under his tutelage, the club took the league crown thrice in 1968, 1972, and 1986.

The football legend recently passed away after a lingering illness. His successor, his namesake and son, is a former FIFA international referee. Valentin Ivanov, USSR's 9th top scorer, will be missed in the football community.

Leopoldo Lares Photo credit: mickbab

Additional news about football greats may be accessed at leopoldolares.livejournal.com.

Hello, Leopoldo Lares here. I am a die-hard football fan, a football coach, and a sports consultant.

From Blogger Pictures

From the looks of it, Germany has already secured a spot for Euro 2012 during the qualifying rounds. However, Germany coach Joachim Löw wants to push the team for a perfect record by winning against Turkey and Belgium. Midfielder Sami Khedira and forwarder Dennis Aogo are to make a comeback to the squad after missing out on Austria and Poland earlier this month. Striker Mario Gomez also returns to the squad after being pulled out due to injury.

From Leopoldo Lares

Here are Coach Löw’s 24 chosen players, of which I, Leopoldo Lares, am quite sure will also be chosen to represent Germany next summer:

Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (FC Bayern München), Tim Wiese (SV Werder Bremen), Ron-Robert Zieler (Hannover 96).

Photo credit: askmeany.com

Defenders: Dennis Aogo (Hamburger SV), Jérôme Boateng (FC Bayern München), Holger Badstuber (FC Bayern München), Benedikt Höwedes (FC Schalke 04), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Philipp Lahm (FC Bayern München), Per Mertesacker (Arsenal FC), Christian Träsch (VfL Wolfsburg).

Midfielders: Mario Götze (Borussia Dortmund), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid CF), Toni Kroos (FC Bayern München), Thomas Müller (FC Bayern München), Lukas Podolski (1. FC Köln), Mesut Özil (Real Madrid CF), Marco Reus (VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach), Simon Rolfes (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), André Schürrle (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (FC Bayern München).

Forwards: Mario Gomez (FC Bayern München), Miroslav Klose (S.S. Lazio), Cacau (VfB Stuttgart).

More news on football is available at LeopoldoLares.Blogspot.com.

Leopoldo Lares Photo Credit: FIFA.com

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, hope for Naple’s football history is within view. Football expert Leopoldo Lares analyzes Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli (SSC Napoli) and its captain, Paolo Cannavaro.

Leopoldo Lares Photo Credit: FIFA.com

SSC Napoli is the football champion of South Italy. It is a small team that is competing with the big boys in the league, so to speak, as thousands upon thousands of its devoted fans flock the San Paolo stadium on weekends to cheer on their heroes. After reforming under producer Aurelio De Laurentiis, the team’s skimpy supply of silverware and honors may just become bountiful as it qualified for Europe’s premier club competition.


With Paolo Cannavaro wearing the captain’s armband, Napoli will make its debut on a special anniversary edition of the UEFA Champions League. For the first time in two decades, Napoli will finally be competing alongside football powerhouses such as Barcelona and Manchester United.


Leopoldo Lares is excited to see how Napoli will fare against Europe’s finest. The standard-bearer of Naples believes that the transformation of the team is complete with Captain Cannavaro leading from the front. As he swore, “We finished third last season and we’re going to show that was no flash in the pan.” And with his team’s desire to beat the big teams, who knows? Napoli may well be the next EUFA Champion.


Napoli is set to battle it out against Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City, another debutant in the exclusive series. For additional news about football, visit LeopoldoLares.Blogspot.com. .

Leopoldo Lares Photo Credit: FIFA.com

Leopoldo Lares Photo Credit: 1.bp.blogspot.com

The football community affirmed that a star is born in David Beckham. Soccer coach and enthusiast Leopoldo Lares agrees as he relives that breathtaking opening day of the Premier League 1996/97 season.


August 17, 1996—25,786 fans crowded Selhurst Park to witness a match against two powerful football clubs: Wimbledon and Manchester United. The Old Trafford outfit seemed to be controlling the campaign with two goals under its belt—the first one sent by MU Captain Eric Catona during the first 25 minutes of the match, followed by a goal struck by Denis Irwin, 13 minutes after the second half begun.

Leopoldo Lares Photo Credit: cloudfront.net

Yet the most astounding goal happened on the last minute of the match, with midfielder David Beckham scoring at 57-yards.The youngster collected a short pass from teammate Brian McClair and proceed to launch an attack from the halfway line.


Leopoldo Lares is among the 25, 786 fans who gasped in astonishment as Beckham's attempt sailed smoothly over goalkeeper Neil Sullivan and dipped beneath the bar to become among the Barclays Premier League's most unforgettable goals. Beckham's incredible goal at Selhurst Park marked him as a rising star as he was voted PFA Young Player of the Year.

Leopoldo Lares Photo Credit: 4.bp.blogspot.com

True enough, Beckham became a superstar in international football. After his stint with the Red Devils, he joined football clubs Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C. Milan. He wore the armband of England for six years and gave it up the team's defeat against Portugal in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Quarterfinal.


Leopoldo Lares adds that Beckham trading his English jersey for a career with a Major League Soccer team, the Los Angeles Galaxy, was a wrong move. Yet international football continues to commemorate August 17, 1996 as the day David Beckham unveiled his athletic prowess.


Additional stories about soccer are available at LeopoldoLares.com.

Leopoldo Lares Photo Credit: 3p.bp.blogspot.com

“United we stand. Divided we fall.” A cliché as it may be, this has played an important role in the success of the teams that I, Leopoldo Lares, have coached.

Photo Credit: //www.soccertrainingexercises.org

In soccer, 11 players for one team, including the goalkeeper, are allowed to be brought in a game. Nonetheless, there are only two objectives in the game--to win by scoring a goal and by preventing your opponents from doing so. Although easy at it may sound, this calls for support from each member of the team, and takes a lot of work to accomplish. For this reason, it is important for a team (like Leopoldo Lares’) to know the value of teamwork.

Photo Credit: http://footballsportsstar.blogspot.com

Imagine if a group of men were tasked to carry a heavy baggage from one point to another; however, each of them is going in a different direction and doesn’t know the drop-off point. Do you think they can accomplish their task? This is pretty much the same thing when it comes to playing soccer. Thus, I always tell my players what teamwork is:

 Having one goal and working together to achieve that goal
 Knowing each one’s responsibilities and trying your best to do your part
 Trusting in your teammates’ abilities and skills

More thoughts about soccer are available on leopoldolares.wordpress.com.