Why Arsenal? I asked. “I’ve been an Arsenal fan since just before my 17th birthday. My high school soccer team went to England for a pre-season and our coach got us tickets to a game while we were in London. I don’t know how he chose Arsenal, but I’m pretty sure that it was the opening game of the season at Highbury. This was before … Continue reading ARSENAL, RAOUL
Why Liverpool? I asked. “I started dating Andy who is a passionate Liverpool fan and that was it.” Finally, it looks as if the long winter is over. We can expect a great football year ahead with exciting finales in a few European leagues as well as the World Cup. This weekend I was in New York City. I went to watch West Ham – Liverpool match … Continue reading LIVERPOOL, TANYA
Why Liverpool? I asked. “Liverpool has been my team since I was a little girl growing up in Minnesota.” Sometimes I don’t desire to find out more than what strangers tell me right after I ask the question, so not to spoil the story I imagine. I don’t know if Britania was just visiting New York, like me, or she lives there now. I don’t … Continue reading LIVERPOOL, BRITANIA
Why Chelsea? I asked. “It’s my team ever since I was a kid.” For a few blocks we were overtaking each other at intersections, Nick on his skateboard and I on my bicycle. Finally, we were stopped by a red light and I asked him about his jersey. Nick was just visiting, for a weekend, from Toronto, and doesn’t have much time for soccer. Then … Continue reading CHELSEA, NICK
Why Dutch? I asked. “For all of my life I’ve been a Barça and Netherlands supporter. My father encountered the sublime at the World Cup in West Germany 1974…I was born in November of that year in New York, this shirt was my destiny. My parents are from an island, Antigua, that in those days was colonized by the English. But my father, headstrong like … Continue reading Netherlands, Rowan
Why EST? I asked. “That’s my home team.” It always gives me a great pleasure when I meet someone wearing a jersey of a team I really know nothing about. Karim came to Montreal two years ago. We had brief chat about the World Cup qualifiers while his three companions patiently waited and helped in directing him to pose for the camera. In coming weeks … Continue reading ESPÉRANCE DE TUNIS, KARIM
Why Liverpool? I asked. “Because I started dating Lev.” Smadar fell in love with Liverpool through her love for Lev. The amount of love in this post surely beats all the predecessors so I’ll leave it at that. Continue reading LIVERPOOL, SMADAR
Why Milan? I asked. “I like Milan and Barcelona. Because of Ronaldinho.” Zack was rushing down the street in a company of a young woman when I approached him. Even though in a rush, he was kind to stop for a picture. Ho got his shirt on sale, he said. He is from Montreal and currently studies at the Université de Montréal. And now that … Continue reading MILAN, ZACK
Why Saint-Étienne? I asked. “I’m from there.” When I was a kid, falling for the irresistible Liverpool team of that time, there was another team that was hard not to like. From a small town in France, with Yugoslav international goalkeeper Ivan Ćurković, winger Dominique Rocheteau and Argentinian fullback Osvaldo Piazza among other great players, Saint-Étienne played some great football and became the most successful … Continue reading SAINT-ÉTIENNE, ÉTIENNE
Why Liverpool? I asked. “When I realized that Yossi Benayoun plays for Liverpool I became a fan. You know, I’m Jewish.” Lev’s answer further complicates what’s already complicated; he provided yet another reason, first of this kind on this site, to fall for a club. We met in a pub one early Sunday morning and shared the experience of watching, on TV, Liverpool beat Man … Continue reading LIVERPOOL, LEV
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