State of The Game

The beautiful game, as it is called by many, represents a cross-cultural phenomenon like no other on this planet. Only religion, and some may call soccer that, can compare to the love and popularity of this game. A sport of creativity, passion and artistry played, appreciated and followed by more people than any other sport in the world.

But in today’s professional game, corporate sponsors, billionaire ownership groups and the power-hungry egotists in the director’s chairs, the game has taken a back seat to bank financing, the board of directors and a seemingly endless conveyor belt of coaches and players bouncing from country to country and club to club. As the world continues to get smaller due to globalization, the world of professional soccer as we know it now, will change drastically.

With the opportunity to cash in on billions, the idea of super-leagues and cross continental tournaments are in full development. While FIFA is doing a little to challenge this, with helping dismantle the G-14 and attempting to pass the “6+5 rule” to try and keep the individual nation leagues and national teams competitive, this is a snowball that isn’t getting any smaller.

Just like any investment, football clubs sign players on both ability and potential. The problem now is that players are being bought and sold to practice with the reserves and sit on the bench either because they haven’t developed yet or never will. Instead of staying at a smaller club or in their own country, players are jumping at the chance to sign big contracts with big clubs radically reducing the talent pool for the rest of the teams. I can’t hate a player who jumps at the opportunity, but it’s ruining the professional game. And if that’s the way it is going to continue, we, true lovers of the game, need to move on.

So what can we, players, fans, keepers of the game, do? We’ve got to keep our roots strong. Born from the streets, alleys and abandoned patches of grass, the real game needs to be brought to the forefront. With the passion gone from professional football, the game needs to go back to go forward, find it’s heart, it’s soul. And that is Street Soccer, freestyle, whatever you want to call it. Raw, passionate, anywhere, anytime, this is where the game started and needs to return. No rules but respect. Respect for your opponent, your teammates, and the game.

Every fan needs to take the initiative. Start a pickup game, bring a ball wherever you go, take videos and upload them. We are the largest and most diverse community on earth and together we can show the rest of the world that we are more alike than they think. Together we can heal a fractured world and be brought together by the passion and freedom of this game, our game, the beautiful game.

By Josh Hyman