It Started With a Kick Episode 68 : Miguel Pereira Miguel is a Portuguese writer /historian, whose most recent book is ‘Pasion’, is a journey to the soul of Spanish football and having also written books about Portuguese football he is an expert on Iberian football. Unsurprisingly, Miguel’s first match was in Portugal at theContinue reading “‘It Started With a Kick’ Episode 68 Miguel Pereira”
Tag Archives: Portugal
Euros Own Goals and Episode 13 of It Started With a Kick
This piece on the proliferation of own goals at Euros appeared in The Guardian on 4th July When Jan Vertonghen deflected Randal Kolo Muani’s shot past Koen Casteels in the 85th minute of Belgium’s Last 16 match, he became the ninth player to register an own goal at Euros 2024. That was France’s third goalContinue reading “Euros Own Goals and Episode 13 of It Started With a Kick”
Euros Nuggets Group matches ‘It Started With a Kick’ episode 12 – John Bennett
EUROS NUGGETS II Group matches The Group of Dearth England’s group turned out to be about as much fun as having root canal without an anaesthetic. One win, five draws, seven goals was the grim total. There have only been three goalless draws in 36 matches so far and group C provided two of them. Continue reading “Euros Nuggets Group matches ‘It Started With a Kick’ episode 12 – John Bennett”
From playing ‘Football Manager’ to improving Guinea-Bissau’s squad – the story of Jack C. 2.0
In the late 1980s and early 1990s Jack Charlton oversaw the Republic of Ireland’s status as a football nation shift dramatically from also-rans to a top 10 FIFA ranking, taking them to a World Cup quarter-final along the way. Charlton was responsible for casting the net for potential players far and wide, searching through theContinue reading “From playing ‘Football Manager’ to improving Guinea-Bissau’s squad – the story of Jack C. 2.0”
World Cup Nuggets – 18th January 2023
Photo © Jono Vernon-Powell Exactly a month ago, one of, if not the greatest World Cup finals reached a breathtaking endgame. With a nonchalance betraying the occasion and his relative inexperience (this was his 22nd international), Gonzalo Montiel stroked home the winning penalty. The 25-year-old had entered the frenetic match as a substitute in extraContinue reading “World Cup Nuggets – 18th January 2023”
World Cup Nuggets – The quarter-finals Part II
So we already know one semi-final after both quarter-finals went the distance to be decided on penalties as Luka Modric’s Croatia take on Lionel Messi’s Argentina and what an absolute cracker that is going to be. The massive question is who is going to join them in the last four. MOROCCO – PORTUGAL Surely MoroccoContinue reading “World Cup Nuggets – The quarter-finals Part II”
World Cup Nuggets – A hatful of hat-tricks
7th December 2022 In scoring the first hat-trick of the 2022 World Cup Gonçalo Ramos received immediate, global acclaim. Having replaced Cristiano Ronaldo in the Portuguese starting line-up the 21-year-old had already caused quite a stir and the eyes of the world were trained on the Benfica striker. He joined an illustrious list of playersContinue reading “World Cup Nuggets – A hatful of hat-tricks”
World Cup Nuggets Day 16
What a climax to the Last 16. From the seventh goalless draw of the tournament – equalling the record – that led to a memorable Moroccan penalty shoot-out to the biggest win in a Last 16 match Portugal’s 6-1 shellacking of Switzerland, including the first hat-trick of the tournament from Gonçalo Ramos, more of whomContinue reading “World Cup Nuggets Day 16”
World Cup Nuggets – Day 9
Only Canada and Qatar are out of the tournament while Brazil and Portugal joined France having confirmed their qualification. So there’s all to play for in the third round of Group matches. As 32 of the 64 matches have now been completed look out for HALF-TIME NUGGETS coming out at lunchtime – they are aContinue reading “World Cup Nuggets – Day 9”
World Cup Nuggets – Day 5
The first round of Group game now complete World Cup Nuggets are about to get a lot tastier. Keep coming back for your daily dose. You can pick up a copy of the World Cup Nuggets book directly from the publishers, Halcyon https://bit.ly/3eXfV2y or via Amazon https://amzn.to/3TKD1J0 24 November GOALLESS DRAWS GALORE Uruguay and South Korea served up the fourthContinue reading “World Cup Nuggets – Day 5”
The Football Mine 