CONTENTS

45. GROUP G
6. SINCE ‘96 England, Belgium, Tunisia, and Panama
Twenty-two years and counting...
48. GROUP H
Colombia, Japan, Poland, and Senegal
12. WHAT DOES THE WORLD CUP MEAN TO YOU?
Ashley Cole, Giovani dos Santos, Landon Donovan, and Zlatan
talk about the greatest tournament in the world 50. THE UNDOING PROJECT
LA Galaxy South Bay coach Kevin Holmes on how you
unteach a ‘soccer’ mentality
14. FIXTURES
All the games for this World Cup: who, where, and when
54. A PLACE CALLED HOME
The youth center making a difference in South Central
16. GROUP GUIDE

18. GROUP A 58. STREET SOCCER USA

Russia, Egytpt, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay Using soccer for social change in Watts and beyond

21. GROUP B
Iran, Portugal, Spain, and Morocco

24. KEVIN LOPES IS A BALLER EDITOR

The French street soccer star on an emerging subculture Sam Diss

24. GROUP C SUB-EDITOR

Dave Blackhurst
France, Australia, Denmark, and Peru
PHOTOGRAPHY
28. GROUP D Jonathan Turton
Nigeria, Croatia, Iceland, and Argentina
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
30. VBFC Mike Gonzalez
The guys making Venice Beach into LA’s futsal hotbed ART DIRECTOR
Roy McCarthy
37. GROUP E
Brazil, Croatia, Switzerland, and Serbia CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Alex Mertekis
41. CAITLYN SCHREPFER: AMERICA’S #1
Special Thanks To…
Talking skill and will with the country’s best freestyler James Wright, Nick Lewis and Martino
Simcik Arese at Copa90, PJ Harrison,
40. GROUP F Dillon and Tim at VBFC, and Zack
South Korea, Mexico, Germany, and Sweden Goldman.
Front cover: Jonathan Turton / Shutterstock
44. PJ HARRISON
Behind the grassroots deconstruction of modern Photography by Jonathan Turton or Los Angeles
soccer with the City of Angels’ co-founder Galaxy unless stated. All Creative Commons
licensed photography has been marked as such.
All team badges reprinted here under terms of
fair use.
WELCOME TO

L.A.
4
LA is a soccer town. Countries from all
over, represented right here. 224 different
languages spoken. The biggest sport in the
world. A sport that’s bigger than stadiums,
bigger than teams, bigger than players. As
a culture, soccer encompasses high and
low. Teams and loners. Rich and poor.
A ball: that’s all you need. And there are
more entry points into the game than ever
before. Soccer is being deconstructed
every day—and LA is at the forefront. With
the World Cup coming up, even without
USMNT involvement, inspiration, and
innovation will continue alongside fans
supporting their countries (or second
countries) with a passion. Soccer is bigger
than mere geography, but LA is a soccer
town. There’s no denying it now.
Photo: salewskia, CC BY-SA 4.0
5
 SINCE ’96:
“Soccer’s not a game you can buy with advertising,”

WE ARE LA—BLUE, WHITE, AND GOLD FOREVER

said Ozzy Gomez, an immigrant from Argentina
and club president of the Galaxians, the club’s first
official fan club. “People will go because they feel it
in their heart.”

That was in 1996, our first season, and it’s an ethos that
has carried through ever since. Through good times and
bad, highs and lows, tradition is something that goes a
long way in sport, even more so in this game.

For many in this city, soccer is fútbol. It is more

than just a game for high school, a recreational game
politely played on manicured fields in front of hyped-
up moms and dads on sunny bleachers, fútbol is about
history. It’s a culture in-and-of-itself. It had been
a way of life way before 1994, when the American
people got to experience the game on a world stage for
the first time.

The World Cup Final in the Galaxy’s first spiritual

home, Pasadena’s Rose Bowl, Brazil v Italy—does it

6 get more World Cup than that? The sun beating down
upon the best players on the planet, culminating
in one of the sport’s all-time most heartbreaking
climaxes… Roberto Baggio, the Italian icon, his side’s
most outstanding player, blazing the deciding penalty
kick over the bar, losing the final, before sinking
to his knees. Admittedly not a great day for Baggio,
whose glittering career has inevitably been reduced to
a single miss by some, but for Angelenos, soccer—and
fútbol—was set.

Almost two years later, in Major League Soccer’s

inaugural season, we were there. One of the original
ten teams. The 1996 season that almost ended in
glory, the Galaxy falling at the final hurdle against
D.C. United in October’s MLS Cup final. But you
know what? That’s how you make a good narrative: in
Hollywood, a straight shot to the top won’t be getting
any asses on seats. You need a little adversity to make
your path to glory that little bit sweeter… That’s our
story, anyway, and we’re sticking to it.
7
8
 That original team was packed full of legends: heavyweight Ecuadorian striker
Eduardo “El Tanque” Hurtado, Salvadoran pass-master Mauricio Cienfue
gos,
the diminutive playmaker who made almost two hundred appearances for
the
team, and legendary Mexican goalkeeper Jorge Campos, the number nine
who was
number one between the sticks, noted for his flamboyant style of shot-sto
pping
and his eye-catching shirts (often designed by Campos himself). But probabl
y
none typify what Galaxy means quite as much as a boy born in Detroit, raised
in
Southern California, who spent eleven years at the heart of the team...

Cobi Jones’ impact on the Galaxy goes beyond numbers, beyond stats. He
was
the club’s first goal scorer in its first-ever game, and brought levels of Americ
an
participation in soccer to new heights on his way to becoming the all-time
leader in caps for the USMNT and earning a spot in the National Soccer
Hall of
Fame. Jones was a top-quality player before the country even had an organiz
ed

9
professional league. Cobi came first: everyone else travelled in his wake.

In the years since 1996, we’ve seen rivals come and go. Pretenders and
supposed heirs to the throne gone by the wayside, while we have prevaile
d.
Twenty-two years later, we’re still the team everyone wants to beat, the
marker
against which all other sides are judged. Repping 4 million in Los Angeles
,
40 million in California, and many more around the world, repping
soccer
at every level, repping the attitude this town is known for, and the fans
from
countless countries and cultures that make it go round. That’s not easy.
But
you know what else ain’t easy? Five MLS Cups, four Supporters’ Shields
,
and, in 2000, a CONCACAF Champions League—one of only two Americ
an
teams to win the trophy. Team that with some of the biggest signings MLS
has
ever seen, three of the country’s most renown supporters’ groups in the
LA
Riot Squad, the Angel City Brigade, the Galaxians, and, of course, Landon
Donovan, the man generally regarded as the greatest American men’s soccer
player of all time.

That’s a whole lot to be proud of.

 THE
10
WORL
CUP
(You may have heard of it)
 LD
Photo: Offside Sports Photography
11
 ASHLEY COLE
England—2002, 2006, and 2010 World Cup

“The World Cup means everything, as a player.

When you’re a young kid, you dream of playing
in a World Cup, and to be lucky enough to play
in a couple of them? You are there with the
greats. It’s a dream.”

12

GIOVANI DOS SANTOS

Mexico—2010 and 2014 World Cup

“I will always remember 1998. Mexico had a good

tournament, had a very good team. I was young
but it was special. To play in the World Cup
myself... I feel so proud to have represented my
country on that stage. And this summer, Mexico
will be great. We have approached this tournament
in a very positive way.”
 LANDON DONOVAN
USMNT—2002, 2006, and 2010 World Cup

What does the World Cup mean to you as a player?

For most players, the World Cup is the apex. It’s
the dream that every player has. It’s what every
player wants. As a young player, I don’t think I
really understood what the World Cup meant,
but as it became more visible to me… I remem-
ber practicing in the street, thinking about how

ZLATAN - each move would help me in the World Cup one

day. I got to realise that dream and it exceeded

IBRAHIMOVIC
every one of my expectations.

Sweden—2002 and 2006

Where will you be watching?
13
This is the first time in my life that I can watch
World Cup the World Cup without having to worry about
training or playing games or being part of a
“The World Cup is nothing professional team. I’m going to enjoy it to the
max. There’ll be games I watch at home, but
without me” - Zlatan, 2013 I’ll be heading down to watch some in bars in
San Diego to watch with the fans. I’m looking
What’s it like playing in a forward to that experience. It’s something I’ve
World Cup? always wanted to do: enjoy a World Cup as just a
It’s amazing. To play for true soccer fan.
your country, being the
captain at the time, it’s a big
moment, a moment of huge
proudness. There is not a
bigger moment as a player.
How will Sweden do this
year?
I think they will win. They
are the favourites. They
have a really great collective
in the squad, and they have
something big going on...
 GROUP
STAGES
ALL TIMES PST
14
Thursday 14 June
Russia v Saudi Arabia (Group A) - Moscow (Luzhniki) - 8 AM Brazil v Costa
Friday 15 June
Egypt v Uruguay (Group A) - Ekaterinburg - 5 AM
Morocco v Iran (Group B) - St Petersburg - 8 AM
Portugal v Spain (Group B) - Sochi - 11 AM
Saturday 16 June
France v Australia (Group C) - Kazan - 3 AM
Argentina v Iceland (Group D) - Moscow (Spartak) - 6 AM
Peru v Denmark (Group C) - Saransk - 9 AM
Croatia v Nigeria (Group D) - Kaliningrad - 12 AM
Sunday 17 June
Costa Rica v Serbia (Group E) - Samara - 5 AM
Germany v Mexico (Group F) - Moscow (Luzhniki) - 8 AM
Brazil v Switzerland (Group E) - Rostov-on-Don - 11 AM
Monday 18 June
Sweden v South Korea (Group F) - Nizhny Novgorod - 5 AM
Belgium v Panama (Group G) - Sochi - 8 AM
Tunisia v England (Group G) - Volgograd - 11 AM
Tuesday 19 June
Colombia v Japan (Group H) - Saransk - 5 AM
Poland v Senegal (Group H) - Moscow (Spartak) - 8 AM
Russia v Egypt (Group A) - St Petersburg - 11 AM
Wednesday 20 June
5 AM
Portugal v Morocco (Group B) - Moscow (Luzhniki) -
v-on -Don - 8 AM
Uruguay v Saudi Arabia (Group A) - Rosto
Iran v Spain (Group B) - Kazan - 11 AM
Thursday 21 June
Denmark v Australia (Group C) - Samara - 5 AM
France v Peru (Group C) - Ekaterinburg - 8 AM
AM
Argentina v Croatia (Group D) - Nizhny Novgorod - 11
Friday 22 June
Rica (Group E) - St Petersburg - 5 AM
Nigeria v Iceland (Group D) - Volgograd - 8 AM
Serbia v Switzerland (Group E) - Kaliningrad - 11 AM
Saturday 23 June
AM
Belgium v Tunisia (Group G) - Moscow (Spartak) - 5
- Rostov-on -Don - 8 AM
South Korea v Mexico (Group F)
Germany v Sweden (Group F) - Sochi - 11 AM
Sunday 24 June
AM
England v Panama (Group G) - Nizhny Novgorod - 5
Japan v Senegal (Group H) - Ekaterinburg - 8 AM
Poland v Colombia (Group H) - Kazan - 11 AM
Monday 25 June
Uruguay v Russia (Group A) - Samara - 7 AM
Saudi Arabia v Egypt (Group A) - Volgograd - 7 AM
Spain v Morocco (Group B) - Kaliningrad - 11 AM
Iran v Portugal (Group B) - Saransk - 11 AM
Tuesday 26 June
AM
Denmark v France (Group C) - Moscow (Luzhniki) - 7
Australia v Peru (Group C) - Sochi - 7 AM
Nigeria v Argentina (Group D) - St Petersburg - 11 AM
Iceland v Croatia (Group D) - Rostov-on-Don - 11 AM
Wednesday 27 June
South Korea v Germany (Group F) - Kazan - 7 AM
Mexico v Sweden (Group F) - Ekaterinburg - 7 AM QUART ER-FIN ALS
Serbia v Brazil (Group E) - Moscow (Spartak) - 11 AM
Friday 6 July
Switzerland v Costa Rica (Group E) - Nizhny Novgorod - 11 AM
Winner match 49 v Winner match 50 - Nizhny Novgorod
Thursday 28 June - 7 AM (Match 57)
Japan v Poland (Group H) - Volgograd - 7 AM Winner match 53 v Winner match 54 - Kazan
Senegal v Colombia (Group H) - Samara - 7 AM - 11 AM (Match 58)
England v Belgium (Group G) - Kaliningrad - 11 AM
Saturday 7 July
Panama v Tunisia (Group G) - Saransk - 11 AM
Winner match 55 v Winner match 56 - Samara
- 7 AM (Match 60)
ROUN D O F 1 6 Winner match 51 v Winner match 52 - Sochi
- 11 AM (Match 59)
Saturday 30 June
Group C winner v Group D runner-up - Kazan - 7 AM
SEMI- FINAL S
- (Match 50)
Group A winner v Group B runner-up - Sochi - 11 AM (Match 49) Tuesday 10 July
Winner match 57 v Winner match 58 - St Petersburg
15
Sunday 1 July
Group B winner v Group A runner-up - Moscow (Luzhniki) - 11 AM (Match 61)
- 7 AM (Match 51) Wednesday 11 July
Group D winner v Group C runner-up - Nizhny Novgorod Winner match 59 v Winner match 60 - Moscow
- 11 AM (Match 52) (Luzhniki) - 11 AM (Match 62)
Monday 2 July
Group E winner v Group F runner-up - Samara THIRD PLACE PLAYO FF
- 7 AM (Match 53)
Saturday 14 July
Group G winner v Group H runner-up - Rostov-on-Don
Semi-final loser v Semi-final loser - St Petersburg - 7 AM
- 11 AM (Match 54)
Tuesday 3 July
Group F winner v Group E runner-up - St Petersburg FINA L
- 7 AM (Match 55)
Sunday 15 July
Group H winner v Group G runner-up - Moscow (Spartak)
Semi-final winner v Semi-final winner - Moscow
- 11 AM (Match 56)
(Luzhniki) - 8 AM
 GROUP
16
GUIDE
Photo: Offside Sports Photography
17
 Traktir Restaurant and

OU P A Royal Gourmet Deli

GR 851 Santa Monica Blvd
We pull off Santa Monica Boulevard and poke
our head into the delicatessen portion of the
building, next to the restaurant. Lead past
rows of shelves and food behind the plastic
counter—smoked meats, sauerkraut, vodka,
pickled vegetables, white wine, caviar, cured
fish, dried fish, dumplings, assorted Russian
snacks, and, of course, borscht—we meet the
owner, grumpy but gregarious Mr. Praisma,
in his office filled with papers and assorted

18 Photo: Дмитрий Садовников, CC BY-SA 3.0

pop culture memorabilia and paraphernalia.
On the walls: a framed cover of Interview
magazine starring Cybill Shepherd, a picture
of a possibly drunk Bill Clinton, and several
years of calendars starring former boxer Vitali
Klitschko, a visitor to Traktir just a few weeks
before our visit.

“In the 1970s, I came to America with just five

dollars and my wife,” says Praisma. “That’s
all I had. A year later I had my own business,
Herb’s Meathouse in South Myrtle Ave. I
didn’t speak any English but I spoke money, I
spoke business. I took out a ten-year loan for
my own place and paid it back in one year.
Forty years later, I’m still here but with a new

RUSSIA restaurant. Schwarzenegger’s chef would be

here all day every Friday buying to buy his
groceries. People come from all over to buy
just from us.”
MANAGER: STANISLAV CHERCHESOV
Praisma leads us from his office to the
KEY PLAYER: IGOR AKINFEEV (CSKA MOSCOW) restaurant, orders us coffees and slices of
BEST WC RESULT: 4TH PLACE (1966) Napoleon cake—a delicious Russian variant of
mille feuille made of layered pastry and sweet
cream. He switches on the television, which is
playing a UEFA Champions League match.
The hosts will have their work cut out
for them. A poor run of form has seen “So, do you like soccer?” we ask.
expectations dip and a squad defined “Don’t you know who you’re speaking to?”
by its mixture of ageing legs and lack he says. “Six decades ago, I played soccer for
of experience means that the fabled Ukraine! Soccer is the sport. It’s the best. It’s
the only sport.”
home team bias will have to be working
overtime to make this one happen. Still,
they have a few tidy players—CSKA’s
fancied Aleksander Golovin and
powerful striker Fyodor Smolov among
them—and the pride of a particularly
prideful nation behind them. Maybe in
this relatively simple group Russia could
squeak out a few surprises...
 Cairo Cowboy
46 Windward Ave
If you’re after a cartoonishly Egyptian-themed
food truck masquerading as a dive bar set just
a javelin throw away from Venice Beach, where
you can order decent fries to the sounds of—for
whatever reason—a whole lot of ska-punk then,
buddy, you are in luck.

EGYPT
MANAGER: HÉCTOR CÚPER
KEY PLAYER: MOHAMED SALAH (LIVERPOOL)
BEST WC RESULT: 13TH (1934)
19
The hopes of a nation rest on one man.
A man who… might be still injured.
That man is Mo Salah. The wide
forward’s career took a little while to
get going, but this season, everything
clicked: an African Footballer of the
Year award, several best player awards Photo: Offside Sports Photography

in the Premier League, and the love

and adoration of the city of Liverpool.
Salah’s success has seen him named “the
Egyptian King” by the enraptured fans
of his new club, who have been known
to sing his name long into the night to
the tune ‘Sit Down’ by Britpop band
James. Hurting his shoulder in the
UEFA Champions League final could
hamper his impact, but expect to hear
‘Sit Down’ a lot this summer if Cúper
can get his side flying in unison with
their standout star.
 OU P A
GR

Photo: Jimmy Baikovicius, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Hussain Isa Alderazi, CC By 2.0

SAUDI ARABIA URUGUAY

MANAGER: JUAN ANTONIO PIZZI MANAGER: ÓSCAR TABÁREZ
KEY PLAYER: OSAMA HAWSAWI (AL-HILAL) KEY PLAYER: LUIS SUÁREZ (BARCELONA)

20
BEST WC RESULT: SECOND ROUND (1994) BEST WC RESULT: WINNERS (1930, 1950)

You might remember Saeed Al- At the start of World Cup history,
Owairan’s mazy run and tumbling Uruguay were one of the Big Guys:
finish against Belgium in 1994, and Italian steel, South American flair,
the flapping hands and beaming smile so many mustaches it looked like a
that came after, but look: there’s no Queen convention. But then something
getting around it. Saudi Arabia are one changed… A good five decades of near-
of the weakest teams in this World Cup. mediocrity later, they’re resurgent,
On paper, anyway. But soccer is not a albeit with a squad that looks a little
game won on paper and with a squad lopsided at times. A strike force that
full of experience (captain Hawsawi boasts Barça’s Luis Suárez and PSG’s
and vice-captain Al-Jassim have over Edinson Cavani will always be a danger,
250 international appearances between and finishing second in the South
them) alongside certified goal scorer American qualifying group for the
Mohammad Al-Sahlawi anything could tournament is not cakewalk, but Tabárez
happen. Besides winning it, we mean. may have his work cut out providing
That won’t happen. them a suitable base to build from in the
midfield and defence.

Photo: Ailura, CC BY-SA 3.0 AT

 OU P B
GR
IRAN
MANAGER: CARLOS QUEIROZ
KEY PLAYER: ASHKAN DEJAGAH (NOTTINGHAM FOREST)
BEST WC RESULT: GROUP STAGE (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014)
This one we threw to Kaveh, an architect and massive soccer fan, originally
from Iran, who we spoke to outside a cafe in Pasadena where he now lives.
He knows way more about this than all of us put together.

“My father played soccer at club level in Tehran. At the time, in Iran, however,
there wasn’t really any professional sport. You’d go and play a match and then
go and drive your taxi. He was a semi-pro footballer and also a tennis player.
He loved sport, but football for Iranians is like in the rest of the world: it’s an
obsession. When we qualified, against Australia in 1998, for the first time in
twenty years, we were all singing and dancing in the streets. Tehran did not
go to sleep that night. It was insane, man. It was something like we’d never
seen before. People there do not party in the city; they party at their houses
because there are rules. But that day, it was clear the regime was just gonna
let it happen. Let all the rules pause for a day. There was too much energy.
Everyone was too happy. We were driving through the city after the game,
and the streets were gridlocked, and we climbed out of the car, parked it right
there in the road, and just went on partying.

“Soccer is the sport. We all played on concrete in the sun, that’s just how it
21
was. An older person in our building would go and meld some metal together
to make a small goal—about the size of a hockey goal—and put it in the street
for us to play with and then at night, and when we were done, we’d drag it
back in until the next day. The whole country is still the same way. You can see
that in the way we play: there are a lot of very, very good technical players in
Iran, but a lot more has been added to our team by this coach, Carlos Queiroz.

“The Portuguese manager has been there seven years—a long time in any
sport—and he’s super popular in Iran: he’s a pro, he doesn’t let anyone boss
him around, and that’s how the country works. He fought back and won the
support of important people. Queiroz brought discipline to our technical,
talented team—players who learned their skills playing in dirt or on concrete.
Football is a very emotional sport for us, but Queiroz settled that down: emo-
tion is important, but if you have too much in a team, you end up with a lot of
tension, and that can have a lot of drawbacks. We don’t have that anymore.
We still have a very young team—better than in the last World Cup—and I
hope they’ll get some very good experience in Russia because, in four years,
many of them are going to be playing in the next one.

“Certain parts of the city—especially Westwood and West LA—are very Iranian
neighborhoods, what they call ‘Tehrangeles’. When it comes to the World
Cup, everything, cafes and restaurants and bookstores and music stores will
be covered in flags and shirts and posters: when it comes to Iranian teams
in sports, the people become very proud. Even if it was the World Cup of
volleyball, and I’ve never played volleyball in my life, we’d be there, packing
the venue to the rafters. But football is football. That’s the difference. Nothing
comes close to that level of support.”
Photo: Raimond Spekking , used under CC BY-SA 4.0

FRANCE
22 MANAGER: DIDIER DESCHAMPS

Photo: Offside Sports Photography

CAPTAIN: HUGO LLORIS
BEST WC RESULT:WINNERS, 1998

PORTUGAL
MANAGER: FERNANDO SANTOS
KEY PLAYER: CRISTIANO RONALDO (REAL MADRID)
BEST WC RESULT: THIRD (1966)

Portugal’s Euro-winning side in 2016 was not a vintage year and still, thanks
to an arsenal of top tier talent, they got the job done. A few jewels of that side
remain with exciting additions like André Silva and João Cancelo, while Cristiano
Ronaldo, perhaps world soccer’s greatest dramatist, will be looking to land the
only trophy that’s ever evaded him in what will likely be his last World Cup. Don’t
bet against it. The 33-year-old is built like Iron Man and has a singular talent for
dragging teams to gold.
 OU P B
GR

CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Mustapha Ennaimi, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Кирилл Венедиктов
,

MOROCCO
SPAIN
23
MANAGER: HERVÉ RENARD
KEY PLAYER: MBARK BOUSSOUFA (AL JAZIRA)
MANAGER: JULEN LOPETEGUI BEST WC RESULT: SECOND ROUND (1986)
KEY PLAYER: SERGIO RAMOS (REAL MADRID)
BEST WC RESULT: WINNERS (2010) Back in the big leagues after twenty
years away, Morocco’s qualification
With a 6–1 demolishing of Argentina was built off a strong defense
in the spring friendlies, Spain not-so- with French manager Renard’s
quietly reminded the sporting world side not conceding a single goal.
who the papá grande is around these That’s an impressive feat whichever
parts. The talismanic Andrés Iniesta—a way you’re slicing it, but they’re
man we all thought would never age— unlucky to be the weakest team in
has finally transitioned, like Zidane the tournament’s Group of Death.
in 2006, into a full galloping specter With Juventus’ Mehdi Benatia at the
of delight on the field and will seek heart of defence they’ll be difficult
to snatch a second trophy in his final to beat, but it’s a lack of goals that
tournament alongside a team, if not may let them down with star striker
quite as mouth-wateringly good as the Ayoub El Kaabi untested at the
Golden Years of 2008 through 2012 highest level and Mbark Boussoufa
then somewhere pretty damn close. talented but in the twilight of his
career.
 S A
S I
P E
L O
VI N
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24 r d e...
y e s i
r pla West
s o cce LA’s
t r eet lps to
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 OU P C
“Nearly ten years ago, I moved to LA. I’m originally from Paris—and
not the fancy side of Paris, a place called Trappes—but my family
moved to a tiny town called Annecy in the French Alps. I started playing G R
soccer there and ended up playing in the third division in the French
leagues, but I tore my ACL. My dad got remarried to a woman from
Venice Beach, so, instead of sitting in the dark with my injured knee,
I moved to LA with them in 2009. I was staying at her mom’s place,
literally just a few blocks from the boardwalk. Every morning I’d wake

Photo: Кирилл Венедиктов, CC BY-SA 3.0

up, walk down to the beach, and have my breakfast here. I would walk
up and down the boardwalk and the first thing I noticed: Where are the
soccer courts?
“I saw basketball, baseball, football, bodybuilding. I
walked and walked up towards Santa Monica, and finally
saw one Frenchman, wearing a Marseille jersey. I was
like “Man, are you from France?” and he replied “What
a dumb question. How many Americans do you see in a
French jersey? If you want, come and play soccer with us.
Come and play.” So I started to play, 7-a-side pickup soccer
on grass. Small goals. Real simple. And the more I started
playing, the more I started noticing more and more people
showing up. Two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash showed up;
World Cup winner Alessandro Del Piero showed up, and
25
FRANCE
I was just like “What the hell is happening?” Los Angeles
just has a crazy mix of people.
“From there, I got more and more involved in soccer over
here. I was with LA Galaxy II for almost a year, helping me
get back in shape, and I then traveled the world with soccer.
MANAGER: DIDIER DESCHAMPS
I was coaching in Thailand, coaching on the west coast of
Africa, where my father is from. And then, when I returned KEY PLAYER: PAUL POGBA (MAN UNITED)
to LA, I became involved in street soccer, something we all BEST WC RESULT: WINNERS (1998)
play in Europe, like what VBFC do and what I do at my team,
Baller. Then I did my coaching diplomas and started a soccer This French team might just be
program in Norwalk, East LA. I called it Classic ZZ, after my
hero Zinedine Zidane. Coolness personified. The best. And their best since the side that won
I quickly realized that kids from low income backgrounds the whole lot twenty years ago. The
wanted soccer but sometimes couldn’t afford to play. So I parallels are there for all to see: fast,
found a sponsor, and now, two years later, the program is
full of dedicated, passionate kids who love the game. strong, skillful, packed with just
the right blend of experience and
“From this initiative, I’ve been approached by other clubs all raw talent. But Didier Deschamps
over the city, but I made sure that, when I eventually agreed
to work with one, they had to open up a club for my East will have his work cut out for him
LA kids so they could experience what soccer was like at a making this selection of players tick
proper club. We took them from the areas they grew up in like a Cartier. France’s chances have
and gave them a chance to play in South Bay, allowing these
kids to play against children from a whole other social class. been marred by infighting and a
That is the beauty of this game. In the mindset of some, lack of consistency, but if they can
soccer is just a recreational sport, but we want to win. It’s a get even half their players firing on
very European attitude to the game—it’s the way I learned
to play in France, like how Zidane learned to play, hard and full cylinders, they’ll be one helluva
fast and skillful in the streets of Marseille—but it’s helping to team to beat: in Paul Pogba, Kylian
create a new kind of American soccer culture here. There are Mbappe, and Ousmane Dembélé,
so many people around the city, people from many different
cultures, and since soccer is the biggest sport in the world, they have three of the most
there are so many influences that can inspire these kids. expensive players of all time...
That is what makes soccer so important—and it is growing.
 OU P C
GR

AUSTRALIA
MANAGER: BERT VAN MARWIJK
KEY PLAYER: AARON MOOY (HUDDERSFIELD TOWN)
BEST WC RESULT: SECOND ROUND (2006)

After the departure of coach

Ange Postecoglou, Australia

26 were left in a tailspin, and a

lot will be resting on former
Netherlands manager Bert
van Marwijk to not let this
kangaroo leap off the cliff.
Diminutive icon Tim Cahill—
the Aussie’s leading World Cup
scorer and the man who sent
them into the tournament with
his winner against Syria—can
no longer be relied on to
supply the goods but stranger
things have happened,
and classy Huddersfield
midfielder Aaron Mooy’s
stock has never been higher
after a season of impressive
Photo: Camw, CC BY-SA 3.0

performances in the Premier

League. Who he’ll be passing
to could a bit of a problem,
mind, with goals (or lack
thereof) a serious concern.
 PERU’S 1970 TEAM
Photo: Public Domain

PERU
DENMARK MANAGER: RICARDO GARECA
27
KEY PLAYER: PAOLO GUERRERO (FLAMENGO)
MANAGER: ÅGE HAREIDE BEST WC RESULT: QUARTER-FINAL (1970)
KEY PLAYER: CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN (SPURS)
BEST WC RESULT: QUARTER-FINAL (1998)
Cup
Through to the World Cup through the Qualifying for their first World
itse lf
playoffs versus Ireland (sorry, Ireland— since 1982 was a feat in and of
we miss you) thanks to the ever- but Peru—currently rated as just
al
excellent Christian Eriksen, the Group’s outside of the top 10 best nation
eve r
second strongest team have had a barren teams in the world on FIFA’s
are not
few generations since the heady days of tenuous national team table—
ath leti c
the late eighties and early nineties. Like to be taken lightly. A young,
side with an oddly satisfying kit
many teams, goals don’t seem to be very stripe;
forthcoming, but Hareide has a young design (Home—white with red
bur sting
side full of solid players who will be Away—red with white stripe)
lost since
looking to upset the teams around them with energy and who havent
er the
with their solid defense. November 2016, they still ent
n
World Cup as a largely unknow
get in
quantity who’ll be looking to
me nt
the faces of complacent tourna
mainstays.
Photo: Chris 0023, CC BY-SA 2.0
 P D
ROU
G
28
NIGERIA
MANAGER: GERNOT ROHR
KEY PLAYER: ALEX IWOBI
BEST WC RESULT: WINNERS, SECOND ROUND (1994,1998, 2014)
Don’t tell Nkechi we said this (Nkechi, if
you’re reading this, we’re sorry) but, even
with some of the most talented squads
African football has ever seen, Nigeria have
never really shown their true potential in the
World Cup. But with one of the sickest team
jerseys we’ve ever witnessed and a team full
of pace and skill (not to mention players who
are used to regular play in the big leagues;
an aspect that cannot be overstated when
the pressure’s on) they might just be a (long
overdue) run of form. Stuff your face full of
fufu if they make it through to the final.
Nkechi African Cafe
2717 W Manchester Blvd
Inglewood. A baking hot day. Those wobbling
lines emanating off the asphalt. Into the cool of
Nkechi’s with Nkechi waiting for us. She is stood
in the middle of the restaurant with clanging
noises coming from the kitchen behind her.
“What do you want?” she says.
We get jollof rice with a big chunk of tilapia,
a fish we overhear someone saying is a
“fake fish” designed “in a lab” to be “extra
delicious”. Nonsense, of course, but you can
see where he’s coming from: the meat falls
off the bone, mixing in with the tangy jollof.
Someone switches the mounted TV to a sports
channel. Nkechi brings over suya, skewered
beef marinated in spices and barbecued to fiery
perfection and traditional to Northern Nigeria.
They don’t last long at our table, polished off in
just a few bites.
“We have soccer on all the time,” says Nkechi,
turning to the screen. “There are a lot of people
with Nigerian heritage around here. Eighty
percent of our clientele are Nigerian, but
whenever someone else comes here and tries
our food? Yeah, they like it. During the World
Cup, everyone comes to watch.”
We try some fufu for the first time: pounded
yam, sticky and white, to be torn off into a little
ball with your right hand and dipped into an
accompaniment, here it’s ogbono, a spicy cow
foot soup. It is great.
“You like, huh?” We like. “Tastes good. Don’t
chew it, though. Just dip and then swallow
it. No chewing. I have no idea why American
people always chew it. I keep telling them not
to.” Okay, sorry.
The spice rises up, warm and peppery. We’re
handed a bottle of water, ice-cold. It is well
received.
“LA? I love LA,” says Nkechi, stealing a piece of
fufu for herself. “I love the weather. I love it all.”
CROATIA
- ICE LAN D

Photo: Chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0

MANAGER: ZLATKO DALIC
-
KEY PLAYER: LUKA MODRIC (REAL MADRID)
BEST WC RESULT: THIRD PLACE (1998) MANAGER:HEIMIR HALLGRÍMSSON
KEY PLAYER: GYLFI SIGURÐSSON (EVERTON)
BEST WC RESULT: DEBUT
In 1994, Croatia were the 124th best team in the
world. That’s not very good. By 1998, they were
First timers! Go Iceland. They won the hearts
third. That is very good. A fiery, attacking side
of neutrals at the Euro Championships in 2016
bolstered by Davor Šuker, at the time, one of the
with their plucky courage in handing England
best strikers in the game. Since then, Croatia’s
their asses (and, mostly, with their strapping
game has been defined by its technically gifted
fans’ synchronized “HOOOO!” Viking chants
midfielders and disappointing performances
on the terraces) and will likely be the underdog
in big games. But with world-class playmakers
favorite in Russia, too. Their lack of squad
Luka Modrić and Ivan Rakitić behind pretty good
depth may be an issue, but for a country with a
strikers Andrej Kramarić, Mario Mandžukić,
and Nikola Kalinić they could be liable for a
surprise or two this summer…
population of 300,000, can you blame them?
29
Photo: Fanny Schertzer, CC BY-SA 3.0

ARGENTINA
MANAGER: JORGE SAMPAOLI
KEY PLAYER: LIONEL MESSI (BARCELONA)
BEST WC RESULT:WINNERS (1978, 1986)

Are you aware of the work of Leo Messi? A deft touch personified; the barreling run, the supreme
balance, the wand of a left foot, the brain of Euclidean excellence, the humanizing ginger beard.
He’s a genius. Literally a genius. He’s the best soccer player of all time, and there’s only one title
that’s evaded him… He came so close in 2014 only to be beaten by a solitary, squirming goal by the
Germans in the final, and will be absolutely desperate to get there again. Add Paulo Dybala, Sergio
Agüero, and Gonzalo Higuaín, and there’s plenty of firepower on show in front of an often shaky
defense. Sampaoli might just be their best hope, looking to settle a notoriously anxious squad with
regimented tactics and zero horseplay.

The Empanada Factory

2513 S Robertson Blvd
You like empanadas. A perfectly grip-shaped bread stuffed with filling: what’s not to like? The
Empanada Factory, as you’d imagine, are great at them and situated in a low-key little spot ran by
Marcelo, an Argentine soccer fan, who loves nothing better than to be pessimistic about his country’s
chances and fill you full of awesome food.
 TIM WALSH
I started playing at as any kid does when
juice boxes and post games snacks were
all the motivation. By the time I was 10
years old, European soccer highlights
were being broadcast to American TV
and, as a youth, I was playing nonstop
and jumping fences to watch as many
live MLS games as I could. When I
was 16 I had the chance to go to South
America which really opened my eyes
to how beautiful and dense the world
of soccer was globally. After college I
played the game around the world, and
when I came back to America, I ended up
in Venice and never left.

Soccer culture runs deep in this town and

it’s probably the biggest soccer market
in the country but, when I arrived in
Venice, it really seemed like there weren’t
too many people playing. You’d see old
English guys having games on the grass

30
every now and then, or random people
with a ball juggling during a day at the
beach. Sometimes Dillon and I would
take a ball out on the sand and people
would flock as if the ball was a magnet.
Soon enough, you could see this town
had so many footballers hidden in the
shadows.

As we always have in our lives,

VBFC is a community football organization
based in Venice Beach, built for the people
and its players. They’ve been hosting very
competitive, fast paced, high quality pick-up
soccer matches on concrete at the handball
courts on the Boardwalk for a year now. 4 v. 4.
First goal wins. Sun, sea, sand, soccer. Anyone
who turns up can play, fostering a community
of like-minded people who can play the game
they love for absolutely free.
we worked with some local youth
players and coaching and decided to
start building a club focused on the
neighborhood and the youth players
who wanted to improve or use soccer
as a tool to live a better life. We have a
few youth programs that make up our
“academy” and the pickup games at the
Boardwalk came out of necessity: the
first time I saw the Estadio (the Venice
Rec Center aka “Estadio de Dogtown”),
it was love at first sight. At first people
would respond: “You’re playing games
where?!” Most people just saw handball
courts, we saw one of the best places
to play the game in the country. It is
the best thing we could’ve done to
allow talent to grow from within our
neighborhood.
DILLON CHAPMAN
Between Tim and I, we have a really
unique collection of experiences that we
brought to the table to start VBFC. I had
lived and breathed soccer from an early
age, and was fortunate enough to spend
five years soaking up football in England
and across Europe. Having seen the way
the culture revolves around the game
over there, I brought a lot of this expe-
rience back with me. Playing with small
local clubs and seeing supporter and
community culture around those clubs
has given me a lot of inspiration.

While in England, I gained very special

experience being a part of the formation
of the UK-based charity Football Beyond
Borders—where I traveled to West Africa,
Egypt, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan and
was able to see the role football played
in the lives of people from very different

31
places. Seeing how football is taught,
played and the way it affects the culture
in these countries had a really strong
impression on me. Having been involved
in US youth soccer, and coaching in
club soccer since I was 16, I have taken
a lot of lessons from the way things are
currently done to envision how it can be
done better to push the game forward.

The response to the pick-up games in

Venice was super positive almost from
the jump. Venice is a community that
is very responsive to creativity and has
a reputation for pioneering emerging
sports cultures like bodybuilding, surfing,
and skateboarding and we think soccer
is becoming a part of that story now. The
things we have been running for local
kids in the community have gotten really
positive responses from families who
have been in Venice for generations, so
we have a lot of respect for that. We’ve
set up our club to allow players to enjoy
the game first and foremost, not for us
to get wins as coaches. The pick-up game
has grown a ton, and people from all
over LA continue to show up weekly to
get a run out on the Estadio courts.
 JESUS
AGE: 22
BORN: TIJUANA, MEXICO
INSTAGRAM: TRONCOSO0927
“I just moved to LA this year so I’ve been looking

NICK
everywhere where I can play soccer. Now I play
for two different teams in two different leagues
as well as coming to Venice Beach every Sunday.
It’s a great place because everyone is welcome and AGE: 21
people from all over the world play here.” LOCATION: VENICE BEACH
INSTAGRAM: NICKSANTHIAGO
“I’m a Venice native, so I’ve
been in and all around LA my
whole life.
“Soccer in LA in general has
always been a hotbed for the
best American players. The

32 problem that I’ve personally

experienced growing up as a
soccer player in LA (and the
US in general) is that there
were very few opportunities
for low-income/middle class
kids to play with a quality team
that actually develops players.
For the majority of my soccer
career, my dad would get out
of a nine hour shift, come
straight to pick me up from
school, and drive me an hour
and half to practice in the
Valley with the only team he
could afford to pay for. I have
friends that couldn’t afford to
pay for any club team at all,
but that’s all different here.
You can just come and play.”
MOHAMED 33
AGE: 21
FROM: LEICESTER, ENGLAND
INSTAGRAM: MOHASN97
“We heard about it down here from a guy in
school. It’s a great way to meet people and
knowing that you can just walk past these games
one day and start playing is really cool. It’s fun
and the standard is really high.”

IBRAHIM
AGE: 19
FROM: LEICESTER, ENGLAND
INSTAGRAM: IBRAHIMIVV
“Soccer in LA is just such a mix of people. It feels
like a real community. The culture is growing.
We’ve been all over America and there’s nowhere
else that does soccer like what VBFC are doing.”
34
35
36
MICHAEL
AGE: 22
FROM: FORT LAUDERALE, FL
INSTAGRAM: MICHAELROSA08
“I started playing here a few
months ago and it’s beautiful. I
like the authentic feel, as far as
the vibe goes. It’s relaxed and
that’s something that’s sometimes
missing in soccer culture.
Sometimes it can be rigid and
contained but here? You pop up,
show up, and you play.”
 MARIAN
37
AGE: 27
FROM: PORTO ALEGRE, BRAZIL
INSTAGRAM: TOCOM3L
“I’ve been in LA for two years, the US for nine.
I love where I’m from in Brazil, so proud of my
hometown, but I love LA because it’s so diverse,
I feel at home here with the unstructured nature
of the soccer, too: you come to play, meeting
other people that feel the same way as you do,
and just have fun.
“For a long time I’ve been researching why
kids drop out of soccer at a certain age in this
country. Burnout can be a huge issue because
practice can be very rigid, and everyone has to
follow a certain style, and there can be little
E
GROUP
opportunity to enjoy yourself and just enjoy
playing soccer. The need for creativity is a big

BRAZIL
thing and a relaxed environment for sport is
much more fun.”

MANAGER: TITE
KEY PLAYER: NEYMAR (PSG)
BEST WC RESULT: CHAMPIONS (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)
On our way from LAX, we met Enrique—a cab driver from Brazil who
spent twenty years in Miami before moving to LA—who said that this
trophy “is Brazil’s to lose” and it’s probably safer to simply avoid arguing
with a man that animated. Especially if he’s at the wheel of your car. You
can see his point, however: Brazil have the pedigree and the talent, with
talent all over the pitch, in-form players, and quality in every single
position. But are the ghosts of that 7­—1 pasting at the hands of Germany
in the 2014 semi-final exorcised? And will creative fulcrum Neymar—
PSG’s will-o’-the-wisp attacker and the most expensive player of all
time—be fully fit after a lengthy injury spell? Only time will tell… ...but
there is no telling Enrique.
 Photo: Victor Araiza, CC BY 2.0
COS TA RIC A
MANAGER: ÓSCAR RAMÍREZ
KEY PLAYER: BRYAN RUIZ (SPORTING CP)
BEST WC RESULT: QUARTER-FINALS (2014)

Unlucky to miss out on the semi-finals, last World Cup, after

losing on penalties to Holland in the final eight, Costa Rica
come into 2018 as one of its the most underrated teams.
In Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas they have proven
class and in Bryan Ruiz, just recently passing the 100-cap
mark, they have experience, as well as proving hard to beat
in qualification and showing their potency to dish out the
odd beating with a 4—0 hammering of USMNT (but we don’t
wanna talk about that…)

Photo: jbcurio, CC BY 2.0

38 Café Brasil
11736 Washington Blvd
A lively, brightly colored space, with actual
Brazilians supporting their beloved national
team on the TV screens very loudly. You can
also get some of the best authentic Brazilian
food in the city here, with Churrascaria grilled
meats, stews, and enough fresh juice to make
you vibrate with vitality.
 OU P E
SERBIA G R
-

Photo: Offside Sports Photography

MANAGER: MLADEN KRSTAJIC
KEY PLAYER: ALEKSANDAR KOLAROV (ROMA)
BEST WC RESULT: GROUP STAGE (2010)

In only their second tournament as an independent

nation, Serbia’s crunch match with Switzerland
on the second matchday will likely be make-or-
break for their chances of reaching the knockout
rounds for the first time. Their backline—flanked
by the experience of Branislav Ivanović and captain
Aleksandar Kolarov (and his terrifying left foot)—
may be their strongest asset, but further forward
Southampton’s Dušan Tadić and Torino’s Adem
Ljajić will provide spark behind the mercurial
Aleksandar Mitrović. The Fulham striker was on fire
this past season, and his country have only lost once
in qualifying, and may prove to be an outside bet in
the group if their attack can click.

SWITZERLAND 39
Photo: Ludovic Péron, CC BY-SA 3.0

MANAGER: VLADIMIR PETKOVIC

KEY PLAYER: XHERDAN SHAQIRI (STOKE CITY)
BEST WC RESULT: QUARTER-FINALS (1934, 1954)

The cruel victims of Ángel di María’s 118th-minute

winner for Argentina at the last World Cup,
Switzerland’s world ranking at sixth may be a little
generous, flattering to deceive at recent tournaments.
In 2006, they became the only team to be knocked
out of a World Cup without conceding a single goal,
by virtue of a shootout defeat to Ukraine. This time,
compact attacker Xherdan Shaqiri (essentially a
sentient mini-fridge with superb balance who can pull
a goal from thin air) can cause problems for any on
the break, and Ricardo Rodríguez’s left foot will have a
few goalkeepers trembling on set pieces. They’ll likely
get through Group E, but with Germany awaiting in
the second round, matching their quarter-final best is
a huge task.
 U P F
GRO

40 SOUTH KOREA
MANAGER: SHIN TAE-YONG
KEY PLAYER: SON HEUNG-MIN (SPURS)
BEST WC RESULT: FOURTH PLACE (2002)

It’s easy to forget that South Korea were just a

game from the final in 2002, the co-hosts denied
only by a narrow defeat to Germany. You will get
exceptionally long odds on the same happening in
Russia—particularly if the refereeing decisions in
Korea’s games are less, ahem, ‘fortunate’ this time—
but they are by no means without a prayer in Group
F. They will be hoping Son Heung-Min’s fantastic
season for Tottenham Hotspur translates into onto
the World Cup stage if they are to progress.
CAITLYN SCHREPFER
AMERICA’S #1
“I’ve played soccer my whole life. I started as a goalkeeper
when I was five. As you’d assume, my foot skills were okay, but
I couldn’t juggle. When I was playing in high school and got
injured, and I learned how to juggle just because that was all I
could do for those four months. I went from being able to do
twenty juggles when I got injured to, just a few months later…
Well, I think I stopped counting at around three thousand.

“I’ve been freestyling for about four and a half years now. It’s
been two years since I went full time. I was just a 17-year-old kid
who was good at juggling and got paid a little to do it. The more
I did it, the more shows I’d get, the more interest people had
because I was a girl doing this in a very male-oriented sport.
When I started, I was one girl on a team of about ten guys. They
were all super supportive but it was obvious that I had an influ-
ence that none of the guys could have because you’d get the girls
in the audience watching, and they were much more interested
in seeing me do it than a bunch of guys. Seeing that representa-
tion is so important for kids.

“This all started as just a bit of fun, but now I do it full time and
last year earned the rank of the number one female freestyler in
41
the country. My freestyles are quite dance-based (which is funny
because I am a terrible dancer) but I used to be a gymnast so
that influences what I do. My style is pretty fluid, acrobatic. I go
with my intuition when building routines, picking things that
flow well together and just going from there.

“When I perform, I don’t feel any pressure. I practice every

day for several hours a day and it’s become second nature. It’s
actually almost more meditative for me, I’d say: freestyle is
something you have to focus on entirely to do well and when
you are doing that, none of the other worries from your day to
day life seem to matter. It’s a way to escape from it all.

“I love LA for soccer. I never really figured that out until after I
Photos: Jonathan Turton

stopped playing for my college team and started looking for places
to play pick up. I just realised there were so many opportunities
to play futsal, full-field, five-a-side with all cultures, all eth-
nicities, in all sorts of backdrops: places that are full of graffiti,
beautiful traditional soccer fields, and so much in between.”
Novacane
5812 S Santa Fe Ave
Opening in 2016, with varied clientele and
a great atmosphere, Angie Martinez’s bar
Novacane has become a popular haunt
for locals. Black, white, Latino, LGBT, men,
women, they all flock to the spot, with
its female-only staff policy, outstanding
micheladas (replete with delicious tamarind
sticks), and plenty of televisions around the
space, the bar is often packed.

“We get a lot of women in here,” says Angie.

“It’s a nice inclusive place. It’s the hood, but it’s
a safe, chill vibe.” Aiming to mix Downtown feel
with local prices, the bar’s menu mixes classic
Mexican dishes with traditional mixed-drink
staples. “We get a lot of regulars,” she adds,
mixing us a new drink called Addiction. “They
always ask me which team I’m supporting but,
truth is, I don’t even really like sports. I just
put it on ‘cos people like it. I always tell them I
support whichever team they’re watching.” She
laughs, handing us our cocktail. “I must support
like fifty teams by now…”

42
MEXICO
MANAGER: JUAN CARLOS OSORIO
KEY PLAYER: JONATHAN DOS SANTOS (LA GALAXY)
BEST WC RESULT: QUARTER-FINALS (1970, 1986)

Mexico arrive in Russia on a run of six

straight appearances in the knockout
rounds—although on none of those
Photo: Offside Sports Photography

occasions were they able to get past the

round of 16. Legendary midfielder and
captain Andrés Guardado may well
make his last international appearance
at this year’s tournament, along
with 39-year-old Rafael Márquez,
who appears in his fifth World Cup.
Supported by Galaxy stars the dos
Santos brothers, Giovani and Jonathan,
and with Javier Hernández and Carlos
Vela leading the line, there’s plenty
of firepower to worry all of Mexico’s
Group F rivals.
 U P F
GRO

GERMANY
MANAGER: JOACHIM LÖW
KEY PLAYER: TONI KROOS (REAL MADRID)
BEST WC RESULT: CHAMPIONS (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)
BiergartenLA
206 N Western Ave
A German pub in the heart of Koreatown? With
Korean-German fusion food and loads of beer and a
bunch of screens on which to watch the soccer? Uh…
yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes.

Here they are. Die Mannschaft. The Team.

SW ED EN
The World Cup holders. Perennial favorites
for silverware, world number one, and
masters of the penalty kick. Germany have
made it to, at least, the semi-finals at the last MANAGER: JANNE ANDERSSON
four World Cups and, in their current form, KEY PLAYER: EMIL FORSBERG (RB LEIPZIG)
it would be a major shock to not see them BEST WC RESULT: RUNNERS-UP (1958)
there again. There’s outstanding quality all
over the field for Joachim Löw to call upon:
from Bayern Munich’s Jérôme Boateng
and Mats Hummels at the back and Real’s
The biggest story surrounding Sweden’
s
appearance in Russia is a player who will
make the squad—the Galaxy’s very own
43
not even
irresistibly classy Toni Kroos linking them Zlatan
Ibrahimović. The record goal scorer retir
to Leroy Sané, Mesut Özil, and Thomas ed

Photo: Илья Хохлов, CC BY-SA 3.0

from international duty in 2016 and
Müller further forward. Even if Manuel hints of
a spectacular comeback for these fina
Neuer—regarded by many as the best ‘keeper ls were
quashed just before the tournament.
in the world—doesn’t make it after his Shame.
Without him, Sweden will rely on RB
lengthy injury absence, they’ll have Barça’s Leipzig
winger Emil Forsberg and Manchester
impressive Marc-André ter Stegen to call United
center back Victor Lindelöf to lead them
on… A potential quarter-final clash with old on, as
they look to make up for the disappointm
rivals England is one to look out for, too. ent of
missing out on the last two World Cup
s.

Gravlax
12400 Washington Blvd
A tight little bar with a gold-leaf sign, rock classics on the
speakers, and more superb Scandi alcohol on the shelves than
you can shake a bleary finger at. Packed for Sweden matches,
the food menu is full of Swedish (and Turkish) delights and the
outspoken owner, Magnus, is probably the most handsome
man we’ve ever met. “You go tell Zlatan,” he says, “that the king
of Sweden is right here.” We’ll leave that one to you, dude.
 HARRISON
PJ HARRISON
PJ
THE CITY OF ANGE LS’ FOUN DER AND CREATIVE
DIREC TOR AT ENGL ISH TEAM PLYM OUTH
ARGY LE TALK S TO US ABOU T TAKIN G SOCC ER
BACK TO THE GRAS SROO TS...
idea
“This being an immigrant nation, Los Angeles encapsulates that
pot
of immigrants coming together in one place. That idea of a melting
game
is evident everywhere you look in this city. You have the world’s
; you
bringing people together, one of the beautiful things about football
at teamma tes—a French guy, Spanish guy, African guy,
can look around
t that.
lots of people with Latino heritage here as well—who represen
soccer
“LA’s definitely a diverse city, and what’s interesting about
differen t backgro unds collabo rating and

44
now is about people from
und
ensuring something that brings joy against the political backgro
for a few
of the moment. There’s been a focus on immigration here
coming
of years now, and sport is a positive example of what people
together can do.

“What America has always had is participation in this game. These

futsal,
days, you can’t get a field, but there are so many options: playing
nt to Sunday league, or playing in the streets,
or playing the equivale
or getting into one-on-one. Because you do have this mixed heritage
be
of people here, you get different expressions of the game. There’ll
rs like Caitlyn or street football ers like Kevin, or classic club
freestyle
the game
football players, so there’s a more diverse range of versions of
are
going on than there are back home in England, where your options
just five-a-side or 11 v 11 on grass.
a
“A few years ago, my friend and partner Joe Sumner and I started
we’d
grassroots club of our own, City of Angels. There were things
thought
observed about the US that we didn’t rate and some things we
fantastic . The level of coachin g for kids is much better and much
were
in England . And the weather enables kids to play a
more technical than
can put the
more technical type of game because they’re not on mud and
things
ball on the floor and move it. But then at the same time, we saw
that were a bit jarring for us.
background
“I come from low-income housing in North West England, a
poraries like
where you play on the streets all night, and you see contem
see them
a Steven Gerrard or a Wayne Rooney rising up from that. You
someth ing that transcen ds being elite athletes , being a
go and become
a way that’s
symbol of hope for other kids from a similar background. In
Photos: Jonathan Turton

only barrier
what football’s about. It’s that great social vehicle where the
streets.
to entry is a squashed can of cola we used to play with on the
whole game. You haven’t got to get a hoop and a ball, or
That can be the
for me,
a hockey stick and ten other guys. It’s the most accessible thing
 the greatest social vehicle. If you’re a great
footballer, no matter how poor you are,
U P G
GRO
people will find you.

“Something that we wanted to create,

a kind of hybrid approach of taking that
sense of socialism, the idea that this is an
affordable, democratic game for everyone,
and then combining that with the high level

of technical coaching and the other benefits
the Americans have. We’ve created a program
in the Valley, bringing in Galaxy legend Cobi
Jones, who was incredible. Having a guy
that’s got top-tier coaching experience like
that and putting him in a technical position
with football, we know that we can provide
something that’s as good as anywhere. It also
helps because some people are suspicious
that if you’re not paying, it’s not going to
be as good. For us, we’ve got the all-time
caps and goals leader of the US. We did
a collaboration with Man United over the
summer, and that really helped, too. That
gave us a lot of goodwill in the community.
They saw we were bringing in a lot of high-
quality stuff.
“Right now, we’re at moment where there
are still gatekeepers to football—scouts,
managers, whatever—but now, there are
outsiders coming to football, too, having a
career, sometimes better than some pros
are gonna have. You get these outsiders—
whether it’s freestylers, free kick guys, guys
like VBFC, where an Instagram account says
‘Right, we’re playing a game here on Sunday’
and this community of people come out to
play and watch. Or us at City of Angels, who
are saying “Well, we’re just two lads who
want to start our own club”. In England, you
couldn’t do that. It’s just impossible. For us
to be able to do that is great because we’re
kind of outsiders. Soccer in the US is going
through a bit of a revolution in the way that
music and film and other art forms have
before. There are teams who are playing
games on YouTube, and their viewing figures
are stronger than many pro clubs—that’s
really heartening because you think you can
take a little bit out of this and a little from that
and do your own thing. Now, if I were a kid
growing up I’d think ‘Right, let’s start my own
football club’ or ‘I’ll become a freestyler’.
“I see a lot of this stuff happening in LA, to
the extent that it almost feels like it originated
here, this particular deconstruction of what
soccer means because, in this town, people
just do their own thing.”
ENGLAND
MANAGER: GARETH SOUTHGATE
KEY PLAYER: RAHEEM STERLING (MAN CITY)
BEST WC RESULT: CHAMPIONS (1966)
The Three Lions have not won a knockout game
at a major tournament for twelve years now, since
the days of David Beckham and 2006’s ‘Golden
Generation’. Although no England fan can ever
be too confident given recent tournament results
against the likes of Iceland, Costa Rica, and Algeria
(and the general, deep-seated pessimism that rests
in every Englishman’s bones), not making it out
of a group including Tunisia and Panama would
represent a major shock. Gareth Southgate’s side
are solid all round but short on major star power,
although City’s Raheem Sterling—fresh off his
first league winning season—may see this as his
opportunity to cross into the realms of world-class.
Ye Olde King’s Head
116 Santa Monica Blvd
The best English pub in
45
California. There. We said it.
Someone had to. Loads of
screens (so many screens)
and great draft beer and
pleasingly no-nonsense
bar staff and a genuinely
fantastic Full English
breakfast make it a firm
favorite with football*
fans. (*Remember to leave
‘soccer’ at the door)
 TUNISIA’S 1978 TEAM
Photo: Public Domain
TUNISIA
MANAGER: NABIL MAÂLOUL
KEY PLAYER: AYMEN MATHLOUTHI (AL-BATIN)
BEST WC RESULT: GROUP STAGE (1978, 1998, 2002, 2006)
46 The first African side to ever win
a match at a World Cup in 1978,
Tunisia are back on the biggest
stage for the first time since 2006.
Tunisia’s preparations were rocked
by the loss of key man Youssef
Msakni to injury, and taking up
the gauntlet in his absence is
enigmatic Rennes winger Wahbi
Khazri, resurrecting his career
in France after a tricky spell in
England. Third place in the group
is probably the best they can hope
for, but warm-up wins against Iran
and Costa Rica should give fans
hope that they can snatch at least a
draw from their more illustrious
opponents in Group G, Belgium
and England.
PANAMA
MANAGER: HERNÁN DARÍO GÓMEZ
KEY PLAYER: ROMÁN TORRES (SEATTLE SOUNDERS)
BEST WC RESULT: DEBUT
Sadly best known as the team
that beat the USMNT to Russia,
Panama’s first appearance at a World
Cup is a landmark moment for the
country. Captain Román Torres,
whose last-minute winner against
Costa Rica sent his country to the
finals, leads Panama into a tough
group, but with six players on more
than 100 international caps in their
squad, including veteran striker Luis
Tejada up top (the country’s all-time
leading goal scorer), experience
runs through the team.
Little Bear
1855 Industrial St
A killer cafe in the Arts District with
plenty of Belgian (and Belgian-style)
imported beers on tap. The place
is absolutely jumping whenever
Belgium have a game on, with the
bright, spacious place packed to
absolute capacity, the fans chanting
“BEER! BEER! BEER! BEER!” as they
go (we made up that last part, but
you can never tell what will happen in
the throes of World Cup Fever...)
 U P G
GRO

47

BELGIUM
MANAGER: ROBERTO MARTÍNEZ
Photo: Offside Sports Photography

KEY PLAYER:​KEVIN DE BRUYNE (MAN CITY)

BEST WC RESULT:​FOURTH PLACE (1986)

Blessed with an astonishing generation of Premier League talent, the Red Devils
will be keen to ensure they make the most of their world-class window to win.
Supporting Man United’s Romelu Lukaku is the handy pair of Eden Hazard and
Kevin de Bruyne, arguably the two most talented players in their division, while
a defense including Vincent Kompany, Toby Alderweireld, and Jan Vertonghen
should be among the best in the tournament, even before you add in man
mountain ‘keeper Thibaut Courtois. Favorites to top their group, this team are
the archetypal underdogs-who-are-actually-overdogs, and there’s no reason why
they can’t go the whole way.

48
COLOM BIA
MANAGER: JOSÉ PÉKERMAN
KEY PLAYER: JAMES RODRÍGUEZ
BEST WC RESULT: QUARTER-FINALS (2014)
Dragged kicking and screaming to the quarter-finals
almost single-handedly by James Rodríguez (and the
occasional thunderous volley) in 2014, this time around
veteran goal-getter Radamel Falcao is available, too. Add
in Juan Cuadrado, Carlos Bacca, and Davinson Sánchez,
and there’s no reason this team can’t surprise some of the
bigger names. March’s 3–2 win in France after going 2–0
down shows they can defeat anyone on their day.
U P H
GRO
La Fonda Antioqueña
5125 Melrose Ave
LA’s best Colombian joint is run by a
guy named German. German’s been
here thirty years, crafting La Fonda
Antioqueña into the quintessential
representation of Antioquia in this city.
“The people feel the culture in the
food,” says German, beaming at our
table. “We put the same spices and
flavors as back at home. We have the
restaurant decorated with Colombian
ornaments, too, and many Colombian
customers in the area have never
visited their homeland—or even eaten
many Colombian dishes in a while—so
when they come into the restaurant
the feel sentimental and start to tear
up.”
We can’t blame them. The menu is
rich with choice and flavor. We went
for a piled-high plate of bandeja
paisa, a north Colombian favourite.
Steak with beans, rice, plantain,
fried egg, avocado, and chicharrón
colombiano—a beautifully crispy
slab of fried pork belly. On one plate.
Moving after this, you ain’t. Luckily
they show plenty of soccer so this
summer you won’t have to. With
German and his patrons all mad for
the game, scarfs adorn the ceilings,
shirts along the walls, and games on
the television.
“Colombians have developed some
good talent that play in European
leagues,” says German, “and here at
the restaurant, we follow our players
on television. And this World Cup? We
will be full. The restaurant always fills
during the games as we televise them
all and, as a matter of fact, from my
knowledge Colombia has a couple of
4am games, and we’ve been having
phone calls for weeks from customers
asking if we would be open during
those early hours...”
Photo: Copa2014.gov.br, CC BY 3.0 BR
 JAPAN
Legendary Japa
nese-
American one-
man band
Arthur Nakane
is a Little
Tokyo mainstay,
MANAGER: AKIRA NISHINO playing
hits and taking
requests.
KEY PLAYER: SHINJI KAGAWA (BORUSSIA DORTMUND) Talk to him abou
t The

49
BEST WC RESULT: SECOND ROUND (2002, 2010) Beatles: he’s go
t some
stories...
A sixth straight World Cups for the
Japanese, who rest their—admittedly
slim—hopes of making the knockouts
on midfield pair Shinji Kagawa and
Keisuke Honda, alongside 50-goal
hero Shinji Okazaki of Leicester
City. Defenders Yuto Nagatomo,
Maya Yoshida, and Hiroki Sakai add
experience, both at the international
and major European league level.
A genuine contender to challenge
Nigeria for the best jersey of the
tournament, too.

SE N EG A L
MANAGER: ALIOU CISSÉ
KEY PLAYER: SADIO MANÉ (LIVERPOOL)

POLAND
BEST WC RESULT: QUARTER-FINALS (2002)

The majority of Senegal’s hopes hang

on Liverpool’s Sadio Mané. The wing
MANAGER: ADAM NAWALKA er
is joined on the flanks by Keita Baldé,
KEY PLAYER: ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI (BAYERN MUNICH)
another jet-heeled goal threat who play
BEST WC RESULT: THIRD PLACE (1974, 1982) s
for Monaco in France. Drawn into
one of the most competitive groups
In Robert Lewandowski and Arkadiusz Milik, Poland
in the tournament, Senegal will fancy
boast one of the most fearsome striking duos at the
their chances of progressing if they
World Cup. Jakub Błaszczykowski is the heartbeat of the
can get a result against Colombia or
side, and although keeper Wojciech Szczęsny had his
Poland. Time to channel the spirit of
shaky moments with Arsenal, his maturation in Italy
Papa Bouba Diop—a man affectionate
has seen Juventus line him up as Gianluigi Buffon’s ly
nicknamed ‘The Wardrobe’—and
successor. Ranked fifth in the world as recently as last
replicate the shock opening game win
year, Poland will be slight favorites to top Group H, but
against France in 2002.
a second-round date with Belgium or England could
make for a genuinely fascinating contest.
50
THE UNDOING
PROJECT
LA GALAXY SOUTH BAY YOUTH COACH KEVIN HOLMES TELLS US
ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ‘SOCCER’ AND ‘FOOTBALL’...
Photos: Jonathan Turton
“I’m the head coach of LA Galaxy South Bay, coaching Boys
U10 and U11 and Girls U17 and, from the time I started, I told
them that I wasn’t going to teach them soccer; we were going
in
to be playing football. There’s a difference. There’s a difference
attitude, the way people move on the ball, the way people move
off the ball, the way you kick, the way you act, the way you talk…

“One thing this city has over pretty much all of the others is
its diversity of people. I’m from Jamaica, and on our coaching
staff, there are only a few Americans: everyone else is from
somewhere else. The experiences of different countries and
cultures are really valuable. Football is not just a recreational
in
game; when I train my teams, they train to win. The education
the sport, the community and camaraderie is all importa nt, but
the
in football, as in life, you need to work hard and do things in
right way to achieve your goals and be success ful. Someti mes
that means going back and re-teaching kids how to kick a ball,
how to move, and how to think about football, helping them
to unlearn bad habits that were a holdover from a previous
generation’s interpretation of the game.

“Part of what this new soccer culture is about is the re-education

of the parents. Just because you want your kid to play in a youth
team, doesn’t mean they deserve the spot over someone else.
It’s a system of support and dedication, understanding the flaws
51
of our players and enhancing their strengths, teaching them to
play their positions, to spread out and express themselves, to
not be afraid to do things the ‘wrong’ way to achieve what you
need to.

“It’s a process, a long-term project, but the difference is already

huge. Clubs like ours—along with others—are doing everything
to ensure these kids have a proper development of love and
passion for the beautiful game. They’re getting an introduction
to what football is like outside of the US, making them better
players and better people.

“It’s a whole new ball game.”

 THE UNDOING
PROJECT

52
53
54
A P L A C E CA L L E D
H O M E LO WA LK S U S TH RO U G H THE YOUTH
GILBE RT RA D IL
CO M E A K EY PA RT O F SO U TH CE NTRAL
CENTER THAT’S BE
 “A Place Called Home was established
in 1993 as a reaction to the LA
Riots in 1992. Started by Deborah
Constant, she came here wanting
to make a difference. Kids were
literally killing each other, and there
are stories about Deborah standing
between two rival gangs pointing
guns around her, and she’s right in
the middle defusing that conflict.
She’s a legend. She worked with
the teenagers in an after-school
program, and it became one of those
things where they were like: I like
coming here Deborah, but I also have
a younger brother and a younger
sister, and I can’t leave them at home
by themselves—can they come, too?
Soon the teens started bringing their
younger siblings, and it just blew up.
This all started in a basement in a
church not too far from here, they
outgrew that and moved into a bigger

55
basement, and then they quickly
outgrew that, too.

“We’ve been in this spot since

about 2000, and it’s just grown
and grown, evolving into so many
different programs. They include
Photos: Jonathan Turton

health and wellbeing—encompassing

athletics, gardening, nutrition, and
mental health with our counseling
department. We focus a lot on the
arts, too—fine arts, computers, music,
dance, culinary art. We do education
on all levels from elementary to high
school as well as university level. We
have social enterprise classes now
where children learn about business
and entrepreneurship because
everyone has a great idea, but where
do you go from there?
56
“Soccer is the most popular sport that we
have in this community. Our demographic
is mostly Latino families, so it’s in their
veins, it’s in their blood, almost like they’re
born with a soccer ball next to them in their
mother’s belly, which is amazing. Now we
have a sports league where all the fixtures are
scheduled, and the parents can get involved—
for the many of them who come from Latin
America, it’s a nostalgia thing, too, keeping
them part of the culture.

“For a long time, this neighborhood has been

known for its many challenges, particularly
crime. One of the places gang members
congregate is at the parks, so in a way, we’re
taking these spaces back amicably, even inviting
those folks to be a part of what we’re doing—and
their kids can be part of it, too. Those are not
real barriers to us. We have a lot of our youth
whose families are gang members. These kids,
they might be the first generation that breaks out
of that cycle...

“If we have a family that gets evicted from

their home for whatever reason, we partner

57
with shelters to provide for them until they
get back on their feet. We’ll have a holiday
where we provide toys, a food pantry, or
Thanksgiving dinner for the families with
kids on the waiting list just so they can
engage with us. We have 700 kids on that list
because our retention rate is so high. They
come here and stay coming. We also do the
South Central Sports Program, chartering
twenty other non-profits and schools that
cannot participate in sports because their
school district is so small and they do not
have the funding or the means. We invite
them to our league so their students can
also have that exposure in sports. We focus
on four seasons—soccer, American football,
basketball, and volleyball. We provide all of
that free of charge, through our sponsorships,
through a foundation that has granted us
money for the past five years—and Herbalife
and LA Galaxy are a big part of that. That
help goes a long way: soccer is one of the least
expensive sports to be involved with because
what do you need? A ball.”
 STREET USA
USA
USA
USA
USA
SOCCER USA
Mikayla Campbell of Street Soccer USA talks
about dedication to soccer for social change
in Watts and beyond…
“I’m from the San Fernando Valley and having attitude is picking up, though, here in LA, but we
played soccer since about the age of five, I’ve

58
still have a long way to go.
developed a unique understanding of soccer
within the Los Angeles landscape. I feel like I “When I first started at Street Soccer USA, I was
played every sport growing up but it was soccer under the impression that Watts was a largely
that stuck. I don’t think I ever asked to be a African-American community. Now I see that
goalkeeper, and I guess I never complained, but 98% of our program is Latino youth and perhaps
I got good at it, so I stayed there. I played in high a couple of black youth. In a sense, this was
school at Bishop Alemany in Mission Hills, and reflective of my experience playing soccer growing
then at Loyola Marymount University. I played up as my teams were never populated with more
for two years there, then studied abroad, going to than one or two black youth, and so in my
Spain, Cuba, and also participating in a domestic experience, I faced a lot of scrutiny as a black girl
exchange at Spelman College in Atlanta. During playing soccer.
my time in Cuba, I enjoyed the spontaneity of
participating in pickup games with the local “What I’ve seen is a deficit of black youth in
youth. Maybe that sparked something in me. soccer, and although I’m sure there are a variety
Looking back, that seems to have foreshadowed of reasons as to why, maybe it’s because we’re
what my relationship to soccer would be in the scrutinized or discouraged from playing. I think
next year. it’s very interesting because, elsewhere, soccer is
huge in other black countries across the globe. A
“Here in America, the upset at the men’s team large part of our work requires us to be culturally
not qualifying for the World Cup is symbolic sensitive, understanding that soccer is a highly
of how we treat soccer—especially youth soccer. influential component of Latino culture. Soccer
Sometimes, we over-complicate the sport. We has so much potential to grow youth on and off
talk about safe spaces to play, best practices in the field. I attribute so much of the woman that I
coaching, and forget the desire of youth to play am today and so much of my success to what I’ve
and have fun, to simply learn by playing. We don’t learned on the field. Now I can navigate so many
see many kids walking down the street kicking a diverse spaces because of the conversations that
ball here, as often as we might see it abroad. That I’ve had, and the leadership skills that I’ve grown
Photos: Jonathan Turton

59
60

The Street Soccer USA Cup—Los Angeles will be held August 18th at
LA Live, presented by the LA Galaxy Foundation. Proceeds from the Cup
Series fund Street Soccer USA’s soccer for social change programs, as
well as the installation of permanent fields for underserved kids to play at
throughout the year.
 questioning, rather than us guiding them to
the answers. That’s what football is all about,
really: this isn’t a game with timeouts. You have
to problem solve in real time, with all the speed
bumps that come with that, the stresses and
strains, with tired bodies and minds...

“This program was a little challenging for me

into and acquired. Leadership has never been
an issue for me, and maybe that’s because I was
a goalkeeper, often a very loud, communicative
position. Perhaps it doesn’t apply to every person
that plays soccer, but I believe I’ve become more
confident, and that’s really what the work we do
at first, as I wanted to hit the ground running.
I wanted to have so much impact straight away
and do all these things. The kids were probably
a little bit like: “Who’s this lady who wants us to
play all these new games?” I needed to step back
and have a relationship with everybody. But now,
the response from the kids is really positive. I’ve
started to form relationships with the parents
as well, and they’re beginning to catch on to
the work we’ve done. We did a USC clinic in
April which was a great exposure outing, and an
opportunity for the kids to see what is available
to them outside of Watts. That was also a huge
opportunity for the parents to see all we’re doing
and how we do what we do. There’s so much more
behind it. It’s not just soccer.”
Street Soccer USA is funded by the LA84

61
Foundation and City Council President Herb J.
here seeks to achieve. The Los Angeles Unified Wesson.
School District reports that 17,000 of its students
are homeless at any given time, and so our no-
cost community soccer programs help to promote
skills on and off the field, keeping kids engaged
and supported throughout middle school, high
school, and then, eventually, college. We want
to create self-determining problem-solvers. We
want help kids develop self-efficacy and have
the tools they need to succeed despite their
neighborhoods and so many external influences
placing limitations on their potential.

“At the core of our operation is the concept

of relationships. A summation of what I’ve
learned or how I’ve developed as an individual
through soccer has been dealing with adversity,
working with a team, and maintaining positive
relationships with members of said team. I
now carry that into my work life—the ability to
overcome challenges and deal with adversity.
We have the kids figure out how to solve their
own challenges through their own effective