That's really cool.The former Chelsea and Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech has joined British ice hockey team Guildford Phoenix.
The 37-year-old, who retired from playing football in the summer and rejoined Chelsea in an off-field role, has signed for Guildford as a goaltender.
Cech said he played the sport as a youngster in the Czech Republic. “I am delighted to have the opportunity to play with the Phoenix to get the match experience,” Cech told the club’s website.
“I hope I can help this young team to achieve their goals for the season and try to win as many games as possible when I have the chance to play.
“After 20 years of professional football this is going to be a wonderful experience for me to play the game I loved to watch and play as a kid.”
Phoenix, who were founded in 2017, are in the fourth tier of Britain’s ice hockey pyramid and have a home game at the Guildford Spectrum leisure complex against Swindon Wildcats II on Sunday.
Cech has been a Guildford season ticket holder/member and possibly investor for quite a long time, at least a decade. I've known he was a puckhead for a while, some of my ball hockey friends who played on ice for Guildford would see him at the rink fairly regularly.https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/oct/09/petr-cech-joins-guildford-phoenix-ice-hockey-team
That's really cool.
The most surprising thing in a surprising story is that there's a fourth tier to the British hockey pyramid, let alone one at all.
That's really cool.Cech has been a Guildford season ticket holder/member and possibly investor for quite a long time, at least a decade. I've known he was a puckhead for a while, some of my ball hockey friends who played on ice for Guildford would see him at the rink fairly regularly.
Hockey is a surprisingly enduring thing here in the UK, it's probably the most deeply rooted Big 4 sport in the country. That's not saying much, but not saying nothing either: the sport's maintained some kind of professional league for at least 30 years now. I went to a Romford Raiders game last year for work, as they chose my charity as their charity of the year, and there were at least 250-300 people there. And that's in London, which is the biggest black hole for support (not helpful, due to the number of expats/migrants here from hockey playing countries) due to the lack of good arenas with an ice plant. Belfast Giants average something like 4-5,000 and the Scottish teams and Nottingham do well too. They actually beat France this year in the World Championships, meaning they avoided relegation to Division I.
There's also the remarkable story of Tony Hand, one of the best what-if stories I've ever heard in sports. This article actually undersells how good he was and how interested teams were: after '86 there were other NHL teams interested, and plenty of bigger European teams, but Hand just constantly chose the UK, steady ice time and a steady paycheque over playing at a higher level. Can't say Tony ended up with a shit life, but boy oh boy, if homesickness and a poor kid's desire for stability didn't get in the way...
Speaking of, here’s a really cool story of a football club that started as a group of friends and then climbed 11 levels in 19 years.They're British, organizing society in tiers is what they do.
Ha, that was cool.Speaking of, here’s a really cool story of a football club that started as a group of friends and then climbed 11 levels in 19 years.
That guy sounds brilliant. I bet they make the League. What a story.Speaking of, here’s a really cool story of a football club that started as a group of friends and then climbed 11 levels in 19 years.
He's not doing badly. I can't find any statistics, but the report says he played fairly well, including 3 of 5 in the shootout.https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/oct/09/petr-cech-joins-guildford-phoenix-ice-hockey-team
That's really cool.
The most surprising thing in a surprising story is that there's a fourth tier to the British hockey pyramid, let alone one at all.
He was supposedly man of the match in his first game.He's not doing badly. I can't find any statistics, but the report says he played fairly well, including 3 of 5 in the shootout.
That was completely ridiculous. The best part of the BeIn broadcast was Phil saying how Boca was prepared for this. In other words you're telling me being prepared results in a half-hour delay?!? What does not being prepared...you know what, nevermind.Instead of pepper spray, tonight's match has been delayed for half an hour due to confetti.
View: https://twitter.com/rubronegroofi/status/1186804136647507968?s=20
How is that a penalty? Can substitutes even commit a foul?
https://www.fifa.com/mm/document/afdeveloping/refereeing/law_9_the_ball_in_and_out_play_en_47392.pdfIf, when the ball is in play, it touches a substitute player or a substituted player who are on the field of play, the referee shall stop the match and restart play with an indirect free kick against the team of the substitute or substituted player, from the position of the ball when play was stopped.*
this is instructive.Random question: why don’t more teams treat a deep throw as a set piece (similar to a corner kick), rather than simply being content to retain possession?
I figure most teams have a strong enough thrower to get the ball into the center of the box from the sideline. Is it just not an effective
play?
In high school, I could do a throw in about half the width of the field. I actually got promoted from JV to Varsity my junior year for state tournament purely for this skill. (Spoiler: I didn't actually get any playing time). It was a great skill in high school because it came with the element of surprise and you'd have in guarded players in the middle of the box. Professionally, you'd know exactly which players have the ability and it wouldn't be quite that effective.There’s a limit to how effective a throw-in can be deep in the opponent’s end, simply because there are few players who can get the ball into the box who you’d also want in the side for the rest of the match. People remember Rory Delap, but he was a former javelin thrower.
One area that could definitely be improved, though, is throw-ins away from the opponents’ goal. They turn into 50/50 duels 5-10 yards from the spot of the throw far too often, with players on the team throwing it in standing around as if this is just the way things are.
This was done ALL the time when I was in high school. Portsmouth, NH, in particular had a guy that would hang out near the touch line. When the ball went out he’d quickly sub himself in and take it. He’d go back out on the next break in play.Did your state high school regulations have open substitutions? That could make for an interesting tactical option.
Kid I played with in HS could do that flip throw- probably threw it 40 yards in tha air. It was deemed illegals though, as he had to have both feet on the ground or some shit.Maybe players should start emulating Michael Harris, who played in USL for a few years before retiring in his mid-20s.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5DOgg14_-s
Of note, most studies have shown that, on corner kicks, short corners that keep possession are worth more goals than using corners as a set piece. So, being "content" to retain possession actually seems to lead to more expected goals.Random question: why don’t more teams treat a deep throw as a set piece (similar to a corner kick), rather than simply being content to retain possession?
I figure most teams have a strong enough thrower to get the ball into the center of the box from the sideline. Is it just not an effective
play?
It wasn't a down year at all, it was probably Messi's best season since the 2014-15. He led La Liga in just about every statistical category, he was the best goalscorer, best creator, and ball-progresser all at the same time, he carried an otherwise aging and flawed Barca team to a league title and a champions league semifinal, and he became the best free-kick taker in modern memory.Messi was awarded the Ballon D'or, not that is breaking news or anything. I'm not going to argue that he doesn't deserve it or that someone unequivocally was better because they were not, but it feels kind of lame to just give it to Messi for a season that wasn't particularly outstanding by his impossibly high standards. Yes, that speaks to his brilliance that even in a "down" year he can still be the best player in the world, but I'd like to see a little more variety in these awards.
Agree with the sentiment - it may be repetitive for the same 2 dudes to keep winning this award, but Messi & Ronaldo are unnatural. And Messi was the world’s best player this year.“It was an amazing year but unfortunately there are a couple of players … that are unnatural,” he said. “You have to respect greatness.
Agreed 100%, he's be doing everything for Barca, he's the best player in the world still and it's not close. He also hasn't won since 2015, there's definitely been some variety in the award over the past few years.It wasn't a down year at all, it was probably Messi's best season since the 2014-15. He led La Liga in just about every statistical category, he was the best goalscorer, best creator, and ball-progresser all at the same time, he carried an otherwise aging and flawed Barca team to a league title and a champions league semifinal, and he became the best free-kick taker in modern memory.
It makes more sense intuitively to put a short corner out to a guy in space, at a better angle, who can pick out a range of teammates with a targeted pass (or shoot himself). It would seem to have a higher % than humping it up there and hoping that your CB gets his head on the end of it.Of note, most studies have shown that, on corner kicks, short corners that keep possession are worth more goals than using corners as a set piece. So, being "content" to retain possession actually seems to lead to more expected goals.