Arriving at the back post

  When Bosnia and Herzegovina arrived in Brazil for the 2014 World Cup , the staff and players cemented themselves as national hero e s.   The ir legacy?   “For younger generations of players, that team changed the way people think about what is possible ,” said the country’s former under-21 manager, Slobodan Starčević said.   “ In a nation that is often divided in many ways, the national team became a symbol of what Bosnia and Herzegovina can achieve when united behind a common goal .     “Before 2014, qualifying for the World Cup felt like a distant dream. After Brazil, it became an achievable objective . Many of today's Bosnian internationals grew up watching and admiring that generation,” added Starčević.   And many of those p ast greats have called time on their international playing career but two get to witness their impact 12 years o n, in the same competition.   Former Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac has been a constant for his nationa...

Graham Potter faces a challenging task. His Sweden side, filled with riches from the Premier League, Bundesliga and La Liga, have to overturn its dismal form to try and reach the World Cup through a play-off game against Ukraine and then potentially Poland or Albania. But Potter’s relationship with the Scandinavian country has been built on uphill battles.  His most daunting? Performing a rendition of Swan Lake with his Ostersunds FK squad. Former Ostersunds chairman, Daniel Kindberg, said: “It was extremely challenging because we had to move the performance for two weeks because we were heading for Europe.  “And it was exhausting because dancing is both mentally and physically challenging. But it went extremely well, and it is well-known. “It was a decision-making training method, and it was embraced by everybody, maybe not the first time and second time, but slowly everybody understood that this is the path we're going. And so it was, in the end, quite popular.” This was one...

PayPal Park’s 10-year anniversary is fast approaching. The 22 nd  March 2025 marks a century of San Jose Earthquake stagnation then regression married with a constant ability to underachieve even when expectations were seemingly rock bottom.  Last season they achieved a record-breaking fifth wooden spoon. It is hardly the way to enter the decennial year. There is little to cheer about and few reasons to show support. However, there is one pocket of the PayPal Park, located in Section 117-118, that adds vibrancy to the stadium, which has often been missing on the pitch. They are the Earthquakes’ ultras group, San Jose Ultras. Dan Margarit was Romanian born and an ardent Steaua Bucharest ultra who moved to California and wanted to spread the European fan experience to his new side, San Jose. Margarit, who is one of the founders of SJU, said: “After I moved to the States, I wanted to support my local team, which was San Jose Earthquakes. I started attending their games, and was p...