“That was actually the 1st United States to bet a primary International football staff?” inquires Kurt Perleberg.
When the USMNT began to apply for the Globe Mug regularly in the 1990s, United States internationals – and also goalkeepers particularly – came to be a routine attraction in International volleyball. Yet John Harkes, Tony Meola (remember his spells at Brighton and Watford? Nope, neither performed our company), Paul Caligiuri, Kasey Keller et cetera weren’t the 1st surge of United States footballers to intercross the garden pond.
Niche market geeks around the world are obligated to pay due to Tim Dockery, that has actually sent out a listing of a number of the earliest Americans to have actually shown up in the primary International games:
Italy: Alfio Argentieriwas actually birthed in New york city, however elevated in Italy. He bet Lazio in the 1936-37 time. Alfonso Negrowas actually birthed in Brooklyn, however typically elevated in Italy. Besides gaining Olympic gold in 1936 along with the Italian nationwide staff, he bet Fiorentina coming from 1934-38 and also Napoli in 1938.
England: Jim Brownwas actually a Scotsman that came to be a naturalised United States person in the mid-1930s, a couple of years after he embodied the United States at the 1930 Globe Mug. He bet Manchester United (1932-34) and also Tottenham (1936-37). Alexander Woodwas actually an additional Scotsman that came to be a naturalised United States person after relocating to United States at 14. He additionally embodied all of them at the 1930 Globe Mug (he was actually entitled via his father brown’s citizenship) and also bet Leicester Metropolitan area (1933-36) and also Nottingham Woodland (1936-37).
Germany: Andy Mate, Hungarian-born, gained one limit. Besides participating in the New york city Universe’ very first video game, he racked up 2 targets in the course of his short assignment along with Hamburg in the 1964-65 time.
France: Joe Gaetjens, after once slashing the only objective versus England in the 1950 Globe Mug suit, he blew up to participate in 4 ready Competing Nightclub de Paris (at that point in Ligue 1), where he slashed two times.
Spain: Kasey Keller appears extremely latest to become the 1st United States to participate in expertly in Spain, however AS says his 1999-2000 time along with Rayo Vallecano was actually the launching of a United States in Los Angeles Liga.
It seems like AS correct. Peter Vermes and also Button Ramos played in Spain previously in the 1990s, both for Figueres as well as additionally authentic Betis in Ramos’s instance, however their groups weren’t in the Primera Divisíon at the moment. Ramos will probably have actually been actually the 1st United States to play in Los angeles Liga were it except among the Globe Mug’s a lot of well known attacks. Betis were actually marketed in 1993-94, however the South america left-back Leonardo fractured Ramos’s head along with a savage arm joint at United States 94, which implied Ramos was actually not available when Betis went back to Los angeles Liga. In January 1995, he came to be the 1st gamer to enroll for the all-new Major League Soccer.
Our company carried out locate another France-based gamer newsworthy: John Donoghue, an American-born guardian that bet Celtic, additionally possessed a streak along with Excelsior Roubaix coming from 1932-35. They may certainly not consider as a primary nightclub – they don’t exist any longer – however at the moment they consistently ended up in the best fifty percent of the French best trip, and also they gained the Sports car de France in Donoghue’s 1st time. As well as Celtic are actually undoubtedly a primary nightclub.
Prior To Donoghue et cetera, there was actually the unfortunate account of Swirl Hamel, that was actually birthed in New york city to Jewish migrants coming from the Netherlands in 1902. His loved ones returned to Amsterdam when he was actually a young adult.
“Swirl, a skilled right winger, signed up with Ajax in 1922 and also came to be the 1st Jewish gamer and also the 1st United States to work with the nightclub,” composes Adi Zalmanowicz. “During the course of his 8 years at Ajax he came to be a follower favorite, showing up in 125 activities and also composing 8 targets.
“After the Nazis filled the Netherlands in the course of the 2nd war of the nations, Hamel was actually imprisoned regardless of his United States citizenship – given that he was actually a Jew. He was actually sent out to Auschwitz-Birkenau in late-1942, and also after a couple of months of tough work and also torment, he was actually slaughtered in the concentration camp on 30 April 1943. He was actually 40 years of ages.”
There is actually a phase dedicated to Hamel in Simon Kuper’s great publication Ajax, The Dutch, The War, that includes this moment coming from a senior proponent:
High young boy, dark hair brushed back. Certainly not an item of the Jewish Fourth. He was what you may name a beloved. Swirl Hamel, I can easily still observe him prior to me. Quick, and also he possessed a terrific cross. One Thing like David Beckham right now. Ach, it was actually all of various at that point. The velocity of Swirl Hamel is actually a snail’s speed right now.
Hamel appears to become the 1st United States to bet among modern-day volleyball’s primary nightclubs, however Chris Matterface possesses a fascinating account coming from the 19th century: “It undoubtedly relies on just how you describe a ‘primary International staff’, however in the outlying times of the 1870s, the champions of the FA Mug will perhaps consider through nonpayment dued to the fact that thus little bit of volleyball was actually being actually participated in outside the UK.
“Boston-born Julian Sturgis performed the gaining staff for versus Oxford College in the 1873 FA Mug last. In 2004, a lot of resources stated that Tim Howard had actually come to be the 1st United States to succeed the FA Mug when he assisted Manchester United hammered Millwall, however they were actually regretfully improper.” Which is actually a pity, given that possessed they discussed Sturgis, they will possess been actually required to inform a number of his extraordinary life story: Etonian, rower, lawyer, author, writer, librettist, lyricist – and also, pretty perhaps, the 1st United States to bet a primary International staff.
(NB: the globalisation of ladies’s regulation football happened a lot eventually, however our company believe the 1st USWNT gamers to bet a primary International edge were actually Ali Krieger and also Gina Lewandowski. They signed up with FFC Frankfurt in 2007 and also gained the Uefa Female’s Mug – right now the Champions Game – in their 1st time.)
Tight near the bottom
“At the midway phase of the Premier Game time, all-time low 7 groups are actually divided through merely 2 purposes. Possesses there ever before been actually such a cramping transfer war in the Premier Game?” inquires William Bailey.
As William claims, there are actually merely 2 purposes dividing Leeds in 14th (though they possess an activity in palm) and also Southampton in 20th. That’s smaller than the three-point gap between Leeds and Nottingham Forest in 13th.
Often by this stage, at least one team has been cut adrift at the bottom. At the halfway stage of the 2020-21 season, for example, there were a whopping 17 points between bottom club Sheffield United and 14th-placed Wolves. That’s the biggest gap in English top-flight history, never mind the Premier League era.
In lieu of a life, we’ve been through every English season since the change to three points for a win in 1981-82. In 17 of the 42 seasons, the bottom seven were separated by at least 10 points at the halfway stage. And it has never been as tight at the bottom.
The snuggest relegation scraps before this season were in 1986-87, 2010-11 and 2013-14, when the bottom seven were separated by five points. A couple of notes. In 2010-11, the entire bottom half – including Liverpool, who had struggled under Roy Hodgson, and Everton – were separated by those five points. And in 1986-87, the teams in the bottom seven included today’s superpowers Chelsea, Newcastle and Manchester City. Manchester United had only just clambered out of that group. City were eventually relegated along with Leicester and Aston Villa.
There were, for obvious reasons, some tighter tables in the era of two points for a win. But, while we’d be loath to swear to this under oath, we think that even between 1888 and 1981 there was only a single example of the bottom seven being separated by two points or fewer at the halfway stage of the season. That was in 1910-11, when 20th-placed Woolwich Arsenal were only two points behind Spurs in 14th. This vague precedent gives hope to Southampton and the rest of this season’s strugglers. Woolwich Arsenal and The Wednesday, the teams in the two relegation places at the halfway stage, finished in 10th and sixth, respectively.
Knowledge archive
“Did the great and the good of football officialdom (OK, Sepp Blatter) actually ever play the game professionally?” asked Andy Burrows in 2007.
Not professionally, but football’s then-biggest cheese did play as a striker at an amateur level for a number of years in Switzerland. Indeed, according to Fifa’s official website, Blatter’s career spanned a whopping 23 years from 1948 (this is presumably including youth football as he would have been 12 at that time) to 1971 – most, if not all of which, was spent with hometown side FC Visp.
“I scored a lot of goals,” boasted Blatter to interviewers from CNN as they filmed a documentary about him in 2006. “That’s not a false modesty – it’s really true, especially at the youth level.” We’d be inclined not to believe him about this, or the story about splitting a pair of boots (“I took the left, he took the right”) with a friend for his first ever game, but since he did own up to diving (“I was not a perfect player, I have to say, being a striker”) and having a go at referees during his playing days in the same interview, we’re prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Can you help?
“Transfer announcement videos are everywhere these days – even Romeo Beckham had one when he joined Brentford’s reserve team. But who was the first player to appear in one?” asks Colin Apps.
“Shakira’s epic takedown of her ex, Gerard Piqué, has been a smash hit worldwide (certainly, in terms of YouTube views),” writes Rashaad Jorden. “So I wonder … has any other footballer been the subject of a diss track?”
What’s the longest unbeaten home record for a team playing at a brand new stadium? And which team played the most games at a new home ground before their first win?
— agatiefan (@AgaTieFan) January 17, 2023
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What’s the longest unbeaten home record for a team playing at a brand new stadium? And which team played the most games at a new home ground before their first win?
— agatiefan (@AgaTieFan) January 17, 2023
“Has anyone ever missed two penalties in the same shootout?” wonders James Pollard.
“A goalscorer joyfully taking off their shirt has been banned since 2004, when Fifa and Ifab made such a demonstration punishable by a mandatory yellow card,” notes Seb Clare. “But who was the player to start this form of celebration?”
Is Swindon's 5-0 win this afternoon the biggest by a team with a caretaker manager(s)?
— Jack Tanner (@mrjacktanner) January 14, 2023
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Is Swindon is actually 5-0 win this afternoon the biggest by a team with a caretaker manager(s)?
— Jack Tanner (@mrjacktanner) January 14, 2023
“Scott Sinclair scored his first Bristol Rovers goal last year, a short 6,523 days after his debut on Boxing Day 2004. Is this the record for the longest void in between a player’s debut and also first goal?” asks Tim Woods.
Mail us your questions or even tweet @TheKnowledge_GU.