Check the print date at the bottom of this copy of Southern Soccer Scene. You will see that we moved our print schedule back a week for a number of production considerations.
This issue includes coverage of the start of the 2013 Collegiate soccer seasons. We include numerous preseason previews and rankings as they were made available by the different conferences.
New SSS Digital Version
Southern Soccer Scene is now producing a digital version of each monthly issue, which is part of our subscription package. Subscribers will receive a link to each issue by email. Starting with the August 23 issue, a link to the digital will appear on the topics bar above the “Slider” on our website www.southernsoccerscene.com.
We hope you enjoy this new feature, and reader comments, both pro and con, are welcome at ray@southernsoccerscene.com.
New Freelance Writer
Southern Soccer Scene welcomes a new freelance writer in our August 23, 2013 issue. Matt Stafford, a native of Ohio now living in Greensboro, NC, is a graduate of Cleveland State with an undergraduate degree in journalism.
Matt’s article about U.S. paralympic star forward Josh McKinney, who grew up in Hilton Head, SC, and now lives in Cary, NC, appears on page 19. Matt, who was recently involved in wheelchair soccer for the first time, has a common bond with McKinney, who has more than 100 appearances with the U.S. Paralympic National Team. They both live with Cerebral Palsey.
English In EPL All-Time Low
The opening weekend of the English Premier League marked an all-time low in terms of the number of Englishmen participating at the beginning of a season. According to the Guardian, two-thirds of those who played on opening weekend were foreigners.
For comparison: back in August 1992, 73.1 percent of starters held English nationality. This year, that figure fell to 33.6 percent. Further, just 12 of 61 signings made this summer have involved English players.
The English top flight now trails Spain’s La Liga, Germany’s Bundesliga, France’s Ligue 1 and Italy’s Serie A when it comes to showcasing indigenous talent.
World Cup Ticket Sale
It was a frenzied start to FIFA’s attempt to fill the stands for next year’s World Cup in Brazil as fans applied for more than 1 million tickets in seven hours. At the end of the first day of sales by FIFA, the website of football’s governing body showed that there were more ticket applications than the number of seats available in all four price categories for 12 of the 64 matches. FIFA said the highest amount of applications so far has come from Brazil, Argentina, the United States, Chile and England. Applicants will be notified later this fall by FIFA as to whether they will receive tickets.