Copa Libertadores 2018
Hello. We’ve been away for a while, but now we’re back with Copa Libertadores 2018. The following teams named after people are in the group stage:
Colo Colo
Vasco da Gama
Real Garcilaso
Bolivar
They are all in different groups, and if there is anything we love more than a football team named after a person, it’s two football teams named after people playing each other, so we will keep you posted if any teams meet in the next stage.
Temperley
Country: Argentina City: Buenos Aires
Founded: 1912 Colors: Blue and White
Stadium: Estadio Alfredo Beranger
Web: www.temperly.org.ar
Club Atletico Temperley has been around for quite a while, and while most of their time has been spent in lower divisions, they made it to Argentina’s Primera twice before going into bankruptcy in 1991. They came back to the fourth level of Argentine football in 1993 and has since then worked their way back up to the newly expanded first division where they currently play. They have two titles: a Primera B in 1974 and a Primera C in 1994-95. The club is known as La Celeste or Gasolero.
They are named after the city of Temperley in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, which is named after George Temperley, who arrived in Argentina from England in 1838. After working in various businesses, Temperley purchased a plot of land where he started a small farm. This area eventually grew into the city now known as Temperley. Goerge Temperley is also know as being one of the founders of the Rural Society of Argentina. He passed away in 1900.
Here’s a video that shows the city. Looks quite nice:
A great video showing the club’s return to the top:
King Faisal Babes FC
Country: Ghana City: Kumasi
Founded: 2003 Colors: Green, Yellow, and White
Stadium: Baba Yara Stadium
Web: ????
King Faisal Babes FC plays in the GN Bank Division One League in Zone 2. Little is known about King Faisal Babes FC as they have virtually no web presence. The team dates back to the early 2000’s when it was founded by the fiery Alhaji Karim Grunsah, who is no stranger to controversy. In the short life of King Faisal FC, Grunsah has admitted to bribing referees, slapped a flight attendant, and sued the league which delayed the start of the 2014 Ghanaian Premier League.
The team is named after Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the King of Saudi Arabia from 1964 until his assassination in 1975. King Faisal was the son of King Abdulaziz, the first ruler of the newly unified Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. King Faisal is credited with modernizing Saudi Arabia in the areas of education, finance, and religious inclusiveness. He was the first ruler to tackle the subject of education for women. King Faisal, against the objection of many of the country’s hardliners, opened schools for girls around the Kingdom.
It’s hard to find the exact reason why a team from Ghana would be named after the former King of Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom’s influence definitely reaches into Africa. There is a King Faisal University in Chad and a King Faisal Hospital in Rwanda. Saudi Arabia has, through the years, invested in Ghana. Maybe Alhaji Karim Grunsah is just a big fan.
Trabzon 1461
Country: Turkey City: Trabzon
Founded: 1998 Colors: Maroon, blue and white
Stadium: Akçaabat Fatih Stadium or Hüseyin Avni Aker Stadium
Web: 1461trabzon.com.tr
Trabzon 1461 is the feeder club for Trabzonspor (currently ranked 59th in Europe by UEFA.) They play in Turkey’s second division (TFF First League) but can’t be promoted to the Super Lig because in Turkey affiliates are not allowed to play in the same league as their owner clubs. They also play in the Turkish Cup, where they beat both Galatasaray and Fenerbahce away in 2013.
The team is named after the year that the Empire of Trebizond fell to the Ottoman Empire. Trebizond was a Greek successor state, and was known as the last Greek Empire.
Here’s a nice goal against Besiktas:
here’s the “Ultras” doing stuff they probably shouldn’t be:
Banfield
Country: Argentina City: Banfield, Buenos Aires
Founded: 21 January 1896 Colors: Green and white
Stadium: Estadio Florencio Sola
Web: clubabanfield.org
One of the oldest clubs in Argentina, Club Atletico Banfield has spent 44 years in the Argentine first division, but only have one title (2009). They do have 9 second division titles. They reached the quarter final of Libertadores in 2005. Famous Banfield players include James Rodriguez, Rodrigo Palacio, Mauro Camoranesi, Julio Cruz, Ricardo La Volpe, and none other than the current vice-president of Internazionale, Javier Zanetti.
The club was founded by a group of English settlers in Argentina. The original pitch was a field for grazing next to the train station. They are named after the neighborhood in Buenos Aires which is named after Edward Banfield. Mr. Banfield, born in London in 1837, was a railroad engineer who went to Argentina to help establish the Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway.
James Rodriguez starts his career at Banfield:
The fans:
A young Zanetti:
Puskás Akadémia FC
Country: Hungary City: Felcsut
Founded: 2007 Colors: Blue and white
Stadium: Pancho Arena Web: Puskas Akademia
Puskas Akademia FC is a fairly new team with very little history. It was started as an academy team for Videoton. Puskas Akademia FC has spent three of it’s nine seasons in existence playing in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I, Hungary’s top-flight professional league. It has never finished above tenth. They were relegated following the 2015-2016 season. Probably the most famous Puskas Akademia FC player is Werder Bremen‘s László Kleinheisler. He is part of Hungary’s Euro 2016 team.
While the team may still be in its infancy, the man, Ferenc Puskas, is an absolute legend of the game. Easily one of the best players and scorers of all time. Puskas, a striker, was part of the Mighty Magyars that won the gold medal at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki and were runners-up to West Germany at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland. Puskas had 85 caps for Hungary scoring 84 goals.
Puskas started his career at Budapest Honved FC. In twelve seasons with Honved he scored 352 goals, won five titles, and was the top scorer in Hungary four times. During Honved’s 1956 European Cup campaign, the Hungarian revolution broke out and the players refused to immediately return home. Eventually some of the players returned to Hungary, but Puskas declined and in 1958 he signed with Real Madrid. In eight seasons with Real Madrid he scored 225 goals, won five Spanish titles, three European Cups, an Intercontinental Cup, and was the top scorer (Pichichi) in Spain four times.
Pele named him to his FIFA 100. Puskas was also named the #6 best player in the world and the #4 best European player of the 20th century. While not very successful as a manager, Puskas was able to win two titles in Greece with Panathinaikos, a Paraguayan title with Sol de America, and an Australian title with South Melbourne Hellas.
Puskas died in 2006 of pneumonia. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2000.
The Team:
The man:
Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba
Country: Argentina City: Godoy Cruz
Founded: 21 June 1921 Colors: Blue and white
Stadium: Estadio Feliciano Gambarte
Web: clubgodoycruz.com
Club Desportivo Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba is one of our favorite teams because they are actually named after two different people! They were founded in a bar in 1921 by a group of friends. They’ve spent most of their time in regional leagues where they won quite a few titles. They reached the Argentine second division in 1994 and the first division in 2006. They made their Copa Libertadores debut in 2011. Their nickname is the “Bodoguero”, or “the wine producers” due to the large amount of wine that is produced in the region.
Lets start with Tomas Goday Cruz (1791 – 1852) – an Argentine politician and businessman from the Mendoza region. He was elected to the state congress at just 24 years of age and later served as governor of Mendoza province. His business interests included a gunpowder factory and silkworm cultivation.
Now on to Antonio Tomba. It’s a little more difficult to find information about him, but from what we can piece together, he was an Italian immigrant to Argentina. He was born in Valdangno and may have fought along with Garibaldi as a young man. He immigrated in 1824 to Mendoza, where he started a successful vineyard. At the age of 50, he planned to return to Italy, but he died on the high seas before he got there. The vineyard doesn’t seem to exist anymore, but you can read about it here.
The fans doing their thing:
The hymn:
A tribute:
Copa America 2016
Rosters are out and the following Copa America 2016 players play on teams named after dates or people:
Bolivia:
Edward Zenteno – Wiltsermann
Cristhian Machado – Wiltermann
Fernando Salcedo – Wilstermann
Chile:
Paulo Garces – Colo-colo
Jean Beausejour – Colo-colo
Esteban Pavez – Colo-colo
Ecuador:
Jaime Ayovi – Godoy Cruz
Haiti:
Ricardo Ade – Dom Bosco
Junior Delva – Dom Bosco
Kervans Belfort – 1461 Trabzon
Panama:
Eric Davis – DAC 1904
Ricardo Butrago – Juan Aurich
Alfredo Stephens – DAC 1904
Luis Tejada – Juan Aurich
Paraguay:
Justo Villar – Colo-Colo
Peru:
Pedro Gallese – Juan Aurich
Paolo de la Haza – Juan Aurich
Christian Ramos – Juan Aurich
Christofer Gonzalez – Colo-Colo
Alejandro Hohberg – Universitario Cesar Vallejo
Ivan Bulos – O’Higgins
Uruguay:
Martin Silva – Vasco da Gama
Footballers Named After Food: Brazil Edition
Continuing with footballers named after food, we go to Brazil with our top 5 Brazilian footballers named after food:
- Caju – Caju, or “Cashew” in English, had a long career playing for many Brazilian teams in the 70’s and 80’s. He also had a spell with Olympique de Marseille. He had many caps for the Brazilian national team and played in the 70 and 74 World Cups along with Pele and Rivelino. He got his nickname when he returned to Brazil from the United States with died red hair.
2. Cacau – You might know Cacau, or “Cocoa” in English, from the German National team, especially the 2010 World Cup. Born in Brazil, he went to Germany at a young age and has played for such clubs as VfB Stuttgart – which is actually named after a date, 1893, but more on them later.
3. Jefferson Feijao – Feijao means “beans” in English, and Jefferson Beans had a long career playing for a number of clubs in Brazil like International, Goias, and Botafogo. He also played in South Korea for Daegu FC and in China for Liaoning.
4. Junior Pipoca – Junior “Popcorn” has played for over 20 different clubs! He’s had stays at Union Espanola in Chile, Cordoba in Spain, Ajaccio in France, Derby and Watford in England, Malmo in Sweden, Copenhagen in Denmark, and a bunch of Brazilian teams. He’s currently with Jauzeirense.
5. Rodrigo Arroz – Rodrigo “Rice” has been with a number of lower-division Brazilian clubs and had a short spell in India with the Kerala Blasters. He could possibly be related to Barry Rice, but that’s not confirmed.
Football Teams Named After Dates or People 