Aug, 22, 2007 THE BUTLER DID IT
From the Met Oval to the Under-17 World Cup in Korea, Mark Luxama's amazing journey
When Ivan Luxama received a call from a man claiming to be Dominique Vorbe asking if Luxama’s son, Mark, could come to Haiti and try out for the Under-17 national team, which was preparing to play in the FIFA World Cup in Korea, he did what any other good father would do. He hung up.
June 22, 2007 THE BUTLER DID IT
Mets FC would be a hit in New York
Queens makes perfect sense for a professional soccer team. After all, it is the most ethnically diverse borough in the country and soccer is the most popular sport in the world.
May 23, 2007 THE BUTLER DID IT
RBNY can't get it right in youth development
Smart on-field moves have the New York Red Bulls third only to the New England Revolution and FC Dallas in the MLS standings. But the Red Bulls have been downright dumb in the youth development department.
THE BUTLER DID IT
Check out all of Dylan Butler's columns in The Butler Did It archive.
Jan. 25, 2007 THE BUTLER DID IT
Beckham brings hype, Reyna brings leadership
It was an announcement that wasn’t quite as ballyhooed as the one made a week ago, when David Beckham landed in Los Angeles. The international press didn’t make their way to Giants Stadium yesterday afternoon, Pat O’Brien didn’t MC the event and Good Morning America didn’t speak to him in the morning.
Nov. 27, 2006 THE BUTLER DID IT
Kevin Mesa living a European dream
When Kevin Mesa falls asleep at his parents' Elmhurst apartment, he doesn't have the "American Dream." There's no college graduation, corner office job, white picket fence or 2.5 kids. His dreams are much more European. He dreams of playing the sport he loves where it is called football and is passionately followed by millions. From the first time he kicked a soccer ball, that's been his aspiration.
Aug. 8, 2006 THE BUTLER DID IT
Tony Meola wins toughest battle of his life
Tony Meola repeated his age, as if the verbalization would help him come to grips with the nightmare of his near-death experience a couple of weeks ago. “I’m 37 years old,” he said, using his age as a caveat for having to deal with words like “fatal” and “amputation.”
June 29,2006 THE BUTLER DID IT
Johnston never given a chance by Red Bull
Marc de Grandpre is wrong. This move has nothing to do with results – how else can you explain making a move 24 hours before a game and bringing on an assistant coach with three months of MLS experience to coach a team during its busiest and most difficult stretch of games?
June 17, 2006 THE BUTLER DID IT
My World Cup tour, Part II -- New Jersey
As Portugal clinched their spot in the round of 16 with a 2-0 win over Iran Saturday morning, Manny DaSilva knew there was only one place to go. The corner of Ferry and Madison streets in the heart of the Ironbound section of Newark.
June 12, 2006 THE BUTLER DID IT
My World Cup tour Part I -- Astoria
I knew I was in the right place even before I walked through the doors. There was a huge beer truck parked outside and two burly men delivered keg after keg inside where a loud air horn blared on the other side of the huge walls.
May 13, 2006 THE BUTLER DID IT
Goal! The Dream Begins scores
Perhaps it echoes the sport’s struggle to compete for mainstream America’s attention, but there hasn’t exactly been a bevy of big budget soccer movies here. And the list of well done films is even shorter. So it’s refreshing when Disney decides to invest millions on not just a soccer movie, but a trilogy. “Goal! The Dream Begins” is the first of those films.
April 18, 2006 THE BUTLER DID IT
All I am saying is give Mo a chance
The news of his departure wasn’t nearly as stunning as the news of his arrival, but Alexi Lalas left New York the same way he arrived — in a swirling cloud of double talk. But as one circus leaves for the West Coast, another is set to arrive from Austria.
March 24, 2006 THE BUTLER DID IT
An open letter to George Zoffinger
The soccer public has spoken and they don’t care what you say because you don’t care about them. Enough with the political pandering, enough with trying to bully the soccer team that leases Giants Stadium, a “New Jersey landmark” as you put it.
March 9, 2006 THE BUTLER DID IT
MetroStars to Red Bulls makes sense and cents
It’s been the talk just about everywhere I’ve gone this week. From the Long Island Junior Soccer convention to a soccer-crazed Italian restaurant in Queens, everyone was talking about the Red Bull purchase and re-branding of the MetroStars.
