by admin_em8z1e00 | Jun 3, 2025 | Soccer News
In the history of South African football—especially in the townships, locations, or urban cities—we all started with that “trap and push” in small, enclosed, half-ground spaces. This is where soccer stars like Theophilus Doctor “16V” Khumalo, Steven Pienaar, and current Mamelodi Sundowns player Khuliso Mudau began their journeys. Now, UnderGroundSoccer is rewriting the rules of the beautiful game, defying the odds to introduce a unique street tournament with shifting play courts and challenging conditions.
In traditional football, the game is played by two teams of 11 players on a rectangular field measuring between 100–115 metres in length and 64–75 metres in width. UGS is breaking traditional norms by introducing a unique 3v3 street format with no fixed playing pattern. The game takes place in the streets, in warehouses, on the rooftop of a 15th-storey abandoned building in the city center, or even on level 3 of a mall parking lot. Each team is allowed a maximum of four players—three on the pitch and one substitute—whereas in traditional football, coaches are permitted to make up to five substitutions during a match.
While traditional football forbids teams from playing without a designated goalkeeper, the opposite is true in the 3v3 street game—having a goalkeeper is not allowed. At its core, this version of the game is about individual skill, unique talent, creativity, tricks, and flicks, whereas traditional football emphasises teamwork and collective effort.
In traditional football, matches last 90 minutes. UGS operates on a completely different terrain, where each team plays every opponent in the league with the goal of earning maximum points. With four courts at every venue, the games are fast-paced—8 minutes per court, totaling 40 minutes—and each game features different rules and unique playing objects. By entering a league as a club, teams unlock new levels, and progressing to Level 5 earns an invitation to compete in exclusive VIP tournaments. These tournaments grant access to new courts and experiences. The top teams at each venue will compete in secret tournaments, and the top two teams per venue will qualify for the first-street pro league.
In traditional football, a win earns three points—but UGS has flipped the script on both the playing format and point system, which varies by court and level. Court 1 is The Hex, where a win earns two points and a draw earns one point, based on both goals and targets. Court 2, Double Trouble, follows the same scoring system as The Hex. Court 3 is Inside Out, where a win is worth four points and a draw earns two. Court 5, known as Squash Ball, offers the highest reward—a win earns five points, and a draw earns three.
In traditional football, a goal counts for one point, but UGS flips the script—each goal earns two points. Mzansi’s well-known diss, the “e’Shibobo/nutmeg/panna”, isn’t just flair—it’s a punishable offense with the player leaving the field for 30 seconds. If another player is dissed during that 30-second period, he doesn’t have to leave the field, but his team is penalised with a 2-point deduction. Some games even offer an extra bonus point. In UGS, missing a penalty also results in a 2-point deduction. Unlike traditional football, where the referee punishes offenses with yellow or red cards depending on the severity, UGS operates by its own unique set of rules.
A dangerous foul or handball anywhere on the court results in a 3-point deduction and a penalty awarded to the opposing team. Not wearing your armband leads to a 4-point deduction—one point per court. If a player is sent off after committing two fouls, the team loses 5 points. Swearing at referees or opponents also results in a 5-point deduction and immediate dismissal from the game. Two send-offs in one night lead to a 10-point deduction, and the player is banned from participating in any further games that night.
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Source: https://www.soccerladuma.co.za/local/underground-soccer/street-rules-how-ugs-flips-the-script-on-the-beautiful-game
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by admin_em8z1e00 | Jun 3, 2025 | Soccer News
Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning has joined the ownership group of the Denver NWSL expansion franchise that will begin play next year.
Manning is a five-time NFL MVP and a two-time Super Bowl champion who played his final four seasons with the Denver Broncos, retiring in 2016 shortly after leading the team to a Super Bowl title.
“It’s a real honor to be part of something so meaningful to the Colorado community,” Manning said in a statement. “I’m proud to support the growth of women’s sports and excited to help build a club that our city and our state can rally behind.”
minority investor in Gotham FC.
Denver NWSL also recently announced two-time Olympic champion Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin as part of its ownership group.
Cohen is a Colorado-based insurance executive who leads the ownership group. Other investors include Ariel Investments’ Project Level, led by president and co-CEO Mellody Hobson, and Molly Coors of the Coors family that once held ownership in MLB’s Colorado Rockies.
Jon-Erik Borgen, Kaia Borgen Moritz, Neelima Joshi, Dhiren Jhaver are also investors in the franchise.
temporary stadium south of Denver, in Centennial, Colorado.
The 12,000-seat venue will be surrounded by the team’s training center. Cohen and Denver’s ownership group previously announced plans to build a 14,500-seat stadium in Denver that is set to open in 2028.
The stadium would be only the second venue specifically built for an NWSL team.
Cohen & Co. were awarded the 2026 NWSL expansion franchise in December for a $110 million fee — over twice as much as the most recent expansion fees paid.
Boston Legacy FC, which was previously admitted to the NWSL for a $53 million expansion fee, will also begin play in 2026.
Source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/45441776/peyton-manning-joins-denver-nwsl-franchise-ownership-team
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by admin_em8z1e00 | Jun 3, 2025 | Soccer News
Following their CAF Champions League final defeat to Pyramids FC, there is an update on the future of Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso.
Sundowns were beaten 3-2 on aggregate by the Egyptian outfit, a big disappointment for the Tshwane giants after struggling for nine years to get into the final.
READ: Chiefs Tipped To Pounce On Sundowns Striker
Cardoso was brought in at the end of 2024 to replace Manqoba Mngqithi and one of the expectations for him was for the Portuguese mentor to lead the club to the Champions League final. He managed to get the club to the final hurdle, but they were unable to get their hands on the trophy.
Despite the defeat, Soccer Laduma understands that Cardoso has the full backing of management at Chloorkop and he will be given another opportunity to push for the Champions League title.
There is, however, a lot more pressure on the coach to deliver more than just the Betway Premiership title next season. The club is not likely to accept the coach not delivering the Champions League title next season.
READ: Downs Take Charge In Race For Stellies Star?
Sundowns are going to back Cardoso with new players during the transfer window, with the coach expected to have a bigger say in who they bring in after spending the last few months getting to know South African football better.
Soccer Laduma contacted Sundowns for comment on the situation but the club had not responded by the time this report was published.
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Source: https://www.soccerladuma.co.za/local/mamelodi-sundowns/mamelodi-sundowns-not-considering-miguel-cardoso-exit
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by admin_em8z1e00 | Jun 3, 2025 | Soccer News
Manchester United captain and star player Bruno Fernandes has reportedly made a decision on whether he will stay at the club or accept a lucrative offer from the Saudi Pro League.
Check Out: Official: Man Utd Secure £62.5m Signing
Late last month, rumours began to gather momentum suggesting that the Portuguese playmaker could be on the verge of leaving Old Trafford. It was alleged that the player’s agent was in Saudi Arabia to hear an offer tabled by Al Hilal for one of their marquee targets, believed to be extremely lucrative.
It is understood that the Blue Wave were willing to make the 30-year-old the third-highest-paid player in the league—behind Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo—offering him as much as £65 million (R1.5 billion) per year.
Given his age and the financial magnitude of the offer, it would likely have been tempting to accept. However, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has now revealed that the United skipper has rejected the opportunity to move to the oil-rich kingdom, as he wishes to continue competing at the highest level of European football.
Check Out: HISTORY: Rampant Clinch First UCL Title
Another Saudi transfer expert, Ben Jacobs, has stated that while Fernandes had been considering a possible departure from the Mancunian club, public statements by Ruben Amorim—who expressed his desire to retain the versatile midfielder—as well as discussions with his family, ultimately swayed him to remain in the Premier League.
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Source: https://www.soccerladuma.co.za/international/manchester-united/bruno-fernandes-rejects-al-hilal-move-from-man-utd-3
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by admin_em8z1e00 | Jun 3, 2025 | Soccer News
The college junior is bringing light to a dark journey, embracing optimism as she documents her battle with rare disease
Mia Hamant wanted to play through everything. It started with a bad cough that lingered for a while. Then the coughing fits became worse and longer-lasting. She made light of it at the time. Her goalkeeping coaches joked that she needed to stop smoking cigarettes – never mind the fact that she had never touched them.
A few months of that, and the University of Washington goalie still thought nothing of it. But then, on a team trip to Spain, she started getting other symptoms, including vomiting. The cough lingered, and Hamant – who by her nature would make an effort to play through anything – had to sit out two fixtures in a row.
That finally prompted her to go to the emergency room. A cough? Fine. An even worse cough? Play through it. Her body physically shutting down? It might be time to get checked out. The results came back, and doctors told her there were three possible options.
“It could either be an autoimmune disease, it could be an infection or it could be cancer,” she said. “I was like … what? Like, there’s no chance. That’s a sick joke.”
More tests followed, and then the troubling news came back. It was stage four SMARCB1-deficient kidney cancer, a rare condition that accounts for fewer than one percent of all kidney cancers. Some hospitals only see one case per year. She was, statistically, a medical anomaly.
That was nearly two months ago, and the time since for Hamant has been a whirlwind of treatment, chemotherapy and hospital bills. But through it all, she has been determined to use her diagnosis and the battle through it as a means of hope for others. She has documented all of it, insisted that she still go about the day-to-day of life, and worked towards the goal of playing soccer again – no matter how rare, or challenging, her condition is.
“You’ve got to have hope,” she says. “And that’s what I always say, is like, ‘If I don’t have something to shoot for, a goal to strive for, like, what is this? What are we doing?’ “
Source: https://www.goal.com/en-za/lists/you-ve-just-gotta-laugh-usl-w-league-goalkeeper-mia-hamant-fights-rare-cancer-with-positivity-and-purpose-determined-to-play-soccer-again/blt37f380623800edd1
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