Stevie Wonder's Boston Soccer Story

In 1967, a young Stevie Wonder met with a newly established American soccer team for a wild crossover that's been forgotten over time. This week, we look back at when this legendary music artist bonded with the Boston Rovers during a random away day. Plus, we examine a curious soccer story out of the cruise ship at the center of the Hantavirus outbreak, look ahead at the return of the soccer bus, unveil our collab magazine with VICE, and much more.

This week’s stories:

• 🚌 The Return of the Soccer Bus + New Mag!

• 🚢 Champions League on the Hantavirus Cruise

• 🎹 Stevie Wonder's Boston Soccer Story

• 🎤 World Cup Opening Ceremony Line-Ups

• 🗳️ Poll + Last Week’s Answers

• ➡️ And More

CLUBELEVEN
The Return of the Soccer Bus + New Mag!

We’ve been hard at work getting the bus ready for the summer, and we’ll be unveiling its brand new look this Saturday, May 16, at the VICE Cup in New York. Come say hello at Pier 2 and be the first to see it!

Plus, we’ll be handing out copies of our latest print project, in collaboration with VICE, for free at the event. Here’s what you can expect from this 100-page magazine 👀

CULTURE
Champions League on the Hantavirus Cruise

There’s been a lot of news floating around about the Hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship over the past week.

As I was reading up about the virus, I stumbled upon images of passengers keeping busy by tuning in to the end of the European football season.

Here are photos of them watching the Champions League match between Bayern Munich and PSG.

COVER STORY
Stevie Wonder's Boston Soccer Story

Tomorrow is Stevie Wonder’s birthday, so I figured it was the perfect time to dig this fun anecdote up!

The year was 1967, and the United Soccer Association was one of the main leagues in the country, looking to spark pro soccer again in the US (it would later go on to merge with the NPSL to create the iconic NASL).

The curious thing about this league was that every team was actually an imported European or South American club, just outfitted with a "local" name.

The Shamrock Rovers from Ireland became the Boston Rovers, Stoke City became the Cleveland Stokers, the Wolverhampton Wanderers became the LA Wolves, and so on and so forth.

Naturally, many of the players on these teams got into wild American adventures, like giving lectures at Harvard, attending a TV show taping with The Monkees, getting drunk with Chuck Berry, and, believe it or not, participating in a hotel sing-along with a young Stevie Wonder.

The lucky players to meet Stevie Wonder were members of the Boston (Shamrock) Rovers, and it happened on an away trip to Canada.

Irish soccer legend Mick Leech remembers it like it was yesterday:

“We were getting into the lift after training, and there was this big lad. He looked about 6ft 4in high and 6ft wide!

“He asks us to press the button for him. Then it was, ‘You have strange accents,’ and we started talking.

“‘What are you doing here?’ ‘Oh, we’re playing football, what are you doing here?’ He said, ‘Oh, I’m playing some music.’

“So we asked, ‘What’s your name?’

‘Little Stevie ­Wonder.’

“We all broke out laughing. He was a huge lad, even though he was only about 16 or 17.”

Later that night, a few of the players then ended up attending an impromptu sing-along session with Stevie Wonder in one of the meeting rooms at the hotel.

It just breaks my brain to think Stevie Wonder sang songs with players from an “American” soccer team, in a US league that lasted less than a year. I’d give everything to go back in time and witness that.

MUSIC
World Cup Opening Ceremony Line-Ups

Surprise, surprise!

For the first time in World Cup history, there will be three opening ceremonies to the tournament. Check out the line-ups for each country here.

It’ll be interesting to see how each one showcases the distinct cultures of Mexico, the US, and Canada.

It was also announced that there will be special ceremonies to mark America's 250th anniversary at games in Houston and Philadelphia on July 4.

CLUBELEVEN
The Supporters Section

Let us know your thoughts—we’ll feature your best answers next week!

CLUBELEVEN
Aggregates

Goodbye James: It seems like the Colombian star’s time in MLS, or at least at Minnesota United, might be over. Here’s what happened…

Ronaldo’s USL Record: Last week, the iconic Ronaldo Damus joined the exclusive club of players who’ve scored 50 goals in the USL Championship. League legend by all accounts.

Dai Dai: If you haven’t had the chance to listen to the teaser of Shakira’s new World Cup song, here it is! It drops May 14.

Crucial: Always great to see the Washington Spirit doing well. They’re on a five-game win streak, and this one player is responsible for scoring game winners in their last two games.

Hat Trick: And speaking of goal scorers, Temwa Chawinga became the first KC Current player ever to achieve this feat. 

FASHION
Foreign x Worldie FC

An awesome collaboration between our good friends at Foreign and Worldie FC!

Anchored around freestyle culture, the One of One collection features 15 one-of-a-kind, handcrafted pieces built from rare archive kit templates. No two pieces are the same, and none will be reproduced again, tying directly into the ethos of the world it represents, where originality, individuality, and being unrepeatable are everything.

Get your hands on one of these amazing limited-edition kits HERE!

COMEDY
Wemby Fires Shots at Arsenal

Gotta love a cheeky crossover between soccer and basketball.

This past week, San Antonio Spurs player Victor Wembanyama threw some darts over at Arsenal and their style of play.

We’ll see who ends up having the last laugh following this playful exchange…

CLUBELEVEN
Your Takes 🗯️ 

Last week, we asked you: Do you think the Whitecaps will stay in Vancouver? Here are some of your answers:

• “No. It sucks but I think it’s a done deal that they’re leaving.” - BD

• “Yes. I’m still holding out hope for something like with the Crew.” - Ben

The poll results came in at 57% for “No” and 43% for “Yes.”

Although I think it’s unlikely, I’m holding out hope for one last Hail Mary that might work. It would be devastating if the Whitecaps move.

UP NEXT
More Shooting

Writing this one from Houston, TX. We’ve still got a couple more cities to go for this special World Cup project, but can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on soon!

And, if you’re in the NYC area, make sure to come check out the new-and-improved bus this Saturday at Pier 2 and grab a free copy of our latest magazine in collaboration with VICE.

Onwards!!

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Have a great Tuesday!

Pablo