Synopsis

Phil Weston has spent his life in the shadow of his intensely competitive father. When Phil takes over coaching a struggling children's soccer team, he sees a chance to prove himself. His determination soon turns the season into an increasingly chaotic battle, as Phil adopts questionable tactics, clashes with his father, and learns that winning matters less than becoming the kind of parent he wants to be.

Factoids & Trivia

• Will Ferrell has said that this is his favorite film among his own movies for sentimental reasons. During production, his wife gave birth to their first son, and Ferrell imagined eventually watching the film with him.

• The names printed on several players' jerseys belonged to members of the production crew, including "Apatow" and "Watson."

• The infant seen at the beginning of the film, despite representing Phil as a baby, was actually a girl.

• Mike Ditka appears as himself and reportedly suffered a dislocated hip replacement while filming a bench scene. After receiving medical attention, he continued with the production.

• The film was released in the United States on May 13, 2005. It earned approximately $56.1 million worldwide against an estimated $45 million budget.

• This film is unrelated to Noah Baumbach's 1995 independent comedy-drama of the same title, a distinction that has sometimes caused confusion between the two movies.