So, as I assume you all know, Mexico and Uruguay have essentially gotten through to the next round, with only certain absurd goal differentials rendering possibilities for France or South Africa. I have certain hopes for South Africa to pull off a four – nil win, but who are we kidding. And the French, well, I’ll only express my views on the French in public, but as a hint I was rather delighted with Thursday’s rubbing…and they were ranked two in the world…
Anyways, babbling aside, (speaking of refs who I wouldn’t mind seeing, well, cease to exist after the U.S. match, but I’ve already heard these sentiments three times in the last hour after the match and I work in an office –everyone is apparently hard at work – so I won’t bore you with more rants) I have been thinking about what might happen in the Mexico Uruguay match next week…I mean, if they tie they both move on, and what would send a better message of political solidarity from Latin America than a truce to move ahead together. So, here goes.
The vuvuzuelas have already began their deafening blare from the confetti colored stands. Mexicans are double-fisting budweisers, already two verses ahead of their national anthem. The Uruguayans eyes have become glued to the big screen where the cameramen have taken to scoping out the most beautiful girls in the audience. Mexico wins the coin toss and we are off, Dos Santos already with an early attempt up the middle, seeming to be duffed, landing right in the Uruguayan keeper’s hands.
But, instead of kicking the ball off up field, he points into the crowd and blasts the ball up into the stands, sparking a shower of blue, white, green and red confetti to be strewn over the field by the fans. Dos Santos rips off his mask to reveal he had been Diego Forlán the whole time. The fans start hopping the fence, stripping into their dance clothes, and the two DJs who had snuck up into the commentator’s booths plugged in the speakers that had been laid out around the stadium and announce the take-over. Ray Hudson, who had been hanging out in the booth, however confused at first, goes with it. The lights suddenly go out.
Shining in a spotlight that had been brought in by a spectator, Juanes falls down from roof, hooked up with cords, let down atop the Mexican side’s goal, and begins singing “Ayer me dijiste que tú me quieres, pero todo fue mentira,” as strobe lights began the party. Lions in cages appear from the locker rooms. The field has become filled with the fans and those who haven’t taken off their shirts take off their pants and once Juanes finishes they begin tangoing in unison, a seemingly odd structure amid this chaos. Doug, an American spectator, turns to his buddies and says, “Fuck it,” stripping completely naked and running into the crowd screaming. As Diego Maradona bends back to clear the limbo, Zaira Nura turns her head in disgust, whispering under her breath, “Ew, disgusting.”
At the ninety-minute mark, everyone calmly disperses out of the stadium, clearing their confetti as they leave.
June 18, 2010
England Spineless versus Algeria in 0-0 Draw.
England put in a display worthy of an MLS team against a determined and organized Algerian side fighting for their World Cup Lives in the two sides' 0-0 draw earlier today. The big news for England before the game was that Rob Green was replaced in goal by David "Calamity" James- not a move that inspired confidence in any England fan. The other change in the squad was replacing the ineffective, and injured, James Milner with the newly fit Gareth Barry. The Lampard- Gerrard- Barry midfield served the team so well in qualifying yet all three players lacked energy, finesse on the ball, and that killer final ball they are all three known so well for. Algeria, to their credit, played very well and didn't sit back and wait for England to possess the ball. On the contrary, Algeria maintained the better part of the possession in the first half, with England's midfield struggling to maintain possession and Heskey and Rooney up front showing poor control and decision making. Algeria played a several dangerous crosses into the box during the first half although the best chance came to Lampard in the Algerian's box when his left foot volley careened off his shin guard and was well saved with a dive to the left by the Algerian keeper (playing his first full international). The first half ended with little else of interest.
The second half saw the early substitution of Wright-Phillips for Lennon, a seemingly zero net substitution unless Lennon was carrying an injury. The midfield looked more dangerous and England had a string of corners yet no one could get a clean look, neither with a header nor on a second ball after the corner. Heskey seemed to tire quickly in the second half, begging for a substitution which came in the name of Defoe, preferred here to Crouch. Defoe provided energy and played a good link up with Gerrard (I think) that nearly provided England's opener but for some great last gasp defense by the Algerians. Surprisingly England's outside backs, Johnson and Cole, were largely ineffective in overlapping runs by a well run Algerian midfield and defense. When England did break forward and gather a rush of steam the final touch often let them down, as it did to Rooney on several occasions as well as Johnson on a number of crosses from the right. To make matters worse, Carragher was yellow carded, ruling him out of the third, and crucial, game against Slovenia next Wednesday. England are through if they win as Slovenia will remain on 4 points, regardless of what the USA does against Algeria. An England tie and a US win puts the USA and Slovenia on to the second round.
After watching this frustrating game I am trying to think of what is wrong in the England squad. Their players obviously have got talent to play with the best teams in the world. It seemed as if England had figured out a winning combination based on their excellent record during some tough matches in qualification; however, their play thus far has shown little conviction, desire, creativity, or raw determination to win the games, let alone any 50-50 balls or balls in the air. The USA displayed incredible grit and effort in its come back tie (should have been a win if not for the third goal being controversially disallowed) that seems to demonstrate exactly what England lack. Capello's formation that worked so well the last several years can't be blamed as the results have been impressive overall. Are the English players, used to playing high pressure games every week in the Premiership, wilting under the pressure of 50 million viewers at home? It seems so, even with David Beckham and his dapper gray suit and Princes William and Harry in attendance today. The player I am most disappointed with (don't start me on Mr Green)? Wayne Rooney. He's got the touch that strikers across the world are jealous of, he's got the heart of a lion, he's tireless, fearless, and he had a great season at Manchester United. To be fair he is coming off a few injuries and is only just regaining his fitness but as England's best player ( I don't think there is any doubt about that now) more is expected of you. Rooney needs touches on the ball to integrate the midfield triumvirate and link up with the wingers and outside backs. Knocking the ball long to Heskey can create instant offense but it is extremely easy to defend, particularly with Heskey and the Roonatic going 2 v. 4 much of the time. Increasing Rooney's touches in the midfield allows Stevie G. and Lamps to make their attacking runs they are so well known for and opens up space for Lennon, Cole, and Johnson to get into the channels in the defense. Unfortunately Rooney hasn't shown the passion for which he is known when he suits up for United. If England have any chance of beating Slovenia, and of advancing beyond the second round, Rooney better decide to play like he wants to win every ball and Capello better cook up something to galvanize the English locker room to want to win (much like the US demonstrated against Slovenia) rather than relying on the merits of their talent to passively carry them through.
Please comment with any disagreements or omissions I may have made.
Fearing an Epic England Collapse,
Matt
The second half saw the early substitution of Wright-Phillips for Lennon, a seemingly zero net substitution unless Lennon was carrying an injury. The midfield looked more dangerous and England had a string of corners yet no one could get a clean look, neither with a header nor on a second ball after the corner. Heskey seemed to tire quickly in the second half, begging for a substitution which came in the name of Defoe, preferred here to Crouch. Defoe provided energy and played a good link up with Gerrard (I think) that nearly provided England's opener but for some great last gasp defense by the Algerians. Surprisingly England's outside backs, Johnson and Cole, were largely ineffective in overlapping runs by a well run Algerian midfield and defense. When England did break forward and gather a rush of steam the final touch often let them down, as it did to Rooney on several occasions as well as Johnson on a number of crosses from the right. To make matters worse, Carragher was yellow carded, ruling him out of the third, and crucial, game against Slovenia next Wednesday. England are through if they win as Slovenia will remain on 4 points, regardless of what the USA does against Algeria. An England tie and a US win puts the USA and Slovenia on to the second round.
After watching this frustrating game I am trying to think of what is wrong in the England squad. Their players obviously have got talent to play with the best teams in the world. It seemed as if England had figured out a winning combination based on their excellent record during some tough matches in qualification; however, their play thus far has shown little conviction, desire, creativity, or raw determination to win the games, let alone any 50-50 balls or balls in the air. The USA displayed incredible grit and effort in its come back tie (should have been a win if not for the third goal being controversially disallowed) that seems to demonstrate exactly what England lack. Capello's formation that worked so well the last several years can't be blamed as the results have been impressive overall. Are the English players, used to playing high pressure games every week in the Premiership, wilting under the pressure of 50 million viewers at home? It seems so, even with David Beckham and his dapper gray suit and Princes William and Harry in attendance today. The player I am most disappointed with (don't start me on Mr Green)? Wayne Rooney. He's got the touch that strikers across the world are jealous of, he's got the heart of a lion, he's tireless, fearless, and he had a great season at Manchester United. To be fair he is coming off a few injuries and is only just regaining his fitness but as England's best player ( I don't think there is any doubt about that now) more is expected of you. Rooney needs touches on the ball to integrate the midfield triumvirate and link up with the wingers and outside backs. Knocking the ball long to Heskey can create instant offense but it is extremely easy to defend, particularly with Heskey and the Roonatic going 2 v. 4 much of the time. Increasing Rooney's touches in the midfield allows Stevie G. and Lamps to make their attacking runs they are so well known for and opens up space for Lennon, Cole, and Johnson to get into the channels in the defense. Unfortunately Rooney hasn't shown the passion for which he is known when he suits up for United. If England have any chance of beating Slovenia, and of advancing beyond the second round, Rooney better decide to play like he wants to win every ball and Capello better cook up something to galvanize the English locker room to want to win (much like the US demonstrated against Slovenia) rather than relying on the merits of their talent to passively carry them through.
Please comment with any disagreements or omissions I may have made.
Fearing an Epic England Collapse,
Matt
June 17, 2010
Madmen
With all of the press surrounding the Diego Maradona and Leo "Messi"ah led Argentina team, I want to weigh in on two competing systems of football. Namely what the 1970s dutch "sexy football" team embodied versus the traditional italian style.
After watching the Argentina-South Korea match this morning, I think I have an idea why--despite all of their defensive frailties and Maradona's apparent insanity--Argentina has the potential to succeed. Maradona's lineup only consisted of four so called defense-minded players as he managed to have Messi, Higuain, Tevez, Maxi and Di Maria on the pitch at the same time. The reason that this works (I think) is that Maradona is letting his players have fun. He has opened up the lineup to allow bold creativity and flashy offensive play. Messi has achieved some of the form that he shows consistently in Barcelona, and for the second straight game he inspired his Argentina team. Today in the New York Times, David Brooks (however much it pains me to agree with him) has an interesting view about soccer:
"Soccer is a sport that rewards neurotic creativity. Many of the greatest players have been marginally insane. They see a situation unfold before them and they respond in unpredictable ways, not straightforward ones. Their neurons are just a bit off."
My initial reaction is to disagree, considering it a bit harsh, but then I think... Zidane, Maradona, Ronaldino, Rooney, Ronaldo (Both the tranny-hooker and the Paris Hilton versions). Brooks may have a point, and Argentina may have a chance. With Maradona at the helm he will take some media pressure off of his team by being insane, but in the meantime will give his offensive geniuses the freedom to express their own creativity.
Also, I see this as America's biggest deficiency (Sorry landy cakes). The US is a team defined by tenacity and the mentality that sum of our parts is greater than our individual talent. Big, fast, athletic players are the ones who make it into the national team. Without a culture of kids playing in the street and showing one another up with fancy moves, personal creativity gets stifled at an early age with the "everyones a winner" mentality in AYSO. Jose Francisco Torres, Clint Dempsey and Benny Feilhaber are the closest thing the USA has to mad geniuses, but there touch is lacking. I don't know how or when or if this creative force will develop in America, but I wouldn't favor our chances of making a deep run in the World Cup without this type of player.
Of course people can say that Italy won it last time by curbing personal initiative and acting as a disciplined unit. But, that's boring and for our sake I hope we get to see a team led by a madman make a good run. Vamos Espana, Chile y Argentina!
June 16, 2010
Angry Fans Hang S.A. – Uruguay Ref Busacca from Swiss Scarf
Just kidding. But I wouldn’t be surprised if we see those headlines tomorrow.
In case you didn’t watch the game, South African keeper Itumeleng Khune was given a red card by the Swiss referee Massimo Busacca in the 76th minute. Star forward Steven Pienaar was then taken off to make room for the inexperienced replacement keeper Moneed Josephs, who was immediately beaten by Diego Forlan’s penalty.
I am a South African national, and although I’ve spent the better part of my life outside of the Rainbow Nation I feel I need to say a couple things about what this means for our nation, and the game at large.
Admittedly, we didn’t play very well today. Nonetheless, the two goals that we conceded in the last ten to fifteen minutes of the game were salt in the wound for the nation at large. Forlan played well, but his cracker of a goal was only so because of the deflection it took. A draw would have kept us in the running for making it in to the next round, and even a 1-0 loss would have made it easier. Now we stand a good chance of being the first host nation to not make it through the group stage.
All because of some pussy-ass dive. Listen, footballers: this isn’t the NBA, or even the Screen Actors Guild, so stop acting like you’re reeling in agony when you just got clipped. Theatrics just slow the pace and flow of the game and tinge it with dishonesty. Yes, Suarez was the last man and he was tackled but there was no need for him to cringe and dive like he just got tased. If you fall, fall. But don’t go searching for set pieces by making it a bigger deal than it is. The red card was undeserved.
Which brings me to my next point: Massimo Busacca, you’re an asshole. Yes, maybe Switzerland did beat Spain and maybe you creamed your pants a little, but that’s still no reason to go flashing reds and yellows for shits and giggles. What, you think this is just a game?!
In my post-game fury I google-searched Busacca. I didn’t find out his address, or the name of his wife or first-born son, but I did find out that Mr. Massimo has a little record for pulling this type of crap. In the 2006 World Cup, Busacca awarded a penalty kick and a red card to the Ukrainian Vladislaw Vaschuk when they played Spain, allowing the Spaniards to sail to a comfortable 3-0 win. Upon further review it was found that there was indeed no physical contact in the penalty area.
Busacca is also known for being a little bit of a wildcard. He was banned after giving the finger to a group of heckling fans at a Swiss Cup match. And worse, he also took a piss ON THE FIELD while officiating a Qatar Stars League game last year. Busacca, you disgust me.
Tonight, the ceaseless buzz of the vuvuzela’s will be quieter than usual. Not only will today be remembered as Youth Day, commemorating the 34th anniversary of the Soweto Uprising in which thousands of students protested the apartheid education system, it may also be the day that South Africa lost it’s place in the 2010 World Cup to the hand of senseless adjudication. Our next match, and the last of the group stage, will be against the French. Our chances are slim, but looking at the way the French have been playing so far, there’s still a glimmer of hope.
AMANDLA!
Mr. Tesh
No, fuck YOU Massimo!
Thoughts on vuvuzelas and La Furia Roja, among other things
As of today, the first set of matches has come to a conclusion. Whoda thunk that the Swiss would have knocked off the Spanish to grab three points and the leading spot in Group H along with Chile? Not me, that's for sure. Seems like la furia roja was trying to play the beautiful game, perhaps, a bit too beautifully. They had quite a few chances from in or around the 18 yard box, the best of which were Pique's 24th minute attempt on goal (in which he had a difficult time finishing against the Swiss keeper Diego Benaglio), Iniesta's pass to David Villa in the 45th minute (in which Villa chipped the ball across the box, with no one waiting to finish) and Xabi Alonso's screamer off the bar in the 70th minute. The Swiss nearly scored a second goal in the 73rd minute, putting a ball off the post that was eventually cleared by the Spanish defense.
It seemed as though the Spanish team just never quite found their rhythm in the presence of the stout Swiss defense. I also got the feeling, while watching the match, that the Spanish offensive thrusts were missing something with Fernando Torres absent until he was subbed on later in the second half. Although to be fair to Spain's manager, Vicente del Bosque, when niño Torres did come on, he looked a bit rusty due to having not played for the past 2 months (I'm a subscriber to the 'Samson' theory here, where Torres has lost some of his touch due to the cutting of his golden locks... Feel free to disagree, if you please. He looks like a goon with that new hairdid). Hopefully (for Scottie, and the nation of Spain's sanity) La Furia Roja will come out and play a better match when they face Honduras next Monday. Also, the Swiss have not given up a goal in world cup play in 490 minutes, so we'll see if they can keep up the streak... For a more enjoyable match, I sure hope they don't.
On to more important matters... Vuvuzelas! There was recently talk about FIFA taking steps banning the horns after numerous complaints on the part of fans and players alike. I've given this one some thought, and although the BUZZZZIIIINNNNGGGG made by the horns can be irritating at times, I think it's all in the fun of hosting the tournament on the African continent and I'm pleased FIFA has allowed them to stay. As one South African put it in a recent interview I read, "Going into the stadium without the vuvuzela really is like going to war and being unarmed." I'm not quite sure I'd take it THAT far, but again, the tournament is in South Africa, and it would be pretty pathetic to tell the local supporters they couldn't partake in something engrained in their cultural/sporting history (Imagine someone telling you, you couldn't go to Celtics game and get absolutely tanked, or that you weren't allowed to buy $8 beers at a Patriots game... You'd be pretty angry, I bet.). The BBC is allegedly doubling its audio filters as to help alleviate some of the buzzing on the video feed, as it received over 500 complaints regarding the noise-makers during the broadcast of the first match.
Anyway, if you can't take the constant buzzing while watching the matches, some tech savvy folks on the interwebs have found a way to ease the constant buzzing on the ear:
Hope it helped if you really don't like the noise, but I think everyone should fully embrace it (like Max, and his 'vuvuzelas for life') and watch the WC, vuvuzelas buzzing and all.
As for tomorrow's matches, it seems like the first match, South Korea v. Argentina, and the final match, Mexico v. France, are going to be pretty interesting. South Korea look pretty fantastic in their first match, as did Argentina (albeit Argentina only scored one goal, thanks in large part to the heroic efforts of the Nigerian keeper), while France looked, as always, dysfunctional and flat in its first match, and Mexico looked decent in their opening match draw against the emotionally charged efforts of Bafana Bafana.
I'm going to put my money on the Argentines scoring upwards of three goals, with Diego Milito starting over Higuain. While, I think the South Koreans are going to put in at least one, if not two, with both teams eventually making it out of the group to the round of 16.
Aso for the other match, eh, I'm going to say France jells a bit better than last time, getting a goal, but in the end they lose to the Mexicans 2-1. We'll see if Giovani Dos Santos, with his hairband and child-like facial features, is able to lead Mexico to a win.
Predictions? Comments? Concerns?
Soccer gods, please help heal Timmy's ribs,
Ryan
June 15, 2010
All World Cup 2010 Best Name Team
In celebration of the first few days of games I'm going to publish my First Team All World Cup 2010 Best Name Team. And yes, it does say 'team' twice in the award so deal with it. I'll opt for the traditional 4-4-2 formation; however, if there is a tie at a certain position I reserve the right to have multiple players at a given position in the squad. Here we go:
Goalkeeper: Hans-Jörg Butt (Germany). How can you go wrong with the hyphen, the umlaut, and the reference to the gluteus maximus? I think you know the answer.
Goalkeeper (Hon. Mention): Faouzi Chaouchi (Algeria). Say whhaaaaaaattttt? Does his name rhyme or is that just how I'm saying it in my head?
Goalkeeper (Hon. Mention 2): Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Japan). He was the starter at the 1998 and 2006 games for Japan, has played for Portsmouth in the Premier league and is now a backup at the age of 34 to starter Narazaki.
Defender1: Oh Beom-Seok (South Korea). Again, I'm a sucker for hyphens. And when your first name is the start of an unimportant sentence in the English language, I know you’re a winner. Also there are 7 players with the first name ‘Kim’ on the South Korean team so I give Mr Oh here some love for being original.
Defender2: Patrick Mtiliga (Denmark). Not part of any games for the Danes during qualifying, Mtiliga made the team after impressing for Malaga this season.
Defender3: Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Greece). I don’t think this needs explanation. You can always count on the Greeks for some great names and they did not disappoint us here.
Defender4: Waldo “Waldonator” Ponce (Chile). Great first name, great nickname, shares a birthday with Jay Z. He’s a winner.
Defender (Hon. Mention): Avraam Papadopoulos (Greece). Although originally born in Australia, he now plays for the Greek giants Olympiakos.
Defender (Hon. Mention): Souleymane Bamba (Ivory Coast). La la bamba, la la bamba . . .
Mid1: Jesper Gronkjaer (Denmark). Very manly last name, not so sure about the first name though.
Mid2: Jean Beausejour (Chile). His father was thought to have died in the earthquake in Haiti, but thankfully he later turned up alive. I like names with 6 vowels and 4 consonants, although I can’t pronounce them.
Mid3: Romaric AKA Christian Koffi Ndri (Ivory Coast). Clearly, his nickname follows from his given name.
Mid4: Aleksandar Radosavljevic (Slovenia). If I had a nickel for every time I wished my name had the letters ‘v’, ‘l’, and ‘j’ consecutively in my name I’d have one nickel. He has played for sides Triglav Kanj, Celje, Shinnik Yaroslavl, and Tom Tomsk, among others.
Mid (Hon. Mention): Demy De Zeeuw (Netherlands). His name is enhanced by being born in Apeldoorn, Netherlands
Striker1: Maxim Choupo-Moting (Cameroon). He lost a little name credibility when I found out his first name was Eric, but overall I think this is a great, and regal at that, name from front to back. Gotta love the hypens.
Striker2: Prince Tagoe (Nigeria). Tagoe has run the gamut and player in countries from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Ghana, and Germany. Originally diagnosed with a heart condition when he went to Hoffenheim, he was later allowed to play after team doctors medically cleared him. Gotta root for this type of guy- he’s been all over, great name (Prince Fielder has nothing on him!), and all kinds of adversity.
Striker (Hon. Mention): Georgie Welcome (Honduras). Known for his eye catching finishing in the Honduran leagues, Georgie, at 6’4”, will undoubtedly give defenders trouble. Not to mention the plethora of puns that are available if he scores.
Manager: Bert van Marwijk (Netherlands).
Assistant: Hun Jung Moo (South Korea). Moooooo. Seems an affable guy, and who wouldn’t be after his team demolished Greece 2-0 (should’ve been more like 5 or 6-0).
In case one of the managers loses their voice: Tie: Pim Verbeek (Australia) and Matjaz Kek (Slovenia). I’m not sure if they speak the same language(s) but they surely did give their elementary school teachers a tough time during attendance.
Interesting link to how much each World Cup 2010 manager gets paid:
http://www.just-football.com/2009/12/world-cup-2010-managers-salaries-aka/
Hope you enjoyed the column!
Praying for Rooney’s Ankle,
Matt
Goalkeeper: Hans-Jörg Butt (Germany). How can you go wrong with the hyphen, the umlaut, and the reference to the gluteus maximus? I think you know the answer.
Goalkeeper (Hon. Mention): Faouzi Chaouchi (Algeria). Say whhaaaaaaattttt? Does his name rhyme or is that just how I'm saying it in my head?
Goalkeeper (Hon. Mention 2): Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Japan). He was the starter at the 1998 and 2006 games for Japan, has played for Portsmouth in the Premier league and is now a backup at the age of 34 to starter Narazaki.
Defender1: Oh Beom-Seok (South Korea). Again, I'm a sucker for hyphens. And when your first name is the start of an unimportant sentence in the English language, I know you’re a winner. Also there are 7 players with the first name ‘Kim’ on the South Korean team so I give Mr Oh here some love for being original.
Defender2: Patrick Mtiliga (Denmark). Not part of any games for the Danes during qualifying, Mtiliga made the team after impressing for Malaga this season.
Defender3: Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Greece). I don’t think this needs explanation. You can always count on the Greeks for some great names and they did not disappoint us here.
Defender4: Waldo “Waldonator” Ponce (Chile). Great first name, great nickname, shares a birthday with Jay Z. He’s a winner.
Defender (Hon. Mention): Avraam Papadopoulos (Greece). Although originally born in Australia, he now plays for the Greek giants Olympiakos.
Defender (Hon. Mention): Souleymane Bamba (Ivory Coast). La la bamba, la la bamba . . .
Mid1: Jesper Gronkjaer (Denmark). Very manly last name, not so sure about the first name though.
Mid2: Jean Beausejour (Chile). His father was thought to have died in the earthquake in Haiti, but thankfully he later turned up alive. I like names with 6 vowels and 4 consonants, although I can’t pronounce them.
Mid3: Romaric AKA Christian Koffi Ndri (Ivory Coast). Clearly, his nickname follows from his given name.
Mid4: Aleksandar Radosavljevic (Slovenia). If I had a nickel for every time I wished my name had the letters ‘v’, ‘l’, and ‘j’ consecutively in my name I’d have one nickel. He has played for sides Triglav Kanj, Celje, Shinnik Yaroslavl, and Tom Tomsk, among others.
Mid (Hon. Mention): Demy De Zeeuw (Netherlands). His name is enhanced by being born in Apeldoorn, Netherlands
Striker1: Maxim Choupo-Moting (Cameroon). He lost a little name credibility when I found out his first name was Eric, but overall I think this is a great, and regal at that, name from front to back. Gotta love the hypens.
Striker2: Prince Tagoe (Nigeria). Tagoe has run the gamut and player in countries from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Ghana, and Germany. Originally diagnosed with a heart condition when he went to Hoffenheim, he was later allowed to play after team doctors medically cleared him. Gotta root for this type of guy- he’s been all over, great name (Prince Fielder has nothing on him!), and all kinds of adversity.
Striker (Hon. Mention): Georgie Welcome (Honduras). Known for his eye catching finishing in the Honduran leagues, Georgie, at 6’4”, will undoubtedly give defenders trouble. Not to mention the plethora of puns that are available if he scores.
Manager: Bert van Marwijk (Netherlands).
Assistant: Hun Jung Moo (South Korea). Moooooo. Seems an affable guy, and who wouldn’t be after his team demolished Greece 2-0 (should’ve been more like 5 or 6-0).
In case one of the managers loses their voice: Tie: Pim Verbeek (Australia) and Matjaz Kek (Slovenia). I’m not sure if they speak the same language(s) but they surely did give their elementary school teachers a tough time during attendance.
Interesting link to how much each World Cup 2010 manager gets paid:
http://www.just-football.com/2009/12/world-cup-2010-managers-salaries-aka/
Hope you enjoyed the column!
Praying for Rooney’s Ankle,
Matt
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