Last Sunday afternoon, along with about 700 million other people, I watched the final game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Last Sunday evening, I heard about that many people grouse and grumble about how boring a game it was.
“What?!” I initially cried. “Were we watching the same game? I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!”
The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that I wasn’t immersed in the game to see the kicking and heading of the ball down the pitch into a net. I could see how people thought it was boring because it was scoreless until the 116th minute and if it had been a regular game, I would’ve turned it off. But it wasn’t: it was the Superbowl, game 7, the 18th hole, the 10th frame- the final game. And although I have followed the World Cups since 1998 and a couple of Euro Cups, I suddenly understood why I sat there through scoreless matches and blow outs: It is a beautiful game. It’s beautiful because it’s human, and it’s human because it reflects life.
Watching this World Cup, it finally all came together for me, how life and soccer are so intrinsically intertwined. There are amazing acts of destruction that are selfless (blatant Uruguayan hand ball against Ghana to keep them from scoring), and acts of selfishness that are amazing in their brutality (Brazilian stomping on Dutch player). We see laughter, tears, moments of sheer genius, and moments of unimaginable heartache. We see people who stoop to despicable acts of desperation, and people who rise above unimaginable obstacles with poise and grace.
There are men who are teamed with each other who can’t verbally communicate, but their feet sing a song with the ball that is the language of the universe that is understood by all. We see highs and lows that are simple in their complexity, and complex in their simplicity- much like we see in life. Sometimes the game is boring and minute-by-minute, nothing changes. Sometimes we think our hearts will explode with the excitement of an unexpected instance. That is humanity and life, and it’s beautiful. Just like the game.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
2010 World Cup: And Then There Were Two
After a month of crazy surprise early exits (Italy), shocking defeats (Brazil), teams imploding and falling to pieces (France), and heartbreaking missed opportunities (USA, Ghana, Uruguay)- we have arrived at the end: Young Upstarts vs. Steely Vets: Speed and Flair vs. Size and Power: Spain vs. Netherlands. What a match it will be- and what boys we'll see matched up. Time to meet two stand-outs.
From the Spanish side, anyone with a television and access to World Cup news is now familiar, and probably a little in love with David Villa- so you can read about him anywhere. There's also "El Nino", the cherubic striker who led Spain to victory over Germany in the 2008 Euro Cup- Fernando Torres. Another one who's all over the place for his talent and adorable face. No, today I'm going to introduce you to the most amazing goalie most Americans have never heard of: Iker Casillas Fernandez, or Iker Casillas as he's commonly known.
This hotty, with his almost feminine beauty which is so common on the Spanish National Team (seriously- have you looked at the boys? Most of them are a "maybe he's born with it" Maybelline moment, eyebrow plucking, and shave away from being potential stars on RuPaul's Drag Race), joined us in the world in Madrid on May 20, 1981. Now the goalkeeper and vice captain for Real Madrid, Casillas is also the 1st choice goalkeeper and captain for the national team.
Ranked 4th in the 2008 Euro Footballer of the Year voting and 1st in 2009, Casillas was also voted into the UEFA Team of the Year for the 3rd time at the end of 2009. This cat came out of the gate on fire: In 2000 he became the youngest goalkeeper to play in a Champions League final @ 19 years of age, and in the 2002 World Cup, one of his saves in the quarterfinal game against South Korea was rated by FIFA as one of the top 10 saves of all time. Read that again, bitches- pretty impressive.
The 29-year-old goalkeeper is not married, but he's dating sideline reporter Sara Carbonero, which got them in a little hot water with the fans early in this World Cup. Casillas allowed a goal during the 1st round game with Switzerland, which resulted in a Spanish loss of 1-0. Many fans thought that Carbonero's close proxity to the field before and during the game distracted Casillas and resulted in the goal allowance. Carbonero gave the world the side eye and in so many words said to kiss her ass because if her man "mucked up", that was on him. Not her. Okay?!
And now, y'all, let's move to the Netherlands and the land of dikes. And the attacking midfielder, Wesley Benjamin Sneijder. He might not the prettiest man on this side of the pitch, but boy howdy, he knows how to kick up some shit. For reals.
Sneijder was born in Utrecht on June 9, 1984 to a football playin' family: His pops was a player, as well as his older and younger brothers.
After starting with the AFC Ajax youth academy, his offical Ajax debut occurred in February 2003. Playing with them and establishing himself as being quick and strong on the ball, as well as being a dead-ball specialist, Sneijder was sold to Real Madrid for about 27 million Euros.
At Real Madrid, he was given the number 23, which was David Beckman's number during his 4 year tenure with the club, which should've been a hint. After losing that number to fellow Dutchman Rafael van der Vaart after he was purchased by Real Madrid, because it was van der Vaart's preferred, Sneijder became #10, and then became a member of another team.
After being unceremoniously dumped by Real Madrid, Wesley was bought by Internazionale for about 15 million Euros on August 27, 2009, and he kicked and headed his way to a status to which most ballers can only dream: He has won the Italian championship, the Champions League, and Cup double all within the space of two months.
All that is fine and good, but let's move onto the good stuff- his personal life. In June of 2005, Sneijder married Ramona Streekstra and together they had their son Jessey in September of 2006. That kept him busy for a while, but evidently not his heart and peen because in August 2009 he got cold busted making out with Yolanthe Cabau van Kasbergen, a Dutch actress/ personality, in parking garage.
Turns out Ms. Thang Yolanthe was at that time, living with Jan Smit, the country's most famous pop star. Oops.
Of course, everyone climbed up into their pulpits to mentally pitch rotten tomatoes at the couple's morality, or lack thereof- until Sneijder's wondrous ball skills left them weighing the Ten Commandments against the dirty leg who is one of the main driving forces of the most successful Holland team in 32 years. Guess which one won?
Yolanthe obviously has got something we bitches need to learn because in this short amount of time, she got that man to take her hand and her religion: Sneijder converted to Catholism and will be walking Yolanthe down the aisle in Tuscany the weekend after the World Cup final. Sneijder has said that he and Yolanthe pray on the phone together, and he prays before every match.
It is said that "a child shall lead them", and I'm sure that the Dutch are hoping that a man who's at least a little taller than a child will tomorrow.
From the Spanish side, anyone with a television and access to World Cup news is now familiar, and probably a little in love with David Villa- so you can read about him anywhere. There's also "El Nino", the cherubic striker who led Spain to victory over Germany in the 2008 Euro Cup- Fernando Torres. Another one who's all over the place for his talent and adorable face. No, today I'm going to introduce you to the most amazing goalie most Americans have never heard of: Iker Casillas Fernandez, or Iker Casillas as he's commonly known.
This hotty, with his almost feminine beauty which is so common on the Spanish National Team (seriously- have you looked at the boys? Most of them are a "maybe he's born with it" Maybelline moment, eyebrow plucking, and shave away from being potential stars on RuPaul's Drag Race), joined us in the world in Madrid on May 20, 1981. Now the goalkeeper and vice captain for Real Madrid, Casillas is also the 1st choice goalkeeper and captain for the national team.Ranked 4th in the 2008 Euro Footballer of the Year voting and 1st in 2009, Casillas was also voted into the UEFA Team of the Year for the 3rd time at the end of 2009. This cat came out of the gate on fire: In 2000 he became the youngest goalkeeper to play in a Champions League final @ 19 years of age, and in the 2002 World Cup, one of his saves in the quarterfinal game against South Korea was rated by FIFA as one of the top 10 saves of all time. Read that again, bitches- pretty impressive.
The 29-year-old goalkeeper is not married, but he's dating sideline reporter Sara Carbonero, which got them in a little hot water with the fans early in this World Cup. Casillas allowed a goal during the 1st round game with Switzerland, which resulted in a Spanish loss of 1-0. Many fans thought that Carbonero's close proxity to the field before and during the game distracted Casillas and resulted in the goal allowance. Carbonero gave the world the side eye and in so many words said to kiss her ass because if her man "mucked up", that was on him. Not her. Okay?!
And now, y'all, let's move to the Netherlands and the land of dikes. And the attacking midfielder, Wesley Benjamin Sneijder. He might not the prettiest man on this side of the pitch, but boy howdy, he knows how to kick up some shit. For reals.
Sneijder was born in Utrecht on June 9, 1984 to a football playin' family: His pops was a player, as well as his older and younger brothers.
After starting with the AFC Ajax youth academy, his offical Ajax debut occurred in February 2003. Playing with them and establishing himself as being quick and strong on the ball, as well as being a dead-ball specialist, Sneijder was sold to Real Madrid for about 27 million Euros.At Real Madrid, he was given the number 23, which was David Beckman's number during his 4 year tenure with the club, which should've been a hint. After losing that number to fellow Dutchman Rafael van der Vaart after he was purchased by Real Madrid, because it was van der Vaart's preferred, Sneijder became #10, and then became a member of another team.
After being unceremoniously dumped by Real Madrid, Wesley was bought by Internazionale for about 15 million Euros on August 27, 2009, and he kicked and headed his way to a status to which most ballers can only dream: He has won the Italian championship, the Champions League, and Cup double all within the space of two months.
All that is fine and good, but let's move onto the good stuff- his personal life. In June of 2005, Sneijder married Ramona Streekstra and together they had their son Jessey in September of 2006. That kept him busy for a while, but evidently not his heart and peen because in August 2009 he got cold busted making out with Yolanthe Cabau van Kasbergen, a Dutch actress/ personality, in parking garage.
Turns out Ms. Thang Yolanthe was at that time, living with Jan Smit, the country's most famous pop star. Oops.
Of course, everyone climbed up into their pulpits to mentally pitch rotten tomatoes at the couple's morality, or lack thereof- until Sneijder's wondrous ball skills left them weighing the Ten Commandments against the dirty leg who is one of the main driving forces of the most successful Holland team in 32 years. Guess which one won?
Yolanthe obviously has got something we bitches need to learn because in this short amount of time, she got that man to take her hand and her religion: Sneijder converted to Catholism and will be walking Yolanthe down the aisle in Tuscany the weekend after the World Cup final. Sneijder has said that he and Yolanthe pray on the phone together, and he prays before every match.
It is said that "a child shall lead them", and I'm sure that the Dutch are hoping that a man who's at least a little taller than a child will tomorrow.
2010 WC: Final Weekend
Update: It's German 3-2.
OK girls and boys, I was super lame & didn't do as I said and follow the final 16 hotties in the World Cup. Sorry. I was too busy watching the games (oh, Ghana).
Anyway, since we are down to the final weekend- actually the battle for 3rd place is happening as I type and watch on my computer screen (thank you, Univision. ESPN and ABC can go suck an egg, kiss my grits, up their nose with a rubber hose & anything other 70s sitcom insult you can think of to let them know they blow and suck all at once in terms of their online WC coverage). Apologies, I digress.
Since we are down to the battle for third, I thought I would I would introduce y'all to a couple of boys I know: One from Germany and one from Uruguay. Now, here I chose to deviate a bit, for once, and highlight a WC coach. Yep, a coach. I better introduce him now because it might be the last time you see him on the sidelines guiding a WC team. Without further ado my chirrun, I give you Joachim Loew (Low).
Now, before you bitches start giving me the side eye & wondering if I got kicked in the head with a Jabulani- let me 'splain. I know no one is ever going to accuse him of being the most handsome man in the world. And I know he's playing a dangerous game with that Jerry-Lewis-at-70 jet black hair dye. I also know that he's a creepy looking cat. I mean, if he were on an episode of Law & Order: SVU, you would immediately know that he was the one committing the felony- whatever it may be. His expressionless cool definitely hints at a capacity to easily kill. I know all of that, but I can't help myself: I find him sexy.
Joachim "Jogi" Low was born on February 3, 1960 (he's 50-with that body- yes, I know) in Schonau, West Germany. A married father of one, Jogi's soccer tenure began with a youth career that included playing 4 times for the German national under-21 team. His senior soccer career began in 1978 with team SC Freiburg. The attacking midfielder played for 5 other teams, and returned twice to Freiburg during his career, before ending his run with FC Winterthur in Switzerland.
While still active as a player, Jogi began coaching while he was still active as a player in the early-mid 1990s. In 2004, the talented tactician was brought on board by Jurgen Klinsmann to serve with him as the assistant coach for Germany. In the 2006World Cup, their team turned out a great performance against Portugal to win third place. When Klinsmann decided to move onto more American pastures, days after the WC ended, Low was appointed head coach. After coming in second to Spain in the 2008 Euro Cup, Low's German team looks to repeat their 3rd place win in the 2006 World Cup. We'll know in about :45 minutes.
Ah, Uruguay. The South American scrappers who fought so hard to get to the final four, only to be stopped by the Dutch and forced to now battle the Germans through to a 3rd place spot.
Watching that team throughout the World Cup, your eyes had to be drawn at some point or another to #10: Diego Forlan- or if we want to be thorough, Diego Martin Forlan Corazo, the 5"10 striker from Montevideo. Although he was born into a family of soccer players on May 19, 1979, I have to wonder if he is not, in fact, the love child of CeCe Deville from Poison. Assuming he's not, we at least now know what CeCe would've looked like if he had picked up a soccer ball instead of a guitar that talked to Bret Michaels.
Diego was actually a promising tennis player in his youth beore concentrating on soccer. He started his soccer career with Independiente in Argentina before moving onto Man U in 2002. Things didn't go so smoothly for our boy in the land of Angles (the people, not the figure formed by 2 lines extending from the same point), and in 2004 he moved onto Spanish club Villareal CF. He also won the Golden Boot that year along with Thierry Henry (the much beloved French player who garnered a potato field full of Irish fans after a blatant handball that was missed by the referee- named Ray Charles, evidently- and the subsequent ousting of Ireland from 2010 World Cup contention by the French).
This two-time winner of the Pichichi Trophy with the legs of steel is not married, but he is in a relationship with Argentine model and actress, Zaira Nara.
OK girls and boys, I was super lame & didn't do as I said and follow the final 16 hotties in the World Cup. Sorry. I was too busy watching the games (oh, Ghana).
Anyway, since we are down to the final weekend- actually the battle for 3rd place is happening as I type and watch on my computer screen (thank you, Univision. ESPN and ABC can go suck an egg, kiss my grits, up their nose with a rubber hose & anything other 70s sitcom insult you can think of to let them know they blow and suck all at once in terms of their online WC coverage). Apologies, I digress.
Since we are down to the battle for third, I thought I would I would introduce y'all to a couple of boys I know: One from Germany and one from Uruguay. Now, here I chose to deviate a bit, for once, and highlight a WC coach. Yep, a coach. I better introduce him now because it might be the last time you see him on the sidelines guiding a WC team. Without further ado my chirrun, I give you Joachim Loew (Low).
Now, before you bitches start giving me the side eye & wondering if I got kicked in the head with a Jabulani- let me 'splain. I know no one is ever going to accuse him of being the most handsome man in the world. And I know he's playing a dangerous game with that Jerry-Lewis-at-70 jet black hair dye. I also know that he's a creepy looking cat. I mean, if he were on an episode of Law & Order: SVU, you would immediately know that he was the one committing the felony- whatever it may be. His expressionless cool definitely hints at a capacity to easily kill. I know all of that, but I can't help myself: I find him sexy.Joachim "Jogi" Low was born on February 3, 1960 (he's 50-with that body- yes, I know) in Schonau, West Germany. A married father of one, Jogi's soccer tenure began with a youth career that included playing 4 times for the German national under-21 team. His senior soccer career began in 1978 with team SC Freiburg. The attacking midfielder played for 5 other teams, and returned twice to Freiburg during his career, before ending his run with FC Winterthur in Switzerland.
While still active as a player, Jogi began coaching while he was still active as a player in the early-mid 1990s. In 2004, the talented tactician was brought on board by Jurgen Klinsmann to serve with him as the assistant coach for Germany. In the 2006World Cup, their team turned out a great performance against Portugal to win third place. When Klinsmann decided to move onto more American pastures, days after the WC ended, Low was appointed head coach. After coming in second to Spain in the 2008 Euro Cup, Low's German team looks to repeat their 3rd place win in the 2006 World Cup. We'll know in about :45 minutes.
Ah, Uruguay. The South American scrappers who fought so hard to get to the final four, only to be stopped by the Dutch and forced to now battle the Germans through to a 3rd place spot.
Watching that team throughout the World Cup, your eyes had to be drawn at some point or another to #10: Diego Forlan- or if we want to be thorough, Diego Martin Forlan Corazo, the 5"10 striker from Montevideo. Although he was born into a family of soccer players on May 19, 1979, I have to wonder if he is not, in fact, the love child of CeCe Deville from Poison. Assuming he's not, we at least now know what CeCe would've looked like if he had picked up a soccer ball instead of a guitar that talked to Bret Michaels.Diego was actually a promising tennis player in his youth beore concentrating on soccer. He started his soccer career with Independiente in Argentina before moving onto Man U in 2002. Things didn't go so smoothly for our boy in the land of Angles (the people, not the figure formed by 2 lines extending from the same point), and in 2004 he moved onto Spanish club Villareal CF. He also won the Golden Boot that year along with Thierry Henry (the much beloved French player who garnered a potato field full of Irish fans after a blatant handball that was missed by the referee- named Ray Charles, evidently- and the subsequent ousting of Ireland from 2010 World Cup contention by the French).
This two-time winner of the Pichichi Trophy with the legs of steel is not married, but he is in a relationship with Argentine model and actress, Zaira Nara.
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