Am Ende Der Weltmeisterschaft
I understand that it's incredibly trite to watch a bunch of soccer games and then decide that a certain number of those amazing players must now become the loves of my life, but I nevertheless dedicate this entry to the men who made watching the World Cup a truly enjoyable and exciting experience. So, for those of you who haven't been following the World Cup here is a short list of some of them, with some of their accomplisments. I dont really know that much about professional soccer and the history of these men, so I'm mostly going off of popular websites, newspaper stories, seeing them play, and of course, pure instinctual love. Technically, this list is in no particular order, but, lets face it, the ones at the top are more important, and probably German.
All players may be found on the FIFA World Cup Website at http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com. Direct links to certain players will be included as is deemed necessary so that you can access the profundity of their majesty.
1. Jürgen Klinsmann: coach of the German team, and probably the most charismatic, optimistic, lovable and encouraging man I have ever seen. Also, he's on Pele's list of top 125 living soccer players (I do find it amusing, though, that Pele gets to make his own list, and why 125 instead of, um, 100? It makes no sense.) Plus, at 39, he created a pseudonym for himself and played for a US team. He's also a trained baker. I mean, come on, he's amazing.
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/team/coach.html?team=GER
2. Miroslav Klose: some say he looks like a character from Lord of the Rings. I say he looks like Sean Penn and that as long as he has the Golden Shoe Award, I don't care what he looks like. But, he could afford to lose that awkward patch of dye-job-gone-wrong at the front of his hair. I mean, what is that.
http://www.miroslav-klose.de (look at the picture of him as a kid with the mullet. Pure gold.)
3. Michael Ballack: six words: Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting. And before anyone tells me that this list is based too much on looks and not on skill, that is false. Ballack is the captain that dreams are made of and I could link a whole list of articles about how he's a symbol for German Unity and bladdy bladdy blah and around here he's basically treated like a God among men.
http://www.michael-ballack.com
4. Zinedine Zidane: despite his disgraceful ejection from the Final against Italy, Zidane is also a God among men. Many consider him to be the best football player in the last 20 years. And, despite its ignominy, that was a pretty fuckn sweet headbutt to the solar plexus.
http://www.zidane.fr (only in French and Spanish)
5. Thierry Henry: I mean, did you see his goal against Brazil in the quarter finals, both feet in the air, tap with the right foot, beautiful arch over Dida's head? He's an acrobat.
6. Gianluigi Buffon: Now, out of principle I do not want to include an Italian player, but Buffon is a rugged gnarly goalie. Only two goals got by him in the entire World Cup, one by his own teammate (Italy vs. USA) and one by Zidane in the Final (penalty kick). His eyes do kind of look like he's a messenger of death, though.
Okay, that's a pretty exhaustive detailed list, but here are some players that are also good, but more just hot.
. Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine Striker)
. Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany--and he's not that hot, but, he had two amazing goals against Portugal and he took his shirt off and flexed a bunch and got a yellow card)
. Andreas Isaksson (Sweden Goalie)
. Raphael Wicky (Switzerland Midfielder)
. John Aloisi (Australia Striker)
But, all that being said, I am very glad that I now get to experience a normal Berlin again as a fully functional city; no more honking cars at all hours of the night, no more puke at the subway stops, no more tense final minutes and no more blocked streets and tourists. I will also say that despite initial misgivings, German nationalism is quite an endearing and heartwarming spectacle and Ive never seen a country so happy with third place. South Africa 2010, baby.
All players may be found on the FIFA World Cup Website at http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com. Direct links to certain players will be included as is deemed necessary so that you can access the profundity of their majesty.
1. Jürgen Klinsmann: coach of the German team, and probably the most charismatic, optimistic, lovable and encouraging man I have ever seen. Also, he's on Pele's list of top 125 living soccer players (I do find it amusing, though, that Pele gets to make his own list, and why 125 instead of, um, 100? It makes no sense.) Plus, at 39, he created a pseudonym for himself and played for a US team. He's also a trained baker. I mean, come on, he's amazing.
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/team/coach.html?team=GER
2. Miroslav Klose: some say he looks like a character from Lord of the Rings. I say he looks like Sean Penn and that as long as he has the Golden Shoe Award, I don't care what he looks like. But, he could afford to lose that awkward patch of dye-job-gone-wrong at the front of his hair. I mean, what is that.
http://www.miroslav-klose.de (look at the picture of him as a kid with the mullet. Pure gold.)
3. Michael Ballack: six words: Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting. And before anyone tells me that this list is based too much on looks and not on skill, that is false. Ballack is the captain that dreams are made of and I could link a whole list of articles about how he's a symbol for German Unity and bladdy bladdy blah and around here he's basically treated like a God among men.
http://www.michael-ballack.com
4. Zinedine Zidane: despite his disgraceful ejection from the Final against Italy, Zidane is also a God among men. Many consider him to be the best football player in the last 20 years. And, despite its ignominy, that was a pretty fuckn sweet headbutt to the solar plexus.
http://www.zidane.fr (only in French and Spanish)
5. Thierry Henry: I mean, did you see his goal against Brazil in the quarter finals, both feet in the air, tap with the right foot, beautiful arch over Dida's head? He's an acrobat.
6. Gianluigi Buffon: Now, out of principle I do not want to include an Italian player, but Buffon is a rugged gnarly goalie. Only two goals got by him in the entire World Cup, one by his own teammate (Italy vs. USA) and one by Zidane in the Final (penalty kick). His eyes do kind of look like he's a messenger of death, though.
Okay, that's a pretty exhaustive detailed list, but here are some players that are also good, but more just hot.
. Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine Striker)
. Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany--and he's not that hot, but, he had two amazing goals against Portugal and he took his shirt off and flexed a bunch and got a yellow card)
. Andreas Isaksson (Sweden Goalie)
. Raphael Wicky (Switzerland Midfielder)
. John Aloisi (Australia Striker)
But, all that being said, I am very glad that I now get to experience a normal Berlin again as a fully functional city; no more honking cars at all hours of the night, no more puke at the subway stops, no more tense final minutes and no more blocked streets and tourists. I will also say that despite initial misgivings, German nationalism is quite an endearing and heartwarming spectacle and Ive never seen a country so happy with third place. South Africa 2010, baby.
posted by Chadé at 11:51 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home