Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Champions League is under way














Believe it or not, only 6 weeks removed from Inter Milan's Champions League win, without even reaching the month of July, and the next saga of Champions League football is already in motion!!

In the very, very, very first game of the world's greatest competition, mighty FC Santa Coloma was scheduled to play Birkirkara FC yesterday in Andorra. FC Santa Coloma qualified by topping Andorra's 8 team Campionat de Lliga. Interestingly enough, it's a part time league and the players are part time. Blacksmith, lawyer, shoe shiner by day - Champions League footballer by night. Not a bad gig I must say.

Birkirkara FC hails from the bigger and better Maltese Premier League that sports 10 teams. Led by U-19 captain Rowen Muscat, they face an uphill battle without their injured veteran defender Nisevic and Buhagiar up top (I promise I didn't make those names up).

Now seeing as how Andorra almost claimed my life 4 years ago, I'm leaning towards throwing my support behind the Maltese. Especially because they have their own Ultras group and were established 36 years before Santa Coloma. They've got some history! It's also Birkirkara's 3rd appearance in this prestigious tournament compared to Santa Coloma's second, so I gotta go to experience.

I know you're getting very antsy and you want a match report. So here's what happened....it rained. And rained really, really hard. So much so that the pitch at Santa Coloma's Estadi Comunal d'Andorra la Vella become waterlogged and unplayable. The match was abandoned by UEFA after they ruled the pitch was unfit for play. UEFA Disciplinary Commission is looking into the matter and could hand the victory to MY TEAM, Birkirkara FC.

Sorry for the anti-climatic result. Hopefully it will be resolved and a game will be played. If not, mighty Slovak giants MŠK Žilina lie in wait for the winner. What a cracking game that'll be!

Iran knows best












(reuters)

Leave it to the Iranians for the best sound bites. This author has argued repeatedly that the English simply weren't good enough to make a real impact on this tournament. The United States couldn't put together a full 90 minutes of game-play and, ultimately, it was Bradley's fault. As for the French? Fighting and childish behavior wrote off their chances before the World Cup even started. Obvious right?

Not quite. I, and everyone else, on this planet had it all wrong. Turns out Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki is a lot smarter than we give him credit for. "Whatever we witness today in the international political arena has been identically manifested in the 19th tournament of the World Cup," he was quoted as saying.

He went on to proclaim, "Those countries which played a key role in imposing new sanctions against Iran - like England, America and France - were all eliminated in the preliminary phases," he said.

Well not quite since England and the United States made it out of the group stages. But I kinda see where he's coming from. After all, it's incredibly bad karma to represent a country that imposes sanctions on dictators seeking nuclear proliferation.

Think this is all some joke? Brazil is one of the few countries that voted against the sanctions and look how they're doing.

So lesson learned. The leaders of the great Western powers must make a decision: World War III or World Cup Champions?  I know I don't want their jobs...

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

네 나는 이해한다

Now, none of you have any clue what the title of this post says. Korean isn't usually tought in our schools. Apparently though, Emmanuel Eboué found time to take some classes as can be seen below. No wonder Ivory Coast figured out how to dominate North Korea!!



(by the way, the title translates to "Yes I understand")

Strikers and their quirky habits

I've probably said this a million times in my lifetime and the fact remains, I'm a TERRIBLE doodler. Sitting through boring classes in college was compounded by the fact that I could only make 3-D squares and triangle, and of course the occasional box house.

If only I was friends with Denmark's Nicklas Bendtner. Hopefully I'll learn a little something if I watch this video enough.

FIFA's Hypocrisy














I guess it was a only a matter of time before you heard this rant of mine. I was only waiting for a good opportunity to bring it up and in light of recent developments in France, this is a perfect time.

It revolves around football's relationship with governments - or rather their attempt to distance themselves from it. As I'm sure you all followed the disgraceful exit of France from the tournament, you no doubt heard that President Sarkozy asked for a review of French football and was even planning to meet with Thierry Henry to discuss the Nicolas Anelka fiasco. Not surprisingly, big bad FIFA intervened the other day and has warned the French government of interfering with football affairs with the risk of being thrown out of future tournaments.

FIFA's stance is quite simple - government and football are separate, independent entities. Article 13.1.(g) of FIFA's laws explains that national federations are obliged "to manage their affairs independently and ensure that their own affairs are not influenced by any third parties." The laws go on to dictate that third parties, "include politicians, governments, states, media, etc." As the governing body for world football, these laws pertain to the continental confederations as well.

Nothing like your own shout-out at the World Cup

Check out the guy in the back left.


Dugout Antics

Pick me a winner:



The Fabio Capello:

Monday, June 28, 2010

It Was Never Meant to Be














(Soccernet/Jim Brown/US Presswire)

Call me cynical for having always having my doubts. It's been a roller coaster supporting the United States men's national team leading up to and including the World Cup. The highs (and lows) of the Confederations Cup last summer, the comebacks against England and Slovenia after conceding early, the heart stopping finish against Algeria, and of course the finale versus Ghana. We are lucky to have a talented squad, oozing with mental toughness, class acts, hard workers, and potential. But all that amounts to nothing, however, if you can't convert that into a complete winning mentality with goals and victories. The key word here is a complete winning mentality. Quite frankly, this team didn't have it, nor the proper leadership to cultivate it.

Time for a Makeover

Good riddance! I really couldn't be any more pleased to see the English and Italians stumble out of this tournament in shambles for a number of reasons. Not least of which is entitlement. The Italians entered this tournament as defending champions - so it would only be natural for them to assume a deep run into the tournament is nothing more than expected.  Especially after seeing their draw with Paraguay, Slovakia, and New Zealand.

As for England, well they entered this tournament having not even qualified for the European Championships in 2008. Yet, they still came in thinking a trip to the semi-finals at least was do-able. I mean look at some of the crap they were running before the World Cup started. They are the most arrogant nation when it comes to the sport they invented...even though many are too blind or ignorant to realize they're not even any good.

Well, pathetic display after pathetic display from both teams has rightfully sent them home with no hope of success in the foreseeable future unless serious changes are made.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

A nipple bit of excitement

The last time we saw this Paraguayan vixen, she was utterly dissapointed with the way things were going.



















Lucky for us, all that has changed.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Man Love






















(Yahoo!Sports/Getty Images)

Nothing like mounting your star player after winning the group and advancing to the knockout round. 

Juan Angel Napout, President of Paraguay's Football Association, had no problem at all sticking it to Nelson Ahedo Valdez. Protection pleeeease.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños a la Pulga!

In case you are unaware, today is Lionel's 23rd birthday. Let's pause and think about that for a little...   .....   ......  ......  23 years. 23!!!!  It doesn't even look like he's finished puberty yet!

The young Rosario phenom who left his home as a child to take on the world, has not ceased to amaze. Drawing comparisons to Maradona and the like, Messi has thrilled and left journalists with little words to describe him.  I could go on forever about this kid but I know you only care about one thing. So with that, let's celebrate the life of the best player on this planet with highlights upon highlights upon hightlights.

There are montages here, here, and here.  Don't forget the 4 he threw down on Arsenal this past season. Or the hat trick against Real Madrid. Um, do you remember this little guy against Getafe? He also scored a bunch of hat tricks in about 2 weeks this past Spring.

I leave you to the professionals for an incredible life story. The trials and tribulations of leaving home and taking flack from his countrymen. 

Happy birthday Lionel. Here's to many many more years in a Barcelona shirt. Visca la Pulga!

How the Rest of the Country Reacted...

In Houston, TX



In Lincoln, Nebraska



In Pasadena, CA



In Kansas City, MO

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

O the Humanity!!

(ESPN/Jeff Mitchell/FIFA/Getty Images)

What can you say about this game? Heart stopping, nail biting, hair-puller-outing, jumping, screaming, complaining. Yelling at the post. Yelling at the linesman. Yelling at flopped headers. Yelling at players sending balls into the upper deck. Yelling at missed open goals. Yelling at Jay Demerit (twice).

I was preparing to lambaste Bob Bradley prior to this game. The time for experiments was over. It seemed like he still didn't know his starting 11. He still didn't know who to pair with Bradley in the middle, who to pair with Altidore up front, and whether or not Gooch was worth it. It also appeared to me that he couldn't manage his "tough talks" efficiently. We hadn't seen a full 90 minutes of American potential, only 45 - the second half of both England and Slovenia. Well Mr. Bradley, I'm couldn't be happier to say that you proved me wrong. You proved ALL of us wrong, and sent a team out there that could have shredded apart anyone in this tournament.

Girl vs Girl

THANKS MARCA!!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

It hit the tip! It hit the tip!

Fellas, I'm warning you. It ain't pretty.

That was the least of Gerard Pique's problems...

Pregnancy Tips

 
(elmundodeportivo.es)

Something tells me that kid has his hands over his ears from all those damn vuvuzelas. He/she is gonna come out SCREAMING. Stick to the lamaze classes sweatheart.

The Red Fury Roar Back to Life

(yahoo sports)

I guess it was only a matter of time. Spain's 1-0 defeat at the hands of Switzerland in the first match left the manager wanting more from his players. More of a winning mentality and a cutting edge. No where on the field could you find a crisp urge by any of the players. Well, a sublime 90 minutes and a goal of the tournament nominee left all the doubters reclaiming their seats on the bandwagon.

A Lesson in PKs

Diego Forlan shows you how to do it vs South Africa:



Lukas Podolski shows you how to fuck it up against Serbia:

World Cup Look Alikes

Asamoah Gyan of Ghana (The Guardian)



Albert Lambreaux of HBO's Treme - he's not at the World Cup but man do they look alike. (hbo.com)

More after the jump...

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Why Spain Really Lost

(courtesy of Elpais.es)

That incredibly sexy reporter for La Sexta is Sara Carbonero who also happens to be Iker's squeeze. How the hell was he supposed to concentrate while receiving looks like that from the sideline!?!?!

Step aside Erin Andrews, you've got competition. More flattering exploits of Ms. Carbonero after the jump.

Round 1 in the books - everyone is disappointed

(photo courtesy of Anorak.co.uk)
So the first round of group games is in the books. Thank god!! It has been an absolutely dreadful tournament so far. Teams playing not to lose made every game almost unwatchable - sitting back and defending for 90 minutes. It's strange because this is never a theme with the World Cup. Sure you'd expect it since a loss in the opening match puts you in a deep hole, and at risk of not progressing to the knockout round. Although looking back at the last 6 World Cups, the numbers tell a different story...

Somebody finally banned them!!

(photo courtesy of Yahoo! Sports)

Ok so only the shopping malls are taking a stand. But it's gotta start somewhere no?

Tagging can't speak or collect yellow cards

(photo courtesy of Telegraph.co.uk)

Add campaign my ass. This foul mouthed looney named Rooney is looking for any route to tell someone to fuck off.  At least he's getting creative! After all, those refs learning English cuss words definitely didn't find "FCUK" in their dictionaries...

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

World Cup Look Alikes

Siboniso Gaxa of South Africa and Eric Abidal of France




A note on North Korea



I gotta say I had no interest in this team going into the tournament. Cast as the footstools of the other 3 teams in the group of death, their presence was a mere confidence boost for Brazil, Ivory Coast, and Portugal. But as today's game approached I couldn't have been more fascinated and excited to watch them play.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Where did Maicon learn how to do that?



Nigel de Jong is garbage

Infamous now for his terribly late tackle on Stuart Holden in a friendly, Nigel de Jong has cemented himself as a scumbag. I never thought he was the best holding midfielder to begin with and Manchester City surely paid way too much for him.

Well yesterday I'm watching Holland take on the Denmark when THIS HAPPENDED (44 seconds in). It's late, two footed, studs up, and easily could have broken bones in Martin Jorgensen's foot. That was 100 times more a red card than Cahill's!! How the ref missed it standing right there I have no idea. Of course he followed that tackle up in the 44th minute hacking down Bendtner about an hour after he had passed the ball on which finally resulted in a yellow card.

It seems pretty obvious to me that this ref did not prepare properly for this match. If you're good at what you do, then you know which players are known to be dirty and you look out for it, especially in a World Cup. Somebody is going to get hurt at the hands of this prick very soon unless his tackles are punished.

Take that BP

(courtesy of The Guardian online)

World Cup stars turned rappers




Michael Ballack's replacement on the national squad, Mesut Özil, who was arguably the most creative hard worker on the field for the Germans the other night, apparently aspires to be the bestest footballer and rapper alive. Um. Do yourself a favor and stick to the footy!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Topless Chicks Playing Soccer

(photo courtesy of Mundodeportivo.es)

I don't really have anything to say to describe the above photograph. But if you want more, check out Mundo Deportivo's opening weekend gallery of the World Cup festivities.

Not enough for ya?  PLENTY more right this way...

Talking points from the first weekend

Top Goals: South Africa's first was a cannon - This is how you finish properly. I loved Park Ji-Sung's goal as well, fighting off two bigger defenders and finishing with the slightest of touches. Thomas Müller schooled Australia's defenders with this little guy.

Referees: They've been the talk of the tournament, but thankfully in a positive way. Credit must be given to these guys who have been spot on with all of their calls. Especially the disallowed goal in the Mexico v South Africa match. Worried about diving? Don't be. Yellow cards to Ozil and Cacao for Germany were completely deserving. The best referees in the game have lived up to that billing. Kudos to them.

USA vs England Review

                                (Photo Courtesy of Soccernet/PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images)

That pretty much sums it up right there. They're probably just as shocked as the rest of the world was after an absolutely pathetic display from England on Saturday evening. Worst so far? Perhaps not as that award probably goes to Greece and Australia. But everyone will be talking about the big game in Rustenburg between the Brits and the Yanks.

Groups A-D Weekend Review

An opening weekend for the defenses, except the Germans of course. With the terrible drone of the vuvuzela eating away at my conscience, World Cup 2010 got underway with a breathtaking opening match in Johannesburg between the hosts and Mexico. Two of the four groups seem to have emerged with 2 favorites, while the others are wide open and there for the taking. Only one game? Sure. And there is still much to play for, however a lot was learned of the teams that competed this weekend and I can assure you the nail-biting will continue for the next 2 weeks. Let's see what happened...

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Silence is Golden

Kosher South Africa

I'm sure you're all wondering how the Jews fit into this massive event. Well to be honest, they barely do. However, of the 736 players that will participate in the World Cup, 3 can proudly say they were definitely circumsized (that's about .4%).

AND, they all happen to be American! Good omen? Perhaps.  Although we can be sure their foreskins won't get in the way of any 50/50 balls. So with that picture in your heads, behold the pious triplets...

!@)%* !%&^) !*$(^&!$

The Brazilian referees in charge of this weekend's England vs US game are taking a crash course in English cuss words in preparation of a foul mouthed affair. Every F-bomb, S-bomb, A-bomb you can think of will most likely be punishable by a yellow card. However, not everything can be taught. Here's a couple that the players may be able to slip by...


"Hey ref, has your wife ever told you how much she loves my cheese omelletes?"


"Linesman! Put your flag up! Is your arm tired from all the rusty trompbones you've been giving during training?!"

"Your eyesight almost stinks as much as your duck butter breath!"

"Quit felching the 4th official and give him a yellow card for that challenge!"

"You're mother could make better calls than that with the cleveland steamered I left on her chest last night!"

There. I think that did the trick

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

FHM is Getting Us Ready...

(photo courtesy of Tiramilla.net)

That's pretty much the same pose I find myself in right now sitting at my desk. Plenty more of FHM's photo shoot by clicking here.

R Kelly is Gonna Piss on the World Cup

That's no typo folks. FIFA have awarded his song as the official anthem for the tournament, and he is alll set to perform his golden shower hit. Get ready to rock as it goes a lil' somethin' like this...

3D Tours of the Stadiums



Check this out for a 3D adventure through all the venues in South Africa. Google Earth is required and dramamine is a must.

INJURY UPDATE

There have been TONS of injuries over the past week and unfortunately they have plagued the very best this tournament has to offer.  Here's a quick update on where we stand starting with the most recent:

Andres Iniesta - taken off in the 39th minute of Spain's friendly yesterday with Poland due to a muscle tweak in his right thigh (you should watch what he did in that short time. Simply epic.) . Reports out of Spain this morning are that he only suffered a bruise and no tear. He should be ok to go for their first game.

Tim Cahill - sat out training again today with a neck injury. Doubtful for their opener against Germany. He has scored more goals for Australia than anyone else on the squad....uh oh.

Nani - still missing the entire tournament after trying a bicycle kick in training and injuring his collar bone. When he wasn't being a moron during the regular season, he produced sensational highlight after highlight. (take special note at 2:33).

What's national pride?

Two years ago, I found myself walking past ground zero with a young woman in her early 20s from St. Petersburg, Russia. It was her first time in New York, and in America for that matter, and my job to show her all the sites and sounds of this city in the span of an afternoon. No small order for even the best of tour guides. But it was at the site of the plane attacks where she asked me, "Are you a patriot?" It was the first time I was asked such a thing, and wasn't sure how to respond. I racked my mind over what to say. What lasted 5 seconds felt like 5 hours. Finally, I settled on something and told her this: "I don't know if I'm a patriot. But I know I love my country." All I could think of on such short notice, but short and to the point nonetheless.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

World Cup 2010 - A Family Affair

I'm sure you've all seen couples at sporting events with each representing one of the opposing teams. First of all, it makes me puke every time I see it. Perhaps it's not important for some people, but do you really think I would date/marry a die hard Real Madrid fan or somebody who grew up in Dallas as a Cowboys fan?? You've got a better chance seeing me wear drag the rest of my life.

The World Cup is no different. In an era where players apply for citizenship in other countries simply to play football, divided families are more frequent than ever. This is usually the case for Brazilians - there are simply SO MANY football players that it would be impossible for them to play for their own country. But, there will be many households with the pleasure of watching multiple family members represent the same country. Let's take a looksy.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Friday Brain Dump

1. Soccer on Bikes!?!?!?  Only in Japan...

2.  Flamengo striker Adriano has been caught up in bad publicity for years. His endearing affection to the Favelas where he grew up (Rio's slums and epicenter for drugs and crime) has put him in hot water with both club and country, and as of today he went to court for questioning. Not to mention his drinking problem. So, when he learned of his obvious non-inclusion in Brazil's World Cup squad, he celebrated as only he knows how (scroll down for the money shot). Now where did Adriano's friend get that golden assault rifle?! Looks like something out of bond movie.

3. More World Cup coitus  According to La Vanguardia, Mexico manager Javier Aguirre has allowed his players to have sex during 2 time slots: before the June 11th opener and if they reach the quarterfinals. After bashing him yesterday, Aguirre has re-established himself as a decent guy in my book. I bet Rafa Marquez would fancy his wife in any one of these positions (hopefully without the dude). As would Giovani Dos Santos or Cuauhtémoc Blanco for theirs. Let's hope they don't limp into the opening match...

4. Spain played their last friendly yesterday against South Korea before departing to South Africa, and were saved in the 86th minute when Jesus Navas' created this piece of magic. A quick note about this 24 year old: he's got a medical condition that the doctors describe as extreme anxiety which induces panic attacks. In layman's terms - he gets homesick. Really. He rarely EVER leaves his home city of Seville and still lives with his parents. However, with youth academy teammate and lifelong friend Sergio Ramos on the national team with him now, Navas is beginning to combat this very unfortunate illness. Spain will surely benefit from his presence.

5. Scoring with your junk    I'm not really sure what to say here. Only that people who think soccer players are fairies who fake injuries and dive all the time, should know that proper footballers bang the hottest pieces of ass on this planet and have more balls than most other athletes. With that, make what you will of this video (look around before opening).

THIS is stunning



Sorry Juan Pablo Angel. I may have misspoke below because I hadn't seen Michel Bastos' free kick from yesterday until a little while ago.

Dressing the Part

A great man once said "It doesn't matter how many goals you score, how well you defend, or the final point tally at the end of the season. More important than anything else is how you look while doing it. The dynamic between hair style/color, accesories, and the actual kit are what people see on the back pages of the papers every single day and you must do your best to not look like a fool."

That great man was me. And I said it about 3 or 4 seconds ago. With the warmth of summer upon us and the regular season set to kick off in only a few more months, the Daily Mail has kindly offered us a preview of the newest kits so far for the upcoming 2010/11 season: Enjoy!

A stunning winner from Juan Pablo Angel

Get Microsoft Silverlight

The goal comes at 3:28 into the video

World Cup Group H Preview

Honduras and Chile have Spain to thank for bringing them a language to speak.  A wonderful foil to Switzerland - the neutrals - who split their time between French and German. With all eyes on holders Italy and the group of death, don't sleep on the tournament favorites in Spain. Watching them play is a masterpiece. Each pass, each movement is a different artist's stroke on the canvas. And Chile is everyone's sleeper, with such an attack minded style, that paint their own works of art. This could very well be an exciting group of matches from top to bottom.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

World Cup Group G Preview - The Group of Death

Every World Cup has one. A group that gets cluster fucked with three powerhouses. An unfortunate result for 1 team that could very well win any other group in the tournament. In 2006 it was Argentina, Netherlands, and the Ivory Cost. This year, an even more mouth wattering group awaits us with Brazil, Portugal, and (GOD I feel bad for them) the Ivory Coast once again.

World Cup Heartbreak

What's worse:

1) Jonathan Dos Santos - Javier Aguirre decided to cut his national team from 30 to 24...meaning 1 guy would be cut at the very last moment. That in and of itself is just plain stupid. Don't just cut 6 guys. You wait to make a final decision all at once!! ...but I digress.

The Ecstasy of Goals

If you've ever seen me celebrate a goal for my beloved Barcelona, you've probably crawled under the nearest chair or table you could find. Watching from my apartment last season, when Andrea Iniesta leveled the score at Stamford Bridge to send my beloved team into the Champions League final, I lost it. Amidst the screaming and some bar stools that needed to be "cleared" from my path, I heard my doorbell ring. Expecting other fans (what a dumb expectation), I instead got my neighbor who informed me she was moments away from calling the police and reporting a murder - no joke.

So to give you some perspective on that...and the meaning of scoring a goal in general, I strongly recommend you read this article my Matthew Syed in the London Times: Click here

When you're done, here's how some others enjoyed that moment last year:
1. L'Ovella Negra de Poble Nou, Barcelona
2. Barcelona supporters group in Santiago, Chile
3. These guys

Footy Tribue to Dennis Hopper


Dennis Hopper sadly passed away last week. He will always be remembered by me as Wilbur "Shooter" Flatch from Hoosiers - drunk, basketball savvy, and of course the crafty tactician of the game winning picket fence where he stepped in as coach. Warning all of us, "Now, boys, don't get caught watchin' the paint dry!"

But this column will also remember his brief appearance on Entourage, suckering Vincent Chase into placing a $100K bet on Manchester United to defeat Blackburn Rovers. Van Nistelrooy's subsequent penalty miss costs United the game. That game they were watching was the 2006 Carling Cup Semi-Final. A goal by Louis Saha after halftime booked United's spot in the final.

World Cup Group F Preview

Group F brings us the defending champions in Italy, along with Paraguay, Slovakia, and the mighty New Zealand. I don't mean to mock the islanders as believe it or not, this is actually their second appearance in the World Cup. But all eyes well be on the holders, and I can assure you those eyes will be very, very sore by the time these games conclude.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

World Cup Group E Preview

This group has all the makings of excitement and breathless action. For starters you've got the Dutch and all their glory. Flying up and down the field is almost tiring to watch, yet it can put you to sleep with its smooth, effortless progression from the back line to the front. Japan are looking to erase the pathetic display of what they call soccer from everyone's memory in 2006. Not much of a threat though for this group. Cameroon and Denmark on the other hand will bring plenty of grit and beautiful blonde hair.

World Cup Group D Preview

Group D may not look the sexiest but I can assure you every game will matter significantly...for second place. With a powerhouse in Germany sitting atop the heap, Australia, Ghana, and Serbia would do well to take maximum points off each other to secure passage into the knockout rounds.

Raymond Domenech is an idiot

Using astrology to pick starting lineups is one thing, but the French manager has outdone himself this time. Over the past 2 weeks he has organized a number of "team building" activities for his squad ahead of the World Cup. Unfortunately, this has resulted in injuries to two of his star players (luckily nothing serious). When I think of team building it's usually duck duck goose, uno, pin the tail on the donkey, running trains...things like that. Apparently, that's too juvenile for the French.

There was the dune buggy race:
That's starting center-back William Gallas being assisted after his buggy tumbled in a crash.

Yesterday's Tour de les Bleu:

Striker Nicolas Anelka in a crash on the downhill sprint.

And of course a jolly trek in the Alps (nobody got hurt but I got vertigo just looking at the damn picture!)


What's next? Wrestling wild animals on an African safari?

Naked Truth

We're all a bit tentative to support Argentina's success in this tournament ever since Maradona said he'd run through the streets of Buenos Aires naked should they win. HOWEVER, a reprieve is at hand...

Ms. Luciana Salazar posted this on her twitter account a few days ago:

"Diego if Argentina wins I will join you at El Obelisco"

Soo now if Argentina wins, we get this, this, and this!!! (look over your shoulder before opening)