Give that fan a contract

This is just too funny. Mesut Ozil playing keepy-uppy with his chewing gum during warm-ups.

The Dutch and the Germans Make Peace, For Now

The Dutch and the Germans Make Peace, For Now

Great article from the author of Brilliant Orange.

The last time Argentina were humiliated 0-4 in a World Cup quarterfinal the dark skies sundered and rain fell with the force of a monsoon. That game took place 36 years ago in Gelsenkirchen, West Germany and left observers reeling with admiration for the Dutch victors, led by Johan Cruyff, playing “total football.”

In Cape Town last weekend the Albiceleste were humiliated 0-4 once more, albeit without rain, by another swift-moving team playing soccer from the future. Only this time the defeat was inflicted by brilliant, free-spirited Germans...

The current tournament is making the Dutch both happy and troubled. They are euphoric that Oranje is winning, but uncomfortable about the “ugly” fotball and loss of attacking elan. Meanwhile, seeing the once-hated Germans is getting Dutch fans even more confused. They look in the mirror and see the face of the old enemy. They see the beautiful, creative, new multi-ethnic Germans and realize, with a flush of potentially healing recognition, that they remind them of the best of themselves.

World Cups are always best understood as epic psychodramas involving entire nations. Yet this sort of symmetrical Jungian mirroring is rare.

Who Is The Player of the Tournament So Far?

My wife and I moved into our new house over the weekend.  Turns out that moving is a lot of work and priorities must be set.  On Saturday morning with a house full of boxes, we navigated our new neighborhood and found a gigantic sports bar that was showing the game to very few people watching.  My wife was bitterly disappointed that Argentina showed so poorly (if I hadn't mentioned it, she spent a lot of time in Argentina while she was in high school and college so her second favorite national team after the US is Argentina) there wasn't much hope of breaking away from the moving chores for the later match.  This led to more text messages than usual between me and Jeremy over the course of Spain/Paraguay. 

Aside from the insanity of the two missed PKs and the one re-called make in-between, the conversation turned to the following topic..."Who is the man of the tournament thus far?"  We're down to four teams and unless someone who has played reasonably well to this point has an incredible "Final Four" then we probably already have our finalists.  In my mind, the obvious candidates are (in no particular order):

1. Mueller, GER - He won't get to play in the semi-final but he's been in the right place at the right time all tournament.  He doesn't have the outrageous skill of a Ronaldo or a Messi but he always seems to be in the right place, make the right pass, strike the ball solidly, and make something happen in a way that neither Ronaldo nor Messi were able to do in this tournament.
2. Sneijder, HOL - I can't say I love his game but it certainly has been effective for the Dutch thus far.  Maybe the Special One has rubbed off on him but he seems to be more able to stay in control and keep his team together than in years past.
3. Forlan, URU - I think I've enjoyed watching him play more than any other single player in the tournament.  Uruguay haven't had a very difficult road to the semis but you can hardly blame that on Forlan.  He has been everywhere showing great passing, strong set pieces, orchestration in the attacking half of midfield, and a vicious strike from distance.  Tell me again why striker-shy ManYoo let this guy go.
4. Villa, SPA - Spain hasn't been all that impressive really but they've won and he's scored the goals so hard not to put him in the conversation.

So, who is my pick for my man of the tournament so far? One of this blog's favorite gunners (not to be confused with Gunners) from last season's Premier League Fantasy season.  That's right, Mr. Kevin Prince Boateng.  What you say? You're picking a guy who went out in the Quarterfinals to a back water South American team? Yup.


Why KPB? His has been by far the greatest impact in the tournament.  His influence on this tournament is so great that he started making it in May.  I'm referring, of course, to the tackle that crocked Michael Ballack and left Mueller and Ozil with the freedom to run wild in midfield.  If you think that the confidence and flair that those two are playing with for Germany would have come out with Old Man Ballack getting starts for Lifetime Achievement as opposed to current skill/capability then you're crazy.  Ballack's shadow would have been cast over the entire German side and I'm guessing they would have gone out early.  With Ballack gone, Mueller and Ozil could take control and not worry about sharing the spaces in the center of the midfield with the now-plodding, toothless veteran. 

Oh yeah, outside of his unintentional influence on the tournament, Boateng also scored a critical goal that helped Ghana into the Quarterfinals and provided a lot of the attacking impetus that the Black Stars were missing with Michael Essien unavailable due to injury/the Chelsea Curse.


So, for all those things, congratulate KPB for winning the 2010 Fantasy Blog Man of the Tournament Award (at least until someone does something not to be believed in the semi-finals and/or finals).

WC Travel Log, Take Two

Despite the fact that the US of A has gone crashing out of the tournament despite a game effort against Ghana, we still bring you some choice moments live from South Africa.  This post is courtesy of friend-of-the-blog, diplomat, troubadour, and all-around good guy Bob Gerber who is stopping over in South Africa on his way home from yet another posting in one of those war-torn parts of the world.  We're happy to be getting him back on home soil soon and in the meantime, we'll post his thoughts on his time in South Africa for those of you who, like us, weren't able to make it in person.

World Cup 2010 - Injured Ballack out of World Cup

Today *today* *today*... I consider myself *myself* *myself*...

Germany captain Michal Ballack has been ruled out of the World Cup after injuring his ankle in Chelsea's FA Cup final win over Portsmouth.

The German Football Federation (DFB) said Ballack underwent a scan on Monday which showed that he had partially torn a ligament in his right leg.

They said his right ankle would be placed in a cast and he would have to wear a special shoe for two weeks once the cast had been removed.

The DFB said it would be eight weeks before he could resume training. The World Cup starts in South Africa on June 11.

This is a blow to Germany as Ballack is their captain, and could have started for them in the holding midfielder position that he's played for Chelsea since Mikel's knee injury.

But let's not get carried away. It's a personal tragedy for Ballack who misses out. But he was only starting for Chelsea because of Mikel's injury. And if Germany want an aging warrior in that role they probably should have called up Torsten Frings, who just had a great season at Werder Bremen. Instead, we're likely to see Schweinsteiger as the deep-lying middie. It's a role he's taken to quite well at Bayern this season, and that will likely give the Germans a little more dynamism in their attack.

Just be sure to note Schweinsteiger's shift for fantasy World Cup 2010 play. He'll be devalued compared to previous seasons.

And speaking of fantasy World Cup 2010 and successful Bremen midfielders... what this really does is open the door (even further) for Mesut Özil to come in and place his mark on this team and this tournament. He's going to be Germany's attacking hub, and I look to him to be one of this summer's emerging stars.