Olé, Olé, Olé, Olé...

Yes, you know what this is about :D


I'll be back once I'm done celebrating. You go and make yourselves a couple of sangrias too, and be back in some time for the Hottest Player of the World Cup poll ;)

España!

They won my heart with their subliminal football against Germany. I've been supporting Spain, along with Brazil, throughout this World Cup, but let's face it - their display in the group matches and even the Round of 16 & the quarter-final match wasn't exactly superlative. It wasn't the kind of fluid, classy game Spain is famous for. With Fernando Torres out of form and plenty of lapses in defense, they were barely scraping by.

And then came the match against Germany. To be honest, my heart was stuck in my throat throughout the match. To the extent that I didn't want either team to score b/c that would've meant playing aggressive football and taking risks, and the last thing I wanted was for a player to get a red card. Then I realized that a goalless draw couldn't possibly be an outcome of that game, it being the semi-finals and all, and I definitely didn't want it to culminate into a penalty shoot-out.

I shouldn't have worried so much though. The Spanish were playing at a different level altogether. Their quick-passing possession-based attacking game didn't leave Germany a chance. Germany never got hold of the ball! I was astounded. The team that had routed England & Argentina just a few days ago was scared of Spain! Clearly they were thinking too much of the battering they got from Spain two years ago at the Euro Cup finals. It's amazing how psychology plays such a big part in sports. Any sport is a mind game as much as a physical one.

The Spanish that day game me the most beautiful football I've seen in a long long time. Stuff you'd generally associate with Brazil, and dare I say the current Spanish team is capable of beating an in-form Brazil team any day!

David Villa, Iker Casillas and Fernando Torres (when he's in form) generally end up walking away with all the laurels but the true heroes of the Spanish team are Xavi and Iniesta (MAN, IS HE TALENTED!). And then there are Sergio Ramos, Puyol and Pique...they work so hard! They make me almost dislike cricketers, particularly our unfit Indian cricketers who think they're doing the entire nation a favor by showing up for matches.

I hope Spain plays just as well - or even better - against the Netherlands in the finals. The Dutch are experts at fouling and play-acting (I think their players should compete for the Oscars rather than the World Footballer of the Year Award), so Spain need to be on top of their game and dominate from the start. Just like they did against Germany.

Oh, and one last thing - I'm not so much into club football but I think I'm going to get converted to a Barcelona fan pretty soon! Anyone here a Barca fan? :)

PS: I have tremendous respect for both Joachim Loew and Vicente Del Bosque. They are both excellent coaches, no doubt, but what won me over was their attitude towards each other's teams. Neither coach derided the other's team on the eve of the match. On the contrary, they praised each other's teams generously and Del Bosque extended a very warm & respectful handshake to Loew after the game. Maybe Mr Swine-Steiger should take a page or two out of his coach's book.

Here's your eye-candy for the day...

Seriously, what's not to love about football?

The Men Who Will Do It For Spain

On 11th July. At the World Cup 2010 Finals. Against the play-acting, fouling Dutchmen.


Here's my list...








And my favorite Spanish Armada...

Fernando Torres : Slurp slurp ;-)

"Hand of God". Apparently.

The World Cup is drawing to a close with only 4 matches left to go! Those who are tired of reading my posts on football, bear with me for a few more days. Besides, chances are you are a woman and I've been giving you seriously hot eye-candy, haven't I? :)

Uruguay, Holland, Germany and Spain are the four teams that have made it to the semi-finals. Uruguay obviously cheated to get to this stage. One of their players - Luis Suarez - stopped a Ghana goal with his hands in the quarter-finals. He got a red card and Ghana got a penalty kick. Unfortunately for Ghana, they couldn't convert the penalty and were thrown out of the competition. Suarez is going around boasting about HIS "hand of God" (Maradona lovers and loathers will both be familiar with this phrase :). According to him, deflecting the ball with his hands was something he "simply had to do" to send his team into the semi-finals.

There's been a lot of debate in my office regarding this incident. Most people (men, who else) were of the opinion that what Suarez did doesn't qualify as cheating. He did what "he had to do" to help his team win the match, did it fully aware of the consequences and is paying the price for it. Besides, Ghana did get a penalty kick as a result and it's their problem they couldn't score.

I don't quite agree with this point of view. As far as I'm concerned Suarez cheated. That was not something he HAD to do. Imagine if all teams start blocking goals of the opposite team by their hands when they think they're losing the match!

In football, you can't rely on a second chance, as we saw in the Spain vs Paraguay quarter-final. Spain scored a penalty against Paraguay but it was disallowed because one of the Spanish players had crept inside the penalty area when Xaxi Alonso was taking the shot. On his second try, Alonso's goal was blocked by the Paraguayan goalie. The same happened with Ghana - they were denied a sure-shot goal by Suarez and they missed the penalty shot. I feel Suarez should've been banned for the remainder of the Cup, no less. There is something to be said about playing the game in its spirit.

Alas, I'm the only alone who thinks that way. But I really want the game to be cleaned up, and if there's one thing that football needs today, it's a hell lot of cleaning up!

Consider this...none of the teams today play fair. Not even Brazil and Spain, my favorite teams. Teams which play the most beautiful football, according to me. Players cheat and play-act (Arjen Robben, Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba take a bow) to fool the referree and win a free kick, corner or penalty. They push & shove players of the opposing team, tug at their clothes at the most critical moments, trip them, foul them intentionally... Every single team is guilty of it, the difference lies in the degree.

That's not what football is supposed to be though, and FIFA is being pig-headed about taking corrective action.

For one, they refuse to use video technology, leaving everything to the discretion of the referrees. This World Cup has seen horrendous referreeing errors - teams disallowed legitimate goals, players getting away with handling the ball... These human errors have proved expensive for teams and have even led to certain teams being ousted from the tournament!

The truth is that 3 referrees - one of whom is constantly running behind the ball - cannot keep their eyes on 22 players and the goal line at the same time. Only now, after severe criticism from several ex-players and outrage among football fans across the globe, has FIFA agreed to "consider" the use of video technology in football.

FIFA's refusal to evolve the game is also reflected in the way it allows players to get away with play-acting, pushing & shoving other players, handling the ball etc. The use of video technology along with clear rules regarding on-field conduct and apt punishment for players who break those rules is the only way to clean up the beautiful game. Without it, football will always remain a street game.

As far as the on-going World Cup is concerned, with the Samba having gone out of the tournament, I have little to look forward to. There's not much left to say regarding what I think of Uruguay. I'm not a fan of the Netherlands, nor a fan of Germany's brand of football.

I'm with Spain all the way. I know that the Germans, who have been winning mainly on the basis of their physical strength and speed, are going to go for the shots. The Spainish defenders might find the German forwards too difficult to restrain. Spain's game is a treat to watch. I'm not sure it would be enough to restrain the blitzkreiging Germans though.

A Holland-Germany final is the last thing I want.

Here's your eye-candy for the day, who is also a Rock Star and the man I'm banking on heavily to take Spain to the World Cup 2010 finals...

Withdrawal

Two days without football and I’m already going through withdrawal. For those just vaguely aware that there is some kind of a football tournament going on, well, the tournament has reached the quarter final stage and is a on 2-day break before it resumes, to give the qualifying teams ample rest and practice time. Which means that after 19 days of non-stop entertainment which involved some gorgeous men chasing a ball for 90 minutes, running into each other and feeling each other's super toned butts, there is suddenly no such hot action for 2 days. It also means that there are now only 7 matches left. Sob sob...what the hell am I supposed to do with my evenings after July 12th??!!!

Well, I could go back to the gym, for one.

The World Cup has ensured that I run home straight from work and park my ass in front of the TV. Any kind of food discipline I might have had earlier has gone to the dogs. All kinds of junk food that I’d otherwise not have touched - such as fried potato chips, samosas, pakoras etc. - are being liberally ingested. I’ve taken to eating pastries like a global ban on bakeries is imminent. I stay awake for the midnight matches with the help of Nutella. And on top of everything, it’s mango season!!

All this has led to me piling on 2 kgs!! At the places I'd want to pile them on last. I have even received their application for permanent residency, but I refuse to grant it to them. Maybe I would have if they had chosen their place of residence better. Given their current address, no.

So as of tomorrow (not today given that I have already feasted on spicy potato chops) I am going to cut off all the junk-fried-fattening food from my diet. And I am going back to hurt locker, a.k.a. the gym. The pounds have to leave before the end of this month. Suggestions would be welcome.

On another note, I love football. It’s such a beautiful game. Requires such skill and talent. Countries such as Brazil and Spain play like a song. It’s so heartwarming to see players of winning teams hug, kiss and pat each other (most of the times on the butt, there we go again!), with a big smile plastered across their faces. It’s equally moving to see the faces of players of the losing team, facing up to the bitter truth that they couldn’t win in spite of putting in so much effort.

Yes, I do believe that every player puts in the maximum effort that he is capable of into the game, particularly when he is playing for his country, irrespective of whether his team wins or loses.

Moreover, football is a game that teaches a lot of valuable lessons in life…to place the interest of your team as a whole ahead of your ego, to be a fighter, to be strong, to accept failure as part of life, to keep striving to get better at what you do, friendship (I love to see players who trip or tackle a player of the opposing team help him get up), respect for your competitors. In fact, more than a game, football is a lesson in life.

Men in Hairbands

...do look nice.








But this man looks cute even without one!

With the football season on, there are so many delicious men to feast on. Let's dig in! ;)

PS: Don't freckles just look so cute?

La Furia Roja, da Selecao et Les Bleus!

A.k.a. the Spanish, the Brazilians & the French.

But Spain first. They won! Against Honduras. It was not an easy game. The Hondurans were playing a very physical game, quite like the Ivorians against Brazil a few days ago, which I think is just so sad. Football is a beautiful game. It's a game that requires skill and presence of mind, not brute force. I agree that each country has its own style of football. For instance, Germany's style of playing is very different from that of Brazil, who are very different from say, the Italians. But teams that resort to roughing up their opponents, intentional fouls, unfair tackles, cheating and play-acting to win a corner, free kick or penalty just go on to prove that they are the inferior team and lack the skill required for the game.

Coming back to Spain, they're the second team I'm supporting apart from Brazil (who else?). I'll be equally happy if either go on to win the Cup. But I'm concerned for both teams. Spain shouldn't have lost their opening game against Switzerland and should have won against Honduras by a bigger margin. They could easily have scored 5-6 goals...Torres & Ramos had enough shots at the goal, and there was no reason for David Villa to miss an easy penalty kick after the mindblowing goals he scored. Spain are such a talented side...they have such a fluid game (have you seen them pass the ball between players?)...but they seem to be having trouble finishing. I hope they sort it out sooner rather than later because they're likely to face Portugal in the pre-quarters and Argentina or Germany in the semis if they manage to go past Denmark/Italy in the quarter finals. I'd hate to see them lose.

Brazil seem to have recovered from their indifferent performance in their opening game against North Korea. One of their 3 goals against Cote d'Ivoire was a handball, so they scored only 2 goals legitimately. While that was enough to win them the game against Cote d'Ivoire, it may not be enough to see them all the way to the finals. The bookies are placing their money on Brazil winning this Cup and I hope they are right! A Brazil vs Spain final would be out of this world!

And what's the deal with Les Blues?? I can't believe the way the French have been behaving the past few days. First the French Football Federation expels one of their star strikers for his public tirade against coach Raymond Domenech, who looks like he's perpetually chewing on sour grapes. Then the players revolt against the Federation and the coach by refusing to train, and some of the key players even refuse to play! That's not only immature, it's also stupid. Imbecility, as the French would call it. Not to mention that it's terribly insulting to the French people who, like most other Europeans are passionate about football and would like to see their country win the World Cup.

Don't get me wrong - I think the French players have every right to protest against their coach if they have issues with his management tactics. I also think Anelka needn't have been suspended for his outburst against the coach - France is not a dictatorship after all. But by refusing to train and play the matches, the French players not only let their country down, they also proved that they don't value the opportunity to represent their country on such an international platform and bring it glory. Quite predictably, they're out of the tournament in the first round itself. Sad to see Zidane's team go out like this.

England get a last shot at redeeming themselves tonite. I hope they do - they are a group of very talented players. But if they haven't scored a single goal within the first 15 minutes, I request ESPN to focus their cameras entirely on David Beckham in the sidelines rather than on the field, for it might be our last chance to see this gorgeous man for the rest of this tournament.

Here's your eye candy for the day.

Ummmm....can I have a double serving of THAT please?

PS: In case you are wondering why there are so many pictures of semi-naked men on my blog, here's your answer....Football season = Gorgeous men = Will pose shirtless. So who are we to refuse??!!!

Waka Waka...Bafana Bafana

So, a lot has been said about my knowledge of football - or lack thereof - after my previous post where I have shared some very valid reasons for liking football more than cricket. Accusations have been hurled at me - that I watch football only for the hotties and don't understand the game.

Well, I do understand the game alright. And it's a strange game. The World No. 1 need a game that they won by the skin of their teeth to come back and start doing the Samba again. The World No. 2, and the side built-up to be the most talented and one of the top contenders for the Cup, need to lose their opening game to a mediocre team to snap out of their complacency (hopefully...we'll find out in a couple of hours).

England, the creators of the game, are squabbling amongst themselves and protesting against the team selection and management tactics of their coach while David Beckham cools his heels on the sidelines looking more edible in his 3-piece suit than any man has ever looked.

The Germans rout their opposition 4-0 one day and lose 0-1 the next, with their star striker sent off by a red card.

The French are refusing to train as a sign of protest against the expulsion of one of their players.

Argentina are looking towards Messi to be the next Diego Maradona and win them the Cup, while someone else from their teams nets the ball the most number of times.

The Italians, the reigning World Champions, have managed 2 goals in their 2 matches so far while the Portugese ripped North Korea apart by a 7-0 win.

The loser, unsporting African team of Cote d'Ivoire who have a rockstar Captain but no footballing skills start cheating when they are outperformed by a team that's way superior to them, while a player who has not a spot on him gets red carded.

You have teams blaming the poor ball for their dismal performance (if they had their way, they'd blame the miserable weather in their country too for their rubbish performance on another continent!) while the makers of the ball say it's the altitude that's doing strange things to the ball. Like making it hop, skip and jump on its own?

And then you have the wretched Vuvuzelas!

But seriously, what's the matter with this World Cup? None of the top teams are showing what they're made of while the minions are yanking the carpet from under the giants' feet. The World Cup takes place once in 4 years and players of most big teams do not look match-fit! The most celebrated strikers such as Wayne Rooney don't have a single goal to their credit even after 2 matches. Coaches are taking bizarre decisions, like dropping Ronaldinho and retaining Robinho who doesn't seem to be able to rise above his desire to prove himself a better play-maker than Kaka. And on top of everything there's poor refereeing - denying legitimate goals to the scoring team, letting some teams get away with fouls and unfair play while punishing others, sometimes even when they aren't at fault. At this rate, I'm dreading a Slovenia vs North Korea final!!

Here's a joke for you courtesy my friend Alex:
Question: How did all the shouting screaming North Korean fans get permission to leave the country?
Answer: They didn't. Kim Jong Il hired chinese actors to play DPRK fans in the stands.

And here's some more eye candy for you...

Football vs Cricket

This is what I get if I watch 2 hours of football:

And the Big Daddy of them all...

And here's what I get if I watch 3 hours, or worse still, an entire day of cricket:

Can you blame me for liking football more?

P.S.: Can someone please tell me why the Italians love to pose naked? Not that I mind! ;)

The march of the Armadas

I thought Spain deserved to win last night because they played very well. It’s not easy to hold the Italians goal-less for 120 minutes!

I love penalty shoot-outs. Not only because they keep you on the edge of your seat but also because they show the true class of a player.

In a match that does not end up in a penalty shoot-out, the team that is better on that particular day, wins. However, penalty shoot-outs can swing either way! It’s not about the team, it’s about individual players. Faced with a world-class goal keeper, a player has a 50-50 chance of scoring the penalty.

Penalty shoot-outs are also the test of a player’s nerves, mental fortitude & intelligence – qualities that Cesc Fabregas seems to posses in abundance. The Arsenal mid-fielder is the new talent to watch out for on the Spanish team. He took the last penalty shot, which he was under pressure to score in order to eliminate Italy from the competition (or the Italians could have leveled the shoot-out as well). All of 21 years old & faced with a goal-keeper of the caliber of Gigi Buffon, he was resolute & swift, and with a kick sent the ball flying right past Buffon & sent his team into the semi-finals!

I think Gigi Buffon is a rockstar!! Had he not saved Adrian Mutu’s penalty in Italy’s last league match against Romania, Italy would not have made it to the quarter-finals. It was a brilliant save but Casillas was just better than Buffon yesterday.

So…a win well-deserved by Spain. They play Russia in the semis. I haven’t seen any of Russia’s games but I’ve heard they’re good. Especially Asharvin. Should be a match worth watching.

Portugal vs Deutschland

Portugal take on Germany in the quarterfinals of the Euro Cup today. Am looking forward to the game, Portugal being one of my favorite teams in the tournament & Germany have always been a respected team in world football. So what we’ll have on our plates for a midnight snack tonight is Portugal’s skill vs. Germany’s mechanical precision.

Like with every other thing German, German football too is known for its precision. Not really known for their creativity (unlike, say, Brazil), the Germans plan and execute with precision. They have some good strikers in the form of Podolski & Klose who, ironically, are both Poles by birth who play for Germany. They also have a world-class midfielder in Michael Ballack. However, unfortunately Ballack has always been part of a team that has made it to the advanced stages of international tournaments, only to miss out on the championship trophy. The 2006 World Cup where a Ballack-led Germany got eliminated at the semi-final stage & the EPL 2008 final against Man U being cases in point.

Portugal on the other hand have dexterous players such as Deco, Cristiano Ronaldo, Caravalho, Nuno Gomes & Ricardo Quaresma. With the retirement of Luis Figo & a few other players after the 2006 World Cup, the Portugal team has a new & fresher look. I think Deco is one of the most underrated mid-fielders in world football. He is skilled, determined & indefatigable on field. He can single-handedly elevate the quality of the game through his brilliant assists. And of course there’s the unsuppressable Cristiano! His 42 goals in the EPL was one of the main reasons Man U won the EPL.

Tonight’s game should be an exciting one. I wish it started earlier but what the hell….tomorrow’s Friday!!

The two most delicious men of Italian Football!!

Yumm's the word ;)

And of course, Le Dieu (The God) of Football

You get 3 guesses on who my rockstar is :)

And look what I found...

Only the Italians are capable of something as cheesy...

Any random shit!

I discovered a new restaurant in Bandra today. Khaan-e-Khaas at Pali Hill. I'd been reading about it on someone's blog but surprisingly never noticed it though I'm a 5-Spice regular & also go to Papa Pancho quite frequently.

Ordered food home from Khaan-e-Khaas. The service was quite prompt. They told me they'd take 45 minutes to deliver at Reclamation but they were there in 30 minutes flat. I opened the door & to my surprise the delivery boy goes "Hello madam, how are you?". He totally floored me with that & I found myself saying "I'm actually very good, thank you!" with a BIG smile :-) The place has earned brownie points from me just for that. How many delivery boys do we come across who're pleasant & amiable. Most are rude, scowling & never give you change even if they have it on them! Khaan-e-Khaas gets 10 on 10 for politeness & courtesy.

I would rate the food as 6 out of 10. I'm no connoisseur of food. I neither know nor have ever had the inclination to learn how to cook but I do eat out quite a bit. I've had better Punju food before. Khaan-e-Khaas' food is slightly more towards home food, in that they use less oil as compared to other restaurants (which I was thankful for given my recent low carb diet) but sometimes you just crave spicy, oily North Indian food ;p

*****

I consider Preity Zinta to be one of the smarter actresses we have. I used to think she has half a brain (as compared to most other actresses who are brainless twits). But of late, I've been watching her on TV attending INDOOR reality shows, press conferences etc. wearing humungous sunglasses!

Big sunglasses definitely are the latest fashion statement but come on, PZ...We think you're more intelligent than that!!

*****

Midgets in Brazil have formed their own football team! That's what I call true human spirit & the love of the game. Viva Brasil!!

*****

Have seen a couple of promotional videos for Kolkata Knight Riders. They're filmy alright, and even a little silly but then, that's Shah Rukh Khan for you! I am definitely supporting the Knight Riders. They've got Sourav Ganguly & they seem to have the right spirit towards the game. When SRK was selecting players for the team, he didn't say he wanted to build the best team. He said he wanted to build a "winning team". That's the spirit needed for competitive sports; you play to win! Besides, Kolkata Knight Riders is the only team that's creating excitement around the IPL games. Teams such as Jaipur, Chennai & Hyderabad are nowhere to be seen or heard. And Mukesh Ambani has given his team THE MOST retarded name ever. Mumbai Indians?? I mean...Seriously!!