ARGENTINA VS GERMAN… COULD THINGS GET UGLY AGAIN?

ARGENTINA VS GERMAN… re-match 2006.

Big upset today with Brazil literally shaken psychologically by the Dutch head game. Fact: both goals scored by Holland were not kicks but headbutts, and the first by an unfortunate Brazilian player name Felipe Melo who later got red carded out. Yes that was an auto-goal. A thing we Colombians are all too familiar with given the unfortunate aftermath of the 94 World Cup that lead to the tragic death of Andres Escobar.

So that leads NL to the next round and they are the powerhouse at the moment second to Argentina. Soccer is a game about the psyche of a team – which is also why I think Brazil unraveled – their coach Dunga really lost it and it showed.

Two teams that have a bone to pick from the last world cup are Argentina and Germany – after last time ended in penalities favoring Germany, words were exchanged, ego’s were flared and it got heated.

http://soccerlens.com/germany-argentina-post-match-fight-video-analysis/227/

Now word on the street is that the Argentines and Germans have been trash talking and ready to kick balls. 

What are you looking for today….a KLOSE vs MESSI rumble in Cape Town.

DEUTHLAND

On the German side is striker…Miroslav Klose who won the golden boot in 2006 for most goals but who lost the title to the Italians on home turf in the semi-finals. At 32, this is the last shot he’s got for a cup and he’s hungry.

He has also scored 12 World Cup goals in three editions to level Pele, three behind top scorer Ronaldo on 15.

• Date of Birth: 9 June 1978
• Height: 182 cm
• Shirt number: 11
• Position: Forward
• Current club: Bayern Munich (GER)
• International Caps: 99
• International Goals: 50
• First international: Germany - Albania
  (24 March 2001)

Club History

• Werder Bremen (GER): From 2004 to 2007
• 1. FC Kaiserslautern (GER): From 2000 to 2004
• FC Homburg 08 (GER): From 1998 to 1999

An honest pro who shuns the trappings of stardom, Miroslav Klose has always let actions speak louder than words. The kind of player who can remain quite for long periods but then suddenly explode onto the scene with a vital goal, Klose has an exceptional strike rate for his country, especially at FIFA World Cup™ finals.

The Bayern Munich striker, who turns 32 a couple of days ahead of the 2010 tournament, remains a minor mystery to many observers. One of the game’s late developers, Klose started out in senior football with lower league amateurs SG Blaubach/Diedelkopf, only to ascend the career ladder with amazing alacrity. Nowadays, he only has the legendary Gerd Müller and former GDR striker Joachim Streich ahead of him in the all-time Germany scoring chart. He finished on five goals at both the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan and the 2006 finals on home soil.

VS

ARGENTINA

The Argentine Golden Boy….Lionel Messi has been suffering from a cold but apparently undeterred. 

• Date of Birth: 24 June 1987
• Height: 170 cm
• Shirt number: 10
• Position: Forward
• Current club: Barcelona (ESP)
• International Caps: 49
• International Goals: 13
• First international: Hungary - Argentina
  (17 August 2005)

There has been no shortage of players billed as Diego Maradona’s successor, yet few, if any, have borne that burden with the aplomb of Lionel Messi. Blessed with a wondrous left foot, outstanding vision, near-unstoppable dribbling skills and sublime technique, Messi is a sight to behold. Add in his explosive changes of pace, timing and nose for goal – a trait particularly in evidence in 2010 – and you have a player able to change any game in the blink of an eye.

The Rosario-born superstar took his first steps in the game at local club Newell's Old Boys, before joining Catalan giants Barcelona at the age of just 13 after a successful trial at the Camp Nou. Indeed, so impressed was Carles Rexach, then head of youth development at Can Barça, that “I made him sign for the club on the back of a napkin, as a symbolic gesture. He’d caught my eye immediately.”

The Oranje take on 5 time WC Winner: Brazil!

So the story goes, "the Netherlands is one of the best soccer nations never to win a World Cup." They've come very close, taking second place in 1974 (lost to West Germany) and 1978 (lost to Argentina); they came in fourth place in 1998. If the Dutch are looking to make it to the finals this World Cup, the odds currently favor their rival, Brazil by 61%. The Oranje do have the drive and desire to make tomorrow's game a nail biter, let's not forget that they won their Group E with the maximum 9 points. The Dutch are hoping to shatter Brazil's bid for the World Cup as Brazil did for them back in 1994's quarterfinals and again 1998, loosing by penality kicks. So now, let's look at the hotties that will give us more of a reason to be glued to tomorrow's game.

Midfielder: #10 - Wesley Sneijder

Age: 26, Height: 5'7

Current Club: Italian Serie A

Wesley was given Beckham's #23 while playing four seasons for Real Madrid. He left the team amid

some controversy, claiming he was treated very badly.

Midfielder: #20 - Ibrahim Afellay

Age: 24, Height: 5'11

Current Club: Dutch PSV

Ibrahim is of Moroccan decent and was offered to play for Morocco but decided to stay with his Dutch home team, which he felt had better odds of making it through to the finals. His professional debut with PSV came at the young age of 17.

Midfielder: #8- Stijn Schaars
Age: 26, Height: 5'10

Current Club: Dutch AZ

Head coach Bert van Marwijk, "Schaars brings in the quality needed for this kind of tournament. He'll do good for the team."

Goalkeeper: #1 Michel Vorm

Age: 26, Height: 6'0

Current Club: Dutch FC Utrecht

Vorm was included in the original World Cup squad but was cut before the competition began. He was allowed to fly back and be present at the birth of his newborn son.

And now for the finale...enjoy the best for last!

Midfielder: Rafael van der Vaart

#23
Age: 27, Height: 5'10

Current Club: Real Madrid

Rafael was born to a Dutch father and Spanish mother. Nice combination! He grew up in a caravan park living a 'gypsy life.' That's where he learned how to play soccer and at the age of 10, he joined the accredited AFC Ajax Academy.

Rafael gets my vote for major hottie! He definitely caused me to break out the fan while researching the team. Unfortunately, my husband thinks his wife, Sylvie van der Vaart, should have a hottie page of her own!

LOVE THY IBERIAN NEIGHBOR….

PORTUGAL VS SPAIN. 

Seriously...love thy Iberian Neighbor. 

Moving forward this World Cup is bound to see some nice neighborly battles a brewing…I mean imagine if the quarterfinals came down to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay— four neighbor countries!

My ultimate prediction at this point for the finals is Brazil Vs Argentina…talk about the ultimate next-door rivals!! These guys HATE HATE HATE each other. Hate to say it, but Maradona is going to take home another cup but this time as coach…with the Argentines taking gold.

Before that happens, one of the last of the four remaining EUROPEAN teams must go home…and this IS the HOTTEST match up on the eye candy front!!! Set your TIVO’s…no where in the next 8 match up quarter final games will there EVER be a match up so hot seeing as Italy and France are out. Doesn’t matter what the final score is because everyone playing and watching is a winner.

Tomorrow’s World Cup Iberian battle consists of SPAIN VS PORTUGAL. I’m almost thinking it will go to penalties because Spain and Portugal are so evenly matched…and from the player perspective it’s hard to take favorites but Portugal pound for pound has the hotter team though Spain plays more like a unified ‘team’. Hard call. I wish neither could be eliminated...

At the end of the day, it’s going to come down to two of the world cup’s hottest players…Spanish striker DAVID VILA “El Guaje” vs. the one, the only, the reigning god of hot soccer players CHRISTIANO RONALDO.  

Let’s look at the stats…

Cristiano Ronaldo

         Date of Birth: 5 February 1985

         Height: 185 cm

         Shirt number: 7

         Position: Forward

         Current club: Real Madrid (ESP)

         International Caps: 75

         International Goals: 23

         First international: Portugal - Kazakhstan 
(20 August 2003)

Club History

         Manchester United (ENG): From 2003 to 2009

         Sporting CP (POR): From 2002 to 2003

Okay…in the real world he may not be THAT smart but, MAN, he sure is pretty and plays a pretty game.

Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo turns the beautiful game into child’s play. As Brazil’s legendary FIFA World Cup-winning midfielder Didi once said: “If we don’t treat the ball with love, she won’t do what we want her to do.” Perhaps more than any other player of the modern era, Real Madrid’s flying winger seems to maintain that wide-eyed innocence on the field that makes every dazzling dribble and every penetrating pass feel like the very first. And such is his artistry that, almost magnetically, the ball returns to his feet time and time again, ready for the next touch of genius. And YES...he's 300 non-sgi HOT. 

From his early days with local club Andorinha, where his father was kit man, it was clear that the young Cristiano was destined for greatness. After a short stint with Nacional, he left Madeira to follow his dream and, as it has turned out, to become one of the greatest players in the world.

But in keeping with the finest artistic traditions, the young star’s rise to footballing pre-eminence came on the back of a series of life-changing choices. The first was to leave his family behind on the tiny Atlantic island in order to join Sporting Lisbon’s famous academy. Naturally, the winger found a home from home on a bigger stage, and success followed quickly. It was at the age of 15 that the talented teenager faced his greatest trial as a routine medical examination revealed an irregular heartbeat. Typically, Cristiano took the setback in his elegant stride, and a successful operation soon saw Madeira’s favorite son resume his career, from where he would go on to conquer the world.

At the start of 2003/04, English giants Manchester United came to the Portuguese capital to watch him play and it was love at first sight. The teenager bewitched his illustrious opponents, and Sir Alex Ferguson swooped to bring the youngster to Old Trafford, giving him the famous number 7 shirt, as worn by United legends George Best, Bryan Robson and Eric Cantona.

And NO...he's not gay. REALLY.

On the other end of the peninsula...YUMMMMMMMY.

 VS.

David Villa

         Date of Birth: 3 December 1981

         Height: 175 cm

         Shirt number: 7

         Position: Forward

         Current club: Valencia (ESP)

         International Caps: 61

         International Goals: 41

         First international: Spain - San Marino 
(9 February 2005)

Club History

         Valencia CF (ESP): From 2005 to 2010

         Real Zaragoza (ESP): From 2003 to 2005

         Sporting Gijón (ESP): From 2001 to 2003

         Sporting Gijón B (ESP): From 2000 to 2001

Top scorer at UEFA EURO 2008 and a fixture at the sharp end of the Spanish attack, David Villa is currently one of the world's hottest striking properties. A born competitor with an unquenchable thirst for finding the net, Villa always has the goal in his sights whether playing as an out-and-out forward, in a withdrawn role or wide-left in a front three.

Known as El Guaje (an affectionate name given to children in his native Asturias), this quick and explosive hitman is certainly not afraid of hard work, and is always willing to drop deep and help out his midfield. It is this level of commitment and the gutsy nature of his performances that make the Valencia man a fan's favourite for club and country, as well as earning him his fair share of run-ins with match officials....and yeah. He's the Spanish Ashton Kutcher. 

Naturally right-footed, Villa is nearly as proficient with his left, thanks to a childhood accident and his father's foresight. Seeing how his four-year old son would not stop playing even after bearing a plaster cast on his broken right leg, Villa senior felt it best to show the youngster how to strike the ball with his weaker foot.

Now 28, Villa came up through the youth ranks and began learning his trade at Sporting de Gijon, before exploding onto the La Liga scene at Real Zaragoza, where he enjoyed two goal-filled years between 2003 and 2005. Valencia then spent big to bring the front-runner to the Mestalla, though El Guaje quickly repaid the investment by coming within one goal of the division's top scorer's award, El Pichichi, in his debut campaign. He did however finish as the leading Spanish-born scorer, an honor he has since claimed on two further occasions.

OKay that's just the forwards....

The rest of the team may not be AS hot but there are some yummies....so DEFINITELY a game to watch. 

OKAY HALF TIME REPORT

What a match up!!!! There are so many hotties on these teams it doesn't seem just to leave some of these guys out...

ON THE SPAINISH SIDE...

Cesc Fabregas

Country: Spain Club: Arsenal Position: Midfielder Age: 23 Vitals: 5'9", 153 pounds Why He's Hot: With his brooding, dark features, he's a dead-ringer for Ronaldo. And that's never a bad thing.

Fernando TORRES (aka "el Niño Torres)

Date of Birth: 20 March 1984

Height: 181 cm

Shirt number: 9

Position: Forward

Current club: Liverpool (ENG)

International Caps: 76

International Goals: 24

First international: Portugal - Spain (6 September 2003)

Though he has come a long way since his early days as a teenage prodigy at his first club Atletico Madrid, for Spanish football fans Fernando Torres will always be El Niño (The Boy).