World Cup

Italy defender Fabio Cannavaro has called on his former team-mates Francesco Totti and Alesandro Nesta to come out of retirement and join the National team.

Both Totti and Nesta retired after Italy’s 2006 truimph to concentrate on their club careers but with all the big teams qualifying for the tournament in South Africa, Cannavaro is not taking any chances.

Italy who are the defending champions will be looking to be among a group of selected few nations that have retained the cup. According to FIFA, Italy are ranked number 4 in the world and they will be looking to win a 5th title to match Brazil’s record.  Read more... (228 words, 3 images, estimated 55 secs reading time)

Come on. You knew I was going to put Hope Solo in the #1 slot. Didn’t you? If not, you obviously haven’t read any of my previous posts about my adoration and respect for the WNT’s keeper. Sure, many people dislike her assertive, confident style (which she displayed at the 2007 World Cup), but I like my ladies like I like my keepers:

Self-assured, feisty and always focused. And Solo fits all of these elements. She’s the keeper who doesn’t think you won’t score on her, she knows it. I imagine when guys hit on her, she doesn’t think they will get rejected, she knows it. But, maybe that is just my own “hopes” and wishes talking. Wow, that was probably the worst pun ever typed.   Read more... (283 words, 4 images, estimated 1:08 mins reading time)

The fact Heather Mitts is on this list will likely surprise no one. The fact she is #2 on this list will likely surprise most people though. Mitts is renowned as one of the sexiest athletes in the world (ESPN once named her the “Sexiest Athlete of the Year”) so I imagine many of you are questioning why she is #2 on this list instead of #1.

Well, while she may technically (and by that I mean objectively) be hotter than my #1 selection, she isn’t as crucial to the team or as talented, so I think she only deserves the #2 spot. In addition, while she is still quite the looker, it’s just a fact of life people…   Read more... (350 words, 4 images, estimated 1:24 mins reading time)

There’s something about “dangerous” ladies that make men crazy with desire. I have never been one of these men, as I usually prefer the more sweet ”girl next door” types, but you can’t deny many dudes out there dig wild girls (Exhibit A: Angelina Jolie). Heck, there’s an entire industry out there now literally built around such ”Girls Gone Wild”. 

Natasha Kai is not a “Girl Gone Wild”. She’s no exhibititionist, but she should be as her body really is a work of art. I am not just referring to her multitude of tats (19 in all), but also her ripped abs and gorgeous figure.  Read more... (376 words, 4 images, estimated 1:30 mins reading time)

I know this will be the most chauvinistic series I have ever authored, so spare me the vitriol. The fact is, the media often delves into which men’s soccer players are “dreamy”, but when someone wants to talk about the beauty of female players, many folks consider it “inappropriate”. Well, I disagree wholeheartedly, and I’ll tell you why:

I think physical beauty is something to be cherished, and the mere fact I think a certain US WNT player is hot doesn’t mean I am discounting her play. In fact, the truth is that the better a lady plays, the more sexy she becomes to me. Take Marta of Brazil for example. Some say she is homely, but her skills make her damn sexy IMO.  Read more... (258 words, 3 images, estimated 1:02 mins reading time)

Picking a final starting forward for my World Cup All-Time Best XI was very difficult. There were so many legends left to choose from. But, in the end, I have to go with the tournament’s all-time leading scorer, Ronaldo. While his fitness (make that fatness) was questioned at the 2006 World Cup, his performances in 1998 and 2002 make him worthy.

Ronaldo was actually on the 1994 squad that won the title too, but he didn’t play much. In 1998 though, he scored three goals (a feat he would match in 2006 despite his largesse) and helped lead the team to the Final. Unfortunately, he suffered a seizure the night before the Final and it clearly affected his performance as Brazil finished second.  Read more... (293 words, 3 images, estimated 1:10 mins reading time)

Of all my selections, Brazil’s Pele is definitely the most obvious. No man has ever dominated his World Cup competition like Pele did. He would appear in four tournaments (1958, 1962, 1966 and 1970) and win three of them. I wouldn’t hesitate to say that he isn’t just the greatest soccer player of all time, but the greatest athlete. Period.

Known simply as “The King” in his homeland, Pele is the only player to ever win three World Cups. Moreover, he is one of only four men to score in two World Cup Finals. His soccer ability wasn’t just shocking because it resulted in over 1,000 career goals, but also because he seemingly had no weakness. He wasn’t just the best. He was a God.  Read more... (268 words, 3 images, estimated 1:04 mins reading time)

I know it is almost criminal that I only have one Italian player, Paolo Rossi, on my World Cup All-Time Best XI roster. The team has won four trophies and always been a competitive side. But, like many things involving Italian soccer, these results are fixed. You see, the team usually plays so unselfishly one player doesn’t emerge as the only star.

But, I actually could have put Silvio Piola or Giuseppe Meazza on this list instead of Rossi, as they were both legendary forwards for Italy who won World Cups. But, I think Rossi deserves this honor. He played in three WCs (1978, 1982 and 1984) and during the 1978 and 1982 World Cups he displayed an unparalleled nose for the net.  Read more... (251 words, 3 images, estimated 1:00 mins reading time)

Of all my selections for my World Cup All-Time Best XI, my choice of Zinedine Zidane, or “Zizou” as he is known in France, is probably my most controversial. I also must admit it was the one I was least sure about when coming up with my starting lineup. Sure, he led his squad to one World Cup title (1998) and the Final of another (2006), but…

He also made one of the most foolish decisions ever by a player in a World Cup match when he head-butted Marco Materazzi during the final minutes of the 2006 Final. Although I doubt any team in the world could beat my All-Time Best XI, I still don’t want to be playing with only ten men if Zidane decides to act like a billy goat and gets sent off.  Read more... (252 words, 3 images, estimated 1:00 mins reading time)