World Cup 2010 South Africa Approaching

The wait is almost over with little more than 39 days left till the World Cup. As the world anticipates what looks to be an exciting summer of soccer I look at the real contenders for throne of World champions.
With the tournament being held in South Africa there is real hope that an Africa team will be crowned champions. The most likely teams are Ghana and Ivory Coast with many players playing across Europe with big teams. Players like Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) and Michael Essien (Ghana) with their big game experience could be the difference.
The usual suspects will be there with European powerhouses Germany, who no matter what state their side may be in prior to the tournament, they never fail in getting to the latter stages and must be a contender for the tournament. There is a real feel-good factor in Germany at the moment with the rise of Bayern as one of the finest teams in Europe again as they reach the final of soccer’s biggest club tournament.
Having one the European championship two years ago, Spain is seen by many to be the favorites for title. The crafty midfield they have makes them one of the best teams in the world. In midfield with maestros Fabregas, Iniesta, and the equivalent of a quarter back where this guy really makes this side tick is the little genius Xavi. To finish things off they have the potent strike force of Torres and Villa who are a handful for any side. Only problem they may have is that they are sweating on the fitness of some of these big players which will help their rivals. Italy, reigning champions of the World Cup have a real hard task of holding on to their title. Although struggling for form and an aging side the Azzurri again will be keen to prove doubters wrong and the experience they possess could be key and can’t be written off.
Argentina and Brazil will be up there also. Current World Player of the year Lionel Messi, proving why he was awarded with this accolade with some scintillating performances this year, poses the question in this form whether he can be stopped? If he provides the goods and manages to bring the World Cup to Argentina many believe he will be held in the same breath as some of the best ever soccer players such as Maradona and Johan Cruyff. He will be eager to do this. Brazil have always be renowned for their silky brand of soccer that is played like no other but what this current Brazilian side has added is something a little different, with them being able to grind out results and have a real steel about making them a difficult to beat.
With so many contenders it sets up what could be an exciting month of soccer ahead of us. No matter who wins hopefully we all see an entertaining and exciting tournament. Although I am not American it would be nice to see them go far like they did in Korea in 2002 in order to help raise the profile of the game to hopefully one day see this country get excited as much as the other countries do about this wonderful tournament. May the best team win!

The Worst Dive Ever in History?

Wow, this is just unbelievable. During a game in the Faroe Islands, defender Kaj Ennigarð of ÍF Fuglafjørður, had quite possibly the worst dive I have ever seen. He blatantly makes it seem like he got hit in the face and falls to the ground like a sack of potatoes, but clearly he wasn't touched at all. Look at this clip to see for yourself, you will definitely have a good laugh at this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22fYEk_eeLk&feature=player_embedded

Inter and Bayern Munich in the Champions League Final

The Champions League Final is going to be quite the exciting one. Inter Milan have not won the cup since 1965, so this final will be a special one for them. Speaking of "special ones", Jose Mourinho, the coach of Inter guided them to the final after beating the current European Champions, Barcelona. In the first leg, Inter won 3-1 at home, therefore meaning that Barcelona had to win 2-0 at home in order to go through to the final. After an intense game where Inter spent the majority with 10 men, Barcelona couldn't do enough to get past Inter and only beat them 1-0, meaning that Inter went through. A tough battle between the two teams only lead to one going on, and it was Inter who deserved to go through. In the other semi-final, it was Bayern Munich against Olymique Lyon. Bayern cruised through to the final having had beaten Lyon at home 3-0 and away 1-0 having a 4-0 aggregrate over the French team overall. Bayern Munich haven't made an appearance in the European final since 1999 when they lost against Manchester United. The German giants will be hungry for the trophy this year as they have had a successful campaign in both the German Cup and German Bundesliga, winning both. If they win the Champions League final, they will have completed the prestigious Treble (Winning all three major competitions). The final, held in Madrid, will definitely be one to watch!

New Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly

Purple shoes?! Never has their been such a flamboyant color, but with Nike releasing this boot, it will be selling like hot cakes despite being $400 dollars!
Worn by the greatest player's in the game today being Drogba, Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic, Pato, and many many more, this shoe has got a lot to offer.
The Nike Vapor Superfly II has a revolutionary outsole that combines with Nike's Flywire engineering for an utterly mind-blowing boot. Nike has developed a new stud that extends 3 mm when ground is soft for increased toe-off acceleration and traction. These two longer studs in the forefoot also prevent slippage and create the most comfortable feeling Mercurial ever.
It weighs a mere 7.8 ounces and thats why the hence the name "SupeFly" as if you're "flying" on the field. This boot will be a huge hit this summer, but for me, I'll be waiting for some new color waves, as the purple just doesn't appeal to me that much!

Cristiano Ronaldo and Kim Kardashian "Dating?"

The rumors circulating whether Cristiano Ronaldo is indeed dating Kim Kardashian is sure to break girl’s hearts all over the world. The pair were spotted getting close in a restaurant in Madrid, where the former World Player of the year is plying his trade with Real Madrid. Although it is suggested they are only “semi dating,” rumors will no doubt continue to persist as to whether these two good looking people will see each other officially. Kardashian just recently split with NFL star Reggie Bush, so could this be her new boy toy?
With the World cup looming Ronaldo will carry the weight of expectancy from his country Portugal, with so much expected of him, much of his focus will be turned to the World Cup.

Unbelievable Goals Scored!

Wow, that is all I can say to the video link I am about to post. These are the best goals of the week scored this past week. I am going to have to say that for me, Maicon, the Brazilian wing-back of Inter Milan definitely scored the best goal. This goal could potentially be the goal of the year as well. Maicon produced that wizardry during the much heated Italian derby against Italian giants, Juventus F.C. This goal proved to be the game winner having had came in the 75th minute.
Also, the goal from Independiente's Leandro Gracian is also a scorcher and could compete with Maicon. Check out this link and let me know who YOU think had the best goal of the week! Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I9unYlb-uc

Neymar Dos Santos: The New Brazilian Sensation

Neymar and Brazilian legend, Pele

Brazilian soccer is renowned for producing players of the highest quality. The latest to come of Brazilian talent is in the figure of Brazilian club Santos' Neymar. The talented striker at the tender age of 17 has alerted several of Europe’s top clubs including Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United with some stellar performances this season including 5 goals he scored in the 8-1 thrashing of Guarani.
With the World Cup looming, there has been calls from the Brazilian public for the inclusion of the youngster in the 23 man squad. With the abundance of quality that Brazil possesses it may be a little of bit of a stretch for Neymar this time around but there is no doubt that he will be a prominent figure in the future of the Brazilian National team and spearhead the side in future tournaments.
I hope over the next few years we see the continued progress of Neymar and lighting up whether to be this World cup or future tournaments with his obvious ability.