European Football Kicks Off

Before you say anything, I know that European football started, as always, in August. My two favorite clubs are already in full gear to defend their respective domestic titles.

Real Madrid is putting on a show in Spain with their perfect record and their new signings proving how they are worth every cent on their fresh contracts. Things are going to be interesting with the addition of former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry to the line-up of rivals Barca--am not a big fan of the Frenchman but I do recognize his talents. Ninety per cent of moi still wish Becks in the Meringue whites--hmm, those were the days. While his first love (and mine!) Manchester United is no longer fumbling through their fixtures after a slow start to their season. Rivals Chelsea are definitely in the blues after the departure of The Special One last week. That was something of a twist very early on in the season although United did give him a going-away gift--a 3-0 loss in a penalty shootout in the Community Shield early in August.

But the UEFA Champions League started last week and for me, that always signalled a true start of everything football in Europe. The Champions League theme had always been a beautiful music to my ears and the pitch action always held special memories--Manchester United in '99 and Liverpool in '05, to name a couple.

While I'm fantasizing about my ultimate dream Final--Manchester United versus Real Madrid (in Wembley, if I'm really too deep into my dreaming)--both aforementioned clubs are definitely showing what kind of great stuff they're made of. Check out the results of Matchday One at midweek.


It was a Raul and Ruud show last Tuesday and it wasn't surprising, considering both are two of the meanest goal-scoring machines in this competition--Raul has scored so many I personally has stopped counting, while last Tuesday's was Ruud's 50th. It is a numbers game, y'all. And Cristiano Ronaldo scored the lone goal in the match against his old club last Wednesday. I'm not a huge fan of C-Ron but I do admire the kid's goal-scoring prowess (and did I say abs, anyone?)

I know it's very early on in the race but frankly, without Becks to cloud my judgment, I am very excited for new season for BOTH clubs. It's time to weave some magic into the pitch, showcase high-profile matches, and in true Kookie fashion, show me the nummies!!!

Dreamboat Express: England National Football Squad

I know I have been neglectful of my Dreamboat serial. It used to be a weekly thing and then it dwindled down to a biweekly post. But lookee here, it's now become a monthly! And we're midway through September and I haven't posted anything for this month yet. I swear I'm not gonna switch this into a yearly thing. That would mean a single dreamboat every year--now, that is a really, really sad thought.

And for the long overdue post, I'm doing the England national football squad for compensation. There's a lot of drool-worthy players in the line-up and I bet they're going to be compensation enough.

I know I've made it a point to not feature Becks here since he has his own serial. But out of respect of the former captain, I'm putting in at least one pic of him in this post. And then there are the repeat offenders: Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard, and Alan Smith. Special mention goes to: current skipper John Terry, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Wes Brown, and keeper Paul Robinson.

Thank you, lads, for the two winning outings last week. We're definitely back in business!

Campeones At Last After Four Years

I wasn't able to watch the game last night--nor heard who won the title, Real or Barca, up until I sat in front of the computer right about now. Butterflies in my stomach, shaking hands...I was so scared of finding out that Becks' last hurrah would just end up in nothing.

Who would have thought at the start of the second half of the season that Real Madrid would gather enough momentum to bring back the Primera title back home? And that they would steal it right under the nose of powerhouse Barcelona. Although right about this moment, Barca doesn't look like such a powerhouse now, do they?

But the La Liga title is back in the Bernabeu where it belongs. After four barren years, David Beckham has finally won a silverware in Madrid whites even after a very turbulent final season with the club plagued with injury worries and being snubbed by coach Fabio Capello after his big signing with LA Galaxy early this year. But Becks was instrumental in the club's comeback in the second half of the season. Now, before he moves to the U.S., he has something to finally show for his five years with the Merengues. Not to mention that he won the title on Fathers' Day. What a day to celebrate with his sons!

And I'm extremely happy for the entire team as well especially for Real oldtimers Raul, Roberto Carlos, Iker Casillas and Guti. With the loss of Ronaldo in mid-season, everything seemed so, well, lost. But if there's one way Real knew how to do, it's to win something in style--they definitely achieved that this season with a final-day decider last night. A send-off to beat all send-offs for Becks from the rest of the team. It was a joy to watch videos of the club celebrating in Las Cibeles after the match--that sight was a long time coming.

Thank you, guys, you definitely showed the Beckham boys--all four of them--a good time!

England 3-0 Estonia

That scoreline is damned wonderful to look at.

The blokes are back on a roll. Although they do still have a lot of work to do to go on top of their group standings for next year's European Championships as they currently sit fourth in Group E with 14 points. The good thing is that they are only a win and three points behind group leaders Croatia with only 5 matches to go. I just hope that they continue to be in form as they have been in their latest two games. That draw against Brazil last week pretty much put back the confidence into the team as they faced the Estonian team last night and pretty much demolished their opponents. The best thing that took place last night aside from the winning result was the first international competitive appearance since the World Cup last year of three of my fave players--Becks, Joe Cole and Michael Owen. My man set up the two of the three goals of the night--that's three assists from the four goals England had scored since his return. And damn if that Joe Cole goal in the 37th minute wasn't blazingly hot. What an amazing solo effort! Then there was the magnificant pass from Becks to man-tower Peter Crouch in the 54th. And then another in the 62nd for Michael Owen to put into the net. Yes, it might have been a Beckham pass but I was actually more excited by the fact that Owen made a perfect finish. I terribly miss this guy and my heart broke for him when he got injured early on in Germany last year.

Seems like the blokes are in back in above-par winning form and will be ensured of their place in the finals next year in no time. What a productive night in Tallinn this game was. Can't wait for the next fixture against current group second placers Israel. Feels like September is a lifetime away!

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We David Beckham fans all know that last April he got a Prison Break-inspired two-foot long tattoo inked on his entire right arm. But then look at what I stumbled on today:
I jokingly say that he only knows how to make boys but if or when he manages to ink his left arm for a daughter, that's when I'll truly believe that this man can do anything. Kewl!

Dreamboat Express: Steven Gerrard

Honestly, I really couldn't say that Stevie G here is hot hot because he does look like one of my cousins and that just wouldn't be right. LOL! But there are times that I just couldn't help myself--the guy looks just too damned cute at times.

Anyway, I wanna feature him right now while he is still a one hot bachelor--he's tying the knot with long-term girlfriend Alex Curran on June 15. Sowee, ladies. And besides, he was Man of the Match in England's international friendly with Brazil on June 1st so I think the props is just right. He has been my favorite Liverpool Red ever since Michael Owen left the club but only because he plays great football and was able to establish leadership for the squad. Not to mention that he has led the team to European club glory in 2005 in one of the most memorable Finals match in Champions League history--coming back from a 0-3 deficit from halftime and winning the trophy in penalties. Whew! I remember giving up during the break in that match and I still feel bad for not believing more in the team.

So here's a salute back to this amazing Liverpool captain.

Excuses And What-Nots

My only excuse for getting back to my old way of being a bad blogger is that, really, I have no excuse. NotAnExcuse # 1) The busier-than-usual workweeks I've had in the past couple of weeks; and NotAnExcuse # 2) The even busier "rest" days in between. I feel tired just thinking about what happened during the past couple of weeks. I must admit though that it was a different kind of tired. Physically tired, yes. But the mental muscles had had great exercise so I really couldn't complain.


Weddings Everywhere

Am I the only one not getting married these days?

Holly girl is. Lucky her. NO! Lucky MM.

A friend of mine from high school also got married last Saturday--which I felt bad for not being able to attend because I found out at the last minute and couldn't get leave from work anymore.

And then I have an officemate who's getting married in October--and I've volunteered my services in helping with the wedding invites. Up until I saw the finished products, I didn't know I had all that creativity in me. I guess it's enough to say that I was danged proud of my self. LOL!


Eff Me If Wrong

My friends at work used to have a crush in our office we have nicknamed Eff (but not this politely) MeIfI'mWrong. But then he was transferred to another site--but that was after we found out that he was a total jerk. So right now we are back to being surrounded by gloriously open gay guys in the office. I'm not saying that they aren't fun to be with--the complete opposite, in fact--but really, wouldn't it be MORE FUN to actually look forward to seeing your own Mr EffMeIfI'mWrong when one has to go to work?


Trebler's 8th Anniversary

Funny how time goes by so quickly. This weekend marks the 8th anniversary of when Manchester United won the unique Treble in 1999. I can still remember it clearly like it was yesterday. But, oh boy, that was one heck of a wonderful football season. It was great watching the young boys of Old Trafford come of age and win trophy after trophy--and achieve what has gotta be the penultimate prize in club football.

*******

Speaking Manchester United memories, I can't help but think about my old pal Tim, who also happened to be a huge fan of the club. It's things like these that remind me of him and how I try not to think that every May he was supposed to turn a year older--although he would always remain 25.

Miss you very much, Timmy. Everyday.

Dreamboat Express: Michael Owen

For me, there is no striker more golden than Michael Owen. I know, I know. There are some out there that might be better than him. But the height of Owen-mania was also the height of Beckham-mania so I guess that explains my fascination of him. And of course, he was the other half of England's Twin Towers--the other half being Becks--during the peak of their tandem as the biggest stars in the England national squad. For that, he will always have my respect. Before he was plagued by injuries, he was the national side's vice-captain. Some might argue that he deserved better--I won't argue with that. He scored some of the best goals of his time and I'll always admire him for those achievements.

He has played in some of the world's best football clubs--Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Newcastle. Unfortunately enough, injury has delayed his making of more history as he continues his illustrious career. I hope that he gets well soon and go back into playing top-flight footy again.

Dreamboat Express: Alan Smith

:Hmm. This was no hardship to decide on who to feature on this week's Dreamboat Express.

Alan Smith (October 20, 1980) caught my eye when he was still playing for Leeds United. And I don't mean that because he looks so damn cute. He also happens to be an excellent footballer, too! But I truly became a fan of his when he came to play for Manchester United and then played with Becks in the England national squad. Honestly? I'm not a big fan of bleached hair but I have not seen him in another hair color so I really can't compare.

Unfortunately for him, he broke his leg early last year. That injury led for him to miss the World Cup in Germany last summer and that just broke my heart for him. It was going to be his first WC and I really thought that he was a force in the team. He spent the better part of the year recuperating from that fracture and has since been playing regular footy with ManUtd's reserve team for their reserve matches. He did play the full 90 minutes in the ManUtd Jubilee match last week so I'm sure sir Alex will be putting him back in the regular starting line-up soon. Alan is fighting for that spot and I hope that he will also be playing in the national squad again as soon as he can. He's a young a talent that England--and whatever club he'll be playing for--can use in the years to come.

Red Devils 4, Europe XI 3

So the Red Devils of northern England did triumph over some of Europe's finest footballers in their Jubilee match. Yey! These guys are good and just as David Beckham said in his interview with MUTV last week, it feels like the United squad of 2006-2007 are following in the steps of the squad of 1998-1999 and is gonna win another Treble.

Here are the squad members for the Jubilee match:

MANCHESTER UNITED
Kuszczak, Neville (captain), Brown, Heinze, Richardson, Ronaldo, Scholes, Giggs, Park, Rooney, Smith
Subs: Heaton, Carrick, Dong, O'Shea, Eagles, Andrew Cole (guest)

EUROPE XI
Canizares, Zambrotta, Ayala, Materazzi, Abidal, Mancini, Pirlo, Gattuso, Malouda, Ibrahimovic, Larsson (captain)
Subs: Coupet, Campo, Stefanovic, Christanval, Kallstrom, Gerrard, Fowler, Carragher, Stelios, Diouf, Zenden

I found this clip on YouTube and I guess I'll have to settle for this 'cause I doubt if that exhibition match will ever be aired here. So...

It broke my heart when I found out that Becks got injured last week and that he wouldn't be able to play in ManUtd's Jubilee match after all. Not only was he missing this all-important game, he also missed last week's UEFA Champions League match--where coach Steve McClaren was supposed to watch his game and current form, and reconsider him for the national squad in this month's Euro qualifiers. But it seemed as if bad luck will sideline him until around the middle of April. And I hope that's it. Or maybe this is just a sign that he really can't bid farewell to Old Trafford yet because he'll be going back to play. Hmm, let me dream a little, will ya?

But I'm just glad that he was able to go there and speak to the people at halftime. And for him to be received by the Manchester United fans so warmly after leaving in '03 gives me a warm feeling. That means he had left his mark on this legend-field club.

March 13: It's A Date

I've been psyched about this thing for weeks now and now that it's only a a little more than a week away, I can barely think about something else.

March 13 is, of course, Manchester United's Jubilee match against Europe's XI--to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a united Europe and United's 50 years in European footballing competition. And guess who got invited to play with the Europe squad and come back to Old Trafford? Sure, David Beckham had been back a number of times to play at Old Trafford since leaving United. But those times were when he was still captain of England and playing for national pride. This time around though will be club football. Sort of. This will be the first time he'll be playing his old club. And I'm sure it was not a difficulty to decide whether he got to be invited for this match or not. He was, after all, undeniable one of the most beloved adopted sons of Manchester, even a one-time Mancunian of the Year honoree.


Yay! My Becks is coming home.

To say I'm so excited is a major undestatement. ManUnited may be playing club football on exhibition day but check out this international squad they'll be playing: Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Ronaldinho, Carles Puyol, Lilian Thuram and Gianluca Zambrotta just to name a few. And the squad will be coached by no less than 2006 World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi. It'll be fun to watch them play against Sir Alex Ferguson's Red Devils!

Hard for a football, a ManUnited, and a Becks fan not to be all excited about it!

I Haven't Keeled Over (Yet)!

Although it did seem like I just dropped off the face of the Earth.

I only posted one pathetic post in the last few weeks and I haven't bloghopped as much as I'd like to. Blame it on too much slothing about after the Holidays. But if you had the kind of Internet connection I had, you wouldn't be doing doing too much surfing either. If at all. Especially because Blogger just doesn't run on whatever bandwidth that's available. And since connections had been bad (and I use the term loosely) ever since the strong quake that hit Taiwan a few weeks back, I wasn't inclined to do much more than check my e-mails.

But the connections have been pretty much up to speed for a couple of days now so I don't wanna waste anymore time while I try to post some stuff as well as make up for the lost bloghopping days.

On top of my online to-do's before the month is out is to change the layouts of my other two blogs. I'll do that ASAP. I had been browsing for templates these last weeks since Blogger wouldn't run on the worse-than-crap speeds I'd been having.

But here's an online to-do I'd like to have an opinion on before I go ahead with it:

Should I or shouldn't I open a MySpace account?

Again. I'd have to deliberate on this further. After all, I have deleted two accounts in the last three years already. I got pretty bored with having the same friends in both my Myspace and Friedster networks; and since I had Friendster first, it was only natural that I keep it. I gotta admit it's not as good as MySpace but it's definitely improving. And there's that loyalty thing again. So I thought that if ever I open another MySpace account, I've to make sure that my friend list there isn't the identical to my Friendster's. So anyone who wouldn't mind an invite, please, stand up. I'd love to have more than two in that (new) list. LOL!

It's a good feeling to be back! And I haven't even posted my thoughts on the latest about Becks. I did tell Dee that I envy her. (Totally, girl.) The word is mum for now but here's something for Beckham fans who found their way here. It's really an old clip, done prior to Germany 2006 but if you haven't seen it then you'll have a definite laugh. I'm such a lazybutt to check out what the title of the show was but obviously it's a rip off of Punk'd. Enjoy!

Red-Letter Day

October is not turning out to be a very good month. It's halfway done but I really can't wait for it to be over though. The New York Yankees had a very short postseason for the second straight year that I'm already imagining some very visible changes come spring training. And yeah, that pretty much means my baseball season was cut short, too.

And even if I'm stinking mad at McClaren for leaving Becks out of England's national squad, I was still sad when they lost to Croatia 2-0 in midweek. It wasn't a very nice news to get in the middle of the week--or for any England fan. Even those who hate McClaren. Oh yeah, I said that already.

But wait, there's more!

It's not okay that the Yankees are gone but I do have a red-letter day to look forward to this month.

OCTOBER 22

That's a week from today and I can't wait. The footy nut in me just goes gaga thinking about the sporting itinerary for that day:

Manchester United vs. Liverpool
Real Madrid vs. Barcelona

My fingers are crossed for the best possible results for that day. ManUtd won 3-1 against Wigan last night--coming from behind, no less. And Real Madrid lost to freakin' Getafe 1-0. That pissed me off...Becks did start but got subbed after an hour...and Ronaldo got red-carded. Argh! That's the latest on Real, Dee. And yeah, Becks will be staying there for another two years.

Football Footnote

Finally, Italy's Marco Materrazzi came clean in his Gazzetta dello Sport interview about what was really said that fateful July 9 evening. Apparently, when he brought down Zinedine Zidane by pulling on his shirt, Zizou then told him that he could have the jersey at the end of the match. At which Materazzi then told the Frenchman that he would rather have his sister.

The gall! Is he a jackass or is he JACKASS?
Then he was quoted as saying:

"It's not a particularly nice thing to say, I recognize that. But loads of players say worse things...I didn't even know he had a sister before all this happened."

He knew it wasn't nice but said it anyway? How stupid was that? And I suppose he thinks that just because there are worse things being said on the pitch excuses what he said.

Maybe he doesn't have a sister of his own. If he does, then I pity the poor girl. Let's just hope this doesn't happen to any of his female relatives because there's no doubt that there'll be no Marco Materrazzi that'll come to the their defense.

And maybe it wasn't enough for him to appear in football history books as a member of the 2006 World Cup-winning squad. Unfortunately, alongside Zinedine Zidane's legend, Marco Materrazzi will be nothing but a footnote. That's just too damn bad.

Becks Did It Again!

When my sis brought home this month's ish of OK! Philippines, the first thing that caught my eye was "Prince Harry Plus 10 More Hot British Boys." Hmm. Christmas came early this year. I love Brits--it's the accent.

And guess who was first on the list? My man David Beckham. (Isn't he delicious in that new Got Milk? campaign?) It's no surprise why I love this mag so much--they've great taste. Becks had already been in their Hot Bods and Hot Dads lists. Ooh la la!

Aight. This was the complete list:

1. David Beckham
2. Prince William
3. Prince Harry
4. Orlando Bloom
5. Jude Law
6. Ewan McGregor
7. Pierce Brosnan
8. Jamie Oliver
9. Christian Bale
10. Chris Martin
11. Clive Owen
    

I'd love to add Ioan Gruffudd and Gerard Butler in it though. Although I love Wills and Harry, it's kinda difficult to describe them as hot when one's foremost memory of them was during Princess Di's funeral procession.

I've no comment about Jude Law except: I hate cheats! There's one word for Bloom, McGregor and Bale--yum! I'm gonna miss Pierce Brosnan's Agent 007 and I absolutely adored Clive Owen's Arthur.

I dunno if I could call Jamie Oliver hot but I can honestly say that he's funny after I saw some of his shows. When I first heard of The Naked Chef, I really thought he cooks in the buff! But don't you just love a man who can cook? And I have no problem with Chris Martin being in the list because Coldplay's music is hot!

Great list!

Living Goldenballs -- 11.15.2000/07.02.2006

"Good ole baldy Becks has just been chosen by new England coach Peter Taylor as captain of the national team! Aye, aye, Cap'n!"

This was an entry dated November 15, 2000 in my Things That Make Us Happy notebook. I bet I got teary eyed the moment I got this piece of news. This announcement came after England's early exit in the Euro 2000 and then squad captain Alan Shearer retired from international duty. And what an honor that announcement it was.

And in the close to six years that followed, I would see Becks lead England from one win to another. There were times when he would get fingerpointed after a disappointing result. But what a wonderful five and a half years it had been. A trip down memory lane is an absolute treat. Countless memories abound but there are some that stand out for me. Two of my faves being the 5-1 rout England dished on Germany on September 1, 2001 during the WC 2002 qualifiers; and Becks' free kick against Greece a little over a month later that sealed their trip to Korea/Japan.

But that trip hadn't been smooth-sailing. During the ManUtd-Depo Champions League quarterfinals in 2002, Becks almost lost his chance to captain his country that summer. In the first leg, he scored in the fifteenth to help ManUtd to a 2-0 win over the Spaniards. But then a tackle had sprained one of his ankles and fears of a more serious injury surfaced. It was reassuring to see him start in the second leg. But what didn't succeed in their first match was accomplished in the second--as Becks got stretchered off right before halftime. Another tackle (from an Argie , no less) broke a metatarsal bone--that wasn't something an England fan (or a squad captain!) would like to have with the WC in the horizon. A lot could relate to that experience to this year's Wayne Rooney injury saga. (Did the Argies have a grudge against Becks? After France '98 and this unfortunate incident, my personal grudge against Argie footballers--except for Juan Sebastian Veron because he played alongside Becks at ManUtd and Seba is just unhateable--had become the size of old USSR.)

Thank God for modern medicine and technology because Becks was back on his feet (casts off!) and running again a month ahead of schedule. He then led his country to the quarterfinals of Korea/Japan 2002. They might have lost to eventual winners Brazil but not before the England captain exacted revenge on the Argies. England defeated Argentina in their group match, 1-0. It was a penalty awarded to Michael Owen after he was brought down inside the box. Guess who converted it? It was a long time coming but revenge was nothing but sweet. It ended four years of pain and was an exorcism of sorts. (Of course, after this match and just last November 2005's 3-2 friendly win over the Argies have reduced my grudge against them to the size of modern day Russia.)

Becks has always played key roles wherever he happens to be playing. But also because of his lifestyle and popularity outside of the game that he has become a target for footballers prone to sophomoric displays. Like being spat at by a Turkish player after their 0-0 draw against Turkey, sealing qualification for Euro 2004. But skirmishes like that had to be forgotten on November 2003 as David Robert Joseph Beckham finally received his OBE, the first step into becoming a Knight of the British realm. It could either mean Order of the British Empire or Order of the Big Earners.

Euro 2004 in Portugal was another disappointment--in English standards, that is. We lost to the host country in spot kicks in the quarterfinals. That's the downside of a country whose club football scene is the most popular in the world. Because popular does not automatically translate to being the best. And that's what the England squad have to always endure during every major international tourney. They are always favorites early on, which might be justified by a constant supply of young talent (that somehow just couldn't get it together under pressure). Whenever their performances fall short of expectations, Becks has learned at weathering criticism especially from the vicious British media. Not only did the leadership end there. He has proven doubters wrong time and again--about his personal performance as well as about the national team's.

Sure, there were a lot of times in the Beckham captaincy that I look back on with triumph and pride--and sometimes with a shake of my head. During England's Germany 2006 qualifier against Wales in October 2004, he scored a free kick from Beckham country that turned out to be the game winner. But that win was overshadowed by his admission later on that he committed an intentional foul in the second half of the game so he could serve the ban while being sidelined for a plaguing injury. Unethical, some say. I say, no more unethical than Maradona's Hand of God in the 1986 WC was. Even up to now, I still don't know whether to admire him for having the guts to commit the foul or the fact that he admitted to doing it on purpose.

He rallied a rather despondent England team and scored another trademark free kick against Ecuador in the knockout stage of WC 2006, winning 1-0. Becks became the first Englishman to score in three consecutive WCs (he scored against Colombia in '98)--that definitely beats the heck out of being the first player to be sent off twice in his England career after a questionable second yellow during a WC qualifier in late 2005. For me, I have seen my gold squad play in Germany 2006. Oh, I'm sure there will be other golden squads for other England fans in the future (who knows, that selection could finally bring home that golden trophy) just as the WC-winning team of '66 was the golden squad of that generation.

It was sad to be eliminated through penalties (Portugal is fast becoming a pain in my neck). It was even more heartbreaking watching an injured Becks being subbed in that quarterfinal game. But all through those mind-numbing defeats, we always see the leader in him trying to console the other members of his squad. Becks never failed to approach each and every teammate to offer some sort of comfort. he might have been captain but he's still human, too. Even if he himself obviously had his hopes dashed, he was never too selfish as to offer word, or even a little pat on the back, to alleviate disappointment.

I never thought then that July 1, 2006 would be the last time I would see him wear the captain's armband. When I read: "Football: Beckham resigns as England captain" on the sports tickerbar the following day, I almost felt nothing. Almost. But in my mind were images of him in white and red over the years--either I think that or start crying my heart out. I hope he will still be able to get his wish of capping 100 for his country though--he's currently at 95. After all, he's still the squad's free kick specialist. And I hope that he realizes that winning a WC does not measure a player but what he has done to impact the game--and you can't find him wanting there.

On July 2, 2006 in Baden Baden, Germany a David Beckham barely able to hold back tears read:

"On 15 November 2000 Peter Taylor gave me the greatest honour of my career in making me captain of England and fulfilling my childhood dream. Now almost six years later, having been captain for 58 of my 95 caps, I feel the time is right to pass on the armband as we enter in a new era under Steve McLaren.

It has been an honour and a privilege to have captained our country and I want to stress that I wish to continue to play for England and look forward to helping both the new captain and Steve McLaren in any way I can. I came to this decision some time ago but I had hoped to announce it on the back of a successful World Cup - sadly that wasn't to be.

This decision has been the most difficult of my career to date. But after discussing it with my family and the closest to me I feel it is the time is right.

Our performance during this World Cup has not been enough to progress and both myself and all the players regret that and are hurt by that more than people realise. I wish to thank all the players for their support during my time as captain, as well - Peter Taylor, Sven and all the coaches. I would also like to thank the press and of course the England supporters who have been both great to me and my teammates and I want them to know for me it has been an absolute honour.

Finally I have lived the dream. I am extremely proud to have worn the armband and been captain of England and for that I will always be grateful.

Thank you."

Thank you for five years and a half worth of leadership, of both good and bad memories, of lessons learned, of proving critics wrong, of the never-failing tonsorial entertainment in the international stage. Life goes on from here but the near to six years past are worth reliving.

A Look Back at Germany 2006

I practically had to wait close to a month of postmortem before I could list down my own unbiased (I think) highlights of Germany 2006. Although if I had my way, I needed more time than that to decimate my disappointment. But the new European football season is just a few days away so there really is no time to languish in the World Cup what-ifs.

The pre-tourney time was already full of drama: the injury woes of many star players, the Togo coach quitting (only to return to the squad a few hours before their debut), and then there was the criticism rained on Germany's national coach.

Which brings me to my first fave highlight: the host nation's blistering performance in the group stage. They scored a total of eight goals and bagged the perfect nine points. Then there was the 0-0 draw between Sweden and Trinidad & Tobago, the competition's smallest country. Speaking of surprises, how about the USA holding (eventual winners) Italy to a 1-1 draw? That was also when De Rossi got suspended for four games after an elbowing incident drew blood from McBride (and the Italian returned after the ban just in time to play in the Finals). Spain humiliated first-timers Ukraine 4-0 in their first group match. Experts say, and I wholeheartedly agree with 'em, that Spain is the best country yet to be hailed as world champions. And I'm the last thing from being an Argie fan but after Argentina demoralised Serbia & Montenegro 6-0, I really believed that they were a real contender this year. And it was a sad campaign for Serbia & Montenegro this time when they failed to earn any point and scored only two goals--after all, they were one of the pre-tourney favorites. Although they managed to win their group, England still don't know how to break Sweden's game (that's since 1969) after a 2-2 draw in their last group match. And what's up with Ljungberg and Swede cap'n Mellberg having locker room bust-ups for the second straight World Cup? Tsk tsk. And let's not forget the refereeing blunder during the Australia-Croatia 2-2 draw. A player got carded thrice and was never sent off? Unheard of until now.

And in true underdog story, Australia qualified for the knockout stage. I was so happy for them especially since theirs wasn't exactly an easy group and this was their first World Cup since 1972. Beckham saved England again with his winning 60th minute free kick to down Ecuador. I know there was a reason a worship this man. I don't think this was a highlight in the truest sense of the word but it definitely was unforgettable: the Portugal-Netherlands record-breaking cardfest disguised as a football match. It yielded sixteen yellows and four reds. Or was it five? But no matter, I didn't see FIFA's Fair Play in this one. And Ronaldo became the all-time World Cup leading scorer with fifteen goals as Brazil trounced tourney deb Ghana--also the only African country to qualify for the knockout stage.

The quarterfinals was one pretty picture with six former champions in it: Germany, Argentina, England, Italy, Brazil, and France. The only two missing were the Netherlands (bested by Portugal in the previous round) and Uruguay (bested by Australia in the qualifier playoffs). One of the best matches of the tournament was Germany-Argentina in the quarterfinals. They drew 1-1 in open play but spot kicks were the only way to settle the score between the two powerhouses: 4-2 to the Germans. England crashed to Portugal's penalty prowess yet again. I'm getting tired with that, really. And the Rono powers of Brazil wasn't able to hold off a Zidane-led French squad. I remember winning eight years ago when I bet on Les Blues against the Samba Boys in the '98 Finals.

The semis yielded an all European affair. I was fine with that. But my heart just broke for the host country when Italy doubled in the last three minutes of the second extra time. I really thought Germany could all the way. But Deutschland was still flying high at third place--and that was definitely a better finish than fourth. What a letdown for all Klinsmann critics.

But Italy won their fourth title--after a 1-1 draw during open play but downed France in penalties, 5-3. The perfect score from the spot was really something for a country reputed to suck at that. The whole campaign of the Azurri had been overshadowed by the match-fixing scandal at home. And their win was also overshadowed by Zizou's headbutt on Materazzi. We might never know what was said but I'd say it was bad--because I never saw Zizou act that way in the near to ten years I'd followed his career. Both parties had been heard by FIFA, monetary penalties and bans handed out--two for Materrazi. And since Zidane had retired and could not serve his three-match ban, it had been converted to three days of community service...and he got to keep his Player of the Tournament award. Because, of course, he was.

So danke, Deutschland, for a job well done--on and off the pitch. And I'll be thinking of this for months and years to come. Well, until 2010. And probably because as my third World Cup, I've become more than a Beckham and England groupie but a real fan of the beautiful game. Oh, I'll always be a groupie as long as there is a constant supply of hotties, e.g. Prince Poldi. But I do care about the game now. I was just pissed off when Eriksson used just one striker in the quarters. It certainly didn't pay off. But I'll leave the technicalities to the staff though. You won't believe the worry I put myself in thinking about a possible England-Brazil face-off in the semis. Guess what? Neither travelled to Munich for a July 5 meeting. But hey, it's lows like this that'll make the highs even sweeter--and it definitely didn't make me any less of an England fan. That's sports, that's football. Live it, love it.

(And Blogger is really getting me POed!!! I can't put in any pix! Oh, well.)

Many a Demise at Gelsenkirchen

Losing to Portugal through spot kicks (again!) on our July 1 quarterfinal match was a lot harder to take than if we had lost to them in open play. Of course, it didn't help that we all know England doesn't really shine during penalty shoot-outs. Understatement of the year.

With the mediocre performances we gave during the group stage, I'd always thought that it could only get better. And althought we were getting the necessary points, there was always something we could have done better. It was a relief to avoid Germany in the knockout phase and then scraping a win against Ecuador to proceed to the last eight. If I'm frustrated with the results, I can't imagine what the players are feeling. But really, it's no time for any fingerpointing. But I can't help but feel disappointed--what-might-have-beens and what-ifs are nasty stuff. How many shots did Frank Lampard attempt at (and not convert)? What if Michael Owen didn't get injured in the opening seconds of the Sweden game? What if David Beckham didn't get injured in the second half of the Portugal match? If they held their own with ten men, what could have happened if Wayne Rooney didn't pull off a Beckham'98? Questions abound. Questions that I can't help but ask. Nevertheless, our Germany '06 campaign has come to a bitter end.
So now we have seen the end of the Sven-Goran Ericksson tenure as England coach. We have seen his tactics work but there have been times when they failed. His five years in-charge of the squad didn't alter England's status as a quarterfinal team. Fortunately enough, it didn't demote us into anything less either. There had been good, even great times, under the Ericksson watch but with all the scandals he had been involved in of late and the media circus they resulted in (but let's not go there), it definitely is time for a change. We can only hope for even better times as the Steve McLaren era begins.
The day following the defeat to Portugal, David Beckham resigned as England captain. Listening to him say the words and seing him try to hold back tears during that press conference was not something I'd likely forget. I knew this was coming but I didn't expect it to happen this soon. Of course, it was the right thing to do because he's no longer guaranteed the armband without Ericksson at the helm. Becks is not the type to wait to be stripped of the captaincy. And it's time to make way for new blood. But just like him, I always thought that this would come at the back of a successful World Cup. Whoever wears the armband next will always have my props.

Even after hearing about Beckham resignation, even after watching the squad arrive back in England, even after seeing replay after replay of the match in Gelsenkirchen (yes, I can be a glutton for punishment sometimes), I still feel like I'm on another plane where all these are but a nightmare. It still hasn't fully sunk in yet even with visuals of Becks trying to console a crying John Terry, of a dejected Gary Neville, of the whole England squad, staff and fans with shocked disappointment on their faces keep flashing through my eyes. Pictures I have added to an archive I would rather not get used to seeing--the Beckham 1998 fiasco, a crying David Seaman after losing to Brazil in the Korea/Japan 2002 quarterfinals.Writing these words down was not easy. But it is over. what do you suppose we--I--do in the next four years? Maybe we could do a dry run and win the European championship in two years time in Austria/Switzerland. Really, I just want to see England lift the World Cup in my lifetime. Better luck next time indeed. Maybe South Africa 2010 will bear witness to that.

Goal!

Let's make this clear right now, I'm going to be biased from start to finish of this entry. From the title alone you can conclude that I'd have an attack of footballitis. Which I did the first time I heard they were going to make a trilogy of the beautiful game. And for the better part of the year I went gaga waiting for the first installment to come out.

When the first trailer aired, I went terminal gaga. From the looks of it, it was going to be one heck of a movie. And the actor playing the lead role also caught me by surprise. When reports of the movie first came out, Diego Luna (Y Tu Mama Tambien) was said to be playing the football hopeful. It definitely wasn't him when I first saw the trailer. But why was he so familiar? And then it clicked. He was that two-faced lout in Imagining Argentina. Believe me, if he was a convincing jerk then Kuno Becker played Santiago Muñez to a T. He was just smoking hot in his shaved head and he genuinely looked like an old pro tackling that football around.

Probably the reason why football is such a huge sport is because it reaches the grassroots in society. Many of its stars don't come from prominent backgrounds. You get in by pure talent. That's what happened to Santiago. When he was discovered by a former scout and got invited to try out for Newcastle United he didn't waste any time flying to England to do just that. He might have been a star in his local team in the suburbs of Los Angeles but unfortunately for Santi, he didn't come up to par when he played in the Magpies' Reserve Team.As fate would have it, he was presented another chance just when he thought he was given his walking papers. He struggles to stay in the squad amid his father's disapproval, his asthma attacks, his own realization that football is a team sport, and English football's notorious clubbing scenes--he met Galacticos Raul, Zizou and (ahem!) Becks in one of those. My fave scene was when he learned he wasn't in the Reserves' starting line-up--only to find out that he was going to be playing with the big boys. What could be cooler than playing the midfield with former England captain, striker Alan Shearer, at St. James' Park?

That was when the real adventure began. And it won't take a football expert to see how much an adventure it was to watch a rising star play against giants Liverpool and Chelsea. If that's not enough, you ought to watch just to see how great a work the editing team did during those matches. Clips from real Newcastle matches were cleverly worked into the film (yes, you can see rival clubs' players the likes of Frankie Lampard and Stevie G running the pitch) that it was too easy to forget that Santiago Muñez was a fictional character and what I was watching was a fictional game. Can't wait for the next two installments.

(Originally posted at The Kookie Jar.)

Living Goldenballs--My 7th Red Devil

David Beckham's notoriety due to his sending off in the 1998 World Cup did earn him the title the Bad Boy of England. But that only added to his appeal. (Wasn't James Dean a bad boy himself?) Practically all of England hated him for 'costing' them the country's chances in the tournament. But his fellow Manchester United and England teammate Phil Neville predicted that an even better David Beckham would come out because of the incident. And he was right. In true Beckham fashion, he emerged from the shadow of that red card like the true warrior he was--and still is.

And so my sports news viewing took a dramatic turn in '98. Every other sports news and scores took a backseat--behind Becks news and ManUnited match results. But it irked me to think that I wasn't a Becks fan way back in the '96/'87 season. Because that was when he scored a goal from the halfway line. They were playing against Wimbledom and out of the blue, the young talent scored from sixty yards out. Poor keeper! But thanks to Beckham-mania these days, footage of that wonderful goal is frequently being replayed on different sports programs. And it never fails to put a smile on my face!

Manchester United FC's home pitch, the Old Trafford, soon became my football home. It wasn't difficult to do that. ManUnited was the reigning club in England leading up to the new millennium. Which wasn't really a big surprise since majority of the squad were composed of the winners of the 1994 FA Youth Cup--veterans of the club's youth academy. Talents the likes of Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, brothers Gary and Phil Neville, and David Beckham kept the Red Devils on top form. The last had already been recognized as Young Footballer of the Year by both SkySports/Panasonic and the PFA (his peers) in 1996; and he was honored with the prestigious Sir Matt Busby Award the same year.

Up until the 2002-2003 season, ESPN Asia was only showing matches from the Spanish La Liga and the Italian Serie A. So I had to settle for their UEFA Champions League coverage to see ManUnited play live. True to Phil Neville's word, Becks didn't disappoint after the England tragedy of '98. The '98/'99 season was a monster season for his club. They had already won a domestic Double--the Premiership title was wrapped up on May 13 and they defeated Newcastle United on May 22 to lift the FA Cup--and they still had a chance to win a unique Treble. All throughout their Champions League campaign that year I had been waking up at odd hours in the morning ready to celebrate a ManUnited win, content myself with a draw, or suffer a loss.

I was ready for anything on May 22nd 1999, a Wednesday. I set my alarm clock for the usual two o'clock wake-up call. I still don't know what happened but I just snoozed back after it rang. The next thing I knew it was almost four in the morning. I dreaded opening the TV set because I had the feeling that Bayen Munich was already lifting the silverware. My dread was not unfounded, after all. When I tuned in to the match, the Red Devils were a goal down since the sixth minute and there were only five minutes left in regulation. What we needed was a miracle.

That Thursday morning (Philippine time), the Red Devils gave me my most memorable club football match yet. Just when the German fans were about to celebrate, Becks sent in a corner that lead to a goal by substitute Teddy Sheringham to level the game. Even before the tens of thousands of spectators at Barcelona's Estadio Nuo Camp could recover from that first ManUnited goal, another Becks corner found sub Ole Gunnar Solksjaer for the winning goal. A few seconds later, the ref blew the final whistle. As a football fan, it was hard watching the anguish of the Bayern Munich players. But as a ManUnted fan, I was all smiles! Miracles do happen--even in injury time. The conquerors of England were the Champions of Europe.

In 1999, Becks was recognized as Europe's Most Valuable Player and was voted the second best in the world. For the next four years, he would help ManUnited win more games and fill the club's silverware cabinet. But then, what do you expect from someone who inherited the number seven ManUnited jersey from one of the greatest footbal legends, Eric Cantona, as well as named after ManUnited and England legend, Sir Bobby Charlton? The Bad Boy of England had redeemed himself--and had become the Golden Boy of Old Trafford.

(Originally posted at The Kookie Jar.)

Living Goldenballs--In The Beginning

February 16, 1998 was the Monday after prom weekend and I guess the affair was too much for me; I got myself a fever and had to stay home for the day. Of course, as a fifteen-year old, my idea of a rest was to lie about and watch TV. Which I did and ended up with me watching a Spice Girls concert on HBO. An hour and a half later, after two and and a half years of indifference to the globally famous fivesome, I was impressed. There was more to the girls than phenomenal marketing.

So when I got back from school the next day, I was blabbering about how great the show was. Then a friend let it slip that one of them (Posh, to be exact) happened to be dating a football player. Sports(-men) enthusiast that I am, and a sucker for romance, I couldn't not research that.

I was no stranger to sports news. I checked nightly to see the latest scores in basketball and baseball. In short, I lived by them. So it was no effort to check out this popstar-dating footballer. As the number one sport in the world, football (some aliens call it soccer) and its many clubs were always in the headlines. England's Manchester United was no different. And the first time I saw up and coming talent David Beckham and the then sun-bleached hair, I was a goner. There was no turning back. (Unfortunately for my friends, that was the start of my Beckham-worship; and it hasn't stopped or waned since.) And I saw more of him that summer because it was World Cup year. Admittedly, I didn't even know he was in the England squad until the tournament started.

As my first World Cup, France '98 was a memorable one (primarily because I won a bet as to who would win the finals--whoever heard of someone betting against the Brazilians?). But there is a memory there worth forgetting. England's quarterfinal clash against Argentina ended as a nightmare for the squad and its fans. But more so for a twenty-three-year old midfielder. After a tackle against Argentine defender Diego Simeone, Beckham was red carded and it was downhill for English lads from there. Ten-man England was eliminated and I finally realized just how much of a demi-religion football was to many people. Branded as the new Bad Boy of England, Becks became a target of football hooliganism. His family, even his grandmother, received threats.

That incident became a shadow in the Beckham history--for a few weeks, that is. Even the man himself admitted that it changed him for the better. Later that year he was recognized as Europe's Most Valuable Player and Best Midfielder. Looking back, he has redeemed himself in the eyes of his fans and critics alike in more ways than one. I'm just glad to have witnessed it--it made the better moments all the sweeter. It was a rough start but he was able to get back on his feet. I remember when he...Nah, that's another story.

(Originally posted at The Kookie Jar.)