World Cup 2014, Day 3: Surprises, surprises...

...the really 'surprising kind'!
=====================================================================
by PAM


Were we really surprised by this:  As if Spain's painful loss to The Netherlands is not a huge enough shock, England went down on their knees to let Italy come through.  The Three Lions squad gave a whimper as World Cup newcomer Mario Balotelli no less headed a late goal to put the Azzuri on top, and their World Cup bid looking better than the men from the most 'successful' (read: moneyed) European Football League... the English Premier League, of course.  Oh, well... at least, in the 90s, David Beckham's good looks more than made up to the squad's being such underachiever.  Their time will come... but 2014 is not it, I think.  I did put them on my Top 5 choice to win the World Cup last month!  What can I say, I still feel strong 'affinity' with the man who 'bends it' like no one else does.  And, the Premier League must go on... and on.  Therefore, let's go on. Yawn.

Next surprise:  The Uruguay National Team took off with a zing via a 1-0 lead over the come backing Costa Rica courtesy of the now grown-up, Edinson Cavani. He used to look like an 'oversize boy' who played good football back in 2010. Now, he comes back all grown-up, complete with beautiful cheekbones and abs that would have more than made up for it if he were a so-so, and he's not a so-so either.  So, bravo!

 After the first-half, I was ready to go to bed, confident that Oscar Tabarez, one of my fave coaches, I must admit, have prepared his team enough to crush the Costa Rica challenge, in spite of the absence of his "main man", Luis Suarez, who underwent knee surgery last May, and elected to sit out the match.  Plus, judging from their performance in South Africa in 2010, when they were in the last four, and their successful finish in the Copa America in 2011, they should be fine in the Group Stage.  I have to admit though that I had to take a second look everytime Diego Forlan hesitated or steadied his footing before firing/passing the ball, giving the Costa Rica defense time to react, and how he walked around the pitch, not looking like there is urgency in the need for his strikes.  Anyway, Cavani looked fired up, so I thought they'd be fine... plus they have one goal advantage.  So, imagine my surprise in the morning when I learned that they were beaten... and beaten good, too - by Costa Rica, 1-3!  

Alright, Luis, be well and come back to Papa Oscar.  He needs you - now!

Pleasant surprise:  Colombia, of course! :)  Man, that was a beautiful match right there, as they made the Greeks suffer on Brazilian grass from not being able to match their enthusiasm, fearlessness, and their desire to have fun.  Their joy was so infectious!  And, they were even missing the injured Radamel Falcao!  Imagine that?  What a pleasant surprise! :)  Luv these guys!

***
Video credit:  Thanks, YouTube, for the video link.

***

(B)Ending it like Beckham - gooooaal!

And with sadness, too.
=============================================================
by FBC

"I want to go out on top.
It's the right time.  I believe it's the right time."



Yeah, PAM is busy with 'serious stuff' (her words, not mine), but we can't just let this important moment in the "ballin' world" pass us by without a word just because she is busy with 'important things' (once again, her words, not mine... not that I don't believe that what she does in her 'day job' is really important. :)  OK, I know, if I didn't get an 'honorable mention' in her next post here, it would be a miracle. Haha...). Therefore, yours truly just had to step up to the plate even without the Boss' request. I'm a good "lieutenant", y'see. :)     

Anyway, PAM had to grab the TV's remote control last night to up the volume when CNN's Don Riddell - PAM's fave sports news presenter - came on to report that the world-famous football and pop culture

Bend it, and bend it good - like Beckham!

 icon, David Beckham, is retiring from the ballin' world.  This means that next season, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is going to have to rely on Zlatan Ibrahimovic to draw oohs and aahs from football fans around the world during their matches.  Of course, as to the possible reasons for the oohs and aahs that Ibra could be drawing from the crowd in Becks' absence... well, that remains to be seen.  While it will be fun to find out, I'm sure the world will understand if PSG's 'biggies' would decline to comment later regarding what other things Ibra is capable of on (and off) the pitch aside from making goals.  But I digress....

Going back to Becks, even PSG's current head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, had to grope for words to make a comment on the 38-year old Beck's impending retirement.  Are we sad about it?  Boy, do vampires suck blood?  Of course, they do!  So, of course, we are - sad!  In fact, I imagine PAM is just making an excuse about being busy with 'serious stuff' and all that to escape having to write about Beck's retirement.  The old girl is in denial, and I'm quite sure she's bent like Beckham - in sadness - right now.

Twenty years of 'bending it', garnering League Championship trophies in four countries (with Manchester United in England, with Real Madrid in Spain, with LA Galaxy in the US, 

Role Model: The 'Baller is a good family man.

and now, with PSG in France), a treble with his boyhood Club, Man United, and the first to earn 100 caps for England - the home of football - and serving as England's Three Lions Captain for six years, too, plus constantly in the Top 10 of biggest earners in the Sporting World.  Why, his face is almost equivalent to that round leather thing!  Only, no one dares kick it around - it's too beautiful of a metrosexual face!  And the owner of the face is also a certified nice guy apparently, and you may go ahead and ask Prince William if you'd like.  In fact, Becks is a role model for most sportsmen in that, in 1999, he married, and still is married to, a thin 'spicy woman' who doesn't smile with whom he has a picture perfect family.  I bet PAM is subscribed to a site where Beck's family pictures are posted regularly.  In fact, her iPad is full of Becks fam pics.  :)   

So, are we going to miss Becks bending it on the pitch?  Hell, yeah!  Good thing he has life outside football, and we'll be seeing him often enough - that's for sure.

***

Hello, Pep!

Speaking of 'going out on top', here's one who knows the art involved in doing that.  He is one of the winningest coaches in the history of the 'beautiful game'.  He left the team he built, which was hailed by football fans and sports analysts alike as one of the best football squads ever put together, while the world was at their feet. 

See, when a door closes just because someone said 'goodbye', another door opens because someone is about to say 'hello'.  In this case it's 'hello again'.  Yes, Pep Guardiola will be  back next season.  Nope, not in Barcelona, but with Bayern Munich in Germany's

Munich bound... Pep is, and we're excited!

Bundesliga.  Of course, it would've been a perfect 'love story' if he was returning to Barcelona, but for as long as the beautiful (as PAM puts it frequently) 'Bald and Bearded One' returns to the ballin' world, especially now that there will be a deficit of talents, passion and good looks as the Becks say 'bye, bye' to us, Pep's return to the scene is most welcome!  The only problem is I'm not sure how PAM's sked in her day job would be 'messed up' by Pep's return.  I guess there's going to be some limit of time allotted to these 'serious stuffs' 'cause our old girl has been dedicating at least 18 hours of her time per day on her day job.  While Becks and Pep are all about passion and commitment to what they do, they dislike this sort of 'enslaving dedication'.  Variety - that's what Becks recommends, old girl!  Pep had to stay away from football for a year to recuperate from the enslaving dedication to FC Barcelona that made him 'sick' in the end.  It would be a good idea to bend it and listen to these midfielder's wisdom, old girl.  :) 

Anyway, yes, we are looking forward to seeing more of those Pep moves at the touchline, in his trademark suits, complete with deep worry lines on his forehead, and the coolness that he exudes during pre-match and post-match interviews.  Man, I thought we won't be seeing those in a while.  We're glad that he's back.  Of course, we're excited to see, too, how he'd deal with Mario Gomez and his shirtlessness-related antics.  Then again, Pep kept Dani Alves's penchant for drama under control back in his Camp Nou days, making the Brazilian defender actually really productive in the process, and his role vital in FC Barcelona's tremendous success under Pep's guidance.  So, nope, we're not worried about the impending Pep-Mario tandem.  In fact, we are looking forward to seeing it unfold among the Bavarian crowd.  So, bring it!               

***

Video credit:  Thanks, YouTube, for the video link.

***

Saturday photo



Life is like a Petri plate of chocolate...
...delicious but mysterious, puzzling, mind boggling!

*sigh*

Yeah, I did it again... violating my own right to take a rest on a weekend, pushing myself to overwork!  I didn't realize I've been sitting here in front of this computer since 7:30 AM, only giving myself two 30-minute breaks - to eat brunch and to take a shower.  Dinner was a sad cup of yogurt, eaten in front of this enslaving machine.  No wonder I feel like the world is spinning around me now, and that I need to hold on to these keys and this mouse or I might float in this humid tropical air.  Oh, boy!   

How I miss those days when all I rushed to work for was the excitement of finding out which between the two chocolate samples my 'minions' and I 'played around with' the day before will give the more luscious taste and richer mouthfeel.  I'd open the lab door with a 'bang', my heart felt like beating against my ears, trying to contain all the incredible excitement.  Of course, the result always exceeded expectations - good or bad - and the feeling it stirred was always awesome!  Ah, 'good old days' in my food lab... come back to me, please!

Had I known that I'd lose those wonderful and glorious days for these brutal work demands, I would've stayed as far away as possible from the mouth of this savage work monster.  Why, oh, why did I 'flirt' with 'death' itself... letting myself 'suffer' like this?  What have I done to deserve this???  Insane! What is out there at the end of this loooong and dark tunnel?  Mystery... not the same as the 'chocolate mystery', but a mystery just the same.  Hmmm...  I take it that this mind boggling 'suffering' would end, too, at some point?  And that this 'work monster' would get tired and hide away in its hole, never to be seen again - ever?!  I'm sure!  I can't wait for that time to come....

In the meantime, let me comfort myself with this...

"If you can't work this equation then I guess I'll have to show you the door...

...giving you everything... all I want from you is a promise that you'll be there."

...girl power! :)  Yep, it's girl power indeed!  Nothing like it... ask David Beckham if you want.  He said he'll be there... uhm, for Posh, not me.  Victoria Beckham, of course... Becks said he'll be there for her - for better or for... best! :) 

Alright... a-hem, excuse me, work, I've got some serious business to attend to now... I need to find out how many more dudes out there can "Bend it like Beckham"! ;)  Footie, bebeh!      

***
Video credit:  Thanks, YouTube, for the video links.

***