#1-Fabulous Fabio

1. Fabio Cannavaro - Italy

Date of birth: 13 Sept 1973
Height: 175 cm
Weight: 72 kg

Position: Defender

Current Club: Juventus (ITA)

Gasp! Possibly the most beautiful man in football today, Italy's

skipper and the most capped player among the current Italian squad, Fabio

Cannavaro is a stalwart of the Azzurri side. What he lacks in height, he

makes up for with great anticipation, aggression and power - and of course

a stunning body, complete with a face Michelangelo would have killed to sculpt.

#2 even when he's yakking on the pitch...

2. David Beckham

Date of birth: 2 May 1975
Height: 182 cm
Weight: 74 kg
Position: Midfielder

Current Club: Real Madrid (ESP)

What more can be said about David Beckham. He's undeniably one of

the world's most gorgeous men; a feature that's often overshadowed his

sporting prowess. More than anything, however, Beckham is a dedicated

professional, who takes immense pride in his role as England captain. His

talent with a football was evident from an early age, and it has earned

him unprecedented fame and wealth.

#3 the "other" Ronaldo

3. Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal

Date of birth: 5 Feb 1985
Height: 184 cm
Weight: 75 kg
Position: Forward

Current Club: Manchester United (ENG)

You don't get much hotter than Cristiano Ronaldo Santos Aveiro.

This 21 year old is one of the sexiest young talents in world football.

With his surging runs and dazzling skills performed at blistering pace,

comparisons with his Brazilian namesake have been inevitable. Born on the

island of Madeira, he began his footballing career at the age of 17. His

rise to stardom since then has been nothing short of meteoric.

#4 and rising

4. Andriy Shevchenko - Ukraine

Date of birth: 29 Sept 1976
Height: 183 cm
Weight: 73 kg
Position: Forward

Current Club: AC Milan (ITA)

Andriy Shevchenko has faced the seemingly impossible task of

hauling his country along the path to Germany practically single-handed.

Top scorer for his team and one of the most prolific in the European zone,

the Ukrainian ace justified the faith of a nation every time he turned

out. This 30 year old is a stunning looker, quite happy to model in front

of the camera wearing very little indeed. This makes us very happy and

should be encouraged.

#5 (lose the name, sweetie...)

5. Kaka - Brazil

Date of birth: 22 April 1982
Height: 183 cm
Weight: 73 kg

Position: Midfielder

Current Club: AC Milan (ITA)

He may be burdened with one of the most unfortunate and unusual

names in the sport, but few would argue with Kaka's Brazilian sex appeal

which has also made him a star off the field. This focused and aggressive

attacking midfielder boasts good ball skills and stamina, and can move

into a striking role when required. Hmm, we'll take two thanks! Hold the

mayo!

#6--Nope, don't know where it is!

6. Dejan Stankovic - Serbia and Montenegro
Date of birth: 11 Sept 1978
Height: 181 cm
Weight: 75 kg
Position: Midfielder
Current Club: Inter (ITA)

You may not quite know where exactly Serbia and Montenegro is,
but Dejan Stankovic's good looks will inspire you to visit. This cheeky
midfielder has versatility and the ability to perform wherever he is
needed. He is technically-gifted and an instinctive finisher, with an
excellent sense of positioning and he has recently managed to bring his
hair-trigger temper under control (ooh)..

#7 Landycakes???

(LDSM note: remember, I didn't write this top 15 list...and I definitely don't agree with the description of LD...)

7. Landon Donovan - US
Date of birth: 4 March 1982
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 67 kg
Position: Midfielder
Current Club: Los Angeles Galaxy (USA)

We could think of no better man tasked with popularising soccer
in the US than the very desirable Landon Donovan. Blessed with an ability
to press forward and get goals, he's described as the most talented and
technically gifted American player of his generation. This 24 year old
three-time American Footballer of the Year is a player worth watching on
and off the soccer field.

#8, Figo is Great.

8. Luiz Figo: Portugal
Date of birth: 4 Nov 1972
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 75 kg
Position: Forward

Current Club: Inter (ITA)

Hello daddy! Born in the working-class neighbourhood of Almada in
Lisbon, Figo is one of the best-known faces in world football, and
indisputably one of the most talented players to grace the game in recent
years. Masterful with the ball at his feet, Figo's skills and leadership
qualities have seen him ranked among the greatest Portuguese footballers
of all time. Rugged, handsome and very much all man.

#9 and Mighty Fine

9. Nelson Haedo Valdez- Paraguay
Date of birth: 28 Nov 1983
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 71 kg
Position: Forward
Current Club: Werder Bremen (GER)

The spunky looking Valdez joined Bundesliga club Werder Bremen in
2001, just days after celebrating his 18th birthday. He has represented
his country at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship and the 2004 Copa
America. He also scored the vital qualifying goal against Venezuela which
took Paraguay to the 2006 World Cup. While he still has some way to go to
make his mark, we'd be happy to help with his ball handling skills.

#10-We've Got Your Ballack

10. Michael Ballack - Germany
Date of birth: 26 Sept 1976
Height: 189 cm
Weight: 80 kg
Position: Midfielder
Current Club: Bayern Munich (GER)

Michael Ballack, the 30 year old midfield maestro of Bayern
Munich and Germany, is one of the few German players that the experts
unanimously believe to be 'world class'. Germany's hopes rest largely on
his shoulders if they are to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup, with the
Chemnitz-born star coming under extreme scrutiny every time he takes to
the field. Watch out for those killer blue eyes; they'll break your heart
> >>in two.

#11 and that's a fact, Jack.

11. Kelvin Jack - Trinidad and Tobago
Date of birth: 29 April 1976
Height: 193 cm
Weight: 91 kg
Position: Goalkeeper
Current Club: Dundee FC (SCO)

Tall, dark and very striking, Kelvin Jack's save from Bahrain's
Talal Yusuf in the final moments of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Asia/CONCACAF
play-off helped send Trinidad and Tobago to Germany. After his senior
international debut in 1999, he appeared in Trinidad and Tobago's 2002
FIFA World Cup qualifiers and also played in the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
This thirty year old's got the look of a man of action. We like.

#12-He's a Keeper!

12. Gianluigi Buffon - Italy
Date of birth: 28 January 1978
Height: 190 cm
Weight: 83 kg
Position: Goalkeeper
Current Club: Juventus (ITA)

Boasting a searing Italian sensuality, Gianluigi Buffon was born
into a sporting family; his mother was an Italian shot put and discus
champion. The goalkeeper made his Serie A debut at the age of 17 years and
was first-choice goalkeeper at Parma for six seasons before his
world-record transfer to Juventus in 2001. It was here that he won his
first Serie A title, a habit he's become used to.

Davis & Dunc's Tour de Germany 2006

Davis & Dunc's Tour de Germany 2006.

I know one of these guys; they look like they are having a lot of fun!

Lucky #13

13. Luca Toni - Italy

Date of birth: 26 May 1977
Height: 194 cm
Weight: 89 kg
Position: Forward

Current Club: Fiorentina (ITA)

After nine seasons on Italy's footballing periphery, the sultry

Luca Toni has rocketed to the centre of attention with great goalscoring

form. Tall, with great control on the ball and excellent finishing skills

(ahem...), Toni has become Italy's number one striker in Serie A and the

national team. We bet he's pretty much number one at whatever he does.

#14 on the list

14. Alessandro Del Piero - Italy

Date of birth: 9 Nov 1974
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 73 kg
Position: Forward

Current Club: Juventus (ITA)

When the young Alessandro Del Piero joined Juventus, he was a

physically slight man; he had to work hard to build muscle strength and

speed. A combination of these new found attributes, outstanding technique

and an eye for goal, soon earned him the nickname Pinturicchio - after the

Renaissance painter. Actually, we think he'd be much better suited as a

painter's subject..

15 Beautiful reasons why ladies watch the world cup soccer!

(I got this in my email from a friend today, source unknown. From the spelling and metric measurements I'm guessing it came from the UK.)

It's often called 'the beautiful game' - probably because of the skill and talent involved in its playing.

Even if you don't know a midfielder from a forward, the 2006 World Cup is a unique chance to admire some of the most stunning sportsmen the world has to offer. To facilitate the rigorous and exhausting task of scrutinising the 32 teams taking part, we present the 15 most beautiful

men of the 2006 World Cup.

The sexiest team accolade must go to the searingly intense Italians, who boast four entries on our list. Portugal and England also get an honourable mention for their sexy squad. Sadly, with only five teams in the running, Africa's men didn't quite make the grade.

Let's start with #15:

15. Michael Owen - England

Date of birth: 14 Dec 1979
Height: 172 cm
Weight: 67 kg
Position: Forward

Current Club: Newcastle United (ENG)

Michael Owen was just 18 when he etched his name on to the minds

of football fans around the world with one of the goals of the 1998 FIFA

World Cup. He became an instant global soccer star. At thirty his

wholesome boy next door good looks remain a football fantasy come to life.

I Think I Told You This Yesterday.

Record numbers of women are watching the World Cup soccer tournament, but advertisers have overlooked the trend and almost exclusively pitched male-skewed brands using familiar methods.

Duh.

Caption This.

A New Favorite Blog

"Athlebrities."

Perfect.

More Soccer Hotties

OK, I'm pretty sure this is a gay website but what the hey, the guys are hot no matter who looks at 'em, right?

O. M. G.!

What is Cristiano DOING? Whatever it is, it looks nice...

Oh, wait, he's doing it again...

Beckham must have started it.

Buff Sweaty Men in Little Shorts

In terms of its appeal to women, soccer not only offers the draw of the kid factor, but the sexiness factor as well. All those shapely legged, attractive international men, showing their prowess on the field for 90 minutes at a time. So can soccer successfully be marketed to American women?

The Future of Soccer in the US

What do you think? Will soccer ever gain a foothold as a so-called major sport in the United States? Weigh in with your opinion in our survey posted at the bottom of this story.

My "Other Boy"

Welcome Back, Kapler! My boy is back with the Red Sox, yippee!!!

Kick Bruce to the Curb?

An article from Newsweek explaining why Bruce Arena was good for US soccer, and why he should leave.

Soccer Better than Sex?

Wonder if the US Team has been partaking...

The True Story of American Soccer

Great (and funny) article by Dave Eggers.

Excerpt:
"The beauty of soccer for very young people is that, to create a simulacrum of the game, it requires very little skill. There is no other sport that can bear such incompetence. With soccer, 22 kids can be running around, most of them aimlessly, or picking weeds by the sidelines, or crying for no apparent reason, and yet the game can have the general appearance of an actual soccer match."

Bad News Hughes

Bad News Hughes.

If you don't wet your pants laughing at this guy then there is something wrong with you. And yes there is a vague soccer reference in his blog somewhere.

Don't read if you're easily offended. By anything.

I guess all we can do is laugh now

Funny soccer clips by Jon Stewart and others, collected by Jarrett at trisoccerfan.com.

(And no, I don't have a minivan...)

Worth a thousand words...

See, it wasn't all Kasey's fault...

What exactly is the thought process behind using a completely new and different ball in the World Cup, anyway?

Reject the Koolaid: Soccer Moms’ Hottie of the Day

Reject the Koolaid: Soccer Moms’ Hottie of the Day

I love it!

OK, so it's not soccer, but...

Go Canes!
Go Redneck Hockey!

The Dutch invade Germany

Kind of like being at a Clemson game...

After the Match

Smile a little bit next time!

That's my Boy, Man of the Match!

Watch Kasey make his awesome save in an otherwise screwed-up match...

Upcoming Events at SAS Soccer Park

Last night's DC United vs Charleston Battery game. (Photo by W. Jarrett Campbell.)

The "All-Hottie" World Cup Team

(This is according to the NY Post, not me, 'cause we all know who is missing!)

Here's the graphic...

Discuss Amongst Yourselves

Should Kasey Keller stay in goal for the next US World Cup game? Click the title to see one group's opinions.

I Still Love Ya, Kasey.

Gooch!

At 6-4 and 210 fat-free pounds, Oguchi Onyewu has the sculpted look of a fleet wide receiver. He could pass for a power-hitting outfielder or be mistaken for a mobile power forward. But Onyewu's game is soccer, and he plays it well enough to start for the U.S. World Cup team that opens Monday against the Czech Republic.

Read more here...

Make that 294,999,999 people...

Article from Australia: "Team America playing their hearts out for 295 million people who couldn't care less"

False 45th: Kasey Keller Sings

Kasey Keller Sings

Goalkeeper Kasey Keller Key to US World Cup Campaign

Goalkeeper Kasey Keller Key to US World Cup Campaign

Triangle Soccer Fanatics

Cheer! Chant! Drum! Sing! Support!

http://trisoccerfan.com/

I Think I'm Gonna Cry

Brian Ching on his "soccer mom":

"The World Cup will be the highlight of my career and to have my mom there is gonna be great," Ching said. "I want her there because she has had such a big effect upon my life."

Read more here...

Sorry, Kasey...

Becks looks better with his shirt off...

Kasey Keller in USA Today

Any discussion of the most successful goalkeepers in
U.S. soccer history
has to include Kasey Keller, who in a 16-year professional career has won more matches (51) and earned more shutouts (45) than any other American.

(That's my boy!)

Read more here...

Teams for 2006-2007

Teams my kids are playing on for now:

Oldest: Triangle FC 88 Navy (regular, Super Y, R3PL), Chapel Hill HS varsity (fall)

Youngest: Triangle FC 93 Navy girls, 92 Super Y, Culbreth MS (hopefully)

Middle: NO SOCCER, THANK HEAVENS! :)

World Cup Poll

Click the title to vote...since Blogger won't let me use a javascript...or maybe I just can't figure it out myself...

My favorite keeper

Love me some Kasey Keller...

Just in time for the World Cup!

This is my personal, as opposed to my business, blog site. Stay tuned...