This week’s post is a bit more of a Hit and Run, but I figured with all of the hype around the All Star break, mayyyybe we should mention the fact that SPAIN WON THE WORLD CUP!!! Congrats to España, and also to Big Papi, who somehow managed to be pitted against Hanley Ramwhinerez and beat him in the final round of this year’s Home Run Derby 11-5.
Lo, the Golden Boot.
Standings of the Ladies… World Cup Pick ‘Em Challenge going into the weekend’s 3rd place and Final matches:
1. Games Mistress, 37 pts
2. Wildfor9, 33 pts
3. Missmaegen, 32 pts
4.yosempai, 30 pts
5. Maggie/thistlewarrior, tied at 29 pts
As there are only two points left on the board, I guess I can claim victory. (Still, don’t let that stop you from making your final two picks — there’s a lot of potential movement left in the standings. Your pride is at stake!) Special mention should also go to Wildfor9, who was the only person to correctly guess both semifinal results, as well as Missmaegen, who beat everyone in the round of 16 by predicting 7 of the 8 results.
While we’re on the subject of soccer, individual awards, and scoring, let’s take a moment to review the current standings for the Golden Boot — the award given to the highest individual scorer at each World Cup. These standings are also quite close; it’s entirely likely that any one of these next four gentlemen could carry away that gold-plated Adidas up there.
Ok, ok, we’re way behind on this and some of these boys are no longer playing for the cup, but this is the group that is home to all those Spanish hotties, so I couldn’t let it go un-posted.
Below, behold the Swiss, Chilean, Honduran and Spanish men to make you drool.
OK, it was a crazy sports news day yesterday. There was that tennis match (which may still be going on as you read this), a huge trade by the new Stanley Cup champions, Bobby Valentine may be returning to the NL East, and um, oh right THAT.
But we here at Ladies are bound and determined to finish examining all the World Cup teams for hotties if it kills us. We are nothing if not devoted.
Group G awaits! Let’s start with Brazil.
Luis Fabiano
It's the Soccer Super Friends!!! (No? Just me? OK.)
Important Announcement for Pick ‘Em Challenge Participants: Group play concludes on Friday! That means you have between the close of Friday’s 2:30 pm matches (usually around 5 pm ET) and the start of the first second round match at 10 AM Saturday morning to make your pick for that game. (If you oversleep, don’t worry — you can still pick all the remaining knockout round matches until the time the match starts. You just won’t get points for that first game.) Continue reading
I know, we haven’t gotten to group H yet, but I’m a little pressed for time and there’s been lots going on in the sports world this week. (Also, I tend to get really distracted while doing the research for World Cup preview posts. I can’t imagine why.) So consider these reaction shots of yesterday’s shocking Swiss upset of Spain a preview of what’s coming soon:
Carlos Bonet of the Paraguayan team welcomes you to a slightly NSFW Group F
Follow the jump for Carlos’ teammate as well as the Italians, New Zealanders and Slovakians!
World Cup 2010 has officially kicked off! Did you catch the opening draw between host country South Africa and Mexico? Did you enter our Ladies… World Cup throwdown? Are you tired of that “Wavin’ Flag” song yet?
Better late than never, here are your Group D hotties beginning with Team Germany Continue reading
This being a North American-centric blog, there’s going to be a lot of focus on this group. But let’s start with the two lesser-known rosters first.
No, wait: first go sign up for the Ladies… World Cup Pick’Em Challenge over here. (The password is “ladies”.) Now, let’s talk soccer hotties.
Slovenia has a nice collection of hotties, particularly if you’re into rangy white Europeans:
Boran Jokic
We start with the men of Argentina. Follow the jump for all the lovlies:
Diego Pozo
Just look at those smiling faces! Beautiful Carlos Bocanegra and some beautiful young soccer fans. (AP Photo)
There is more of us to love: we now have our own Facebook page. Just hit that “Like” button for additional access to our daily drooling, swooning, snark and overall awesomeosity. And because we dig our readers, you’re welcome to show us some love on our Wall or chime in on the Discussion Boards. It’s a bit bare at the moment, but you will find Games Mistress’s note on The Ladies…World Cup Pick ‘Em Challenge (the password, as always, is “ladies”) Trust us – we’ll fill it up with fun stuff quickly.
If FB is not your thing, remember you can still follow us on Twitter.
The World Cup starts on Friday, so it’s time to freshen up your memory of the wonderful, toned, grass-kicking hotties the soccer world has to offer, Starting with Group A.
Here’s a teaser, but follow the jump for much, much more!
The fine, fine men of France (with, by far, the hottest team in this bracket):
Djibril Cisse
The rosters have been set. The teams have played their friendlies before making the trek to South Africa. Heck, we’ve even made it through Eurovision. (Congratulations, Germany.)
A week from now? It’s finally time. The group stage of the World Cup kicks off, and even America cares about soccer for at least five minutes. Me? I’ll be eating, sleeping and breathing international soccer until the very last second runs down.
Yes, I love soccer, but there’s just something about International play (and the World Cup in particular) that elevates the game. It turns the already rabid soccer fanbase into a bunch of flag-and-bunting-bedecked lunatics. I challenge anyone who doesn’t like or understand soccer to start watching the World Cup from the beginning. Trust me, you’ll come out at the other end swearing at the Abruzzi for being a bunch of diving whiners or being amazed at just how fast Portugal can move (Damn you, Ronaldo. Damn you to hell.) or harboring a secret love for the Orange.
And you know what else is great about the World Cup? International Eye candy. Above? Spain’s Fernando Torres.
More hotness after the jump.
Ladies... 