El Portero Mexicano {Guest Post Carol Barrera}

Could have been Brazil 6 to Mexico 0 were it not for . . . .

Festival of Favorite Links for Father's Day {Guest Post by Sharleen}

Happy Father’s Day!!!!

In honor of Father’s Day I’m posting a festival of favorite World Cup links that we have been enjoying. Please add your own links to your favorite articles and videos in the comments! These links are good for the “real” experts (I'm looking at you Mom) and the rest of us who are really just pretending. There are several videos which the kids should also enjoy.

First, watch this informative little video that claims to tell you everything you need to know about the 2014 World Cup. What surprised us was there was even some trivia Greg didn’t know.

Slate has also done a nice bio on each of the countries competing that gives the history, politics, and players with a prediction on how they will perform at the World Cup. Read this one about El Tri  and then look for the write up on your teams. Spoiler alert: nobody could have predicted Costa Rica’s amazing performance last night.

For more on the history and psychology of the World Cup in Argentina these two articles are fascinating reading. Please be warned that the ESPN article is very hard, graphic reading, but a reminder that the World Cup isn’t always just fun and games. This one is NOT for kids. The second article explains how Messi came to be a stranger in his homeland.

You will see from this post that I wasn’t the only one ranking the teams by their uniforms.  Do you agree with the winner?

We must have watched ten different Andres Cantor videos with the kids last night and we just couldn’t get enough. Watch this and this and we bet you can't stop either. 

We’ve also looked at the best goals of all time. This might be our favorite.  It also helps explain this Brazilian campaign to get Zlatan Ibrahimovic to come to the World Cup even though Sweden didn’t qualify. If you have a favorite goal link to it in the comments and the Samuelson girls will be forever thankful that they have a reason to put off bedtime a little longer.

Greg already posted on the World Cup songs for this year, but how about World Cup songs in history and around the world?

We couldn’t resist this happy World Cup song from Chile in the ‘60s. 

Greg may or may not have made some sarcastic comments about this one.

This is a real departure from the usual happy, victorious songs that dominate World Cup listening.

This one just has to be shared for its sheer random quirkiness.

This song from Brazil for this year’s World Cup might just break your heart and make you watch the game a bit differently.

Finally, last but not least please, please watch this beautiful little video about a magical soccer ball and shout out all the places you recognize. For those of you who have been to Morocco, it features several times and makes me incredibly homesick.

Hope you have a great Father's Day.

Sharleen

Another BISERGS Fashion Update

Here is another guest post, this time by the reigning champion Carol Barrera.  Thanks for your contribution Carol.  To the rest of you, please send me anything you'd like posted

Ladies: this is our chance to shine by discerning posts showing our fashion sense.

Sharleen’s description of our watching the 1994 World Cup together while she recuperated from a tonsilectomy is bitter sweet—because it was the last time she lived at home with us.  I treasure the memory, while lamenting her suffering from the sore throat and the disappointment of that last failed shot by her hero.  After running through all the webs sites showing the uniforms, my favorites are in this order:

1)      Russia (away) astronaut theme.

Carol's favorite - the Russian away astronaut theme

2)      Mexico (home), sharp lightning design

3)      Costa Rica (asymmetrical v design and clever neck pattern)

4)      Germany (home): wing shaped design on front

5)      USA (away): something about that red, white and blue

6)      Nigeria (simple, clean lines with pleasing shades of green)

7)      Argentina classic white and sky blue horizontal stripes (or is it just nostalgia over my Messi shirt bought by Greg for me in a Moroccan market.)

Some uniforms have nice details up close, but these touches are not visible from afar.  Cases in point: Ghana (neck pattern on home, horizontal strips with designs on away), Belgium’s crown motif and Iran’s water mark cheetah. But for someone like me who is visually challenged and watching games on an old, small TV, I like a uniform that sticks out so that I can identify it easily.  Of course, on that basis alone, I would have chosen the Netherlands survival orange, Croatia’s home red and white checks or Japan’s away Electric Yellow (to me, chartreuse) with orange paint swipe on back.

Strangest: Iran’s socks, which have small white and red bands, but from a distance just look pink.

Originally Posted May 21, 2014 on http://grssam.wix.com/bisergs2014

True Confessions of a Three Time Champion

The following is a guest post by three time BISERGS Champion, Sharleen Samuelson.  Please respond by using the comments section below.  BISERGS 2014 welcomes guest posts from all BISERGS participants.

As the current record holder for BISERGS wins (1998, 2002, 2006), I have a true confession to make. The only World Cup I really ever watched was in 1994. I had just graduated high school, all my friends had flown away, and I was laid up recovering from a nasty tonsillectomy. I watched every game and all the commentary in between spooning ice cream down my sore throat. I shouted "GOOOAAAAL!" from my heart even though I could barely whisper. I also may or may not have developed a slight crush on Roberto Baggio (named as having one of the "30 most breathtaking mullets in sports history") and was truly heartbroken at his missed penalty that cost Italy the win. 

Sharleen's heartthrob after penalty kick failure.

In fact, it may be that Baggio's missed penalty was the beginning of the end of my short lived passion for soccer. My only strategy in those first three BISERGS Championships was to choose Italy and wait for them to be vindicated. When they finally won in 2006, it also brought my reign to an end.

Will Mexico's Power Stripe lead
them to World cup Success?

This year, however, I've decided on a new strategy (although I'm not saying whether or not Italy will still be my first pick). After reading Slate.com's "The Horrifying True Story of the Ugliest Jerseys in U.S. Soccer History", I was inspired to take a look at this year's team jerseys. Check out this storyif you want to see them for yourself. I admit that I might not be completely impartial, but I like Mexico's "power stripe", here's hoping that it is more than metaphorical. I also like Cameroon's African print, and the Netherland's choices are classy as usual (especially the away print). 

If you were choosing your team solely on their team jersey, what would be your favorite? What other non-strategic criteria could you use to choose your teams?

Originally Posted May 20, 2014 on http://grssam.wix.com/bisergs2014