MikeLigalig.com

     Albert Camus, the French existentialist writer and one-time goalkeeper, claimed that what he "knew most surely about morality and obligations" he owed to football. One wonders what he would have made of Luis Suarez, of Uruguay and Liverpool, sinking his teeth into an opponent's arm. Or Manchester City's Yaya Toure threatening to leave the club because he felt "disrespected" after being given an inadequate birthday cake. Or the diving and histrionic faking of injuries that features in every major tournament.

Ugly realities

But booms always carry the seeds of a subsequent bust. There is now so much at stake financially -- for players, sponsors and operators in the background -- that it is almost impossible for "the beautiful game," as Brazil's Pele termed it, to retain its magic. The dark side of globalization -- the lack of accountability and responsibility, the massive discrepancies of wealth and power, the pursuit of success at the expense of ethical principle -- is all too present on Planet Football.

     On Planet Football, geopolitics is reversed too. The U.S. and Japan are not economic heavyweights, but plucky minnows struggling to compete. Argentina is not a serial defaulter, but a triple A-rated country that possesses a trophy asset, Lionel Messi, winner of four successive Ballons d'Or. India and China are not rising superpowers. On Planet Football, they barely exist. Instead of the BRICs, we have the up-and-coming BICCs: Belgium, Ivory Coast, Chile and Colombia.

     Manchester United's home ground is not known as "the theater of dreams" for nothing. It is the unreality of football that makes it so compelling that one-fifth of the world population will put aside other matters and gaze at the nearest screen on July 13.

     These are the features that have turned football into an idealized version of the global economy. No market is as ferociously competitive as football, no industry as dynamic or meritocratic. In reality, our contemporary capitalist world is profoundly unfair. Where you end up in life is all too often dependent on where you start. Vested interests embed themselves in economies and siphon off lucrative "rents", only to be bailed out by governments when the going gets rough.

     But on the pitch, daddy's political connections get you nowhere and there is no concept of "too big to fail."  All that counts is talent and commitment, and those two qualities can take you from abject poverty to extraordinary riches in a few years, as evidenced by the careers of such greats as Maradona and Zidane.

     The game has crowded out all other sports because of its simplicity and accessibility. You can play football in almost any climate, on a Brazilian beach or a Glaswegian back-street, with two or 22 players. Unlike American football and hockey, it doesn't require special facilities or equipment. All you need is some space and a ball with air in it. Unlike rugby and cricket, its rules are clear and easy to understand, and unlike tennis and golf, it is not a marker of class or ethnic origin.

Peter Tasker: What the World Cup says about the world



Football has become a global language. The FIFA World Cup Final, to be held on July 13, is likely to attract an audience of over 1 billion people, according to accountancy firm Deloitte. The viewers will range from Russian oligarchs in London penthouses to impoverished crowds gazing at open-air screens in slums and shanty towns. For the 90 minutes of the match, they will share the same excitement and marvel at the same feats of skill and athleticism.

goodness me.  unsa na man pod ni nga howler?  hope everything will turn out okay, regardless of this typhoon's fury.

As Mars One, a private sector company, pressed ahead with plans to send people to the Red Planet, Mr. Aldrin said that those who go should plan on staying there for the rest of their lives.

“I have considered whether a landing on Mars could be done by the private sector,” he said.

“It conflicts with my very strong idea, concept, conviction, that the first human beings to land on Mars should not come back to Earth.”

http://www.philstar.com/

But the newspaper report said he remained unapologetic about his caution. “Extraordinary observations require extraordinary evidence,” Aldrin added.

“There may be aliens in our Milky Way galaxy, and there are billions of other galaxies. The probability is almost certain that there is life somewhere in space.

“It was not that remarkable, that special, that unusual, that life here on earth evolved gradually, slowly, to where we are today.”

“So in the close vicinity, moving away, were four panels. And I feel absolutely convinced that we were looking at the sun reflected off of one of these panels.

“Which one? I don’t know. So technically, the definition could be ‘unidentified’.”

Mr. Aldrin’s disclosures triggered accusations of a cover-up from those who believed in UFOs.

Mr. Aldrin, 84, however was reluctant to describe the sighting as an extraterrestrial craft, even though he does believe there are other life forms in space, the newspaper added.

“I observed a light out the window that appeared to be moving alongside us,” he was quoted by The Telegraph as saying.

“There were many explanations of what that could be, other than another spacecraft from another country or another world - it was either the rocket we had separated from, or the four panels that moved away when we extracted the lander from the rocket and we were nose to nose with the two spacecraft.

Apollo 11 astronaut saw UFO

(The Philippine Star)
July 14, 2014


Buzz Aldrin

Buzz Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the moon, said he glimpsed an unidentified flying object during the Apollo 11 flight, a London newspaper has reported.

According to The Telegraph, the astronaut also said the first humans to set foot on Mars should never return to earth.

Aldrin spoke at a Reddit “ask me anything” question and answer session to celebrate the moon landing’s upcoming 45th anniversary.

Personally and officially it is my earnest prayer and wish that Mary had truly appeared before and will still reveal herself in Lipa, and even everywhere, to tell the whole world that She is indeed Mediatrix of All Grace. Her call to prayer, penance, return to her Son Jesus, to humility, simplicity and fidelity to God is even more pressing in today’s world. Lipa is a blessed and marvelous site to hear and heed this maternal plea.

-from a speech by Archbishop Ramón C. Argüelles of Lipa, one of the speakers during the 22nd Mariological Congress held in Lourdes in September 2008 in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes, France. This condensed version of his talk appeared in the January-March 2008 issue of the Totus Tuus Maria magazine.

-more at http://marymediatrixofallgrace.info/

As Archbishop of Lipa, however, due to the unfortunate and confusing historical circumstances that may not be ignored, obviously I vacillate in making a clear-cut pronouncement. Certainly I am privately and silently doing, and I know I must officially initiate, a new inquiry. But no doubt, whatever be the outcome of any serious and thorough research the Archdiocese of Lipa, the City of Lipa or the whole Batangas Province will not become less a specially celebrated place where Mary is intensely honored, loved and sought.  A final Church statement may be most desirable by a good number of devotees. But the majority of the faithful will not at all be affected by whatever position the official Church will take. They will go on believing that Mary is powerfully present to her people in this place.

Did she really appear in Lipa?

Did Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace appear in Lipa? I as simply, Ramón C. Argüelles, will readily say, like many others in the Philippines and elsewhere (in fact I will never ever regret saying this: “Yes, Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace, did appear in Lipa.” It is not only in the fifties that most of the bishops believed in the Lipa Apparitions. Today, many bishops, surely led also by the simple faith of many faithful, believe that the Lipa events were not invented. God and Mary surely favored our land, especially the province of Batangas.

the reported petals

Our Lady of Mediatrix of All Grace (Spanish: Nuestra Senora de la Medianera de toda gracia; Italian: La Madonna Mediatrice di tutte le grazie; Tagalog: Aming Inang Tagapamagitan ng lahat ng Biyaya) is an alleged Marian apparition that took place in the Carmelite Monastery of Lipa, Batangas, Philippines, to a religious postulant, Teresita Castillo.

The apparition is known in the Philippines for the rose petals which showered within the vicinity of the monastery, some bearing religious Catholic imagery which believers hold to be miraculous. (wikipedia)

Our Lady, Mediatrix of All Grace

Location:
Carmelite Monastery, Lipa City, Batangas

Date:               
September 12â€"26, 1948

Witness:       
Teresita Castillo

Type:               
Marian apparition

Holy See approval: 
Not approved (1951)
Resubmitted (1991), No official response, Pending (but local veneration is tolerated and endorsed by Archdiocese of Lipa)

Shrine: 
Carmelite monastery and shrine, Archdiocese of Lipa, Batangas, Philippines

Our Lady Mediatrix of all Grace statue inside the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Lipa, Batangas

Quote from: hubag bohol on July 09, 2014, 04:02:19 PM
In the apparition of October 17, 1948, the Mediatrix told Castillo, “Pray hard for China’s dream to invade the whole world. The Philippines is one of its favourites. Money is the evil force that will lead the people of the world to destruction.” To counter this, Our Lady recommended, “Prayers, sacrifices, self-denials, and the daily recitation of the rosary will soften the heart of my Son as I said before.”

amazing.  and in 1948 at that, when china was still 2 years away from a cessation of its ongoing full-scale civil war and 10 years away from the great china famine.  at this time, no mortal can think of china as a world invader.  this is very interesting indeed.

“It’s Maria today, Jennifer tomorrow,” Obon said.

So the patrolling police would just warn the men when they see them hooking up with a Jocard.

But the men would usually tell the police to back off, saying, “Don’t meddle here, I’m not doing any crime,” Obon said.

And when they come seeking police help after being robbed, they’d probably get an “I told you so.”

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/

But the police could no longer do that since vagrancy has been decriminalized.

Women’s groups would also come to their rescue, maintaining that the women were victims, Obon said.

Police have tried to ask barangay (village) officials to revoke the business permits of the apartelles to no avail.

To help complainants identify those who took their wallets, the police would show a gallery of previously arrested women who never give their real names to the police.

He speculated that it could be “Joe Card,” referring to American soldiers who availed of the sexual services when the United States had military bases in the Philippines.

It could as well be Gentleman Jocard in the movie “Pirates of the Carribean,” a former slave who became a pirate lord.

Obon said the police used to round up the women and hold them in detention for vagrancy to prevent their modus operandi.

These cases have become rampant on Aurora Boulevard, Superintendent Limuel Obon, chief of the Quezon City Police District-Kamuning  Station, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a recent interview.

But the complainants, usually married men, were not inclined to pursue charges, afraid that their rendezvous would be known through the media, Obon said.

Police officers at the Kamuning Station, who grinned knowingly when asked about it, could not say how the term “Jocard” came to be.

“It’s just a code we use,” a police investigator said.

Philandering men warned about falling victim to ‘jocards’

By Erika Sauler
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Sunday, July 13th, 2014


Cops warn men on “Jocards.”

MANILA, Philippines â€" The Quezon City police have warned philandering men against “Jocards,” but they hardly listen, resulting in three to four cases of theft reported every week in the Kamuning area.

Jocard is a police term for the women who lure men to dingy apartelles for paid sexual services.

But while the men are taking a shower, the women will run off with their wallets.

Charge d'Affaires of the German Embassy in Bangladesh Dr. Ferdinand von Weyhe awards Amzad Hossain a lifetime membership of the German football fan club. He also gave Hossain a football and a flag of the German national team.  Hossain sold a farm to make a 3.5 km long German flag to hail his team in the World Cup.  The story reached the German embassy, and the envoy went to Magura went to see the flag. 

Hossain, 65, is not a fan of Germany for no reason. He claimed that, in 1987, he was afflicted by an incurable disease that failed all treatment. Then a medicine from Germany gave him back his life.

Since then, Amzad has been a diehard fan of Germany.

http://bdnews24.com/ 

The flag was brought to Magura district town on Saturday on the occasion of the German official's visit.


It was displayed at the stadium where Weyhe and his colleagues along with hundreds of locals came to see it.

http://bdnews24.com/

While speaking to reporters on Saturday, he said that the next time he would make an even longer flag and that he would invite a thousand people to his home for a feast if the Germans clinch the World Cup this time.

Hossain, who hails from Ghoramara village, sold a 50 decimal land to raise the money to create the flag, which cost him Tk 150,000.

He had employed three tailors, who were paid over Tk 40,000, to sew together the over three-kilometre long flag.

Hossain, 65, is not a fan of Germany for no reason. He claimed that, in 1987, he was afflicted by an incurable disease that failed all treatment. Then a medicine from Germany gave him back his life.

Since then, Amzad has been a diehard fan of Germany.

Bangladesh farmer lifetime Germany fan club member

Magura Correspondent
bdnews24.com
2014-07-13

When Magura's Amzad Hossain made a 3.5 km long German flag to hail his team in the World Cup, little did he know what it would yield!



Not only the Charge d'Affaires of the German Embassy went to see it, but Hossain also got a lifetime membership of the official fan club of Philipp Lahm's team.

German Charge d'Affaires Ferdinand von Weyhe went to Magura on Saturday to see the flag made by the peasant.

Weyhe announced to award Hossain a lifetime membership of the fan club. He was also given a football and a flag of the German national team.

Hossain says that he didn't make the 3.5 km long flag keeping in mind anything but to express his love for his favourite football team.

German envoy to see mighty flag

Magura Correspondent
bdnews24.com
2014-07-11

German Charge d’Affaires Dr Ferdinand von Weyhe will visit Magura this Saturday to meet German football’s die-hard fan Amzad Hossain as a token of his gratitude.



Peasant Amzad, a resident of Ghoramara village in Magura Sadar Upazila, made a 3.5-km-long German flag before World Cup football began this year by selling his land to raise money for its manufacture.

Additional District Commissioner of Magura AKM Tareque said, “German embassy verbally informed him about the German Charge d’Affaire’s visit to Magura.”

He said, “The German envoy will see the German flag, which will be displayed at the district stadium.”

Before the World Cup matches started, Amzad Hossain sold his land and made a 3.5-km-long German flag at a cost of Tk 150,000. Bdnews24.com and other news media carried the story, which drew the German embassy’s attention.

Amzad Hossain told bdnews24.com, “I like German football for a long time. I had caught literally a non-curable disease in 1987. I tried lots of medicine with no avail. But a medicine brought from Germany finally cured the disease. Since then, I became a fan of Germany.”

http://bdnews24.com/

NEWS: German chancellor Angela Merkel and president Joachim Gauck are going to attend the final in Rio de Janeiro, so important is this occasion.

Brazil's World Cup of woe 

This is the first time since 1940 that Brazil have lost consecutive matches on home soil (in 1940 they lost 3-0 v Argentina and 4-3 v Uruguay). 

Brazil have failed to score in two games in a World Cup tournament for the first time since 1978. 

This is only the second time in the past 10 World Cup third-place play-offs that a team has failed to score (Bulgaria lost 4-0 v Sweden in 1994). 

Belgium in 1986 (15 goals conceded) were the last team to concede 14 or more goals in a World Cup finals before Brazil this year (14).

http://www.bbc.com/

The Netherlands scored three goals from four shots on target in the play-off

Daley Blind has been involved in four goals in this World Cup, more than any other defender

But for Brazil, a tournament that started with optimism and promise for the five-time winners ended in humiliation. 

The injured Neymar watched on from the bench as Brazil suffered a second successive defeat

Instead, though, Wijnaldum completed another miserable defeat for Scolari's side with a third in stoppage time.

Echoing full-time in the defeat by Germany, the final whistle was greeted with a huge chorus of boos.

It was a positive send-off for departing Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal as he embarks on his next assignment, as manager of Manchester United.

Robin van Persie's goal was his first World Cup strike not to come in the group stages

They improved as the half wore on, but it was not enough for the players to avoid being booed as they left the field at the break.

The game slowed to a pedestrian pace in the second half, with Brazil fans continuing to boo Scolari every time the big screen in the stadium showed the 65-year-old's face.

Ramires flashed a shot wide before Oscar was booked for diving as Brazil strived to find some way back into the game.

It was as rousing a rendition of the anthem as any throughout the tournament, but thoughts of redemption lasted barely three minutes, when Brazil captain Silva pulled back Robben and the referee awarded a penalty, which Van Persie expertly converted.

The home fans were stunned into silence, but it was to get worse barely 15 minutes later when they conceded a second. This time defender David Luiz headed a tame clearance straight to Blind and the Dutch midfielder found the top corner for his first international goal.

Brazilian faces were sullen, perhaps fearful of similar capitulation that saw them concede five goals in only 18 minutes against Germany.

It seemed the Brazilian fans were determined to support their team, but they also made it known they had not forgotten the defeat by Germany as loud boos rang out when the names of Scolari and beleaguered striker Fred, 30, were read out.

Fred was one of six starters against Germany who were relegated to the bench against the Netherlands, and several players from Brazil's 23-man squad are likely to have played in their last World Cup.

Whatever the future does hold, it was briefly forgotten about before Saturday's game as players and fans once again sang the Brazil national anthem in unison.


Brazil conceded 14 goals this tournament - the most they have let in at a single World Cup

There was little indication in the build-up that their interest had wavered, as thousands descended on the Copacabana beach fan park in Rio de Janeiro, while the Estadio Nacional was close to capacity.

When the teams emerged from the tunnel to go through their pre-match warm-ups, the players were greeted by loud cheers, which increased in volume when injured talisman Neymar appeared.

The striker - who scored four goals before a back injury ruled him out of the Germany debacle - was wearing a full training kit, but watched from the bench as his team-mates went onto the pitch.


The injured Neymar received one of the biggest cheers when his name was read out before the game

Having backed their side so vocally throughout, home supporters turned on Brazil in the semi-final defeat on Tuesday, cheering opposition attacks and directing loud boos at their own players, and their frustration continued in the capital, Brasilia.

Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari bore the brunt of their anger, and his long-term future as national team boss is now in doubt.

Brazil's fans had packed homes, bars and fan parks to watch the action, leaving streets near empty, but the shock defeat by Germany left a question mark over how they would greet their team before Saturday's game.


Brazil fans hold up a placard which reads "The feeling can't stop. Always Brazil" before the match

Brazil 0 - Netherlands 3

12 July 2014
By Gary Rose BBC Sport

    Brazil concede 10 goals in two games
    Players and manager booed off at full time
    Injured Neymar watches from the bench
    Back-to-back home defeats for first time since 1940



Brazil's World Cup campaign came to a miserable end as the hosts were convincingly beaten by the Netherlands in the third-place play-off.

Goals from Robin van Persie, Daley Blind and Georginio Wijnaldum condemned Brazil to back-to-back defeats on home soil for the first time since 1940, following Tuesday's embarrassing 7-1 loss to Germany in the semi-final.

As an added insult, the hosts must now watch on as their fiercest rivals Argentina take on Germany for the chance to win the World Cup at Brazilian football's spiritual home, the Maracana, on Sunday.

Spot king: Robin van Persie gives Holland an early lead from the penalty spot Photo: GETTY IMAGES

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Third Place Game

saturday, july 12


Brazil - 0
Netherlands - 3
fulltime

Quote from: islander on July 10, 2014, 05:15:10 PM

german fans in another location

wait, are they seeing the dancing sun?

i own 30 cats.  believe me, this works.  of course, you have to call them first by their christian names.

she must be from the kuril islands of japan-russia border dispute fame.  but i hope those fruits on her dress are baguio strawberries.

Quote from: Mike Ortega Ligalig on July 11, 2014, 10:07:39 PM

when you drop by cebu city, go to lemon grass restaurant at ayala.  they serve this, by the glass or by the pitcher.  i go to that restaurant only for this.  it's so thirst quenching and satisfying.  it beats any cola drink.  for that matter, and despite its lack of alcohol, it beats my favorite german riesling.  morpa.

btw, a little spoiler: instead of grated ginger, what that restaurant has in the drink is lemon grass, which isn't in the suggested drink recipe.

mao nang kamong mga lakiha mo, pagkat-on sad mo kay di baya kamo ang insultohon sa pari.  likay kun mahadlok ug mosibat diay mo kun naa nay produkto ang inyong pagdagmal.  kasabot?  aw, lagi...

as for athos and porthos, well, as everyone knows, they're two of the three musketeers.  the name of the third, aramis, has been brought down a notch by having a perfume named after him.  leave it to the french...

definition of what rhymes with ethos:

pathos
ˈpeɪθÉ's/
noun

    a quality that evokes pity or sadness.
    "the actor injects his customary humour and pathos into the role"
    synonyms:   poignancy, tragedy, sadness, pitifulness, piteousness, pitiableness, plaintiveness, sorrowfulness
    "the pathos of Antoine's predicament"

the owner missed the most obvious of tricks to cool an irate cat: meow like one.  the cat will get distracted, concluding that you've gone bonkers.  the cat, curious as ever, will thus hold their breath and rein in their tantrum to see what you'd be up to next.

Quote from: Mike Ortega Ligalig on July 12, 2014, 04:00:52 PM
Sakto pud.

which one ang sakto?  ang balls?

Quote from: hubag bohol on July 12, 2014, 11:01:53 AM
Hmm, always dwelling on what is merely observable, never going into the metaphysics of causation.

indeed, because such areas are dangerous.  imagine dwelling on the metaphysics of causation and ending up with a supernatural disappearance... of the balls.

Angela Merkel also joins her team in the changing rooms to celebrate in what looks like a less expected visit  Picture: GUIDO BERGMANN/AFP

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima celebrate in the changing rooms with the Netherlands team after their win against Australia  Picture: Alex Grimm/FIFA/Getty Images

paskang gyod hinoon.  akong piborit nga cheese old amsterdam pa ra ba.  i rooted for them, honest.

Chile's President Michelle Bachelet, right, also poses for a selfie with Chilean national football team players Gary Medel, centre, and Mauricio Pinilla during a meeting after their return from the World Cup  Picture: ALEX IBANEZ/AFP

Belgium's King Philippe, 2nd left, poses for a selfie with Belgian national soccer players after the team's win against Russia  Picture: Benoit Doppagne/Reuters

Prince Harry gesticulates as he watches England play Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte  Picture: SIPA/Rex Features

Costa Rica's President Luis Guillermo Solis, centre, joins football fans celebrating their team's victory over Greece after a penalty shoot-out  Picture: Esteban Felix/AP

Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima get ready for the match between Australia and the Netherlands Picture: ARMANDO BABANI/EPA

Swiss President Didier Burkhalter celebrates with fans after their team's score the winning goal in the match against Ecuador in the Stade de la Maladiere, in Neuchatel Picture: SALVATORE DI NOLFI/EPA

Colombia's President and presidential candidate Juan Manuel Santos, centre, celebrates Colombia's win over Greece  Picture: Jaime Saldarriaga/Reuters

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, centre, holds her breath and crosses all of her fingers during the group A preliminary round match between Brazil and Croatia  Picture: SEBASTIAO MOREIRA/EPA

Vice President Joe Biden, on the other hand, doesn't look too interested as he watches the US play Ghana  Picture: Brian Snyder/Reuters

US president Barack Obama calls a foul on the Belgians as he watches the match in an auditorium at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington  Picture: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Iran's president Hassan Rouhani also got into World Cup spirit with Twitter photograph of himself watching the Iran v Nigeria World Cup match

While King Philippe of Belgium tries to keep his composure Queen Mathilde jumps up to celebrate the victory of their team over Russia  Picture: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, right, and Defense Secretary Salvador Zepeda celebrate a goal during the Mexico v Croatia World Cup match. Mexico won 3-1 and qualified to the knock-out phase. Picture: Gustavo Comacho/Rex Features

From presidents to queens, world leaders who've caught World Cup fever



German Chancellor Angela Merkel gets really excited while watching her team beat Portugal 4-0 during the World Cup group stages
Picture: Action Press/Rex Features

FOOTBALL TRIVIA


The three words which sum up all 32 nations in Brazil



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

'your balls don't protrude' is the answer.

Argentine fans celebrate with a picture of Pope Francis at the end of the semi-final football match between Netherlands and Argentina of the FIFA World Cup in Sao Paulo on July 9, 2014


Conscious of his role as head of the Catholic Church around the world, Francis himself has been careful not to make any predictions about the World Cup or to reveal his passion.

There was one slip earlier in the tournament, however.

The Vatican affairs news agency I.Media reported that when a group of the Vatican's Swiss Guards invited him to watch the Argentina-Switzerland game in their barracks, he declined the offer saying: "There would be a war!"

https://ph.news.yahoo.com/

While the Vatican said Italian media reports about a "two popes final" are off the mark, its own official daily -- the Osservatore Romano -- earlier this month predicted that Argentine and Germany would reach the final.

In an unusual article for the normally conservative paper, former player Tommaso Damiani, a staunch Catholic, said that "there could be a final that will go down in history because of its unusual supporters" -- Francis and Benedict.

Ahead of the final, Italy's RaiNews made a photomontage with a real image of the two popes kneeling side by side -- except that each is depicted praying for their own team.

Quote from: hofelina on July 10, 2014, 05:24:47 PM

Father Thomas Rosica, a member of the Vatican communications, quipped in a tweet: "Unconfirmed reports in Italian media: large quantities of mate and Fanta delivered to Vatican for private event Sunday" -- a reference to the famous Argentine tipple and the German fizzy drink.

- 'There would be a war!' -

The contrast could not be greater between Benedict and Francis, who is regularly updated on the activities of San Lorenzo and a team delegation came to the Vatican in December to give him their trophy after they won the national championship.

They also gave him the club's red-and-blue team colours with the words "Francisco Campeon" (Francis Champion) written on the back and the goalkeeper's gloves -- used in a save that helped them win the tournament.


This picture released on December 18, 2013 by the Vatican press office shows Pope Francis (R) holding the jersey of San Lorenzo's Argentinian football club as he poses with team president Matías Lammens (2ndL) at the Vatican

When he does his weekly tours of St Peter's Square on his "popemobile" before general audiences, the 77-year-old pontiff is regularly pelted with football jerseys and he has extolled the virtues of sport as a spiritual activity.

"It's really not his thing, he is not a fan. It would be like inflicting an infinite penitence on him at the age of 87," the source said, adding: "He has never been able to watch a football match from beginning to end in his life".

Benedict did like to keep informed on football results while he was pope and could at least comment on the big matches but he did not follow his home team, Bayern Munich.

That has not prevented a few jokes from doing the rounds in the Vatican ahead of the big game at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana.

Vatican says no "two popes final" for World Cup

By Jean-Louis De La Vaissiere | AFP News
11 July 2014
   

Football-mad Pope Francis "might" watch the World Cup final on Sunday between his native Argentina and Germany but is unlikely to do so alongside his German predecessor Benedict XVI contrary to media speculation, the Vatican said.

"He might want to watch the final," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said of Francis, formerly the archbishop of Buenos Aires Jorge Bergoglio -- a fan and card-carrying member of the San Lorenzo de Almagro club since childhood.

But a Vatican source said he "excluded categorically" the prospect of pope emeritus Benedict XVI, an academic theologian with a penchant for classical piano, sitting down in front of his television set to watch the face-off.



This handout picture released on April 27, 2014 by the Vatican press office shows Pope Francis (R) meeting with Pope emeritus Benedict XVI during the canonisation mass of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II at the Vatican on April 27, 2014

FOOTBALL TRIVIA

10 Famous goalkeepers

1. Algerian born writer and philosopher Albert Camus played for Racing Universitaire Algerios (RUA) junior team (“All that I know most surely about morality and obligations I owe to football.”)

2. Spanish crooner Julio Iglesias played for Los Blancos Juniors

3. Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) played for Krakow University

4. Opera singer Luciano Pavarotti played for Modena Juniors before moving to the wing position

5. Writer Arthur Conan Doyle played for a team called Portsmouth F C (but unconnected to the present day team)

6. Writer Vladimir Nabokov played during his time at Cambridge

7. Scientist Niels Bohr played for Akademisk Boldklub (his lesser known brother Harrald played for the national side when Denmark took silver at the 1908 Olympics)

8. Revolutionary Che Guevara (in goals and not on the left wing due to asthma)

9. Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay played for Glasgow Rangers reserves

10. Boyband Westlife singer Nicky Byrne played for Leeds United youth who won the FA Youth Cup in 1997

http://darbygray.blogspot.com/

hahahaha!  that is the best world cup 2014 meme i've seen.  i wonder which side the swiss guards are on?

nabunyagan iyang apo, nakapasaylo.  all's well.

i suspect the couple had been cruel to her.

as for the mannschaft fans...



german fans in another location


german fans and their colors, and an exquisite hybrid israeli-german flag at off-center

A Netherlands fan in tears after loss.

Thousands of fans flock to the streets in the Netherlands.

An Argentine soccer fan dressed as Pope Francis.

A Dutch fan gets in the spirit during the semi-final match.

Argentina fans come in all shapes and sizes.