No Gene for Human Creativity

Many of you will be curious on what are Ronaldinho, David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Ballack and Michael Essien doing these days, after being ruled out of the FIFA World Cup 2010 due to injuries/bad form? Take a deep breath! We gotcha! :)

We visited these people and interviewed them about their activity during this World Cup after bad luck kicked them out of the grand tournament even before the event could kick off.

Warning: Continue reading on your own risk! The content ahead is not suitable for serious people.

The first to be interviewed were Michael Ballack and Rio Ferdinand. This is what Ferdinand replied as the interviewee:

“You know what! Injuries are part of a sportsman’s life, but to get injured at the eve of World Cup must be a jealous magician’s act! I couldn’t resist anyway, so Ballack and I decided to still be part of the enchanting fever! There are big screens placed at many places of Europe, where herds of people gather to watch matches, and what we do there is serve pop corns. Yeah! Pop corns! But nobody knows it’s us! We have our super hero masks on. We dance, we chill! We both make ourselves flow with the river of the football fever!”

This is what Ronaldinho had to say:

“It was a shock for me not to get selected in the World Cup squad, but that wasn’t the end for me! I still represent Brazil, although through the EA Sports FIFA 2010 video game and Pro Evolution Soccer. It’s so much fun sprinting on the soccer field wearing the yellow Brazil jersey on Play Station 3!”

David Beckham said:

“Though they made me a mediator between management and the players and as an English member of the coaching staff for the England national football team for the World Cup, but what I’m really doing these days is playing the Football Fantasy League at different websites! You know what’s most interesting for me? I AM the captain of my side at the league! No Ferdinand near me! It’s just me, making the rest of the ten men march on the soccer field! I’m enjoying every bit of the captaincy feeling!”

Michael Essien said:

“I knew I can still be a part of the World Cup in some way! Having the African domicile, I decided to sell vuvuzelas throughout Africa, so that I surpass my dream of earning more money off the field, in comparison to what I earn on field by playing, just like Ronaldinho does through commercials!”

Disclaimer: This was only a piece of fiction. Thanks for bearing this clean sliding tackle. Best of luck to you and the team you are supporting in this World Cup! :)

© Farrukh UNPLUGGED Sports Division.

Maradona’s Argentina make hard work for win

Argentina’s World Cup campaign started off with a hard fought 1-0 victory over Nigeria at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. The only goal of the game was scored by Gabriel Heinze in the 6^th minute of the match through a header.

Argentina started the brighter of the two teams and their early dominance nearly paid off in the third minute when Lionel Messi burst through the Nigerian defense and created a sitter for Gonzalo Higuain which he missed. In the very next minute, Messi saw his shot tipped over by the Nigerian goalkeeper. From the resulting corner, Juan Sebastian Veron swung the ball in from the right and Heinze sent a powerful diving header into the top left corner.

Messi was a constant threat right throughout the 90 minutes as he created and missed several chances to seal the contest in Argentina’s favor. Maradona’s men were denied on several occasions by Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama who was outstanding throughout the match.

Argentina controlled the match with constant clever passes and created several opportunities, however they lacked a killer instinct that could come back to haunt them against sides with more clinical quality in the latter stages of the competition.

Nigerians, ‘The Super Eagles’, had some significant openings of their own, with Kalu Uche coming closest for his side in the ending stages of the match when he hit a half volley over the crossbar after a good cross from Yakubu.

But it was to be Argentina’s day as the early Heinze effort proved the difference between the two sides. Maradona’s men know that tougher challenges lie ahead of them and they need to work on their finishing in training.

Robert Green’s costly error gifts USA a point

England’s World Cup campaign got off to an extremely disappointing start when they couldn’t hold on to their lead at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg against the USA.

It was a fairly open contest and both teams made a bright start but it was England who got the lead in the  4^th minute when Emile Heskey released Steven Gerrard down the middle who finished clinically to hand England a dream start in their opening match. It was just the kind of start the Americans were dreading.

However, the USA were level shortly before half-time when a tame effort from USA’s Clint Dempsey slipped through England’s first choice goalkeeper Robert Green’s grasp and into the back of the net! Green’s catastrophic mistake proved costly for England as they were made to enter the interval all square after a promising start.

The Three Lions refused to dwell on the events of the first half, though, as they again burst out of the blocks in the second 45. But a draw was always on the cards and both teams will take positives from the night and will be pleased to have got points on the board from what looks like being their toughest test in Group C.

For England, the equation is simple. They must win their remaining two matches in group C and have a better goal difference in order to finish top of their group.