World Cup 2010 Blog: “Mercedes Brings Schweinski Back Together” plus 1 more |  |
| Mercedes Brings Schweinski Back Together Posted: 08 Feb 2011 11:12 AM PST With all their free time during the international break, Mercedes had the German men’s team film a supportive commercial for the women’s team, hosting the World Cup in the summer. The boys are acting like crazed fans, and Lukas Podolski even has a Pohawk™. During these times of co-mingling footballers, you’d expect even one of Cupid’s arrows to be removed from its quiver, and you’d be right: it hit Schweinski. Again. And spawned yet another round of creepy slo-mo YouTube montages set to uber-dramatic soundtracks, featuring what appears to be a slightly jealous Thomas Mueller.
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| Football and the Revolution in Egypt Posted: 08 Feb 2011 08:53 AM PST
A number of outlets reported that the protesters who engaged in the initial battles with the pro-Mubarak camp were using tactics very similar to those use by Ultra’s for both Al-Ahly and Zamalek. Football journalist Robert Layne, after watching the protests, noted: "There were designated rock hurlers, specialists in turning over and torching vehicles for defensive purposes and a machine-like quartermaster crew delivering projectiles like clockwork on cardboard platters.” While Ahly’s ultra’s almost immediately made clear that they were to remain non-political during the demonstrations, it seems likely that individual or even groups of Ultra’s participated in some way during the demonstrations, and likely still do today. Moving to the pitch itself, as the violence escalated, a number of Ghanian players currently playing across the top two divisions of Egyptian football desperately sought a way to leave the country, but the Ghanian government now says that they are safe, and have no reason to be fearful. Probably easier to say for the Ghanian government in Accra, but nonetheless surely the scenes in Tahrir were nerve wracking for the players and their families back home. In terms of the Egyptian domestic game, all matches have been called off, including Zamalek’s African Champions League tie with Kenya’s Ulizni Stars, due to the unrest. The national team, also scheduled to host the United States in a match which would have been excellent preparation for their March AFCON qualifier against South Africa, has had to cancel the February 9th match after the Americans withdrew. While the protests seemed to have ebbed somewhat, the situation is far from being resolved, and it will be fascinating to see how football affects, and is effected by, the ongoing revolution. Particularly fascinating will be determining exactly what role ultra’s have had on the final outcome. In a world where many desire for a separation of politics and sport, Egypt shows us that sometimes the two are simply inextricably linked, regardless of rhetoric. *Egypt WCB Blogger Hany spent days protecting his Cairo home from looters, before he was able to fly to the United States. See his story in the comments section of his most recent article.
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