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Well done Nando! They were pretty decent goals as well. I wish I saw this game. Apparently he was being challenged by the Reading defenders quite a lot but he stood his ground and delivered for the team. But poor boy had no idea what to say during the post-game interview. I think he understood the bit about how he's going with his English though. And he did say 'thank you' in the end. Ahhh que lindo! :)
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These came in the mail today.
Brasilian lollies, Ceu cd, hand cream, earrings and bracelet from Doug. Last couple of times I received parcels from Brasil, they were detained by Customs. And once, my friend thought it'll be funny to send flour in a clear plastic bag. The flour was yummy and I don't think it's available here. But man, no wonder it took over a month in Quarantine. The powdered white substance in the clear bag sure looked suspicious.
Doug, if you're reading this, I'm happy to announce that Customs didn't even bother opening my birthday present. I got the box in one piece. Obrigado!
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Warming up to my new kitchen
Homemade tacos, Carbonara, Fish with Thai inspired sauce and stir-fried tofu, Beef Pho
Last week, I went to Melbourne to watch the soccer friendly between Australia and Argentina. I was really looking forward to it cos Argentina was bringing a full-strength team to Australia. I was really keen to see the likes of Lio Messi, Javi Saviola, Carlos Tevez and Kun Aguero on the field. I was positive that it'll be a very exciting match. Because even if I was supporting a different team last year, I agree with Csab that Argentina should've won the World Cup... or at least they had everything they needed to win it. Argentina isn't #2 in the world for nothing.
Sometime during the weekend, my cousin frantically rang me and said that the Argentine team was meeting fans at their hotel lobby. I was out shopping with Dar then and we didn't think we'd make it. We decided to check it out anyway but they had already gone when we got there. The next day, however, I was walking along South Bank when I saw a sea of blue and white in this little alley way. I made usisa and found out that they were Argentine supporters. Apparently the team was coming out again to sign stuff before they go to training. I decided to hang around for a bit. And some Argentine guys made space in the queue for me (it helps to flash a smile, I tell you. Oh and a crap Spanish accent works as well).
I am a Barca fan so the plan was to get my Barca scarf signed by Lio Messi (one of my favourites) and then hopefully take some photos.
A couple of minutes later, the Argentine players turned up and signed stuff as they slowly boarded the bus. I got a few photos of Heinze, Gago, Saviola and Tevez. And then I saw Messi. I don't know if it was my Barca scarf or me calling out "Lio" when everyone else was yelling "Messi". But I was surprised that he actually stopped in front of me. He saw my scarf and I asked him to sign it. He got the scarf off me and held it for a bit until he realised that I didn't have a texter. He was looking at me as if to say "What do you want me to do now?" Yes, I know. Stupid, right? I thought the other fans would offer their texters but I realised that everyone there was only looking after themselves. Well, how was I supposed to know that I'll see them that day? It was so random. So that was that. Lio Messi got pushed into the bus by security and I just stood there... I couldn't believe what just happened. I was possibly starstruck for the first time ever.
I rang Csab and he couldn't believe it either. Messi's one of his favourites and he was pretty cut after hearing my story. I bought a texter straight after, of course. Just in case I run into him again. I never did.
And now all our soccer friends have heard my story and the #1 line of the week is "Why didn't you have a texter?"
So yes, I'm still bitter about it. I'm still kicking myself for not having a texter. I was telling my cousin the other day that the only thing that can be better than this is if I meet Fernando Torres in the future. Hahaha. Oh well... it was pretty bizaare but it's a story to tell my grandchildren... especially if in the future, Messi exceeds Maradona and becomes the #1 footballer in the world.
This is a photo I took of him from the match last Tuesday.
I look away for a second (ok, more like 2 weeks) and what happens? Fernando Torres scores his first goal for Liverpool (and a brilliant one at that)! :) Unfortunately, Chelsea equalised with what apparently was a wrongly awarded penalty. The match ended in a draw.
After disappointing results from their matches against Oman and Iraq, the Socceroos go through the Asian Cup quarter finals with a brilliant performance against Thailand last night.
I never thought I'd say this but I'm actually a bit sad about Fernando Torres leaving Atleti. Thirteen years is a long time, after all. He has dedicated so much to the same club which he also supported whilst growing up. But as with most things, there is a time to move on. And I actually think that this move can be good for all the parties involved.
Having said that, I'm very happy to see my favourite footballer in my favourite Premiere League club. Now I don't know about Torres being the missing link that will bring the championship to Liverpool. There are certainly some high (and possibly insane) expectations out there. I'm a big supporter but I do think that he has big shoes to fill. It may not happen instantly but I believe he'll grow into them as he goes along. He has proven that he has class. And we've witnessed his great skills. Hopefully this stint in Anfield can unleash that even bigger potential in him.
Club Atlético de Madrid has reached an agreement with Liverpool Football Club for the sale of Fernando Torres to the British club. The player, accompanied by Don Enrique Cerezo and Jesús García Pitarch, will hold a farewell press conference on Wednesday 4 July. The event will take place in the VIP Room of Vicente Calderon Stadium at 10:00 o’clock in the morning. The media must get accredited by sending an e-mail to the address comunicacion@clubatleticodemadrid.com.
Liverpool Football Club has announced Spanish striker Fernando Torres has passed a medical ahead of his proposed move from Atletico Madrid. The 23-year-old is now expected to officially complete his transfer to Anfield on Wednesday before being unveiled to the media.
A club spokesman said: "The player has passed a medical. All the agreements are now in place and he will put pen to paper on the deal on Wednesday."
The striker has spent the previous 12 years at Atletico Madrid, the club he supported as a boy. The Spanish giants snapped him up at the age of 11 after he netted 55 goals in his first season at amateur side Rayo 13.
Three years after his arrival, Torres was named the best under-14 player in Europe following his performances in the Nike Cup. He signed his first professional contract in 1999 but had to wait until May 27, 2001 to make his debut against Leganes.
Still, at 17 years and 68 days, he was Atletico's youngest ever player. Within a week, he'd scored his first goal in a match against Albacete.
The 2001-02 season saw him net six times in 36 league appearances, helping his side win promotion to La Liga.
Meanwhile, he was still making waves on the international scene.
Torres was top scorer and player of the tournament in the 2001 European Under-16 Championships and 2002 European Under-19 Championships, both of which Spain won.
The frontman bagged 13 goals during his first season in the Spanish top flight, earning him a first under-21 cap for his country.
The 2003-04 campaign proved to be a momentous one for Torres. Not only did he score 19 goals in 35 league appearances, but he was also handed the club captaincy. At 19, he was the youngest skipper in Atletico's long and illustrious history.
On top of all this, the youngster was also called up into the senior Spain squad, making his full debut in a friendly with Portugal on September 6, 2003. The following April he scored his first international goal against Italy. He was then part of the Spain squad which traveled to Euro 2004 in Holland and Belgium.
Torres got his first and only taste of European competition when Atletico entered the Intertoto Cup prior to the 2004-05 campaign. He scored twice in five games but tasted defeat in the final at the hands of Villarreal.
The player nicknamed El Nino (The Kid) because of his youthful appearance was selected for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where he scored three goals.
In May 2007 Torres hit the headlines when he revealed the words 'You'll Never Walk Alone' on the inside of his captain's armband during a match against Real Sociedad.
If he completes his move to Anfield as expected on Wednesday, he'll leave Atletico with a record of 82 goals in 214 league appearances.
I was just telling a friend last night. Fernando Torres has a lot of potential but he needs to transfer to a team where he can harness and boost his skills further. He's stayed with Atletico long enough. I really think it's time to move on.
Talks of interest from Premiere League clubs have been floating around for a while now. And no matter how much it gets written about, I'm not one to believe what the tabloids say cos it's most likely a false alarm. But then I found this on Fox Sports. Totoo kaya?
I hope he goes to Liverpool. Or Arsenal. Pero wag Manchester cos he'll be competing with so many others for a spot in the starting line-up. Can't wait to hear more exciting news!
Not long ago, I saw some photos of Nando when he was a kid and I thought he looked like he can be Csab's younger brother. It's funny because he even looks a bit like Csab in these videos. Not only that, I was watching the demo and his kick seems similar to Csab's as well. And their legs even look the same. It's a bit odd because he was already my favourite even before I started seeing these similarities with the boyfriend. :p
Anyway, check out the rest of Team T90 here. The campaign features two other favourites of mine as well.
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The Euro 2008 qualifiers are on again in a couple of hours. Go Spain!
Some photos from a long day of ukay with Len at the Surry Hills markets, the Socceroos match and Colombian lunch at Nuvia and Cristobal's.
ETA: Goalkeepers are among my favourites. And it doesn't hurt if they're goodlooking to boot... Cariño para Carini. ;) Although I doubt that Brad Jones will become a favourite anytime soon. More on the game later.
May has been crazy busy cos of immigration stuff, work commitments, trips to Sydney, concerts, recommencement of classes, etc. It's good that things have started to slow down cos I'll be needing some new energy when June starts. I've been home for almost a week now and I must admit that it's a relief to finally be back. It's not a bad place to reenergise despite all the things that I've had to organise while I'm here. I've obtained my NBI clearance for my pr application. I've also sorted my requirements with POEA. They were both very interesting experiences that deserve their own entry, btw. Maybe another time when I'm more masipag... I'm just worried that they'll drain the energy out of me all over again. I've caught up with some friends and family as well. I just wish I can stay a bit longer because it feels like I just got here. I haven't seen a lot of my friends and I haven't had time for the usual trips to the spa, hairdresser, etc. I'm afraid I'll have to give them a miss this time. I'll be off to Singapore on Friday morning and I'll stay there overnight to catch up a bit with Erika. I'm taking the plane back to Sydney on Saturday morning and I should get there sometime in the evening.
Let me know if you have bilin people. I have to tick things off my shopping list by tomorrow.
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Should I watch the Champions League final at 2 in the morning? I was meant to go to the Dicta License gig with Pia but I have an early appointment tomorrow morning. I guess waiting for the match defeats the purpose of staying in tonight. I'm very tempted to stay up late though.
I'm going for Liverpool but I think it might be AC Milan's year this year. Do you remember the Champions League Final two years ago? AC Milan and Liverpool were also going for the title. Milan was leading 3-0 by half time and the Liverpool fans started leaving the stadium because they thought that was it for their team. And then Liverpool scored goal after goal after goal in the second half. They tied the score and eventually won through penalties. I think AC Milan might be seeking revenge later, we'll see.
My friends are going to watch the game at Verve. Apparently they're opening extra early to host some keen football fans for breakfast. I'll be watching it by my lonesome. At least we have ESPN and star sports here.
*** Disclaimer: I've never been a Big Brother fan. But...
I woke up at 4:30 to watch the match between Manchester United and AC Milan. My body was fighting to stay awake but to no avail. Cristiano's header within the first six minutes of the game got me to watch the telly half asleep. Then Kaka scored a goal and that did the trick. It woke me up and I was able to focus on the game until half time. Kaka scored a second goal which was quite impressive. He carried the ball past Fletcher then breezed through Evra and Heinze and finished it off with a shot past Van der Sar. Ganda! AC Milan was leading by half time and I drifted off to sleep again during the break. I remember that I kept on falling asleep and waking up in between moments of half-consciousness. It was a bit bizaare cos the same game was playing out in my dreams. I can't even recall which bits happened in the dream and which ones actually happened in the real match. Rooney scored, Carrick missed a good opportunity, Kaka scored another goal to complete the hat trick and Manchester lost. The white shirts were beaming with pride and the red shirts were walking towards the dug out with their heads down. And then I woke up... just in time to see Rooney score the third goal for Manchester at the 90th minute of the game. Manchester United won 3-2 against AC Milan. It was so weird. I'm not even supporting either team because out of the four teams left, my bet's placed on Liverpool (although Cristiano and Kaka are two of my favourites for obvious reasons. They're both fantastic midfielders ano pa ba? Hehe.). The two parallel games unfolded simultaneously in both my dream and in reality. And it's even more interesting that they ended with significantly different results. I googled the game and found out that Rooney did score 2 goals, Kaka didn't pull off a hat trick and Carrick almost had a goal. Anyway, this is a totally random and senseless post. I'm just a bit amused with the way the mind weaves dreams, that's all.
I love the ads that get released in anticipation of major football
competitions like the World Cup and the European Cup. Here's an old one
from 2004, I believe.
It's weird that it's in Spanish. Oh well... it's funny nonetheless.
The
real thing is happening as I speak and it sucks that it's not being
televised here. A friendly between Brazil and Portugal is currently
taking place as the two teams prepare for the Copa America and Euro
2008, respectively. Should be a great game... although Ronaldhino and
Ronaldo aren't playing due to injuries.
Australia is also playing against Denmark and even that's not being shown on free to air. Grr.
Tomorrow: Spain vs England. And guess what? That's not being televised either!
