There are some matches where you have a feeling you know what is going to happen before the first whistle is blown. One of those instances is when the U.S. Men’s National Team takes on the Mexico National Team in Azteca. So when the World Cup Qualifying match between the two teams kicked off tonight – very late I might add – in Azteca, I was expecting either a loss or, if the U.S. was lucky, a tie.

Photo courtesy of MLS official Facebook page.

As you might have heard by this point – as it was midnight CT when all was said and done and I am about to pass out from exhaustion as I write this – the USMNT got the tie. But it sorta felt like a win. Here, let me explain.

One of the biggest problems of the U.S. is defense. It’s been that way since, well time out of mine. It’s been especially worrisome lately as key defensive players like Tim Howard, Carlos Bocanegra and Steve Cherundolo were not in the squad for this set of games. Instead, Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann was placing his faith in Brad Guzan, Geoff Cameron, Omar Gonzalez, DaMarcus Beasley, Clarence Goodson and Matt Besler. Not exactly comforting right? I mean, it could have been worse.

I don’t know what it was; maybe it was the “Klinsmann Gate” article from Brian Straus last week, maybe it was the “Us Against the World” mentality or maybe it was just luck that these guys would get together and do something to surprise even the U.S. fans. Whatever the case, it worked and Klinsmann may have inadvertently started the U.S. defense down a path to a promising future.

Let me put it to you this way before I get into my “points.” Mexico were awarded 15 corners during this match. Fifteen. And they didn’t get on the scoreboard once. Not one time. That is a feat to be marveled. They couldn’t finish to save their lives, but credit is also due to the USMNT back line.

First off, Brad Guzan probably put in the least surprising performance out of this defense. If you have been following him at all this season with Aston Villa, you know he’s been more than solid. I was very confident he would come in and easily fill Timmy Howard’s role as keeper. He didn’t really have too much work to do against Costa Rica Friday, but man did he step up against Mexico. His confidence off the line was solid and his saves reminiscent of Howard himself. In other words, when Howard can’t be between the posts, I’m more than confident with Guzan taking his place.

Second, the pairing of Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler. These two against Mexico ended up being more brilliant than I believe any of us were expecting. The communication was great and they were able to lock down the Mexican forwards decently enough to help keep the clean sheet. And Gonzalez was definitely Man of the Match. He owned Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez all night and was able to block and shut down more than his fair share of advances. LA Galaxy fans have been preaching for a long time now about how valuable Gonzalez is on the back line and I think we can all be rest assured he’s in Klinsmann’s long term plans.

Finally, I think I would be doing a great injustice if I didn’t mention DaMarcus Beasley’s performance tonight. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t pretty and he made quite a few mistakes. More often than not, he found himself scrambling to cover Javier Aquino Carmona on the left. He picked up a yellow very early in the match and from then on the Mexican offense just went at him hard. And while the first half wasn’t exactly golden from Beasley, the second half he stayed solid. I don’t think enough people talked about the shift he put in for the team. A lot of people probably won’t agree with me, but come on! He went the entire 90 minutes and continued to push and drive again Aquino. I think that deserves commendation, especially since he’s not a natural left back.

There are tons of others things I could mention about this game. There’s the two “missed” penalties by the ref. The first, the so-called push from Michael Bradley on Chicharito, which I think was more of Chicha looking for something rather than Bradley pushing. The second, Maurice Edu making a very stupid mistake, tackling Aquino from behind which the ref seemed to not even see.

Then there was Graham Zusi being a boss in the second half and making a huge 30-yard dash to block Reyna from getting a shot on goal. Gah, it was fantastic! But for me, the greatest thing about this match was the U.S. defensive players. They deserve all the props for this draw.

I could ramble on in my half-sleepy daze, but I’ll spare us all. In the end, this point feels like a win. A hard fought, deserved win. The U.S. are now tied with Costa Rica in points and sit second in the CONCACAF table. And Mexico… well, they’re fifth. They haven’t won a game yet. And for the USMNT, that’s just the cherry on top.

One of the worst soccer kits of all time? You decide

I think it’s fair to say that fashion and soccer are two words that aren’t used together very often.  Of course, there are some flambouyant footballers who have been known to defy the laws of fashion off the pitch.  But when they are showing off their skills on the pitch, what they are wearing shouldn’t really come into “play”, right?

Well think again.  I came across an article from The Bleacher Report where they ranked the ten worst soccer kits of all time.  Some of these kits, some of the worst in soccer history, are downright distracting.  And despite the fact that the teams are playing “the beautiful game”, these kits are anything but beautiful.

Do you have a worst kit you remember?  We’d love you to share it with us.  

Here they are according to The Bleacher Report:

Number 10: Palermo’s Pink Kit

I’ve never really had a problem with this kit, and maybe that stems from the fact that I am female, but I like to see a man, particularly an athlete, in pink.  Trust me, they get a lot worse than this.

Number 9:  Cameroon from 2004

This was actually a one-piece kit, yep you heard me, a one-piece jumpsuit of sorts.  It’s only redeeming quality was the fact that those shirts are so tight, you can see every ripple of their eight packs like those Superman costumes with fake muscles.

Cameroon’s one-piece kit from 2004

Number 8: Aston Villa Goalkeeper Kit 1993-94

The 1990′s seem to dominate the rest of the countdown.  Could it be that any fashion decade would feel under pressure when following the forgettable fashion of the 80′s?

Aston Villa’s poor goalkeeper had to don this dud for the 1993-94 season

Number 7: Arsenal Away Kit 1991

This is the team I follow, and I am familiar with this kit, but there are a dozen or more from Arsenal’s 1990′s that could have made the cut here.  This one is certainly a stand out.

Poor Lee Dixon sports the Arsenal Away Kit of 1991

Number 6: VFL Bochum Away Kit 1997

How did this colorful outfit pass the approval of the Club’s Board?  Still the 90′s.  Still bad bad bad.

VFL Bochum Away 1997

Number 5: Notts County Away 1994-95

The real beauty in this kit is not so much the plaid, which is awful on its own, but the addition of those horrendous gold stripes on the edge of the shorts (as well as the socks).  Yikes!

Notts County Away Away Kit plaid disaster of 1994-95

Number 4: Birmingham Home Kit 1992

For whatever reason, The Bleacher Report has the wrong photo, but I have it here for your enjoyment.  I mean what is going on there with that design and those colors?

Birmingham City 1992

Number 3: Norwich City Home Kit 1992

1992 was not a good year in the way of football kits.  This lovely number was dubbed the “bird-poo” kit which is aptly named considering Norwich is referred to as the Canaries.  Shocking.

Norwich City’s infamous “bird-poo” kit of 1992

Number 2:  Hull City Home Kit 1992-93

Like the Norwich kit in the number 3 position, this is another example of an over-eager designer too keen on using the nickname of the club as a theme for the kit.  You won’t be surprised to learn that Hull City is also known as ”the Tigers”.  Need I say more?  (Honestly, I would have moved back in the rankings, but these are not my findings so I will keep it here at number 2)

The 1992 Hull City Tigers need to change their stripes

And what you’ve all been waiting for….

Drum roll please…….

Keep scrolling……………..

Number 1: Mexico World Cup 1994

I think you’ll agree that seeing this spicy little treat was worth waiting for.  Jorge Campos had to wear this abomination as goalkeeper for Mexico during the 1994 World Cup.  Although Brazil were the Cup winners, don’t you agree that Mexico wins the award for the worst football kit of all times?

Jorge Campos was Mexico’s goalkeeper in this memorable ensemble in the 1994 World Cup

There you have it — the worst football kits of all time according to The Bleacher Report.  Do you agree?  Disagree?  Share your own worst kits so we can compare.

Okay, last night I told you I was going to post a video as soon as I found one of the magnificent and clutch saves Tim Howard made last night in the USMNT’s 1-0 win over Mexico in Azteca Stadium.

Ask and ye shall receive my friends… Well, no one specifically asked, but I know you want to see if. If you did watch the game, you’ll want to put this one on loop, I know it.

We’ve got news from the USMNT ahead of tomorrow’s friendly, as well as a sneak peak at USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo’s new memoir.  We’ll also take a trip to Europe to scope out the best players in UEFA, and finish up back in MLS with another possible signing for the New York Red Bulls.  It’s all in today’s Daily Kick Around!

USMNT

Tales of intrigue and espionage from inside the US men’s national team?  Not quite, but Jurgen Klinsmann is relying heavily on players who ply their trade in Mexico when the U.S. men take on El Tri at Estadio Azteca Wednesday night.  No doubt they’ll be able to provide some inside information on what to expect from some of their club teammates and opponents.

Speaking of which, how does everyone feel about this FIFA date?  We’ve already heard from the likes of Landon Donovan, who was pretty clear that he wasn’t a fan.  All in all, it seems that everyone agrees that playing international friendlies immediately before the season starts or, in the case of MLS, right in the middle of the season, does not make sense.

USWNT

Hope Solo, Hope Solo!  You may not always agree with how she handles herself, but at least you always know where she is coming from!  Her book, “SOLO: A Memoir of Hope,” went on presale today.  Everyone knows about her infamous 2007 benching and subsequent interview.  Read her side of it in this excerpt from her book.

UEFA

Surprise surprise, guess who is on the short list for the 2011/2012 best player in Europe award!  If you said Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, you are correct.  Also in the top 5 are Andres Iniesta, Andrea Pirlo, and Xavi.  The winner will be decided by a vote during the Champions League draw Aug. 30.

MLS

So you thought the New York Red Bulls were finally done wheeling and dealing?  No way!  Manager Hans Backe confirmed today that his team will try to sign former England U-20 winger Lloyd Sam who has been on trial with them during the past week.

Image courtesy of mlssoccer.com/Getty Images.

USWNT forward Sydney Leroux reacts to her late goal against New Zealand. Photo credit: Nigel Roddis / Reuters

I’m in total Olympics mode this last week, so I hope you’ll forgive me for my Olympic-centric DKAs of late. We’re into the knockout round of both the men’s and women’s tournaments, and with some of the best teams in the world matching up, you can just tear up those predictions you made at the start.

Heading into the quarterfinals, if you’d ask me to predict the women’s semis I would have said USA, Japan, Great Britain and France. But the boat was rocked Friday, when Team GB was shut out by Canada, sending the two CONCACAF rivals into the final four to face each other with an appearance in the gold medal match on the line. France and Sweden could have gone either way, but I gave France the edge with more time to recover from blowing a 2-0 lead to the USA, whereas Sweden had just let a 2-0 lead to Canada slip away in the final group match. In the end, it proved correct as Sweden once again blew an early lead to fall 2-1 at the hands of two defenders, Wendie Renard and Laura Georges.

What else was crazy about the women’s tournament? I’ve gathered some highlights and great perspectives below. Plus, some good reads on the men’s semifinals, kicking off today.

Women’s Olympic Quarterfinals

Brazil-Japan in the quarterfinals had the potential to be as classic as Brazil-USA in the 2011 World Cup. But it wasn’t to be, as the Brazilians fell flat, getting shut out for the second straight match. Brazil certainly had their moments and opportunities but a couple of mistakes in the back, combined with their rising frustration and Marta not having her best game, got the better of them. After falling to Japan in their earliest exit from the Olympics ever, hard questions remain about Brazil’s future. Ray Curren at All White Kit writes about what we learned from this match, and what the future holds for Marta, Cristiane and the Brazilians.

Former U.S. National Team members Cat Whitehill and Kate Markgraf break down the U.S. win over New Zealand and preview the semifinals.

Doesn’t it seem as if Abby Wambach is at the height of her game right now? It feels like nothing is going to deny her the long-coveted gold, after missing the Beijing games with a broken leg. But I believe it’s more than just her will and desire that’s got Abby clicking on all cylinders right now. My latest perspective discusses Abby’s new role and how it shows that she’s the clear leader on the team right now, even when not scoring goals.

Are you following @Rapignome on Twitter?  If you love U.S. midfielder Megan Rapinoe, you should be. “Gnomie”, as Rapinoe affectionately calls it, is her virtual Twitter sidekick, tweeting its Rapinoe-inspired adventures during the tournament and virtually photo-bombing pics with Pinoe all over the field. It was even featured on NBC this morning, when they showed this tweet that Rapinoe retweeted and commented on by the beloved Gnomie. Reality show, anyone?

Men’s Olympic Quarterfinals

Is this finally the year for Brazil, or will Team GB capture the benefit of their home field advantage? Steve Cangialosi and Cobi Jones break down the quarterfinals in this video from NBCOlympics.com.

The Japanese men’s team may be following in the footsteps of their female counterparts, having made a terrific run through the tournament to solidify their spot in the semifinals today with a 3-0 win over Egypt. Japan has not conceded a goal yet, stunning Spain 1-0 in the first match of group play, then defeating Morocco by a goal, and ending the group stage with a scoreless draw against Honduras. But it was today’s win-or-go-home match against Egypt where they really poured it on, inciting Egypt to lose Saadeldin Saad to a red card near the end of the first half on a hard tackle just outside the penalty area. Japan will face their toughest test yet, though, when they meet Mexico in the semis next week.

Jerry Bengston after scoring the goal that unofficially eliminated Spain from the Olympics

Yesterday we had a special Women’s Olympics DKA and today is no different as the men’s national teams faced off. The first round closes on August 1st yet today we’ve already witnessed some knockouts. Also, it looks like Madrid’s Nuri Sahin could be loaned out while Mexico’s dos Santos is told to quit the Spurs!!

Spain vs Honduras

It’s safe to say that after a 1-nil loss to Honduras today, Spain, or La Rojita, are pretty much knocked out of the 2012 Olympics after having zero points so far in the tournament.

This Spain lineup (who were the favorites for Olympic gold)  is most widely known as the U23 national squad with the exceptions of Juan Mata and Jordi Alba who were part of the winning Euro 2012 team. Honduras scored early in the 7′ with a shot form Bengston and after that the match was pretty much in Honduras’ hands. The young Spaniards looked frustrated throughout the whole match after collecting 7 yellow cards.

Japan vs Morocco

Japan are looking mighty fine in the tournament so far as they beat Spain in their first match 1-0 and then beat Morocco 1-0 today. Nagai scored the lone goal for the Japanese in the 84′ bringing his side one step closer to the quarterfinals. Morocco’s Amrabat had a close shot to score but the ball was blocked by Japan’s keeper and their full-back.

Great Britain vs UAE

The most thrilling match of the day came from Great Britain, who beat the UAE 3-1. Ryan Giggs, the oldest Olympic goalscorer, started the match off in the 16′. The UAE played a menacing match against the Brits with Elsa being the only player landing on the score sheet in the 60′. The latter two goals for Britain came from youngins Scott Sinclair (73′) and Daniel Sturridge (76′.)

 Men’s Olympic Scores

Senegal 2-0 Uruguay

Mexico 2-0 Gabon

South Korea 2-1 Switzerland

Egypt 1-1 New Zealand

Brazil 3-1 Belarus

The last matches of the first round will take place Aug. 1.

English Premier League

Mexico coach Luis Fernando Tena told Giovani dos Santos to leave the Tottenham Hostpurs in order to seek ‘first-team football.’ Scoring two of the three goals in today’s Mexico-Gabon match, dos Santos rarely gets playing time with the Spurs after signing with them 4 years ago. The Mexican midfielder also stated he wants to return to Spain which didn’t make new Spurs manager, Andre Villas-Boas very happy. Whoops.

La Liga

Looks like Real Madrid player Nuri Sahin could be leaving Spain for England. The midfielder who signed with the  Spanish giants in 2011 from Dortmund, hasn’t had much playing time under manager Jose Mourinho, making only two starts. According to AS, an exit agreement has been determined with both Arsenal and Tottenham interested in the Turkish international.

Of the two CONCACAF teams, I expected more from Mexico than from Honduras. After all, I have been watching Mexico’s team since Olympic qualifiers back in March, when they played at the Home Depot Center (along with Honduras). I also watched when they competed in France in the Toulon Tournament.They were not only the best team during the Olympic qualifiers, but also in the Toulon Tournament, where they won the trophy.

Of course, that was a different team. A lot of the players that played in those two tournaments weren’t called up for the Olympics, including forward Alan Pulido, who, in my opinion, was a player that definitely could’ve helped Mexico out in the match against South Korea.

 Honduras

Honduras’s first match ended in a 2-2 against Morocco. Morocco was leading 1-0 at HT, but Honduras scored 2 goals to take the lead. They were given the advantage when Morocco had a player sent off in the 71st minute. He was sent off with a straight red card after kicking one of the Honduran players in the knee.  Unfortunately, they couldn’t capitalize and ended up conceding a goal a few minutes after going ahead with a penalty. Their next game will be against Spain.

Mexico

Coming into this game, Mexico were the favorites. However, South Korea completely outplayed them in the first half, Mexico was lucky that the score was 0-0 at HT. During the second half, Mexico started to play better, and came really close to scoring in the last minutes of the match. Raul Jimenez came within inches of giving Mexico the win, and the three points after Giovanni Dos Santos set him up. I was surprised at how Mexico played though. Like I said earlier, I expected more from them, esp for Dos Santos and Marco Fabian. Fabian is a player who knows how to score. In the Toulon Tournament, he scored 7 goals in 5 matches. The game ended 0-0 and Mexico has to disappointed in the way they played. Next up for them is Gabon, who played in a 1-1 draw against Switzerland.

Whew, what a crazy couple of days! Eden Hazard has officially made a choice on an EPL team, there’s been a few other signings, England has an official Euro roster and hell, Liverpool might even have a manager! We’ve got the headlines in today’s Daily Kick Around.

English Premier League

Welp, Eden Hazard’s had everyone hanging around wondering what he was going to. Many have expected him to head toward Manchester United or City. But he’s snubbed them both and declared today via Twitter that he’ll head to Chelsea. Hmmm.

Man United aren’t sitting back on their heels though. Some reports from Germany are claiming the Red Devils are closing to signing Japan midfielder Shinji Kagawa.

Many have questioned the future of Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie. Rumors have swirled that he would follow in the footsteps of others like Cesc Fabregas and Nasri, and head out of Arsenal. But fans have a huge fighter in their corner. RVP’s wife Bouchra has urged her husband to repay the loyalty and faith of the club and fans and stay in London. 

So, Sky Sports reported May 12 that Swansea City manager Brendan Rodgers turned down an approach from Liverpool about filling the  position left after the Reds sacked Kenny Dalglish. However, on their twitter account this morning, Sky Sports said to watch out for more details about Rodgers being the “odds-on favorite” for the job.

La Liga

La Liga are doing their own signings too. Atletico Madrid announced on their club Web site that Porto’s  Cristian Rodriguez, who’s contract with the Portuguese side expires next month.

Mexico midfielder Andres Guardado also has a new contract in Spain. Top club Valencia announced yesterday they would sign Guardado to a four-year deal. This is a great opportunity for the young player!

Serie A

Oh dear, the match-fixing scandals in Italy are out of control it seems. Yesterday, news broke that Lazio captain Stefano Mauri was implicated in the investigation and would miss the Euros. Juventus coach Antonio Conte is also being questioned in the proceedings. Yikes!

England National Team

New Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson announced his final 23-man squad for the Euros today. Some are surprised as Liverpool’s Andy Carroll was handed the coveted No. 9 shirt.

U.S. Men’s National Team

So, Clint Dempsey didn’t get a start against Scotland as he was nursing a groin injury. However, sources  - including myself, as I was at the USMNT open practice held at the University of Maryland yesterday – confirm that Dempsey has been training with the team. But it’s pretty clear he’s not quite to full strength. And even Clint says that he’s not ready to face off with Brazil.  Kind of disappointing news for the fans here in DC. But I personally would rather have him full strength for the World Cup qualifying matches coming up.

Major League Soccer

Okay, I got to brag a little bit. The Columbus Crew’s Emilio Renteria was huge this week in team’s wins against Seattle and Chicago. This earned him a top spot in MLS’ top three performers of Week 12. Check it out here! 

Good morning everybody! The future of Pep Guardiola is still unsure while Mourinho signs a 4 year extension, also we cover everything international with friendlies beginning before the Euros start. All in this morning’s DKA!

La Liga

With his departure from FC Barcelona, Pep Guardiola is open to job offers from other leagues, more-so offers from Liverpool and Chelsea. Even though Pep stated that he would take a season off to rest, his comeback could be sooner than expected.

“For the next months I have to charge my batteries,” he said. “I will rest and I will wait. I will be ready, if one club wants me, if they seduce me, I will train again.”

With a newly signed four-year contract, Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has said that the club is the perfect challenge for him and his managing career.  Staying until 2016, Mourinho is thinking long-term with Real Madrid:

“I’m delighted to stay on and plan the sporting future of Real Madrid’s first team, and we know we must obviously focus more on the short term and talk little about the distant future.”

Congratulations to FC Barcelona on winning the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao on Friday after a 3-nil victory!

English Premier League

I ask you one thing footy fans. What’s more important, club or country? Just ask Johan Djourou, who was asked by his Switzerland coach to step down from Arsenal FC. Ottmar Hitzfeld has urged Djourou, who has 14 starts in the 2011-2012 campaign, to consider his future with the Gunners if he wants to be a part of the Switzerland NT. Generally, players get called up to the national team by the amount of play time they receive at their clubs. Djourou is barely getting playtime and is by far, Switzerland’s best player. But unfortunately for Djourou, he signed a contract extension, good until 2015.

International Friendlies

With Euro 2012 kicking off in 12 days, a lot of national teams are beginning their international matches in preparation for Euros & the Olympics.

Yesterday Spain beat Serbia 2-0, the US beat Scotland 5-1 (read the recap here!) and England beat Norway 1-0. But for today’s friendlies, France are looking to beat Iceland while Mexico face off against Wales in a match that was postponed.

As June begins, you can follow Aerys Soccer for al your Euro 2012 coverage!

Major League Soccer

Only one match today in MLS with Sporting KC taking on the San Jose Earthquakes at 4:30 pm from the beautiful Livestrong Sporting Park. Stay tuned to a recap post match!

Hello footy fans! It’s Thursday and I, like every other US Soccer fan, am still all smiles from yesterday’s games. It was a great day for international soccer. We’ve got those headlines, plus the floundering Chelsea, MLS’ newest player and how the UEFA answered the outcry about overpriced tickets. It’s all here in your DKA!

U.S. Soccer

Not only did the USWNT dominate with a win yesterday over Denmark in the Algarve Cup, but the USMNT pulled out a great shocker against Italy. If you missed Clint Dempsey’s strike yesterday, check out my recap here!

The U-23 USMNT also played yesterday in a friendly against Mexico’s U-23′s. If you are a USMNT fan, you are more than familiar with the phrase “Dos A Cero!” And yesterday’s game was just another notch to add to the 2-0 victories against Mexico. Congratulations to all teams!

English Premier League

It’s troubled waters and choppy seas in Chelsea. Apparently instead of solving problems, players and staff are playing the blame game.

Our first instance, the curious case of Fernando Torres. Ever since his startling transfer from Liverpool to the London team, he’s had two goals in 21 starts. Just two! It’s hard to deny that the once star Spanish striker is in more than a rough patch. But why is that exactly? Torres’ mentor Antonio Sanz would like to blame the club and Andre Villas-Boas for Fernando’s woes.

And that isn’t the only problem in the dressing room for the Blues. Frank Lampard – yes, he still plays for them – has been vocal about his displeasure of being left out of the Chelsea starting line up. Apparently things are “not ideal” between the English player and AVB. And it doesn’t look like ol’ Frank is getting any sympathy from his teammates either. In fact, defender David Luiz has told Frank to suck it up and get over it. Fall in line, Frank!

Major League Soccer

While MLS fans are used to seeing top American players head off to European teams, we’re starting to get used to the fact that European players are coming over here! It was announced today that after a trial period, Montreal Impact are signing former Italian international Matteo Ferrari. While some are already critical of Ferrari’s age, I personally think he can bring a lot to this MLS team. Congrats to Ferrari and the Impact!

Serie A

A.C. Milan are going to have to mark Pato off their starting line up for their upcoming match against Palermo. The Brazilian striker – who has suffered through one injury already this season – has picked up another muscle injury last week during the team’s match against Juventus.

Champion’s League

Last year’s final of the Champion’s League in Wembley brought many negative headlines regarding the ticket prices. General sale tickets were 150 pounds! After the outcry from the public about such outrageous prices, UEFA apologized and decided to slash the prices – but don’t get too excited. Tickets for this year’s final in Munich will be 75 pounds, plus a booking fee. Oh, and don’t forget to factor in that exchange rate.

La Liga

Missed the Midweek Muscles post yesterday? Well, you might want to go check it out. Our own Tamara Reinhart shows you why Cristiano Ronaldo is definitely worthy of a MWM post.