#and could easily not get European football at all now

[ontargetmadders]

Fuck top 4. Villa can have it. We don't even deserve it. And I can't bring myself to ever want arsenal to win. And I'd feel sick if they win the title so come on villa!!

[rindouheart]

Hello how are you ? I would have liked to ask you if you could write scenarios about Noël Noa and Itoshi Sae (separated) where they fall in love with a journalist please

NOËL NOA and ITOSHI SAE falling in love with a journalist 🎋

content. fluffy boys being cute + gender neutral s/o <3

author’s note. hi cutie! sorry for being this late, i’ve been quite busy with school, sorry! hope you enjoy + my french is a bit rusty, tell me if i’ve misspelled something.

NOËL NOA

“so, how was playing alongside blue lock’s young players?” your colleague asks to translate.

you turn your head towards the football player and translate the sentence. first, you’re a journalist, but in your group, you’re also the only who can fluently speak multiple languages. you’re not specialised in the sport field, however, knowing four languages brought you the opportunity to work in many other contexts.

noa is absolutely stunned by your fluency when speaking french, you’re almost as good as a native. he wonders how much effort you had to put into learning languages. japanese is pretty different from european languages, especially because of the alphabet and the sentences’ structure.

“merci à vous pour votre disponibilité” you thank him after finishing the interview. he loves how cute your japanese accents sounds.

noa is almost tempted to ask you if you’d like to ask a couple more questions, just to hear you speaking french again. however, a bunch of other journalists is coming towards him, so he wouldn’t have enough time to answer to everyone.

he can see your name and the newspaper you work for before you leave, though. he saves a mental note to look for you during the next interview or conference, and who knows, he might ask you what he hasn’t asked you today.

ITOSHI SAE

sae wasn’t expecting to find someone like you to interview him after his return to japan. he’s always been used to those old journalists who have been in the industry for like, what? a century or so? you are quite a surprise to him.

“welcome back, itoshi, so, how was your adventure in europe?” you ask him through your microphone, waiting for his answer. you’re not just pretty, your voice is also nice to hear.

while he’s answering with all the details about how the team acted towards him and such, sae looks at you, taking notes about his answer.

he swears he’s never seen you before. however, you might be one of the most famous journalists in japan, since he’s been abroad for a long time.

at the end of his conference, when everyone is leaving, he walks towards you and, when he’s sure that no one is listening, sae asks for your name.

“are you new in the field? i mean, it might have been because i’ve not been around, but your face seems new to me” he questions. you nod in response “i’ve been working as a journalist for a couple of months now. the newspaper i write for isn’t as big as many others, but i personally love my job”

“i’ve noticed it, you look much more professional than any other one in the room” you smile after hearing his compliment. oh god, your smile. sae is completely lost.

“would you like to get a coffee or something with me? we can chat a bit and i can tell you some exclusives to add on your article” he asks.

when you accept gladly, sae smiles. he’s totally fallen for you and he won’t give up so easily.

@rindouheart ‘s scenarios — 02092023

[thefootballobserver]

Newcastle 4-0 Spurs: Match Review

In the ornithology derby, the magpies reigned supreme over the cockerels.

Ouch. So that one hurt. I would have personally taken a draw from that game, even with Newcastle’s heavily depleted squad - but I never foresaw this happening. I suppose it’s better than the 6-1 thrashing last season that spelt the end of Stellini’s time at Spurs, but 4-0 without a reply is pretty bad.

Of course, as much as this hurts for Tottenham, it was an excellent result for Newcastle as it puts them 6th, 10 points below Spurs, and they’ll end the weekend above Manchester United on goal difference (17 to -1, yikes). The Toons’ hopes of European football remain alive, especially with a run-in of several bottom-half sides. On the other end, not only is the loss damaging for Tottenham’s top-four hopes (it lowered the goal difference to be under Aston Villa, who are now fourth), but it doesn’t bode well for the team and their next few fixtures, who have to play the top three and Chelsea.

In all honesty, I don’t want to talk about the match - I didn’t even stay long enough to see the fourth goal - but to summarise the game:

Spurs couldn’t deal with the high press, and it never looked like they were getting anything from it. Although they did create some half-chances (Werner notably missed a few), Newcastle created better-quality ones throughout the game.

Newcastle capitalised on mistakes from Spurs fullbacks Udogie and Porro, as Gordon bullied Udogie far too easily to assist Isak’s opener. An inexplicable pass from Porro moments after the restart gave Gordon an easy way to the second. Van de Ven created from comical moments trying to defend both of them, slipping for both and even doing an acrobatic headstand for the first goal.

Porro appeared to have injured his hamstring after halftime, and Isak then made it three on the counter from the halfway line only two minutes later. Not even Van de Ven could catch up, and Vicario probably should have come off his line for that one.

Spurs tried to change it up, taking off their defensive midfielders, who were largely anonymous, and their leading man, Son, who couldn’t get involved and, when he did, couldn’t hold onto the ball.

Spurs had a few half chances again, but Newcastle’s low block meant nothing meaningful went through.

Newcastle probably should have scored more from 16 corners - Isak, in particular, missed multiple free headers - given Spurs’ defensive set piece woes and the towering heights of Isak, Burn, and Schär. Still, they finally gave it one last stab at Spurs when the Swiss cornered a corner that Vicario was nowhere near.

This goal sealed the game, as Newcastle subbed on Hall (who hadn’t trained all week), Ritchie, White, and Dummett to see off a resounding result at St James’ Park.

Newcastle: The Start of a Great End of the Season

The Toons are finally showing some consistency after a bumpy season.

I’ll admit: For all of the pain Newcastle has inflicted on me (6-1 gives me war flashbacks), I actually quite like the team and have a bit of a soft spot for some of their players…bar Wilson. Apologies, but I’m a Richarlison defender, and I fear I haven’t forgiven him yet.

Newcastle knew Spurs’ weaknesses and exploited them to perfection - and probably could have done even more if Isak’s head could be as clinical as his feet. They caught Spurs off on the counter, pressed them hard and were quite physical (if you ask me, the referee lost a bit of control of the game very early on), got onto virtually every corner unless it didn’t beat the first man, and played a five back whenever the London team were on the attack.

Newcastle home and away are basically black and white (much like their kit), and this game proved how good they are at St James’ Park. I genuinely believe that they could lose every away game, concede ten goals every time, but still win ¾ of their home games. They also had a massive injury list, though it ended up with one less man as Livramento returned to the squad and even got some minutes, as expected from the scoreline. This is the kind of team Newcastle like to play against, and Howe got everything right.

Player Ratings

Dubravka (6): Had basically nothing to do and got a welcome, clean sheet.

Burn (7): He probably should have done better on set pieces, given he was marked by the 6’1” Johnson. Didn’t have much to do defensively, though he did get a high boot to Bentancur’s chin (he can thank his height for avoiding the yellow).

Schär (8): Unlike Burn, got the goal from a corner. Likewise had nothing to do otherwise.

Krafth (7): He had nothing to do defensively but got his clean sheet.

Murphy (6): He could have done more in the attack, but the out-of-position right-back did fine.

Anderson (7): An energetic showing and got close to scoring a few times. Personally, he surprised me.

Guimaraes (8): He did what he always does dutifully (though it wasn’t too hard) and got an assist to end the night.

Longstaff (6): Anonymous for me, but he didn’t have much to battle out on anyway.

Barnes (7): Energetic as ever, maybe unfortunate not to have left with a goal contribution.

Isak (9): He scored a brace and should have had more. A great night for the striker, whose home form remains spectacular.

Gordon (9): His form this season has been a joy to watch, even if he would prefer to play on the left wing. His corners were generally excellent, and most of Newcastle’s chances went through him.

Livramento (N/A): I didn’t watch long enough to see him subbed, but it was good to see him get some minutes after getting injured in the West Ham game.

Lewis Hall (N/A): With this win, the buy clause in his loan from Chelsea is activated, and Hall will remain with his boyhood club beyond this season.

Ritchie (N/A)

Dummett (N/A)

White (N/A)

Unused players: Karius, Gillespie, Murphy, Parkinson

Tottenham Hotspur: The 6-1 Demons Come Back To Haunt Them

I hate to quote Arteta, but this performance was a disgrace (and they aren’t getting away with this one).

I don’t want to talk about this performance from Spurs; I think I’ve said enough really. Van de Ven sums it up quite nicely in the photo.

However, I do want to add that I wish Postecoglou had made those changes at halftime instead of at the hour mark.

Player Ratings

Vicario (4): Technically, he wasn’t at fault for any of the goals, but he conceded four and should have probably done better despite a few good saves.

Udogie (4): Gordon bullied him far too easily for the first goal but was fine otherwise, although Spurs were flat anyway.

Van de Ven (3): Comical defending and his recovery pace couldn’t save Spurs from conceding the third.

Romero (4): Again, technically not at direct fault, but really should have done better. Started looking like the old, rash Romero and didn’t help the backline.

Porro (3): Didn’t provide much, but the assist for the second with a poor, poor backpass. He was subbed off for injury, and hopefully, it isn’t too bad.

Bentancur (4): I mean…he was okay but didn’t provide much in attack or defensive.

Bissouma (3): He gave me anxiety every time he had the ball. He should’ve provided more protection as a number 6.

Maddison (5): He occasionally created a few half-chances, but it felt like he lost his head early and was booed the entire time, as usual.

Werner (4): Had a chance, but the ball was at an awkward height. Otherwise quiet.

Son (4): He hasn’t been up to his performance-wise standards lately, and the decision to sub Son for Kulusevski was bold but welcome.

Johnson (4): Again, quiet but was slightly better in the central role after Kulusevski’s substitution, although the bar is very, very low.

Royal (4): Didn’t do much to help defensively and did concede 2 goals.

Sarr (4): Not the sort of game Sarr thrives in, but the midfield needed a change. At least he brought on some fresh legs.

Hojbjerg (4): I thought he’d start. Had a few nice ideas but poor executions, like most of the team. For me, this sort of game really highlights his weakness on a possession-based side. But he was better than Bissouma, although Newcastle stopped stepping on the pedal a bit.

Kulusevski (4): He brought a bit of life when he came on, even if it was temporary and very little, though he’s somewhat at fault for the last goal. Thought he should have been subbed on at the 45-minute mark for some control.

Lo Celso (N/A): I stopped watching at this point. It's not a game in which he’d thrive anyway.

Unused players: Austin, Dragusin, Davies, Gil

What’s Next

The North London Derby looms for Tottenham Hotspur…

Due to Manchester City’s involvement in the FA Cup semi final, Spurs have a two-week break until their next game, when they will host rivals Arsenal for the North London Derby. This marks a run of challenging games for Spurs, who play Arsenal (H), Chelsea (A), and Liverpool (A) next before playing Manchester City (H) not soon after. It’s very much possible that Spurs will get a fat zero points out of 12 in these games, especially with their recent form, with their away form in particular being a considerable concern. The Lilywhites’ final two games are against relegation-threatened sides Burnley (H) and Sheffield United (A), though points here may not save them on their way to a Champions League spot.

With their massive goal difference, Newcastle’s next few fixtures could bounce them above West Ham and Manchester United - as well as threaten Spurs - for good as they play Palace (A), Sheffield United (H) and Burnley (A) next. The Toons’ away form may be questionable (14 points from a possible 45), but that should be at least six points from those three games alone. Newcastle have one last home game against Brighton - another very winnable game considering the Seagulls’ similarly horrid away form this season. Otherwise, they play Manchester United and Brentford away. They could give Spurs a run for their money with these fixtures as they look to secure Europa football, especially if fifth place fails to guarantee Champions League football.

Newcastle and Spurs will meet again for a post-season friendly in Melbourne before their respective players and staff head off for a well-deserved summer break after a busy season - though less busy than usual for Spurs without European and many Cup games, hence this friendly.

Match Review

This photo hurts more and more.

Unless you’re a Newcastle or Aston Villa fan, I struggle to see the appeal of this game as it’s very one-sided, and the goals weren’t too impressive, given they were basically gifts from the Spurs players. It only felt like one team was trying throughout, and especially given the game's stakes, it felt like a major let-off.

Review: ★★☆☆☆ (⅖ stars)

[reasonroll9]

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[stephspurs]

A Family Affair | Euro 2020 Football Fanfiction

My loves, this is the end of AFA & I can't tell you how sad I am for this little story to be over :( There are a couple of people I need to thank so bear with me...Amy (@footballffbarbiex) for making me believe I could write this and that people will want to read it, thank you forever. Em (@emwritesfootball) for being my fabulous proof reader and always being there for me to bounce ideas off of, thank you. And to allllllllllll of you who read, like, reblog and message me - THANK YOU I LOVE YOU!!! Ok enough with my Oscar's speech, please enjoy la parte finale. Love always, Steph xx

Part 12 | la parte finale

warnings; none - except maybe tears because this is the final part :( word count; 2367 writing tools; third person until dashed line, first person thereafter. tags (as requested by users); @footballffbarbiex @obsesseds-world @abysshaven link to fic masterlist here

The end of the international break had approached both squads with rapid speed, before they knew it the 3 weeks was up and it was time for their final friendly match before returning to club duties. It was a rematch of the European final from just a few months earlier, only this time - it was being played in Rome. Preparing her team to meet their opponents had been a bit trickier than last time. Of course, the boys were fired up and raring to go, but the bitterness and anger that drove her to push them harder last time wasn’t there. They were now going up against some of her closest friends as well as her family.

In a strange moment of deja vu, Amelia looked down the tunnel as both teams lined up side by side to walk out onto the pitch together. Just like the last time, her father passed her and gave her a reassuring rub to the back of her neck and made his way down through the centre aisle with his staff. Following him, and just like last time, she made her way down whilst pressing a kiss to both cheeks of her Italian men. Reaching her brother, she pressed a kiss to his cheek also, however unlike the last time he gave her a wink back. The atmosphere was different this time, it was a friendly game and there was no title at stake here - only pride. This time, however, as she passed the Three Lions Number 21, her right hand found his left one for just a moment, before giving it a gentle squeeze and continuing down her own line. He had maintained his focus forward, didn’t even blink at the girl’s actions, and by the time she got to Fede who had been watching the encounter she had made her mind up that he wanted nothing to do with her.

This friendly-match had Amelia in a bundle of nerves, dissimilar to the euro final, Amelia was confident in her ability purely due to the fact that she was well prepared. This time however, whilst she was just as well-prepared as last time, she also knew that a fair few English players had adopted her playing style as their own and knew the kind of tactic required to stop the Italian attack and penetrate the great wall of Rome: Chiellini and Bonucci. This, coupled with the fact that both sides seemed to be playing with a touch more aggression than she expected, led to her being on the edge of her seat for most of the game. A late first half goal from Jorginho had her up out of her seat, cheering for the midfield maestro. However, it was a late second half goal that had her smiling from ear to ear, whilst trying to remember to keep her bum in her chair - she wasn’t supposed to be cheering for the enemy after all. How could she not though? Ben Chilwell had scored the equaliser. Using the play they had spent so many hours perfecting, just the two of them out on the pitch at Cobham. Scoring his goal, celebrating with his team and the away fans, she had clapped with an appropriate level of enthusiasm until she noticed him look her way, pull the centre of his jersey toward his face and give it a kiss. She moved her hand to touch that spot on her own jersey. Fingers running over the embroidery that she had stitched into every one of her official matchday tops, a memento to keep her family close to her heart - the embroidery featured the word ‘WHITE’ followed by the colours of the italian flag. For this match however, she had something extra added. Did Ben know about her newest addition?

After the match.

“Chilwell! Wait Up!” Federico Bernardeschi called down the tunnel whilst jogging to catch up with his opposition player.

“Can I give you some advice? Don’t let her go. I did, and whilst it was the right thing for me to do, it's something I regret deeply. You don’t realise just how much she adds to your life until she's gone. You’ll come to realise that she is the sunshine after any storm, but she is also the storm itself. Any day without her is a little less bright.”

In a moment of vulnerability, Ben decided to open up to the man that he didn’t know more than a bar of soap, who was coincidentally the same man who knew all there was to know about Amelia.

“She really is sunshine personified, isn’t she?” Ben smiled at the thought of the girl, thinking back on all of the laughs that they shared together in Mykonos.

“Normally yes, but these past few weeks that she has been without you she has been a little less bright. You complete her, whether she has realised yet I’m not sure but I am sure that she misses you. I think more than she ever missed me.”

“Ben, there are two kinds of compliments you can give a woman. The first, something she already thinks about herself but needs reconfirmed. The second, the things she doesn’t think anyone else notices about her. The second kind matters more.”

“You like because, and you love despite. Think about that Ben.”

“I don’t know if I love her, yet.”

“I think you do know. Otherwise you wouldn’t have asked the kitman for a little something extra on tonight's jersey.”

“What are you talking about? How do you know?”

“Ah, Benjamin, a good spy never tells his secrets” With that, Federico continued his walk back to the changerooms. “She’s out on the pitch, Ben.” He called without looking back, confident that the player was already making his way out there.

Walking up to the centre circle, where Amelia was currently sitting down on the pitch with her arms behind her and her legs stretched out in front. Taking in the atmosphere of Stadio Olympico in Rome, her favourite stadium in the world. What surprised her the most was just how quickly Stamford Bridge had crept itself up the ranks and into the second spot of her heart.

Without wanting to startle her, Ben started talking to her from a few meters away - not bothered about the few lingering souls out and about. This was his time to make her his, and nothing was going to get in his way.

“You know, a wise person once said to me that you like someone because, but you love them despite” He called out to her.

Turning around, she was surprised to see him. After the cold shoulder she received earlier she hadn’t imagined she would have the opportunity to talk to the blue-eyed beauty any time soon.

“What person was that?” She asked back, softly, not wanting to spook him off.

“Fede”

She tried to hide the shock on her face, what on earth had told her ex-lover she wanted him to talk to her current lover...if you could even call Ben that. Maybe it was more appropriate for him to be referred to as Amelia’s almost-until-she-fucked-it-lover. That was a bit long winded...maybe-lover should suffice. Whilst she was having this internal struggle, all thoughts swirling around her head, Ben had reached the centre circle and sat to the left of the girl, close enough that she could see the calmness behind his eyes.

“He’s right you know, he’s not always right but this time he definitely is. For example, he was wrong to let you go. There would be no chance in hell that I would let you slip away from me as easily as he did.

“I like you because you’re smart, so unbelievably beautiful and just as confident as anyone I've ever met. But I love you, despite the fact that you drive me mad with just how brilliant you are even if you don’t acknowledge yourself. You are destined for greatness, Amelia White. And I just hope that when you do get to where you want to be, that I'm still right there with you.”

Looking at him with tears in her eyes whilst his own were telling her that there wasn’t an ounce of hesitation behind his words. He loved her. And that's all she needed. Standing up, she pulled him up by his hands and pulled him in so close that she could feel the muscles in his back contract as he wrapped her up in a hug of his own, these were the hugs that she wished could be reserved for her. No one else needed to know the power behind these hugs, they could make her fall for him over and over again. One hand across her shoulders, the other palming the back of her head and pushing her into his chest so she could feel his heart beat - after all it beats just for her.

“Ben, why did you kiss your shirt today after you scored?” She asked the taller man as he continued to enjoy the feeling of having her back in his arms, where she belonged for all of this time.

“I wanted to feel close to you, and I thought maybe you were onto something with your superstitions”. Regrettably pulling himself away from her, he pulled off his shirt to reveal the toned skin of his chest, but also the small embroidery on the inside fabric that resembled her own...except this time it read MILS with a small Italian flag. Feeling her heart swell inside her chest, she beamed up at the man who was patiently waiting for her reaction to the gesture of love.

“I think it worked Ben” Pulling her shirt away from her chest enough that she could stretch it and show the inside fabric to him, hers reading WHITE with the Italian flag, but also a small BENJ with the British flag next to it. Her way of keeping him, and her family, close to her heart where she felt them the most.

He could only imagine that Amelia felt when reading his shirt was only a fraction of what he was feeling at that moment, for it was impossible for anyone to love someone the way that he loved her. His mum always told him not to fall for the girl who gives him butterflies, because he would be addicted to the feeling and would constantly be on the chase for it, but to fall for the girl who calmed him down, made him feel secure and like he needed her air to breathe. Butterflies were warning signs, but the sight of Amelia reminded him of seeing the light on in the hall after an away match - he was home. She was his home.

Pulling her back to his chest, except this time he was shirtless. Amelia ran her hands down his back whilst his hands settled at the base of her spine, she rested her chin on his chest and stared up at the man that her heart had grown to love. Ben moved his hands upwards until he tangled them in her wavy hair, moving his lips to cover her own. The kiss said everything they needed to share with each other. I miss you. I love you. Never leave me again.

“Oi! You two! Break it up! There are kids here!” A quick yell broke the two out of their bliss, looking over to see none other than Kyle Walker standing at the end of the tunnel, looking towards them with a mischievous look on his face.

“Kyle, cover your eyes, you’re too pure to be exposed to such adult behaviour!” And just as though God had been listening, from behind him walked out Federico, to cover the eyes of Kyle Walker. Amelia and Ben didn’t realise that the two were even remotely friendly, however they had found a mutual interest - annoying their two friends that had finally admitted their feelings to each other.

“Pipe down you two” Ben joked as the pair of them walked hand in hand towards the jokesters, Ben eventually lifting his left hand to move their entwined hands to Amelia’s left shoulder, her own right arm moving to wrap around his waist. A way he could bring her physically closer to him. Amelia not resisting the gesture, anything to feel his smooth skin against her own.

“Fede, I hope you know that I'm going to be Amelia’s maid of honor at the wedding. That's not going to be a problem for you is it?” Kyle began to seriously discuss the future event with his new Italian partner in crime.

“No Kyle, that's fine - I'm the flower boy though. Jorgi is going to pull me down the aisle in a red cart while I throw rose petals at everyone” Fede joked back, the two of them pretending that the new couple couldn’t hear them as they walked down the tunnel back to the changerooms.

“What are they like?” Ben laughed into the top of Amelia’s hair, still maintaining his grip on the girl he had been without for 3 weeks. With a grin from ear to ear, and an overwhelming feeling of love about her, Amelia stopped Ben in his tracks before the two had to go their separate ways to rejoin their respective teams.

“Just so you’re aware, I love you too. And I am so sorry for everything that I put us through these past weeks. I want you to know that i’m all in, and i’m all yours...if you’ll have me”

“Stop being a silly muppet, of course I'll have you, all of you. Even the parts that drive me insane. There is no way I am letting anyone else have you. You’re all mine, Mils”

“Glad to know the feelings mutual, Chilly”

“Oi, what did I say about that! Only friends call me Chilly...and you are not my friend”

Bursting into laughter as she tried to pull away from him, only to be pulled back and wrapped up into his arms, her head against his chest.

“I love you, Benj”

“I love you right back, Mils”

finito.

BONUS #BAMELIA MOMENT - Champions Again | di nuovo campioni

[miedemamadness]

Vivianne Miedema: Dissecting the best strikers at Euro 2020 - The Athletic

There is an incredible variety among Europe’s top strikers at the moment, and that is reflected at Euro 2020. If you take the top goalscorers from the major European leagues, and then compare them to each other, they’re completely different players. It’s Harry Kane in England, Robert Lewandowski in Germany, Kylian Mbappe in France, and Cristiano Ronaldo in Italy. They’re all big names, but stylistically there is huge diversity.

I’ve always studied attacking players to try to improve myself. Growing up, I wasn’t really exposed to much women’s football, so I watched a lot of forwards from the men’s game. When you’re young, you have your idols. Mine was Robin van Persie. To this day, I try to examine players to understand what they do — movement-wise, technique-wise, tactics-wise.

Ronaldo’s record speaks for itself. He is now the top goalscorer in men’s European Championship history. After his two penalties against France last night, he has matched Ali Daei as the highest ever goalscorer in international football. Any footballer, at any level, can benefit from watching him.

I don’t think he gets enough credit for how he’s adapted his game over the years. I went back and did some research on his career — it feels like in every single season he made little tweaks to his game.

We all remember him at Manchester United. I was young then, but I still remember that excitable right winger taking people on, dribbling with the ball and shooting from outside the box. After a couple of years in Madrid, he converted himself into almost a second nine, just to the left of Karim Benzema.

Look back at his goals then: his striking ability and the power he generates is so good. He doesn’t need to put disguise on his shots, because he connects so well. Even if the goalkeeper knows where it’s going, he can’t get there.

But Ronaldo didn’t stop there. He continued evolving. When he went to Juventus, he started playing out on the left wing. He began dribbling again, and having a wider influence on the game. He was playing off a target man in Mario Mandzukic or Alvaro Marata, and then you saw something else happening to his game. It wasn’t just about goalscoring anymore, it was about creating too. To still be developing and changing at his age is pretty unique.

You can see that evolution in his physique too. He’s gone through such different stages. Once he got to Madrid, he really bulked up. He looked very strong, but his top speed was probably lower than it is right now. This summer he looks a little leaner, and he is flying.

We all saw his blistering run to score against Germany, covering 97 metres at 32 km per hour. To do that at 36 is incredible, but it wasn’t a surprise to me — I noticed that in one of the warm-up friendlies against Spain, he sprinted 60 metres in just seven seconds. That’s 32 km per hour. He’s doing this consistently.

He’s taken his game to a new level by making little physical adaptations. He’s worked out what he needs to do to make the difference on the pitch.

I try to do that myself. When we went into lockdown, I had four months training away from the Arsenal squad, trying to keep myself fit. I decided to work on running in-behind, to add a different dimension to my game. I was locked down with Lisa Evans, who is naturally super-quick and has always had that ability. We worked on it together so I could begin to introduce it to my play. Two years ago, I couldn’t have run behind 10 times in a match because I would have torn my hamstring! But now, when I see the opportunity, I can do it.

Of course, you need to have the stamina. Against Hungary, Ronaldo scored two goals in the last five minutes. That shows how mentally and physically sharp he still is.

His second goal against Hungary was not one of his most spectacular. Going through one-on-one, just a few yards out, he shaped to shoot before dummying past the Hungarian goalkeeper, Peter Gulacsi. It looked easy. It looked simple.

For a fellow forward, however, it was beautiful in its efficiency. The little touch he took to go around the keeper — how many other strikers would even try that? People say moments like that come from practising on the training ground, but that’s not right. This isn’t something you can learn in training, it’s something you pick up during your career. It’s something you earn through experience. It’s a sixth sense of knowing what to do in front of goal.

Ronaldo doesn’t panic. He knows that by taking it around the keeper, he turns a 50-50 chance into a 100 per cent goal. His instincts are perfectly attuned, his mind in perfect connection with his body. People say he is robotic. That’s not right either: you can only produce a piece of skill like that if you truly feel football.

When you’re analysing strikers, you can almost separate the tactical, technical and physical qualities of each player. Take Lewandowski and Romelu Lukaku, for example — there is a huge difference in style, but they’re both so effective.

I’ve watched a lot of Bundesliga this season, and Lewandowski — who scored two outstanding, and very different, goals against Sweden last night to keep his country in with a chance of getting out of the group — has such an instinctive understanding of where to be in the box. He scored 41 goals in 29 games — crazy numbers.

Yes, part of that is about knowing where the ball will drop, but it’s also about reacting to what other players do. That’s the difficult bit: you have to know your team-mates, and know your opponent — that’s what enables you to anticipate quicker than anybody else.

When I was at Bayern, Lewandowski was there too. I watched him train. He plays fully focused, all of the time. His concentration is unbelievable: even in the four-on-fours and seven-a-sides, you can see him looking at where the ball could end up. When a team-mate has a shot, his eyes aren’t on that player — they’re already looking at the goal, and anticipating where the ball might ricochet. It gives him a split-second before anyone else moves. The goals look simple, but when you break down all the work that goes into them, they’re far from it.

He does it so naturally. Personally, I don’t think of myself as a pure goalscorer in that way, I’m more of a creator. I’m always telling people I’m not a “nine” — but I score a lot of goals, so no-one believes me. Ciro Immobile is another predator who has shone in this tournament. He scored from outside the box against Switzerland, but it’s his goal against Turkey that sums him up: inside the area, first to react, first to the ball.

Lukaku is a different type entirely. His physique is something else. He’s got the body; he’s got the speed. The moment he faces forward and he runs at you, you’ve got absolutely no chance. He achieves such separation, so easily.

I love how he’s proven people wrong. When he was at United, people took the mick out of his first touch — but look at the way he’s played this season. His recent record for Belgium is absolutely ridiculous: 23 goals in his last 21 games.

Again, he deserves credit for the way he has evolved physically. I’m not saying he was overweight at Manchester United, but he didn’t have the same physique he has right now. For such a big guy, he’s now able to turn very quickly. You see that in his dribbling — he has such flexibility. He’s adding things to his game, and is a completely different player these days.

His athleticism means you can play him upfront alone, and he can run in behind time after time for the whole 90 minutes. You need that in this tournament — especially with so many teams playing a back five. When you’re up against three centre-backs, there’s obviously a lot less space for the striker. Personally, I hate playing against five at the back. To thrive, you need to engage your tactical brain.

There are different ways you can combat a back five: if they play a high block, like Russia tried to do against Belgium, you need the No 9 to make diagonal runs across the lateral centre-backs. It pulls them deeper and disrupts the line. Look at Lukaku’s two goals in that game — they both come from that very run.

If the defence sit in deeper, like Scotland did against England, then sometimes the striker really needs to pull one of the three centre-backs out. That can mean the No 9 coming back into midfield to drag his marker with him, enabling a No 10 or wide forward to run in behind. Kane has been criticised for playing deep, but tactically it’s the right move. His quality is on the ball, he needs to be involved — the issue is that, with England, he doesn’t have the same understanding he does with someone like Son Heung-min at Spurs. When he drops in, there isn’t the same movement in-behind. England are still a developing team, and those relationships aren’t there yet.

France are still trying to find the right balance too. For pure talent, few countries can match the trio of Mbappe, Benzema and Antoine Griezmann. The question is whether they can develop the relationships on the field quickly enough. Benzema joined the group late — though there are signs it may be clicking.

If it does, I’ll be watching. I’m still only 24. There’s still a lot to learn, and I believe I can still get better. Studying your contemporaries can only help you do that. At 36, Ronaldo is proof that the process never stops: keep observing, keep evolving, keep improving.

[calciopics]

Kylian Mbappé is Born to Run

The France forward grew up in the suburbs of Paris, steeped in the culture of football. At 22, the World Cup-winner is already a global superstar, and only now entering his prime. Will Euro 2020 be the moment when he overtakes Messi and Ronaldo to become recognised as the best player on the planet?

Kylian Mbappé was 18 when he walked into the changing room of the French national team. “It’s very difficult,” he recalls, “because great players don’t want to give you their place. That’s what makes them great players. They especially don’t want to give you their place if you arrive with the label of ‘Future Great Player’.” Within a year, Mbappé and France had won the World Cup in Moscow.

Three years on, we are talking in a room of his mansion in the leafy, old-money streets of Neuilly, just outside Paris. It isn’t even his home; he bought it to house his foundation, which offers after-school activities to rich and poor children alike. In conversation, Mbappé resembles a veteran TV presenter more than a young footballer. He makes short speeches in complete sentences, as precise in his footing as he is on the field. He sits as straight-backed as he runs. His expressive face keeps breaking into smiles: he likes talking, and is almost unburdened by the usual footballer’s fear of saying the wrong thing.

His burly father Wilfried sits beside us, but only once during the interview will he feel impelled to intervene. Meeting Mbappé, you come to understand how he hit football seemingly already fully formed. At 22, he has achieved more than most great players ever do. Can he take one more step and become the world’s best footballer?

His story starts 10 miles and a universe away from where we’re sitting today. His hometown, Bondy, is a multicultural suburb just northeast of Paris that looks as if someone plonked a Soviet town on top of an ancient French village. The old church is surrounded by fast-food joints and fading 1960s’ apartment blocks, one of them now adorned with a giant mural of Mbappé.

His parents grew up in Bondy: Wilfried, of Cameroonian origin, and Mbappé’s mother Fayza, of Algerian descent. Mixed marriages are common in the Parisian suburbs, the banlieues, but the couple did have to defy some local disapproval.

If a wannabe footballer had to choose the ideal place on earth to grow up, it might have been the Mbappé home in Bondy. Mbappé’s father and uncle were both football coaches, and Fayza, who ran after-school activities, played handball in the French first division. His parents had adopted an older boy, Jirès Kembo Ekoko, who went on to make a long career as a journeyman professional footballer. “I didn’t bring a new passion into the family,” Mbappé says with understatement.

He grew up practically inside the local football club, AS Bondy. “In the Parisian suburbs there are football fields everywhere,” he enthuses. “People here live for football. I was born with the sports ground facing my window.” It’s no wonder, he adds, that Paris’s suburbs are perhaps the deepest talent pool in global football, producing players such as Paul Pogba, Blaise Matuidi, N’Golo Kanté and Riyad Mahrez.

As a non-white kid from the suburbs, did Mbappé always feel accepted as French before he became a French icon? “I’ve always felt French. I don’t renounce my origins, because they are part of who I am, but I’ve made my whole life in France, and never at any moment was I made to feel I wasn’t at home here.” In the banlieues, he says, “We have a love of France because France has given to us and we try to give back to it.”

Mbappé’s parents made him take school seriously, and he was also a not-very-talented flautist at Bondy’s conservatory, but football came first. At AS Bondy, he says, “My father was my coach for 10 years. He helped construct the style of player I wanted to become. But I never felt the pressure of, ‘You have to become a footballer.’ Above all, it was a passion.”

Tagging along with his dad and uncle on their coaching jobs, the child acquired an unusual gift: he became a footballer who thinks like a coach. “Very young, I was always in the changing rooms, listening to the tactical talks and the different points of view, because football is made up of different viewpoints. I learned to have this tolerance, and I think it helped me, because being a coach is putting yourself in somebody else’s place. I think I have the gift of doing that. It helps in football, because if you’re a player, generally you think about yourself, about your own career. I can see, for instance, when something in a game is frustrating a team-mate. I can put him at ease.”

When you’re in the World Cup final, you’re convinced you’re going to win. You walk onto the field, the trophy is there, and you tell yourself it is impossible the other team will take it

Mbappé turned out to be that perfect sporting combination: a natural who is coachable. “He assimilates advice quickly. You ask him something once, and the second time he does it,” Antonio Riccardi, his former youth coach at AS Bondy, told me. Even as a child, Mbappé was an efficient footballer: decisive, never just decorative.

By adolescence, he was being courted by the big European clubs, which all keep close tabs on the Paris region. He visited Chelsea, and celebrated his 14th birthday at Real Madrid, which cannily found him the perfect babysitter: the club’s then assistant coach Zinedine Zidane, the greatest French footballer. When Zidane offered Mbappé a lift in his fabulous car, the overawed child offered to take his shoes off first.

The Mbappés sifted the countless offers and chose Monaco, where the route to the first team looked shortest. Mbappé arrived there, he says, “with my [footballing] baggage well filled.”

Kids in performance-sports families learn that they never arrive. Each step up is just another learning opportunity. In Monaco’s first team, the teenaged Mbappé encountered the veteran Colombian striker Radamel Falcao, freshly returned from unhappy loan spells with Manchester United and Chelsea.

“He was a star,” says Mbappé, “but he had a desire to transmit. He was like a teacher to me. He’s someone who always wants to score, but he left me the space to express myself. He’s very cool in front of goal, calm in his game, and he transmitted this serenity that I didn’t have, because I was young, excited and wanted to go at 2,000 kilometres an hour.”

The kid who didn’t yet have a driving licence scored 15 league goals in his first professional season to help Monaco win the French title in 2017. He added six more in the Champions League knockout rounds. He also passed his baccalauréat, France’s equivalent of A-levels.

Mbappé marvelled at the tension on the faces of other professionals, because he didn’t feel it himself. Everything came easily to him, without great sacrifice, he has said. When I ask about stress in a profession of hypercompetitive men, he shrugs: “Daily life is easy.”

His vertical ascent didn’t surprise him; it just happened a bit quicker than he’d expected. But others were stunned. Here was something new: an 18-year-old complete forward. Built like an Olympic sprinter, Mbappé ran upright, looking around him. He could dribble, cross and shoot. He was more advanced than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo had been at 18.

How does he describe his style? “The modern attacker who can play anywhere,” he replies. He explains that forwards used to be specialists: “There’d be a number nine, or number 11, or number seven.” Mbappé, though, is the all-in-one. “I think my CV can speak for me. I’ve played alone up front, I’ve played on the left and the right. In all humility, I don’t think it’s given to everyone to change position like that every year and keep a certain standard of performance at the highest level. That didn’t fall from heaven. If I speak of the baggage given me in my teens, it’s all there.”

In one regard he has always been unequalled: the counterattack at speed. He says, “I’ve managed to work on my weak points but above all to perfect my strong points, because I was always told that it’s through your strong points that you’ll exist.”

In March 2017, Mbappé became the youngest player in 62 years to debut for France. Five months later, his hometown club Paris Saint-Germain agreed to sign him for a fee of £166m. He drew on his childhood experiences to navigate two alpha-male changing-rooms. At PSG, his good English and Spanish helped him deal with foreign team-mates. With Les Bleus, France’s assistant coach Guy Stéphan told Mbappé’s biographer Arnaud Hermant: “He knows the codes of the changing room. At table or in the bus, he doesn’t just sit somewhere randomly. For a youngster, he isn’t timid or introverted. He expresses himself.”

By summer 2018, picked for the World Cup in Russia, Mbappé was comfortable enough to claim the blue number 10 shirt — previously worn by Zidane and Michel Platini — and to say in public that he was gunning for the trophy.

“I went to play the matches calmly like I always have. I didn’t want to change just because it was the World Cup,” he says. “We were lucky to have a young squad. We were totally carefree, just a band of mates.”

Hang on, surely a football team isn’t really a band of mates? “No,” he acknowledges. “Just like the baker doesn’t get on with all bakers. You don’t have to eat with your team-mates every evening to win.”

In the World Cup round of 16, his two goals and a 37kmph gallop through Argentina’s defence made his global name. The night before the final against Croatia, he admits, “I was a bit stressed. I didn’t manage to sleep much. But the nearer the match came, the less stressed I was.” Before kick-off he was joking in the changing room. Stéphan recalls: “He experienced the final as if it were a PSG-Dijon game.”

Mbappé says, “When you’re in the World Cup final, you’re convinced that you’re going to win. Even the Croats were convinced they were going to win. You walk onto the field and the trophy is there, between the two teams, and you tell yourself it’s impossible that the other team will take it. That’s why there’s such disappointment afterwards if you don’t win.”

Half of Bondy gathered in front of a giant screen to cheer on the commune’s own “Kylian national”. Scoring in France’s 4–2 victory, he seemed to have reached his career apogee aged 19. He didn’t see it like that. Interviewed the night of the final, he described winning the World Cup as “already good” but only a start.

The next day, as the Bleus’ bus edged along a packed, ecstatic Champs-Élysées, writes Hermant, the ice-cold kid mused to the French Football Federation’s president Noël Le Graët: “Was all this really necessary?”

Mbappé explains now: “For me, it wasn’t an outcome, a finality. I don’t think of that trophy now at all. I don’t look at pictures of the World Cup before going to sleep. Honestly, it’s people on the street who come up and say, ‘You’re world champion, merci, merci.’”

He understood that his early triumph had upset football’s all-important hierarchies. Returning to PSG, he immediately reassured Paris’s Brazilian star Neymar: “I’m not going to walk on your flowerbeds. I’ll be a candidate for the Ballon d’Or [the award for world’s best footballer] this year because you won’t be, but I promise I don’t want to take your place.”

Soon after, he took the World Cup trophy to Bondy, where thousands came out to greet him. “It was a way to say, ‘Thank you.’ I’ve never forgotten which soup I have eaten. So it was important for me to return there after my first World Cup and first international title.” (Note that word, “first”.)

France’s coach, Didier Deschamps, recalls falling into “physical and moral apathy” the season after he lifted the World Cup as a player in 1998. Did Mbappé experience a hangover? He grins: “I finished as best player in the league, highest scorer, best young player, I was chosen in the team of the season, and we won the league.”

Winning the World Cup made Mbappé a national hero. Does he consider himself a star? “I think so. If your face is everywhere in the city, everywhere in the world, that’s for sure. Being a star is a status, but it doesn’t make me a better person than others.”

He lives like a luxury prisoner, who cannot leave home without being mobbed. “It takes an organisation just to go out,” he says. He has joked that when his future children ask him about his youthful adventures, he won’t have any.

“A fan gives you enormous love,” says Mbappé carefully, “but sometimes maybe an excess of love, and he might not respect your intimacy. We give our lives to the people, because we give them pleasure every three days, and we give them our time. It’s impossible to hope for a normal life, but just a little respect for one’s private life isn’t too much to ask for, I think.”

As a young man of non-white origins, he has a particular vulnerability with the French public, one-third of whom voted for the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the run-off of the presidential elections in 2017. Even so, he has begun to speak out against police violence.

“I took time to start talking about it, because I wasn’t ready,” he admits. “I had a lot of things to digest: my change of status, my new life. But I have always opposed all types of violence.”

When I note that French police violence is disproportionately directed against people of non-white origins from suburbs like Bondy, his father stirs from his silence: “We’re not answering that. You’re orienting it as if the violence were only against people from the banlieues, which is false.”

In high-level football, nobody will make a place for you. Ego, self-love, isn’t just the caprice of stars. It’s also the will to give the best of yourself

French fans like their stars humble. Mbappé has explained “the French mentality” to Neymar, who favours a bling-bling, poker-playing party lifestyle. Mbappé says, “In Brazil, they are more festive, in France more serious. Here it’s not considered good to display your passions. People will think he’s neglecting PSG because he plays poker. I think he has begun to understand that. At first it was hard for him because he experienced it as an affront. When he arrived, they put his face on the Eiffel Tower, and six months later they’re asking him why he’s playing poker. In France, people know what you have but they don’t want to see it. They just want to see you playing football, smiling.”

But Mbappé believes humility isn’t enough. He thinks great footballers need big egos. “In high-level football, nobody will make a place for you or tell you that you’re capable of things. It’s up to you to persuade yourself that you are. Ego, self-love, isn’t just a caprice of stars. It’s also the will to surpass yourself, to give the best of yourself.” Every time he walks onto the field, he says, he tells himself, “I’m the best.”

In truth, he knows he isn’t the best — Messi and Ronaldo are better. “It’s not only me who knows that,” he laughs. “Everyone knows it. If you tell yourself that you’ll do better than them, it’s beyond ego or determination — it’s lack of awareness. Those players are incomparable. They have broken all laws of statistics. They have had 10 extraordinary years, 15.”

Still, he admits: “You do always compare yourself with the best in your sport, just as the baker compares himself with the best bakers around him. Who makes the best croissant, the best pain au chocolat? I watch matches of other great players to see what they’re doing. ‘I know how to do this, but can the other guy do it too?’ I think other players watch me, too. I think that pushes players to raise their game, just as Messi was good for Ronaldo and Ronaldo was good for Messi.”

Does Mbappé compare himself with the other great forward of his generation, Borussia Dortmund’s Norwegian Erling Braut Haaland? Mbappé’s reply sounds a touch patronising: “It’s his second year, we’re getting to know him. It’s the start for him. I’m happy for him, for what he’s doing.”

The more you become an important person, the more duties you have. I’m no longer the little kid. I’m Kylian Mbappé

In this elite individual competition, the top spot may be coming free. Messi (34 this month) and Ronaldo (36) are “nearer the end than the beginning”, acknowledges Mbappé. In February, his hat-trick helped PSG thrash Messi’s Barcelona 1–4 at the Camp Nou. “The best match of my career,” Mbappé says, “because it was complete. I helped my team both offensively and defensively, and I succeeded in the creation and finishing of my moves, in one-against-ones. I won 90 per cent of my duels, if that stat is correct. All match, I never had a moment when I felt extinguished.” He then scored two at Bayern Munich, before PSG fell to Manchester City.

Some opposing teams now rearrange their entire tactical systems to combat the Mbappé counterattack. “There are quite a few anti-Kylian plans every match,” he says. “It means I’ve been recognised as a great player. It requires you to have multiple strings to your bow. I like that, because I adore challenges.”

Surely he’s now too big a player for the French league? He umms and aws: “France isn’t the best championship in the world, but it’s my responsibility, as a flagship player, to help the league grow.” Yet he may well leave this summer, to Real Madrid or England. The decision, perhaps the biggest he’ll face in his career, will be made inside his family. Almost uniquely for a star footballer, Mbappé doesn’t have an agent, just lawyers.

At 22, he considers himself an experienced footballer. He says he and Neymar “are now the two natural leaders” of PSG. When he kicks off the delayed Euro 2020 with France in June, it will be with more responsibility than at the World Cup. “The more you become an important personality, the more duties you have. I’m no longer the little kid. I’m Kylian Mbappé.”

Kylian Mbappé’s prime may have already arrived. Fast strikers usually peak between 20 and 24. A Euro and a World Cup within 18 months, while France’s generation of 2018 remains almost intact, may be his best chance to make football history. What are his career ambitions? That smile again: “To win everything.” (Esquire Magazine)

[miedemabc]

Miedema Volkskrant interview

Interesting interview with Vivianne Miedema in the Dutch paper De Volkskrant, December 29th 2020.

She is the socially-minded top shooter among women's soccer players. Vivianne Miedema (24) has been an ambassador for War Child, which cares about the suffering of children in war zones, for a year now.

Vivianne Miedema is the top marksman in the English women's league with an average of one goal per game: 53 goals in 52 duels. The striker of Arsenal and Oranje is the face of the English league. These days in London they recognize her on the street. 'If I turn on the TV, there's a good chance I'll see myself within five minutes.' With a laugh: 'That's why the TV is off now. But I also enjoy it and I'm in a position to make women's soccer bigger. I take that opportunity.'

Miedema is a self-confident, young woman with self-mockery and ability to put things into perspective. 'We are also frustrated that no one can come to our matches, that I can't go home for Christmas, but that's all part of it. We have to set the right example.'

What is it, one time not going to Holland, compared to the situation of teammate Jennifer Beattie, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer? She had surgery and immediately said she wanted to play soccer again. 'We are supporting her as best we can.'

Miedema let the year 2020 come to mind. In the beginning, when corona had just broken out, you saw solidarity everywhere, fighting for a better world. Now it's more me me me again. It's just a difficult situation for everyone.'

Black Lives Matter While soccer lay dormant for a time, sport raised its voice against injustice. 'Black Lives Matter, for example, in which America and the United Kingdom are leading the way. We still kneel before games. Soccer is a great example where everything and everyone can come together. You see that in our team as well.'

She knows that men's soccer is more diverse. 'Women's soccer is several years behind. In youth leagues you see more and more mixed, dark teams. That development is positive. At Arsenal we don't have any dark-skinned players at the moment. Ten years ago it was unthinkable for many black families to allow their daughters to play soccer. In the next ten years that's going to change.'

A lot has changed since Miedema made her entrance into professional life as a girl. 'Nobody expected the growth of women's soccer to be so great. That also has to do with developments in the world, with women power. That movement is also helping us. At the same time, the level is rising, while we still have 100,000 steps to take. As for myself, I have an excellent income and can save easily. Girls in the Netherlands, and also in England, don't earn much yet and often have to do something on the side.

That is going to change, she thinks. It continues to grow, especially with three consecutive tournaments three years in a row: Olympic Games, European Championship and World Championship. That's great. Becoming more visible. Take the Champions League: the NOS broadcasted it for the first time via a live stream. Until recently it was nowhere to be seen. If that changes, it's easier for sponsors to get on board, to get recognition.'

Matches in the English league can be seen on the app FA Player, on BT, commercial TV, and sometimes on the BBC. 'We have world stars running around in the Dutch national team these days. That's inspiring for young girls. It's up to us routiniers to bring youngsters in and make them feel comfortable to be able to give as many players a good future as possible. I don't play soccer for money. I also pass that on to young girls. If you base your choices on that, you have forgotten who you are and what you are playing soccer for. Money should never be the driving force.'

Fit and hungry The 24-year-old Miedema remains fit and hungry, no matter how hypothermic she celebrates her goals. Six months without soccer, from March to September, has done her good, after all those double years with club soccer and internationals. With friend and teammate Lisa Evans, she took the car to Scotland, where Evans is from.

We spent four or five months there. Switching off from soccer for a while. I've never enjoyed exercises in the gym and running so much. That says it all. I play soccer because I like the game. Tactically I just want to be good enough that you don't have to run alone. But during the lockdown it was the only option, to not have to sit inside.

'Lisa was my pt, my personal trainer. We were super fit for the new season. In Scotland we had so much freedom. We went hiking, walking. Soccer, tennis, padel. For six months it was a normal human life.'

She started studying: for the Uefa B trainer's diploma, plus a master's in Football Business. That's the first time since she left for Germany as a 17-year-old to play soccer at Bayern. 'I never had the energy, the will and the time to study again. Now I do, and it's fun.'

Constantly broadening her horizons is one of her goals. For example, she has been an ambassador for War Child for a year now, which cares about the suffering of children in war zones. She already noticed during the World Cup in France (2019) that children were following her. I already loved War Child as a child. My mother was an assistant mother at school. Of course I could play a little sport. At every charity run it was up to me whether we raised enough money.

My mother made me aware of the fact that we in the Netherlands, I in any case, have a good position, and that in the rest of the world it is not so easy. During the World Cup I was in my bubble, but after that I saw pictures and movies. Sport is a distraction for many children, which allows them to eliminate suffering and have fun.'

She was previously with the Dutch national team in South Africa, where the team visited townships in Cape Town. 'When you see how much fun you can give children with sport, you want to do it as often as possible. I will never forget how two girls of about 9 years old ran up to me afterwards and wanted to hug me, as a thank you. That was so special, they didn't have to think about danger or violence. With War Child I hope to make a nice trip.

Gigantic response By necessity, in 2020 she was an ambassador who stayed inside. 'Online I was able to do a lot. Movies, videos with examples of exercises. I get a huge response from all over the world. Not only from children, also from parents, from people who like what I do. For me, recording a video like this is a small thing and I can make a lot of people happy with it. Stretching, moving, playing soccer, playing sports. And sometimes get to interact by putting everyone else to work.'Children also take initiatives by raising money. 'It's nice to see kids showing social agility, especially now that we have to keep today's youth somewhat in check and steer them in the right direction.'She laughs a little at that term, youth of today. 'If you are a part of something, you are all in it together. That's why I play soccer and I don't play tennis. Kids push each other to do the best they can for other kids.'Now the season is back in full swing. She is top marksman of all time in the English Premier League and was recently chosen again in Fifa's team of the year. European champion, second in the world. And then she still has a soccer life ahead of her. 'I would like to say that I will continue for another ten years, but you never know. I would prefer to stop at my peak.'Again with a laugh: 'I've broken quite a few records, so maybe I'm already at my peak. But I'm definitely not someone who wants to continue at the highest level if I can't take it anymore. I also hope that people around me will then say: Viv, it's not sitting out anymore, please, stop it.'Miedema bettered Nikita Parris' British goalscoring record in October, with the difference that her predecessor scored about one goal every two games, while Miedema needs one game for a goal.  'I can only run out, but above all I want to help the team. One hundred goals for the national team would be very nice.' She is on 70 and is the all-time record holder. Most of the goals I can still remember. They are all in my head.'

https://www.volkskrant.nl/sport/topschutter-vivianne-miedema-voetbal-niet-voor-het-geld-leer-ik-jonge-meiden~b27b2994/

[wherearemyglassesbro]

Mha style quirks for h/etalia characters :) shhh....SHHH...quiet down...SHHH this is a secret

Francis: I think he’d have a quirk similar to Monoma’s where he can copy and use quirks as he fights after touching someone. He can use only one at a time but can ‘store’ five for 5 minutes each. I like to think of him pretending to be hurt in order to touch whoever he’s sparring with *cougharthurcough* to get their quirk. It’s kinda cheating but who cares! The only classmates that can really beat him are those who have quirks where they can shoot things at him or where they can fight from afar to do damage that way otherwise he’ll use their powers against them :0 the worst thing that could happen to him though is that he runs out of time with all of his ‘borrowed’ quirks and now he has nothing to fight with at all...uh oh. If a teammate lets him touch them then he’s fine :)

Alfred: Uhhh Al can hulk out kinda but his quick is called ‘rodeo’ cause he becomes like...a bull. Like his upper half gets huge and he just fuckin bulldozes people down with no mercy. He holds back in training just cause he doesn’t want to hurt his friends cause he WILL cry if he does lmao but if it were a real fight he could easily knock someone out. He can carry his classmates with ease, lift heavy things without breaking a sweat, that kind of stuff! Pretty much the ultimate himbo of his class :) but he isn’t stupid he’s very good at coming up with strategies. You better go see him play football. It almost isn’t fair that he even gets to play cause he’s so strong but he tones it down to ‘play fair’...as fair as it can be :)

Laura: Laura is pretty much made of rubber! If she jumps off of a high surface she’ll bounce, if you hit her she’ll bounce back, if you shoot her she bullet will bounce back too but leave a bruise. She is definitely hero material! She can easily save people from crumbling buildings or from things falling on them cause she absorbs the blow. Her speed and punches arent fantastic but when whoever she’s fighting with gets tired after trying to punch her over and over, she can win with a few well aimed blows! Her weakness is heat for sure, she’ll start to melt kinda which is pretty painful so if fire is involved, she keeps her distance and works on crowd control

Vlad: (tw blood) Vlad can manipulate blood and wounds, which is a very scary quirk to have. If you don’t have wounds he can’t really do much other than lower or raise your blood pressure which is scary either way it if you have a cut or scrape he can manipulate it to turn into a huge gash that’ll bleed out quick. At the same time, he’s good to have on your team cause he can close wounds too and stop bleeding from occurring, it goes both ways. The only downside is that he has to be within a few feet of the person he wants to damage/heal so he has to get a bit too close for comfort. With his friends, he’s very kind and nurturing though!!! If you got a paper cut he’d fix it right up for you!! At the same time, he’s also gotten in trouble for widening other people’s paper cuts or skinned knees on purpose just cause he didn’t like them lmao

Arthur: Art is also dangerous, his quirk is that he can shoot acid out of glands on his wrists. (Yes Spider-Man is my inspiration here). He can shoot it a few meters! And it’s potent too like it’ll give you chemical burns if it touches you. He keeps his wrists bandaged up at all times unless he’s training or fighting just in case acid leaks out by accident. He’d feel terrible if he hurt someone like that, he did it to his mum once and flipped out even though it wasn’t a big deal to her. Art’s little brother Peter made him thick, fabric cuffs for his wrists with minion fabric...he wears them when his family comes to visit. When he fights or spars with classmates he is always annoyed when Francis borrows his quirk cause he’s terrified that he’ll hurt someone by accident. Art himself took a long time to effectively figure his quirk out cause it’s so strange, he knows that that frog slurper has no clue how to use it!!! Ugh!

Michelle: Michelle can essentially melt herself or parts of herself down into a liquidy sludge. She can move around as the sludge too. She can go through cracks in the ground, under doors, through the tiniest crack in a wall to get into a building, through vents, you name it! Her quirk is very helpful!! If an enemy stepped on her while she was in goop form, they’d slip and fall! Or if she gloop-ified her hand and stuck it in their eyes or face they’d be blinded and she could fight like that!! Her quirk isn’t really something she can use for hand to hand fighting but she’s still a useful teammate!! A scary looking side effect of her quirk is when she cries, her tears are just goopy green sludge :0 yuck. I mean- not yuck!!! Cool!! Haaa...

Antonio: Toni is pretty much Mrs Incredible. He’s stretchy and go a big ass so. Uh huh. He is a fantastic fighter, he knows his abilities well and the way he maneuvers himself around in whatever shape he’s taking always looks so practiced even if he’s literally a triangle or a parachute. He tangles enemies in his arms or sucker punches them from meters away (uh huh we’re using meters) and gosh dang!! He’s a hard hitter!! He is excited to be a hero :) he’s also a fantastic friend cause he can reach high places, unlock your car from the inside by sticking his hand in there, he can be a trampoline, dude whatever. His favorite pass time is tapping Arthurs shoulder in the hall from alllll the way down the hall from him with his long elastic arms lol. The amount of pranks this guy can pull is unlimited

Lovino: Lovino inhereted laser eyes from his father. His laser eyes are super powerful, he can cut through metal like cars or a person if he wanted to. He has the potential to be a great hero he’s just afraid of losing his freedom cause as a hero, the public eye is always on you. He joined the hero course with his brother because of the pressure from his grandpa so he’s very cold to his classmates cause he doesn’t really want to be there. Of course there’s a few that grow on him and he makes friends...shocker. Eventually, and you can already see it starting, he’ll have scars around his eyes from his quirk. His grandfather has it and his father had it too. The heat his quirk generates burns his own skin when he uses it so he tries not to use it outside of training and fighting. He wears sunglasses inside so people don’t look at his eyes...He’s a bit self concious about it even though he has very beautiful eyes :(

Feli: Feli did not inherently laser eyes instead he inhereted hypnotism. His quirk is weak compared to Lovi’s but as he’s gotten older, he’s strengthened himself a lot. If you look him in the eyes, he can make you do what he wants for a few minutes. He can only control two people at a time and he has to be close to them to do it but wowie, it can be scary to fight against him cause either you have to close your eyes or you just can’t look at him while you fight. Feli isn’t much of a fighter himself but if he can make others do it, he feels better about it lmao. He also wears sunglasses inside to avoid accidentally hypnotizing someone, he’d feel pretty bad about that

Roma: ^^^ Feli and Lovi’s grandpa who raised them. He was part of an original European pro-hero group. He, and his sons, all have eye related powers. Roma has laser vison, which Lovi inhereted. His other sons had some variant of laser vision amd X-ray vision. Feli’s hypnotizing eyes are a mix of his fathers eye related quirk and his mother’s hypnotizing quirk. Roma trained Lovi a lot but became frustrated with his grandson’s temper so he focused more on Feli. He loves his boys very much because they’re all he has left. All three of his sons are deceased and they didn’t have kids. Feli and Lovi’s dad was the eldest and his wife fled after his death. Roma is always smiling for his boys and the press but inside, he is still grieving. His laser vison is very powerful but it’s given him scars around his eyes, which itll eventually do for Lovi too. Lovi’s power is strong like his grandpas but Roma believes that his grandson is lazy and that he just isn’t training hard enough.

Yao: An original pro-hero who teaches young heroes now. He is more of a college level teacher but he does stop in to highschool level hero academies to substitute teach. His quirk is manipulating the dead. He can bring back three ghosts at a time and get them to use their quirks in a fight however, Yao becomes somewhat powerless as he controls the ghosts and admittedly, it takes a lot out of him to fight. But he’s still insanely popular cause watching him fight is mesmerizing, his skill and technique is so clean and practiced! He does demonstrations at hero academies to encourage students to be confident in their abilities as well as to never hold back in a real fight.

Gilbert: I envision Gil and Lud having quirks similar to Tenya and Tensei Iida. Gilbert has engines in his arms, making his punches bone breakingly hard omfg. He is Ludwig’s biggest fan, he’s always pushing him to be better, to train harder to fight harder. He’s always proud of him no matter what. They’re only 3 years apart and Ludwig is like a foot taller than him but he’s still a big brother!!!! Gil is very reckless so a hero career may not be something attainable for him just because he doesn’t listen and he often makes split second decisions that can/will get himself and others hurt. The plan is to start a hero trio group with Fran and Toni once they graduate but again, who knows how that’ll go

Ludwig: Like his brother, Lud also has engines but his are in his legs, making him insanely fast. He isn’t a fan of fighting hand to hand so he’s more likely to kick the shit out of someone or run around grabbing people to get them out of a dangerous area. Ludwig is only in the hero course because of his brother and he’s slowly coming to terms with the fact that he may not want to be a hero. That’ll change once he gets more experience in the field though! He’s never had so many friends before now, being surrounded by so many wanna-be-heroes encourages him more than anything! As he grows, he gets stronger and TALLER than most of his friends which is a shock to everyone. Ah yes...a growth spurt. Congrats nerd.

[awdtg]

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[jessthebooklover]

Get to know me tag game

Thank you so much for the tag @oldstuffnewstuff ❤️

Nicknames - Jess, Jessie

Real name - Jessica

Zodiac - Taurus

Favourite Musicians / Band - Taylor Swift, My Chemical Romance and Girls Generation just to name a few

Do I get asks? - Sometimes I do, a few times a month. I’m really grateful to all of you who tag me!

Favourite sports team - I’m not that much of a sports fan, but I do cheer for the national football team when there are European matches on tv (they almost always lose) also for any of my countries contestants in the Olympics 

Other blogs - I don’t really take care of my side blogs at all but these are the ones I’ve made @learnagoddamnthing (I like to be sad and deep on this one, I update it anytime I see something deep on my feed), @justablogaboutblondecharacters ( I made this when I realized how many favourites I have that happen to be blondes, I don’t really update it, but I like it) and finally @charactersthatdeservedbetter ( I can’t get the link for some reason, maybe because I have no posts here, but I think I made this after they ruined my queen Dany and I realized that most of my favourites have bad endings and I really wanted to work on it a bit, but I had real life commitments to attend to unfortunately)

Tumblr Crushes - @kurocielizzy (who recently followed me back and I am so shocked and grateful), @daenerys-the-unburnt and @queen-of-salt-and-fury (my favourite Dany fans on tumblr, you two are such amazing people and I love your content so much), @mrs-storm-andrews (one of the nicest persons I’ve ever met on the internet) and @lilacs-with-lavender (my one and only writer crush on the tumblr, you’re such an inspiration for someone like me who’s to afraid to share their writing, I admire you so much) and many more which I’m forgetting right now, I’m so sorry, but I love you all!

Lucky numbers - I like to think they’re 4 and 7, but many times 6 seems quite lucky

What am I wearing - dark blue pajamas with white hearts on them and black socks

Dream holiday - New Zealand, Hawaii, London, Tokyo and all the old and beautiful cities of Europe

Dream car - I used to want a Porsche 911, but lately I don’t feel like a car is that important for me anymore

Favourite food - Chocolate or cake of any kind

Drink of choice - Tea and water

Instruments - I am tone deaf, I’ve never learned how to play anything, but I like the sound of the piano and the guitar and the entire orchestra tbh

Languages - English, Romanian, a bit of French from 8 years of school (I can read and exchange short pleasantries or ask for a loaf of bread in a shop, but that’s it) and some phrases and words in Spanish (years of watching Mexican telenovelas with my abuela/grandma made understand most of the things said in Spanish, I did watch some things online without subs and I understood more than I thought I could) 

Celebrity crushes - Taylor Swift, Taeyeon, Gerard Way, Rami Malek, David Tennant, Jessica Jung, Matthew Mercer, Laura Bailey, Liam O’Brien just to name a few

Random facts - I used to love painting until I realized that real painters need to learn lots of things and practice tons so I gave up

- I give up easily unless someone else tells me something that makes me try harder

- all I want for Christmas this year are socks, any kind of socks

I’ll tag: @lilacs-with-lavender @daenerys-the-unburnt @mrs-storm-andrews @queen-of-salt-and-fury @darisu-chan @paperinfinities @graaaaceeliz @paulfwesley @popping-pills-at-popeyes @wisedazewasteland and anyone else who would like to do this! Feel free to ignore as always!