Yes. (And to think all she's hurt is her little toe... poor you.) The Empress. Well, almost. In my book anyway. Angerer.
You know, seeing Angerer on a regular basis gets really old, really quickly. And from the way she's been playing lately, the likelhood of her being in the "highlights" would have been minimal anyway.
Oh, please. I only wish my Norwegians would wait until they're 30 before jumping ship. As it is, there's 5 of our players contemplating retirement at the end of the year. And only one has reached 30. I agree. I like Smisek as well and I'll miss seeing her out there. (Not as much as Lingor, but still.) Just be thankful she's leaving now and not later. I think one of the hardest things for a fan to do is watch what was once a top player hobble along for another year or two. Trust me, you don't want that. I still think Nordby had at least 2 or 3 more years left in her for the national team. And as much as it pained me to see her go, I'd rather she have gone when she did than end up like Scurry.
No. And thank God for that. I don't know, I have great respect for Prinz, both on the field and off, but she just doesn't do a single thing for me. Same for Rottenberg, incidentally.
*sigh* How can you be so reasonable...? Then again, I watched the interview they did with her today on DFB-TV and she didn't seem all too emotional about it - so I guess I'll pull myself together too.
I'm reasonable only in my head. There was this little show on Swedish TV this past spring about women's soccer teams and witchcraft and cursed pitches, etc. (Häxdansen, for what it's worth) Anyway, the team in the final episode manage to draw DIF and they had a shot of players getting off the bus .. Vickan, Bengston ... And Nordby. I cried like a little bitch.
I could become all philosophical about how that sort of grief is even good for you... but what's the point. I hear you.
Miaowwww. I've said that before, in an Angerer context. I know what you mean. (But honestly... Prinz?! Oh well... everyone's welcome to their own brand of catnip, I suppose. At least this way there won't be too many catfights here - sorry, lurkers!)
That's the royal feline in some of us. (And I don't mean the cat food.) Totally non-cat question: Who is likely to be German captain if la Prinz isn't there? Hingst?
Well, Hingst can certainly point and shout, but I think she might be a bit too much of a flame-thrower for Neid. She likes 'em placid. Or so I've heard. Garefrickin seems boring enough for the job. Stegemann? Speaking of whom... From a football forum, as a reaction to Smisek's retirement: "Hoffentlich machen noch ein paar mehr "Oldies" Platz für die jungen ( Prinz, Stegemann etc )".
In an outbreak of total nerdiness, I just checked the last time Prinz wasn't playing, which was the 4 Nations in China in 2007. Apparently Stegemann was captain then.
I love it if I can get the nerds to do the legwork for me. Thanks. Re the oldies stepping down to make room for the young, that's all well and good, but don't let's overdo it... with Minnert, Lingor, Smisek all leaving within less than a year (plus Rottenberg, but that's a different case) I think they've got quite enough turnover to bring in new blood. If one or two more leave after next year's Euro, there is still time to build a good team for WWC 2011 (after all, how many caps did Laudehr or Krahn have before WWC 2007 and look how well they fared). Having said that, Stegemann wasn't totally convincing at the Olympics - but then again, who was.
That the young 'uns can't be relied upon either? It's not enough to get them on the team, you also need to be willing to get them off (so to speak) if they underwhelm you. I thought Krahn was bloody awful at the Olympics, but she stayed put regardless.
True. I guess there is at least hope that they'll come round - whereas waiting for oldies to rally who may not even be there anymore when it counts offers no perspective at all. Oh, Germany. Why oh why did I have to pick this time of all times to become interested. Maybe I should go back to watching one WWC final every four years and have done with it. Or move to Sweden.
Ooh, blimey - Stensland's injured and won't be playing in Norway's Euro qualifier against Russia on Thursday. The injury doesn't sound too bad, since they're talking about a bit of rest and mention that she might be able to play in Göteborg's next league match at the weekend. Stensland adds in the littlle interview that she's been happy in Gothenburg, so she's as likely to stay as go.
Hey Smulie! Why aren't you extolling the virtues of Anna Signeul's, tartan army?! Spanking six past Slovakia, they are in the play-offs. I watched Pavlina Scasna and her buddies get bitch-slapped by England in Praha on Sunday (still there) and am heading to Espana in the morning. Oh what fun being a nerd on the move, can be.