I'm sure you were all waiting for your Ligue 1 Weekend Review, but instead of the result of the week you get the boobs of the week, courtesy of Salma Hayek. Why? Well, I don't really need a reason, but it turns out that there is a legitimate connection to this post. Salma Hayek recently married her beau François-Henri Pinault, whose daddy owns Stade Rennais Football Club and the latter were playing in the final of the Coupe de France against Ligue 2 side En Avant de Guingamp.
In an all-Brittany final, it was Rennes who struck first when Carlos Bocanegra headed home a cross from Bruno Cheyrou in the 69th minute. Guingamp equalized just 2 minutes later when Eduardo dos Santos slipped a low shot past Nicolas Douchez, marking the first goal allowed by Rennes in the competition. Eduardo finished his brace in the 82nd minute to give the match to Guingamp, who are still threatened with relegation to the 3rd tier of French football.
This is only the 2nd time in history that a non-Ligue 1 club has won the Coupe de France, with the first being Le Havre in 1959. Their victory gives them entry into next season's Europa Cup.
Sadly for Pinault and Hayek, Rennes looks to be out of European competition completely, although they don't look too broken up about it.
Note: Francois Pinault the elder owns Converse, Samsonite, Château Latour, Vail Ski Resort, Christie's Auction House, Gucci, and Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (which is run by François-Henri Pinault). Thus, little Valentina Paloma Pinault will be filthy rich some day. For now she will simply be well-fed.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Your Coupe de France Update: With Boobs!
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19 comments:
Serious question that maybe you ex-pat(s?) can answer:
I watched both League 2 playoff games today, and heard numerous references to "England's international B" team/squad, or labeling a player a "England international C" player. Yet I also heard references to one player who played U-19 and U-21 internationals. Are these really just two ways to reference the same thing, or is there some weird "B" and "C" international teams I've never heard of before?
Non-serious stuff:
Salma Hayek is the hottest 40+ woman in the world, says I, and its not just the unpossible breasts (as glorious as they are).
If Shrewsbury win at Wembley, they need to consider putting up a statue of keeper Luke Daniels in town. Today's game was basically a Daniels' career highlight film in 135 minutes of real time, courtesy of a Keystone Cops back-line in front of him. And the only goal he gave up in the 2 legs was courtesy of said back-line (bad headed back-pass)...given the way WBA bounce up and down, he shoud be in the EPL in 3-4 years...
I see the boobs, but then where's the cricket?
@jjf3: I'm not an expat, nor am I entirely positive on this, but I believe England B and C are just lower level international teams, and are not the same as U-19 and U-21. They are essentially national teams for lower league players.
Also, I am in total agreement with you on Ms. Hayek.
I guess I shouldn't say just for lower league players, but also for players outside of the full national team, but perhaps older than 21 (although, I don't think you have to be older than 21).
I hope some of that makes sense.
looking over the wiki page it seems that most players are actually from the higher leagues, which would support the idea that they are simply players viewed as being outside of the regular national team. i think it also depends on the context (like right before a World Cup, etc.)
anyway, here's the wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England_national_football_team_B
my apologies for all the posts in a row and not knowing how to link that url.
@Steve: presuming you are right, is this only for UEFA countries with multiple leagues/relegation-promotion/etc? I was just wondering why I'd never heard that terminology before, but is that just a NAmerica/SAmerica thing?
As for Salma, she's been best in her age+ group for at least 5 years...(and that's if she lost 2 of those incredible cup sizes anyways...)
mmm, I'm not sure what the governing rules are. I think matches are simply set up as friendlies, but not every nation has mutli-level organizations and teams. Thus England B could play a B team from, say, another major footballing nation, the full national team from a lower-level nation, or the full English national team itself.
I have no idea if the US has B and C squads.
I think we need some of the expats to chirp in for confirmation/enlightenment.
BD, Umlaut, Kopper, or LB, any insight??
Can't help you jjf3, but I'm sure one of the real expats could help. I'm a born and bred New Yorker who was fortunate enough to spend time in Norwich's catchment area 20 years ago, so I got hooked then.
England C is for 'cookie.'
Kopper - born Staten Islander...
That said, hoping someone can speak knowledgably...
and that's not to meant to be rude, Kopper...thanks for the response...I get short-handed sometimes...
I'm pretty sure that they are unofficial teams that are put together occasionally to play practice matches against the "A team." In other words, just a way to organize the youth players, but there aren't any U17-B World Cup competitions or anything.
Nah. As I understand it, B teams play internationals that do not count for FIFA stats and rankings. They are official and are indeed usually players who are on the cusp of the A team. They can also include players who have full international A caps, such as Michael Owen, who played for England B some time in the last couple of years coming off of injury.
Also, it's a way to try out some fringe players in international competition without dicking over your opponent when they would otherwise expect a full squad. To put that in other words--putting out a squad with David Bentley when the other country would expect David Beckham.
In North and South America, however, such formalities are not always entertained. Think back to the brouhaha two years ago when the US sent an admittedly weak squad to the Copa America right after the Gold Cup. USSF and Bradly, if memory serves, swore up and down that these players were A squad to appease their hosts, but no one bought it. The fallout was that the US were unlikely to be reinvited to the tournament any time soon, as they had "disgraced" the competition.
Of course, it also happens in friendlies. I remember one friendly between Mexico and US (1995 I think) where Mexico had nothing to gain from sending their A-team--whether they would win like the international community expected, or they could face an embarrassing loss (which some thought a distinct possibility)--so they sent what amounted to a C squad. The US romped 4-0 and still consider it an A international. Mexico do not recognize it as a full international.
Anyway, that's what I understand. But I'm just a boring American as well. Perhaps BD or LB could enlighten us.
/sorry for any grammatical or spelling errorors. I ain't going back to check it.
They should name a gender after Salma Hayek.
Herewith supplying my application for the Unprofessional Foul's Commenting C Team.
Oh and "Hello, Ladies!!"
/that's some picture.
The Coupe certainly runneth over.
Thanks, umlaut. That makes sense, though it was weird to hear "C" team in that sense. And I do remember the arguments about the US squad, but I don't remember them being identified as a "B" squad, just not an "A"-quality squad, and I failed to make the logical connection. So it essentially encapsulates the idea of a "2nd" or "3rd" team (allowing for injury rehabs like Owen's). I can definitely understand the need for such a team to "blood" them into internationals, but it seems like most of those players normally probably already play U-NN's. Guess I'd just never heard the description before...
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