Futbol

It's that time of year - the time when my boys meet together on their home turf.  It's the time when I zealously keep my eye on the samuraiblue.jp website and when I scan all the soccer-related articles from the Japanese press. 

I've learned through hard experience that if I don't carefully watch the news and the announcements, then I miss big things - like the time Honda-senshu hurt his knee and flew to France, or when Kagawa-senshu broke his foot.  It's not enough to be giddy over the pictures of my favorite soccer players running drills.  I tell myself, you need to be a well-informed fan.  So, I dutifully stick by my loyal companion, Google translate, to help decipher.

This generally works, except when it fails.  When it fails, of course, the results are hilarious.     

Take this article, for instance.  When an enthusiastic fan ran up to Hasebe-senshu in the airport and asked to take a picture with him, the headline reported, "Hasebe reponds to fan enthusiastically, 'Up Yourself!'"(along with this picture - of him looking quite willing to appease his fans)

Source: hochi.yomiuri.jp

In the same article, he was reported to talk about his role as captain to help newcomers integrate into the team and admitted that the younger players "have been deprived of (a place) to go to shave." 

Me?  I'm laughing my head off. 

Since (1) I know Hasebe-senshu actually said, "Of course!" to his excited fans and (2) Hasebe-senshu was actually expressing his opinion that ability and being the right person for the job/game/position is what should determine who plays in a game rather than the person who is the most senior/experienced

Then again, maybe I have too high of an opinion of mein lieblingsspieler.  Maybe he really does tell off his fans before obliging them their wishes and maybe he really does enforce bearded newbies. (For the record, I'm all for bearded Samurais) 

I'm not one to judge.  I'm just here to fangirl.

日本代表、頑張って！

Source: samuraiblue.jp via tumblr

New year, new color.