#german national team wags

[persefolli]

𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐌

𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞

𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝

𝐀/𝐧: 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐡

“So you want me to take my ass all the way down to California to capture this guy for 500 caps. You've lost it.”

“A thousand.”

You tilted your head and inspected the photo

“15 hundred.”

The fat man groaned and rolled his eyes, “Fine.”

You folded the paper and slipped it in your back pocket. 

It had been about a decade since you woke up. You were a long way from California. What was once left of Oregon was filled with sandy terrains. Sweat dripped from every exposed part of your body and for miles there was nothing but dunes. It was crazy how much a nuke can alter a landscape, back a couple hundred years ago the Pacific Northwest had grass and tree filled mountains with lush rivers. Now everything reminded you of a Frank Herbert book. 

The longer you walked the more you accepted that you weren’t gonna find a shelter for the night. Slowing down, the fatigue caught up to you and you fell to your knees, face down into the earth. 

“Emergency alert system has been activated, this is a national emergency. All broadcast and cable systems shall transmit this emergency action notification message.”

You sat with your mouth hung open along with your team as you were getting ready for another shoot. Before you could even think of calling Cooper, armed men bursted into the room, shooting every living thing in sight. You screamed loudly and dropped to the floor, but was grabbed by one of the soldiers and dragged out of the filming studio. 

You stumbled barefoot behind the soldier, then paused.

Everyone fell silent and the world stopped.

The familiar mushroom cloud that was only shown in demonstrations was stretching beyond the skyscrapers of L.A. 

“We have to go now!” One of them yelled and dragged you to a bunker shaped building. One you’d always thought was a set but apparently not. They shoved you in, and you stood in your robe, alongside other girls you recognized as Cola girls.

Soldiers guarded the door as they motioned for the doors to be closed. "W-wait." You walked up to one of the guards. "My....boyfriend is supposed to be bringing my lunch he...he has to be driving up the hills by now can't we wait?!"

"No. We're closing this vault now!"

"I never signed up to be here! I want out. Now!"

"Have you fucking lost it?" One of the soldiers pushed your shoulder. "We're gonna be skinned dry if you don't move the fuck back now!"

"I won't be-"

The guard raised his gun and clocked you right in the face.

You woke up to a dog licking your nose and whimpering. You opened your eyes to see you were at a gas station, or what once was. Sitting up you looked at the german shepherd that sat and began wagging his tail. "Hey you." You smiled and pet the dog.

"She's awake? Great!"

A man came trudging from the gas station in an abnormally large backpack and a severed head.

You instinctively reached for your gun but realized you’d been stripped of all your items. The man shook his head and you scowled at him. You averted your eyes to the severed head and the man rolled his eyes.

"Oh this?" He raised the head. "Long story."

You stood and wiped your hands on your pants. "Where is my stuff?"

"I have it. Put away. Safe."

"Thanks but I'll be needing it back." 

The man didn't move and he cleared his throat. "I am Thaddeus. Squire of the Brotherhood-"

“Ah, ah, ah, listen,” You interrupted him. “You seem like a knightly man and all but I need my bags."

"Listen. I found you. A woman alone in the wasteland. And as a sworn protector I must take you back to-"

"The Brotherhood?"

"Yes."

You stared at him for a moment before sighing deeply and cracking your knuckles. "No."

"What?" Thaddeus nervously chuckled.

"I'm not going. You can't make me."

"I mean....physically I can but....."

"Oh can you?"

Thaddeus sighed and dropped his backpack along with the head. He began skipping on his feet and rolling his neck. "I usually don't mean to use force on a woman but you've left me no choice." He lunged at you but you quickly jabbed his throat which caused him to grab his neck and wheeze. He fell back onto the ground and groaned.

You took the chance to raid his backpack and get your things out of there. You then paused and picked up the head.

"This worth money?"

Thaddeus panted on the ground, unmoving.

"Gonna assume yes." You clicked your tongue and began walking towards what seemed like a small city in the distance. 

“...blood pressure of 120/80, heart rate of 72 bpm….” The male's voice faded as you fluttered your eyes.  

“Where the fuck am I?” You moved your mouth to speak but nothing came out.

Doctors and nurses moved around you and eventually helped you sit up. “Y/N…Y/N L/N.”

A man in a suit and briefcase smiled and stood at the edge of your hospital bed. “You must be confused.” He smiled. “Let me explain some things. Get you situated.”

You looked around and realized how strange it was to be  in a hospital after nuclear bombs had dropped. You reached up and grabbed your head. 

“209 years ago you signed on to be a Cola girl for Nuka-Cola! Well, Vault-tec is the mother company of Nuka-Cola. You only served out a few months of your contract and now you need to serve out at least 14 more years-”

“Fifteen years? You just said it's been 209!”

“Yes. We preserved you during cryosleep so you can finish the rest of your contract.”

“I want out. Hit me with a firestorm of lawyers I don't care.”

The man in the suit began laughing and shook his head. “You don't understand sweetheart. There is no law there is no…way out.” He nodded. “Vault-tec runs things now. So how about you get washed up and you can get ready for the photoshoot later.”

You made it to this place called ‘Filly’. It was a few miles from the hills, or what used to be. You were a good distance away from Santa Barbara, you and Cooper's favorite place. Cooper. You bit the inside of your cheeks everytime you found yourself thinking of him. Imagining how close he was to the bunker before they shut the doors. The guilt ate you up day by day.

There was a singular store in Filly, to which you walked in and sat the head on the counter of the old lady’s shop. “Who’s looking for this and for how much?” You nodded at her.

“What’s a lady like you doing carrying around-” You pulled your jacket pocket back and flashed the gun, not to scare her, but to show her there were female bounty hunters that passed through California. 

“You can give it to Vault-tec….or I can try and get you connected with Moldaver.”

“Get me the Moldaver guy.”

The lady nodded and began flipping through the book. The bell on the door rang notifying everyone that someone had entered.

“Also,” You started. “You seen this man?”

The woman let her glasses fall and nodded behind you. Surely it was the man on the sketch. 

“He hang ‘round here a lot?”

“Stays right in that hotel across from here, sits his creepy ass outside everyday all day till he gets drunk and disappears to god knows where.”

You watched him through the glass door as he walked over to the motel. “I think I’ll be staying here for a while.”

𝐀/𝐍: 𝐋𝐨𝐥 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐭.

You’d never taken this much time to wrap up one of your bounties and send them off to get your money, but this Ghoul guy was one of the most difficult to get alone. The lady in the store was right about him sitting on the front porch of the motel everyday just staring at people.

When you walked out of your motel you made sure to keep a bandana on your face so he wouldn’t notice how much you lurked around. The plan was to wait until he got drunk and stumbled off, knock him out, tie him up, then rent one of the trucks and drag him to the Oregon border but this was one of the first times you actually felt nervous about capturing one of your bounties. 

The Ghoul had gotten into a bar fight a few days back, and he ended up blasting the whole structure with his explosive bullets so half of Filly was exposed to the dusty wasteland. The townspeople didn’t like that so they vandalized his motel. But he didn't care, the next day he just sat right back out on the porch.

“Sweetheart.” He called to you once.

“Get me some tomatah’s yeah?” He threw you a few caps.

You nodded and kept an eye on him while you bought a bag of cherry tomatoes from him. He had that southern accent. Cooper used to speak just like him. You handed him the remainder of caps and the bag of cherry tomatoes. You left him alone after he gave you a thank you and a wicked smile.

Frustrated with your progress, you decided to focus on more important matters. The convenience store lady was able to get you a meeting with Moldaver’s people not too far from here. The morning after the cherry tomato incident, you set out of Filly, walking towards a place called Shady Sands. 

You treaded on a desire path, one that walked on the edge of the crater of where a small city once stood. You stopped seeing a standing billboard. A Nuka-Cola billboard, and the Cola girl that happened to be on there was you. You furrowed your eyebrows and drew your gun quickly, blasting a hole right where your face was plastered, replacing it with the blue sky.

You hated yourself for signing that contract, you hated doing photoshoots all the time, and you hated that you didn’t do more to save Cooper that fateful day. 

Whatever, that was hundreds of years ago.

A few miles from Shady Sands was an abandoned school, and you knew Moldaver was there based on the sets of footsteps that were in the ground that led to the entrance. Inside, you saw two armed guards standing beside a woman with long black hair. You narrowed your eyes and scanned your surroundings, making sure you weren’t falling for any traps.

“Heard you were looking for a head.” You held up the severed head. 

The woman smiled, standing and walking forward to inspect it. “Nice to see another woman in the industry.” 

You said nothing and rocked on your heels. “What’s so special about it?”

The woman sighed, “Cold fusion, can basically power up New York City without actual electricity. It's a complicated concept.”

You nodded, “So…how much is it worth?”

“I got 10 thousand caps for you.”

“Ten thousand?!”

“Well that was the bounty, and you brought it right to me.” She narrowed her eyes at you. “Everyone’s been looking for this head and you just have it. And you don’t care that you're just handing it over.”

“I don’t have much to care about anymore…not really.” You shrugged. 

Moldaver recognized the look in your eyes. The look that told the same story a thousand ways, that you had lost everything.

“It’s getting dark. Take your caps and go.”

“Wait!” You stopped her and pulled out the bounty for The Ghoul. “Why is this thing wanted?”

Moldaver narrowed her eyes and looked at the photo closely. “Oh him! Just a pain in the ass.” You were surprised at the reason he was wanted so badly, but whatever, you needed the money, but not so much anymore after turning in the head for thousands of caps. 

After the meeting you hiked back to Filly, thinking of all the different ways you would spend the money tonight, maybe a bigger room, or a couple of drinks, but you were shocked to come back and see people scurrying around and yelling. You went through the tunnel and saw The Ghoul in the midst of the chaos grunting and punching the ground. You drew your gun, assuming he’d gone feral, but he was just drunk, and upset.

“Who shot the board? Who did it! Come out right fucking now!” He snarled.

You raised an eyebrow and approached slowly, drawing your gun. The older lady from the store grabbed your arm to stop you, shaking her head. “He has explosive bullets.” She reminded you, pointing to a large hole in Filly’s infrastructure, where the bar once was. 

“I got this.” You reassured her. 

The Ghoul looked up at you and heaved as you got closer to him. “The fuck do you want. You know who did it?”

You silently stared at him as he jerked, waiting on an answer. You jumped hearing him yell. “I won’t stop! til I find out who shot my baby’s face!” He yelled.

“That was my face you dipshit.” You tugged down your bandana and his pupils dilated. He visibly calmed down and dropped his arms in disbelief. He was still on his knees, so you held the gun to his head. “Dead or Alive. I think I'm just gonna take you now.” You said. 

“Oh Y/n….Y/n.” He grabbed at your jeans. “This can’t-....how?”

“Stop moving!”

“Wait!” He exclaimed. “It's me! It’s me, baby. It's Cooper!”

You furrowed your eyebrows and tilted your head in confusion, scanning his face over again. How could you have not made the connection. The voice, the mannerisms, even down to the way he dressed. “It’s me, baby. We had a dog named Roosevelt, a house in hidden hills, and you have a birthmark on your right asscheek.” He panted. “You always covered it before a shoot because you didn’t like how bright it was.” 

You dropped the gun, stumbling back in disbelief. Over 200 years later. The man that was the cause of your coldness, was now here in front of you. You dropped your gun and began crying, sniffling and shaking your head in shock. You’d been hunting your own man all these months, ready to kill him. You dropped to your knees and cradled his face. He began to cry as well, dryly since his ducts had been burnt out long ago, and he nuzzled his face in your neck. His arms wrapped around your waist and squeezed you close to him. “That board….That’s all I had left of you.” He whispered. “I tried going home and finding a picture I just couldn’t-”

“Shhh.” You rubbed up his neck and the back of his head. 

The two of you situated in the middle of a chaotic filly, holding one another in shock and love.

You reached in your pocket and raised the bounty paper in the air, letting it fly off into the dust beyond.

[freifraufischer]

What's new on youtube this week...

The tail end of German Nationals happened this week and we have an upload of a Junior team comp from 1995. Because the American Classic was straemed on Flip Now I don't expect a whole meet version of that competition to be posted but I also don't think that would be that useful because it was a quad box with no commentary and no identification of any of the gymnasts.

The next new event in the elite world I would expect to see will be European Youth Olympic Festival next week...

German Championships EF Day 1 - MAG FX/WAG VT/MAG PH/WAG UB/MAG SR German Commentary ZDF - Injury warning, the first man up on pommel horse has a hand injury.

German Championships EF Day 2 - WAG BB/WAG FX German Commentary

1995 Junior European Championships Team Final Part 1 - French Commentary

1995 Junior European Championships Team Final Part 2 - French Commentary

[footballers-wags-kids]

Christina , Amine and Scarlett 🇩🇪 Pic: Christina Ginter , Amine Gulse , Scarlett Gartmann

[kingsleycomanfussballgott]

[vaultscoring]

may i interest you in team germany wag rambling??

I crunched the best D scores performed at Nationals, Trials and the most recent friendly in Belgium (not full scores because... not all of them competed all of those meets and then E judging is different in different competitions while D scores are the same always) and decided to test the total potential D score of every team possibility that has both Sarah Voss and Eli Seitz as locks (not having them as locks makes for a bunch of sub-optimal teams due to counting two sub-DTY vaults) and rounding them out with the remaining picked members of the worlds squad, which are Kim Bui, Emelie Petz, Sophie Scheder (these three on the actual team), Pauline Schaefer (alternate) and Lisa Zimmermann (non-travelling alternate).

The picked team, Voss-Seitz-Bui-Petz-Scheder, is, as I said before, not the best use of Germany’s potential, and sits at 65.1, the lowest D score of all teams with those conditions above (!).

The team with the highest D score, as I suspected, includes Zimmermann and her DTY: Voss, Seitz, Bui, Scheder and Zimmermann sits at 66.2 total. The problem with this team is that Zimmermann also has do to beam in TF because she usually does a 5.2 routine and attempted 5.6 at Trials (!), yet before Trials she only got 12s (or 11s, or 10s, or a 9.333 once) in her career. This team is therefore unreliable. D scores aren’t everything.

The next highest D score, surprisingly, does leave Emelie Petz out as people expected it to happen and belongs to Voss, Seitz, Bui, Scheder and Schaefer, sitting at 65.7. A very solid team, however one that counts on Sophie Scheder doing beam in TF, as do all of the teams listed above, which... could we not do that? Her beam hit history isn’t the best.

In a team I think could be more viable, she could be spared. Voss-Seitz-Petz-Scheder-Schaefer delivers 65.4 with Scheder being able to focus solely on delivering her iconic bars routine.

Or actually, if Scheder’s bars routine isn’t outscoring Bui’s yet (Kim Bui scored 14.450 on bars at Trials!), she could have been the alternate, too. Voss-Seitz-Petz-Bui-Schaefer delivers 65.5. This might actually be the most viable team for Germany, not the one without Bui as I thought earlier today.

Either way, I do think Schaefer should have made this team. I did go too quickly to “Scheder is an essential bars worker” and we don’t really think of Bui as a floor worker but the extent of how much Germany needs her floor is noteworthy, but even if Scheder does get there with her bars and becomes a huge score, this team didn’t need both of those two and Petz. Schaefer makes all of the most viable German teams that don’t include you being a lunatic banking on Zimmermann’s DTY and beam. She is trustworthy at beam and delivers a harder vault. This team needed that more than... a fourth bars routine?

(I don’t really like the team without Emelie Petz because a) her beam history this quad is a steady stream of mid to high 12s which for Germany is actually awesome, b) I am fascinated that she performed a 5.0 D vault at Nationals and Trials as her second vault. What is it? How does it look? Do we have video? Can it be her first vault? DARK EMELIE PETZ SHOW ME THE FORBIDDEN VAULT)

[wilderwestking]

Those Who Cry Wolf Chapter 1  Read On: AO3|FF

Summary:  Wolves haven't roamed the forests of Berk for nearly a decade, but when campers begin to hear howls in the night, Astrid is sent to investigate. What she uncovers is far more dangerous than a beast in the night. [Park Ranger!AU with a dark twist]

Rating: T+ 

The phone was already ringing when Astrid walked through the doors of the Berk Forests National Park Ranger Station Three.

Glancing at her wristwatch as she closed the door behind her, it blinked 0400 in red LED lights. The station was empty, save for her—which was curious considering Snotlout was supposed to be on the late shift.

On the walls, antique paintings of wildlife hung, their painted eyes watching Astrid as she crossed the room. Through the windows, wisps of light shined, but the day was young, and it was dark as Astrid placed her half-eaten banana on the shared desk and grabbed the phone.

Flicking on an old, brass desk lamp, she lifted the phone to her ear with a sense of urgency, mentally cursing Snotlout for skipping out on his responsibilities. If another ranger's station was calling this early in the morning, there must have been an emergency: a fire or a flood or a mother wanting a refund on camping passes because it rained.

Bulky and with a  too-long, knotted cord, the outdated phone fit into the space between her shoulder and ear as she leaned against the study, wooden desk. On the line, Ranger Fishlegs Ingerman spoke I rapid bursts, sounding far more awake than she felt.

“Snotlout? Where have you been? Thank Thor, you finally picked up, we—”

“It’s me, Fishlegs,” Astrid interjected. “Snotlout left early, no surprise. What’s wrong?”

Some campers—get this, Astrid!” And she swore there was a twinge of excitement to his tone. “Some campers called in from near Raven’s Point. They say they’ve heard a wolf howling all night!”

“Fishlegs,” She groaned. “Wolves haven’t lived in Berk’s forests for over a decade. You know that.” She settled back into her chair, shrugging out of her heavy ranger’s jacket. “It’s probably just some teenagers playing a prank. Or a really big dog. You know how city people can be.”

Situated in the far north of the Barbaric Archipelago, Berk was more forest than village. A tiny island dense with boreal forests and a plethora of animals, people traveled from all over Europe to hike the snowcapped mountains and kayak in the pristine rivers.

In her five years as a park ranger, Astrid had seen a lot. From drunks to wild animals to the Thorston twins pretending to be lycanwings, there was little that could surprise her at this point.

“I know, I know,” Fishlegs said “But it really seems like it could be a wolf. What if it is? That could mean there’s a pack! And a pack would mean a breeding population! Do you know what the first breeding population in a decade could do for the local fauna?”

Rolling her eyes, Astrid let Fishlegs ramble about the ecological benefits of apex predators for another moment before cutting him off, “—I’ll go check it out, but don’t get your hopes up. Grimmel killed the last wolf when we were kids. “

“Right,” He said, deflating at her history lesson. “I knew that…just be careful, Astrid.”

“I always am.” She assured. "Keep your channel open, I’ll keep you updated.”

Ending their conversation, she shoved the rest of her banana into her mouth and pulled her jacket back on.

Tugging her braid from beneath the thick fabric, she let it fall down her left shoulder before scribbling a note in the off-chance that Snotlout would come back to finish his shift.

Raven’s Point, roughly ten miles from Station Three, was a secluded, primitive campground known for its waterfalls and ancient trees. Climbing into her jeep, she relented that it was just far away enough that she wouldn’t be able to hear a wolf’s howl from her post and that maybe, maybethere could be some legitimacy to Fishleg’s theory.

Turning onto the main road, her Jeep cut through the morning mist. Careful to avoid the skittering squirrels or bother the grazing reindeer, she kept her eyes trained for any sign of a wolf.

Down the path, the animals seemed undisturbed, more concerned with Astrid’s intrusion that the invasion of an apex predator. The wildlife’s passive nature combined with the lack of discarded carcasses or wolf droppings reaffirmed Astrid’s belief that a wolf was an impossible visitor to Berk’s forests.

Reaching a scenic overlook, Astrid made to turn her vehicle around. She had paperwork and rounds to do and this wild goose chase had cost her precious time. She would be behind schedule for the rest of the day if she didn't pick up her pace.

But then, stopping her jeep mid-turn, she heard it: a wolf howl.  Crisp and clear, it cut through the air and echoed off the trees.

Astrid put the jeep in park and jumped out, rushing to the edge of the overlook.

The howl echoed, but after a few moments of concentration, Astrid pinned the noise to Thor’s Hammer, a lake that ran parallel to Raven’s Point. Fortunately, the area contained few campsites due to constant flooding.

She patted her belt, checking for her tranquilizer gun. If the wolf was hostile, she would need to be quick on the trigger.

Straying from the path, Astrid raised the radio to lips, pressing the button to speak. “Fishlegs? I think I found our wolf. Over.”

A few seconds of static hummed in the quiet morning, then Fishleg’s voice rang out, “You did? Really? Did you Tranq it? Over.”

“Not yet, in pursuit. 10-22 is Thor’s Hammer. Over.”

“I’ll have a containment and veterinary team on standby.” He said, and across the radio, Astrid can hear the furious clicking of a keyboard. “ooh! Just think, Astrid! A wolf! In Berk!” The static buzzes for a few more seconds before Fishlegs remembered protocol. “over.”

“Riiight.” She says, voice even as her eyes scan the ground for prints to track. “Just remember: if it eats me, I want Snotlout held personally responsible. Over and out.”

Clicking the radio back into its holster, she slipped carefully between the trees. Stepping over a large, rotted tree, a flock of birds took to the sky, chirping angrily at Astrid for being disturbed.

Knowing she couldn't fight off a wolf, Astrid held her tranquilizer gun in front of her, ready to shoot should the wolf try to attack her.

Stepping down the slope, the wolf howled again. Its cry echoed through the forest and bounced off the trees, but it’s starting location didn't appear to change.

Following the path of least resistance, Astrid arrived at Thor’s Hammer. Freezing in the tree line, the lake comes into view. Thirty feet away, bathed in the early morning fog, a wolf—the wolf—paces at the water’s edge. Solid black but covered in mud, its fur hung in shaggy clumps.

Breath catching in her throat, all she could do was stare. She’d seen coyotes and foxes and even a protective mother bear before, but nothing could compare to the sheer size of the wolf. Her finger hovered over the trigger of her gun as she took aim, watching the creature carefully.

The wolf, seemingly unaware of her presence, continued pacing, giant paws splashing at the shoreline. With shoulders hunched and ears pinned against its head, it walked along the edge, muzzle to the ground. Then, after a few laps of its path, it sat down on its haunches, lifted its muzzle to the sky, and howled once more.

Using the noise to her advantage, Astrid took a step forward, hoping to get a clear shot. Beneath her feet, a twig snapped.

The wolf’s head snapped up and suddenly two intelligent, green eyes were watching her with such intensity that it felt as though the wolf could see straight through her.

Heart pumping, she forced herself to stand still. Afraid of moving too quickly and startling the beast, Astrid was sure it could hear every thump of her nervous heart. Her gun weighed heavy in her hand as she aimed down the sights.

The wolf, noticing the gun, snarled, its muzzle curling up to show a mouth of sharp teeth.

Having a clear shot to the wolf’s chest, Astrid was about to pull the trigger when she noticed a thick, red leather collar breaking through the black fur.

“A collar?” She asked herself, lowering the gun. “Maybe you are just a really, really big dog…”

The really, really too-big-to-be-a-dog-dog threw its head back and howled. The combination of the proximity and the volume caused Astrid to cover her ears. “Okay, okay! Definitely a wolf! But why do you have a collar?”

The wolf tilted its head at her, tongue lolling from the side of its mouth. It stared at her for a few moments and eventually, Astrid lowered the gun, feeling less threatened.

Seeing the gun lowered, the wolf plodded to her side. Sitting at her feet, it stared up at her.

Cautiously, Astrid looked the wolf over, finding a silver tag peeking out from the matted black fur. Reaching forward, her thumb brushed across the engraving. “Toothless?”

The wolf barked in affirmation, pressing its wet nose into her stomach and whining pitifully.

Tentatively, Astrid ran her fingers through the coarse fur, gently unknotting the clumps that had formed around his collar. Aside from the collar and pet tag, the wolf’s passive demeanor was unlike anything Astrid had experienced in her Ranger training. Sure, the section on wolves was brief due to them being functionally extinct on Berk, but she knew without a doubt that wolves were not supposed to be pets. The creature at her feet acted more German Shepard than Tundra Wolf and it made her feel uneasy.

Careful not to startle the wolf, she ran her fingers down its neck and under its chin, jumping back as it grabbed the sleeve of her jacket with its teeth. Turning its head, it tugged her arm in the direction of Raven’s Point.

Frowning, Astrid pulled her jacket back, rubbing her forearm nervously. “What do you want?”

The wolf, to her disbelief, trotted a few steps away, throwing its head once again toward Raven’s Point. Ears perked, and tail wagging, the wolf watched her expectantly.

“You…want me to follow you?”

Again, acting unlike any animal Astrid had ever seen, the wolf nodded its large head before racing into the woods.

“Hey, wait!” Astrid called urgently, stowing her tranquilizer gun in its holster and rushing after the canine.

Through the ferns and fallen logs and thick trees, Astrid followed the wolf further and further into the woods. Passed Thor’s Hammer and Passed Raven’s Point, they hiked. The wolf turned its head back every few steps to ensure that Astrid was indeed still following.

Raising her radio to her mouth, she inhaled deeply before thumbing the button to speak. “Ranger Hofferson reporting in on the 10-91B. Currently in pursuit. Over.”

“Ranger Ingerman responding,” Fishlegs said formally. “Did you capture the wolf? Over.”

“Not yet, there’s been a…complication.” She said, lungs heaving as the wolf took a turn up a craggy hill. Pebbles tumbled down the slope as the pair climbed higher, Astrid having to crawl on all-fours at points to stay balanced. “The wolf…it has a collar. It’s someone’s pet! Fishlegs, it’s..it’s tame! Over.”

“A pet?” He asked, confusion clear even through the static. “Who would have a wolf for a pet and just…leave it? What’s your plan? Over.”

“It’s—“ She took a deep breath “—You’ll think I’m crazy, ‘Legs, but it’s leading me somewhere. I’m following it. Keep your channel live. I’ll keep you informed. Over and out.”

Finally clearing the hill, the ground leveled out and revealed a primitive campsite. Certainly not sanctioned by Berk Forests authorities, a lean-to was built into the side of a rocky hill. Made from tightly woven branches and leaves with a thin canvas thrown over the roof, Astrid’s training told her it was made by someone who knew what they were doing. In front of the shelter, a ring of stones sat cold. Once used for containing fires, it now was filled with ash and broken, burnt logs.

Without hesitation, the wolf entered the lean-to, curling up beside a pile of filthy blankets, its head resting on the center of the pile. Nose snuggling into a crevice, Astrid could hear it whining.

Then, from the pile of blankets, she heard a sickening hack and saw a pale, shaking hand rise from the mound to stroke the dark muzzle.

Rushing forward, Astrid pushed herself into the tiny shelter, nose crinkling at the smell. The foul odor of rot and vomit mixed with the smell of…almonds?

Beside the blankets, a rotten fish and a rabbit carcass sat. Buzzing from the wound openings, flies feasted on the forgotten prey. Astrid pushed the tainted meat away, hoping to ease the odor. Realizing the odor came from the blankets and not the discarded animals, she gagged,  covering her mouth with the sleeve of her jacket to avoid breathing in the putrid air.

Using her free arm, she pulled back the blankets.

Amidst the mud and the mold and the blood was a boy.

[wtflife01]

Hang on I’m confused. So Kelly wasn’t born in Brazil and has never consistently lived there but she considers herself Brazilian? Her dad is Brazilian and her mums Dutch. Talk about confusing but atleast she’s not claiming she’s German (where she was born) which I do understand to some extent. I was born in England and both my parents are British but have been raised in Australia and I’d definitely identify more as Australian despite being British. Just complicated I guess. Honestly Europe sounds fucking WILD. The amount of nationalities (most European) within F1 whether it be drivers, WAGS, team principals even F1 drivers parents is insane

.

[boreussia-durmmund]

One month with Lou and Roman- Poland, self-doubt and a tournament

A/N: okay this is my favourite part so far, i just love it. you gotta stand not so much roman in this chapter though but i really like it

tell me if you wanna be tagged

@frecklednando @buerkihoe @the-mary-ann @marco-reus-dimples @carlaimberlain

Masterlist

Wednesday was quite a rush. She was picked up by Markus just past five in the morning so she was still tired and didn't talk while they drove to the train station. Markus and his girlfriend, Justine were chatting a bit but no chance she would join the conversation. Although Lou had no problem with getting up early she hated talking to people in the early morning.

They said goodbye to Justine at the train station before entering the train just before six o'clock. It wasn't very crowded but they still searched for an empty space where they could sit without being interrupted for the whole 2 hour drive. Markus couldn't keep quiet at all he was just too damn excited but Lou couldn't be mad at him. It was his first big tournament and he just deserved this so much. She was just as excited as him a few years ago so she just went along with it talking about how cool it will be.

They had breakfast at the train station in some cafe before her uncle picked them up there to go to the airport. By now Lou was up fresh and dandy talking as much as she could. Being the chef trainer of their national team her uncle tried his best to reassure Markus he would do just fine and had no need to worry. He did anyway, of course he did, Lou understood him. Her uncle, Paul, also tried to give her some positive feedback but Lou just brushed it off, saying she was used to this enough not to worry. She knew that he knew she worried anyway but didn't comment on it any more, knowing Lou her whole life he knew when to shut up. She was keeping her worries quiet in contrast to Markus but once they arrived at the airport, meeting up with Steffi, Sandra, Alex and Steffi's mum, Sarah, the worries faded. Lou had been knowing everyone at least half a lifetime so they were always ready to talk about everything and anything while Markus found into the conversation pretty fast.

They checked in and were in the plane in what felt like no time, their conversation just left them so busy time passed by fast.

Another three hours later they arrived at the hotel where they were staying for the tournament. It was quite fancy and only about fifteen minutes away from the riding location. Lou smiled immediately after looking around the entry hall.

“MALIN!”, she screamed before literally running to her long known but not so much seen friend.

“LOUISA!”, the dark haired girl smiled at her before they hugged as tight as too people could hug without hurting each other.

“It's been so long, I missed you so much you have absolutely no idea.” Lou had tears in her eyes while she looked at Malin's face. She knew Malin would be here but the two girls grew really close seven years ago in both their first international tournament when they both surprised everyone .

“Me too, Louisa, me too. But girl what have you done to your poor skin?” “Let's just not talk about this, please. I have so much more interesting stuff to tell you.”, Lou stated and she was right.

The girls barely separated for the whole day, her uncle even arranged them being in one room together and Lou was crying again them because this was so much like 2010 she just felt like nothing could go wrong any more or better as long as her and Malin got to spend time with each other she had already won who even cared about the title. Lou only left Malin's side when the German team was going to the barn together, saying hello to their horses again and doing a last round of trying. She was happy to see Luci again and he was as well. They didn't like being separated although they got more used to it in the last years because the barn in Dortmund was more than hundred meters away from Lou's room.

Second best thing this day was Lou completely failing in the last training because whenever everything went wrong before she would do amazing in the tournament itself.

After dinner Malin and her went to their room, unpacked their suitcases and cuddled up under the covers. Just when Malin decided to take a shower, Roman called. Lou talked to him until Malin was back, not much had happened so far so they didn't have much to talk about.

“Goodnight, pet Cliff for me and tell him I love him and I love you.”, Lou said before ending the call.

“So you are seriously fucking that Roman football goalkeeper guy?”, Malin asked, one eyebrow raised at Lou.

“I have no reason to defend myself. I can fuck whoever I want!”, Lou explained looking unbelieving at Malin.

“I was just surprised by footballer. Didn't think you would be a wag.” “Shut up! I am not his wag whore. We love each other and he's such a good person, you have no idea! Plus you should see him shirtless. Wait, Imma ask him for a pic.”

Lou shook her head, threw a pillow at her friend who was combing her hair in front of the bed, but she was still laughing. Malin tried to threw the pillow back at Lou and missed so the only response from Lou was sticking her tongue out while she was texting.

“It's not like I care he is a footballer but I thought you would care.”, Malin explained further while lying down next to Lou again, her head resting against Lou's shoulder.

“Roman, proved me and all my stereotypes wrong, okay maybe not all of them but Malin I think I seriously love that guy with all my heart and I don't wanna loose him ever.”, Lou told her honestly.

“God, that guy really ruined you.” They both laughed at it.

“Kinda, but look at his body!”

Lou pointed at a picture on her phone which showed Roman half naked on the couch with his million dollar smile on his face and Cliff on his lap. He didn't even asked when Lou said she needed a pic of him half naked, he just went along with it.

“Okay, I would pay to sleep with him.”, Malin admitting a devilish grin on her face.

“Malin, shut up! That's my boyfriend, you can't say that!”, Lou screamed so loud the people in the next room probably still could hear her and she also hit her friend with the pillow again.

“I was just telling the truth!”, Malin defended herself.

Lou was just done with her but she still loved Malin and enjoyed the time with her.

The next day went by almost boring, it was raining the whole day so they didn't go out watching the others rather hiding inside with Lou playing the piano and singing or playing games, until it was Malin's turn to ride the dressage and Lou wanted to watch her friend who did great. Lou was really proud of her and not really glad she didn't need to ride that day but had time to freak out.

Malin feel asleep early in the evening but Lou was going crazy for hours, her skin itching and her mind just thinking about everything that could go wrong the next day. She decided to go out of her room to call Roman and he picked up. They talked for over two hours until Lou finally felt more relaxed and was just so tired she almost fell asleep on the hotel floor. It was way past one when she went to bed and couldn't sleep more than five hours before being woken up by her alarm.

She was so nervous she just sat and watched everyone else eat breakfast and then went to the entry hall to play piano again. It just calmed her down and kept her thoughts far away from the competition. But although she didn't feel like she could do this she was sitting  on Lucifer a few hours later to ride the dressage as the last one. Lou took a last breath and went into auto-pilot for the whole ride and this worked. She was doing so well, she was still in the top ten for the next day. But sadly Steffi disqualified after falling down from her horse but she didn't injured herself.

This night was better, Lou could sleep cuddled close to her friend and felt prepared for the next day.  She spent the whole morning by the piano anyway and wasn't even bothered by the reporters who were filming her. The endurance competition went even better so Lou would be in the top 3 of the last day, only Sandra and Alex being better than her and she knew she was the best show jumper of her team.

Therefore she spent the afternoon relaxed, watching Roman's football match with Markus and Malin in their room. Neither Markus nor she went out of the hotel more than they needed to the last days because the sun was burning and there was some pollen in the air they both reacted allergic to.

The last day came and Lou was as relaxed as she could be because she could do that without question. That's why she smiled and rode through the show jumping competition with her head held high and when she passed Sandra and Alex on the horses while riding off of the riding location she knew the looks on their faces could only mean one thing.

[freifraufischer]

An update on the state of Women’s Elite Gymnastics

I wrote this for someone on reddit who said they hadn’t paid attention since the last Olympics:

Russia has been banned and while there appeared to be some softening language about it the IOC recently has reaffirmed that they will not welcome Russia back into the sporting community until the invasion has ceased. Many of the Russian athletes, who are funded by the state and so may or may not have a choice, have attended propaganda rallies. Including some of the under age gymnasts. Angelina Melnikova has also posted pictures holding a purpose with a Z on it. She won the 2021 World Championship AA and will not be defending her title because of the ban.

The last WAG qualification slots for Worlds were settled this week. The top 3 teams at this years worlds will have qualification to Paris locked up, other spots will be decided at next years worlds and the 2024 world cup series.

Chuso retired for about 3 days and then won a bunch of world cup gold medals. She is qualified (for vault only) to Worlds.  She has however decided to skip worlds this year to upgrade.

Kim Bui of Germany is retiring and her last competition will be Sunday at Euros event finals.

Mai Murakami of Japan retired after winning the 2021 World Floor championships.

Guan Chenchen of China the Olympic beam gold medalist has retired because she doesn't think she has any other goals in the sport

Sanne Wevers of Netherlands (the Rio beam gold medalist) and her sister appear to be holding their breath until the Dutch Federation gives them what they want but she has explicitly not retired. This one is complicated. The twins are coached by their father who was recently the subject of an abuse investigation which ended in a dismissal of the charges but because the investigating body made many procedural errors in the investigation. The Dutch federation declined to renew his employment contract.

Nina Derwael of Belgium, the Olympic Bars gold medalist is taking time off but intends to continue competing.

Melanie de Jesus dos Santos of France has been training with Simone Biles coaches in the US (but will still be competing for France).

The recently finished Commonwealth Games looked very strong for the English team but the AA was won by 24 year old Australian veteran Georgia Godwin. I hope that her win will give some new life to that program.

The Italians are in the process of storming through Euros, Asia D'Amato just won the Euros AA. Both the Italian and British teams look incredibly strong. On the junior side the baby Italians, Romanians and Germans won team medals and the Italians in particular look to have a sustainable next generation. Helen Kevric of Germany has been dominating both the European Youth Olympic Festival and Jr. Euros though. She'll be turning senior in 2024.

Brazil won the Pan American championships, the US team which I wouldn't dismiss entirely as a B team wasn't the strongest possible team and either rate Brazil was solid and the US had many beam disasters. Rebeca Andrade, the silver medal in the Olympic AA is being very careful about trying to not take excessive risks given that she's had a pretty bad injury history so she didn't do floor at the 2021 Worlds but still walked away with a fist full of medals. She's the favorite to win any AA she enters right now.

On the US side, Leanne Wong won the 2021 Worlds AA Silver medal and she is continuing elite as well as NCAA at Florida. She recently won the US classic and looks very solid with a beautiful vault upgrade that looks like it's aiming for a Cheng (there are things to talk about her block at classic but in an overview I'm not doing that). Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey have also continued to train elite but next week's US Champs will be the first time we see them. Sunisa Lee has also announced her intent to continue and attended at least one national team camp but isn't trying for Worlds this year. Trinity Thomas who has blossomed in NCAA has also made noises about returning to elite but that appears to be something she likely wont be doing until next year if at all. There is no evidence that Simone Biles is training or intends to train, she's made some vague statements about continuing around Tokyo but right now she appears to be living her best life and enjoying planning her wedding.

Lexi Zeiss, Shilese Jones and Konnor McClane are probably the other big names in the US program to watch.

Donatella Sacchi, the Italian head of the FIG women's technical committee (that writes the code of points and runs the judges), is on a crusade to return artistry to artistic gymnastics and is now requiring judges to fill out specific artistry deduction justifications to either make sure that the proper deductions are being taken or to invite those who don't to partake in some Amontillado in her basement.

[footballers-wags-kids]

Scarlett and Christina 🇩🇪 ( Marco Reus , Matthias Ginter : Germany NT ) Pic: Christina Ginter

[nickireadstfc]

The Foxhole Court, Chapter 11 – Orange Sportsball Gets The Fuck Real

In which the Foxes play their first match of the season, I have questions about American college sports, my Percy Jackson obsession has a brief cameo, and I’m sadly less excited about Actual Sportsball Games than I should be.

Sounds good? Then it’s time for Nicki to read The Foxhole Court.

           Thursday’s excitement had nothing on Friday’s. The whole school got decked out overnight with vibrant orange and white streamers. Ribbons and banners hung off every sidewalk lamp. Live student bands took over the amphitheater for short concerts and the student newspaper released that morning gave details for the afternoon parade.

Is that, like…………. Normal behavior on game days?? Actual American high school/college students, please confirm. Is this an actual thing???

I mean, I know y’all are big on sports and school spirit, but this big??

Please understand my confusion: At my school, no one fucking gave a shit about the sports teams. I didn’t even know when anyone had games/competitions unless we got told afterwards who won what brilliant award now, and even then like 5% of us cared. And I can’t speak for my uni yet, but I’m pretty sure it’s the same there as well. Do German unis even have sports teams?

I always liked to make fun of High School Musical 3 for having those giant ass banners displaying the athletes hanging in the halls. I am now starting to realize that might be perfectly normal for American schools.

What the fuck.

Also, Neil officially came out now – as a member of the Foxes, that is, of course.

           Neil wanted to cut class and hide at Fox Tower until game time, but athletes weren’t allowed to call out without a legitimate medical excuse. Someone from the athletics committee went around all day counting heads through classroom windows, and Wymack would be the first to hear Neil was absent.

They seriously stalk their students all day in fear they might be skipping class? And these students are in college, they are grown adults, not 14-year-olds. Again, is this a thing, what the fuck??

Then again, we’re talking about the country who invented hall passes. This is probably not the craziest thing around.

Fortunately, the Foxes decide to display their first sign of group solidarity in these trying times and guide Neil from class to class. This is a really small detail, but I love it.

I’m imagining Neil as a lil baby duck who obediently follows a big spikey-haired Matt duck, a small white-pastel-y Renee duck or a glamorous blonde Allison duck, wagging behind them in a tiny duck-sized jersey.

Although, when you think about it, they’re all just lil baby ducks following a big Wymack momma duck.

(Someone draw me fanart, I’m BEGGING YOU.)

I’m getting off track. Back to the plot.

           Andrew hadn’t lied to Neil back in May. In almost every article that talked of Neil’s pathetic experience Kevin was quoted as having high hopes for him. Kevin really had said that Neil would one day be Court.

Because this is the second time this has come up: What exactly does “being Court” mean?? Like, being Captain? Being MVP? Also, is this a regular sports expression or is is Exy-exclusive? Exyclusive?? Help.

A small silver lining of future hilariousness appears on the horizon: An Exy kickoff banquet is going to happen sometime in the next few chapter, and I am HYPED. This chaotic mess of a team + all their rivals + dates + drinks can only equal a Massive Fun Time™.

Fun for us, not for them, might I add. I am dying to see this.

           “[Renee] hasn’t asked [Andrew] yet, but it’s inevitable. (…) Money’s on the table as to whether or not he says yes. Pot’s getting pretty big, so get your bet in fast.”

           The only thing the Foxes had in common besides Exy and hardship was their strange obsession with betting on the stupidest things. Neil had figured that out only two weeks into practice. A week didn’t go by when there wasn’t money on something or another.

A team after my own heart <3 Can I join? I can never find anyone to bet on dumb things in my own circle of friends.

Will I throw this piece of paper in the bin on my first shot? Will the bus be late? Will Friend A and B hook up tonight? Will I lose my (nonexistent) emotional sanity to this series before the last book is over?

I don’t know about the others, but the last one is 100% happening.

           “There’s something we haven’t told you yet,” Dan said. (…) “So Andrew’s technically legally required to take his medication, right? (…) He struck a bargain of his own with Coach. The only reason he signed with us is because Coach agreed to let him come off his drugs for game nights.”

Is this supposed to come as a big plot twist? Because I kind of saw that coming. 10 bucks says Andrew comes off his meds for all Important Moments.

*insert yet another rant about the negative portrayal of mental health meds as barbaric mind-numbing, mania-inducing ~happy pills~ here*

Anyways, back to game day!! Our beloved foxy nutcases are playing against the Breckenridge Jackals, which is shaping up to be a Fun Time™ as they are apparently the biggest bullies around (second only to the Edgar Allan Murder Mob Clique, of course).

However, when faced with his impending wipe-out on the court, our favourite Sassmaster McSavage reaches new levels of Hell Fuckin Yeah:

           “[Gorilla] will break every bone in your body if you give him the chance.”

           “Don’t worry, though,” Matt said. “He’ll probably be too busy killing Kevin and Seth to notice you.”

           “This is my reassured face,” Neil said, pointing up at his blank expression.

SAVAGE.

I actually laughed so hard at that. This is some Percy Jackson level of sass right there.

Come to think about it, I want the entire AFTG series narrated by Percy Jackson, especially the chapter titles.

“I Am Offered A Foxy Deal”

“My Troubled Past Comes Back To Haunt My Ass”

“I Get Dragged Into Some Gay Shit”

“We Kick Serious Jackal Butt, Sort Of”

Remind me to make a full post of that once I’ve finished the series.

Off topic again. Sorry.

Before we finally begin the actual match (and wow, it’s 1.1k words already), Nicky seems to finally get the mental slaps I’ve been sending him since a few chapters ago:

           Nicky looked at Neil. “Hey,” he said, sounding uncharacteristically hesitant. “We haven’t really had a chance to talk after… Well. I wanted to say sorry, but I kept chickening out. Are we okay?”

           “I don’t know yet,” Neil said.

           Nicky weighed that for a minute, then sighed and said, “Fair enough.”

Deep sigh. Who are we kidding, I can never resist a self-aware comic relief, Nicky, you’re still one of my faves. At least he knows he fucked up.

And now, finally: It’s Orange Sportsball time!!

Time for fast-paced sports action, balls flying, racquets hitting, body-checks left and right, a flurry of energy and emotion… that I simply can’t get behind.

I’m sorry, you guys, but I found myself having to double- and triple-read passages here in order to keep up with who is standing where, who is passing to whom and just generally what exactly is going on. Maybe it has to do with my own lack of interest for any sports involving balls (or actually any sports that isn’t dance, cheer, or anything involving performance), but I’m not really excited about this whole game part, to put it mildly.

Don’t get me wrong: I am loving the emotions attached to it. Solidarity, passion, group dynamics and character development shown on the field, give me all that good shit. I just couldn’t care less about who’s passing to who. Forgive me.

Did someone say passion and group dynamics?

           Neil’d watched his teammates fall apart to in-fighting all summer long, but now he finally saw them as a whole. As much as the Foxes disliked each other at times, they disliked their opponents more. They were still too fractured to be truly great, but they were good enough to give him chills.

This is shaping up to be good, you guys.

I can only imagine the sheer gloriousness in the upcoming books when Kandreil finally get their shit together and play on the field as a beautiful unstoppable three-way killing machine. I WILL DIE.

Twenty minutes into the game, Seth is crushed against a wall by three hundred pounds of pure douchebaggery – and I actually do feel sorry for him, not gonna lie – which means it’s time for the moment we’ve all been waiting for:

           “Going on for Seth Gordon is freshman Neil Josten, number ten, of Millport, Arizona.”

           Neil wondered if casket lids sounded like court doors being shut.

Ah yes, thank you for reminding me, even in the face of impending doom, how incredibly extra our boy Josten is.

           “A national champion and an amateur? South Carolina’s gotten even crazier than usual.”

           “An amateur and a cripple, you mean,” the dealer said.

           Andrew slammed his racquet against the goal, making several athletes jump and drawing more than a few wary looks his way.

This is such a small detail but it’s the /best/. Nobody insults my boyfriends in front of me, fuckface.

Bla bla bla more sports bla bla, I’m putting everything remotely interesting that’s happening in a bullet list because let’s be honest, it’s not fucking much.

Neil scores! Twice! Good boy.

Matt takes a card for the team by punching the fuck out of Gorilla, what a babe.

Also, his mom is a professional boxer? When can we meet her. I’m always a sucker for strong women who could kick my ass.

Gorilla has been hitting Kevin’s hand on purpose all the time, which is not cool, yet not surprising, ain’t no honour in Exy injuries, apparently.

That is it, my dudes.

Writing the next chapter on a coach (yet again) as I’ll be visiting some friends in NRW, so I’ll be coming to you live from my Prime Flixbus Office Space, let’s see how that works out. Till next time, ily all. <3

[ramblingthoughtsofayoungadult]

The Three of Us-Julian Draxler and Erik Durm Love Triangle

Requested: Yes

Warnings: None

A/N: This takes place in 2014 and I am so sorry about the delay @girlinmanyfandoms123. I’ve been slammed with work because of study abroad but I’ll hopefully be more active :)

There were many perks of having one’s father be the coach of a national football team: I met a lot of cool people, I went to so many sports award shows as well as movie award shows, and I got to go to any game I wanted for free, at least, when it took place in Germany. However, I have gone to every World Cup since my father became the German National Team’s for free and it’s been pretty fun, but the next one was going to be great since it was taking place in Rio. The parties were going to be nuts and the music was going to be amazing. Also, I was bringing Y/B/F/N along so I could have someone else to talk to during matches. 

  “Wow,” Y/B/F/N said as we watched the German national team warm up.

   They had about thirty minutes before their first match in the World Cup and Dad was grilling them on how to be stronger, faster, and overall better than the rest of the world. The stadium was packed with fans, all chanting and screaming for their own team in their different languages. Y/B/F/N and I were sitting in the VIP area with the other celebrities and WAGs. 

     “What?” I teased.

     “So many beautiful men in one sport. How have I not noticed this before?” 

     “Because you were too busy studying for the MCAT.”

      Y/B/F/N huffed. “And it paid off, didn’t it?”

      “Which is precisely why I brought you here.”       I glanced back down at the pitch, admiring the lean, stealthy players running through their warm ups. I couldn’t help but make eye contact with Germany’s favorite blonde, Erik Durm. He winked at me before going through a complicated warm up drill. I smirked at the warm feeling that spread throughout my stomach at his gaze.

       “Oh my gosh,” Y/B/F/N said.

        “What?” I asked with a blink. 

        “You’re messing around with Erik aren’t you?” she whispered so no one else would hear us.

        “What? No, of course not! You know my father has that rule of no messing around with players.”

        “So why did Erik wink at you?”

         “I don’t know, because he’s a flirt.”

         Y/B/F/N didn’t look convinced and I couldn’t blame her. I was always a terrible liar but the truth was I hadn’t done anything with Erik besides flirt with him ever since we first met. Who could resist those light green eyes and cheeky smile? Plus, he was charming, passionate about football, and incredibly nice. However, Dad would kill us both if he found out about anything so it was better to keep it under wraps. 

        “Y/N, spill,” Y/B/F/N demanded.

        “There’s nothing to spill about, he just flirts with me sometimes and that’s it.” I turned to face the pitch again and began nervously munching on my popcorn.

        Of course, Julian went right after Erik for their footwork warm up and he managed to find me in the crowd and wave. My cheeks warmed up as I waved back as discreetly as possible. As much as I hope our exchange went unnoticed, Julian’s megawatt smile tipped off Y/B/F/N quickly.

       “Julian, too?” she whisper hissed.

       “What do you mean, ‘Julian, too’?”

       Y/B/F/N crossed her arms over her Hummels jersey. “This explains so much now. Why would you want to go out with any of those idiot boys from uni when you have two hot football players eating out of the palm of your hand?”

       “I wouldn’t say that....”

       Y/B/F/N’s e/c eyes widened. “Then what would you say?”        “I would say that I like them both and think they’re both great players.”

       “And you wouldn’t mind jumping their bones, either?”

       “Y/B/F/N!”

       “How long has this been going on?” Y/B/F/N asked.

       I sighed, deciding that if I had to confide in someone about my complicated love life, I would prefer it to be Y/B/F/N and not some journalist. “About two years now.”

      “Two years?”

      I nodded. “The team went out for drinks one night and my dad let me go along with them as long as Mats was watching me. Anyway, Erik ended up buying me a beer and we hit it off. We talked for hours and I have never had a conversation so easily with someone. Then, when he left for the toilet, Julian came over and asked me how I liked the practicing. Me being the football fan that I am, I explained in detail just what was wrong with everyone’s technique and then I complimented him on his form. He blushed and we ended up talking some more.” I ran my hand through my y/h/l y/h/c hair. “When Erik came back, things got awkward but the three of us held a good for the rest of the night before Mats took me home. Ever since that night, they’ve been kind of fighting over me.”

     When I looked at Y/B/F/N, her eyes were as wide as saucers. She didn’t look as though she was judging me, rather she was just in shock. My heart beat picked up out of nerves and I was anxious to hear what she had to say. She was always extremely blunt and spoke what was on her mind and her opinion mattered a lot to me.

    “So, you’re telling me that you’re in a love triangle with two German footballers and you have to keep it a secret from everyone, including your father?” she said slowly.

    I nodded. “Awful, huh?”

   “It’s equal parts awful and amazing. Awful because you will eventually have to choose between them and amazing because you couldn’t have been any more fortunate than to have two football players pining for your affections.”

   I couldn’t help myself but laugh at her words. Then, reality set in: I would have to choose between the mischievous Erik or the sweet, sensitive Julian. Both of them appealed to me in different ways since Erik pushed me out of my comfort zone and would surprise me with little gifts unbeknownst to my father. On the other hand, Julian was always complimenting me on thing outside of my physical appearance and he didn’t mind that I knew so much about football “for a girl”. 

   “Ugh, what am I gonna do, Y/B/F/N?”

   “Ever heard of polyamory?”

   I elbowed her jokingly and we both laughed. However, I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy the match as much as I usually would. I didn’t want to hurt either of their feelings or have either of them (or myself) get in trouble with Dad. Julian and Erik both knew about the others feelings towards me and the last thing I wanted was for them to blow up at each other and risk losing the World Cup.

    For the next month, I dragged Y/B/F/N to all the parties I knew both Julian and Erik would be attending not only to introduce her to some of my favorite German and non-German WAGs but also to relieve some of the attention between the three of us. I stopped attending practices as much as I used to, but I couldn’t avoid either of them all together: Erik would show up at my hotel room and take me on some excursion in Sao Paolo while Julian always made sure to text me something sweet. I liked them both equally but I just didn’t know what to do. However, everything came to a head the night before the last match.

   Y/B/F/N and I were stumbling out of the elevator to our hotel room floor, drunk out of our minds, when we ran into Erik. He was wearing a hoodie and a pair of black sweatpants but he still looked so good. I supposed all of those whiskey shots at the bar gave me the courage to say so.

    “Look, Y/N, there’s Erik, one of your boyfriends,” Y/B/F/N teased before we both burst into giggles. “He looks good in a pair of sweats. What I wouldn’t give to---”

   I slapped my hand over her mouth and shushed her loudly. “He’ll hear us, you idiot!”

   But I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. I only stopped when Erik turned around, raising an eyebrow at us.

   “Y/N?” he asked.

   I swallowed, pulled my hand away from Y/B/F/N, and strolled forward. “Hi, Erik. What are you doing up so late? You know that Coach wouldn’t approve.”

   “Couldn’t sleep.” He glanced between me and Y/B/F/N. “I see the two of you went out.”

   “It was great,” Y/B/F/N said.

   “Would’ve been better if you were there.”

    If I had been sober, I wouldn’t have dared to say such a thing, but my inebriated mind thought it would be a good idea. Erik smirked and stepped closer to me.

   “Are you sure you wouldn’t have preferred Julian over me?”

    I rolled my eyes. “No, I wanted you both there.” I stepped closer to Erik and ran my hand over his chest. “There were other men in the bar----total creeps----who kept hitting on me and Y/B/F/N. I just wish one of you could’ve been there to help us out.” I looked up at Erik. “To help me out.”

     Erik’s green eyes darkened and his hands gripped my hips, pulling me closer to him. “You have no idea how irresistible you look right now.”     I grinned. “I think I have an idea.”

    I think Y/B/F/N muttered an excuse before running off into our room, leaving Erik and me alone in the hotel room hallway. Anyone could’ve seen us: another player, a sneaky paparazzo, or my dad. However, I didn’t care as I stared into Erik’s eyes, which were full of lust and longing. It was as though something was pulling us closer together and all I could think of was how his lips----how his body----would feel pressed against mine.

   “Y/N?” I jumped and stepped away from Erik. Julian was standing in the doorway of his room, looking exhausted and incredibly gorgeous in only a pair of sweatpants, showing off his sculpted abs.

   I gulped. “Oh, uh, hi, Julian. Shouldn’t you be resting up for tomorrow’s match?”

  “I got woken up,” Julian said, glaring at Erik.

   Erik stepped forward. “Just go back to sleep, man, everything’s fine out here.”

  “No, it isn’t.” Julian stalked towards us and for a moment, I was sandwiched between him and Erik. “Things haven’t been fine for a long time.”

   “Julian,” I grabbed his face so he would look at me, “this isn’t a big deal.”

   “ Zum Teufel ist es nicht!” Erik hissed. “Y/N, we have been playing this game for too long and I for one am tired of fighting over you with Julian.”

   “The same goes for me.” Julian looked extremely downcast as he pulled my hands away from his face. “I care for you deeply, Y/N, but I do not want to have the urge to fight my teammate because we are fighting over a girl. You need to choose.”

   “Yeah, me or him,” Erik said.

   And that was when I began to panic. All the kind things they each did for me as well as the sexual-tension-filled moments we each shared flew through my mind. I wanted to choose between the two of them but I couldn’t, especially not in my state.

   “I can’t,” I whispered.

   They both looked extremely disappointed in me. As they both began walking to their respective rooms, I realized that I couldn’t risk losing the both of them.

   “Wait!” I said.

   They both stopped.

   “I’ll make a deal: if Germany beats Argentina for the Cup, I will make my decision at the after party. If Germany loses, I will not make a decision.”

   “What does that mean?” Erik asked.

    “It means none of us wins,” Julian said.

   “I think it’s a risk we’ll have to take. What do you say?”

   Julian and Erik glanced at each other.

   “I have faith in our team, how about you, Draxler?”

   “I think we will do well.” 

    Erik looked at me. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Y/N.”

   “Fine.”

   “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Julian said.

    The gravity of the deal didn’t hit me until I woke up the next morning. The fate of my relationship with two incredible men was hinged on the result of the game. However, Dad had been working with the team extremely hard so we definitely had a good chance of winning. The only problem was I still had no idea who I would pick.

   “Did you write up a pros and cons list?” Y/B/F/N asked.

    We were sitting in the stadium, the two calmest people in the stadium. We had perfect view of the pitch which meant I could clearly see all members of the team, including Julian and Erik. There seemed to be much less tension between them than there was beforehand. 

    Y/B/F/N was chomping on nachos when she asked me that question. 

   “Yes,” I said.

   “And?”

   “And I still can’t choose.”

   “Y/N, you’re twenty-two years-old, you’re a grown woman and grown women have to make decisions. Do not be like every girl in young adult books and TV shows that I hate and refuse to pick between two guys. You’re a smart girl----no, a smart woman and you do not have time for these games.”

    “You’re right, I have to make my decision. Thanks, Y/B/F/N.”

     “You’re welcome and just to let you know, I will be happy to take one of them off of your hands.”

     I laughed and swatted her arm before turning back to the pitch. The game was amazing and stressful, but when Germany won, I think I lost my voice. Everyone played magnificently, especially Erik and Julian, but no one was more ecstatic than Dad. He was one of the first people to run out on to the pitch with the WAGs and other players trailing behind him. I dragged Y/B/F/N with me ,cheering, screaming, and hugging the players. Then, I got to Julian.

   “Congratulations, Julian,” I said as I hugged him and kissed his cheek.

   “Thank you, Y/N.”

   I turned to see Erik through the crowd of players and he did not look happy. They deserved equal attention since they both contributed equally to Germany’s win. 

    “I’ll see you tonight?”

    “Of course.”

    I grinned at him before running over to Erik. “Congratulations, Erik.”

   He managed a small, knowing smile as he hugged me and picked me up, making me squeal. “Couldn’t have done it without my good luck charm.”

   “Put me down, Erik!” I yelled through a laugh.

   When he did put me down, he stared into my eyes in a way that made my heart drop to my stomach. The only person who has looked at me so intensely was Julian.

   “Y/N...”

   “Y/N!” Dad grabbed me and kissed my cheek. “We WON!”

   I managed a wide smile for Dad and hugged him back. “No, Dad, you won.”

   He had wanted a win for Germany for so long and now he got it. I did feel some guilt sneaking behind his back, but after tonight, there wouldn’t be anymore guilt. As Dad got picked up by his players and carried on their shoulders after accepting the trophy, I made my decision.

    The party was being held at some bar in Rio, where only German players, their wives or girlfriends, or celebrities had been invited. The sound of the German national anthem nearly drowned out Rihanna’s “Pour It Up”, making the singer jokingly yell in protest. I was nursing my third gin and tonic, working up my courage to talk to Julian and Erik, who were socializing with other teammates.

   Y/B/F/N sighed as she plopped down in the seat next to me. “Mario is an insane dancer!”    “Yeah.”

   “What’s wrong, Y/N? Still having trouble picking?”

   “No, I’ve decided who I want, but I’m just having trouble admitting it.”    “Y/N, they’re only a few hundred feet away and you shouldn’t be insecure. You’ve made a decision and you look bomb, nothing can stop you.”

   “Thanks, Y/B/F/N. I’m still a little nervous.”    “Another G and T will solve that. I’ll be right back.” Y/B/F/N bounced over to the bar to order me another drink.

   I don’t think anyone is fortunate enough to find a friend like her. However, almost immediately after she left, Julian and Erik came over.

   “Y/N, we need to speak with you,” Julian said.

   “Yes, of course.”

   The moment was here and there was no more running away from it. I sighed as I stood, brushing off any dust from my sequin camoflauge pants and followed the two of them into a private room. There was only a couple of cushioned chairs in the room, but it didn’t matter because I had a feeling that we wouldn’t be sticking around for long.

    “So, we won,” Erik said.

    “Yes.”

     “And now it’s time for you to hold up your end of the deal.”

     “Yes.”

     “Erik and I talked and we decided that no matter what the decision is, we won’t let it influence the team or our relationship badly,” Julian said.

    “That’s good.”

     I took a deep breath. The moment I thought was going to be so liberating was terrifying, but the gin and tonic I’d had before was helping. Dad was definitely going to kill me for this.      “I choose...”

     And the rest is history. 

[lovemenowmr]

Chapter twelve

I stepped outside college walking with some classmates and I saw Marco leaning over his car.  He was so gorgeous everyone was stealing glances at him, I couldn't help but do the same thing. He was wearing casual clothes, a pair of jeans, some trainers and a big dark grey sweater on top of a white shirt, his armes crossed over his shirt with a little frown on his face.

"See you tomorrow" I said to my friends.

I walked over to Marco, his smile growing larger as he saw me walking towards him.

"Hallo" he said giving me a soft kiss "How was your day?"

"It was fine I guess" I said opening the drivers door.

He gided me through Dortmund's streets ten minutes untill we reached a parking lot. Then he grabbed my hand and led me through a park  and after 5 minutes we reached a small restaurant and ordered our meals. I ordered bread with tomatoes marineted in olive oild, garlic and basil as an entreé and Marco beef with fresh mushrooms and herbs, as the main dish I ordered pasta pestom with tomatoes and nuts and he ordered rissotto with shrims, onions and white wine with tomato sauce.

The meal arrived soon after we sat down as Marco had already made a reservation and we were at a reserved corner of the dinning room. I told him about my day while we ate and he told me about the upcoming match against Ireland, and how happy he was he was able to go since he had missed the World Cup due to an injury. Once we finished the waiter picked our plates and gave us the dessert menú, I chose a mascarpone cream with strawberried and Marco chode a cheescake, which were delicious, Once we finished Marco paid for our meal as he wouldn't let me do it and we headed to the car once again.

"The place I'm taking you now is a little far away, are you okay with it?" he asked.

"Of course" I said starting the engine "Which way do I go?"

After twenty five minutes of driving through the highway we got into a parking lot next to a river and got off the car. We walked through the woods and crossed a caslte ruins, where we stopped so he could tell me the story about them.

"I sometimes come here to run at summer" he said "It's a little crowded but I like it"

"It's a nice place" I said.

We kept walking a little while til we reached a stone-pavenemted square with some kind of monument in it. He pulled me by the hand and at our left side appeared a small stone fence, showing a beautiful sight of the river and a city by its banks. There was also a few benches to rest and that little binocular things like the ones at the Empire State.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"I do. Is that Dortmund?" I asked motioning to the city.

"No, that's Hagen. Yvone's husband's from there" he said.

"Who's Yvone?" I asked.

"My sister, Nico's mother"

"Oh. How is he?"

"He's great. He asked me about you the other day"

"Did he?" I asked surprised.

"Yeah, he likes you" he said "Takes after his uncle" he added.

I laughed at his sweetness and he wrapped his arms around my chest, his hands resting on my stomach. We stayed like that for a while, both of us contemplating the landscape.

"I was thinking" he said suddenly "That I like being with you and meet ocassionally and that stuff"

I turned around to face him and looked at him curious nis hands now resting on the small of his back "I do too"

"Yeah but..." he said nervously "I thought that maybe it would be good to like, define it"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean that it would be great to arrive to the get-together tomorrow and tell the guys I have a new girlfriend" he said lowly,

"Was that a question?" I asked smiling.

"Do you wanted it to be?" he asked back.

"I don't know , why don't you try?" I asked not giving up.

"All rigt" he said chuckling "Would you like to make this official?"

"I would love to" I said crushing my lips to his.

"I can't believe it" Elise said after I told her about Monday "You've been here for a month and you're already a wag"

"Shut it" I said bringing my fork to my mouth.

"I'm just saying you're lucky. I mean you've been here for a month and Marco Reus aka town's most ellegible barchelor has already asked you to be his girlfriend and be his supporter at matches. That's quite impressive"

"You're just overreacting because he's a footballer" I said rolling my eyes.

"Most loved footballer in Dortmund may I add" she said smiling triumphantly.

It was Wenesday and we were having lunch at a burger before going to work, I wanted to get there early so I could get home soon and watch the match, which was at quarter to nine. Which she thought was "so cute" and so "shipping material" making me regret having told her about Marco and I becoming "official". We rushed down the streets and headed to work twenty minutes earlier than we used to, but we didn't manage to finish earlier too. There was so much work at the company we were stuck with different projects untill half past eight, making it impossible for me to arrive in time for the match.

I got home at nine o'clock and make myself dinner while I put the match on the living-room TV. It didn't end well as Germany ended up loosing against the Republic of Ireland by one goal but I got to see Marco playing, who was on the starting line-up.

It was already Sunday the 11st and today Germany was playing a qualifying game once again, this time against Georgia in Leipzig. Marco was in the starting line up once again, and I was currently with Ethan in a bar watching the match. We were sat at a table, the pub crowded with german people wearing their national team shirt with pride. Germany won this time, scoring two goals and getting on the first position of group D.

I was happy about Germany's win but even more about Marco coming back home since I had missed not being able to hang with him this week. Luckily he was arriving in Dortmund tonight to get ready for his next bundesliga match against Mainz 05 on Friday. We had been talking on the phone but it wasn't the same, though he had never forgotten calling me at night everyday to hear about what I had been doing.

Ethan and I left the bar and stopped at a fast-food restaurant to get a quick meal and headed home, both of us not feeling tired yet but being responsible as we had to get up early the next day. I was getting home when my phone rang, I picked it up and saw a text from Marco

"See you tomorrow liebe"

[oppabet-blog]

Ana Ivanovic is the wife of former German national team player Bastian Schweinsteiger. She is also one of the most popular female tennis players int he world. 

Read more about her meteoric rise to fame and what she’s doing post-career on OppaSportsBet.

[footballghana]

Anthony Yeboah, Ghana’s iconic prolific goal scorer

Anthony Yeboah popularly known as Tony Yeboah is a Ghanaian former professional footballer who played as a striker from 1981 to 2002.

He is considered one of the most prominent and prolific goal scorers in Ghanaian and African football history and gained a reputation for scoring spectacular goals which often featured in Goal of the Month or Goal of the Season competitions, often celebrated by wagging his index finger towards the crowd.

He Played for Eintracht Frankfurt, Leeds united, Hamburger SV and Al-Ittihad.

LEEDS, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 30: Tony Yeboah of Leeds United in action during the FA Carling Premiership match between Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday at Elland Road on September 30, 1996 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Professional Sport/Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)

Tony started as a colts player with Kotoko Babies, when he was 12 years old and a primary school pupil. During this period, he exhibited exceptional skills and gained promotion to the Under-20 side of Kotoko. While with the Kotoko Under-20 side, three of his colleagues were promoted to join the regular side of Kumasi Asante Kotoko.

He became down-hearted and left the Kotoko Under-20 team and joined the Omnibus Services Authority (OSA) football club, a division three side. After one year, Tony left OSA and joined Neoplan Stars. He was instrumental in the club’s qualification to Division One.

However, after just a year in the elite division, Neoplan Stars was relegated to the second division. His aggression and knack for great goals caught the attention of top football administrators at the time.

Alhaji Sheikh of Kumasi Cornerstone expressed interest in youthful Tony and signed him on, together with Frimpong Manso (former Kotoko captain and current assistant coach of the Porcupine Warriors) and Thomas Boakye (Zion Train, another former player of Asante Kotoko), to play for Corners. While with Corners, Tony Yeboah was invited to the national team, the Black Stars in 1984.

HAMBURG, GERMANY – AUGUST 03: TESTSPIEL 2002, Hamburg; HAMBURGER SV – MANCHESTER CITY 1:0; Anthony YEBOAH (Photo by Sandra Behne/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Tony’s career started blooming and he exhibited some gallantry by ensuring Corners’ qualification to the West African Football Union (WAFU) competition in 1986. It was in the same year that Tony emerged the top goal scorer in the local league.

Tony’s career started blooming and he exhibited some gallantry by ensuring Corners’ qualification to the West African Football Union (WAFU) competition in 1986. It was in the same year that Tony emerged the top goal scorer in the local league.

According to Tony, he was interested in playing for Kotoko but wondered how he could gain regular position in the team, especially with the presence of Opoku Nti (Lord Zico) and Anane Kobo, who both loved to don the No 10 jersey, which was Tony’s favourite position too. After pondering over the offers, he opted for Okwahu United FC, where he played for two years, (1986 to 1988).

Fußball-Bundesliga – 1992/1993 – 1. Spieltag – Eintracht Frankfurt – Dynamo Dresden 1:1 (0:1) – Anthony Yeboah (Eintracht). (Photo by Oliver Berg/picture alliance via Getty Images)

It was while he was with Okwahu that Anthony Yeboah, then a regular player in the senior national team, the Black Stars, got an offer to play some justifiers in Germany. He said his glittering performance in one of the matches he played in the World Cup qualifying series against Zambia when he scored the only goal of the match, had been the turning point in his life.

Incidentally, the man who took Tony to Germany was not a soccer enthusiast but a boxing consultant then working for the Ghana Boxing Association. The German got attracted to Tony by his heavily-built physique and goal-scoring prowess.

He said when they got to Germany, the man handed him over to another friend, who was into football. This man, according to Tony, took him round to play a series of justifiers. He was finally signed on by Saarbrucken, a division two side. Tony played for Saarbrucken for two years (1988 to 1990), then moved to Frankfurt.

Tony said it was in one of the keenly contested games Saarbrucken played against Frankfurt, in a play-off that the latter team spotted him.

Tony Yeboah joined Frankfurt in 1990 for five years and had a major impact. He is still loved by the fans and during his time at Eintracht Frankfurt became the first African team captain in Bundesliga history. He also won the league’s golden boot twice in 1993 and 1994.

Anthony Yeboah moved to Leeds United from Eintracht Frankfurt in January 1995 for £3.4 million but, despite showing glimmers of his scoring prowess in his first season, it was in the early throes of the 1995-96 season that he leapt into the limelight.

A lettering on the facade of the Anthony Yeboah House reads ‘We are ashamed for all those who cry out against us’ in Frankfurt Main, Germany, 20 June 2014. The painted facade is intended to turn against racism in soccer stadiums and in society. Photo: BORIS ROESSLER/dpa | usage worldwide (Photo by Boris Roessler/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Playing against Liverpool, the club he supported growing up in the Ghanaian city of Kumasi, Yeboah cemented his already growing cult hero status at Elland Road with a truly explosive effort. A goal of real beauty, though not in the tiki-taka sense, it was technique and raw power bundled into a ferocious package. From Rod Wallace’s headed knockdown, Yeboah unleashed a shot that flew past David James, thundered against the crossbar and over the line, before springing back up into the roof of the net.

A month later he would claim a second spectacular strike as he danced through Wimbledon’s defence on his way to a match-winning hat-trick, but for Yeboah, there was one goal that stood out as his greatest in English football.

“I have so many happy memories of playing in the Premier League, but the goal against Liverpool immediately springs to mind,”

His volley against Liverpool and his strike versus Wimbledon in the 1995–96 season were among his most notable goals, and he was a regular feature in Goal of the Month in the Premier League. The goal against Wimbledon was awarded Goal of the Season in 1995–96.

An iconic Premier League goal was not to be enough to secure Yeboah’s long-term future in the division, however, as a change of manager at Leeds United — George Graham replaced Howard Wilkinson in September 1996 — brought discord. Graham and Yeboah’s relationship was a train wreck and the striker, who had been a top scorer in the Bundesliga just three years earlier, found himself benched and unable to convince the Scot of his worth.

The man behind the goal played just 47 Premier League games scoring 24 goals but his legend lived on long after he departed English football.

Yeboah was sold to Hamburger SV in September 1997, having played just six times under Graham. He spent four years at Hamburger SV — though never rediscovered the Midas scoring touch of his first spell in Germany — before ending his career in the Middle East with Qatari club Al-Ittihad.

28 Jan 1996: Tony Yeboah, playing for Ghana and Zaire’s Roger Hitoto in action during Ghana’s 1-0 victory over Zaire in the Quarter Final of the African Cup of Nations today, at Port Elizabeth Mandatory Credit: Gary Prior/ALLSPORT

Anthony Yeboah was a member of Ghana’s national team for over ten years and represented his country at three Africa Cup of Nations during the 1990s scoring 29 goals in 59 appearances for Ghana.

Source: ghanaianmuseum.com

source: https://footballghana.com/

[mastcomm]

John Bolton, Kobe Bryant, Grammy Awards: Your Monday Briefing

(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)

Good morning.

We’re covering new evidence related to the Trump impeachment inquiry, reaction to the death of Kobe Bryant, and the Grammy Awards.

New Ukraine details in John Bolton’s book

President Trump told his national security adviser in August that he wanted to continue freezing $391 million in aid to Ukraine until officials there investigated Democrats including the Bidens, according to an unpublished manuscript by the since-ousted adviser, John Bolton.

A key element of Mr. Trump’s impeachment defense has been that the aid holdup was separate from his requests for investigations. Here are five takeaways from Mr. Bolton’s book.

Mr. Bolton has said he would testify at Mr. Trump’s impeachment trial if he were asked to do so, but lawmakers said the Senate was highly unlikely to call new witnesses.

How we know: Multiple people described Mr. Bolton’s account of the Ukraine affair to The Times, but the White House did not answer questions about Mr. Bolton’s assertions. Mr. Bolton’s lawyer accused the White House of disclosing the book’s contents.

What’s next: Mr. Trump’s legal team is to resume his defense today, starting at 1 p.m. Eastern. During an abbreviated session on Saturday, the president’s lawyers attacked his accusers as partisan witch-hunters trying to remove him from office because they couldn’t beat him at the ballot box.

Coronavirus outbreak intensifies

The death toll in China from the respiratory illness rose to at least 80 today, and the government extended the Lunar New Year holiday by three days in an effort to limit travel. Here are the latest updates.

A top Chinese health official warned on Sunday that the virus’s spread was accelerating despite a lockdown affecting 56 million people. The quarantine could make the situation worse, including by exacerbating shortages of medical supplies.

The details: Most of the nearly 3,000 people who have contracted the virus live in China, but it has spread to 10 other countries. Five cases have been confirmed in the U.S.

Go deeper: Compared with China’s response to the SARS epidemic in the early 2000s, the government has responded faster to the current outbreak. But there are signs that officials, especially those at the regional level, were slow to recognize the danger and are continuing to mishandle the crisis.

Another angle: Many airlines are accommodating travelers who want to modify, delay or cancel China itineraries. Here’s what to expect.

Mourning an N.B.A. great

The death of Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others in a helicopter crash in California on Sunday shocked the sports world and generated an outpouring of grief.

Thousands of people gathered at Staples Center, and condolences poured in from presidents and celebrities. Several entertainers paid tribute to Mr. Bryant at the Grammy Awards, which took place at the arena hours later.

The helicopter carrying Mr. Bryant, 41, went down near Calabasas, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, in foggy conditions. Here are the latest updates.

Catch up: The helicopter was on its way from Orange County, where the Bryant family lives, to Mr. Bryant’s youth basketball academy, where he coached his daughter Gianna, who died in the crash. A baseball coach at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa was also killed, as were his wife and daughter. The other victims haven’t yet been identified.

Obituary: Mr. Bryant jumped straight from high school to the N.B.A. in 1996 and won five championships with the Lakers before retiring in 2016. He was an unquestioned basketball great, but his legacy is not so straightforward.

Iran’s 72-hour lie

The country’s military officials knew for three days that their own forces had shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet over Tehran this month, but it took a resignation threat from President Hassan Rouhani and an order from Iran’s supreme leader before the government acknowledged its fatal mistake.

We have an in-depth report on the cover-up and its political implications. The main takeaway: The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the elite force charged with defending Iran’s clerical rule at home and abroad, effectively sidelined the elected government in a moment of national crisis.

How we know: The Times interviewed current and former Iranian officials, ranking members of the Revolutionary Guards, and people close to the inner circle of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Another angle: The Pentagon said 34 American service members had sustained traumatic brain injuries when Iran fired missiles at an Iraqi military base this month. President Trump said last week that the troops’ concussion symptoms were “not very serious.”

If you have 6 minutes, this is worth it

The faces of life after the Holocaust

A ceremony today at Auschwitz will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp in German-occupied Poland.

Before the event, our Opinion section published portraits of 75 Holocaust survivors. Among them are, clockwise from top left: Esther Meron, Motke Weisel, Sara Leicht, Thomas Geve, Batsheva Dagan and Avraham Harshalom.

Here’s what else is happening

A Middle East peace plan: President Trump is expected this week to reveal details of his long-promised proposal to broker peace in the region. But with the Palestinians refusing to participate in the process, diplomats in past peace efforts see the plan as a way to aid the re-election efforts of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

20 questions with Democrats: The Times interviewed six presidential candidates about foreign policy, the last book they read and more. Watch their answers here.

Changes to your credit score: Under a tweak to the widely used three-digit score, consumers in good financial standing should see their scores bounce higher. But those in financial distress may experience a fall.

Snapshot: Above, Billie Eilish accepted the Grammy Award for song of the year, “Bad Guy,” on Sunday. The 18-year-old won five awards and swept the major categories. Here’s a full list of the winners.

Metropolitan Diary: In this week’s column, a fresh start, a table at Grand Central and more reader tales of New York City.

What we’re reading: This Boston Globe investigation of the U.S. government’s inaction on E. coli outbreaks. The story of a 2-year-old boy who ate some of his father’s salad and developed the illness is “heartbreaking, terrifying and riveting,” writes our Times Insider editor, Jennifer Krauss.

Now, a break from the news

Cook: Slow cooker red beans and rice takes only about 20 minutes to set up in the morning.

Read: In her latest comic book endeavor, Roxane Gay adapts a short story, “The Sacrifice of Darkness,” from her 2017 collection “Difficult Women.”

Watch: “Miss Americana,” a Netflix documentary about Taylor Swift, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last week.

Smarter Living: Wirecutter recommends five cheap(ish) things to make over a cluttered closet.

And now for the Back Story on …

Bill Clinton’s impeachment

We asked Peter Baker, our chief White House correspondent, to reflect on a major moment in the lead-up to the last presidential impeachment and compare it with the current trial. He has covered both.

Twenty-two years ago this week came a milestone moment in the last presidential impeachment drama. President Bill Clinton was on the defensive after The Washington Post, where I was working then, broke the news that Ken Starr was investigating whether the president had committed perjury to cover up an affair with a former White House intern.

Mr. Clinton took to the microphone at the end of an event, glared angrily at the reporters in the room, wagged his finger and, with Hillary Clinton standing behind him, forcefully said, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.”

We were struck by two things: One, that he seemed to briefly blank on her name, referring to her as “that woman,” before summoning it. But the second was the intensity of his denial. He was white-hot mad.

At that time, before the DNA and the grand jury testimony, we didn’t know if the story we were pursuing was bogus or if the president of the United States was lying to us and to the country. Of course, later we found out which it was.

Now, as Ken Starr re-emerges as a lawyer for President Trump in the current impeachment trial, and the administration’s explanations of what happened continue to fluctuate, it’s hard not to feel déjà vu.

That’s it for this briefing. See you next time.

— Chris

Thank you Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford provided the break from the news. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com.

P.S. • We’re listening to “The Daily.” Today’s episode is about whether football is too dangerous for children. • Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: Chunk of ice (four letters). You can find all our puzzles here. • Monica Mark is our next Johannesburg bureau chief. She has covered some of the biggest stories in Africa for Bloomberg News, The Guardian and BuzzFeed News.

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