Weekend Watch: Get Inked Up!

Dust off the flags, take off your shirt to reveal the tattoos and get ready for international football. Euro 2008 qualifying and international friendlies take center stage this weekend. While you allow your patriotism to run rampant and hope you favorite club player isn’t crocked overseas, here are a few more randomly selected matches to keep your eyes on.

Saturday

Real Murcia v. Sporting Gijon – While the first division race in Spain is tighter than a pair of trousers two sizes too small, the second division competition has largely been decided. Baring a late season swoon, Valladolid, Real Murcia and Almeria will all gain promotion. Real Murcia have former Watford striker Gifton Noel-Williams, the first Englishman to ever play in the Spanish second division.

San Jose v. Wilstermann – Your Wikipedia fact of the week: “Jorge Wilstermann was Bolivia’s first commercial aviator. When he died, his friend and the then boss of Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano, Wálter Lemm, requested that the name of the local airport in Cochabamba and the local football team’s name (which was started by people involved in aviation, workers for Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano) be changed to Jorge Wilstermann in his honour.” The club is flying high with two wins and a loss this season.

Lokomotiv v. Botev – The Plovdiv derby in Bulgaria gets the vote for match most likely to end in a riot this weekend. Local officials have hired an extra 550 police officers to be on hand for the match. Saturday would be a good day to be a thief in one of Bulgaria’s other cities.

Kazakhstan v. Serbia – I wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of the Serbian players as they travel to Ortalyk Tsentralnyi Stadium to take on the mighty Snow Leopards in Euro 2008 qualifying, especially if there is still snow on the ground. If there is a mercy rule in football it might be needed in this one. I’m thinking Kazakhstan will win by at least a goal if Serbia doesn’t just out and out forfeit the match.

Sunday

Milton Keynes Dons v. Walsall – The second and third place teams in the English League Two square off at the National Hockey Stadium. Both teams are within striking distance of top place Hartlepool in what is turning out to be a bunched up race for promotion.

FC Zwolle vs. Cambuur Leeuwarden – If you are dying to see Dutch football this weekend this is what you have to choose from. A second division match between two mid-table teams. You can also watch Netherlands play Romania on Saturday in Euro 2008 qualifying but if you follow Dutch football you probably are already aware of that.

Vasco Da Gama v City Pillars – There must be a lot of pressure to uphold the honor and dignity of your city when your team is called City Pillars. The team from Tzaneen, South Africa has represented this year. They are a couple points out of third place in the Mvela Golden League.

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Category: World Football