Brushes with World Cup Fame

May 3rd, 2006 | by: WC Bob |

After reading about Euler’s opportunity to meet with Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira and Soze’s upcoming meeting with a legendary player (it is big, trust me), I was feeling a bit inadequate. The only celebrity I have met in the past year is a second rate comedian none of you even know, nor will you probably ever know because he isn’t especially funny. But just when I was beginning to despair, I remembered that I have, in fact, met a participant in this year’s World Cup. Name droppers rejoice!

It happened way back in 2002. I was sitting around in a parking lot after watching a game played in front of about 400 fans in Calgary, Canada. We were having a grand time when one of the players, Brent Sancho, walked by still wearing his game shorts. He proceeded to stop and ask us for a beer, which we gladly offered to him. We chatted with him a bit and he seemed to be quite appreciative of the postgame beverage.

Flash forward to 2006 and Brent Sancho is likely to be on the Trinidad and Tobago team in Germany, playing in front of crowds that will be slightly largely than 400 people and in a country with slightly better beer.

Here is your golden opportunity to do some name dropping of your own. Have you ever met any of the players or coaches in this year’s World Cup? Have you ever met any of the past greats? Go ahead, feel free to brag.

If you have any cool pictures of you rubbing shoulders with footballers can send them to me, bob [at] worldcupblog.org and I might just post a few.

International Football News – World Cup Blog RSS Feed

http://portugal.worldcupblog.org Luis Paulo

Last year, I had dinner with Romario. A friend of mine, who was staying in my place here in Rio share a friend with Romário. They were both invited by this common friend to a dinner is this guy took me there with him. For more than a month that was all I could talk about.
soze

Romario, no kidding. That must have been cool. Was he a good dinner companion, or just malandro?
http://portugal.worldcupblog.org Luis Paulo

It was about 15 people there. They talk about the 1990 World Cup a lot. Romário didn’t remember the starter 11 even though he was there. It was funny because he named 12 people and was still missing the rigth-back.
http://trinidadtobago.worldcupblog.org stacy-marie

Tevez, when he was still a virtual unknown, at the Under 17 Youth World Cup in Trinidad in 2001. Still have his autograph somewhere around.

Cute talented Warrior
midfielder Carlos Edwards, at a Soca Warriors lime in London. Ah love it :)
http://www.bensefels.de Bense

Klinsmann, Beckenbauer, quite a few Germans. I met Vogts and van Gaal at airports.
colin

My cousin in Memphis told me a college story about his hardcore soccer-playing roommate bringing over a friend who was in town from California. It turned out to be Landon Donovan. This was after the 2002 WC. My cousin recognized him, but another roommate didn’t at all…

Roomie: “So I hear you play soccer with my boy, {whatever].”

Landon: “Yeah, we kick around some.”

Roomie: “You pretty good?”

Landon: “I’m alright.”