The footballer, the tattoo and the haircut

It rained today, very annoying.  I was just getting used to that yellow shiny thing in the sky.  Hopefully it will be back tomorrow.

Can't sit outside, cos all the garden furniture is wet, so I'm watching the football instead.

Well I've been watching all along, on and off.  Or reading a book with one eye, and keeping the other one on the game.  You can see a lot with just one eye...

Being a girl and not understanding the offside rule, fouls, tactics, tackles, substitutions, penalties or anything else that's going on in the game, I have to have something else to keep me occupied while watching.  So I've decided to assess the teams, and award points obviously, in a number of different categories.

So here goes.

Singing loudly and proudly while their national anthem is being played is the first category.  This is a no-brainer. Chile wins that one, they even keep singing when the music has stopped!  Brazil was a close runner up. (Well I suppose being the host team they would have the most singers available).  I could have sworn that I heard 'The Fields of Athenry being sung at one game, but that could have been just wishful thinking....

Colour co-ordination of the team strip is the second category.  The Dutch win that one, obviously, because Orange is the New Black!

There are a few more minor categories to be awarded, including who has the most amount of different coloured boots on one team.  That one is still under review because they don't stay still long enough for me to be able to count. (I did see a pink pair of boots on one player but I forgot to take note so I have to keep watching the tournament before I can award him his prize...)

And not forgetting the officials, there is a category for 'Best Flourish' when awarding a yellow or red card.  That too will have to wait until the end of the competition to be awarded.  We decided to ditch the 'Awarding Penalties for best Dive' category as there are far to many to choose from.

So now to the top awards.  The penultimate award is in the category  'Team with the Best Hairstyles'.

And I am pleased to announce that the winning team in the this category is:  (insert drum roll, or appropriate music)

CAMEROON!  With the individual award going to:  Charles Itandje

Now we are down to the the last category, and this one was very hard to judge.  I wasn't sure if I should award the prize for quantity or quality?   And should there be sub-categories for say, placement and/or colour and/or size and/or design?  Or should there just be one award for best coverage?

And now the results that you have all been waiting for, the ultimate category/award.

The winner in the 'Most Tattooed Soccer Team' category, goes to....

All of them!  I can't decide.  There are too many of them.  At the moment Brazil are playing and eight of the eleven players on the pitch are sporting 'ink'.  I find it fascinating.  What's the attraction?  Is it compulsory now for a footballer to have a tattoo?  Does it make you play better?  (And as a side note, there could be a category for 'Best Hairstyle and Tattoo', because they both seem to go together. The hot contender for this award, if there was one, could be Raul Meireles from the Portuguese team).  So many questions and so little un-inked skin!

Maybe I should go and make tea,  is it half time yet?  Cos that's what half time is for, isn't it??