There's still a week to go, but Mesut is blowing away the competition for National Player of the Year - an award he won last year and had no idea he had won until he arrived in Bremen to play France (that is to say, the night before he received it!). It made for an amusing press-conference!

In second place, occasional bromantic interest Miroslav "goal-thief" Klose. Rounding out the top three, Borussia Dortmund's Marco Reus.

Mesut's second goal against the Faroe Islands is in the top 5 "goal of the year" poll at the moment, though currently Miro Klose's opener against Sweden and Mario Gomez's opener against those accursed Dutchmen during the Euros are in first and second, respectively!



A picture, for your time!

Voting continues until January 6th, so let's press our thumbs!

DFB SITE

Meanwhile: the boy with the upside down ears has returned to Madrid!
( Open Training & Cleat Conspiracies! )
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There have been two friendlies, and there will be another this week (with Mesut's national team, Germany, against Argentina). Here are some lovely pictures and gifs and a couple of Facebook updates, courtesy of our beloved andriy_7

Mesut first met up with Santos Laguna in spiritual home Las Vegas. Happily, Mourinho didn't allow him off the pitch and saw to it he was in New York to meet AC Milan!



I do want to start the spam (aside from posting Belly!pics to get you shameless hussies interested!) by strongly suggesting that community members check out the posts by suzanne410 and skywonder9 just before this one. They were able to witness Mesut playing while in the United States, and their posts have lovely candid shots of our crinkly-eared hero.


( Spare belly pic to keep you all reading... )

( AC Milan vs Real Madrid - Mesuty Moments... )

( The game against Celtic - Pictures & Gifs... )

( Facebook upates and return to Madrid... )

( Mesut with the national team... )
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Some uniquely beautiful photographs came out of this game, and andriy_7's gifs were especially lovely too!


( Read more... )

Karim Benzema injured for the big game tomorrow, ditto for Lukas Podolski - that means there's no one to cling to Mesut's side making sad puppy-dog eyes this week or to openly and aggressively nibble on his ears!




Sami, at any rate, seems entirely content with this state of affairs! Quite frankly, he looks like the cat that got the cream!


( Read more... )


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I thought it would be fun to structure the Mesuty Match Report & Spam around an article in Kicker (thanks to sandrin2008 for the heads-up!) explaining the game, the bizarre tactical plan, said tactical plan's strengths and limitations, and the enigma that is Joachim Loew!

But first -

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Translated by sashatwen who notes: Allow me contribute Mesut's interview in which he almost, ALMOST is totally boss until the very last minute when he does manage to fumble. (He was short on time, natürlich. Sami was waiting for his celebratory hug. :D)


( translation and much more beneath... )

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