Mail Day: Das Post - 2013 TOPPS Fussball

The most redeeming part of blogging is connecting with fellow or new collectors. My latest connection crosses over the Atlantic to Armed Service Member - Noel.  Noel began like many of us collecting baseball cards. Today, he is an avid collector of vintage soccer and a pretty good one at that. His want list is one to drool over.

 

2012-2013 Topps Match Attax pack

 

He sent me a package with the lastest Bundesliga (German Premier League soccer) cards and stickers. I got 4 packs of Topps Match Attax (above).

 

 

A good assortment of clubs and type cards were in the packs including foil cards of the "100 Club", a "Team Crest" and "Match Winner" (all middle row above).

 

Two Americans - Williams and Jones

 

I was happy to pull two current U.S. Internationals - Danny Williams (Hoffenheim) and enforcer Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04).

 

There were 2 packets of Topps stickers (below) which I have not seen since the 1980's football sets. I have yet to open these as I may wait for the sticker album before I rip them.

 

 

Front and back of the Topps sticker packets.

 

Lastly, there were 3 packs of the Panini Uefa Champions League cards. I say you just can't go wrong with this set. They are filled with all the big club teams of Europe and there are players on the lesser known clubs whose cards you will only find in this compellation. I got at least two pack wrapper variations -

Iniesta (Barcelona) / Torres (Chelsea) / John (Nordsjaelland)

Pato (AC Milan) / Hart (Man. City) / Ferdinand (Man. Utd.)

 

2012-13 Panini Champions League - pack types

 

As I said, there are no bad packs. I drew Maicon (Porto), Zabaleta (Manchester City) ...

 

 

Sanchez (Barcelona), Ribery (Bayern Munich) and Khedira (Real Madrid).

 

And if I was to wish - the top player to pull in ANY pack these days ...

 

 

LIONEL MESSI (Barcelona).

 

Curriosly, he only rates a "90" on his card. Is there a card for "Superman" ? Because there aren't too many players I know that rate higher.

 

What current players would you rate higher than the above Messi ?  What number rating would you give them ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Out on A Limb with Diego ...

Crazy, Loco and just about every derogatory adjective has been used to describe the current coach of Argentina.  He has been banned by FIFA twice and once by his own federation. Yet he has also been attatched to the label "greatest ever".

So today's game has some of the best and potentially, greatest World Cup players involved in the Germany v Argentina match. Lionel Messi (below) has yet to score a goal.

However, Miroslav Klose is near to breaking the record for most goals (lifetime) in world cup play. 

and while the focus on many of the stars like Rooney, Ribery and Messi has added up to zero goals thus far, the spotlight has been on the portly man in the suit on the Argentine sideline. Why ?

Because when all has been said and written, he is the one who has lifted the cup and the hearts of his fellow countrymen. His technical coaching abilities were called into question during qualification and seeds of doubt have been sprouting ever since.

But four wins, and a date with destiny await the blue and whites of Argentina. Make no mistake, Germany is not a walk-over, and given the chance, they will destroy you with a blitzkreig bop ...

But if I were to choose one guy to be on the touchline and on my team it would be this guy ...

The magic of Diego Armando Maradona. from waif to super star ... to understand the connection between the devine and destiny, passion and soccer, a personality that exudes the good, the bad and the ugly in this sacred game.