It’s a bit odd
Brazil? . . . we’ll take ewes on It was a not so baaad performance for Colombia’s woolly warriors. To celebrate the country’s return to the World Cup after a 16-year absence, artisans in the high Andean town of Nobsa put on what they billed as the first soccer match played by sheep. On one side, dressed in Colombia’s national colours, were 10 four-legged players, each named in honour of one of the country’s top soccer talents. Their rivals represented powerhouse Brazil, which hosts the World Cup beginning on June 12. About 500 beer-soused spectators cheered on the farmyard footballers, which were trained for two weeks to recognise and kick a foam soccer ball through a goal made of wooden logs. The handlers had to pull on ropes tied to the animals’ necks to keep them scattered and moving so they wouldn’t end up munching lazily on grass on the improvised pitch. The result was a 4-3 victory for Colombia, thanks to a goal in the 50th minute by the mutton midfielder “James Rodriguez,” whose two-footed namesake plays for French club Monaco.