The World Cup is over and Spain walked away with their first-ever Cup. But the true glory is reserved for the winners of the FasterSkier World Cup Soccer Fantasy Challenge.
We asked FasterSkier readers to submit their World Cup soccer squad, consisting entirely of cross-country skiers. The responses were excellent, with a combination of wit, thought, and silliness. In fact, they were so good, it was difficult to single out the top picks. We easily could have picked at random and been happy with the result.
But we pushed ahead and selected the top five overall. We have included a selection of submissions below, with the top six leading off. The rest are in no particular order.
Congratulations to winner Nellie Dow, who receives a soccer ball signed by Andy Newell, and to runner-up Pasha Kahn who wins a slightly less glamorous mini soccer ball signed by FasterSkier journalists. Who knew second place could be so painful…
1. Nellie’s Nordic Nerdery (NNN) (Nellie Dow)
2. XC Galacticos (Pasha Kahn)
3. Langrenn IK (Adam Doogan Smith)
4. Airplanes Made out of Biceps (Joe Howdyshell)
5. Euros ’10 (Brandan Fontana)
6. Granola Crunching Chumps (Sadie Bjornsen)
Team Name: Nellie’s Nordic Nerdery (NNN)
Submitted By: Nellie Dow
Coach: Inge Braten
Justification
He’s tough – even with a broken hip he wanted to be on the Tour de Ski with the Canadains last season. And that’s the kind of football he will demand from my squad.
Striker: Laase Paakkonen
Justification
With a nickname like ‘The Hammer’ you really cannot go wrong picking a young Finn to head your attack. He’s going to pounding balls into the back of the net like crazy.
Left Wing: Tim Tscharnke
Justification
Speed up front is essential, and Tscharnke has it to burn. As well, he’s young, surprising, and people underestimated him this season. Also, he’s German, and they shelled the Aussies 4-0.
Right Wing: Devon Kershaw
Justification
With the Hammer finishing, Tscharnke’s speed, the top line needs some sandpaper. Devon Kershaw is the guy who isn’t afraid to work hard. He’s not the biggest, but he’ll go to the trouble areas, work his butt off, and as we saw in the Tour de Ski two seasons ago, he’s not afraid to get the mitts up with Hellner in tight corners. He can also be jaw-droppingly brilliant at times, which shocks dimmer-witted opponents who have chosen Justyna Kowalczyk or Axel Teichmann to backstop their squad.
Stopper: Anders Soedegren
Justification
The Stopper: doesn’t need to be flashy, or an exceptionally fast sprinter. He needs to have guts, determination, brains and above all the skill to make it work. Sodo has all of that – he knows what’s going on at all times, knows when to turn the screws, and doesn’t goof about. Solid and dependable.
Left Midfielder: Emil Joensson
Justification
Somebody in the middle has to have top end speed, and Joensson has speed to burn. He’ll be able to track down balls on the wings far speedier than his opponents, and has the skills to make them pay as well.
Right Midfielder: Dario Cologna
Justification
Right mid is often considered the premiere position in football; it is Christiano Ronaldo’s office. It is for the smooth, the skilled, the professional, all of which describe Cologna’s attitude and actions on the World Cup.
Sweeper: Ivan Babikov
Justification
You want your toughest guy and most reliable dude playing sweeper – there is no one tougher or more reliable than Babikov.
Center Back: Petra Majdic
Justification
Sure, it’s obvious. She’s tough, shes strong, she’s big, she absolutely moshes opponents. But in NNN’s team system, cooperation and teamwork is key to success on defense. And she is the key to making her two defense partners better.
Left Back: Katja Visnar
Justification
A fellow Slovenian of Petra’s, she is a young sprinter who is quick enough to run with the big guns. She can be dangerous depending on the day, but her close association with Petra and great communication between the two are what make this a lock.
Right Back: Vesna Fabjan
Justification
Two Slovenians are called a gaggle, but three are called a dam. Fabjan rounds out the NNN’s D trio of Slovenians, making it without a doubt the fastest, toughest, best communicating defense corps on the field.
Goalie: Nobu Naruse
Justification
You need a bit of a nut, as well as experience, in the net to hold your squad together. Naruse has the experience part down, and if you google him, you’ll understand the second part. He can hold down the fort in even the hairiest of conditions.
Team Name: XC Galacticos
Submitted By: Pasha Kahn
Coach: Inge Braten
Justification
He may be old, but he has the experience and professionalism to get the job done.
Striker: Alexander Legkov
Justification
Why Legkov? A good striker is all about scoring goals at whatever the cost. Legkov’s desire to win would translate into goals, even if it involves controversial fouls, dives, and possibly even handballs. That doesn’t matter, every effective striker is a dubious shark looking for opportunity. Legkov is the man for the job.
Left Wing: Ola Vigen Hattestad
Justification
Hattestad’s speed and size make him menace down the left wing. Additionally his size and height along with Emil would be an asset heading in free kicks.
Right Wing: Emil Joensson
Justification
Size and speed make Emil a threat down the wing. Speedy runs and crosses would threaten the opposition’s defense.
Stopper: Marcus Hellner
Justification
Serving as a second striker behind Legkov, Hellner would be the confident and creative presence in midfield, he would create opportunities for Hattestad and Joensson to make runs and would serve balls up to Legkov. Hovering around the 18 line he would fire frequent strikes from outside the box, win every air ball, and psychologically devastate the opposition with his Materazzi-like comments.
Left Midfielder: Tobias Angerer
Justification
You just know he will deliver a consistent performance. Angerer would have a good passing game and vision for creating opportunities on the attack
Right Midfielder: Anders Soedergren
Justification
Anders has never been afraid to lead a ski race even when everyone else is. That bodes well for Anders to make fearless runs at the opposition’s defense. He is also the type of skier to ski selflessly for the benefit of a teammate, another rare skier quality, which suggests that he would be the type of selfless midfielder that plays a good passing game.
Sweeper: Ivan Babikov
Justification
Ivan would never stop moving his feet, and would be the engine of the team. This position would allow Ivan to cover a lot of ground but wouldn’t require him to run at high speeds. He would play back and defend tenaciously, throwing in some tough tackles, but he would also bring the ball forward and be a menace defensively throughout the field. The distance-covered stats would always show Babikov covering at least 14km a match.
Center Back: Axel Teichmann
Justification
Who but the big man would you want on your back line?
Left Back: Ivan Batory
Justification
The Beast from the East is virtually unstoppable. When he isn’t winning challenges, he’ll be winning icy cold stare downs. Its been said that Ivan Batory once killed a man over a poker game in the Carpathian Mountains. It’s also rumored that his visage may grace Slovakia’s production allotment of Euro coins.
Right Back: Valerio Checchi
Justification
Italians are born to defend. Valerio is reputedly the best player amongst the Italian xc squad, so that bodes well for his defensive ability.
Goalie: Petter Northug
Justification
By far the hardest position to fill, Northug is the best choice. A goalie should have some height, they should be fearless, a little crazy, and aggressive. Northug has some height and the athleticism to be a goalie, and his concussion in the spring xc ski cross shows that he has no qualms with injuring himself, something most skiers are too timid about. His natural aggressive qualities are perfect for a goalie. Standing in the box while the action happens out on the pitch would be like a pressure cooker for Northug. By the time the ball got close to him he would be so pent up with competitive energy that he’d be twitching. This would translate into ridiculous saves and outrageously physical challenges on attacking strikers, likely injuring them for the season. He also would be the type of goalie to try scoring in the final minute if we were trailing by a goal.
Team Name: Langrenn IK
Submitted By: Adam Doogan Smith
Coach: Thomas Alsgaard
Justification
In his day, the Norwegian was one of the best footballers in the world. Like so many world class athletes, after he hangs up the football boots, he looks for place in management and passes on his experience and wisdom of being on top of the world to those he is mentoring and is able to put the best team on the field. Though young for the coaching position, he has shown why he is the right man for the job.
Striker: Jesper Modin
Justification
Models his game after Niklas Bendtner. An intimidating striker towering at 6’7″, he rarely looses aerial battles in and around goal. Add his rawness and speed, he makes the perfect striker. Though young and inexperienced, he has a lot to learn and lots of room to improve on his great all-round game which is a scary thought for those whole already play against him.
Left Wing: Emil Jönsson
Justification
Models his game after Lionel Messi. His blazing speed will open up room for himself down the flanks where he can either cut in or cross it into the box. His control and technique make him one of the best players in the world. He’s not tall enough and that is why he’s not the central striker, he will not win any head balls. His improvement in endurance has made him a first team regular as his fatigue is minimal during a 90 minute match. Is also a very effective supporting striker.
Right Wing: Andrew Newell
Justification
Models his game after Andrei Arshavin. Though Alsgaard sings praises about the American in practice, when it comes to game time, Newell seems to falter. He needs to work on his consistency to become as world renowned as his teammate Emil Jönsson. His coach believes he needs more competition in training to go from a good player to a great player. A similar skill set to Jönsson, he is also taller which makes him an aerial threat as well.
Stopper: Petter Northug
Justification
Models his game after Stevie Gerrard. The teams clutch player. Comes through time after time to win matches in the dying minutes. He is a game changer. His stature makes him very strong on his ball. He can control the game with his explosiveness and is always marked closely by the opponents because of this.
Left Midfielder: Marcus Hellner
Justification
Models his game after Christiano Ronaldo. Links up well with his fellow countryman Jönsson especially on the overlaps to try to space to throw crosses in for Modin. Although not the most explosive or best sprinter on the team, his control and trickery on the ball is vital to his game. Excellent crosser of the ball, he also doubles as the teams penalty kick taker and freekick specialist.
Right Midfielder: Lukas Bauer
Justification
Models his game after Cesc Fabregas. He sits slightly deeper in the midfield which enables him to utilize his vision of the play in front of him. While he doesn’t have the same explosiveness as Northug, he has the vision and instincts which allows him to thread the needle and makes him the best playmaker on the team.
Sweeper: Alexander Legkov
Justification
Models his game after Gerard Pique. Though not the fastest player, he is dominant in the air and stays calm under pressure. The most defensive minded player on the back line and rarely jumps up into rushes. It took a while for him to make his way into the first team regulars, but once he got here, he’s never wavered and will be a mainstay in Langrenn IK for many years to come.
Center Back: Dario Cologna
Justification
Models his game after Thomas Vermaelen. One thing you need in your final defender is consistency, and that’s what Cologna brings to the squad. He will always be there to organize and push up the line, but be in there to defend set piece and clear out the box. Not only a great defender, he is also a player that goes up for set pieces and notches up 5-10 goals a season.
Left Back: Tobias Angerer
Justification
Models his game after Patrice Evra. His endurance and sprint speed (especially late in matches) makes him very dangerous when he links up with Hellner on the left flank for balls into the box. Having grown up playing with the tender Teichmann, they have a great understanding which becomes extremely valuable when pressure is on the back four defenders. He is much more offensively minded than the Italian Piller Cottrer, but that doesn’t mean he is not an outstanding defender as his tracking back skills are the best on the team.
Right Back: Pietro Piller Cottrer
Justification
Models his game after Dani Alves. With defending height coming from Cologna and Legkov,Piller Cottrer is the perfect wing-back who has the experience and footballing instinct to help out in both ends of the pitch. He knows when to jump in on the counter attack and when to stay in his native position. More of an offensive defender, the reliability of Cologna and Legkov allows the Italian to roam up and down the left flank all game. Much like his ski career, his positioning on the pitch is stellar and he is rarely caught out.
Goalie: Axel Teichmann
Justification
Models his game after Gigi Buffon. He’s been a star since he was a junior. The level head of the team, stay almost eerily calm under all conditions. He xoesn’t let distractions get the best of him. His demeanor demands respect from his back line and they know what he wants from them. Instead of yelling at them after making mistakes, he just gives them the emotionless stare of death and they know what needs to be done.
Team Name: Airplane made out of Biceps
Submitted By: Joe Howdyshell
Coach: Ulf Morten Aune
Justification
Damn mean looking. Knows how to breed a culture of size, strength, speed, and physicality.
Striker: Emil Joensson
Justification
Incredible finishing speed, uses his “turbos” to find the opening every time.
Left Wing: Pietro “Killer Piller” Piller Cottrer
Justification
Nothing screams Italian flair like a little yellow hat with a bobble. Expect him to make a lot of flashy moves no one see coming. Also, dives at the slightest contact.
Right Wing: Maurice Magnificat
Justification
1. He can do anything.
2. Best. Soccer. Name. Ever.
Stopper: Martin Bajcicak
Justification
Kamikazi!!!!!
Left Midfielder: Devon Kershaw
Justification
Tireless and punchy, good over short distances, but able to last the whole game.
Right Midfielder: Anders Sodergren
Justification
Attacks, attacks, attacks
Sweeper: Axel Teichmann
Justification
Big mean, and still fit. Would be an excellent mid, but CAN’T SCORE A DAMN GOAL.
Center Back: Polsa!!
Justification
Big, intimidating, talks a lot of $hit.
Left Back: Anders Gloerson
Justification
It’s all about the intimidating combination of 36 abs and an old mans haircut.
Right Back: Borre Naess
Justification
Neck? What neck.
Goalie: Petter Northug
Justification
Just when someone thinks they’ve won, he crushes their dreams.
Team Name: Granola Crunching Chumps
Submitted By: Sadie Bjornsen
Coach: Ben Husaby
Justification
King of Hustling
Striker: Amy Glen
Justification
Not afraid to get nasty at all costs. Very aggressive!
Left Wing: Caitlin Patterson
Justification
For one they work better together, and there mad Agony Hill speed and aggressiveness pair together to make a killer front duo.
Right Wing: Scott Patterson
Justification
For one they work better together, and there mad Agony Hill speed and aggressiveness pair together to make a killer front duo.
Stopper: Jessie Diggins
Justification
She will be good at distracting the other team with her hilarious jokes and constant chattering. She is also not afraid to get nasty when it comes down to it.
Left Midfielder: The Hoff
Justification
Will never stop running, has no endurance threshold. Plus you never hassle the Hoff.
Right Midfielder: Liz Stephen
Justification
Always in motion. Manages to run circles around everyone while moving the ball.
Sweeper: Turbo Turzian
Justification
She is so big and powerful.
Center Back: Monica Markvardsen
Justification
Backup to Jessie Diggins
Left Back: Sylvan Ellefson
Justification
Good looks distraction
Right Back: Simi Hamilton
Justification
Wooing distraction.
Goalie: Pat Casey
Justification
Either on the ground, or in the air the length of him should cover all shots.
Team Name: Team Dream
Submitted By: Paul Quackenbush
Coach: Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset
Justification
Stellar at press conferences and too old to play.
Striker: Petter Northug
Justification
Too bad if I get penalized, it had to be done. Northug is going to be the new Wayne Rooney, except with better stamina and acceleration.
Left Wing: Axel Teichmann
Justification
He’s accustomed to being behind Northug.
Right Wing: Vincent Vittoz
Justification
He looks like a soccer player.
Stopper: Kris Freeman
Justification
He can run all day, while still being an imposing force on defense.
Left Midfielder: Giorgio di Centa
Justification
Quick and light on his feet, he also adds experience to the team.
Right Midfielder: Andrew Newell
Justification
He has the speed and finesse to make daring runs down the right flank.
Sweeper: John Kristian Dahl
Justification
Try getting past him on a breakaway. Not going to happen.
Center Back: Ivan Babikov
Justification
He looks and acts exactly like a center back should.
Left Back: Marcus Hellner
Justification
Consistent, especially when it matters most, he will work well with his fellow swede.
Right Back: Emil Joensson
Justification
Fast and strong enough to handle any forward.
Goalie: Billy Demong
Justification
He’s good at flying through the air.
Team Name: Team RAWR (Real Athletic Women Ripping-it-up)
Submitted By: Shelby Aseltine
Coach: Rikard Grip
Justification
The “110%” attitude let Sweden take home more medals then ever before in Vancouver. I’m pretty sure that attitude would apply to soccer pretty easily.
Striker: Magdalena Neuner
Justification
She’s fast and she’s accurate. For striker, that’s really all that she needs.
Left Wing: Andrea Henkel
Justification
Once again, a very sharp shooter. But she also has experience, making her a good choice for left wing because she knows where to place the ball.
Right Wing: Justyna Kowalczyk
Justification
She has the power to take corner kicks and place them right in the goal box for a perfect header into the goal. Not to mention she’s also one of the fastest skiers in the world (Actually she IS the fastest skier in the world)
Stopper: Therese Johaug
Justification
With her good looks she could stop anyone.
Left Midfielder: Marit Bjoergen
Justification
Marit is a girl who could go forever up and down the field because she has just so much endurance. She’s also a smart skier, which would probably make her a good wing because she needs to be able to time her runs up and down the field. As a midfielder she’d also be able to be on the offensive and the defensive, which is something that she also does with her skiing.
Right Midfielder: Charlotte Kalla
Justification
She’s young and ambitious not to mention extremely talented. And with her new focus on her sprinting ability (according to FIS News which I assume doesn’t lie) she should be able to book it up and down the field and be able to get back on the defense if she’s up front.
Sweeper: Kikkan Randall
Justification
She’s called Kikkanimal for a reason.
Center Back: Kristina Smigun-Vaehi
Justification
She has probably the most experience out of this entire squad which makes her a prime candidate for being center back. She can make good calls and she can control the field.
Left Back: Kristin Stoermer Steira
Justification
In addition to being an extremely talented and efficient skier, Kristin is also an extremely talented runner (think 16:02 5k). Like Kristina, she also has a ton of experience, making her an excellent back.
Right Back: Anna Haag
Justification
With her and Kalla on the field, they’re sure to make an unstoppable team (think silver medal team sprint Vancouver 2010).
Goalie: Petra Madjic
Justification
If she can win a bronze medal with broken ribs and a punctured lung, she can stop a ball from going into a little net.
Team Name: Nordic Soccer Obliteration
Submitted By: Derek Hartman
Coach: Tor Arne Hetland
Justification
Fast paced, aggressive attacking style.
Striker: Emil Joensson
Justification
He is very fast and knows how to toy with the opposition. This should enable him to play games with the opposing defense and get by them with speed and skill.
Left Wing: Andy Newell
Justification
Fast down the wings. Fits into Hetland’s aggressive and fast paced attack.
Right Wing: Marcus Hellner
Justification
Still provides speed down the wings, but can also provides a good work ethic to win the balls and drive them forward for Emil.
Stopper: Ivan Babikov
Justification
The guy just keeps on going. He is going to win every battle in the centre of the formation and good luck getting him to quit.
Left Midfielder: Tobias Angerer
Justification
He’s German, so you have to find a spot for him on the team. Plus he is good at winning some battles and always seems to hang around in any of the battles.
Right Midfielder: Lukas Bauer
Justification
Along with Angerer and Babikov, he provides a midfield that will be tough to beat and will take the battles and just keep coming back.
Sweeper: Petra Madjic
Justification
She is fast, big and can take some pain. As a result, it will be tough to get by her as the last line of defense.
Center Back: Marit Bjoergen
Justification
She’s jacked and so would be tough to get by in the centre of the defense.
Left Back: AK Saarinen
Justification
Nothing flashy, but an all around solid player (skier) to help shore up the defense. Consistency means it will be tough to beat her and you know she will always show up.
Right Back: Ben Sim
Justification
He’s Australian and has had to fight through a lot just to get to the World Cup circuit. As a result, he is battled tested and knows what it takes to be successful.
Goalie: Petter Northug
Justification
No one gets by him one-on-one.
Team Name: Rossigoal
Submitted By: Luke Costley
Coach: Matthew Voisin
Justification
Matt loves coaching and can’t get enough of it. He never wants to retire.
Striker: Kris Freeman
Justification
Fiery and explosive, this big center forward has the ability to take over a game. His intensity only creates problems for the other teams and he scores most of his goals when he is angry.
Left Wing: Andy Newell
Justification
Speedy and slight, Newell will create counter-attack problems for most defenses and can be dangerous from the perimeter. He will also be tough to defend on set pieces.
Right Wing: Emil Joensson
Justification
Joensson also brings speed to the table, making him a perfect fit for the right flank. His hill climbing ability will translate nicely into hard runs down the sideline and service into the box.
Stopper: Petter Northug
Justification
The other team will not cross midfield. End of story. Jaa, the King of Norway is here.
Left Midfielder: Lukas Bauer
Justification
The Czech Republic’s aging golden boy will be a solid role player that is dependable and consistent.
Right Midfielder: Ivan Babikov
Justification
Determined and disciplined, he can provide support for the strikers and midfielders.
Sweeper: Dario Cologna
Justification
Cologna, often likened to a water polo player, will use a strong upper body and a range of speeds to fend off both big and fast strikers.
Center Back: Axel Teichmann
Justification
Big and brawny, Teichmann provides the back line with another speedy “big man,” about the equivalent of Kevin Garnett taking up a spot in the center of the park.
Left Back: Nikita Kruikov
Justification
The first installment of the Russian-dominated back line, Kruikov has the size and physicality to rough up opposing attackers.
Right Back: Alexander Panzhinskiy
Justification
Similar to his compatriot, Panzhinskiy can be a physical presence to disrupt the flow of the other team.
Goalie: Oeystein Pettersen
Justification
Athletic and seasoned, the Norwegian will preserve the clean sheets for the team.
Team Name: Northug’s a Chump
Submitted By: Zach Hudson
Coach: Mark Skildum
Justification
a unique blend of Monster fueled insanity and motivational brilliance.
Striker: The Sausage
Justification
Perfect Target Man would be strong on the ball, also intimidating.
Left Wing: Odd-Bjorn Hjelmeset
Justification
Ask errant wax techs how he likes it when people get in his way
Right Wing: Freeman
Justification
All those heinous OD’s mean he can put in the running a la Dirk Kuyt
Stopper: Axel Teichmann
Justification
The man’s name is Axel what other Justification is needed
Left Midfielder: Ola Vigen Hattestad
Justification
All that speed has to have a place somewhere on the pitch
Right Midfielder: Torin Koos
Justification
deserves to be on a team somewhere
Sweeper: Teodor Peterson
Justification
He sure swept Brian Gregg away at the World Cup Final
Center Back: Sodo
Justification
I can’t leave him out, he’s the man
Left Back: Sten Fjeldheim
Justification
You always want experience and wit at the back
Right Back: Vincent Vittoz
Justification
Provides some trademark French guile, plus I imagine he’d be adept at drawing fouls
Goalie: Marty Hall
Justification
Because every team needs a crusty veteran shouting confusing encouragement
Team Name: Demongster Detonation
Submitted By: Isiah
Coach: Thomas Alsgaard
Justification
because it’s what he’s doing in “retirement”
Striker: Andy Newell
Justification
Fast and agile, as long as he doesn’t crash out he should score some points.
Left Wing: Simi Hamilton
Justification
has experience filling in for Andy at a big event
Right Wing: Johan Olsson
Justification
will probably remain in front of Petter until the end when Petter surges and scores the game winning goal. proof http://www.statisticalskier.com/?paged=2
Stopper: Garrot Kuzzy
Justification
http://www.johnnyklister.com/post/356224355/garrott-kuzzy-gets-in-fist-fight-with-olympic-selection nuff said
Left Midfielder: Billy Demong
Justification
because he’s the man
Right Midfielder: Petter Northug
Justification
good at everything, exactly what a midfielder should be
Sweeper: Oystein Petterson
Justification
Sweepers need to be big, hence “the sausage”
Center Back: Axel Teichmann
Justification
besides the awesome facial hair which provides the intimidation factor, his name is Axel which is like a car axle, which if you’ve ever run over a chicken you know they f shit up
Left Back: Christian Zorzi
Justification
starting to get a little old – here he wont have to run too much, perfect for a sprint specialist
Right Back: Marcus Hellner
Justification
used to being behind Northug
Goalie: Tobias Angerer
Justification
so he can collaborate on more gloves
Team Name: Nub Dusters
Submitted By: Erick Anderson
Coach: Simi Hamilton
Justification
Yeah this kid trains for skiing…but not that hard…pure talent, get him on the field anywhere..actually not, U.S. Skiing has slim pickins as it is for potential medal winners well put him on the sideline so he doesn’t get hurt, maybe he can come in and take a penalty kick or something
Striker: Emil Jonnson
Justification
I once heard that strikers had to be crazy, fast, and athletic…check check and check
Left Wing: Emile Johnson
Justification
A skier that can run and kick a ball?? Can we make him our captain and coach too?
Right Wing: Andy Newell
Justification
Never met the man, but anyone who can sprint on the world cup circuit as well as skateboard and rip back flips on nordic skis and mud in a huge truck I am sure could hack it on this team
Stopper: Axel Teichman
Justification
Axel Teichman….who is gonna mess with Axel Teichman really? Enough said
Left Midfielder: Morgan Arritola
Justification
Think she used to play soccer…and lets be honest how good can a bunch of men nordic skiers really be??? Bend it like Beckham??
Right Midfielder: Giorgia Di Centa
Justification
Could we really have a team without at least one scrappy Italian on it…hopefully they would let these guys play with the pom pom hats still too.
Sweeper: Sylvan Ellefson
Justification
A nordic skier that can run, and kick the ball at the same time, put him on the field anywhere
Center Back: Petra Majdic
Justification
Anyone who can fall off of a course into a crevasse, break her ribs and still win a medal in the olympics is tough enough to stand people up on defense for this team…
Left Back: Marit Bjorgen
Justification
I once saw a creepy video of marit Bjorgen lifting a anchor up and down, and then flexing for the camera…with that said dont think she will be muscled off the ball…and I dont think she will get tired either
Right Back: Odd Bjorn Hjelmeset
Justification
There is NO chance this guy is good at soccer, he was on the Norwegian cross country running team too for a bit i think. That being said, hes definitely the man and gives our team way more street cred…anyways petra majdic and marit bjorgen got the D covered anyways
Goalie: Ole Einar Bjorndahlen
Justification
Our single biathlete of the team…figure we can just stand him there with a gun and the intimidation factor will take care of the rest
Team Name: Team Norway / USA Combo
Submitted By: R.O.
Coach: Bjoern Dahlie
Justification
Take the historically best skiers and the historically worst soccer players and put on a team
Striker: The Sausage
Justification
What’s his cele like?
Left Wing: Petter Northug
Justification
Well, he does win a lot.
Right Wing:
Petter Northug
Justification
What, you don’t think he’s not boss enough to cover both sides?
Stopper: Petter Northug
Justification
I might just be over-hyping him, but after the South Africans see him play, they will put his picture on their bread.
Left Midfielder: Marcus Hellner
Justification
I don’t know how their going to work on the same team, or even how he is going to join Team Norway, but he does add a touch of class to this team.
Right Midfielder: Justin Freeman
Justification
Midfield takes running right?
Sweeper: Petter Northug
Justification
He tends to clean up.
Center Back: Andrew Newell
Justification
He’s been trying to reach the center (of the podium)for a while now, it might be the back, but hey…
Left Back: Simi Hamilton
Justification
Kid has potential, just want to have Andy there in case.
Right Back: Lars Flora
Justification
Got to balance old with new
Goalie: Petter Northug
Justification
You probably know why
![madshus logo large](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2012/11/madshus.png")
![Birkie Contest](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/11/1.jpg")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2010/10/ctc-freeman-76601.jpg" "Kris Freeman")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2010/06/soccer-ball-title.jpg" "World Cup Soccer Nordic Ski Fantasy Challenge")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2010/03/THE-LUNGE.jpg" "At the line")
