The name game

Enjoying a Euro 2012 telecast with a friend recently, we realized that among the things we like most about soccer are...the interesting names of the players.

One of the best German players currently, for example, is Bastian Schweinsteiger, which translates to "pig farmer." Another German national team player is Holger Badstuber, the meaning of which is unclear, but the sound of which is clearly cool. Mesut Ozil is a German star of Turkish descent whose nickname is Nemo, after the big-eyed Disney character.

A Real Madrid clubmate of Ozil is named Kaka, one of the top Brazilians in the game today. A compatriot of Kaka goes by the name Dudu, but let's not go there.

Some philosophy students may have been surprised to learn that it wasn't until early this year that Socrates passed away. That Socrates was a great Brazilian player. A Greek soccer player named Sokratis Papastathopoulos--try stitching that across the back of jersey--remains alive and well, however.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Spanish national team that will be defending its European championship against Italy this Sunday includes three players who go by a single name: Pedro, Xavi, and Juanfran. Not to be completely outdone by their Iberian neighbors, the Portuguese national team defeated by Spain in Wednesday's semi-final match had five players on the roster with single names: Nani, Custodio, Pepe, Eduardo, and Beto.

Is there a place in soccer for people in the world named Jones or Johnson? Well, yes, of course. The English national team that competed in this month's Euro 2012 championship had a Phil Jones and Glen Johnson on the squad.