Celebrity Star Picture: Men in Shorts : : Anne McAllister

It’s that time of the summer again – that time of the summer every four years, that is. I know you who live in enlightened areas of the world get to see more soccer/football than you probably ever want to see. But for those of us who live in the US, this is the summer we look forward to.

Yes, we have MLS soccer, and yes, our sons and daughters play AYSO soccer, and yes, even high schools, colleges and universities are getting in on the act at last. But it’s not the same.

Nothing is the same as watching the World Cup.

I got seriously hooked when I spent most of a summer in Europe 20 years ago. It seems like yesterday – except the kids I was traveling with now have kids of their own. But I still look forward to it because, oddly, it’s the only time I get to watch soccer in the US (that I’ve found) where the cameras stay back far enough to watch the action.

Of course the cameras still give us close-ups now and then, but not the way they do in MLS soccer, where you can’t ever tell what’s going on but you can tell which players shaved that morning.

So I like watching the World Cup for the action. But I also, admittedly, like it for the men.

I can’t help it. I like watching fit, agile men run and run and run. I almost considered putting up a half dozen photos of soccer players’ legs here on the blog because they are, simply, worth ogling.

But so are the men themselves.

I am used to seeing American baseball players or football (American version) or hockey players. There are occasionally ones worth a second glance. But not nearly as many as there are in every World Cup match.

There are the ones who get all the press like David Beckham (not in this year’s tournament but certainly still a part of soccer lore) and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo who is gracing this month’s cover of the UK edition of Vanity Fair along with Ivory Coast football star, Didier Drogba.

Lots of ogle-worthy gents in this issue besides Didier and Cristiano. But also lots they left out.

It’s hard to remember them all. Just yesterday as I watched Uruguay play South Africa, Diego Forlan crossed my radar. I’ll be keeping an eye on him.

While I wasn’t looking the USA provided Heath Pearce and Benny Feilhaber to go with Carlos Bocanegra.

I’m looking forward to another glimpse on Friday.

In the meantime I had Spaniards Cesc Fabregas and Iker Casillas to entertain me Wednesday.

And I have France’s Yoann Gourcuff on Thursday. There’s no end (well, until July 11) of my enjoyment.

Are you watching the World Cup? Got a favorite player? If not a soccer player, pass on your favorites from other sports. From the comments, I’ll pick a winner to receive a copy of my very own soccer book, a Harlequin Presents called McGillivray’s Mistress.