Guys and Balls (2004) - Männer wie wir

If Jurgen Klinsmann preferred ‘Guys and Balls’ (2004)

This German soccer movie, Guys and Balls, is predictable but very cute. Ecki, a small-town goalkeeper and baker, is kicked off his semi-pro team for being gay. In defiance, he organizes an all-gay team to play against his former team in their home stadium, resulting in a nice strike against homophobia.

The soccer is not authentic, but the player enthusiasm is. Maximilian Brückner, who plays Ecki the GK, looks quite a bit like San Jose Earthquakes’ Steven Lenhart when his hair is long.

By a #WomenDirector. This is the first movie review I wrote, so someday I must watch the movie again, then come back and edit this post.

Update Mar-11-2020: This isn’t the final update, but I just want to note that it took me years to realize that Ecki’s being a forward and working in his father’s bakery is really a reference to Jurgen Klinsmann’s background.

7 Soccer Movie Mom Rating = 7

Resources: