Sergio Koke's press conference is set for 2 p.m. today. You can watch the presser stream at this link here. But ahead of that, enjoy the tribute vid put together by his Aris fans (which are legion!) above as well as these other links about the Dynamo's new playmaker:
Chris Canetti, in his (somewhat) weekly Canetti's Corner blog, speaks about the Spaniard and the team here. My favorite line: "I think we have assembled a very competitive team with a lot of depth and options at all positions. It will be interesting to see how things develop over the season. Of our 27 players, 13 (48 percent) are new to the roster in 2011. Given this monumental change, I think it is even more positive that we have gotten off to as decent start. Through six games, you can see the team starting to gel as a group and individual roles becoming defined."
As Lynda Barry would say: Rat own Chris.
SB Nation's own Jordan Wise has requested a chant change from "He don't lie... KOH-KAYY!" to "He's alight... KO-KAYYY!" So in the spirit, here's the full lyrics I suggest. (For original, check here.)
He don't lie, he don't lie, he don't lie; Koke!!!!!
Check out Jose de Jesus Ortiz' story here. My favorite pieces from that story are this:
As Koke waited for his work visa to come through in Madrid since signing April 15, Kinnear got an unsolicited scouting report Saturday from Chicago Fire technical director Frank Klopas, a Greek-American who played professionally in Greece and follows that league.
"He was very complimentary of the player we got," Kinnear said of Klopas. "I have great respect for Frank and his opinion, and it adds to the excitement."
and this...
Although he hopes to one day return to play for Aris, where he was captain, Koke bought out his contract to take a shot at stardom here.
Koke could have remained with Aris, where he scored 30 goals over five seasons. Instead, he wanted to make a change from a club where he was the highest-paid player.
"I take all the responsibility," he said after getting his work visa in Madrid on Monday. "On my team I was the best-paid player, and that makes you fight more to give them what you have."
The 10-day wait added to his hunger.
"I'm very happy," he said. "After five years in Greece, I needed a change of air. I'm going with a lot of hope. I had a desire to change things, but it's been sad. They've given me everything with Aris. I felt great with the fans. We had a mutual love for each other. But when you want a change of scenery, you have to go."
And even better, today's is Koke's birthday. This story just keeps getting better and better.