Dem Blues

Now, this boy may have the worst teeth in the tournament but, he played a hell of a game and perhaps single handedly brought about the inevitable Spanish demise. I thought the Spaniards would go out in the next round having enough talent to dismiss the French aging aristos, hey, my bad... looks like they had one game left in them and I believe this was it. They are playing like ex champs though and you have to give the French begrudging credit for putting on a great display against the most consistently 'bloody awful in a big game team' in history. What is it with the Spanish... ? I loved this team they put on the field, from Puyol, Fabrigas to Raul and Torres, they looked like world beaters. Too Bad. The French will be euthanized against Brazil and rightly so. So we are down to eight. My final four... Germany, Italy, England and Brazil... for all the naysayers out there... every one of these teams will deserve to be there.

Just As An Aside

The nuclear deal with India always had the smell of a failing second term policy initiative hanging around, over and under it. It was a lightweight, almost second rate, decision by what amounts to an administration devoid of foreign policy savvy. They pissed off most of the planet and had to make it look like they had friends somewhere, anywhere... even India. The Indians for their part played us like a fiddle and got everything they desired without having to give up a damn thing. Now, not even reported in the American media we find this. I'm appalled that a democrat even thought this worthy of debate... must be some rather large 'pork' at stake. Please, somebody tell these fatuous assholes that a nuclear deal with India, a country that has not signed on to the NPT, was a political stunt and not even this administration, Cheney withstanding - he just loves to go against the flow don't he - believes this has any legs whatsoever. It was a stunt and a bad one at that... why is anyone voting for it. Shhhheeeesssh!

The Debate

Another unconvincing victory for England...? I think so, but there is a caveat. This England team has not had to stretch it's legs yet and that is reason for hope. Let's look at England so far... in the group stages England faced a tactically challenged Paraguay, they won unconvincingly but pretty much did all they had to, first game... just win. Game 2... T & T were a difficult team, they were obviously bouyed by their draw against Sweden and came in smelling another big scalp, England controlled them and eventually beat them 2-0. Was it a good game for England? No, but it didn't have to be, they suffocated T & T, kept a clean sheet and through the three points advanced. Game 3 against Sweden, England probably played their best soccer of the tournament so far in the first half. It was a statement to a scrappy, overacheiving Sweden side that we can beat you but you will not beat us. The second half England cruised, the Swedes got back into it but never really looked like beating England. The Ecuador game was a debacle, Ecuador were a joke and looked like a team of fricking amateurs. England were never seriously threatened except for the attempt on goal so brilliantly denied by Ashley Cole, but they played with one up front and therefore limited their own chances against a side they should have clobbered. So, apart from the second half of the Sweden game this England side has not been tested, they have not had to raise their game. The next round will be different and hopefully with the increase in pressure England will increase their intensity, it is my belief that they will... England will beat Portugal. As for Beckham, enough already, we live in an era of specialist players and Beckham is perhaps, arguably, the ultimate specialist, do I want him in my team, a team where pace, work-rate and a direct approach to goal are the keys to success, you're damn right I do. When all else fails, I want the best set piece finisher in the business, his name is David Beckham.

It's only a game

The only African representative in the last 16... hhhmmm! I thought the game was developing incrementally on the continent? I have noticed a marked difference in how the African nations are now and how they were oh, say 12 years ago, the swashbuckling style has been replaced by a more controlled possession game... it may be an evolution for African soccer but all that style acheives is that you become easier to beat for the European and South American teams who have been playing that game for over half a century. It is something they are used to and can tactically break it down if the opposing team has inferior manpower. I think that is one of the issues for Africa to overcome, do they play us at our game and be suseptable to superior players or return to their old style where practically anything could happen at any given time any where on the pitch. It's hard to counter that as European and South American sides found to their dismay. Another problem is that there are now so many African players playing for European clubs who, I am sure, curb their enthusiasm and impetuousness. Shame really, I liked some of those old African sides, not because of some condescending Western European geshtalt, but because I liked to watch a game break open and see great players forced to be great by an opposition who didn't care two hoots if your name was Zico, Maldini, Plattini or Gascoine, they came here to play football... Africa style!!! I think Ghana will have a terrible time against Brazil who are starting to rev the engine. As for the rest of the draw, only England face South American opposition... I'll admit, I'm uncomfortable with this draw, I don't like teams that are willing to lose 3-0 just to rest some of their players, it shows a lack of ambition and smugness, I'll pick England to win but I think it will be a bloodbath. Sweden v Germany, too Northern European for my taste... Germany wins, what a shocker. I think both Portugal and Italy will get through but if there is an upset Italy v Australia could be the one. Spain v France could be another bloodbath with Spain edging it. Switzerland v Ukraine... watch it, through sheer dumb luck it may be the game of the round - ohhh! Ukraine wins it. There that's it we will be down to eight.

All The Usual Cliches Apply

Crikey Bruce!!!! You'd think the guy had just scored the most important goal in Austalian soccer history... or sumpthink! Got to hand it to the Antipodeans here though, cracking game... lots of goals, action, tension, drama. And why the eff not, this is a pretty good Aussie club with lots of talent and that irrepressible Aussie cockiness, they deserved the draw, against an embarrased Croatian outfit and a birth in the final sixteen.... good on ya mates! Personally, I'm still smarting over my hapless Czechs, they were my sleeper team, my win-win, gosh darn it. I suppose I have to talk about the US Soccer Team, I'm sad to see them go and really thought they had a chance to carry on, it's an old maxim about golf I think... something about not being able to win a championship on Saturday but you sure can lose one. I think the US was done after Game 1, it's really hard to recover when you only have three games to play, especially at this level of competition, and when you lose game one, so convincingly, it's especially hard to recover. It is hard to believe that the US was caught so flat footed but I blame Arena, you have to have your team up for game 1, throw everything you have out there and be damned. I know I have championed caution in the first round, but every team threw their best eleven out there, if they had them, and played a strong game either offensively or defensively. I just don't think that, against the Czechs, we had our best eleven out there and for that I blame Arena, I still think the lad from New England should have been selected, I like his game and he is a proven goalscorer with enough experience for this level of competition. I probably would have taken Adu as well, blooded him, if he is the future... then let it be now. So we've got some games coming up... Argentina v Netherlands is a classic in waiting. I'll pick my last eight tomorrow... stay tuned!

How The Crouch Stole Christmas

Despite their best efforts England could only manage a draw against the yellow peril that is Sweden. England allowed what is for the most part a mediocre team room to play in the second half after making Sweden look very average in the first session. Maybe England took their foot off the pedal a little... they only had to draw and apart from a five minute golden period in the second half Sweden never looked likely to actually beat England. Cole had a great game, the back four was fairly solid except from the brain freeze at the end which allowed Sweden the tie, it really should have been Robinson's ball, he really looked like a 26 year old on the play. The England midfield played allright, it wasn't really a midfield game what with eleven Englishmen on the field and half the Swedish team playing in the EPL, it kind of looked like a competitive football game you could catch on any given Saturday all over the playing fields of England. The Swedes tend to be pretty lucky against England, I think it might be a case of England never really taking the Swedes seriously which is easy to do considering they have never won a damn thing. As for my pet peave, the tall one is wasting someone elses air-space as far as I'm concerned. I think everyone was looking forward to Rooney and Owen and instead we got more of the inept Crouch on crutches show. The Swedes must have been very happy to see Owen go down so early, it pretty much gave the back four the night off, Crouch is so easy to mark and take out of a game that they never had to worry about penetration. You could almost see the England team make a concious effort to start taking long shots, Cole, Lampard even Rooney all joined the shoot from 30 yards club, I think they have no confidence in Crouch to either lay the ball off usefully or get a decent shot on goal, he was completely ineffectual in this game and Sven has to consider using someone else up front with Rooney or perhaps Owens injury is not as bad as it looked... here's hoping. If I have to watch Crouch through another 90 minutes I swear, my TV not make it through the game. Ecuador 0 - 3 Germany, I'm still not a believer as far as Germany goes but this was a nice result from a game I thought Germany might find very difficult. It seems a lot of the South American sides, Brazil withstanding, look great against inferior opposition only to be crushed by a competitive team. Germany are certainly competitive if just a tad young.

Weekly Rap

Merde.....!!! Those French huh? I really can't explain it... it's beyond credibility but the French really are awful. I like the Koreans, don't get me wrong, but France are showing what can happen to a team, full of star players and formidable and recently acquired reputation, when they have no heart, no imagination and no guts. Team USA on the other hand... showed that a team with a basic lack of imagination and no real tactical plan but tons of guts and heart can achieve the impossible despite all the referees efforts to deny them the deserved outcome. They were splendid and a joy to watch and what about the fans? That was perhaps the most rousing, awe inspiring rendition of the national anthem I have ever witnessed, considering where it took place and the USA's current political standing in the world, it actually made me feel good about the US again... loud and proud, well done fans! In the grand scheme of things, the World Cup is living up to it's billing. It has been thrilling so far with very few ho-hum games, a couple of yawners but for the most part excellent. The stadiums are full and the fans excited, there has been very little hooliganism - good - and little if no trouble in the stands. I thought the second round of games would sort out the men from the boys but some of the boys are just not willing to leave this world stage yet... you get a hard earned point, you sneak a win... suddenly you have a sniff. Speaking of sniffs, I wouldn't like to be Czech right now, my pick to win it all looked decidedly bland the other day and thoroughly deserved to be run over by a very plucky Ghana club. Spain are running roughshod over Tunisia right now after a veritably queezy first half, I still can't get my head around this Spanish side... so much talent, so likely to lose in the next round.

France... France... France

When the bloated, aging, French soccer aristocracy have forgotten how to play the beautiful game... it's time for a revolution mon amie. This was an awful performance from the French but since '98 what have they done? I'll tell you... not effing much. It is time for French soccer to move on from the legacy group and find a new identity, I like French soccer and think they deserve their place at the top table, but they have to start developing some fresh talent if they ever want to go further than the first round. Today's display was pretty dull. England starting to look better all the time eh? Brazil... take away all the circus crap and they look like a hard working blue collar team, this is the most unexciting Brazilian team I can remember, still, lots of hard work and effort, except for Ronaldo, will win you a few games. Czech republic are looking like favorites now, in my book... pace, skill, imagination they have it all, it really depends on Koller's injury, they are definitely less threatening without him in the line-up. The next round of games is going to be really interesting and I think all the armchair pundits will be selecting like crazy after this next round... me too!!!

Oh! Deary Me...

I must admit I didn't see the game, I really wanted to, just circumstances prevented me from being able to sit my ass down in front of the TV. Now, I personally expected a close game, I thought the Czechs would win but it would be close and the fact that the US would give a good account of themselves against the second best team in the world would propel them into a classic against the Azzurri. My Bad! Team USA didn't even turn up... I watched the highlights and frankly, they were effing awful. They seemed to have no strategy as to how to play your opening game in the World Cup, admittedly the Czechs were going to be a handful and will continue to be so throughout the tournament but, you have to have a effing game plan to counter these teams. Team USA had nothing... nothing I tell you, fricking Angola looked more organized. USA has some real talent and I mean that, real talent but, the talent has to show up... Landon Donovan is a liability, the guy is so inconsistent it boggles the mind and yet he is so lauded in this country, like he's the second coming of Pele or something. The guy has no instinct for the game at this level, he couldn't cut a German club team, so why do we expect so much from him in Germany '06? I still think Arena is over-rated, a good organizer but not a strategic thinker on a game by game basis...! Hey, I could be wrong!

Tag Drei

So the general opinion of the England win against Paraguay, especially from the Yankee pundits on ABC and ESPN Deux, is that they were boring and lacked imagination or any creative spark. This is from the same people, mind you, who called Sweden "The high scoring Swedes", I kid you not, Sweden have scored one goal in their last seven games...! As for England, they have performed no worse and no better than the other favored teams so far. Argentina had a nice first half but if Crespo is your number 9 forget it, I don't care how good Requelme is... Crespo is not the answer, the second half was more representative of how Argentina will perform in this World Cup, let's face it... unlike in past world cups they lack that creative cheat they really need to win a big game. Portugal looked OK today, but they do seem a little small, a big physical side with some smarts - unlike Angola - will give them fits. Having said all this, it is the first round of the group stage and a win is important as shown by the refusal of the bigger clubs - see Holland - to lose no matter how ugly they looked.

The World Cup is Everything but...

There happens to be all kinds of crap going on right now... prisoners commiting suicide at Gitmo, apparently in an attempt to create some good PR for the Taliban, thanks for that quote General Cretin. The Taliban meanwhile, good PR or not, have regrouped and are now considered by our military as an insurgent force. We got Zarqawi, good. His own people sold him out... bad. We've turned another corner in Iraq, good. That's now twelve corners since this administration started this mess, now if we were playing Monopoly, and we might be for all I know, we would have gone round the board three times and hit every piece of property on it... bad. Not even a get out of jail free card. Iran continues to toy with us like we were her effing bitch and Europe, yeah cheers, thanks a lot... fer nuttin. One classic quote on Atrios... Larry Johnson on the 'Bush Era' "I wish we were making all this crap up".... too funny, too sad! Hey, it's Sunday, go read a good newspaper. Learn something, or go on one of the blogs I have links to, they are informative and they care...?

England 1 - 0 Paraguay

Your classic World Cup opening match for England, nothing fancy, get the early lead and start poaching, sit back and see what happens. Not inspiring, I'll admit, but this is the world cup and to lose your opening game, well, it can be devastating. Now to my thoughts... Crouch was awful, always on the wrong side of his man and the ball, hence the gazzillion free kicks he gave away. He is not my favorite player and if truth be told I don't think he is a World Cup caliber player... he looks very naive out there, for a 6'-7" man to be consistantly out-jumped and out-thought by the Paraguayans, as good as their back four were, is a scandal. The English back four was solid, although I think Ashley Cole still lacks match fitness and any semblance of a brain, he practically gave the ball away every time he had possession and was nearly punished severely once. Gerrard played well and kept his composure, he is maturing into a very fine player. Lampard and Cole are just a dynamic combo in midfield and I see great things from both of them especially Lampard who just oozes class. As for the Paraguayans... not a bad outing, not very creative though for a South American team. I fancy them against Sweden who for all the world look like a team without a clue. The longer this match with T & T goes on the worse it will get for Sweden... at least that's what I think.

World Cup - Tag Eins

So Germany beat Costa Rica 4-2. This is an interesting score, not that Germany scored four goals but that they conceded two. This is Costa Rica after all, not exactly a powerhouse of world soccer, now they are there and you have to give them that, but Costa Rica are a third world soccer power and Germany should have beaten them perhaps by a score of 4-0. Germany going forward and scoring goals is OK, Klose is a nice player, not Gert Muller, or Klinsman but a nice player none the less. But to concede two goals to Costa Rica is a little worrisome. Fast and loose is not Germany's style and against a stronger opponent they will not have the room they had up front today which in turn will increase the pressure on the defence and, if they let in two against Costa Rica, I would be concerned. Now watching the Poland-Ecuador tilt, talk about contrasting styles... but this is what makes the World Cup so remarkable... Northern Europe against South America, Africa against Asia, wow... Two-Nil Ecuador, beautiful goal... beautiful game... gotta go watch the last ten minutes.