This is England v Slovenia
Them Damn Yankies v Algeria
D-Day. Or some other crass war metaphor which I'm sure the Daily Scum used in a headline this morning. Sky Sports News were talking about the team showing 'a Dunkirk spirit.' You do realise, gentlemen, that we actually got beat at that one? Milner and Rooney were the only two players not to sing during the national anthem. Good on 'em. Because it's a despicable, racist, tub-thumping piece of jingoistic xenophobia from another age that should have been consigned to the dustbin of history a century ago or more. 'Have you got it right, Fabio?' asked Guy Mowbray.
Mark Lawrenson, meanwhile, was having a go at his turning his droll-chap-down-the-pub act into genuine piece of conceptual art. After a particularly rash Glen Johnson tackle, he noted 'you know you're in trouble when Wayne Rooney's telling you to calm down!' He also, seemingly, invented a new phrase, describing something as 'a rinky-dink pass.' He wasn't alone, either. Shearer was also rewriting the dictionary, with the tongue-twisting 'tufficult!' Personally, I spent the afternoon watching the game at a friend's gaff (with a pizza, which was nice) and we both agreed that, glory be, England actually did get it right. Pace, direction, a bit of passion. England were a thousand times better than they were in the last match. They still weren't great, admittedly, but they played like they actually meant it. Like they wanted it. All of the things, in fact, that the French didn't do last night. They only won 1-0, thanks to a Jermain Defoe goal from a superb James Milner cross. They had a goal disallowed, Rooney hit the post, Gerrard and Lampard (both of whom played as well as they have for England for, probably four years at least) brought good saves out of the impressive Slovenian keeper. Slovenia seldom threatened and, on the two occasions when they did, a combination of Terry, Johnson and Upson (who, in particular, was terrific) kept them at arms length. In truth, David James never really had a shot worthy of note to save.
So, England - with a modicum of relative ease - moved into the next round. And, right up until the last minute, it appeared that the Slovenly Slovenians would be joining them. That was, until a goal from Landon Donovan gave America a win which meant they topped the group. The US were on the brink of going out of the competition when Donovan followed up a save from Raid Ouheb M'bolhi during injury time to smash the ball into the old onion bag. Until that moment it had been a tale of inspired saves from M'bolhi, poor American finishing and a lineman's error, which denied Clint Eastwood (or someone) a goal in the first half. But Donovan's late intervention delivered a deserved victory, which pushed England into second place in Group C on goals scored.
Some people will, of course, be disappointed by that, and with a potential second round tie with Ze Chermans. But, to be honest, I'm not. I've been a bit too concerned about this 'easy route the the final' nonsense that's been going on. Almost as soon as the draw was made people were out with their slide-rules saying 'all we've got to do is win the group and we avoid X, Y and Z and then it's us against Brazil in the final.' As anybody with half-a-brain in their head knows, there's a bit more too it than that. If you want to win the World Cup you've got to play, and beat, the best. England, at least, have the chance to do that. The World Cup, for England, starts here. For a few hours, at any rate, I'm pretty happy!
Herman The German v Whatcha Ghana Do?
Orrstraylya v Serbia
In the 1938 World Cup, played in France, the Italian team were whistled for their entire first game, a meeting with Norway in Marseille, by anti-fascist expats. When the quarter-final came around and Italy met France, the French suggested to Vittorio Pozzo that his team should wear red shirts. Italy instead chose to wear black shirts in honour of their fascist regime and in spite an infuriated crowd, won the game 3-1 and advanced to the semi-final. In 2010, in a game against Ghana, Ze Chermans wore all black. I'm just saying ...
Anyway, the first half of Germany v Ghana might, just, be my favourite forty five minutes of the tournament so far.
Two teams, very different in their own ways but with one remarkable similarity - really good coming forward, a bit dodgy at the back. It was terrific, a proper game of football. From the thirty seconds I saw of the Serbs and the Aussies on ITV4, that looked not bad either. In Jo'burg, Ghana were playing terrific, neat and intricate with their passing. Asamoah Gyan missed a couple of sitters at one end, but only the agility of Richard Kingson kept Ozil out at the other. And, then there was 'the war of Lahm's arm.' Which we speak of no more.
The second half was pretty decent too. Ze Chermans took the lead thanks to the nippy Ozil.
Meanwhile, over in Nelspruit, the Socceroos were going crazy ape-shit bonkers with a drill and sex) and scored twice inside four minutes (Cahill and Holman) as the Serbs capitulated faster than a war crimes trial at the Hague. The Serbians scored. Then they had a potential equaliser disallowed. And, meanwhile, Ze Chermans were recovering their composure, remembering only to smile at all of those silly billys who'd written them off and strolled, confidently, towards the second round. Where Ghana will join them. And, that's probably a good thing.
Goals: 83
Red Cards: 12
Them Damn Yankies v Algeria
D-Day. Or some other crass war metaphor which I'm sure the Daily Scum used in a headline this morning. Sky Sports News were talking about the team showing 'a Dunkirk spirit.' You do realise, gentlemen, that we actually got beat at that one? Milner and Rooney were the only two players not to sing during the national anthem. Good on 'em. Because it's a despicable, racist, tub-thumping piece of jingoistic xenophobia from another age that should have been consigned to the dustbin of history a century ago or more. 'Have you got it right, Fabio?' asked Guy Mowbray.
Mark Lawrenson, meanwhile, was having a go at his turning his droll-chap-down-the-pub act into genuine piece of conceptual art. After a particularly rash Glen Johnson tackle, he noted 'you know you're in trouble when Wayne Rooney's telling you to calm down!' He also, seemingly, invented a new phrase, describing something as 'a rinky-dink pass.' He wasn't alone, either. Shearer was also rewriting the dictionary, with the tongue-twisting 'tufficult!' Personally, I spent the afternoon watching the game at a friend's gaff (with a pizza, which was nice) and we both agreed that, glory be, England actually did get it right. Pace, direction, a bit of passion. England were a thousand times better than they were in the last match. They still weren't great, admittedly, but they played like they actually meant it. Like they wanted it. All of the things, in fact, that the French didn't do last night. They only won 1-0, thanks to a Jermain Defoe goal from a superb James Milner cross. They had a goal disallowed, Rooney hit the post, Gerrard and Lampard (both of whom played as well as they have for England for, probably four years at least) brought good saves out of the impressive Slovenian keeper. Slovenia seldom threatened and, on the two occasions when they did, a combination of Terry, Johnson and Upson (who, in particular, was terrific) kept them at arms length. In truth, David James never really had a shot worthy of note to save.So, England - with a modicum of relative ease - moved into the next round. And, right up until the last minute, it appeared that the Slovenly Slovenians would be joining them. That was, until a goal from Landon Donovan gave America a win which meant they topped the group. The US were on the brink of going out of the competition when Donovan followed up a save from Raid Ouheb M'bolhi during injury time to smash the ball into the old onion bag. Until that moment it had been a tale of inspired saves from M'bolhi, poor American finishing and a lineman's error, which denied Clint Eastwood (or someone) a goal in the first half. But Donovan's late intervention delivered a deserved victory, which pushed England into second place in Group C on goals scored.
Some people will, of course, be disappointed by that, and with a potential second round tie with Ze Chermans. But, to be honest, I'm not. I've been a bit too concerned about this 'easy route the the final' nonsense that's been going on. Almost as soon as the draw was made people were out with their slide-rules saying 'all we've got to do is win the group and we avoid X, Y and Z and then it's us against Brazil in the final.' As anybody with half-a-brain in their head knows, there's a bit more too it than that. If you want to win the World Cup you've got to play, and beat, the best. England, at least, have the chance to do that. The World Cup, for England, starts here. For a few hours, at any rate, I'm pretty happy!Herman The German v Whatcha Ghana Do?
Orrstraylya v Serbia
In the 1938 World Cup, played in France, the Italian team were whistled for their entire first game, a meeting with Norway in Marseille, by anti-fascist expats. When the quarter-final came around and Italy met France, the French suggested to Vittorio Pozzo that his team should wear red shirts. Italy instead chose to wear black shirts in honour of their fascist regime and in spite an infuriated crowd, won the game 3-1 and advanced to the semi-final. In 2010, in a game against Ghana, Ze Chermans wore all black. I'm just saying ...
Anyway, the first half of Germany v Ghana might, just, be my favourite forty five minutes of the tournament so far.
Two teams, very different in their own ways but with one remarkable similarity - really good coming forward, a bit dodgy at the back. It was terrific, a proper game of football. From the thirty seconds I saw of the Serbs and the Aussies on ITV4, that looked not bad either. In Jo'burg, Ghana were playing terrific, neat and intricate with their passing. Asamoah Gyan missed a couple of sitters at one end, but only the agility of Richard Kingson kept Ozil out at the other. And, then there was 'the war of Lahm's arm.' Which we speak of no more.The second half was pretty decent too. Ze Chermans took the lead thanks to the nippy Ozil.
Meanwhile, over in Nelspruit, the Socceroos were going crazy ape-shit bonkers with a drill and sex) and scored twice inside four minutes (Cahill and Holman) as the Serbs capitulated faster than a war crimes trial at the Hague. The Serbians scored. Then they had a potential equaliser disallowed. And, meanwhile, Ze Chermans were recovering their composure, remembering only to smile at all of those silly billys who'd written them off and strolled, confidently, towards the second round. Where Ghana will join them. And, that's probably a good thing.Goals: 83
Red Cards: 12
