Spain have let me down once again, and an aging French team fluke a result with a bad bit of sportsmanship from Thierry Henry when he feigns injury to steal the free kick that results in the second goal. (Does that qualify as footballing karma for that racist comment from Aragones?)
No real surprises in the final eight - no, not even the Ukraine - and I still have an empty feeling from that cheat Grosso conjuring a penalty out of nothing for Italy against the Aussies. England are one broken (Rooney) bone away from coming away from the World Cup with nothing and Brazil, in my opinion, have failed to impress. Klose has been wonderful but Germany lack the elan to win the World Cup - or rather I don't want them to win the World Cup - but I do get a kick out of Klinsmann and his mate on the bench going apeshit, in a very unmanagerlike fashion, every time Germany scores, though I would have a word in his ear about the choice of wardrobe. Whose he taking his fashion tips from: Walter Matthau in 'Bad News Bears'? It seems you can take the German coach out of seventies California, but you can't take seventies California . . .
It's not been a classic World Cup, and what with the bad gamesmanship and England stumbling their way through their games it's a bit too reminiscent of the 1990 World Cup for my liking, but there is still time for the tournament to spark into life and though I'm still not convinced that Brazil is the sure thing everyone says they are, I still have issues with the idea of Argentina winning the tournament. They were wonderful against Serbia and Montenegro, but I've still to get my head around the idea that a bloke who is the spitting image of Garth Stubbs from Birds of a Feather could be the breakout star of this year's World Cup. I bet the marketing bods at Fifa are pleased at that very thought.
2 comments:
Oh dear, oh dear. Time to start tipping Ludo, perhaps?
Don't worry, I know a certain bunch who will still be singing "Football's Coming Home" when Badiel and Skinner are using zimmerframes!
Unless, of course, Theo Walcott comes on and surprises everybody and Sven picks a decent formation.
All that is fantasy; pretty much like England retaining the Rugby World Cup in Paris next year! ;P
Money still on Germany - although Brazil have been magicking up lately.
My outside sneaky suggestion is Portugal - they played like demons against holland, and I reckon their B-Team (since all their players got cardded) will stuff England - Brazil portugal semi-Final would be a joy to see.
Best guess, Brazil Germany for the final.
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