World Cup thoughts

Two whole days without World Cup football was bad enough. But two days without any meaningful sport is just terrible. Wimbledon looks bogus and the ODI between England and Sri Lanka was a foregone conclusion. I nearly watched golf and even contemplated a spot of baseball. Argh. Thank goodness for Discovery Channel. (Did you know all these years I have been confusing Nefertari and Nefertiti – in short I did not realise that they were two different people. It always used to bug me because how the hell did the principle wife of Akhenaten and mother-in-law of the Tutankhamun become the principal wife of Ramesses the Great? Duh, because they were two different people duh! I can not believe I have been living in ignorance all these years).

Anyway here are random thoughts on the World Cup.

Well done Ghana, but (there always is a “but” isn’t there) who the hell decided to play a high line of defence against the Brazilians? If a fat Ronaldo can break your off side trap it was time for plan B.

Somebody anybody please beat the Italians. These thugs can not be allowed to win. Beating Ghana dubiously, punching the lights out of the Americans and diving to win against the Australians, this team needs to go!

One Croatian guy was booked three times in one match but are referees allowed to book Brazilians? If they are, did they the referee in the Ghana – Brazil game get the memo?

It really irritates me when players celebrate after winning a penalty. You still have to take the penalty and score mate. Celebrate after you score the penalty not before.

It really really really irritates me when players look away or can not look when one of their team mates is going to take a crucial penalty. How chicken is that? How weak is that? Stand there and watch, watch as he walks up, watch as he places the ball down, watch as he takes his run up and watch as he scores or misses. I don’t care if you are the goalkeeper at the other end of the pitch. Watch. The one person who should be feeling nervous and pressure is the penalty taker. Not you, you no-watching weakling. I think I get this from playing rugby and leading a rugby team. In a rugby huddle before a game when the whole team clasps shoulders in a tight circle we were taught to look each other in the eye. Look every single member of your team in the eye. In turn. You look at you team mates in the eye one by one and you communicate that we are in this together, I will not let you down and you better not let me down, but either way win or lose we are in this together all the way. You never see rugby players turning away at a crucial conversion or penalty kick. Maybe football players need to start staring at each other stone face right in the eye before their matches.

I miss the Cameroon girls.

The goalkeepers were right this World Cup football flies around like a volleyball.

It is brilliant to see the German public display their pride in their flag and celebrating their country.

My nightmare has become reality. We have a quarter final line up of 6 UEFA teams plus Argentina and Brazil. The rest of the world need not apply.

Spain are muppets. They drop the over rated Raul and they play the best football of the tournament. They restore Raul to the starting line and they crash out. Muppets. How the hell do you replace an Anfield legend with Raul. Muppets.

Just how good or bad is England. It is driving me nuts. They play badly and win. Does that make them good or bad? At least Big Phil will make sure they get a proper test.

Now that Ronaldo has his record will the rest of the Brazilian team still be happy with him keeping his starting spot on the team?

And so on and so forth …