Well, out from behind a rock I come. Like Batman responding to the spotlight over Gotham, the sight of Alexi Lalas relaxing on ESPN's swanky new World Cup set spouting 'knowledge' of the beautiful game immediately triggered me into action.
A personal excitement for me is the returning punditry on this side of the pond of one Roberto Martinez. 4 years ago, I listened to this polite young man with light enthusiasm....now I find myself hanging onto every word from Bobby Brown Shoes. A supremely classy guy, just hoping for the "and Neymar is close to signing, which is phenonemal (Bobby's most used word - quite impressive for a Spanish native) "
Sooo, what have I missed so far (Brazil own goal aside)....
- Roy Hodgson in old man sunglasses
- An amazing lack of planning from team England organizing a friendly in Florida at 5pm in June and being surprised as a thunderstorm
- Scapegoating of a key England player (Rooney) before a ball is kicked in anger
- Overplayed bellowing for potential young player to start (Barkley)
Oh my, Neymar just scuffed a shot into the corner - 2 goals inside the first 30 minutes. That's my big hope for this summer's tournament.... attacking threat and lots of goals. That, and lots of goals for Mr Messi. There's a decent amount of pressure on him already, and I was happy to add to that with the weight of my own financial investment. Don't let me down Lionel.
Ok, let's relax and see if Big Phil's head explodes if Brazil score a second......
Rising to stevey's challenge here are my quarter final tips. My money has also been placed where my mouth is, so I could be a bit poorer by Saturday night. Holland v Brazil: I predict and upset, Holland to go through thanks to Sneijder's magnificence. Uruguay v Ghana: I think Ghana look Strong. Athletic. Talented. Hungry. That's enough buzzwords to guarantee a win. Spain v Paraguay: nearest thing that there could ever be to a "by" to the next round. Spain. So easy that even Torres might score. Germany v Argentina: Shock horror, this will see all four South American teams crashing out. Germany, with Deutsche Bundesbahn style efficiency will make England fans feel that little bit better by defeating Argentina.
Welcome back Stevey C!
ReplyDeleteStevie, sack the work and life admin. This is the World Cup and the next 4 weeks are your first priority. Everything else takes back seat. Good to have you two back opining. Cheers Ed
ReplyDelete