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Quarters

Well the last couple of nights have been highly unnerving. Last night I had a normal evening in. The night before I took the missus out. All highly regular and not a marathon football-fest in sight. Luckily, normal service is resumed this evening.

As France and Germany played out the early part of their game I was on a boat drinking a few beers with a crowd of Germans. This was inevitably a very real threat to my immaculate 100% media silence record in the tournament to date. As the whoops and cheers rang across the deck, I knew of course that Germany had scored - and so it proved once I'd raced home and got the TiVo into action, Hummels glancing a very nice header, which of course sunk the French. I was disappointed with their efforts, their campaign ending in a whimper after such an explosive start. In truth the game was dull.

The entertainment was seemingly all saved for the late game, which I am watching now. Two South American teams doing what they do best - gung-ho attacking and blatant fouling. It really is carnage. Columbia, as I feared, look to be running out of luck against a Brazil team steadily growing in confidence. David Luiz has just walloped a free kick in to give Brazil a deserved 2 goal lead.

The game of the round tomorrow is Argentina vs Belgium, which is a huge game; and of course everyone assumes that Costa Rica will expire against Holland.

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