The Three Dads World Cup Wonderland

Well, I step away for five days (or a time period that is now commonly referred to as an "English world cup campaign") I now look back on an eventful first week in Brazil. Goal of the week: Timmy Cahill's wonderful strike. A fine postscript on a great career. Messi's superlative injury time strike was so late that it qualifies (and will likely win) next week's competition. Team of the week: Germany. Complete destruction of an abject Portugal. Manager of the week: Jorge Sampaoli. Pure entertainment watching this guy walk about 10 miles a game in his technical area. Team isn't playing badly either.  Tease of the week: England actually playing decently against Italy....after we'd successfully come to terms with the fact that we were at best, average. Even though we lost, a whole nation's expectations were immediately raised.  Reality check of the week: Well, that didn't last long. BBC / ITV miss of the week: Homesickness aplent...

The return of football related joy coincided with the return of Stevie - and a humdinger of a return (on both fronts) it was too. As Stevie tapped out his Nicholson-esque replies and retorts to last weeks questions, France were busy slapping 5 (five) goals past my favourite Switzerland. I take back my criticism of the Swiss, since they served up a real treat (albeit through their total lack of ability to contain a rampant France). It didn't go unnoticed that the defensive frailty was down in part (well, largely in fact) due to the Titus-Bramble-like influence of Villa-bound Senderos. Certainly should be fun down at Villa Park next year. Then followed the most unruly game of footy I've seen for quite some time. Honduras and Ecuador played out the nearest thing to a playground match that I've seen for ages. Fouls all over the place, people all over the place, out of position, shooting from anywhere, seemingly eating lollies, all sorts. It was beyond comprehension and ...

Rather belatedly....here we go:  1 .How, how are USA ranked 13th in the World? I'll answer that one with a simple prophetic statement: England are ranked #10. Above France, Holland and Chile. Nothing further. 2.Any hopes for getting out of Group G (especially having seen Portugal self destruct)?  Well, I think there's some hope. 3pts bagged. The stars seem to be aligning that CR7 is either going to beat them on his own or sulk at having to play on a shitty team that aren't as good as him. I have to favour the latter right now. They then play Germany last game when you would think they  would already be through. So I think the answer is - more hope than a week ago (aka the inverse England effect)  3.Do Americans love Beckham, is his conquering of the States reported widely and positively like it is in the UK? Tricky one this. Definitely was embraced for his "soccer icon" status, but at the same time, soccer doesn't float everyone's boat over here....

I have to say, what a terrific tourney so far - it couldn't have gone any better for our heroes so far. 100% record! skillful and committed goals scored by our captain courageous (playing on with a broken nose and all) and an incredulous debutant, bodies on the line defending. And then our next opponents are on the brink of implosion - conceding 4, red cards, injuries.... Lovely stuff... What? Luis who? ...U. S. A! ....U. S. A!

Ok, come on chap. Be strong and face into the issue. I posted a full and frank match summary on facebook last night. It read: "Toss". Not sure if it is worth expanding on, but since I am sat watching England's feint hopes of staying in the competition fading slowly away (i.e Costa Rica one up on Italy) I may as well use the time efficiently. Where did it all go wrong? Well. First up was the fact that the two players everyone wanted to see sidelined, were in fact not sidelined. Suarez and Rooney. From the outset, it was clear that Uruguay would not be the off-colour outfit that they were in their opener. By contrast, England started nervously and had little rhythm. Rooney, looked off the pace (I should add that I was, and still am utterly torn, as to whether we'd be better without him in the team - but for the sake of not repeating the same errors in every tournament I ever watch, I'd side with the "if it is broken, fix it" camp.) Uruguay started ...

Right, where had I got to? Difficult to keep up as my days are blurring into one. Routine for the past 5 days has been exactly as follows (with no deviation on any day). Get up 6:20am. Watch the previous night's 11pm match as-live (avoiding social media whilst asleep is a breeze) Go to work 8:20am. Able to converse fully with all colleagues as no results to avoid Come home circa 6:15pm, watch 5pm K.O. on delayed play. Finish first game just in time to watch 8pm match live. Sleep at 10pm Repeat Since I last blogged, we've seen Cameroon being utterly battered by Croatia. Awful discipline and team ethic from Cameroon. This is the team who arrived late whilst haggling over win-bonuses (the irony of course being that they are yet to win). A needless first half sending off and then players fighting amongst themselves and generally being a million miles away from the happy-go-lucky team of '90. Now they look like a collection of overpaid, but average, players with atti...

This time difference (or lack thereof), combined with the fact I am not on surgery rehabilitation is killing me!  For the working gentleman, games at 12pm, 3pm and even 6pm are just not plain fair! (Try coming home to two toddlers that need to be fed, bathed and put to bed and using the line "errr, you know what to do boys, I'll be in the basement watching South Korea v Russia). I do feel further aggrieved when I think to the homeland, and as testing as those 11pm'ers are for Birchy, I hold little sympathy!  So, as a consequence, I'm missing a lot of footie, and the time to respond to Birchy's questions. (But I will, just be patient).  Which brings me to today .... The agony of today. I'm going complete radio silence, taping the game.... Somehow avoiding the constant ESPN showing in our common area at work, and the elevated interest in the average American (while still not quite getting it) - which means the risk of the hallway "you guys played a heck of a...

This evening is shaping up to be a goal of the tournament competition. Cahill hit the thunderbolt that had us oldsters shouting  "Van Basten", and the youngsters shouting "Van Persie", which got things started, with his stunning equaliser, Depay hit a screamer for Holland to win the match and now Chile have  scored a great team goal with 3 impossible short passes each finding the mark. These together with many others in the opening days (Messi's run and shot, Van Persie's superman header, Marchisio's slick strike) are adding to quite a juicy looking highlights reel. If Cahill had scored with his thunderbolt chest-shot that also would have been a contender. Wow. If Stevie C is going to get lured from the wilderness then surely Cahill's goal and performance will do the trick (he's a Toffees fan). It feels like things are really warming up tonight. Credit to Australia for putting in performance of the tournament (with bugger all to show from it). ...

The tournament is into full swing now, games relentlessly following one another. This means that the hazy memory of Iran's goalless draw with Nigeria quickly pass, and we get to move on to Clint Dempsey's first minute wonder goal for USA against Ghana. I actually enjoyed Iran v Nigeria, if only because of how Iran managed to be solid as well as adventurous, without actually having much to offer. But there's little more to add to that particular game. The USA game was great fun. Glorious opening from our Clint, and then we watched Ghana gradually take control of the game, waste chance after chance, equalise, relax, and then lose. Asamoah Gyan appears to have taken Benjamin Button tablets, looking 4 years younger than he did at the last tournament - maybe its the fact he shaved his shirt number onto the side of his head (on one side at least, the other side was just a bit of a scuffed bald patch). With Portugal looking a mess, that result could give USA a great chance to ...

Stevie will doubtless return to the fold soon, so a couple of questions to draw out his US perspective. How, how are USA ranked 13th in the World? Any hopes for getting out of Group G (especially having seen Portugal self destruct)? Do Americans love Beckham, is his conquering of the States reported widely and positively like it is in the UK? Do Americans care more about 'soccer', now that they are establishing themselves as regulars in the World Cup. They are all pretty serious questions - so a couple of others for balance. If the average US fan fought the average England fan, who would win Same question, but in relation to a drinking competition

Last night my World Cup survival plan fell gloriously into place. I had been weighing up options of how to motivate myself to stay awake for what is, in truth, a fairly uninspiring line up of 11pm kickoffs during this week. The night owls get rewarded with: Ghana vs USA Russia vs South Korea Cameroon vs Croatia Japan vs Greece Honduras vs Ecuador Even as a nut-job football fan I can see that this is a "purists selection" at best, and with the travails of work looming each morning, the prospect of just 5 or so hours sleep off the back of each of these is not a pleasant one. Luckily my state of enforced rehabilitation (after the exertions of Saturday) meant that I was physically unable to watch Argentina vs Bosnia & Herzegovina live. Instead (after watching the first goal), I formed the plan which will now form the routine. Watch the late game, recorded, at 6:30am. This opens up the glorious option to watch every match yet still achieve 8 hours sleep, and get...

One. That is the number of teams in this World Cup who I have no interest whatsoever in seeing play the beautiful game*. That is Switzerland. They have blighted virtually every tournament they have participated in with their coma-inducing brand of workmanlike but average football. Today was not much different. I had some hope that their opponents Ecuador would provide some entertainment, as they clearly have a bit of attacking flair thanks to the Valencia's. Valon Behrami (ugly Beckham) sums up Switzerland well though - and actually proves I am wrong not to give them at least some credit. His last ditch tackle and energetic burst at the end of the game turned a probable defeat into a glorious stoppage time victory; and although they do bore me, they were worth the win. With Honduras still to play, the Swiss now have an excellent chance to progress, where they will surely perish horribly at the hands of Argentina. *I should clarify. Though I say I "have no interest whatsoev...

I've watched football in 4 different locations this weekend. I've also drunk a lot of beer in the process. Highly entertaining it has been too. Now I am looking forward to a sober and restful evening, with Honduras v France and Argentina vs debutants Bosnia-Herzogovina (sp?).  Saturday started off with a re-union event, which was (obviously) arranged completely around football. Myself, Dunc, Ed, Simon and the Webbs met in the Old Moseley Arms, a pub located on a fairly terrifying back street in a less well to do part of the city. In that pub though was some quality ale, friendly staff and a mighty 80" telly. The barman was a little bemused by the necessity to watch Greece vs Columbia. The game itself confiirmed what we already knew in so much as Greece are poor. After that, a quick trip back to the place I was staying, a few more beers and the exciting Costa Rica vs Uruguay game, in which Uruguay failed to live up to the hype. Costa Rica came out 3-1 winners to send...