The Three Dads World Cup Wonderland

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 attack...

Consecutive nights of extra time, coupled with the natural build up of the TV viewer's equivalent of lactic acid have meant that I'm feeling slightly fatigued at the moment. Don't get me wrong, the football is just brilliant, but even I am looking forward to the 2 day break later in the week, and again on Sunday and Monday. The tournament catches me out like this every time with group stages and round of 16 both being massively intense; followed by a short break and all of a suddenly it is all over. This second round has been brilliant. When I left you in the last blog post, Mexico were looking good and were robbed at the death by two late goals, first by Sneijder (with an absolute thunderbolt) and then a cajunas penalty from the greatest player who never reached proper fame, Jan-Klaas Hunterlaar. He is such a clinical and consistent centre forward - just gutted not to have seen him in the Premier League. Costa Rica then played Greece and amazingly made the Quarter Fina...

Last night's games really lived up to their billing. Brazil and Chile was a great game - both teams going at it, the threat of goals ever-present and the threat of red cards also seemingly high. Chile looked the better team on balance, but the home advantage seemed to lift Brazil and they always carried a threat. The theme of course; one which is endemic across the tournament, is that neither defence looked very strong. In the end, the width of the post denied Chile in the shoot-out, as had the crossbar in the final minute of extra time. A really crappy way to go out of the tournament, but they can be proud of their efforts. Few will be disappointed to see Brazil still in the tournament, as things always go a bit flat once the hosts bow out. I'll also enjoy those anthems carrying on. If anything sums up England's utter failure in big competitions of late, it is the passionless mumblings we do in the anthems, which sets the tone for the game afterwards. The second game o...

Right, this is where it all begins. Knock-out football. Win or die. And what a cracker to start - Chile and Brazil. Certainly a great way to get back "on it" after a day off yesterday. I found myself at the end of work getting myself ready for the habitual power-walk home to get on Tivo, only to realise I, for once, had no hurry. So with Germany, USA, Belgium and Algeria all tucked safely into the tournament proper, I toddled up to Birmingham to see family and have a night-off from the telly-box. All very nice, but my head is back in the game and after a truly rousing Brazilian anthem, I am going to switch off the laptop and watch the game.

Two great games today - a real South American affair. I really like Chile (and have money on them to get to the semi finals), but I was hoping they'd avoid Brazil at this stage. Almost an England v Germany mental block  - Brazil has beaten them every time they've met in the finals.  Think Chile will score, but a nervy (maybe even needing extra time) Brazil to win 2-1. As for the second game, 2-0 Colombia against the siege mentality of the Uruguayans. Feeling bad for the lunatic who likes to eat people doesn't detract from the fact they were undone by Costa. Rica when last without Chewy Luis. Liking the look of Colombia - could be a cracking quarter final vs Brazil

I made a classic World Cup faux-pas this morning, in an attempt to reassure and comfort an ever-patient wife that the purgatory (5 weeks of constant football) of the World Cup was easing. Me :  Good news love, tonight is the last night where there would be back-to-back fixtures of an evening! Wife : Oh, really?  That got me thinking Me :  hmm, I wonder if the round of 16 is in fact 2 games per night. Let me quickly check of the wallchart. Oh, yes sorry - actually the round of 16 is doubled up too, so that takes us to next Tuesday.. Wife : Riiight. Me : crap, maybe the Quarters are like that too? Let me check. Oh, ok. Sweetheart there's 2 x games on in the evenings right through until, and including Sat 5th July. Wife : You're an idiot.

Yet again I have managed to prove that my prediction powers are poor. I thought that in my neutral state of 'supporting football' rather than any particular team that my predictions for the tournament would be super accurate, unclouded by partisan-ship. So confident was I that I had a clever accumulator on the basis that I would get 7 of 8 group winners correct. By the time the third group finished (my first of 6 opportunities to lose the bet) I had lost the bet. I still have Argentina down to win; and either Giroud (often a sub for France) or Higuain (utterly overshadowed by the brilliant Messi) to be tournament top scorers. Since I last posted, Greece surprised me completely. Not just by winning their crunch match with Ivory Coast - but by doing so in seemingly cavalier style. They were raining shots in from all distances and seem to have had a genuine shift in style and attitude - one that reflects the overall feel of the tournament; which is that "defences are ...