The referee's a ....

So it's World Cup Final day; the octopus has spoken (figuratively) and Spain are therefore destined to become World Champions for the first time...so now we don't have to worry about the outcome of the match, let's focus on the England team appearing today...for the first time since 1974, an English team of referees and linesmen will officiate the world's biggest sporting event.   Here's the interview they had a few days ago with FIFA.com

Howard Webb will become the first Englishman to step out at a FIFA World Cup™ Final since 1974 when he leads the Netherlands and Spain out in Soccer City. He sat down with his assistant referees, Mike Mullarkey and Darren Cann, and FIFA.com to discuss the challenge ahead and reflect on the importance of teamwork.

FIFA.com: How does it feel to follow in the footsteps of Jack Taylor, the last English referee of a FIFA World Cup Final 36 years ago?

Howard Webb: It is a really special honour. Jack is someone we look up to, he is a refereeing icon and has been a big supporter over the years so to be able to follow him is wonderful. I've just spoken to him on the phone, he has come over for the game so hopefully we'll have a chance to meet. Only 19 men have refereed this game so we feel very privileged to join this exclusive band.

Did you have any inkling you would get the Final before the appointment was made?

Our games went really smoothly, Darren and Mike did unbelievable work for me, and because of the way those games went we thought, 'we've got the chance of a latter stage game'. Other things need to fall into place, like your national team not progressing. We didn't want them to get knocked out but when they did, we realised it increased our chance. To hear our names actually mentioned at the meeting on Thursday was an unbelievable moment for us – we held hands tightly under the table. But the hard work is still to come.

The focus is on you, Howard, but it's clear you're very much a team.

One thing this tournament has demonstrated quite clearly is the importance of teamwork. The three officials taking charge of every game know that one mistake can cost the entire team and mean the end of your ambitions and we rely on each other. The experience we've been through, at the European Championship two years ago [where they went home early] and in domestic and Champions League football, and the World Cup experience here has made us into a really tight unit.

How do you prepare for refereeing a game that several billion people will be watching?

It is a huge game and the pinnacle of our careers but we need to prepare as normally as possible. The game will still last 90 minutes or maybe two hours, we'll still have 22 players and one ball. We will eat at the same time as normal, have some good rest like before a Champions League game, but what we will do is visit the stadium. We have been to Soccer City but only as spectators so we would like to walk the field of play the day before and visualise some situations that might happen. These guys will have a look on their touchline, on the surface and visualise themselves running the line. I'll walk the diagonal that I'll mainly patrol. We did this before the Champions League final and it just makes you comfortable in your surroundings.

What kind of team talk do you have before a game?

Darren Cann: Howard will give us our normal pre-match instructions usually on the morning of the game so we are fully focused. We are aware of the size of the game but have to almost treat it as though it's not the World Cup Final. If you thought about the many thousands of people at the game and billions watching on television you wouldn't be able to perform effectively.

Mike Mullarkey: We'll talk before the game about being the best we can be and having no regrets when we come off. With the radios, we give each other constant encouragement and support, saying things like 'great flag signal'. Although we are not involved in the immediate play all of the time, we are still involved in the game.

It's been an amazing 14 months – FA Cup final in May 2009, UEFA Champions League final in May and now the FIFA World Cup Final. How do you explain what you have achieved as group?

Refereeing is ups and downs and you need to keep your self-belief when things have not gone so well. It is also testament to our teamwork. You need good fortune as well. There are some really talented guys who've not been lucky here. The Champions League this year was the first chance we've had for some years because of the progress of English teams in the past. The fact the opportunity came around was good fortune but you have to take your opportunities when they come.

Will the experience of the Champions League final help you?

In terms of mental preparation, yes. The build-up was similar in terms of media attention and the messages you get from home. We will draw strength from having done that game so close to this one – it takes away some of the unknown factors. The fact we were able to perform under that sort of scrutiny, and that people were talking afterwards about the teams and not us, tells us we can do it again.

Are your families here?

My father came over for the first three weeks of the tournament, but actually went home last Tuesday. Like Mike's father, he had to fly back out on Thursday night.

Darren Cann: My father obviously had more confidence. He took a chance we might get to the final and he stayed. All three fathers will be sitting next to each other.

Finally, Howard, your wife told an interviewer that you can't control your kids, is this true?

She phoned me yesterday and said she was asked who wears the trousers at home – to be fair she is more of a disciplinarian at home, probably because I am away so much and when I go home I treat the kids and am very soft with them. She is the one who has to take control.

Source: Fifa

Sick as a parrot...literally!

So the third/fourth place play-off is on today, and did you know that the last 7 of these games have averaged more than 4 goals a game!? Maybe it is worth watching? And besides my pet octopus told me this morning that we're going to get a 5-4 thriller.

Now I don't know Miroslav Klose, but I bet he's distraught to miss out today. The 32-year-old international football German goal fiend needs only one goal to draw level with Ronaldo on 15 World Cup goals and become the joint leading all time scorer in World Cup final, and this was probably his last chance. Right now, he’s level on 14 with Gerd Muller, one ahead of Just Fontaine and two ahead of some dude called Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele.  But he has a bad back and a case of the flu, so he starts on the bench...let's see if he gets the chance...Germany get a penalty, will they sub him on??

Uruguay make two changes to the side beaten by the Netherlands as captain Diego Lugano recovers from a knee injury to replace Mauricio Victorino and, having served his suspensio, Luis Suarez comes in for Walter Gargano.  Diego Forlan will be trying to score a few to have a chance of getting his hands on the Golden Boot.

Germany ring the changes following their defeat at the hands of Spain as Miroslav Klose, who needs one goal to equal Ronaldo's all-time World Cup record of 15, drops to the bench alongside first-choice keeper Manuel Neuer, captain Philipp Lahm, Lukas Podolski and Piotr Trochowski.  Hans-Jorg Butt will play his first match for the German national team since 1 June 2003, ending a wait of seven years and 39 days.  Any chance of a Robert Green moment??

C'mon Uruguay!

Even in Arizona...

Eyes around the world were on Germany's octopus oracle Paul on Friday as he made his biggest prediction yet in the World Cup: Spain will beat the Netherlands in the final on Sunday.

The most surprising thing is that this even made the news here in Arizona... Read the article from our local news website...

Paul the Predicting Octopus

It's Golden Balls time - and I'm not talking Beckham

At every World Cup since 1982, FIFA has put together a shortlist from which accredited journalists choose the best player of the tournament.

The previous winners are:

1982 Spain: Paolo Rossi (Italy)

1986 Mexico: Diego Maradona (Argentina)

1990 Italy: Salvatore Schillaci (Italy)

1994 USA: Romario (Brazil)

1998 France: Ronaldo (Brazil

2002 Korea/Japan: Oliver Kahn (Germany)

2006 Germany: Zinedine Zidane (France)

This year's nominees for the adidas Golden Ball trophy are:

Diego Forlan (URU), Asamoah Gyan (GHA), Andres Iniesta (ESP), Lionel Messi (ARG), Mesut Oezil (GER), Arjen Robben (NED), Bastian Schweinsteiger (GER), Wesley Sneijder (NED), David Villa (ESP), Xavi (ESP)

I'm not sure what Messi is doing on that list; like the other 'world stars' Ronaldo and Rooney, I was underwhelmed by his performances, other than a few flashes of brilliance. But to make him one of the top 10 players of the tournament is bowing to his reputation not the reality of the tournanment I've been watching!  I think his spot should have gone to Thomas Mueller of Germany - 4 goals in 5 games (he was suspended for the semifinal defeat) for a young midfielder is more impressive than Lionel Messi's contribution.

My top 3:

Bronze - Thomas Mueller - Germany. His drive, energy and goals were the driving force behind Germany's surprise progess - his absence in the semifinal due to a poor refereeing decision in the QF was noticable as the German team lacked the spark of previous games.  

Silver - Diego Forlan - Uruguay - It was a shame Sir Alex let him leave Man Utd a few years ago; without doubt his country's MVP at the World Cup, Forlan was the main reason Uruguay surpassed all expectations. After some truly dreadful free-kicks by other long range 'specialists' at the tournament, Forlan has shown the world how to strike and get the best out of the Jubulani ball.

Gold - David Villa - Spain - I used to be a striker, so maybe I'm biased, but goals win games and Villa has scored 5 of Spain's 7 goals in the competition so far. 3 of his goals came in 1-0 wins, which has made him a match-winner on three occasions. Villa is also going head to head with Wesley Sneijder for the Golden Boot as the World Cup's top scorer, after winning a similar accolade in the Euro 2008 final. 

I would be interested to know your thoughts...

Goals per game update...

With just 2 games to go, the 2010 World Cup is on course to be one of the lowest scoring World Cup tournaments in history. And with Spain, the '1-0 Kings',  in the Final we could be relying on Germany and Uruguay scoring a bundle to keep 2010 out of last place.

3 goals would see the tournament match the lowest ever gpm ratio of Italia 90, while just 2 would see South Africa become the most goal shy World Cup ever.  To leap frog Germany 2006 in the table, the 4 remaining teams need to muster 9 goals between them in the Final and the 3/4th place game.

It's interesting that, barring a 20 goal miracle over the weekend, the last 3 World Cups will rank in the 4 lowest  scoring World Cup tournaments ever. Has international football become more defensive?  Have the differences in quality between the 'big and small' nations evened out?  Other than North Korea, there wasn't really a terrible team in this World Cup. Yes England, France and Italy underperformed, but I mean there were no 'minnows' just along for the experience. Look at the performances of Australia and New Zealand for example. Both had opportunities to get out of their groups...  

When it's all said and done, we'll revisit that discussion, but for now here's the stats table!

Average goals-per-match for each World Cup tournament:
5.385 : Switzerland 1954
4.667 : France 1938
4.118 : Italy 1934
4.000 : Brazil 1950
3.889 : Uruguay 1930
3.600 : Sweden 1958
2.969 : Mexico 1970
2.808 : Spain 1982
2.781 : Chile 1962
2.781 : England 1966
2.712 : United States 1994
2.684 : Argentina 1978
2.672 : France 1998
2.553 : West Germany 1974
2.538 : Mexico 1986
2.516 : Korea/Japan 2002
2.297 : Germany 2006
2.242 : South Africa 2010
2.212 : Italy 1990

Spain v Germany - The rematch of Euro 2008

The second semi-final is a rematch of the Euro 2008 final between Spain and Germany.

As England didn't qualify for that tournament I honestly didnt pay too much attention, so it was good to watch these brief highlights. I don't think the Spanish will be as dominant in today's game as they were 2 years ago... 

Germans - With just a touch of English!

The German national team coach Joachim Low has revealed that he picked the best bits of English, Spanish and Italian football to create Germany's impressive new style of free flowing counter attack football. I couldn't tell you which bit was the English influence as the Germans have yet to look inept, old, sluggish and passionless...maybe that all happened in the defeat to Serbia earlier in the competition - I didn't see that game.

Low said "I've seen a lot of international football, I have soaked it all up and taken away many aspects. In England the tempo is incredible and something to be emulated. In Spain, there is the free-flowing style, technique and skill and you can see that's something that is second nature to them, even to their youth teams."

"In Spain the game is not just played or worked at, but celebrated. It impresses me how easy it looks even though, of course, it isn't easy at all. I like combination passing football and that is what I work towards. Italy won the World Cup in 2006 with perfect defensive play but the game has moved on in the last four years. The teams in the final four have solid defences but you have to have a more than that, a more versatile style of play," Low added.

Interesting that tempo was the thing he highlighted from England - you might be able to win a world cup with good defence - Italy did - and you certainly can with free-flowing style, good technique and skill - just ask many a Brazil team in years gone by - but I don't think you could ever win a World Cup with good 'tempo'! Perhaps that is another reason why it could be another 44 years before England wins another World Cup!  

On Germany's chances of gaining revenge for their Euro 2008 final defeat to Spain in Wednesday's World Cup semi-final and then going on to meet the Dutch in the World Cup Final, Low said: "In 2008, there is no doubt that Spain were the best team at the tournament. They were also very good in the final. But now the situation is different. We too have a good team and we have every reason to believe that we can succeed."

What price a repeat then of the 1974 World Cup Final between Germany and Holland?  I can't make my mind up on picking a winner - sometimes I think that Germany can't possibly play as well again, but then I also think that Spain have yet to hit top gear and yet they are in the semi-final. Spain were my pre-tournament pick, so I'm going to stick with them...which has pretty much just guaranteed a German victory!  Although Paul the psychic octopus has also picked Spain, so maybe I'm onto something??

 

The 2 greatest World Cup semi-finals ever...

On the eve of the 2010 World Cup Semi-Finals, I thought you might enjoy watching some highlights of two of the greatest ever World Cup semi-final games, both involving Germany.  Hopefully this year's games will live up to these two as Uruguay v Netherlands and Germany v Spain take center stage. 

The first takes us back to Mexico in 1970 - The Azteca Stadium in Mexico City was the venue and 17 June 1970 the date as Italy and West Germany contested a tight affair for the opening 89 minutes, before drama was unleashed in the closing moments that carried on into extra time. Roberto Boninsegna put Italy ahead with eight minutes on the clock, only for Karl-Heinz Schnellinger to equalise deep into injury time, extra time was next...  

And back to a time when England had a team to believe in...

Celebrating my Independence!

So after a day off to enjoy July 4th yesterday, a thought came to mind that perhaps it's time for me to declare my independence from the England football team. 

I'm not the most fanatical of supporters by any means; I don't spend thousands travelling the world to watch these bums 'play'; I don't invest in tickets to watch them; in fact my biggest expense this World Cup was buying a few new England t-shirts to wear. So what have I lost? Nothing really, other than losing a few brain cells and minutes off my life from 'stress'!  But perhaps it's time to step aside for a while. 

England is in disarray - ageing 'stars' and little coming through the ranks of the country's best teams, thanks to the money available in the Premier League and the consequent lack of opportunity for England's young players to play.  10 years ago Germany was in a similar situation. They rearranged the  governance of the game in their contry, restructured the youth set-up and look how they've turned their fortunes around, with a young team that has made it (again) to the latter stages of a tournament and could go on to win it. The Bundesliga (the German league) is a good example of how a national team can benefit when young players get the chance to play and develop at home. 

The problem is that the Premier League is now too successful and there is too much money to be made. It is a juggernaut out of control, and unable to stop. But until the powers that be find a way to get some control back from the money men, the England team's fortunes won't change.

Italy is in a similar position. Inter Milan won the treble this year (Italian League, Cup and Champions League) without regularly fielding an Italian? They won the Champions League final without an Italian on the pitch.  And how did their team of ageing stars do?  Not much worse than England! 

Admittedly Italy were World Champions 4 years ago, but look how finances in football have changed in those 4 years. The most expensive transfer in history 4 years ago remained the 2001 move of Zidane from Juventus to Real Madrid for about £43 million; since then we've had  Kaka move to Madrid for £57m; Ibrahimovic to Barcelona for £61m and of course Ronaldo from Manchester United to Madrid for £80 million.  The fact that Spain have bucked this trend and done well at a national level despite an overpriced league is down to their core crop of excellent players - their golden generation that, unlike England's, has performed.  Also the money in Spain is limited to just a few teams - the Premier League remains the wealthiest across the board.

So, until the English FA sort their s&%t out, this is my declaration of independence because I too have certain unalienable rights, among which are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness - and the latter does not include watching England play football!   

So until that time when I can again have pride in my national team, I lower the flag and pledge my allegiance to baseball, basketball and all sports American! 

Well at least until the next qualifying campaign starts... ;)

The World Cup's most shocking moment ever!

I'm in Las Vegas, so I'm writing this a few days in advance and therefore I can't comment on the quarter-final scores just yet...

So in the interests of brevity and of keeping my promise of posting something every day of the tournament, I thought I'd remind you of the most shocking moment in World Cup History that happened just 4 years ago...

Argentina v Germany - Round 2!

Following on from yesterday's Mostly Balls post, here's clip of the Argentina v Germany brawl from 2006 - let's hope we see similar excitement on Saturday, it will make for an entertaining few hours for the neutral! Not that I'm neutral darling... (but we do have a German Shepherd!) 

Germans: Argentina have no respect...

Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger accused World Cup quarterfinals rival Argentina of showing no respect for opponents and referees, and urges his teammates not to be provoked.

Four years ago at the 2006 World Cup, the hosts Germany eliminated Argentina   on penalties (Germany in shock penalty shoot-out win!) at the same stage and there were chaotic scenes after the shootout, with both sides exchanging punches and kicks in a fracas that included team officials from both benches.

Now as an Englishman who has lived in Germany, and being married to an Argentine girl with family down in Patagonia, no personal good can come from me commenting on this!  And as I have little or no fondness for either nation's footballing history, I shall remain discretely neutral on the subject and refer you to the full ESPN story for the details...

Germans: Argentina show no respect. 

What? No football?

Got withdrawal symptoms yet?

For the first time in what seems like months (although it is only 19 days) the world woke up to the first football free day since June 11th.  As the world takes a 2 day breather, the remaining 8 teams prepare for the Quarter Finals of this year's competition.

Friday

Uruguay (16)  v Ghana (32)
Netherlands (4) v Brasil (1)

Saturday
Germany (6) v Argentina (7)
Paraguay (31) v Spain (2)

With 3 surprise teams (Ghana, Uruguay & Paraguay) in the last 8, and for the first time since 1930 4 South American teams, it promises to be an interesting couple of days. 

The balance of power certainly seems to have shifted back to South America. In 2002, the only South American quarter finalists were the eventual winners Brasil; in 2006 we had  Argentina & Brasil in the last 8, along with 6 European teams. The semi-finals (and therefore obviously the final) were all European match ups. 

This time there is the possibility of an all South American semi-final line up, although I think Spain might ruin that 'fiesta'.

Goal Watch
After 56 games, we're now at 123 goals; that's a rate of 2.20 goals per game. It's getting better, but 2010 in South Africa is still on course to be one of the lowest scoring World Cups of all time.

The curse of Nike?

So I'm sure many of you have seen the full length 3 minute Nike 'Write the Future' ad that was launched just before the World Cup; but how many of you have noticed the curse that Nike has obviously put on the football players featured?

Watch it again and then we'll discuss it further below... I guarantee you'll find it interesting...!

Nike being Nike, and advertising being advertising, they want to associate their product and brand with success...they picked 6 of the world's biggest football stars to feature in their extensive, expensive commercial, I'm sure hoping that one of them would 'take it all the way'.

Well, the outcome is that not a single solitary one of their 'stars' made it to the Quarter Final stages of the World Cup, let alone 'performed' in the tournament. Let's break it down one by one...

Cursed #1?  Didier Drogba of the Ivory Coast broke his arm in training a few days before the World Cup began limiting his time on the field, with just one goal in a losing effort to Brazil. Out in the Group stage.

Cursed #2?  Fabio Cannavarro - Italy's captain - too old, too slow and with the rest of the Italian team, clearly past his best at international level. Would probably have thrown his back out with that overhead kick in the commercial. Out in the Group stage.

Cursed #3? Wayne Rooney - Supposed to be England's talisman, yet looked a pale immitation of himself. Lived up to the first part of the ad, giving the ball away, but never had the drive that he seemed to have in this advert and in previous performances to get it back. Let's hope he's got that nice caravan and groundsman job lined up.  Out in round of 16 - lucky to get through the group.   

Cursed #4?  Frank Ribery - France. No more needs be said. Out in the Group stage, home with the rest in shame.

Cursed #5? Ronaldinho of Brazil didn't even make it into the Brazil squad. His only appearance on our TV screens during the World Cup is in this commercial.  Out before the World Cup.

Cursed #6?  Cristiano Ronal-D'oh of Portugal - not quite as dismal as Rooney, but not far off. One lucky goal against North Korea, several dreadful free kicks, a fair amount of dives and his usual level of bitching will be all he is remembered for at this World Cup.  Out in the round of 16. No movie, no statue.

So the only stars still shining from the ad are the LA Lakers' Kobe Bryant who won his 5th NBA Championship a few weeks back, and Roger Federer (he was playing table tennis against Rooney if you missed it) who hopes that the Nike curse won't stop him claiming another Wimbledon title this weekend. 

Nike have had to do some fast editing a create a new ad that actually features a star likely to continue to play in the tournament for a while longer yet. Step forward Robinho, and if you're a Brasil fan, let's hope the curse doesn't strike again...

England - a monument to mediocrity

Phil McNulty, BBC Sport's chief football writer, breaks down the failings of the England football team in a very interesting blog...

If England carry a burning sense of injustice as part of their baggage on the long flight home from South Africa on Monday night, Fabio Capello and his players will fool only themselves.

Capello's complaint about the incompetence of officialdom after England's humiliating last-16 exit against Germany was little more than a flimsy fig leaf when it came to disguising shortcomings exposed in a World Cup campaign that was a monument to mediocrity.

England's coach, of course, had every right to draw attention to one of the worst decisions in the tournament's history as a mitigating factor in their eventual defeat by a vastly-superior Germany.

Capello must not think, however, that Uruguayan linesman Mauricio Espinosa's failure to spot Frank Lampard's clever finish dropping well behind Manuel Neuer's goalline with the score at 2-1 was a defining moment that somehow blocked England's path to glory.

Read the rest of Phil's blog here...

Take down the flags...

Well at least one good thing has come out of the England Germany game; I think it's guaranteed that video technology will be used at the next World Cup. 

I'm not sure that 'the goal that wasn't' would have made a difference to the outcome as England were outplayed, but still, that goal would have made it 2-2 and who knows what would have happened. A game of such importance should not be influenced by mistakes, especially when the technology is available to counter such mistakes. 

We shouldn't be surprised at the result though - the Germans have not failed to reach the quarter finals in a World Cup since 1954 and this England team wasn't going to stop them on this World Cup's performance.

2 final things to say; at least my German Shepherd is happy and Vamos Argentina! 

US - Ghana preview

So Uruguay are the first team through to the QF stage, and they await the winner of the next game - US v Ghana.  Uruguay become the first South American team (other than Argentina and Brazil) to reach the Quarter Final stage since 1970.

Apparently, as you'll notice repeatedly in this video, the US are 'champions' of Group C.  I wasn't aware that was an award that FIFA handed out, but here in the US, everything in sports needs to be exaggerated slightly!  Superbowl World Champions - Lakers World Champions - Baseball World Series - Need I say more!  So rather than the team that 'topped' Group C as we would say, the CHAMPIONS of Group C have a great chance of advancing to the Quarter Finals...listen to what Ruud Gullit thinks of their chances...  

Top 10 goals so far...according to ESPN

ESPN's Top 10 goals of the tournament so far...maybe a little biased but entertaining nonetheless!

16 down...

So we're down to the round of 16 - 48 matches played, 16 games to go... starting with the two games today...including the big one on this side of the pond, the US v Ghana. However exciting that will be, and we will be watching it and cheering on the US on Saturday afternoon, the big day in this household is Sunday, when my Argentine wife and German Shepherd dog will be ganging up against me and the England boys...

Saturday

Uruguay (16) v South Korea (47)

United States (14) v Ghana (32)

Sunday 

Germany (6) v England (8)

Argentina (7) v Mexico (17)

Monday

Netherlands (4) v Slovakia (34)

Brazil (1) v Chile (18)

Tuesday

Paraguay (31) v Japan (45)

Spain (2) v Portugal (3)

I picked only 11 of these 16 teams to make it this far, and I only got 5 of the 8 group winners right, so I'm not going to put my neck out and pick winners here!

If you were wondering what the goals per game ratio has climbed to - see my earlier post - well this is still on course to be the lowest scoring World Cup ever. After 48 games, we've had 101 goals - that's 2.10 goals per game. That's lower than Italia 90 - the previous lowest scoring tournament.  Portugal and Argentina are the leading scorers with 7 each (although Portugal got their 7 in 1 game against North Korea so I'm not sure if that counts)

In preparation for the US game later; here's ESPN's preview of the US v Ghana.

Take that vuvuzela and shove it...

German police in Berlin say an American got so fed up with the constant mosquito-like droning from his neighbors' vuvuzela plastic horns that he threatened to kill them with an ax. Police in the Bavarian city of Weiden said Friday the 45-year-old man confronted his neighbors during Thursday's Netherlands-Cameroon World Cup game wielding the ax.

They said he was so sick of the constant buzzing and honking from the vuvuzelas since the tournament began that he screamed: "I will kill you," and then returned home.

German authorities took the U.S. Army civilian employee into custody and turned him over to U.S. military police. The military says he has been released and the matter is in German hands. Prosecutors are investigating whether to charge the man, whose name was not released, with making a threat and slander for allegedly calling his neighbors names.

The cheap, yard-long vuvuzela trumpets have become a side story of the World Cup in South Africa, where their buzzing has been the backdrop to every match. Players have been criticizing the noise because they find it difficult to take advice from the bench, and visiting fans have no chance for community singing amid the noise.

A French cable TV channel even offers vuvuzela-free broadcasts for all World Cup matches, with the trumpets digitally tuned out. Defenders include FIFA President Sepp Blatter, Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu - and masses of South African football fans.

The trumpets were first produced and marketed in 2001 by South African Neil Van Schalkwyk, who still owns the rights to the vuvuzela name. His latest innovation is to sell each with a pair of earplugs included.

Meanwhile, in another part of Germany, a drunken fan severely beat a police officer with a vuvuzela following Germany's win over Ghana on Wednesday. From the local paper:

 

"Most of the celebrations in the town of Dinslaken just north of Duisburg were peaceful after the game, which more than 10,000 people turned out to watch, the Wesel county police department reported. But at 11:10 pm, one intoxicated 20-year-old fan began taunting a police officer who was directing traffic around a gathering of some 1,500 people."

"As he turned to the 20-year-old, the man suddenly began hitting and kicking the officer," the statement said. "Furthermore he began pounding the officer's head with a vuvuzela."

Vuvuzelas, the South African plastic stadium horns introduced to the world at this year's World Cup tournament, are controversial in Germany due to what many consider their irritating sound.

But to be fair, it doesn't take much to irritate the Germans. :D

Arrivederci Italia!

Going Home in Shame

That's the headline in the famous Italian sports paper, La Gazetto della Sport, after Italy's shock defeat to Slovakia which had them finish last in a group with Paraguay, Slovakia and New Zealand! 

Perhaps a bigger disgrace is the fact that Italian coach Lippi didn't have the decency to shake the hand of the Slovak coach after the game. Not behavior befitting a defeated champion, but when have the Italy side ever behaved like honorable champions? 

The World Champions head home...and won't be missed! 

England v Germany...

So it had to happen didn't it!  England will play Germany on Sunday in the last 16 of the World Cup for the priviledge of playing Argentina or Mexico in the Quarter Finals. 

England last played Germany in a friendly in Berlin in November 2008 (England won 2-1) and the last competitive match (i.e. not a friendly) was in Munich in 2001 (England won that one 5-1).

Here's a short look at the heritage of this classic encounter shown by ITV before that last friendly in 08'

Job done...but now we take the hard path...

Phew...it's never easy to be an England football supporter is it?  My wife is Argentine, and every Argentina game seems to be a breeze for her compared to the emotional turmoil, the pain and suffering that comes with EVERY England game, even when we win!

I'll leave breaking down the game and the performance to other more qualified writers, but the main thing to know is that while England have got through, that late Landon Donovan goal that sent the US through too might just be the second most important goal in England's World Cup campaign.  The late late show by the USA means that they top the group and England qualify second.  That means trouble!  Why?

Because now England fall into a different part of the World Cup bracket.  Depending on the results of the matches later today, England are now likely to face Germany in the second round on Sunday. It gets worse; should they vastly improve on performances to date and beat the old enemy, then they will probably have to face Argentina in the Quarter Finals.

Meanwhile the US, by virtue of topping the group, will probably face Serbia in the second round, before a Quarter Final match up against Uruguay or South Korea; now tell me which is the easier route to a Semi Final?  The US now have an unbelievable chance of making it to the Semi-Finals - one thing is for sure, either the US, Uruguay, South Korea, or Ghana/Serbia will make it to the semi final...not the biggest or best teams in the world.

So now we sit back and watch the next games unfold - Germany against Ghana and Australia v Serbia; I'll be cheering on Ghana, as a win or draw for them could send Germany home and out of England's way!   Unbelievably if Australia and Ghana win, then the US would face Australia in the next round, while England take on Ghana!!   It's all too complicated; the important thing is both England and the US are moving forward, but let there be no doubt that the US are in far better shape to make a run deep into this tournament. 

But then, when has the England football team ever done anything the easy way?

The time for talking is over...

Enough Said...

Smithy's team talk

If you're in England, you may have seen this on Comic Relief's Red Nose Day last year...
But never has it been more appropriate...perhaps this is what the intruder to the England dressing room after the Algeria game should have done.  So grab yourself a nice cup of tea and enjoy...

France - This just gets better and better...

France coach Raymond Domenech has said some of his players may refuse to face South Africa on Tuesday because of Nicolas Anelka's expulsion from the squad. The Chelsea striker was sent home for verbally abusing Domenech during last week's 2-0 defeat by Mexico. When asked whether some of his squad may not play against the hosts, the coach said: "It is a possibility". 

Domenech said his players acted like imbeciles by protesting Nicolas Anelka's expulsion from the team by refusing to train just two days before the match that decides their World Cup future.  "I tried to convince them that what they were doing was an aberration, an imbecility, a stupidity without name," Domenech said Monday.

The players' strike was in protest at Anelka's expulsion.  

Patrice Evra's role as captain could be over after only five games, with Domenech refusing to confirm him as his leader after the defender initiated the player walkout.

"I haven't picked the team yet, we will see tomorrow," Domenech said, adding of the players that "they've expended a lot of energy. It's sad." When Domenech was asked if some players had told him they do not want to play the game, he answered evasively.  "It is a possibility that we will finalize [things] tonight with the staff to see what team we put in place," he said.

Evra was furious at the French Football Federation's decision to send Anelka home late Saturday, amid claims from the players that the FFF denied Anelka a chance to give his side of the story at a news conference.

Don't you just love the French...!

World Cup controversy is nothing new...

The crew on ESPN have finally (three days later!) stopped going on about 'the goal that wasn't' from last Friday's game against Slovenia, but let me just reassure American readers, who may be new to the World Cup, that controversy is nothing new. Watch this and you'll see what I mean! 

Clutching at straws...

So yesterday I highlighted the fact that England's most successful World Cup since winning it in 1966 started with 2 draws; I thought we might need some inspiration for Wednesday, so here are a few clips from that World Cup campaign... in the superstitious hope that in some way I'm contributing to a turn-around in England's form and fortune!

The campaign started against Republic of Ireland with an early goal for England, that was followed by a mistake (although less obvious than Rob Green's!) that led to the equaliser - finished 1-1, sound familiar?

After a 0-0 draw in their second game (admittedly against a decent side, the Netherlands, rather than Algeria!) they had to win their third game, against Egypt to progress...

Then into the last 16, and a nailbiter against Belgium... who remembers this?

So, there is hope...and maybe England can follow the same path...and improve (they can't get worse!) as the competition progresses. And maybe, just maybe, Wayne Rooney will emerge as Paul Gascoigne did in 1990...

Don't get your hopes up...as they say in this part of the world, it's a "Hail Mary!"

Got to love the French...no, really you do...

Now England may be in disarray, but you can always rely on the French to go one step further!!  England's performances may have been dire, but they haven't lost yet, which is something that the Germans, Spanish and French can't say!  But that Gallic passion has bubbled over again off the pitch, even as they manage to generate none of that passion on the pitch!    

French Implosion!

Rooney - How dare he?

For a man who reportedly earns £90,000 a week, and who's agents are reportedly looking for a £200,000 a week deal from Manchester Utd, Wayne Rooney should expect to take the rough with the smooth.  Nobody is more idolised when he plays well, and scores goals...but after a personal performance like that, one of a host of dreadful performances from those in the white of England, he frankly needs to take the criticism and shut up.

At the end of the game he stalked off field to jeers from the English crowd. He then finds a camera and delivers what appeared to be a fairly calm statement - "Nice to see your own fans booing you. Is that what loyal support is... for f---'s sake."

Hopefully Rooney woke up this morning understanding that English fans, the vast majority of whom will earn less in a year than he currently does in about 3 days, have a right to voice their displeasure.  Remember that phrase - England Expects.  Often we expect too much, but the thousands of fans who traveled thousands of miles and paid thousands of pounds (that they probably don't have!) to watch him and his mates go for an evening stroll, occasionally interrupted by a poor touch of the football, have the right to feel aggrieved.

He did issue an apology this morning - "I said things in the heat of the moment out of frustration of our performance and the result," he said in a Football Association statement.  "For my part I apologise for any offence caused by my actions."

Hopefully he understands, too, that loyalty runs both ways.  The great thing about football is that, come Wednesday, with the right result and the right performance, all things will be forgiven.

After all, if you are looking for some crumbs of comfort, the last time England got to the semi-finals of a World Cup in 1990, they also drew both their opening games and were massacred by the press and fans. They then went on to win their group; and the scores were the same. The first game was a 1-1 draw vs Republic of Ireland, followed by a 0-0 draw against the Netherlands, before  a 1-0 win against Egypt. We went on to beat Belgium 1-0 in the last 16, before beating Cameroon 3-2 after extra time in the quarter finals...before the infamous battle with Germany and a loss on penalties... 

We'll take the same again, except for the loss to Germany!

What a waste of talent...

Too dispaired to write my own obituary on England's dismal, distressing and downright abject performance in a dire 0-0 against Algeria, I'll leave it to the words of ESPN's Richard Jolly...

Few crumbs of comfort for England

There has been a sequence of shocks in South Africa in recent days and now England have provided an addition to the catalogue. They were shockingly bad. Unlike Spain and Germany, they remain unbeaten but, besides the assured return of Gareth Barry, there are few other positives.

At least, it might be said, they are not France. But, cross-channel gloating apart, they failed to beat an Algeria side containing ten French-born players who, in most cases, were never likely to be capped by Les Bleus - they were more their G team than their B team. Yet Algeria, who looked resoundingly mediocre against Slovenia, resembled a decent outfit against England. Karim Ziani was the most skilful midfielder on show, Rafik Halliche the most dependable defender.

In a pre-match interview, Fabio Capello asserted, rather oddly, that Algeria score a lot of goals. He should be grateful they do not: the Desert Foxes have one in seven games and, were they to possess a forward line, victory may have been theirs.

"We've got no excuses," said Steven Gerrard, who tends to be more candid than most, including his manager. "Not good enough." It was honest, but an understatement nonetheless. Start with 'abject' and 'abominable' and select any number of similarly disparaging adjectives from the dictionary - they would all be accurate. There were misplaced passes, misjudged touches and misguided ideas. Too much was missing: invention, incision, inspiration.

Kick and rush? At times they didn't even bother with the rushing. The kicking wasn't particularly effective either, especially in the final third. Algeria changed goalkeeper, but Rais M'Bolhi enjoyed a comfortable game. The replacement was rarely tested.

The sight of Emile Heskey tripping over the ball as he prepared to cross was sadly emblematic of his evening. As is all too typical, Heskey rarely dared enter the penalty area as his confidence dipped. Alongside him, Wayne Rooney, average against the Americans, was out of sorts against the Algerians.

There were a couple of occasions when Gerrard and Rooney combined encouragingly, but there were more when they were on separate wavelengths. Rooney has still not scored since he was injured in Munich in March. On fire then, the spark is absent now and, 20 years on from Italia '90, Wazza is no Gazza just yet.

But it is unfair to focus solely on him. Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, Ashley Cole: each is operating some way below the standards he set at club level. Gerrard looked a man depressed at Anfield and, in the opening game, a man possessed. This was more like his Liverpudlian lethargy. Glen Johnson, perhaps the outstanding individual against USA, regressed and was troubled by the touch of Ziani.

And yet alternatives appear few and far between. Capello showed a reluctance to trust his substitutes which, given the level of performance, is damning. The first two deployed, Jermain Defoe and Shaun Wright-Phillips, at least looked sharper, but the Italian's faith in the Manchester City substitute appears increasingly bizarre nonetheless.

The sole crumb of comfort in the performance came from Eastlands. Barry was comfortably England's man of the match, aided by the complete lack of competition from his colleagues. He performed the defensive midfield role adeptly, sweeping up in front of the defence and making a couple of excellent interceptions. His distribution was respectable, but England's pass completion statistics should show some unflattering statistics.

At least now they have a holding player, but the issues lie further forward. Personnel and formation are twin problems. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, a switch to 4-2-3-1 is surely required now. Surely Joe Cole merits a chance now. Surely England have to demonstrate some ambition. They need to pass; they need some class.

They need, too, a demonstration of Capello's winning habit. It is far from the only subject to address, but he has a third alteration to make to the centre of defence. The high-quality crocks, Rio Ferdinand and Ledley King, will be joined on the sidelines by the suspended Jamie Carragher for Wednesday game with Slovenia. Enter either Matthew Upson or Michael Dawson, two more who don't seem to command Capello's confidence.

Beat Slovenia and they are through, probably undeservedly. The backdrop may provide a consolation but Cape Town, for England, was the Cape of No Hope.

For more insight (and depression!), read Martin Samuel's article in the Daily Mail.