Sunday, June 20, 2010

Musings on the World Cup

So, my last post aside and there was a significant reason for it not just a brain dead rant, the World Cup is finally showing signs of springing into life, partly for the right and partly for the wrong reasons.

I find it incredible that the French having blatantly cheated their way into the finals anyway now look like they are about to totally implode. Anelka sent home, the team refusing to train, staff resigning etc. And this was the team that FIFA preferred to have at the finals rather than the admittedly technically less proficient Irish but seriously does anyone think they would be doing worse, at least they would have been proud to have been there and represented themselves with pride and passion unlike the riff raff passing itself off as French.

The ball, nothing wrong with it as far as I can see, its just excuses. The New Zealand keeper had no trouble with it today despite all the long distance shots.

The Italians are also doing badly, drawing with Paraguay and New Zealand and to be honest their attitude sucks as well, demanding yellow cards, attempting to get players sent off and the dive for the penalty, Oscar worthy. The thing is they are only team resorting to such blatant cheating so its a bit embarrassing, but as Platini played in Italy don't expect any harsh words on this aspect of their game anytime soon.

England - enough said.

So far the so called underdogs have done a good job of upsetting the odds, Chile, Uruguay, Switzerland etc. have been well organized, and up for it. I find it amazing that people are using the long Premier League/Serie A, Primera Lig seasons as excuses for tiredness. I would imagine that more than 50% of the players on show play there and most seem to be okay.

Anyway not much has been decided except that Holland are through and Cameroon out, the only definite we know right now so who said this was a boring World Cup.....roll on the final group matches.