Day 24…the final reckoning….

July 9, 2006

At Italia 90’, it was the combination of Toto Schillachi’s suddenly spectacular goal-scoring abilities and Walter Zenga’s ‘none shall pass’ mentality and keeper skills, which dragged the Azzurri to a respectable showing. On Yankee soil in 94’, it was the efforts of rear-guard stalwart Franco Baresi and the divine ponytail, Baggio, that propelled a largely […]

Day 22–Italy take on the hosts…..

July 8, 2006

Italy V Germany  Before the tournament got underway I hadn’t allowed myself to look further than the potential Semi-Final with Argentina. How-ever since Pekerman blew his team’s chances of delivering football justice, it is now the Krouts who Italy must face in the semi-final. I didn’t see that coming at all. Those words of Gianluca […]

Day 21: The end of the road for England????

July 2, 2006

England V Portugese Ponces Moment of truth…Scolari beat us 4 years ago with Brazil in the 1/4s of world cup…then 2 years later he fucked us again in the 1/4s this time with his grubby little hands controlling Portugal..  Rooney is the only one who can solve England’s problems..  Hargreaves is In..Neville returns at right back….  […]

Day 20- Quarterfinal stage

July 1, 2006

Germany v Argentina  Huge game for the host nation against an opponent they would have rather have avoided at least until the final. Klose, Podolski, Schweinensteiger and of course Emporer Ballack, will all need to be watched very carefully by the Argies, especially in the first ten minutes of the match because it is this […]

Day 19: Brazil v Ghana

July 1, 2006

Day 19–Ghana V Brazil  (Africa v South.America…)  Michael Essien is the main man for Ghana. Muntarro returns..  BRA:>Ronaldo and Adriano start in attack..Ronaldo has scored 14 goals in world cup tournaments,,,equalling the record of Gerd Muller..one more to make that title his own..  The queer quartet. Kaka Ronaldinho Adriano Ronaldo… The loss of Essien is huge for […]

Round 2: Italy v Australia

June 27, 2006

Round 2: (Day 18) ITALY v Australia  Gianluca Vialli represented Italy, Juventus, Chelsea, Sampdoria and other glamourous clubs as a player, and also managed Chelsea for a short period a few years back…He is/was a true Pro. A gentleman on and off the pitch. I will allow his words to be mine for this part […]

Round 2: (Day Seventeen)….

June 27, 2006

The big One:: ENGLAND V ECUADOR England take on south American opposition with the hope of the bucking the annoying trend of the past two world cups that shows England going out to south American opposition…  Rooney is playing on his in attack…Hargreaves, who has played this position for his club, is in at right […]

(day 16)ROUND 2…last man standing

June 25, 2006

And so it begins. The group games have separated the rough from the smooth, the calm from the angry, the pathetic from the capable…It is the do or die aspect of the knockout phases of the world cup finals that makes the competition so special. This is when one mistake becomes potentially a ticket home […]

Day FifteeN….running out of green….

June 24, 2006

Tunisia v Ukraine.. The Ukrainians went mad in their last game, totally demolishing the sub-standard Saudis with a delightful display of attacking football…Shevchenko was showing signs of match sharpness returning to his lethal boots. Tunisia have been largely disappointing..Prediction: Shevchenko double 2-0.Ukraine need only a draw, and even then the sorrowful Saudis will need to […]

Day 14…my latin brothers

June 24, 2006

Day fourteen  Italy v Czech Lippi has gone crazy and selected a 4-4-1-1 formation for a game which Italy may well need to win if they are to progress to the second round. This group is wide open with every team still capable of qualifying. The prolific (30 goals in serie A last season) Luca […]