Crikey. And I thought a day off was meant to be restful. After a slightly subdued Sunday, the tournament was back on form. It’s easy to do, all you need is for the little fancied opponents to go two-nil up with only 21 minutes to go, blend two scoring substitutes, resting on a bed of last minute winner that starts at one end of the pitch at ends at the other, and sprinkle with outcome of a precarious double for the TLFs resting on said wining goal, to ensure an exciting evening in. Poor Japan; a great performance and two excellent goals, they must have thought they were on their way to their first World Cup quarter final and then Martinez’s double substitution does for them. Plus, they lost to a team who look like they are playing in golfing jumpers.
I largely blame Ally McCoist for Belgium’s near departure. He jinxed them in the afternoon by referencing several times, “what a game Brazil/Belgium will be.” As the Russians do apparently say, don’t share the bear’s fur before you shoot it. Poor bears.
ITV yesterday afternoon was a pleasant surprise. They were onto a good thing with TLF anyway – being able give a weekday afternoon game full TLF attention, rather than juggling website and radio 5 monitoring with work is always going to make me a generous TV critic. McCoist has been praised by some for his co-commentary with John Champion during this tournament and I have to say I did enjoy the two of them throwing facts at each other. Be it news that Hector Herrera’s agent is the son of Tony Blair or that Samara was earmarked to be the capital of Russia if Germany had won World War Two, they are certainly on their game and offering a bit more than some of their fellow commentary brethren (of which more later no doubt). Mexico did give Brazil a bit of a scare, although they certainly didn’t Japan them. That first goal with Neymar’s back heel setting up the cross and then him finishing off the move was lovely to watch, although why he has to act like a complete tool with his excess reactions I do not know. Our Lord Martin O’Neill was spot on remarking on Neymar’s apparent low pain threshold that, “I wouldn’t like to see him coming out of the doctor’s surgery after flu injection.”
Come to think of it, I’m starting to favour ITV on the presentation front. It all feels a bit more interesting and a bit less comfortable than Alan, Frank and Rio again. It also has Martin effing Keown on as a summariser, telling me things I have already seen with my own eyes. He did however tell the nation something none of us needed to see or know last night when talking about the temperature in the stadium “I don’t sweat and I’m sweating tonight.”
TOO
MUCH
INFORMATION
In its favour the Beeb gave us everyone’s favourite German last night. Although Mr TLF was suspicious, being pretty sure that Jurgen Klinsmann was actually a member of a boyband. Spandau Ballet or Kraftwerk perhaps (BOOMBOOM!)
Sweden/ Switzerland seems a tough call this afternoon. The Swiss trio in trouble for their little eagle celebrations have been fined not banned which means they could be on their game. But Sven says Sweden will win and when did Sven ever get it wrong?!
Then the last game of the group of sixteen. Even typing about it makes me feel queasy and not just because of my divided loyalties, Ingurland facing my sweepstake team and all. You know how it goes.
* Ingurland have a success rate of 9% when their games are on ITV, as opposed to 72% when on the Beeb. And yes, it is on ITV.
* Ingurland have never lost to Colombia.
* Ingurland haven’t won a knockout game since 2006.
* There are two Colombia players – Falcao and Cuadrado – who were failures in the Premier League so will come back to haunt us.
* Apparently, this isn’t the golden generation it’s the sunshine generation.
The truth is that the game will be decided on the pitch not by lucky omens (lucky shirts are exempt from this Directive), dodgy data or any media hype.
I’ll be the one on the sofa, hiding behind a cushion.
Sputnik Fox
Daily website
https://www.theguardian.com/football/these-football-times/2018/jun/25/football-atlas-illustrated-world-cup
Michael Raisch’s footballers via maps.