Anyone wondering about the interest in this sport need look no further than the reaction of the countries graduating out of the group stage. This is nowhere even close to WINNING the World Cup, it only means you are one of the best 16 teams in a 32-team tournament. Yet grown men weep, ladies kiss flags, young children get scared by the noise. It is a massive achievement and shows Just. How. Hard. It is to WIN the cup. This is a world battle! And congratulations to all who made it to the halfway mark.
Robin van Persie, enjoying another renaissance courtesy of working under the NEW Manchester United manager Mr. Louis van Gaal, created a new move: the “swooping diving header,” if you will. The classic diving heading is more of a bullet,a laser guided low straight dagger into the goal,but RvP changed the script, introducing a lobbed diving header over the on-rushing keeper. And in doing so he looked like a comedy swallow diver. Ate some nice grass as well. Judges score: 8.2.
All over the world we mourned “the death of tiki taka.” Let us not forget how great Spain were four years ago with some sumptuous passing, scoring and intelligent football. But sadly it has been exposed by a new beast. And so we usher in the “revenge of the counter attack!!!” Wingers get set to do more running!
England leave Brazil with just a single point. Two losses and a draw never gets you into the next round and we have some serious planning to do for the future. Everyone is saying the future is bright with some young players breaking through. Those players won’t graduate through the football competitions unless they get used to winning games together. England need to concentrate on building confidence as well as players.
I didn’t vomit. I did get heartburn.