The Stoketshirts.co.uk blog

As  Holland were about to take that corner I was reminiscing about the many virtues of a good near post corner.  Particularly I had in mind the Stoke City 82/83 Big Bren flick on phenomonon!   Then hey presto the Dutch read my mind and bagged the winner.  What happened to Brazil at half time?  The first half consisted of Brazil keeping the ball well and Holland struggling with Brazil’s kaleidoscopic movement.  In the second half Holland increased the pace of their game but it shouldn’t have been too much for the Brazilians to handle.  The clumsy defending for the equaliser shook them and the collapse was well underway.  Being undone by something as simple as a corner won’t please Dunga at all.  Melo’s
daft stamp on Robben was the final significant act of Dunga’s reign.  They never looked like  remotely like equalising.   The plethora of self inflicted wounds bringing the curtain down on their campaign.   Two World cups in a row Brazil have been eliminated in the quarter finals which is a poor showing for a team of their immense stature.  2014 they will surely emerge victorious in their own back yard when they can finally lay the ghost of 1950 to rest.

I watched in the pub and Brazil might be the Man Utd of world football.  For all the Brazil shirts on display there weren’t actually many Brazilian people.  On the stroke of kick off I turned to wish a ‘Brazil fan’ good luck and he replied with a broad cockney accent.  All the more bewildering that the cockney Brazilian seemed baffled to hear some of the Brazil shirt wearers actually talking Portugese!!   The Albert Square soundalike looked on suspiciously.  How can they support Brazil when they are Brazilian?   It just ain’t right guvnor!

The real question about the Uruguay v Ghana game is the red card.  No question the ref was 100% correct to send him off but why did he handle it when it would have been just as easy for him to head it??!  It was going straight for his bonce. Gyan missing the penalty was one of the most pivotal moments of the tournament. In one fleeting moment the dream of an entire continent dissolved.  Gyan will be haunted by that moment forever, although the point has to be made that to step up minutes later and score one in the shootout took admirable character.  Agreu’s clinching penalty was the epitome of grace under pressure.    
Clicking about on the interweb I just found this article.  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/teams/england/7866942/World-Cup-2010-unlike-the-players-Englands-loyal-thirsty-army-really-will-be-missed.html

There were times when the notion that a host city would want England in town was unthinkable.  The transformation is pleasing.  Instead of places cowering at the prospect of an England visit the three lions are embraced. Instead of skinheads with NF tattoos there are family holidays from Carlisle.  Of course there will be some English people who would prefer to see fear in the eyes of locals, but then again, some people still think the earth is flat.  It’s just a pity the team let us down so pitifully.

The real irritation with the vuvuzela is the one tone deadness of the din.  No variation, no tune can be played.  Just an ongoing honk.  That’s all I intend to say about the aforementioned trumpet!   Enough has been expressed elsewhere.  It’d be hard to find an original angle!!

ANYWAY,     The South Africa v Mexico game was a bright way to start it all.   There seemed to be an abundance of space all over the park yet painfully few moments of craft to unlock either defence.After South Africa took the lead and celebrated with a delightful piece of choreography, Mexico looked beaten.    Then South Africa, being the gracious hosts they are. allowed three opponents hatfuls of space at the far post to pick their spot and equalise.  How could anyone have doubted their ability to host when they show such hospitality?   Mexican manager Aguirre seemed to age about fifteen years during the game.  At the start he was a dashing well dressed charmer.  By the end he looked bedraggled and anxious. 

As for France, well….their ideas drained away as they game went on.  The worst thing was the late  Uruguay red card because they set their stall out for the draw and rarely looked in danger.  There was that   late  penalty appeal but it smacked of desperation.  At least Thierry Henry had the decency not to look indignant.  Him complaining that a handball hadn’t been given would be a rather ironic twist to proceedings.  This will hardly help to brighten Domenech’s legacy.  

As for tonights games, it’ll be fascinating to see if Maradona can be as entertainingly mad as he was in qualification.  Anything can happen.  A disputed throw in could result in him baring his backside or something.   He makes Neil Warnock look like Bjorn Borg. 

And tonight’s other poignant question is, if the USA take the lead, or just threaten to, how many references to Belo Horizonte 1950 will the commentators cram in?   My prediction is 12.  Hopefully it won’t come to that but the longer the game goes on without us scoring the more the ideas may drain away like France’s did.  

This is Wayne Rooney’s time.  In the last twelve months he has fulfilled all the rich potential and evolved into one of the world’s best players.   He will also be aware that beiong our one truly world class player .so many of our hopes and dreams  rest on his stocky torso.   He can make as many appearances in Nike ads as he likes, now he really does have the chance to write the future.  So come on Wazza, justify the hype!!

Come on England!!!