2010 FIFA World Cup™ South Africa

Here we go!

Should have started this thread weeks ago but no matter.

Wishing South Africa the best in their group and with the tournament as a whole. I expect Mexico and Uruguay to advance from Group A ahead of the hosts and France, although a look at the French squad shows it is still formidable, whatever their other problems.

I suspect the pick of the first of the group games will be Honduras-Chile next Wednesday. USA-England ought to be a cracker, as well.

Two words: Belo Horizonte.

I am hoping for a draw, actually. It won't be a classic, in all likelihood but hard-fought and compelling, I'm sure.

EDIT: Gareth Barry's injury is a rough one, because Carrick has been rubbish for a while now. I'm hearing Gerrard-Lampard through the middle? We'll see how that goes.

Sepp Blather on now. [vomits]

It's del Bosque's fault.

Playing both Xabi Alonso and Busquets was unnecessary, and the side looked much better once the latter came off. If the intention was to keep a fit-again Iniesta as a winger, surely Cesc would have offered a bit more thrust through the center?

You'll be fine, although Chile are probably 50-50 to win the group now, which probably means Brazil for you in the Round of 16.

I am a little surprised at how important the counterattack has been through the first games of the group phase. It's a lot to do with many teams playing a lone forward supported by quick midfield players whilst defending deep without the ball, but still... And counters will probably be even more important as teams start pushing up to try and win late in matches in order to get out of the groups. Something to keep an eye on.

EDIT: I should add, full credit to Switzerland for their gritty performance and opportunism. The goalkeeper was superb.

Spain are going to be much better from here on out; there too many European Championship and Champions League winners medals in that dressing room for them not to play themselves into form.

England need to get Gareth Barry fit, start David James, take the shackles off of Gerrard, actually use Joe Cole, bring Crouch off of the bench late and keep Heskey on it until at least the knockout stages.

My England XI: James, Johnson, Carra, Terry, Cashley, Lennon, Barry, Lampard, J. Cole, Gerrard, Rooney.

Slovenia have been talking up their chances against the States. Good luck to 'em but it isn't going to happen. Manager Bob Bradley is going to be tempted to play the same lineup as against England but he ought to perhaps consider tucking either Clint Dempsey or Landon Donovan in behind Altidore up front and using Robbie Findley's pace off of the bench; I would like someone who is slightly less of a headless chicken and can actually pass in the side, like Stuart Holden or even Benny Feilhaber.

Highlight of the tournament so far: Tshabalala leathering South Africa's opener against Mexico into the top corner, as well as the pandemonium and goal celebration that followed. (I wish I could find a video of Archbishop Desmond Tutu dancing in the stands after that goal!)

Good luck again to South Africa, on this of all days. I think Forlán and Suárez might just nick it for the two-times champions but I sure hope not.

Argentina looked excellent going forward in the first half but have been generally sloppy defensively since Walter Samuel went off injured. More worryingly, Mascherano has looked a bit off the pace...and that never happens. Interesting that Veron is sat on the bench. [EDIT: Just seen he has a calf injury] Poor Kun Aguero can't get a sniff.



They have great haircuts. A part of me wishes they had all worn black boots as well, preferably homespun and handmade.

The Germans got hosed; Klose should never have been booked the second time for what in reality was a nothing foul. Ridiculous. Podolski had a 'mare but Mesut Özil continues to amaze me. They'll be fine, regardless.

Onyewu was rubbish against the Slovenians, who executed their gameplan to perfection in the first half. Well-pleased with Landon and Bradley. Dempsey was too quiet. Altidore needs to play his size more often, because good things happen when he does. I hasten to add that Bob Bradley should have listened to me and started the game with Robbie Findley on the bench and an extra passing midfielder (Feilhaber, as it happened) in his stead. Maybe then we would have been 2-0 up before twice conceding stupidly...

I didn't see a whole lot of England-Algeria but I will say this: the point of playing Emile Heskey up front is that he can make the whole team--but especially Rooney--better. If Rooney continues to be rubbish, then Capello must either figure out a way to get everyone to play better or just drop Heskey altogether and play Rooney up on his own with Gerrard behind him. Seriously, it is astonishing to me that a side with as many players who potentially scare the living daylights out of the opposition as England have can play so unimaginatively that not even one of those players is able to shine. Sort it out, Capello.

Also, Nadir Belhadj has played amazing each of the half-dozen or so times I have seen him play.

I get the feeling the Dutch are going to destroy Japan. And surely Australia cannot be as poor tomorrow as they were in their opener?