The World Cup

There is always something special about the opening World Cup match I find, a feeling that you can't replicate at any other time, and that was there in abundance again during South Africa v Mexico this afternoon. It was an enthralling game, I loved watching it, and it has only made me even more excited about the rest of the tournament. It was such a carnival of colour that I got drawn in, although those loud cazoo things that make the stadium sound like an angry hornets' nest do get grating after a while (but not as much as the Sheffield Wednesday drummer bloke and the bugler playing a tuneless rendition of The Great Escape relentlessly). The optimism and feeling of the world coming together for one of the biggest occasions of the sporting calender was fantastic and I am really stoked about the following month of action.

Uruguay v France was more tentative but the game did have its chances. If this standard is replicated over the next four weeks, it promises to be one hell of a tournament. In a way, it's a shame that it only ever comes round once every four years and I say that from both a personal and professional perspective. Tomorrow, I am particularly looking forward to Argentina v Nigeria - it promises to be an interesting affair, particularly as a lot of the players I rarely get chance to watch during the domestic season.

England face the USA as well but I think this will be more tactical and less of a spectacle. Still, we may be having pizza in the office whilst we watch it so it should be good fun nonetheless. I find it hard to get excited about England though for many reasons, which I don't really want to get into as it will take forever to explain, but it will be good to see them do well. I doubt the strength of our side though (no settled goalkeeper, no strikers in form, defensive frailities over the last few months) but then weaker sides often play well on the big stage so anything can happen. Anyway, not long to go now until we will find out what happens :-)

The World Cup

There is always something special about the opening World Cup match I find, a feeling that you can't replicate at any other time, and that was there in abundance again during South Africa v Mexico this afternoon. It was an enthralling game, I loved watching it, and it has only made me even more excited about the rest of the tournament. It was such a carnival of colour that I got drawn in, although those loud cazoo things that make the stadium sound like an angry hornets' nest do get grating after a while (but not as much as the Sheffield Wednesday drummer bloke and the bugler playing a tuneless rendition of The Great Escape relentlessly). The optimism and feeling of the world coming together for one of the biggest occasions of the sporting calender was fantastic and I am really stoked about the following month of action.

Uruguay v France was more tentative but the game did have its chances. If this standard is replicated over the next four weeks, it promises to be one hell of a tournament. In a way, it's a shame that it only ever comes round once every four years and I say that from both a personal and professional perspective. Tomorrow, I am particularly looking forward to Argentina v Nigeria - it promises to be an interesting affair, particularly as a lot of the players I rarely get chance to watch during the domestic season.

England face the USA as well but I think this will be more tactical and less of a spectacle. Still, we may be having pizza in the office whilst we watch it so it should be good fun nonetheless. I find it hard to get excited about England though for many reasons, which I don't really want to get into as it will take forever to explain, but it will be good to see them do well. I doubt the strength of our side though (no settled goalkeeper, no strikers in form, defensive frailities over the last few months) but then weaker sides often play well on the big stage so anything can happen. Anyway, not long to go now until we will find out what happens :-)