One Thousand Four Hundred Thirty Two

That's how many days there are till the next World Cup tournament in Brazil. It seems such a long way off. It is. And one can only hope that the next competition, in the land of the people who make the game 'beautiful', will see a significant improvement in the quality, flair and skill that … Continue reading One Thousand Four Hundred Thirty Two →

How I Lost 7-2

The joy of living in another country is that you get to follow two teams in the World Cup. Double the opportunity for some glory. It also doubles you opportunity for misery. I got a double dose of the latter. The first infusion of misery hurt most. England being knocked out by Germany. Yes, Germany … Continue reading How I Lost 7-2 →

Redemption

I'm not generally a superstitious person. Religion is all hocus pocus to me. Black cats crossing my path have no effect on the rest of my day. Walking under ladders is a favourite past time, a poke in the eye to bad luck. But when it comes to football, I do get peculiarly drawn into to patterns, superstitions, … Continue reading Redemption →

The Mexican Autopsy

Was it just me, or did it seem, right from the announcement of the team, that Aguirre had this match as a 'not important' sort of a game. A friendly. A kick around. Blanco starting? Please! I've defended him plenty, but as a player whose role is as an impact substitute. Not a starter. Franco … Continue reading The Mexican Autopsy →

Dancing With An Angel

As well as all the photos, I took some video footage which I put together to create a mini Mexico movie, just to give an idea of the atmosphere in the heart of Mexico City. Plenty of flags, wigs, costumes, face paint and of course horns. I admit it, I bought one. It was only … Continue reading Dancing With An Angel →

El Decimoséptimo De Junio

I suspect the exact date will soon be forgotten, unlike the Cinco de Mayo. But the day will never be forgotten. Arguably Mexico's finest World Cup performance ever. Definitely their best result ever. I was there, in the Zocalo, along with tens of thousands of fans. And I made the march down to the Angel … Continue reading El Decimoséptimo De Junio →

Mexico v France Preview

Boy Group A is going to be a tight finish. I've just watched Uruguay's 3-0 beating of South Africa, thanks to another cancelled class - I've had a lot of them since the World Cup started. The South Americans put in a much better performance than they did against France, and although they hardly set … Continue reading Mexico v France Preview →