Other matches

This is the first World Cup where I've had a nine to five (or thereabouts) job, so I'm probably getting to see less football than ever this year. I was in the same job during Euro 2008, but the games were at 5:00pm and 8:00pm, so you could video the first one, and watch it as live at about six when you got home. This year there are obviously two afternoon matches, and they are done by 5:00pm.

I've been setting the video religiously for the afternoon games, perhaps thinking at some point I'll just be able to sit down and watch three matches in succession despite knowing the scores. The truth is, I haven't been arsed to watch any other games at all.

Of the four afternoon games I have recorded to watch later, I have watched only one, which was Portugal and Ivory Coast, which may explain my reluctance to watch anymore. What a hateful game this was; fuck knows why the Cote D'Ivoire didn't go for it. This is easily the worst Portuguese team for 15 years, maybe longer (Paulo Futre, a gloriously one footed number 10, was probably around 15 years ago, and Danny and Liedson aren't fit to clean his boots), whereas the Ivory Coast, despite Drogba's injury, should be at their strongest with the emergence of Gervinho and Kalou seeming to have his breakthrough season in terms of consistency and productiveness.

I also watched the last ten minutes of the Spain game; I meant to watch this one all the way through, but then accidentally discovered it was 0-0 at half time. I don't like Spain with their tippy-tappy, perfect football bollocks, and Barcelona's all encompassing self-righteousness. The truth of Euro 2008 is that Spain were incredibly lucky to beat Italy, who carved out the best two chances of the match, and had the best player on the park by far in Chiellini. I took against the Spanish after that match, and have remained not a fan ever since. I am hoping and praying that Euro 2008 will prove to be a blip, and that they continue to bottle it: their defeat now could mean that they go through in second place and have to play Brazil ("the dream final"), although I suspect that results will somehow result with them on top of the group. I am hoping and praying that Chile somehow draw with Spain, and then Switzerland and Chile can recreate the Anschluss match of 1982 and play out a draw.