Spain are no doubt a lot of peoples favourites in this tournament but even if you have some of the best players on the planet and play very nice attractive football, there is still no guarantee you are going to beat every team you come up against. I can't imagine anyone, even the most optimistic of Cape Verde fans could imagine anything less than a Spanish win, but as some bloke back in the 80's always used to say "football's a funny old game Saint" and he was dead right. Cape Verde were fantastic and it could be said that they may have put in the best defensive performance there has been at a World Cup. Spain really struggled to break their opponents down and resulted to playing direct football which the Cape Verde defence dealt with so well, things got a bit trickier when Yamal and Williams were introduced later in the game but even then, the defenders and 40 year old stopper Vozinha would not be passed. What a performance from the underdogs and fair play to them, hopefully this draw will give them the confidence to push on and pick up more points against the other two teams in Group H, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, who to be honest didn't look particularly impressive in there 1-1 draw. The Saudis probably shaded the first half with their energy and the South Americans looked slightly the better team in the second half. As for Spain I still think they will win this group and probably go on to lift the trophy, however my bet on Mikel Oyarzabal to become top scorer looks a bit in doubt considering he broke an unwanted record of becoming the first person in history not to touch the ball in the first 30 minutes of a World Cup match since records began in 1966. Its like I always say though you cant score goals if they don't pass you the ball. Anyway if you want more betting tips I am happy to oblige.
Germany were predictably Germany in their 7-1 win over Curacao in Group E, despite the unfancied Curacaoans equalising on 21 minutes. Unfortunately though that just made the Germans mad and they went in to demolition mode and showed everyone yet again that you don't write off the bloody Germans. It makes me sick, even though they are no way near as good as the sides of yesteryear they are still going to be a force and after dispatching the minnows of the group so emphatically I'm sure they will steamroll their way through. I can't imagine Ecuador or Ivory Coast will put up much a fight, despite putting on a really good game which the Ivorians won late on, neither are surely going to have enough to challenge the Germans, especially now they have decided to tap in to the past with their Retro Italia 1990 kit, It evokes memories of Andreas Brehme scoring a flukey freekick against England in the semi finals, Rudi Voeller wiping Frank Rijkaard's flob out of his hair and Jurgen Klinsmann diving about all over the place like a demented salmon. I wonder if they designed that kit on purpose so all England fans can remember Waddles penalty and Gazzas tears. Bastards!!!
The Netherlands or Holland as i like to call them played out a decent Desmond Tutu draw with Japan in group F but Graham Potter's Sweden were the stars of the group smashing the awful Tunisians 5-1. The result and performance was so bad, and the Tunisian FA were so disgusted, they sacked boss Sabri Lamouchi almost immediately. To be honest I don't blame them given that they had just been humiliated by a team that was managed by one of West Ham's worst ever managers, I think I would be embarrassed too. Sweden are now in with a great chance of qualifying and given the disarray that will now surround the Tunisian camp surely all 3 of the big hitters will progress safely through. Question is who will win the Group. Answer is who gives a shit!!
Group G also kicked off. Belgium looked pretty bang average against a half decent Egypt side, again this was a game of 2 halves, the Africans on top in the first period, but the Belgians came into it in the second half. The introduction of Stormzy lookalike Lukaku forced the equaliser, the big man tried his best to claim his 93rd international goal but the replay clearly proved he never touched it and it was put through his own goal by Egyptian defender Emam Ashour, who incidentally won the man of the match award.
Then came probably the most entertaining game of the tournament so far a 2-2 draw against the also rans of the Group New Zealand and Iran. It may of been a good watch but the defending by both teams was pretty non existent. Iran's back line were shocking, not once did they try and challenge Chris Wood, granted they probably thought when its in the air we aint gonna beat him to the ball but surely when he brings it down you might want to try and challenge instead of giving him all the time and space in the world, I would sort of understand it if it was Maradonna or Zidane or Ronaldo or something, but it wasn't it was Chris flipping Wood for god sake. This draw could be a missed chance for New Zealand, given the time and space they had on the ball they should have punished the Iranians more and now they are going to need to get a win against either Egypt or Belgium, I just can't see it happening.
That's all the groups up to date and time to look forward to the big game tonight, France take on Senegal to open up Group I, in what looks like a massive game. I know what you're all thinking and I am thinking it too. Are we only at Group bleedin' I, we still have J, K and L to go. I blame the hydration breaks.
Up the Senegal!!
