I tell you what, it aint easy watching England, if I'm honest it never has been. Since I was a kid watching us in the 1982 World Cup in Spain its always been the same. Any of you that are old enough to remember will recall that we went that tournament unbeaten, and despite smashing a French team full of superstars including Michel Platini 3-1 in our opening game and drawing 0-0 with both Germany and Spain, we came home before the semi finals having only conceded one goal. Atter this first exposure of top flight International football and seeing the silky skills of Brazil and witnessing the talented footballers on show, such as Zico, Socrates, Eder, Falcao and Junior, Boniek of Poland, Rossi and Tardelli of Italy and others like Rummenigge, Blokhin, Krankl, Maradona and Ardiles to name just a few, I was certainly hooked and given that England had done so well, I was obviously already looking forward to the next adventure in Mexico in 1986. Sometimes I wish I didn't like football so much because from that moment in 1982 when Keegan missed the header against Spain and we went home, the image of super Kev on his knees after that miss still haunts me. It would've been fine if that was the only bad memory but it seems with every tournament that passes another bad memory of our blessed bad luck is etched into my mind. Maradona's hand of god, Chris Waddles skied penalty that is still up in space somewhere, Beckham's sending off and Shearer's disallowed goal against the Argies, Seaman being lobbed by Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo's wink and even the quarter final missed penalty against France last time out by Harry Kane, when we were the better team. Yep being English is full of dissapointment, so it stands to reason that it can only be a matter of time until one day we will get that little bit of luck to go all the way and win this bloody World Cup and finally put to bed that 1966 win, cos lets face, it very soon if we don't, anybody who was alive to witness it will all be dead. I swear the only reason Geoff Hurst is still breathing is because he wants to see us lift the trophy one more time before he pops his clogs.
In years gone by we have had squads that have flattered to deceive and we have had squads that have probably over achieved. This time round we may have a mixture of both, given what we saw at times in Wednesday nights game, but somehow we showed just enough to get through. At 73 minutes against Doctor Congo it looked for all the world that we weren't going to score, but then arise Sir Harry Kane. What a a striker this bloke is, he just doesn't know what giving up is. His first goal was decent, but his second was a piece of magic, to generate the power he did with the inside of his right foot was just brilliant, what a thunderbastard of a strike. Did we deserve to win the game? Probably not, does it matter? Of course it doesn't, what has happened up until now is pretty much irrelevant, people can analyse why we are so open at the back, and why our wide men are not creating enough and why are we going backwards and sideways, but you know what I don't care anymore, I don't care if we dominate games, I don't care if we give a few goals away, just as long as we get through, because for too long we have not had the resilience to bounce back, we haven't had that never say die attitude and whether or not people believe this squad is missing some players that may have made a difference, one thing is for sure every single player who sets foot on that pitch for England during this tournament will be giving everything for the shirt, and if they don't look like they are, Tommy Tickles is hooking them off and giving someone else a go. Football is a simple game at the end of the day, doesn't matter what the other team does, all that matters come the end of the game is that your team has scored one more goal than them. I really believe we can do that, and if not I'm sure we aint rolling over and letting a team beat us by 4 or 5 to nothing. I may be wrong, but that's just the way I see it. Can we go to the Azteca and show Mexico how good we are, maybe not, but I tell you what if you was to offer me a rerun of the Dr Congo game and we win 2-1 I'd bite your hand off, granted watching it will be like hell but lets face it we don't no any different do we. Remember 1990 when we stunk the place out against Ireland, sneaked a 1-0 win over the Egyptians to win the group before, snatching a last minute of extra time winner against Belgium, despite possibly being second best in that game, then having to come from behind against Cameroon to reach the semi final where arguably we played our best game and still lost on penalties. After that tournament the team were treated like heroes on their return to England, they went around in an open top bus with Gazza wearing a pair of plastic tits. for god sake and we came 4th without playing very well at all. We have already done more than that this tournament, so just never know how long this journey will last.
Of course there has been more football going on, not just England and of course France are purring like a very contented cat at the moment. The French front four of whoever is playing there is frightening, the midfield are brilliant even the back four which contains some very average full backs(what England would do for an average full back) looks exceptional, yep France are head and shoulders above everyone else so far in this tournament, but you know what sometimes the best team don't win the World Cup, they normally do but maybe this year the best team won't win it. Brazil in 1982 were streets ahead of everyone else but when it came down to it Italy outscored both them and Germany to lift the trophy, there was no way the were the best team of the tournament, Germany, France and even Poland were better, but the history books say Italy were because they won the damn thing, there are probably other examples but that one sticks out to me. It is going to take something special to stop France however, It'll be interesting to see how they fair against Paraguay in the next round and if they are able to break the South Americans down, on paper this looks like a forgone conclusion but look at what Cape Verde did to Spain, you just never know, although I would be very surprised if they don't get through.
Belgium and Senegal probably played out the best game of, if not the tournament certainly the knockout rounds. How on earth did the Senegalese let a 2-0 advantage slip with only 5 minutes remaining, and how did Belgium who hadn't bothered to turn up for 85 minutes turn it round. Extra time could've gone either way and it was edge of the seat stuff that was all finished off with a last minute of extra time penalty conversion. Up until that moment I was routing for Senegal and thought the penalty was slightly harsh but once the African team started all their antics, laying on the penalty spot, shouting at the ref and acting like spoilt children, I changed alliance and was pretty glad when Youri Tielemans fired home and Senegal were eliminated. I thought they were going to walk off the pitch again the sulking scumbags.
Erling Haaland saw off the Ivory Coast and The US of A did the job over what has been a poor Bosnian side, despite being reduced to 10 men, Balogun got his marching orders, in somewhat controversial circumstances. He has been key to the Yanks success so far and his suspension could be costly in the next round.
Tonight sees Spain take on Austria and is this the game when the Spanish really get their World Cup going and show everyone how good they really are? It could be a corker.
Up the football!!
