Well, as matches go that was a nerve-jangling belter today. England beat mighty Slovenia 1-0 thanks to a goal from deadly Defoe but ooh it could have gone agonisingly wrong if the leader of the failed palazzo coup, ‘modest’ John Terry, hadn’t shown that he had the right stuff after all and defended as if his life depended on it. Look at that action shot above of JT pulling off the rarely seen sliding head tackle.
He, Johnson and Upson all pulled off incredible last ditch tackles in the final few minutes to ensure the mighty reds got through the World Cup’s easiest group stage after all. Alright we came second to the USA but that’s no disgrace. Well it is, but we’ll settle for it after that debacle against Algeria (however I’m not sure I can take another emotional interview with Landon Donovan – Clint Eastwood is no doubt already lining up Mel Gibson to play him in the movie ‘Landon – A Soccer Life’ after the World Cup). At least we saw Joe Cole on the pitch today. Even if he did little but take the ball towards the corner flag.
I was also heartbroken to watch the French implode more disastrously than England. Apparently they all flew home last in economy class. That’ll have been as much of a shock to Thierry and his amis as going out at the first stage. Is it too much to hope that a similar fate to Domenech’s befalls Maradona? – it’s all going a little too smoothly for the Argentinians so far. Surely some scandal is lurking just around the next corner for Los Fray Bentos. Please.
And now it’s Germany again, If it’s not fat Phil Scolari, it’s the bloody Germans to break our hearts. But hey, we ‘re still in the WC and the dream of a magic double is still on; England to win the World Cup and Blackpool to win promotion to the Premiership. It’s an unlikely double but still on. Come on Jermaine it’s just the Germans now. Followed in all likelihood by Argentina in the QFs, Spain in the semis and Brazil in the final. Easy – just ask Ian Holloway.
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Pasta Paulie 