Still hurting...

It still hurts.

Less, but still.

I am proud.

Mas, y todavia.

I wore my scarf today again.

But the feeling of sadness lingers.

Sad for our people.

Sad for our futbol.

And sad for the players that gave everything, on behalf of us all.

We have to go on, with hopes and dreams, un-fulfilled.

Without the ultimate reward that our futbol deserves.

We finished second, only on the scoreboard.

I know, we were not second best.

But, we must congratulate an also deserving Germany.

Our time will come again.

As life is a journey, and not a destination.

Futbol is also a journey, a feeling.

I thank the players, for both the journey and the feeling they have given me,  for both Argentina and for our futbol.

Vamos Argentina!!! Todavia, y siempre!

We're not a team..

This was meant to be a tactical piece.

But my heart won't let my brain think enough to get into the fine details of how we could tactically beat the supposed perfect Germans.

The Brazilians, fell apart emotionally and tactically, due to the loss of their two most key players.

And yes, had it not been the Germans, it would not have been 7-1, but this does not make them invincible. 

In a league season, you don't get 4 points for winning 3-0.

You get just as many points as 1-0.

And in a World Cup, you don't get the trophy for winning the semi-final emphatically. 

Supposedly it is the Team vs the Individual. 

Supposedly we are ineffective, and unconvincing. 

But yet the Germans could not beat Ghana, and could not overcome Algeria in 90 minutes.

How will we win?..

We have big balls.

We feel futbol.

And we have Lionel. 

They are correct, we're not a team.

Somos mas.

Somos un pais! 

Somos Argentina!

VAMOS CARAJO!!!

This, is the tears in my eyes for this team...

This photo is it. 

This is why I love this Argentina Team. 

This is why this team has reached the final, when others haven't. 

I loved the Argentina World Cup sides of the past, I did. I do. Still. 

I have spent many hours bewildered at how 2006 crashed so fast in 12 minutes. 

I spent days wondering how the most talented squad of 2002, failed to get through the group stage. 

But this picture says it for me. 

Rojo lays spent. Completely spent. 

Saturated of energy. 

Anguish and pain on his face. 

But most of all, the jersey. 

The shirt, is also spent. 

The shirt that represents all Argentines has been to a war. 

It has been in a war and it has fought. 

The man wearing the jersey, has done it justice for all us Argentines.

We haven't played the beautiful mesmerising futbol of 06.

We haven't got Zanetti, Batigol, or Riquelme, signature players of the La Seleccion and a squad of 2002 that was embarrassingly rich. 

We have Rojo, Biglia, and Masche. 

But they have fought for the jersey.

They have fought for our people. 

They have fought for our futbol. 

They have to go fight again one more time. 

But this time, the tears will be in my eyes from the first moment, because the jersey is back, back where it belongs. 

3 hours from glory...

4 heavyweights.

180 minutes from glory.

With so many stars and match winners across the four squads, there is high potential for someone to deliver something special.

Someone to rise to the occasion. Or merely to do what they do, on a greater occasion.

Something that will be remembered for the ages.

It's no secret, I hope it is Lionel.

But it could easily be Robben, Oscar, or Goetze.

Argentina - Holanda

It's ironic that I have been tagged in Dennis Bergkamp's goal that knocked us out in 98' about three times this month.

That one hurt.

I've always thought that when we win, I'd like us to beat the best. All of them.

I didn't want to get Costa Rica in the semi-final, because then it'd be too easy at the end of the Cup to say 'oh but you had an easy ride'.

Even a Brazil without Neymar, would have been somewhat not quite the best. So I'm happy with the path to glory.

Two demons to exercise.

Germany and The Netherlands.

To beat the old foe of Germany in the final, who have knocked us out in both our last World Cups and who also had some refereeing help in Italia 90 to win it against us, would be a just way to take it out. 

We need two of the greatest matches since 86' from 'Los Pibes'.

Le'Oranje. A huge task. Many tactical battles.

Lous Van Gaal vs Messi.

Sabella vs Louis Van Gaal

The Argentine midfield and defense vs RVP, Sneijder and Robben.

The last three guys there are giving me a headache just saying their names. I'm not sure we can keep them scoreless. It seriously pains me as I say it.

Rojo has been very good, but in particular Wesley turning around Biglia and Masche. These boys will have to have an even bigger game again.

RVP. He barely needs half a chance. Think his diving header, think his turn and finish against Australia. He makes half chances look like tap ins. 

Headache is now a migraine. 

And then I think of no Di Maria going forward for us. His run from Messi's passes give oxygen to the team when under pressure. 

We have to find oxygen elsewhere. Lavezzi! Maybe? Por favor! Te pido!

Pero Somos Argentino..

If it is our year, it feels right that it has to be this way. 

We have suffered 24 years since Italia.

And suffer we have, in some of the worst ways.

And now our hearts have suffered in this World Cup. 

Nothing has come easy and nothing will come easy in the next 180 minutes. 

I am ready, I want to suffer my part a little bit more. 

I believe in Lionel. I believe in Masche. 

I believe in our futbol.

Vamos por todo Argentina!!!

Words cannot describe...

As an Argentinian, I think, well that's what you get for supporting Switzerland so passionately.

And also for the first 7 minutes against Belgium, you were quite happy to start the 'Ole's' when they strung together 3 passes.

Where was all that support and passion tonight?.. Mmm. More on that later.

However, as a football fan... What on earth!

We can analyse the tactics, which Germany had spot on. They made the most of the Brazilians ill discipline in defense to track runners, in particular to the edge of the box. 

But the real damage, was that it tore apart any little bit of self belief they still had after the Neymar and Thiago loss.

Beyond the 2nd or the 3rd goal, there was just no belief. With no belief, there is no tracking, tracking back, no fight, just complete ill discipline like a training match where the score doesn't matter.

And to think I said the Germans were not looking ruthless earlier on. Wow. No heart, they just slay without any remorse. 

It was cruel.

What I think is disappointing is some of the fans response. The boo's are unwarranted. There will always be a few, but I just feel for the scapegoats like Fred. Or any of the players.

They don't go out to lose 7-1. They provided the nation with joy up to here, and the people were with them up to here.

So they shouldn't desert them at this point.

It is hard though. I've been there.

Cape Town, 2010. Argentina 0, Germany 4.

You just feel hurt. It takes time to heel.

You have to somehow stick together with your team. Support them through it.

Because fútbol is beautiful, it comes around again.

Some day in the future, unknowing to us all, you have that chance again.

My Argentina, is a step away from that day.

VAMOS CARAJO!!!

Rise to the occasion

4 heavyweights.

180 minutes from glory.

With so many stars and match winners across the four squads, there is high potential for someone to deliver something special.

Someone to rise to the occasion. Or merely to do what they do, on a greater occasion.

Something that will be remembered for the ages.

It's no secret, I hope it is Lionel.

But it could easily be Robben, Oscar, or Goetze.

Brazil

It's funny seeing so many rate this as the worst Brazil side ever. It clearly isn't. The squad is tremendously talented.

And I'm not sure what they were expecting from Scolari either. He has always been defensive and rigid in forming his sides.

And despite the loss of Neymar, they can bring in Willian, and still have Bernard as a sub for impact, who dazzled at last years Confederations Cup.

No doubt in my mind, 94' Brazil was the worst Brazilian side I have ever seen. Insanely boring. Yet look what they did. Do not write this one off just yet.

Germany

The 2002 World Cup Final triggered a rethink for German football.

Despite making the final, they knew their football looked, and was, outdated.

Changes were introduced at Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 level. All regarding youth training standards, approaches, and style.

They weren't aiming to change the direction of the National Team, but they knew they needed to improve, be more refined, have more football in their side.

Fast forward to today. Germany look to be the favourites, against Brazil in their homeland.

They look to have more football in their side.

I fully expect them to dictate the match. I think they will want to, and I also think Scolari will want them to.

That is Brazil's chance. With such a high defensive line, Hulk and Willian will be looking to run onto an Oscar pass. Algeria showed the way, but lacked the quality.

Can Brazils' defence hold strong, without Thiago Silva, for long enough to allow them to take the lead down the other end.

These semi-finals are too tight to predict. I'd advise to just enjoy it.

I'll enjoy tonights, because I fully expect to suffer through the next.

Quartets - Part 2, David and Goliath

Historically the final rarely ends up as the show piece.

Often, it is a match from the semi or quarter finals that is burnt in our memory and is looked back on as the match the eventual champions rose to the occasion of the World Cup.

Think 86', Argentina vs England, or more recently 06' Italy vs Germany.

In the quartet of matches that approaches us, there is a classic match awaiting.

Part 2

David and Goliath

Today, everyone's little David, has fallen. There are just two David's left.

One of them is Belgica, a return to the great stage. 

They look to have been building, without nearly hitting their straps.

My Argentina, Goliath, using every once of energy to scrape through, despite promising so much more.

Something is not right for us. 

It worries me, because I have huge hope and belief after Di Maria's goal.

It touched the soul of all Argentines. 

However, this is usually where it has falls apart.

This match will be won from the technical area. 

Alejandro has work, Marc has something up his sleeve.

I hope not. 

We look to history, a Goliath number 10, and pray 'Que se repita!'

Is there any magic dust left for Costa Rica?

It looks to have run out.

And if not, it will need to be in it's most potent form. 

LVG awaits. The, Master Technician of the moment.

He seems too ruthless to be born Dutch.

He does not care for ideas, or emotion. He only cares for the victory. 

Can Los Ticos play the game of their lives, with all their heart, to produce one more miracle?

Or will they finally fall, to a Robben fall?

Las Quartets - Part 1

Historically the final rarely ends up as the show piece.

Often, it is a match from the semi or quarter finals that is burnt in our memory and is looked back on as the match the eventual champions rose to the occasion of the World Cup.

Think 86', Argentina vs England, or more recently 06' Italy vs Germany.

In the quartet of matches that approaches us, there is a classic match awaiting.

Part 1

Pressure vs Hope

Colombia’s futbol fits perfectly with the findings of a recent study.

It concluded that Colombian people are the happiest in the world. 

It brings Joy. 

James, is the epitome of that joy.

On the pitch, he just looks like a boy trying to impress his family and friends. 

La Seleccao, are carrying a nation of expectation. 

But it seems they may have just passed over the mountain. 

The players were overcome with emotion from being pushed to five inches from defeat. 

That outpour of emotion though, was just the trick to ease the noose of expectation. 

Art vs Science

Once easily distinguishable, now not so.

The machine focused on end product, has evolutionalised itself to focus on ideas.

The traditional artist, seems to have a ruthless edge once renowned with the machine.

The lines are blurred these days. The enemy is always changing. 

An old score is to be settled, Battiston may have his day. 

Two classic quarter finals, before they have even kicked-off.

I see a 98 World Cup Final replay awaiting us...

ACÁ, NO VAMOS A MORIR!!!

'A strain on the heart of all Argentinians this match eh..

Definitively.

A strain, on the heart of all Argentinians. Here.. comes the player, Messi.

Messi sparks up, here goes Messi, Messi Messi Messi Messi Messi Shot! GOOOOOOOOOLLLLL DI MARRRIA!!!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLL

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLL

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLL

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLL

GOOOLLL DE DI MARIIA! I TOLD YOU!

THIS KID MAKES ME EMOTIONAL! THIS KID MAKES ME EMOTIONAL!

YOU MAKE ME EMOTIONAL DI MARIA!

YOU PLAY, YOU PLAY, YOU PLAY!

YOU FEEL, YOU FEEL, YOU FEEL!

YOU DON'T PLAY FUTBOL!

YOU'RE IN A WAR DI MARIA!

YOU'RE IN A WAR DI MARIA!

YOU'RE IN A WAR DI MARIA!

YOU COME FROM A TOWN, WHERE YOU HAD TO STRUGGLE DI MARIA

MESSI SPARKED UP, MESSI SPARKED UP

FROM WHAT PLAYSTATION DO YOU COME FROM LIONEL?

FROM WHAT PLAYSTATION DO YOU COME FROM LIONEL?

HE SAW DI MARIA, HE CAME FROM THE RIGHT

I TOLD YOU 3 MINUTES AGO, I TOLD YOU, IT HAD TO BE A GOAL FROM DI MARIA

DI MARIA DESERVES IT, ARGENTINA DESERVES, WE DESERVE IT!!!

AND EVEN MORE, WE DON'T DESERVE TO DIE HERE, IN FRONT OF THESE FIFTY THOUSAND BRAZILIANS

HERE!!! WE ARE NOT GOING TO DIE!

HERE!!! WE ARE NOT GOING TO DIE!

THEY CAN SHOOT ARROWS BUT WE'LL FIGHT IN THE SHADE, IF IT IS SO THAT THEY'LL BLOCK THE LIGHT FROM THE SUN, AS LEONIDIS SAID

HERE WE ARE NOT GOING TO DIE!

WE ARE ARGENTINA!

WE HAVE HISTORY, WE HAVE STEEL, WE HAVE STARS

MESSI SPARKED UP, HE ESCAPED FROM THE PLAYSTATION

HE PUT IT THERE FOR DI MARIA

AND THE LIGHTWEIGHT ON THE RIGHT

THE LIGHTWEIGHT ON THE RIGHT

ARGENTINA ONE

SWITZERLAND ZERO

SWITZERLAND ZERO

SWITZERLAND ZERO

GO WORK IN A BANK BENAGLIO! (Swiss Goalkeeper)

GO WORK IN A BANK BENAGLIO!

GIVE ME A CREDIT LINE AT 4% IN US DOLLARS AND I'LL TAKE IT BENAGLIO

DI MARIA

ARGENTINA

ARGENTINA

BRASIL, TELL ME HOW IT FEELS

WE HAVE THE POPE

YOU HAVE NOTHING!'

Sufrimiento… The Suffering.

What a way to suffer.

I feel exhausted.

The moment it broke to the his feet the sun seemed to shine brighter.

I had nothing left. I let out one Vamos… And then sat with tears until it was over.

The pressure is unbelievably high. I cannot imagine it for the players.

And today, we had everything to lose today, and nothing to gain. I picked Switzerland to be very tough.

Hitzfled. An organised European defence. We don't face this in qualifying. And in friendlies it is not the same.

Plus the current dynamics of world football are favouring a counter attacking game. So any team that has the onus to attack, will usually face 2 solid deep blocks of 4 and 4. If you don't have an aerial threat it becomes increasingly difficult.

If Higuain is not in form, and then you add Palacio to that, both players that are dangerous when making runs into space, then you've made the wrong subs and you need some luck.

In comes Luck, better known as Leichtsteiner.

And we only needed a fraction of it. Ok we needed the post too.

Today was our best game. No doubt.

Sabella made the wrong substitutions though, we needed Alvarez, not Palacio.

In my view, Palacio is like for like with Higuain. We needed another ball player to link with Messi. Or to take a defender away. Palacio and Higuain work in behind defences, which there was no room because they sere sitting too deep.

We also gave away far too many free-kicks. Enough for me to eat both my hands off. The swiss were banking on this, and their delivery was spot on every time.

But aside from that. It was our best match. The Swiss were very good defensively, and if you watched you could clearly see they had quality going forward. But to our credit, they had no chances on the counter that I can remember. None.

So we had all the possession, pushed our fullbacks into the game, created chances, shots on goal, and did not concede any chances in the second half as we pushed, but yet some say we are poor.

It takes two teams to play football. If one sits back, waits and counters, it poses a massive risk if you simply launch numbers forward aimlessly. You play into their hands.

Some say we are too reliant on Messi, yet today the clear best player on the park was Di Maria. Next up, you would have to put the entire back four, in particular Rojo.

Anyway, when you play good and don't win they'll say you need to be more 'effective', and when you win 1-0, they'll say you are poor without understanding the context of the match.

The only thing you can do is mute your TV before, during half time, and especially after, as these guys are experts in hindsight.

What does make me smile though, is the thought of all the Brazilians  that bought tickets to watch us play. They sang 'Ole' to the 3.25 minutes of passes the Swiss had.

And then just as they were getting warm for the penalties, Ole!

Enjoy Brasileros,

Vamos Colombia!

Love, Pain & Hope...

My first genuine World Cup that I was awake and experienced emotions for was in 94'.

We were mesmerised, and thought we had it won after two matches.

Until, I woke to my Dad cursing and my brother close to tears. Diego was also crying, he said his legs had been cut by FIFA.

All of Argentina's belief had also been cut to the ground. The side was a mere shadow after that, two straight losses fumbled us out of the Cup.

98' was not as tragic. We cruised throughout the group stage, with a relatively fresh squad. The first World Cup without Diego, the #10 lay on the shoulders of Ariel Ortega. Someone Arjen Robben may have modelled part of his game on.

In the end, the #10 Ortega let us down, he got himself sent off Pepe style, and almost immediately the Dutch went downfield with a diagonal ball to Dennis Bergkamp. The rest, is…

Although I did throw a few chairs around Club Marconi, we felt comforted by the fact we sent England home in the second round. It was enough pride to carry through the pain of the quarter final defeat. The squad was also young enough to provide hope that the next WC, would certainly be ours..

2002. The Black World Cup.

We flew into this world cup. We dominated qualifying. However, as a nation, Argentina was struggling. There had been a massive financial collapse, and it was very uncertain times.

I was 17. I had friends and teachers all asking me what was going on over there. I also heard the uncertainty through my family, and my parents conversations with loved ones in Argentina.

However we Argentineans are extremely proud, so despite the uncertainty, we clung to our football. There, we could be .proud

With the best squad we have had in the last 20 years, we crashed out first round, and the arch enemy England got their revenge.

Complete Humiliation.

2006. Romans Cup. And, a kid called Messi.

After the 2002 devastation, hopes did not start as high for 2006.

But, by the end of 2005, Roman had scored an outrageous goal against los Brasileros, and a kid called Messi was also making a splash in Europe. Optimism was growing.

I'd started to watch every chance of Messi I could. I was adamant he had to be a starter. WIth him and Roman, just maybe, it could be ours.

It all went perfectly. The Serbia exhibition was inspiring, and then we were pushed by the Mexicans, but the quality came through. The whole world was raving about our own unique style.

We were even 1-0 up against the Germans. Ayala's goal, the goal that gave half an hour of belief, that it was our time.

And then the brain snap of the century. Pekerman took off Riquelme with his last substitution, and put on Julio Cruz, leaving us with the greatest bench in World Cup history.

Aimar, Saviola, Crespo, Riquelme and that kid called Messi.

2010. Belief, in a false idea.

Diego. We have Diego again. That was our plan.

And Diego's plan, 'I have Leo'.

We Argentines are also emotional. It was enough of a plan to get my brother and a best friend to fly over the the coldest, noisiest World Cup in recent history. We watched every match. All of the Leo/ Diego erased any doubts of how were were actually going to win.

The day we crashed out was strange. My brother and I had sat down, with tickets on the half way line, beaming with Quilmes inspired enthusiasm.

We then did not say a word for the next 90 minutes.

It's a strange feeling being there at the World Cup. You make friends with other fans. You bump into each other at each game. You feel like you're part of the team. You follow them around to each city, they applaud after each victory.

And then it was over so quickly.

I remember a young Argentine father comforting his young toddler who could not stop crying to the left of me. And another young man like myself, with red eyes staring at the blankly at the empty pitch.

Also, the players left without thanking those who had felt like we'd been there the whole way, on the pitch with them. This hurt.

I fell in love with Diego again that World Cup. His anguish during the last match could be seen. I could see his hurt. I loved that he hurt for the team. But he wasn't the man to lead us to victory. He was a fan. Like myself.

I also fell out of love for Messi. In my pain, I directed most blame to him. That was unwarranted.

It is a team game. Always has been, always will.

No one ever won it alone. Not even Diego.

And now 2014.

That kid called Messi, is carrying all our hopes.

So far, he has delivered. Exceptionally.

But it is a team game. Always has been, always will.

No one will ever win it alone. Not even Leo.

Tomorrow, we need the other 10, more than the number 10.

HAY-MES, A-MEN!

Jose Pekerman seems to have done it again on the World Cup stage.

In 2006, Argentina were the best footballing side. No doubt.

Though, I would make a case that he did not take the side far enough to a footballing euphoria, and that his caution under pressure in the quarter final brought us undone.

However, his success of a footballing idea, which is increasingly lost and misunderstood, must be applauded.

That Argentina side was led by a classic South American enganche, Roman.

Again today, Colombia is led by a classic enganche, James.

(Colombianly pronounced, Hay- meh, or Hay-mes, just go with it).

The genius of what Pekerman does, is that in the current football world of over-scrutinised tactics and systems, he has enough belief in James to let go of the responsibility, and trust in the number 10.

Like Roman in 2006, he pops up everywhere.

On his volleyed goal, yes, he is exactly where a typical coach would want him. But throughout the match, he often goes to where most coaches might say he doesn't need to be.

But he does need to be there.

When the team needs composure, he is there.

When the team needs a push, he is there.

When they need a pause, he's there.

He is given, a somewhat free reign. It is to be admired.

For Jose's trust in a cultural idea.

And for James' execution.

The Goodbyes..

Some were just happy to be here. Their moment on the World stage.

Some expected to be here for a lot longer.

The most exciting group stage of a World Cup I have ever lived.

Here is a quick line or two on those making their way home..

Croatia - Rakitic/Modric midfield, Mandzukic up top. Promised so much, delivered so little..

Cameroon - Promised very little, and delivered! Standard red card too. 

Espana - Uff. Welcome and goodbye in two matches. Thanks for bringing the trophy back. A sad goodbye to a absolute quality generation of players. Andresito, Xavi, Xabi, Villa.. 

Australia - The coaching change needed to happen a year and a half earlier. A group way too hard for a group of players at least 2 years short of experience. Nevertheless, two great performances that gives hope for the future.

Ivory Coast - Fell short, literally, at the hurdle.  A cruel way to exit for a side that looked like they could do some damage. 

Japan - Been promising a lot for a couple of years now, but also falling short. As always, goals, hard to find. 

England - Didn't promise anything this time, and didn't deliver. But some very good young players coming through, and I think that with a good coach they are capable of a lot more in a few years.

Italia - 90 minutes of beauty versus England. And then 180 minutes of disappointment. 

Honduras - They scored a goal! Got to be happy with that. 

Ecuador - If the World Cup was played at 4500m altitude, these guys would have it in the bag. 

Bosnia - Far too nervous. A very qualify-able group, yet they came without enough conviction and belief.

Iran - Very very well organised defensively. Almost pulled off a famous draw. 

Portugal - Good riddance. Personally, I just feel they lacked a star player to give them quality. :-p

Ghana - What a shame, such a great side to watch. They showed this against Germany, but the last minute winner to the US hurt their chances. 

Korea Republic - To be completely honest. I did not watch any of their games. :-/

Argentina - Keep Calm, Our World Cup starts now..

Ok so the warm ups are over now. Our World Cup starts now!

With my love for the little guy, it would be easy to get swept up in the Messi/Argentina fever hitting the World Cup. 3 wins, 4 goals, 3 Man of the Match awards. But I'm not yet jumping up and down.. Ok I am, but it's with caution...

It only takes one match for it to all crash to earth from here. And I have seen it crash too often too quickly for my loved Argentina. 

Let's be honest, we have faced no one. And I mean that with respect for the opposition because Bosnia were going to be a tough test, but yet they were too nervous to get near their potential. Iran proved to be a test, yet they are not near enough to the quality that the knock out phase brings. And the similiar can be said for Nigeria today, though they do go through to the next phase. 

But those were our warm ups. 

It's easy to think things are going smoothly, however if we were in a group like Italy or Spain, it could just as easily have been us making the short trip home.

We got blessed, we got luck, and you need that. It has given us time to tinker and build for the first 3 matches. Though the question will be if we can go from 2nd gear, to 5th gear. Will those around Leo step up, or be found wanting??

Today, certainly gave evidence that the players around Leo are growing in confidence. Di Maria was outstanding, and should have been Man of the Match. Mascherano, Lavezzi, and even Rojo were also very good.

I very much prefer Lavezzi to Higuain, although the latter scored a hatful in qualifying. The injury to Kun is a concern, he has been quiet, but that isn't all bad. He may explode at the right time, as he has for City.

Switzerland do worry me. They are similar to the Germans, but less angry.

Ironically, the worry for me is a German, their manager Ottmar Hitzfeld. In Ottmar, they have a very experienced manager who has been with them since 2008.

They will be German like, organised and fast on the counter. Nigeria showed we may struggle with this. And no doubt they are scheming a plan for Leo as we speak.

Thankfully, the little man is growing again.

My head says we need to be careful..

My heart says we may witness something truly special..

Day 13 - Another big gun bites the dust…

Pardon the pun.

Luis Suarez

Lets get the obvious out there, what the???

Ok now let's think about it. He obviously has an issue. I don't want to be the unqualified one who diagnoses him, but ADHD or something. No joke,  we need to look at it from this point of view because it is not normal. He does need help.

And it is a better way to look at the issue then from a racist point of view. I've seen  'dirty south american' mentioned and that is just wrong. Equally disappointing, was seeing John Aloisi say something quite similar on National TV. Moving on to the football…

What a difference a week in football makes.

One week we are marvelling at the Spanish Squad. The next they are packing..

One week ago I marvelled at the ingenious cult figure of Andrea Pirlo. Day 3 - Magical

The next, he has played his last international. I am honestly devastated he is out of the Cup. And the Azzurri. Cesare Prandelli is a marvellous coach, with great value and respect for the game. It would have been nice to see them go further.

But this World Cup is so unpredictable, they all are really. Go back through all the World Cup semi-finalists, there is almost always at least one team there that you would not have been fancied to get to the last four before it all kicked off.

Spain, England, Italy, and almost certainly Portugal, gone, 1st round. Wow.

The great part is that Costa Rica deserve nothing less. They have been a joy to watch.

Another Joy to watch, James Rodriguez - Colombian pronunciation - Haaaaiimmmehhh. :-/

What a player. I think I'm repeating myself again, but who cares. A classic South American enganche, mixed with a bit of a modern attacking midfielder. Here in Australia there is a lot of talk about 'producing' this type of player.

You cannot 'produce' them. As a coach you need to just 'allow' them to develop. Teach them about the game around them. That is all, do not impose restrictions. Enhance, not restrict their ability.

Back to the Cup. I am quite sad we are over half way, but the best is about to come.

One thing to remember.

Luck, and by that I mean good and bad, bad being dodgy decisions, are part of the game. I have always said that it generally evens itself out. An example is that Italy got some luck along the way in 2006, but today, it went against them.

It is how you react though. Much like life.

It's not what happens to you, it's how you react.

Italy could have defended that corner away, and progressed despite the bite…

But they didn't. The Uruguayan spirit fights on.

A sad arrivederci, grazie Andrea...

The Socceroos

I am increasingly saying that football is individual. It is subjective. So I am not going to try to convince anyone what they should or should not feel about the Socceroos.

Some are upset and some are proud.

Yes, we lost all three matches and conceded 9 goals. But you can shape and twist any story to suit your own opinion. 

If you just look at the results, goals for, and goals against, then the world is probably also black and white to you. It's a poor performance, 0 points.

That is not me. I am proud of the Socceroos performance in Brazil. 

We pushed Netherlands and Chile, not to their limits, but we pushed them hard. For 75 minutes or so, both sides were uncomfortable and in a bit of shock at the difficulty of the match. 

The manner of our play was far more progressive than under Hogler. Ange has given us structured build up play and quick transition for us to build on when Cahill is no longer with the team.

Also the high press, a feature of the modern game, was bald and a shock to the world that we dared to do it to the giants of world football in our group of death. 

Proof that we took it to the best in the world and competed was in the image of the Chilean National manager storming the touchlines, a look of nervousness, wishing the match to be over after Cahill and Bresciano went close to equalizers.

Also the blank look of disbelief on Loui Van Gaal and his assistant Kluivert, as we pressed the Netherlands back line, forcing them into cheap long ball turnovers.

And who can forget Cahill's volley…

Does all of this mean that I think we should be content with losing? Of course not. 

Does it mean that everything at National, State and Local level is fine? Far from it.  

But for me Ange represents a positive change for the game in Australia. And he gave a very good representation of that on the world stage.

That we can be proud of…

Argentina - Adonde Estamos

Two match days in for Argentina, and us and the rest of the world, are still unsure about where we are.

Are we building? Are we faltering? Que mierda pasa!!!

What is not in doubt, is that is if we get the ball to Leo, in the right area, then we are good going forward.

Although we have looked a little stale going forward over the 2 matches, I have no doubt it will improve.

In the first match I think Sabella experimented with the 5-3-2/3-5-2 to see if we could get the same forward movement and fluidity with the added protection of 3 central defenders. It did look more secure, and certainly will be an option against the heavier teams later on, in particular say if we are leading a knockout match and need to close up a bit.

However, we completely lost fluidity going forward. Messi had to drop too far to receive the ball, and then he only had Aguero ahead of him. This scenario is far too easy to defend, allows the opposition to literally put 3 or 4 around him. It's clear this can't be the set up in matches we are expected to dictate and go find the goal.

To dictate and find the goals we need the 4-3-3 from qualifying. The problem is though,  the 4 at the back are very suspect. Iran created at least 3 good chances, and they weren't exactly piling numbers forward. I worry when I think of a European counter-attack coming at that.

Going forward today I think Gago and Mascherano moved the ball far too slow and not enough. They should have and needed to dominate the game to provide the room ahead for Messi. They have to be the Xavi for Argentina, as they were in qualifying. But they passed too slow, not enough and did not see Leo often when he had a metre on his man, and thats all he needs.

Ultimately I think the key going forward will be the men around Leo.

If they can play their part, it will give him more room to do what he does. He also has to give away some of the responsibility, to allow them to play their part. Too often against Bosnia it was Leo vs 11. We won't win the end goal like this, despite it working so far.

At the back, it's obvious we don't have the quality. Sabella will have to tinker and tactika finely to get it right. I'd say in the knockout stages, expect the 3 central defender defence to come back. In particular in the latter stages of matches if we are already ahead. Leo on the counter will do just fine to close things out.

So, adonde estamos?.. Que se yo, pero VAMOS CARAJO!!!

Day 7 - Nothing is Forever

'The Spanish have characterised the past decade with their intricate passing game. We wondered at times if it would ever end. It seemed as though they had almost perfected the game. But the game always moves on…It seemed it would go on forever. But it's all about to end. Nothing, is forever.'

The commentator hit the nail on the head today.

The game does move on. One manager picks the lock. Then another, and another until what once seemed unstoppable, can barely get going. 

It is exactly what happened to Spain. They seemed slow, stationary, sterile. 

The Netherlands and Chile, both differing styles, but yet both dominated the Spanish.

The idealistic game had no answers the questions being asked. 

'Is tiki taka dead?. Certainly not. They've simply forgotten how to win.'

Perfectly said.

Day 6 - End of Round 1

Who stole the show on the last day of Round 1.

Guillermo Ochoa,  Mexican goalkeeper. Technically, this match is the start of Round 2 but anyway, Play on..

What a save, what a nostalgic moment! If you know World Cup history, then no doubt you had images of Banks and Pele flooding as it happened. The beauty of the World Cup..

Not just a one save wonder, Ochoa showed his technique in the 1v1's and then on the bouncing Neymar volley. It gave a snapshot that he is one talented goalkeeper and will not be a free agent for long.

Another man that stole the show for me, was Marc Wilmots.

Belgium manager Marc Wilmots made all three of his substitutions by 65 minutes. Two of those substitutions were bold decisions to replace key attacking players while chasing the game, Dembele and Lukaku.

His third sub, Fellaini, levelled the score within 5 minutes from coming on and then his half time substitution sealed the blitz 10 minutes from time.

Marc Wilmots won his 1v1 duel.

There was one more man that stepped up today and showed his boldness.

Referee Cuneyt Cakir.

Cuneyt took the bold, unthinkable decision of awarding a foul in favor of Mexico, therefore becoming the first Referinho to penalise the home team. The outcry from the touristic home fans that were busy performing the Mexican wave was immediate. How could he?

And just when it could not get worse, he waved away Marcelo's penalty claims when he had clearly been swept away by the wind while through clean on goal.

Today brought an end to Round 1.

No doubt, the best start to a World Cup that I have lived.

The quality has been unbelievably high. It has made looking like death, mico-sleeping, and carrying a sore back from couch-sleeping worthwhile.

Can we pick a winner yet, no. If anything the competition has opened up.

The big movers, Germany, Netherlands, Colombia.

The big losers, Spain, Portugal and Uruguay.

Refill your coffee pods, purchase more eye drops, set twice as many alarms this round and fingers crossed for more of the same.

Day 5 - The Minnows

The minnows capture an innocent beauty of the World Cup. 

Iran vs Nigeria, 0-0.

No superstars, no goals, no real clear chances or highlights. Boring right?.. 

One of the most enjoyable matches I have watched. Definitely more so than Germany trouncing Portugal.

It was quite an experience watching these two games on the same day. 

One match, littered with stars, and big name players that most the fans came to see. And those players knew it. They strutted around the pitch with a sense of self righteousness and some even did the wink during the National Anthem, cringe. 

The players took offense to each others challenges too. This highlighted by the Muller/Pepe exchange. God forbid contact be made in a contact sport.

The challenges in the Iran/Nigeria match were heavier. They came in desperate attempts to win the ball and fight for the cause of their shirt, not their ego. And when too much contact was made, an apologetic hand was offered to help the bearer of the challenge to his feet.

There were no egos, just eagerness to find a winner. None of the players berated each other for missing or not giving a pass. Even when a teammate made a mistake, lost possession for example, another sprinted in to try help win it back and minimize the damage, save his blushes. Sadly yesterday and today, I saw neither Ronaldo or Messi do that once. 

I’m not having a dig at the stars here. They have reputations for good reason, they are the elite. Some of them became that way due to the environment, and some of them would be nothing without their ego.

What I’m saying is we shouldn’t lament Bale or Zlatan not being in Brazil. We see these players plenty of through the season. 

Instead, we should appreciate the true beauty of a World Cup. Get up to watch a pair of minnows battle it out. Watch them appreciate the day they took the world stage.

No doubt, it is a day they will talk about for the rest of their lives.

Day 4 - Errores

Today there were crucial errors. Many of them. They are a part of football. We must not be scared of them, just willing to learn from them. I know I will.

#error1 - Ecuador vs Switzerland

The game was tied at 1-1, 90th minute. I looked at the clock, and thought,

‘I can sneak away here and bank the injury time into my sleep before the France v Honduras match. I won’t miss much.’

#error2

France vs Honduras

Again my unwise thoughts,

‘Since its cold and already 5am, I can lay down here on the couch, be warm, and not fall asleep. I’m match-fit now, I won’t miss anything’

#error3

Alejandro Sabella’s unwisely thought this time,

‘I can drop Higuain, because I have Messi. This will let me play 5 defenders, which will protect us on the counter-attack, and I’ll even drop Gago for Maxi because he plays for Boca and I don’t like them.’

Lastly #error5, which is in from Day 3 as I somehow forgot to make note of it,

Wayne Rooney thought,

‘I’ll take this corner, show them how its done’ 

Switzerland for me was a bit of a shock. For some reason I again held high hopes for Ecuador. I have done this a few times with either them or Paraguay and have been let down. But this time in South America, I thought they would comfortably win.

Switzerland beat Spain last World Cup, and have Otmar Hitzfeld as their coach. And it shows, they genuinely played some good football. They have some players who are also at big clubs. They have moved from light horse, to dark horse.

In the second match, Honduras proved they are definitely among the lightest horses in the Cup. And France, well, I can never shake the feeling that they are going to implode. Pogba almost did. He lashed out, and whilst it was more a swipe than a kick, Beckham saw red for less.  Much to my delight.

Benzema did look very good though, and he made a strong push for my team of Round 1. Would like to hear your nominations too. 

The story of the day though was always going to be about the strongest horse in the field. And in particular, the jockey of that horse.

I’m going to do a detailed analysis of La Seleccion for those that are interested. But for now, just a snippet. Just don't be the next person to ask why Tevez didn't get picked.

A game of two halves two halves, two Argentinas, two Messi’s. The second half one, fluid, swift, rhythmic and almost breathtaking. Still a couple of shades off what we were in qualifying.

The first half one, one dimensional, boring, safe, unimaginative, restricted. It was 45 minutes of stress and anxiety that took me 4 and half years closer to baldness. It was as if our only way to score was through Messi dribbling it from 30 or 40 metres through 8 players. Yes it's ironic that he did dribble it from that far in the 2nd half, but in my analysis I'll explain why and how he was able to do that in the 2nd half and not the 1st.

Either way, we have to get better. We have to be more of a team. Messi has to give more responsibility away to the team. He can't do it alone. No one ever did.

Not even Diego.

Having said all that, I was reminded by a gaffer of how we take his goals for granted. So true. It was some goal! Honda’s goal was half as special, but we are so accustomed to seeing it with Leo. And the outpour of emotion was special. I don’t think we can even imagine the amount of pressure on him over these last few months. I'm not sure a footballer has ever been under so much pressure coming into a World Cup.

Anyway, I’m so happy for the kid. But we must get better. VAMOS CARAJO!



Note: I've also changed the comments section so you don't need an account to comment below. Or on facebook. Either way, interested to hear others experiences and thoughts so far. 

Day 3 - Magical

Wow Wow Wow. What a Day. A case of entertainment induced insomnia. I promised myself before today I would sleep after each match to maintain sanity. Or skip a match or two that gets boring. But thats impossible at the moment because the quality of football being produced is ridiculously high. Naturally I have been awake since 1:30 am after 3 hours sleep.

Caffeine is also my friend.

We could talk a million things like James Rodriguez, Joe Campbell, Bryan Ruiz, and Keisuke Honda. Or the absence of Uruguay, or the overall quality and unique system of Italians. Great job Cesare.

But the day belonged to one man. One man and his beard.

Without exaggerating, I repeat, without exaggerating, what a blessing to have again watched this man paint his passes all over a football pitch. He represents so much for futbol. He was, and is way ahead of everyone on the football pitch and when he stood next to Wellbeck, you could not help but laugh at the athletic figure of Danny. At least I couldn't, I seriously fell off my recliner. 

Beyond his immaculate technique, variety, and tempo, the Grand message is that, Pirlo plays, how Pirlo likes to play...

Coaches need to sit and think about this...

Grazie Andrea

Quote of the day - Thierry Henry

Tomorrow - VAMOS ARGENTINA LPMQLP!!!!!

Fact - The free-kick foam shaver spray invention started in Argentina. And while we are on it, how about the respect the referees and the foam has for Pirlo. I have seen about 5 boots been sprayed with foam in this hilarious process. This morning though, the spray stopped short and bowed at his majesty’s boot. #CLASS

Funny foam moment

Day 4 Guest Picker

Emmanuel Zunino from Rio Cuarto, Argentina

Ecuador 2 Switzerland 1

France 5 Honduras 1

Argentina 3 Bosnia 0 ; Messi 2 (1 pen), Di maria or Aguero

See you all at 2am!

Day 2

Did anyone watch Mexico vs Cameroon?..

Didn’t think so. Moving on..

Diario Ole can kick it off again, ‘Suck on this Oranje’ , classically subtle from the Argies. 

What a masterclass! LVG showing why he is so respected among his peers. Literally, every world class manager, mentions LVG in some form of high praise and respect. 

Furthermore this match proves the continued rise of the pragmatic game. And yes, you’ll be happy to hear that I continue to be harrassed for it.  

Tactical trends are not new, but at least we will see who really believes in a philosophy because it is how they like, love, and believe in playing football, and those who were merely adapting to something foreign to save their job. Which is also why the Socceroos performance was going to be as interesting.

Thank god they finally settled after 20 minutes or so. Thank god for Cahill’s extraordinary heading ability. And Chile will be thanking god that match is out of the way and they survived with the 3 points. Top performers for me were Ryan, Cahill and Leckie. Ryans distribution was world class,  and he also demonstrated a great John Crawley stand up and wait 1v1 save to keep Aus in the match at 2-1.

On the red side, Alexis Sanchez turning ability is ridiculous, and another Barca player to revel in a more flexible role with his National side. It poses a few questions. None I’m willing to try answer right now. 

In the end, after a fair few suspect decisions, we seemed to lack the energy to press hard enough to create something clear on goal. Our substitutions didn't quite add pressure on Chile and lift the tempo to get the equalizer.  Also, we unluckily had to sacrifice a change for an injury. 

The margins are small at the top.

4 years ago, Arjen had his 1v1 saved by Casillas in the Final at 0-0. On day 2,  four years later, Arjen mad him pay.. 

No medal yet though…

Day 1

Feel I have to get my thoughts down somewhere to save all my friends and family from the daily clog of status updates and tweets, credit to Ben Levi. So here is my World Cup Dear Diaries.

Day 1

Headline of the day,

‘JUGO ROBINHO’ via Diario Ole.

Translating to, 'Robinho Played', hinting the referee, helped rob all three points.

Sad but true, Croatia deserved a point, if not could have got more. Fred and Referinho (credit to Anna Ole) must share the blame here. The former for not playing in the right spirit of the game, he could have easily stayed up and produced a shot on the turn, and the latter for being so easily fooled. 

Positively though, Neymar shone. Being allowed to roam free, he along with Oscar took the game to Croatia when Brazil looked flat. It must pose some thoughts and ideas to Barca of how to get more out of him. Was he too restricted this year? Maybe.

Croatia also must get a mention. Olic was a good outlet, and whats not to love about a Modric/Rakitic midfield. They also set up defensively very well and stifled the home team to the point of a Mexican wave going around. :o I love Mexican waves, and in continuing with my last suggested repercussion of Mexican Waves, Brazil should now be banned from holding international football matches..

To tomorrow

We are blessed. What a day of football. The World cup Final replay is sure to be 1000 passes vs an Orange Bus. And then the supposed belting of the Socceroos.

I hope Australia does well. Ange represents a positive change forward for football here. There is a chance. His attacking wing play style has a chance against a high line attacking Chile.

Brain Prediction, Chile 3 Aus 1

Emotional Prediction, Aus 2 Chile 1 (don’t laugh).

Last Thought

Marcelo, could not have happened to a nicer bloke. Well, maybe Pepe.