Brazil, you say? They know how to play football over there, don't they? But it's a long way for one so middle aged as I to travel.

So instead, I shall slouch into my leather armchair and view the tournament from this side of the Atlantic. I shall try and watch every game and will definitely make wildly inaccurate predictions too.

I do solemnly vow to give you a real sense of what it's like to not be at the World Cup. This is the blog where all the colour and atmosphere and passion of watching the world's greatest sporting tournament on a wall mounted widescreen really comes to life.

Thursday 19 June 2014

Australia 2-3 Holland

What is it with the way the English language deals with Holland. The Netherlands. The Dutch. Three names that have absolutely no link to each other?

Speaking of three, that's how many the Dutch, Hollandaise, Nethers, banged in against the Aussies.

But this game will perhaps best be remembered for Cahill's cracker, not quite from the acute angle of that 1988 Van Basten classic, but with enough in common with that strike to be mentioned in the same breath, provided you have enough breath to do all that mentioning.

Not having fancied the Dutch to make it out of the Group, there's my first prediction down the drain. The Dutch become the first team definitely into the knockouts.

Grats. Congrats. Congratulations.