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.

Wednesday, 25 June 2014

GROUP B DECIDERS. Holland 2-0 Chile ; Australia 0-3 Spain

The main positions were decided before this final round of games.  The only interest, would the Aussies heap misery on the dethroned champions? The answer was emphatically no, to the power of three goals. Spain salvaged something a little short of pride by putting three past the Socceroos who, as I predicted before this tournament lost all three games  I also predicted an early exit for the Dutch. Ahem. On current form they look the pick of the Europeans.  Expect them to go far.

HOW THEY FINISHED: 1 HOLLAND  2 CHILE. 3 Spain 4 Australia