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 2 July 2014

They Finished 10th: SWITZERLAND

Hitzfeld takes his leave from management having guided the Swiss as far as he could have realistically expected, and further than  I expected. Their FIFA ranking of sixth seems about right on this evidence, the Argentinians finding them tough opposition, nearly good enough to take them to the dreaded penalties. The Swiss remain, for me, Europe's unfashionable yet always more successful than England team.