Group & Second Round Notes I have never had less time to take in the World Cup since before 1994. It’s depressing to think that out of 54 matches, I’ve so far only managed to watch the majority of only a handful of games. So, whereas I would normally be a big enough dork to try and comment on every... more
People who don’t follow club football probably have no idea why Wayne Rooney’s inclusion in the England World Cup squad is a matter of consternation for Manchester United supporters. According to England’s team doctor, Rooney is recovered from his broken foot—suffered a mere 5 weeks ago—and should be medically sound to take part in Sven Goran Erickson World Cup side.... more
Mazher Mahmood may well be a scummy scandal reporter, but his sting against England’s manager for the upcoming World Cup is really a hoax to behold. The Guardian reveals that thanks to an elaborate, £100,000 setup funded by The News of the World, England’s manager Sven-Goran Eriksson is now little more than a lame duck coach: Eriksson was lured to... more
According to Reuters, a brand new website created by the British embassy in Germany, British Embassy World Cup, is offering English fans some queer phrases to use when in Germany for World Cup 2006: “Ihm war kotzuebel” (He was sick as a parrot) and “Er kotzte wie ein Reiher” (He puked his guts up) are in the guide as is... more
Fifa has just completed the seeded draw for the group phase of World Cup 2006 in Germany. Picks and commentary follow below with expected qualifiers in bold and wildcards in italics: GROUP A Germany Costa Rica Poland Ecuador Germany, being the home nation and a team with strong (if not quite sensational) squad should go through to the knock-out round... more