Whose World? What Cup? (Day 21)

It was a day which some punningly-minded might call 'Angela's Miracle' after the dumpy German leader who supported her team so actively. The German team, cohesive and deliberately lacking in individual personalities, trounced Diego Maradona's selection 4-0 within 90 minutes.

You will note a complete lack of elaboration, as compared to my notes of the previous match. I spent the entire time taking in the sight of an exciting (yes, indeed) German team demolish a team that tried very hard and ended up doing very little. When Germany beat England 4-1, there were a few isolated cries of how the England defeat might be explained away by a referee's bad call. Tonight, it was clear that die Mannschaft were a far superior outfit to the Albiceleste.

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Now, I head off, suitably fortified by hot blackcurrant tea and supper, to watch Spain play Paraguay. I am more certain that Spain will win than I was that Germany would manage to get rid of the Argentines. I might be wrong, and that thought makes me grin.

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Before the World Cup started, I was rooting for Spain to finally throw off the mantle of chronic underachievement and at least end up in the grand final. After 45 minutes tonight, I don't see them as much better than a rather uncreative Paraguay side. Both teams have been exchanging a lack of possession. The passing stinks and they can't hang on to the ball.

Based on this game so far, the winner will meet Germany in the next round and get killed 4-0. I just can't see Germany not taking advantage of the generosity of these two teams of clowns.

Spain, in particular, is still playing a certain Fernando Torres up front who looks like a particularly pained ghost. He's useless, and has been useless so far throughout the entire World Cup. Unpicking the Paraguayan defence requires accurate passing and more creativity. Perhaps they should have started with Cesc Fabregas and Fernando Llorente instead.

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Now I really have seen it all. From trading lack-of-possession, the two teams have gone on to the sublime heights of trading lack-of-penalties.

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Well, Spain are through. I'm happy for them, but not happy with them. They'll never get past Germany at this rate, and I'm not sure I'd want them to. 1-0 to David Villa!

Whose World? What Cup? (Day 19)

Japan in blue play Paraguay in red and white. It's just one of those days at the office, so to speak. 20 minutes into the game, the Japanese are still defending as a unit, attacking as a unit, and doing those well-trained longshot things.

I don't know why I'm watching this one when I might need the sleep to prepare myself for Spain v Portugal later. But still, whichever team wins this one, it will be their first time in the quarter-finals. Some sort of historical moment.

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Note: How does one distinguish between Uruguay and Paraguay? You could do it the geography-lesson way or you could just remember this: Uruguay has Diego Forlan and Paraguay has Roque Santa Cruz. Both are excellent creative forwards who haven't done so well in the Premier League. Santa Cruz has done better though.

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I'm wondering whether Marcus Tulio Tanaka is named after Marcus Tullio Cicero. Somehow, finding this out has become more important to me than watching the match. And MTT is such a swashbuckling samurai-looking fellow too. I bet he'd be good as a Japanese statesman some day.

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It's 0-0 at full-time. It is like watching jelly set. But with less anticipation.

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Note: Much later, it appears the Paraguayans won on penalties, 5-3. So much for the Asian contingent this year. Heh.

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Late update: Yes, he was named after Cicero. He has a Japanese-Brazilian father and an Italian-Brazilian mother! In fact, his full name is Marcus Túlio Amos Murzani Tanaka. Wow.

Whose World? What Cup? (Day 14)

The order of the world is turning upside down as I watch Italy, the incumbent champions, 1-0 down against Slovakia. The Italian defence is like spaghetti; confusing, entangled, and porous. Meanwhile Paraguay are being held by the resolute All Blacks (normally in white, but not today).

I am happy when established orders are overturned. I hate conformity to the systems and patterns of the world.

Why? Is this some sort of post-adolescent rebellion? No. I think that to conform is to fail to assert one's God-given free will. If one chooses to surrender to the Divine, that is a deliberate choice. To allow oneself to succumb to whatever the world does is an accidental choice, a default of the will. One should resist. In fact, one should have debates even with God: Abraham and Moses did, as did many others. How else would one learn about the Divine?

And here, we watch Italy act as if the order of the world is pre-eminent above the active will of individual Slovaks fighting for qualification into the World Cup round of 16. Tsk tsk.

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I am happy to report at full-time that my dreams have come true. Italy has lost to Slovakia after the scoreline went 1-0, 2-0, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2. New Zealand has drawn 0-0 with Paraguay. These results leave Paraguay and Slovakia as the qualifiers from Group F. I am so glad to see both France and Italy out.

Whose World? What Cup? (Day 10)

Paraguay, inventive and fluid, beats Slovakia 2-0. Why should things be any different? In all the talks of dogs and underdogs during any World Cup, it's never easy to say who a clear favourite might be except on the basis of form and depth — are the team always doing well against other teams of all kinds? And if the entire team were to be replaced by reserves, would that reserve team also do well?

The other factors are just too nebulous. Tonight we'll also see Italy play New Zealand. Italy have good depth, and fair form. New Zealand are relative unknowns who drew Slovakia 1-1 earlier. Logic would say Italy 2, NZ 0. This would be the result most of the time.

We live for the remaining chances, the slim shreds of possibility that say NZ will pull off an upset. But Italy are hard to defeat, although drawing is not such a difficult result to obtain. We'll see.

What's truly delectable is the match-up even later this evening, when Brazil (ex-Portuguese colony) meet Côte d'Ivoire (ex-French colony). Looking at the World Cup's interesting geography, one is struck by the thought, "Be careful when you build an empire; some day, the empire strikes back."

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Ho ho... NZ just scored against Italy. 1-0 to the Land of the Long White Cloud.

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And that De Rossi has just got himself a penalty for Italy. Iaquinta converts it! 1-1.

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Afternote: 1-1 at the death. This just feels like a moral defeat for Italy, though. World Cup champions eh? Ha. And NZ keeper Paston should be the man of the match.

Whose World? What Cup? (Day 04a)

I'm watching Paraguay holding a 1-0 lead over Italy at half time, which brings us to the only question that is trickier than the difference between Slovakia and Slovenia: "What's the difference between Uruguay and Paraguay?"

The Oriental Republic of Uruguay is a state existing entirely on the Eastern (hence, 'Oriental') bank of the Uruguay ('birds on the water') River. The land border on the other sides of Uruguay is with Brazil. Its motto is Libertad o Muerte, 'Liberty or Death'.

The Republic of Paraguay is a state some distance to the north of Uruguay, with the Paraguay ('many waters') River running through it. It has Argentina to its south, Brazil to its east, and Bolivia to its northwest. Its motto is Paz y Justicia, 'Peace and Justice'.

I guess there must be quite a bit of difference between the two. Uruguay has a sea coast, with the Atlantic to its southeast; Paraguay is landlocked, the heart of South America, in a way. Uruguay's capital is Montevideo ('Mountain View') while Paraguay's capital is Asuncion ('Ascension'). Paraguay has a 95% mixed Latino/Native (Mestizo) population, while Uruguay is about 90% white.

And at this World Cup, I think Paraguay is at the moment being slightly more successful...

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Italy has just equalised through Daniele De Rossi, one of the three Italian players I think of as possibly the future of Italy's team. The other two are Giorgio Chiellini and Marco Balotelli. Sadly, the last-named, being of highly incendiary temperament, isn't at the World Cup this year.