Family outing on the Grand Union Canal. Brentford way, last weekend.
I missed the perfect shot, when the family were gliding along in single file, adults at front and back. But as soon as I stopped and fumbled for the iPhone, they naturally came over to check whether I was offering food.
The Tour de France has begun today, with three days in England, starting today and tomorrow in Yorkshire, up t’North, for those readers not familiar with English geography.
I like this advert today from Yorkshire Tea.
On Monday the Tour rides into London from Cambridge, with a sprint finish down the Mall. The race route almost comes past my office – it turns right at Westminster Bridge instead of coming down Millbank. Could have watched from one of the meeting rooms! Might need to take a late lunch break instead.
With the World Cup nearing its climax, I haven’t had much time for Wimbledon or even the Tour yet. But it will assert its grip. There’s less British interest – other than it actually being here – this year, as Sky goes ever more multinational and – sacrilege! – has dropped Bradley Wiggins, the 2012 winner. Doesn’t ride well with Chris Froome, the 2013 winner. Froome is lead man now, so his will prevails. Sad to see, as Wiggins is still a top rider: he won the Tour of California this year. But it shows that road cycling at this level is truly a team sport. With individual heroics – and transgressions – of course. The stories are always of individual battles. But no rider can win the Tour, or consistently take a sprint finish, without the support of a strong team. Just listen to the way Mark Cavendish lauds his team as they propel him to another last gasp stage win.
The Tour is said to be a three way battle between Froome, Alberto Contador (two years on from drugs disgrace) and Vincenzo Nibali, 2013’s Giro d’italia winner. There is only one time trial this year, towards the end. Maybe this will help Contador and Nibali. I’m pretty neutral this year. The Sky machine has lost its lustre for me, without the personality of Wiggo.
I’ll just sit back and enjoy the race, the scenery, and marvel how they get up and down the Alps and the Pyrenees and the Vosges – with or without drugs!
So as we take two days break from football before the quarter finals start on Friday, what about those last 16 games? Talk about tense! If there was a pattern, it was the favourites struggling against less fancied opponents, looking very nervous, but redeeming themselves as the games wore on, when their higher skill levels and maybe fitness eventually told. But only just. There is a real sense that teams are becoming more evenly matched. No team has been consistently outstanding; few teams have been completely outplayed. There have been some brilliant games and superb individual performances, but there really is no clear favourite as we go into the last eight.
Spain really must be kicking themselves. If they had sneaked through the group, they could easily have gone all the way. And even England: as I watched the engrossing clash between Belgium and USA last night I thought, we could beat either of these teams. Ah, that if only….
The nerviest game of all, of course, was Brazil v Chile. And a good game it was too. Blimey, even the national anthems were a competition. I have never seen David Luiz so pumped up – certainly not at Chelsea. Chile were impressive, although I didn’t like the way they tried to take Neymar out of the game early on. The penalty shoot out was gruesome, though there was poetic justice in Neymar winning the game with Brazil’s fifth penalty. But what if he’d missed and Chile had won? I shudder to think what would have happened to the Brazilian nation.
They’ve got Colombia next, who despatched Uruguay minus Suarez fairly easily. With rising star, James Rodriguez, scoring the wonder goal of the tournament. Control-swivel-volley. Brilliant. They will give Brazil a very hard time. There is no foregone conclusion.
Brazil came closest to losing it, but Argentina only beat Switzerland with three minutes of extra time left. A scrappy game, but in the end a magical dribble by Messi – who else? – opened up the Swiss defence and Angel di Maria swept the ball in from the right.
Germany looked incredibly nervous in the first half against Algeria. Passes weren’t sticking and the Algerians had their defence on the rack. But as the game progressed they asserted themselves. The finishing wasn’t great, so it took extra time to make the break. Holland too, wobbled badly, against Mexico. 1-0 down until the last few minutes, they kept going and scored two late goals, the winner inevitably a penalty secured by a Robben div…. er, break, halted by a rash tackle. Robben has been one of the best players of the tournament. His pace and incisiveness down the right has been Holland’s biggest asset. They now have Costa Rica in the quarters, after the Central American team beat Greece in a penalty shoot out, with five perfect penalties. Nerves of steel. You’d expect Holland to beat them, but only if they play at the top of their game.
France too started badly, against Nigeria. But their class told in the second half, especially after Antoine Griezmann came on for Olivier Giroud and injected real pace down the left, to complement Valbuena’s thrust from the right. Could France be the team that takes the World Cup by storm? I’m still not sure – they still haven’t played a really difficult opponent. They’ve got one next though – Germany. It’s a close call, but my money will be on the Germans.
Belgium left it until extra time against the USA. The win looked inevitable as USA seemed to run out of legs, but after Belgium went 2-0 up, the Americans revived, got one back and looked like they could take it to penalties. They just lack a world class striker. The likes of Dempsey give their all, but they are not quite at the top level. I’m sure it will happen as more and more Americans get into the game.
I can’t see Belgium getting past Argentina. Messi will come up with something when it matters.
So I’m taking Brazil, Argentina, Holland and Germany to reach the semis. Nothing very original in that, I know. Most at risk? Brazil against Colombia and maybe Germany against France.
But as we reach the final stages, I think class will tell. Barring injury, Neymar and Messi, Robben and Muller will decide where the World Cup is heading.
Actually, it’s day 16, but there’s no football. No football! What is happening? It’s OK, it starts again tomorrow. Just a day’s break after the conclusion of the group stages. So a good time to reflect.
Except the whole thing has been hijacked by the Luis Suarez affair. His third biting incident. The Uruguayans are claiming it’s some kind of English and Italian conspiracy. Only problem is, the cameras show quite clearly, he bit Chiellini. You are not allowed to bite people in football matches! I do feel a bit sorry for Suarez, because he clearly has a problem. He is a fantastic footballer, as we saw in the Premier League this season. He won the footballer of the year awards both from his fellow professionals and the journos – even though he was suspended for six games at the beginning of the season… for biting.
I suspect his future now lies in Spain rather than England. He clearly has a paranoia about the English media, which came out after the two goals he scored for Uruguay against England. They effectively knocked us out of the World Cup. A revenge, whose pleasure he couldn’t hide.
So he has been banned for 9 competitive international games and 4 months of football. That means that if he stays at Liverpool, he misses the first nine games of the season. A big blow. Chiellini has come out today to say he thinks the ban is excessive, but he had no hesitation in displaying the alleged bite marks after the game. The ban feels about right to me, given the previous.
But moving away from Suarez, what about the other world superstars? How have they done in this World Cup? Well, Messi and Neymar have been pretty good, scoring vital goals for their teams – Argentina and Brazil – which have helped the teams top their groups despite some pretty average performances. It means that the final could be Brazil v Argentina, if they both progress. That would be immense. They haven’t been the best teams yet, but I suspect that both will get their acts together and progress at least to the semi finals.
That leaves Ronaldo. Clearly unfit, but still the big hope for Portugal. In the games I saw, he looked forlorn, but still produced moments of magic that gave his team a chance, notably the superb cross that produced a Portugal equaliser against the USA in the fifth minute of added-on time. A shame he couldn’t dazzle. But he was a star in a pretty mediocre team that only scraped into the finals through the play offs. It told in the end.
From the European perspective, this World Cup has been a bit of a disaster. Spain, Portugal, Italy and, er…England, all eliminated before the knock-out phase. So, it’s being played in South America – and South (and Central) American teams are doing well. No surprise really. Colombia, led by the excellent James Rodriguez, look very exciting. They have Uruguay in the last 16. It could be close, but Uruguay, sans Suarez, may struggle. Chile have looked impressive, but they have Brazil in the 16. They’ve had a few good results against Brazil in recent years, so we can’t rule out the most seismic of shocks. Costa Rica topped England’s group (which I predicted completely the wrong way round) and now have Greece, who only got through via an outrageous penalty decision against Ivory Coast. The Central Americans can win that one. Mexico face Holland. I’m bound to fancy the Dutch for that one.
What of the remaining European challenge? Well, there are four serious candidates: Belgium, France, Holland and Germany.
Belgium got nine points in a relatively weak group. They showed resilience by winning games late on, after subs had come on. But it feels to me that they are on the edge. They may beat the USA, but I can’t see them going much further.
France were really impressive when they beat Switzerland 5-2. Cabaye controlled midfield, Valbuena was incisive on the right and Benzema and Giroud looked strong up front. They look to be united under Didier Deschamps’ management, which is a big plus, given recent French history. How good are they? Hard to tell, as they were in such a weak group. If they can beat Nigeria, which I guess they will, they could be set up for a clash with Germany in the quarters. That will bring back memories!
Holland have probably been the best team in the group stages, given that their group was THE group of death. Their thrashing of Spain has been the definitive result of this World Cup so far. They have been vibrant – with Robben on fire – and solid when they have needed to be. So far, they don’t seem to have fallen out with each other. History, though, tells us that that could happen at any time! They should beat Mexico, and that will take them through to a quarter final against Costa Rica or Greece. Luck of the draw. No excuses not to reach the semis, where Argentina – or Belgium – may await.
And so to Germany. My team now. I wrote about them earlier. They have strengths in all departments. Thomas Muller is sneaking into those spaces and scoring as freely as Messi and Neymar (and Benzema and Rodriguez). They ought to beat Algeria easily, although the Algerians did play really well against South Korea. That quarter final against France will be awesome. And if they get through that it will probably be Brazil in the semis.
There have been so many surprises in this World Cup that you can’t just make the obvious assumptions. My thoughts above do assume the traditionally top nations – those left – will assert themselves as the tournament progresses. But it is not a given. Colombia could upset everyone. Nigeria could finally fulfil their immense potential. Greece could bore their way to another success, following that European triumph in 2004 (please, no!).
But right now, although I’m with the Germans, I think we may be heading for a Brazil-Argentina final. And how extraordinary would that be?
I’m working down by Millbank now and walk most days from Pimlico station to the office. Cutting through the courtyard of Chelsea Arts College (not in Chelsea) I come upon this scene, which I rather like.
OK, let’s get this over with.
Uruguay 2 England 1. Beaten by two goals from half fit but world class striker Luis Suarez. Both defensive errors but also superb technique in the finish.
The players did their best. Not sure they were set up in the right way. The four forwards – Welbeck, Sturridge, Sterling, Rooney – didn’t do enough of their midfield duties, which made the formation a 4-2-4 and left Gerrard and Henderson exposed. The first Uruguay goal came from that.
The substitutions in the second half made things better. Barkley again did well – so why wasn’t he starting? Rooney got the equaliser and that was good to see. He gave everything tonight – England’s best player. Briefly it looked like we could go on and win, but then Uruguay rallied. And scored out of the blue. Big punt from the keeper, poor header from Gerrard, defence all over the place, Suarez lethal.
And that was it. England didn’t really look like they could come back again. Just not good enough. No criticism about effort. These boys gave their all. Just, right now, we’re not good enough. Reality.
So there’s still a chance of going through. If Italy beat both Costa Rica and Uruguay and we beat Costa Rica by a decent margin, we could go through on three points and goal difference. If, if, if. Italy can go through drawing both their remaining games. One draw knocks us out.
Forget it. England are out.
So who to support from now on? Belgium have a largely Premier League team. Holland are good to watch, and they are usually my default second team, but they let themselves down badly in that 2010 final with those brutal tactics. Brazil are the home team and we always love them, Argentina have Messi, Aguero, di Maria et al.
But the team for me is Germany. I love the way they play. Positive, skilful, fast, full of joy. So many fine players: Muller, Lahm, Goetze, Ozil, Kroos, Schweinsteiger…. They combine all the best aspects of European football.
Do it for Europe, boys!
The Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square is currently occupied by a large blue cockerel. Juxtaposed against Nelson’s Column, it seems to represent the historic rivalry of England and France. It was sculpted by a German, Katharina Fritsch, who apparently didn’t see the nationalistic significance. For her it was a humorous riposte to all the macho military figures that abound in the area.
Oh, Espana! What has happened to you?
World Cup winners 2010, European Championship winners 2008 and 2012. Out of this World Cup after two defeats: 1-5 v Holland, 0-2 v Chile tonight.
How can this be? They’ve looked tired, jaded, slow. Their tiki taka style – short sharp passing, high intensity defending up the field, following the example of Barcelona – set the benchmark for football in the last decade. But gradually the other top teams have worked out how to face the pressure and break out fast when they get possession. And the leading players – Xavi, chief philosopher, Iniesta the artist, Busquets, the enforcer – have faded, as age and injury takes its toll. Xavi was actually dropped tonight. Xavi! The symbol.
And a decision which looked likely to add goalscoring talent may actually have backfired. Diego Costa, a Brazilian, who was up there with Messi and Ronaldo in La Liga, knocking them in for Atletico Madrid (champions this season) chose to play for Spain, rather than his home nation. It was surely the icing on the cake…
But no, not in this World Cup. He has looked out of place, bewildered. Not the target man. Not on the radar. Introduced to a faltering team, uncertain of how to play with an old fashioned centre forward in its midst.
The empire has fallen after a glorious dominion. Will it rise again quickly, or spend some time in convalescence, with a new generation of footballers finding their way at international level? The latter is the norm for most countries, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Spain strong again in the European Championships.
But for now, goodbye Spain – and credit to Chile for an excellent performance. They were sharp, strong and fast. Playing with a verve that matched the Germans. They now have a clash with Holland in the last group match. The prize for the winner: avoiding Brazil in the last 16. Assuming Brazil secure top place their group, which is not a foregone conclusion, after their poor performance against Mexico.
And so on, in day 8, to England’s defining moment. Uruguay awaits….
Just settling down to catch Russia v South Korea. The latest of the 11pm games. I haven’t lasted too well yet – except for England v Italy of course – dozed through most of the second half of Argentina v Bosnia, missing Messi’s wonder goal, and struggled watching Germany v Portugal on record last night. Still, seen enough to pontificate a little.
Germany clearly impressive, as expected. Power, pace, creativity and a joie de vivre. Thomas Muller took the headlines with his hat trick as Germany trounced Portugal 4-0, and with the play-acting that riled Pepe so much that the latter aimed a pointless and ineffective head butt at Muller that got him sent off. The score was 2-0 already, so I don’t think the sending off made a lot of difference. The Germans are playing great football, combining continental possession football with English directness on the break. But with an un-English accuracy. Portugal were poor, but 4-0 is a statement. Only the Dutch thrashing of Spain has been better. Northern Europe besting Iberia in the first round.
Does this make the Dutch and Germans favourites? Certainly up there. But only the first matches.
Argentina weren’t amazing against Bosnia, but they got the result, and I’d expect them to push on in the rest of their group games. The Messi goal was awesome and may set him up for a top tournament.
As for Brazil, against Mexico tonight they were poor. 0-0 and really there was not that much threat from them, though Mexican keeper, Ochoa, made a few stunning saves. Too much depends on Neymar and the marauding full backs, Marcelo and Dani Alves. The midfield was stodgy and ineffective, while Fred up front was static. Oscar’s brilliance against Croatia wasn’t replicated. He was on the right then. So naturally he was positioned on the left tonight.
There’s so much pressure on the Brazil team in these early skirmishes. Maybe they’ll relax eventually and show us what they really can do. But they’ll need to in time for that dreaded last 16 tie.
Tomorrow is the first defining game of the tournament: Spain v Chile. After the 5-1 defeat Spain need to regroup and win, to get to the knock outs. I think they will do it. They’ve had a wake-up call. Time to show who’s boss….
Meanwhile, this Russia v South Korea game is pretty dull. Time to post this blog and then go to bed!
