MY first 90-minute sighting of Neymar came in that Brazil v Scotland friendly at Fulham left me under-whelmed. I thought he was a spoiled brat - how dare these uncouth Jocks tackle me, seemed to be his default setting; the lip seemed permanently petted.
Since then, he has grown on me, and, particularly in this World Cup, he has convinced me he is a worthy wearer of the legendary number ten Brazil shirt, once worn by Pele.
So, I am devastated that his World Cup is over. Not, obviously, as devastated as the population of Brazil - but, we've still got Messi, Van Persie and Robben involved. Mind you, I am old enough to remember how Pele was kicked out of the 1962 World Cup in Chile and Brazil still won it. It aint over yet, but, getting past the Germans, without Neymar, will be tough.
I ACTUALLY enjoyed the Brazil v Columbia game. To me,this was a Junior Cup tie, only featuring players who could trap the ball, pass to a team-mate and whose second touch wasn't a frantic slide tackle to recover the possession their "first touch of an epeleptic elephant" (copyright the late Alastair MacLeod failing had cost them.
The two teams clearly didn't like each other and got tore-in, it was riveting. Some of Braxil's one-touch inter-passing was toki-taki at its best. We've got umpteen Scottish forwards with the build of Hulk, unfortunately all of ours seem to have the ball skills of Lou Faerangino's 'Incredible Hulk', rather than the impressive ball skills of his Brazilian name-sake.
AND, most-certainly, I cannot recall a Scottish central defender who could have scored that wonderful free-kick with which David Luiz won last night's match for Brazil.
The disappointing feature of last night's game was the performance of the Spanis referee. I recall one of Scotland's best-loved and best FIFA officials, reminiscing about his apprenticeship in the Ayrshire League. He realised he was being considered for higher things, when he was awarded his first Auchinleck Talbot v Cumnock game. The advice he was given by his referee's supervisor, who had done a few of these 90-minute wars, was, keep the game going - the bother starts when the football stops.
I think our official last night was working to that game plan. He was determined to let the game flow, but, he had, too-often, to stop and award a free kick.
He was, however, seemingly determined to avoid yellow cards at all costs. Maybe, just maybe, if he had got his card out sooner, we would have had a better game. Mind you, I enjoyed what we did get. Ach, a grew up in the Ayrshire Juniors, I like my fitba red in tooth and claw and still believe - if there's nae blood, there was nae foul.
THE France v Germany game was spoiled by two things, Germans scoring so early and the French being unwilling to lose heavily by going for broke. I thought, in the final 15 minutes, Deschamps might have cried-out: "No defenders" and really gone for broke, but, he didn't; and, once again, German steel carried the day.
As an ex-goalkeeper, I have been a long-time admirer of Manuel Neuer, in this World Cup, he has grown in stature. Yet another great German keeper to rank alongside Trautmann, Maier, Kahn and Co.
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