THIS World Cup finally got going on Thursday night. After all, if it's “No Scotland – no party,” then it is even-more obvious, “No Brazil, no World Cup,”
We will probably not know until the knock-out phase, whether this is a good, average or bad Brazilian squad, but, the way they ripped apart a decent Serbia side was certainly encouraging to all of us to whom the men in the canary yellow shirts are our second international team.
Now, Neymar might be the game's most-annoying AWN – that stands for Annoying Wee Nyaff, but, he can play a bit, as can
Richarlison, whose second goal was right up there on the top shelf of Brazilian super strikes. I think it will take a good team to beat the 2022 vintage Samba Boys.
Earlier on Thursday, we had the inevitability of Christiano Ronaldo becoming the first player to score in five straight World Cup final tournaments. It was definitely a penalty, put away with CR7's customary aplomb. Mind you, as a fully-paid-up member of Goalkeeping Lodge Number One, I had to laugh right at the end, when Portugal's Diogo Costa had a rush of shite to the brain and put the ball down ready to hoof it upfield, seemingly unaware Ghana's Inaki Williams was lurking and, but for a slip at the wrong moment, would surely have equalised.
THE IRAN GAME, back in 1978 is seared on my consciousness, and I cannot obliterate the memory – we were pure shite and lucky to get away with a draw.
I watched that game in a pub in Saffron Walden, accompanied by one Jock Campbell, a bulldozer driver who was assuredly the Possil Psycho's Psycho. One of the Essex lads who laughed at Scotland's efforts that night immediately suffered a sever attack of the skitters, as the bold Jock took him to task – that was the highlight of a bad night.
Mind you, at least the Iran team of 1978 didn't beat us, something the Iran team of 2022 managed at the expense of Wales. Certainly goalkeeper Wayne Hennessy's red card offered a ready-made excuse for the Welsh, and probably saved the blushes of the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale. They now find themselves, like oor ain sainted Denis Law in being fated to play in their only World Cup Finals when on the down slope of the hill.
ON FRIDAY night, I was forced to send a strongly-worded message of censure to the American branch of my extended family. Well brought up by their expat parents, some of them even played soccer – as the true game is known over there – while at school.
They were obviously keen to see Uncle Sam's men turn England over in Qatar, so I don't suppose my: “American you were a disgrace, not beating that lot” message went down like a fart in a space suit.
That was two points dropped by USA. As for The Master Race: when Harry Maguire is described by the English press as: “the one shaft of light” - you know you've got problems.
Mind you, they may well lose to Wales and still go through, such are the vagaries of the group. I mean, Maguire has had his good game, some of the Welsh, particularly Bale and Ramsey, have yet to turn up, anything could happen.
But, isn't this World Cup a typically Scottish one. England, Argentina, Germany and Netherlands all send shite squads – the Brazilian talisman gets hurt first time out – and we're not even there.
FINALLY – congratulations to the BBC film crew in Qatar on Friday morning, who, in the build-up on BBC Breakfast, managed to find a group of Welsh fans who couldn't sing. Their effort at that iconic Welsh anthem was tuneless and downright embarrassing. Tom Jones or the Treorchy Male Voice Choir they weren't.
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