Before the games began, the experts spoke of Belgium and their chances. Would they choke, and leave the dark horse pundits stony broke? The first half of the match, they didn’t look like genuine contenders. Most folk took the view that they would swiftly come unstuck. Great footballers do not a great team make and […]

Don’t blame Iran for battening the hatches – it’s not with them the blame for this attaches. Champions of Africa, they told us, and lots of expectation on their shoulders. Small wonder, then, they only played in patches. Poor delivered cross. The keeper catches. This will not be highlighted in despatches. If this is some […]

Ronaldo seemed a bit subdued – he didn’t seem pumped up, imbued by a sense of greater magnitude. A bandage tight and long round one of his knees, we sensed things might go wrong for the Portuguese. Twelve minutes gone, a needless tug. The hole had started getting dug. Müller squared up with a shrug. […]

Bite like a ferret, grip like a lobster, claw like an eagle, throttle like a lobster. kick like a donkey, roar like a tractor, roll like a kitten, grimace like an actor, moan like a Minny, trip like a tent peg, make sure he falls right over your bent leg, gouge like a wrestler, fight […]

They were nubile, young and hearty, nervous virgins at the party, paraded for the pleasure of the Pharoah. They’d been carefully selected to succumb as all expected to Higuain and Messi and Aguero. They were patronised and petted as the appetite was whetted. We came to watch the Argentinian tango. They’d be handy troves to […]