The mobiles will be ringing and the emails will be flying, the telegraphic wires will be humming. Costa Ricans will be singing, Uruguayans will be crying. Did anybody out there see that coming? The seňoritas up in Limón will be singing very prettily. In San José the guitars will be strumming. Englishmen will dream on […]

Full of beans and given too much latté-tude, Los Cafeteros made a mocha-ry of Greek defending, expressing themselves in fluent football, brewing up a rich performance. The poor old Greeks were truly roasted.

At last, a goal to raise the neutral’s cheers, the first real piece of magic in Brazil. They’re going to show van Persie’s goal for years. Mis-hit shots have caused ironic jeers. The penalties have been a bitter pill. But now a goal to raise the neutrals’ cheers. Suddenly the ennui disappears as Holland’s captain […]

Plenty of rain in the air and plenty of rain on the grass. Difficult playing with flair and difficult showing one’s class. The downpour meant it was unfair to castigate every stray pass. McLaren’s umbrella, if there, would have made an appearance, alas. The puddles which formed everywhere resembled great windows of glass, and the […]

It may have helped Brazil to win the game but hasn’t helped them win too many friends. What started out in wonder soon became a case of means not justifying ends. The message that decision sadly sends is that the team needs help to fan the flame. A dodgy penalty award transcends the fact Brazil […]