Oh yes. Even here chez Macy, there is a World Cup Thing going on.
Previous world cups have seen me working around the thing.
Italia 1990 - Loved Nessum Dorma, developed a major obsession with Salvatore Schillaci (hey I'm Scottish and a GIRL, so I could cheer when he scored a goal against England.. it was allowed!).
The 1994 World Cup was in the US, so what with that and no Schillaci, I could safely ignore it.
In 1998 I was still nursing the baby cherub, so I probably slept through most of it. I remember nothing.
World Cups 2002 through to 2006? I could flit in and out to be sociable make general comments about Rooney's fitness, Beckham's lack of direction, Goren Eriksson's general uselessness... for some reason Scotland had failed to qualify yet again, so there was no drama.
This time around it's a bit different.
Well, still no Scotland obviously.. but more to the point, this year it's just me and the Cherub. This year as sole parent, there can be no cop out... It's me filling in the wall chart, me having to give opinions on the goals...or lack of them.
I've been doing heavy revision here. England's dearth of talent even before Ferdinand dropped out? Maradona going a long way to stiff the Argentine team (and Messi) before the end of the first round? Spain's unstoppable form in the qualifying matches?
Yep, done the basic revision. Got the hang of the offside rule.
Gearing up for the harder stuff; Gerrard as midfielder or second striker to support Rooney?
What was wrong with 4-4-2 as a gameplan?
Sometimes though life gets real simple. Even I didn't have to fake my head in my hands watching the re-runs of .. er... was it Robert Green's goal on Saturday??
Sorry...sorry... English people....I didn't have the heart to put a video of that goal on the blog.. This one's good though.. http://gu.com/p/2hke8
14 June 2010 at 22:11
"Packing the midfield" and "playing a long ball game".
I've no idea what I'm talking about eaither.
14 June 2010 at 22:31
Rog - apparently it's a game of two halves and the best team always wins at the end of the day
14 June 2010 at 22:55
We'll say nothing about Scottish goalkeepers, eh? (-:
Useful catch-all stand-bys in footballing conversations:
"They don't have the technical flair of the Dutch."
"Well, of course, the Argentinians are the most talented team but will Maradona screw it all up?"
and:
"You'd think they'd practice penalties, wouldn't you?"
15 June 2010 at 07:06
Mr Musgrove All useful comments appreciated! On Scottish goalkeepers though the great law of Gordon Banks applies; choose your goalie from a side where he gets loads of practice...Capello needs to find a way to bend the rules and get wee Criag Gordon in :)
15 June 2010 at 13:44
Oh, thank god it is played in another time zone from Australia---woke up at 4.30 am to see Australia 1 nil down but couldn't handle the noise---thought my TV was stuffed---saw it again at 3 nil to the Germans and that bloody noise---don't care any more
16 June 2010 at 21:15
Sorry, but footie and the world cup leave me completely cold. My interest in sport is precisely zilch. I'm looking forward to the international cheese-rolling contest though.
17 June 2010 at 22:32
You're a cruel and heartless type, reminding them of this. Think of Alan Rough. That's all I'll say.
22 June 2010 at 22:15
Clyde - Put a bet on Holland to win! :)
Nick - Many people on this island now contemplating cheese rolling ( or head rolling) methinks..
Mme DeF - You're right... it was cruel and heartless... but I FELT IT TOO!!