World Cup Day 14

AUF WIEDERSEHEN DEUTSCHLAND!  The first big upset of the tournament, with Germany crashing out.  How mightily enjoyable was that!  You’re used to these ruthlessly efficient and clinical German teams – and the German team I watched today wasn’t anything like that.  Very, very surprising.  Especially after that last minute winner against Sweden, you thought they would step up.  DAS IST NICHT GUT.  I was hoping that Brazil would also contrive to go out today, but alas that was too much wishful thinking.  Having seen how the draw is panning out, I definitely want England to finish in 2nd place now in Group G – that half of the draw appears easier.  But I look at all the teams who have qualified or who can qualify, and nobody has stood out and they all look beatable – so is it better to continue riding our momentum?  The game against Belgium is going to be interesting – how many changes do we make, how hard do we push, how good is Belgium?  I wish it was the early game – those 7am games are perfect for me getting up to watch, showering at halftime, then heading to work after they’ve finished.  The 11am games are a hassle because I’m at work, I typically can’t avoid the score before watching the replay that evening, there aren’t any sports bars nearby I can go to watch the game at, so I rely on the BBC or Guardian website to follow the game via text updates – which sucks – and both of England’s next games are on at that time.  I might have to stream them or – more likely – head home to watch them at lunchtime.  Work is clearly not a high priority at times like this!