First in a long time

Yesterday I went out to watch football. Not at the stadium, but in a bar. This was the first time in almost 18 months that I did this, so it felt special; a small step towards the normality that we all eagerly await.

With limited TV channels offering the Euros in San Salvador, it was not easy to find a good sports bar, but I found Punto Marino Sport in the upmarket neighborhood of San Benito. Despite the name it is not really a sports bar, and I was the only person there watching football, while reggaeton music played in the background.

I nevertheless enjoyed it. First I watch England-Scotland in what was predictably a spirited fight by the Scotsmen, who largely deserved the victory, against an English side that hardly lived up to its enormous expectations. 0-0 was a fair result, and now England will play a thrilling match against the Czech Republic, who defeated Scotland 2-0, and who are looking strong. Scotland will face Croatia, and it is interesting that all teams in that group have something to play for.

I next watched the Copa America. Chile defeated Bolivia 1-0. I have been watching many Copa America matches, but I must admit that it lacks excitement and passion. The empty stadiums mean that the matches are like a party without music, and most games have been defensive and few goals. In its 0-0 tie with Colombia, Venezuela basically refused to attack, and Brazil's matches have been kind of one-sided.

The tournament should probably have been cancelled. It is nearly impossible to get excited about it (although a few beers help!).

 

Young wisdom against old naivety

I had really wanted Chile to win; I don't think I had been as much against a German victory since 1992. So Germany's victory in the Confederations Cup final hurt. That said, the young German team were clearly the smartest, far outweighing the Chilean experience, who attacked without bite, while the Germans defended patiently and struck when the (awful) Chilean central defense made another mistake.
It was not world champion style, but it showed that the current world champions, besides an amazing youth pool, can play on many strings. Their central defense was particularly strong, with an impressive performance of Antonio Rudiger and Matthias Ginter, who showed that the future defense of Germany is in sure hands.
Chile were disappointed.
I was disappointed.
But nobody can help but be impressed of the German youths.

Bravo to Portugal's penalty skills

What I most liked about the Confederations Cup semifinals was to see Portugal's arrogance humiliated. After playing like they had done during the Euro against Chile (pulling a lucky 0-0) they hoped that penalty kicks would carry them to the final, but it was not to be because of a surprising Claudio Bravo (I have never been a fan of him, but thank him for what he did against Portugal. He must have been taking lessons from Willy Caballero) and not least, Portugal's own stupidity.
The manager Fernando Santos made three substitutions (Quaresma, Moutinho and Nani) and these three players all missed their penalties to end it all for Portugal. But even stranger was to not have Cristiano Ronaldo take the first penalty: that is often the case, like Messi in the Copa America final against Chile in 2016, as the captain he stepped up, but only to miss.
So why did Ronaldo not shoot?
Perhaps he did not feel like it. Or perhaps he wanted the glory of shooting the winner. Or simply Portugal was trying something new...
No matter what, it seems arrogant, and Portugal lost as much because of themselves as because of Bravo's skills.
And that is the best thing about the Confederations Cup.
Chile will face Germany, who was nice to Mexico by only defeating them 4-1. At least the Mexicans will avoid Chile, who defeated them 7-0 last time they met in a competitive match!

Confederations Cup semifinals

There are not major surprises in the two semifinals of the Confederations Cup: the European champions and the World champions each won their groups, followed by the Latin American teams, namely the South American champions and the North American champions. So the semi-finals will be as follows:

• Portugal-Chile: Portugal seems like a team that really wants to win this tournament, while Chile are certainly also committed, but look shaky. Chile often starts their matches well, but second half often seem tired, and in particular their defense seems vulnerable, led by a Claudio Bravo who does not seem too confident. I think the European champions will make it to the final.
• Germany-Mexico: Joachim Low is experimenting with this German side, and although they have not looked like the best team in the world, they have made it to the semifinals through victories over Australia and Cameroon, and a tie with Chile. Mexico have been up and down, looked bad against New Zealand, but took points from their European counterparts of Portugal and Russia, and could certainly surprise a German side that is not wholly invulnerable.

The Russian hosts have been a disappointment, only managing a meager victory against a mediocre New Zealand, but were not up to the task against qualified opposition. It does not augur well for the World Cup, as Russian fans will not be motivated if their team is eliminated early on. The African champions of Cameroun were also disappointing, despite low expectations, but it shows that a potential African world champion is very far away. In the meantime Australia did well representing Asia, and New Zealand fulfilled all low expectations of the champions of Oceania.

Top Ten Best teams of 2016

As every year I make my personal top ten list of my favourite football teams of 2016. It is not a list with objective criteria, but a subjective list of teams that for some reason or other have caused impression on me during 2016. It is of course not so subjective that I just post about my favourite teams (It has been a dreadful year for Valencia, a hugely disappointing year for Argentina and Denmark, while Brøndby has been doing well, although still dwarfed in the Danish one-team league by FC Copenhagen).
So my list is as follows:
10) Atletico Madrid: Although they did not win anything this year, they continue to be one of the most difficult teams to defeat in Europe, and must always be considered a candidate. Most memorable was their victories against FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich on the way to the Champions League final, where they were only penalty kicks away from a victory over Real Madrid.
9) Brazil Olympic side: For the first time ever Brazil took Olympic Gold in a penalty kicks final victory over Germany. While this was a historic achievement it also presaged a return of the Brazilian national team in World Cup qualifiers. And we all hope 2017 will be great for Brazil!
8) Chile: In a special Copa America Anniversary tournament Chile won their second Copa America in a row after penalty kicks in the final against Argentina. I was personally very disappointed alongside the rest of Argentina (and notably Lionel Messi), but that does not take anything away from Chile's great achievement.
7) Portugal:  Portugal were the victors of the European Championship, and for that they deserve to be on the list, although grudgingly, since they were poor champions of a hugely disappointing tournament with hugely disappointing matches. These types of tournaments, with 24 teams, are the early swan-song on national team football.
6) Iceland: While Portugal won, Iceland were the real champions of Euro 2016. Once in a while a small underestimated team makes people dream, and that is what Iceland did, not only against the later champions of Portugal, but notably in their incredible victory against overrated England. And their fans were truly fantastic!
5) Real Madrid: In January Zinedine Zidane became new Real Madrid manager, and under him the team seems to have found a stability they have been missing for years, as well as a good balance between the expatriate superstars and the local youths. While not taking the Liga title, they are leading at the end of the year, and most memorably was their Champions League final victory against Atletico Madrid on penalty kicks.
4) Sevilla: Sevilla has become the new team to challenge the duopoly of Spanish football. They made it to a memorable Copa del Rey final (which they lost to FC Barcelona) but most memorably took their third Europa League title in a row, completely outshining Liverpool in the final.
3) Chapecoense: Had it not been for the tragic plane crash that made them headlines all over, Chapecoense would still have made this list, since the small Brazilian team had made a stunning achievement in making it to the Copa Sudamericana. Chapecoense are forever champions.
2) Atletico Nacional de Medellin: Playing offensive and entertaining football Nacional de Medellin won the Copa Libertadores, and were on the way to another title when their final against Chapecoense was cancelled due to the tragic plane crash. In the face of the tragedy the club and its fans gave Chapecoense a fantastic farewell, and showed that what makes a team great is not just its titles but its dignity! They had a bad (and strange) Club World Cup, but that does not take anything from a great year.
1) Leicester: At the end of last year Leicester were first in the Premier League, but nobody actually believed that the little English side could get away with taking the title. Lo and behold, by May the impossible had happened, when Leicester were proclaimed Premier League Champions. This was surely one of the greatest football upsets of all time. Although they have been struggling to defend the title, they won their group in their first Champions League ever, and no matter what, 2016 will always be Leicesters' year!

South American World Cup qualifiers

A new round of South American qualifiers has just taken place, with Argentina jumping to top of the table with 14 points with a 1-0 victory over Uruguay, on a goal by the returning Lionel Messi. Uruguay, Colombia and Ecuador follow Argentina in the table, all with 13 points, and if it ends as it is, these would be the qualified teams for Russia. Ecuador, who until recently had been on first spot, surprisingly lost 0-3 at home to a Brazil side for whom the 19-year old new Manchester City signing, Gabriel Jesus, scored two goals. Brazil are now taking the 5th place, which is a play-off place, with 12 points, ahead on goal difference of Paraguay on 6th place. Paraguay has gotten stronger after a shaky start, and defeated the South American champions, Chile, 2-1 in Asuncion.
Chile, with 10 points, will be looking for a victory in their next match against Bolivia, to keep up with the teams above. It is nevertheless a testament to the high quality of the teams in South America that there is only four points difference between the 1st place and the 7th, with all having an option to qualify, or running a risk of ending outside the first five spots. The only teams that seem out at this point are Bolivia (6 points), Peru (4 points), and the hapless Venezuelans, who with 1 point are disappointingly out after previous years strong showing. That said, Bolivia, Venezuela and Peru have before shown that they are fully able to defeat any of the other sides, and that just gives the South American qualifiers more flavour and drama.
Be sure that there will be much more!

I quit

It was indeed Deja-vu in New Jersey, much more than I, or any Argentina fan had dared hope for. 0-0 in ordinary time, only for Chile to take the title on penalty kicks. The third final loss for Argentina in three years, they seem unable to take a title (and Higuain to score in a final....).
I have to admit that this was another hard hit after a week with many hard hits.
Lionel Messi missed a penalty, and after the match announced that he is retiring from international football at the realtively young age of 29, and with what is a World Cup ahead in 2018.
I respect Messi's choice, although I wish he would wait until after the World Cup. He is quitting, and the message I get, is that I should quit too. If a man who has won everything is quitting after an admittedly great disappointment, why should I not quit too? Why should we all not quit our disappointing lives of dreading in a threadmill of everyday life, just awaiting for next weeks' 90 minute escape from reality's boredom?
I gotta quit football, and focus on... nothing....

Deja vu in New Jersey

Chile defeated Colombia 2-0 to make it to the final of the 2016 Copa America Centenario. They will face Argentina in what is a repeat of last year's "normal" Copa America, which was won by Chile at home in Santiago on penalty kicks.
But things point to a different outcome this Sunday in . Argentina has looked awesome, and in fact already played Chile in their opening match, winning 2-1 in a match where their superstar, Lionel Messi, did not even play. Messi has since been on fire, and Argentina seem eager to both get revenge for last years' final defeat, and for getting their first major international title since 1993.

The semifinals of Copa America

Every single of the semifinals of the Copa America will be special for me:

• USA-Argentina: Two countries I am very fond of, with my football heart being unapologetically Argentine. Argentina has been fantastic in this tournament, defeating Venezuela 4-1 in the quarterfinals. They will surely be favourites against the hosts, but if USA has ever showed anything, it is that they must never be underestimated; they have the quality to defeat anyone!
• Colombia-Chile: The country of my mother, against the country of my birth, I will be supporting Colombia, who has nevertheless not been looking that good. They defeated Peru on penalties after a boring 0-0 match, and they seem to lack spirit. Chile are the defending champions, and are in the semifinals after a historic 0-7 trashing of Mexico in what must be the worst result in Mexican football history (their worse defeat ever in a tournament, and first defeat in 22 games).

If things go as predicted, we will see a repeat of the 2015 Copa America final, although all four teams have the quality to make it.

Copa America Quarterfinals

We are now at the quarterfinals stage at the Copa America. These are as follows:

• USA-Ecuador: The hosts won their group ahead of Colombia despite losing their first match to the South Americans. They will of course have an advantage with home support, but never underestimate Ecuador!
• Peru-Colombia: Peru sensationally won their group after their controversial win against Brazil. They are surely a strong side, if inconsistent. Inconsistency can also be applied to Colombia, who started with two victories before losing their final match to Costa Rica, although with a team full of subs. Colombia will probably be slight favourites when playing with all their superstars.
• Argentina-Venezuela: Personally I look very much forward to this match between two countries I am personally attached to. That said, I support Argentina, and they have won all their matches, even only playing Messi in one. They will surely be favourites, but Venezuela has shown they are difficult to defeat, and also, they have the confidence that they have lacked for a long time.
• Mexico-Chile: Mexico won their group ahead of Venezuela on goal difference, and will now be facing the defending Copa America champions, who were runner-ups to Argentina. Both teams are strong, with Mexico playing with a big home-crowd, but the Chileans should probably prevail, also knowing they are defending their title!

This is the real football starting!

Copa America Centenario

The extraordinary Copa America (recall one was celebrated in Chile last year) celebrating the 100 anniversary of the oldest national team tournament in the world started this weekend in USA.
This tournament is the first held outside South America, and I guess it is truly American, in the sense it includes the 10 teams from South America, and adds the six best teams from the North American and Caribbean region.
That said, it is a strange tournament in the sense it comes between years, in the middle of World Cup qualifications, and previous to an Olympic tournament that Brazil has decided to prioritize (that is why Neymar will be playing the Olympics and not the Copa America). It seems the tournament is more aimed at spreading the interest of football to the North American and Caribbean, and capitalize on an expanding market.
The priority seems to be money rather than football...

The 4 groups are as follows:

Groups A:

• Costa Rica
• Paraguay
• Colombia
• USA

Group B:

• Brazil
• Ecuador
• Haiti
• Peru

Group C:

• Mexico
• Uruguay
• Venezuela
• Jamaica

Group D:

• Argentina
• Chile
• Paraguay
• Bolivia

As is becoming more and more often the case with these national tournaments (including the Euro 2016), the expansion of teams does not augur for better football, but rather more mediocre first round matches. The first four matches of the tournament seems to confirm this: while Colombia started out with an important 0-2 victory against the US hosts, there have been two boring 0-0 matches with Paraguay-Costa Rica and Ecuador-Brazil, and a meager 1-0 victory of Peru over Haiti.
The most interesting match in the first round will undoubtedly be Argentina-Chile on Tuesday. This will be a repeat of the 2015 Copa America final, and both teams are going to the tournament with their strongest teams, and are thus two of the favourites to go all the way.

While it is hard to get fully excited about this tournament, it will probably have some very interesting matches to watch.

Top 10 Best Football Teams of 2015

There have been many great football teams in 2015. The following is what I consider the ten best teams of 2015:

10) Australia: Although not heard much about, Australia took the Asian football championship at home this year.
9) Sevilla: Again the south Spaniards took the Europa League title. They are among the best in Spain, although far from contesting the title. In the Champions League they ended trailing behind Manchester City and Juventus, but that means they will be defending their Europa League title in 2016.
8) Bayern Munich: The south Germans continue to be among the best in the world, leading in the Bundesliga and favourites to go all the way in the Champions League.
7) Juventus: They dominated in Italy in the first half of the year, and upset Real Madrid to make it to the Champions League final, where only mighty Barcelona stood on the way. They have been weaker after the great Andrea Pirlo left for the USA, but continue fighting for the Italian title and the Champions League title.
6)  River Plate: The winners of the Copa Libertadores also made it to the final of the Club World Cup, where Barcelona defeated them. That said, they showed that they have some of the best fans in the world!
5) Serbia U-20: The Serbian youths were surprise winners of the 2015 u-20 World Cup in New Zealand, defeating Brazil in the final. It augurs well for the future of Serbian football!
4) Cote d'Ivoire: The Ivorians finally won the Africa Cup of Nations that has been eluding them for many years in a final against Ghana.
3) Chile: Chile hosted a highly competitive Copa America and for the first time ever took the title in a final against their Argentine neighbours.
2) FC Barcelona: The Catalonians have only become better in 2016, winning everything in Spain, the Champions League, and lastly the World Club Cup. They are leading the Spanish league at the end of 2016 with a scoring record of 40 goals, 35 of which have been scored by their attacking trio of Suarez, Neymar and Messi.
1) USA: With a fantastic World Cup in Canada women's football showed that it is fully at the level of Men's football when it comes to national team football (there may be more differences at Club level). The tournament was at least as good as the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, culminating in a splendid final between USA and Japan. USA were amazing, winning 5-2, and in particular Carly Lloyd's performance should pass into World Cup History. With this, USA's Women's side is in my view, the best football team of 2015!

Chile Campeon

The dream came true for Chile: they won the Copa America. It was one of those excellent 0-0 matches which any of the sides, Argentina or Chile, could have won. In the end penalty kicks had to decide the match, and after Messi's goal, it was Higuain who was to miss; as often happens, Higuain did not even hit the goal in a goalscoring position. When Ever Banega's shot was saved by Claudio Bravo, Alexis Sanchez scored coolly to give Chile their first title ever. Alexis Sanchez has had a rather anonymous tournament so it was highly deserved that it was him who scored this important goal.
Congratulations to Chile, but another huge disappointment for Argentina.

Warm-up for Chile-Argentina

These two videos, by Argentino QL, are hilarious!
Vivamos Esta Copa Sin odio
Argentino QI (I love the Condorito)

Vivamos todos un gran partido!

Excellent Peruvians and the coming final

One of the few positive aspects of this Copa America has been Peru. They were in a difficult group with favourites Brazil and Colombia, as well as a difficult Venezuelan side, where I do not think many gave them much of a chance. There is nevertheless no doubt that they were the best playing side of that group, and deservedly took second spot after a lucky Brazil. In the quarterfinals they beat Bolivia and in the semifinal gave Chile an excellent fight, only to lose 2-1.
As the news focus more on the coming final, few noticed that Peru beat Paraguay 2-0 to take third place in the tournament. This is a well-deserved result for a country that for many year has been under-performing. The new coach, the Argentine Ricardo Gareca, has organized the team, playing good offensive football, and expectations will surely be high as they enter the World Cup qualifiers this fall.

In the meantime we all justifiably have high expectations to the final between Chile and Argentina: two teams under two Argentine coaches that will want to attack and have outstandingly skilled players. It has all the ingredients to be a fantastic match, but I certainly fear that it will descend into ugly nationalism and unfair play.
I hope not.

Chilean fingers and a disgusting tournament

Chile will do anything to win the Copa America. And it is disgusting. Literally. In their quarterfinal against a hard-fighting Uruguay side they could have won by being the best team (they were), but instead, Chile will be remembered by Gonzalo Jara's finger in Edinson Cavani's ass (see a picture of it here).
A clear sexual assault if you ask me, no less disgusting than Luis Suarez bite, and if Edinson Cavani reacted, it was only the natural reaction of a man being assaulted in the most vile way.
This tournament is so sad for South American football: at a time when much of South America football is mired in accusations about corruption, one would expect that the football players would act any better.
But no. South American footballers seem only to be an extension of people that take pride in winning dirty, selfishness, provocations, drinking and driving, sexual misconduct, acting....
On top of this, matches have in general been of poor quality, hard fought, dramatic, but with nothing that can excite a real football fan.

I would urge everyone to watch the Women's World Cup instead; not because these women are better than men (they are), but because you will not see any men playing in the Copa America.

Day 17 of the World Cup: Berlin, Germany

I missed seeing a match with their national team in the football country of Europe, Germany. But I did arrive  as they had opened the biggest fan zone in Europe, right at the Brandenburger Tor, in a feast of football with beer, curry wurst, and most important of all, many of the awesome people from Berlin, capital of a country which is in a clear world cup mood, full of (justified) expectations about their possibility of winning the title.

With its beer, its culture, its people, Germany is already the most fantastic country! Do you also need to win a world cup!?

Spent the day wandering the streets of Berlin, dwelling into its sad history and all the architectural renewal, where the past is not forgotten but the future is celebrated. At 6 PM I was with a beer at the Hyundai Fan zone. There were most Brazilians, only a few Chileans, and quite some Colombians (myself arriving with a Colombia shirt as well). Brazil has wide support everywhere; they are impossible not to like. But Chile won many friends today as they played a passionate and outstanding match. Technically, they were at the level of the Brazilians, and even played a type of football that I could imagine that the Brazilians would like to see their team play. Only in glimpses, mostly from Neymar, did we see Brazilian skills. Then, Alexis Sanchez' goal was the best show of how one punishes a defensive mistake. In the end Pinilla hit the crossbar, which could have eliminated Brazil.

The tension of the penalty kicks was felt even in Berlin, where dark clouds covered the city, and the mood became one of somber nerves before the party exploded. So much adrenaline was released during these penalty kicks! Brazilians celebrated, and Chileans had no reason to cry. One great South American nation was bound to lose out.

The veteran Julio Cesar saved the day. But Brazil should be nervous about how their young players could not handle pressure. The tournament will only get more difficult and the burden greater. And next the Brazilians will have to face the sensational Colombians!

The Colombia match lacked the drama and intensity of the Brazil-Chile match, but had the outstanding play of Colombia facing the always-waiting Uruguayans.

Could Colombia defeat Brazil? Absolutely. Their team has been a strong unity, and in James Rodriguez they have a super-star at the level, at least, of Neymar and Messi. In my view, James Rodriguez has outshined them both. His first goal against Uruguay was a superb individual effort, while the second goal was a superb team effort. 

The magic potion in football is to blend Individuality and group considerations into a whole. Colombia is so far the team that has managed this best in the World Cup.

Uruguay was no match for the Colombians, and sadly, Uruguay did not win many friends in the tournament which will largely be remembered for Suarez. That said, they are another great nation eliminated today, and I look forward to seeing them again.

In the meantime, let us celebrate with the Brazilians and Colombians! I did so shamelessly!

Day 7 of the World Cup: s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands

After the amazing victory of the Netherlands over the World Champions, I thought I would visit a friend in the Duke's Bush, or s-Hertogenbosch, in the Netherlands, to watch the match that the orange side would play against Australia. Taking the train from Brussels, it is often not immediately obvious that you are changing country, but for the fact that the colours displayed on windows suddenly changed from red to orange.

On my way to s-Hertogenbosch I decided to do a bit of exploring, and went off the train in the small and lovely city of Breda, where I visited the Gothic church of Grote Kerk, where the ancestors of the house of Nassau-Orange are buried. The football connection is undeniable, as this is where the use of orange for the Dutch national team comes from. Indeed, the beautiful Grote Markt in front of the church was decorated with orange colours in preparation of the match.  And you could feel the World Cup fever getting higher as more and more people dressed in often creative orange garments would appear on the train to s-Hertogenbosch.

Another lovely Dutch city, I was received by a great Dutch friend who gave me an orange shirt and a cape adorned with the Dutch lion. I blended completely into the orange sea of people who we joined at one of the lively pubs showing the match in downtown s-Hertogenbosch.

The Dutch are committed; the national anthem was sung with loud national pride. And I must mention that Dutch ladies are the most beautiful football fans I have come across. The Netherlands wins on almost all fronts, if not on their tiny beers.

But the Dutch suffered. And here I must be honest; I was caught on by the Dutch, and celebrated their every goal (how could you not with beautiful Dutch girls celebrating all around you?), but at the same time I was happy they were suffering a bit, as the match then got much more interesting for... me.

In the end, it is all about me.

Australia are no pushover. They have proved that again and again, and therefore it is amazing to see that some countries, notably arrogant Europeans and South Americans, are again and again taken by surprise. I do not know if this was the case of the Dutch, who were a shadow of themselves in the first half. They were slow, imprecise and uncommitted. It was not deserved when they went ahead, but Tim Cahill's equalizer was fully deserved. And how ironic that a goal so fantastic that one would have expected to come from the feet of the great Dutch, came from an Australian!

The Dutch improved a lot in the second half, but had to suffer more when Australia went 2-1 up. In the end Van Persie and the young Memphis Depay gave them a deserved victory, and depending on the result between Spain and Chile, the Dutch could be the first team to qualify for the last-16.

Chile won 2-0 over the defending World Champions. Spain joins France in 2002 and Italy in 2010 as World Champions who have been eliminated in the first round. This Spanish golden generation gave the world of football a lot, but fell from greatness due to lack of preparation and respect for their opponents. I am sorry to say this, but the responsible is not Iker Casillas, Xavi, Diego Costa, or any of the players, but Vicente del Bosque. He did not set a team according to the opponents, whom he did not bother to study. Had he, Mr. Del Bosque would have known that Chile were a team to be reckoned with. Just being Spain is not enough to win a match; this is also to disrespect your opponents. As much as the Spanish team will be remembered as one of the greatest side ever, Chile did the world a favour.

Chile and the Netherlands will be playing for first spot in the group in what will be a great match. 

The last match of the day was Croatia-Cameroon. Cameroon proved to be perhaps the poorest side of the World Cup. They do not play like a team and are as committed as a cock to monogamy. Croatia's victory was too easy, and not too small. I guess we have all been expecting a lot from Cameroon since 1990, but truth is that since then they have gone out every time in the first round, and suffered some humiliating defeats. Of all those bad Cameroon sides, this is surely the worst of the lot.

Croatia will face Mexico in the last group match, a clash that will decide who goes on to the next round.

In my orange cape I have celebrated the Netherlands, and hope they get far, just because of this great day I had amid the awesome (and stunning) Dutch fans! Hup Holland Hup!

Viva Chile!

The World Champions are out. After the trouncing they received from the Netherlands, the story was perhaps foretold. Chile played a great game, and all credit to this achievement. They have proven they are a world class team, something that anyone having watched their development over the last four years should have seen.

Apparently the Spanish do not watch football.

No matter the degree to which the Spanish underestimated Chile, their degree of commitment to a match that was so crucial was appalling. The Spaniards had no pace, marked poorly and scandalously missed their few chances to score. Diego Costa was so useless that the Brazilians must be delighted to see that he did not join their side. The central defense looked a bit better without Pique, but still lack quality. Casillas had another bad day. However, he remains the best in the world, and the degree of criticism he seems to be getting in Spain is simply too much. 

The one that should be blamed is Vicente del Bosque. Not to know a thing about your opponents is bad enough, but to choose your players seemingly at random is poor to say the least. Against Chile he decided to play with no midfield; leaving Xavi and Fabregas out was to take away the needed offensive creativity, and only rely on the brusqueness of Busquets and Javi Martinez. Besides this poor lineup, his lack of choosing any of the many young and upcoming Spanish stars in the squad (perhaps except Koke), was without vision of the future.

Names do not win matches. Mr. Del Bosque forgot that.

Australia and Spain are the two first teams to be eliminated from the World Cup. They will now face one another in the last match. Australia proved to be no pushover, but I do not think that the Spaniards have taken note of this. With zero points and a score of 1-7 against Australia's 3-6, Spain needs to win the final match if they are not to suffer ultimate humiliation and end last in the group.

In the meantime, Chile are looking with optimism at their next match. Excellent fans and good players have justified that they now have great expectations. If anything: VIva Chile!!!!

"My" countries in the World Cup

The World Cup was my entry to football. I liked seeing countries play, learning about them, and also seeing countries play that I had an attachment to. This continues to be the case, surely more than the quality of football, which is generally much lower than even in secondary European leagues.
That said, of course, there are certain countries I will be watching with more interest than others due to personal attachment to those countries (but as you can see, it will not mean I will support them. This is football, and has nothing to do about my view of the country!):

• Argentina: I lived in Argentina as a child, and my heart is unapologetically Argentine when it comes to national team football. While I will support them, I have many doubts, perhaps because my hope has been shattered so often. Messi, Aguero, Di Maria, Gago, Higuain, Mascherano... It appears a strong side, but in my view they lack balance in defense and weight in midfield. I will be celebrating every one of their goals though.
•  Belgium: I have worked in Brussels, and visit Belgium every year. And even though it is in an international atmosphere where I have been far from Belgian reality, I have always been endeared to the Red Devils. Be sure I will drink a good Belgian beer and support them as their exciting young team may take Brazil with storm!
• Chile: I was born in Chile. I have not had particular attachment to their national team, and four years ago I was one of the few unimpressed as I thought they needed a bit more cynicism under Marcelo Bielsa. This year Chile are, if anything, better than four years ago, and may be the favourites of neutrals. While everyone has expectations, these can also be shattered, as Chile could easily be eliminated in the first round. Whatever happens I won't celebrate, but I won't cry either.
•  Colombia: I have Colombian background, and Colombia is finally back in the World Cup with a strong side. Under Jose Pekerman they play a bit old-fashioned Argentine football, but which also goes back to the strong Argentine influence on Colombian football. They have splendid attacking power (not only the doubtful Falcao) but a defense of old men. They will be popular as a team and for their fans, and I will be cheering with the rest of the world.
• Ghana: Ghana is the first African country I lived in, and was there during the 2006 World Cup, when I became a big fan of the Black Stars. In 2010 I cried with the rest of the world when they did not make the semi-finals. This will be a new test for a side that has nevertheless become more cynical over the years, playing a physical and defensive style that almost seems out of tune with the happiness of Ghanaians. I was almost happy when they were eliminated by Zambia from the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. While I will wear my Ghana shirt every time they play, I hope that they will play better football.
• Spain: I have lived in Spain and have Spanish family and there is little not to love about the country. That said, on a football pitch I have always been critical of Spain. While I was happy they won the 2008 Euro, and admit they deserved the titles in 2010 and 2012, I remain critical of the possessive-defensive style and lack of directness. The total dependence on two clubs that annoy me are also a cause of criticism that makes me generally not support the national team. I do believe they are favourites for the title though.
• USA: I lived in the USA and have visited the country, where I have so many friends, many times. Football (I refuse to call it soccer) has never been the priority but I have followed closely as they get better and better. It will be interesting to see them under Jurgen Klinsmann, who set forward to change US football when he became national coach.

There are of course some countries I will be missing: Denmark, Venezuela, and Liberia!