Deutschland Here I Come! - LITTLE BOY BLUE'S WORLD CUP DIARY - June 18/19:  Days Ten/Eleven

Last updated : 19 June 2006 By Little Boy Blue
he Koelsch has been in touch to warn me that the English have taken over Cologne.  "You'd better wear a mask in case any of them have read you're 'anti-English' stuff on FF."  Aye, so I will.  In fact, World Cup fever has come a little closer to home, with many of the Cologne-bound Englanders having set up camp at Prestwick Airport.

The Diary will take on a more harum-scarum form over the next few days as I sample the atmosphere for myself.  The Koelsch has already made a new contact in a Dutchman who is into all things Rangers and we are looking forward to doing a grand tour of Cologne's Irish pubs, all of which have invited Herr Koelsch to take his custom elsewhere.  But as the World Cup organisers say It Is Time To Make Friends.  Lets see what they say in The Corkonian after a rousing chorus of Rule Britannia.

I was fun company during the Croatia v Japan game but, of course, this was not a meeting of two proud nations playing for their World Cup future, this was the Sons Of v the Scum Of, Dado v Knackeredtosser and, although the match ended in a goalless draw, I reckon our guy emerged as the one who had enhanced his reputation.

If Croatia fail to make it out of Group F, they must look back on Darijo Srna's first half missed penalty with major regret.  Dado was clever as he edged into the box, Miyamoto lunged into a challenge and the big man went down.  I leapt out of my seat and punched the air, kicking over a can of lager in the process, then I went loopy when I realised the guy taking the kick did not have a pony-tail.  Stupid feckin bassas!  Srna shot low to the keeper's left but Kawaguchi dived to knock it round the post.

From the subsequent corner kick, Niko Kranjcar headed into the side netting and the same player later rattled a shot off the crossbar.  Croatia dominated the first half, Dado was working his tail off (as always), while the Mhanky Nip, having done a bit of sand-dancing early on, soon began to chug and chutter like a knackered motor.  I always knew those Japanese names meant something.

Both sides wilted in the heat in the latter stages but nobody could fail to be impressed by Dado's willingness to keep making those lung-bursting runs.  Unfortunately, second half subs Olic and Modric seemed more intent on winning the game on their own and were guilty of over carrying the ball when there was a team-mate in a better position.

The draw does nothing for either side, although as they have to play the Aussies on Thursday, Croatia are still masters of their own destiny.  A victory will see them through, just so long as the Japs don't do anything silly against Brazil, but having been impressed by Australia against both Japan and Brazil, Dado and his mates will have to produce something special.

The Australians can certainly look back on their game with Brazil with some pride.  They did well to contain their lavishly talented opponents in the first half and even had the audacity to launch a few dangerous attacks of their own.  And one particular incident underlined my major gripe about this World Cup.  Mila Sterjovski broke free on the left, some muppet in the crowd blew a whistle and, instead of whipping over a cross towards Viduka who was racing into a dangerous position, he let the ball run.  Clearly Sterjovski felt he'd been ruled offside - he was two yards onside! - and, knowing how the refs have delighted in booking anyone for kicking the ball away, he didn't want to risk falling foul of that megalomaniac Markus Merk.

I'm not a big fan of dentists but anyone who can combine the job of inflicting torture on somebody's mouth with being a fitba referee has to suffer from a major character defect.  This jumped-up nobody just about goose-steps across the pitch, spoiling games and flashing cards left, right and centre, yet FIFA regard him as one of the game's top whistlers.  That says it all for me.  Forget the players, lets make the referees the stars!!! 

Brazil booked their place in the next round with a typical Adriano strike, jockeying on to his left foot then getting in his shot with the minimum of back-lift, and an injury time tap-in from substitute Fred who followed up on a Robinho shot which hit the post.  Between the goals, the Aussies had a few chances, with Harry Kewell shooting wide after Dida had made a horlicks of coming for a cross, then Viduka hooked the ball over the top when clean through on the keeper.

By which time Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira had lost patience with Ronaldo and ordered his taxi.  There is talk that his World Cup is over and, on the evidence of his two performances to date, I'm hardly surprised.  Approaching his 30th birthday, he has already won it all and it looks like he no longer has the hunger for success which drives others to make those extra-special efforts.

And it could be all over too for Zinedine Zidane.  Booked in France's dismal 1-1 draw with South Korea, he is now suspended from Friday's match against Togo and, with the French walking a tightrope, there might be nothing beyond their final group match.  Like England, Portugal and Brazil, the French appear to have set their sights on qualifying for the knock-out phase with the minimum of effort and, 1-0 up and in control for so long against the Caat Man's Koreans, it looked like they would do it.  But the underdogs came at them with a late rally and, when Park Ji Sung grabbed the equaliser, France were unable to rediscover the sparkle of their early play.

Thierry Henry had given them a ninth minute lead and it looked like they were set to turn on the style.  A Vieira header was clearly over the line when the keeper scooped it out, the ref waved play on - don't get me started about referees!!! - but at that stage it didn't seem to matter.  It was just a matter of time before the second/third/fourth goals duly arrived.  But nobody told that to Tricky Dicky and they produced that little extra something which could see the highly-fancied French on the way home.

Much will, of course, depend on how Switzerland v Togo goes today. Assuming the Swiss win, they will be on four points alongside the Koreans, they meet each other next Friday, with the winner sure to win the group, while the French will be facing a win-or-bust game against Togo.  Of course, they should win it but they looked like a team with problems as they trooped off the field in Leipzig.  I wouldn't even back them with somebody else's money.

I'll be checking out today's action on the hoof, nipping in and out of bars or maybe taking my place in the Cologne Fan Park before, no doubt, focussing bleary-eyed on the laptop to let you know just how much fun I've had.  Wishing you were here…tee-hee.

LITTLE BOY BLUE