OzzieMandias

A Russian linesman would be good.

http://www.nufc.com

I'm not cheering for any fucker but us. I live in Berlin and I love this city. I've lived in Lisbon and I liked it there too. But when it comes to football, Germany and Portugal can knob right off.

Germany game will be difficult shocker.

Germany have some good players shocker.

Pathetic. I think it's a pretty cool shirt, as it goes.

I don't know whether we'll beat them or not, but we have absolutely no reason to be afraid of them. We beat them on our last two meetings, both times on their own soil -- the friendly in Berlin in 2008, and the spanking in Munich in 2001 -- and plenty of this squad were involved in both games. Hopefully that will have diminished the oh-no-it's-Germany factor. They've got a young, lively squad that hasn't been tested yet in this tournament (and were dismantled by Argentina). It's a game where we will have to make experience count, and Capello will have to outthink Löw. And there's no way the players won't raise their game for this one.

Well, Italy haven't surrendered, and Brazil or Argentina might win, so no.

Glad Ghana got through. Need an African team to hang in there, and they shouldn't have much trouble turning the USA over.

God, it's pathetically easy to wind up you Yanks. We were supposed to pretend the group was hard? We put in one half-decent performance, one poor performance, and one utterly dismal performance and we still drifted through it without losing a game and only conceding once through a dumb, individual mistake.

And their dodgy defence hasn't really been tested yet.

Like 5-1 on their own soil? Qualifyier wasn't it ? It's the only turning over I can remember between the two teams. You know what I mean they have the knack of sneaking past in the big games in the finals. Really don't need to see us go out on pens again. Don't think I could take it what with living here as well. OTOH, be great if we win. They're eminently beatable, I reckon.

There was only one Germany that time. Pretty sure they were still West Germany then. They were. Just checked it. They were indeed, didn't know that. Strange but true. Not that strange given that German reunification didn't formally take place until October 3rd 1990.

Ally McCoist on ESPN -- can Americans understand a word he's saying?

Before it, most people seemed to think it was ridiculous he was even in the squad.

Now take a look at the team that beat Germany 5-1 in Munich. That game was a hell of a lot closer than it looks on paper. The Germans had left their shooting boots at home, much like in the game against Serbia, (I recall Ballack contriving to miss the target completely from about 5 yards out) and Owen just couldn't miss. I was at that match and it didn't look remotely close to me. I was there, too, and it didn't look it to me at the time, either, but I've watched the DVD quite a few times since, and the Germans had just as many decent chances as we did until they threw in the towel at 1-4. Looked to me like they were dead at half time. Their fans certainly thought so.

Now take a look at the team that beat Germany 5-1 in Munich. That game was a hell of a lot closer than it looks on paper. The Germans had left their shooting boots at home, much like in the game against Serbia, (I recall Ballack contriving to miss the target completely from about 5 yards out) and Owen just couldn't miss. I was at that match and it didn't look remotely close to me.

Now take a look at the team that beat Germany 5-1 in Munich.

RIP Frank Sidebottom, who died today. Here's his World Cup song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxcS3OUrgUk

Hmm. Spain were great in every department except finishing. Their play around the box makes us look like a bunch of cloggers from the Dr Martens League.

It's great when it stops, though.

I'm finding the Brazilians completely unlikeable in this game.

1. Allow players to pick the ball up and run with it. 2. Do away with goalposts and nets and goalkeepers and make scoring a matter of carrying the ball over the opposing touchline.