The weekend's festivities have me struggling to resurface for this morning's 7.30 kick-off and after the first 45 minutes of CROATIA V MEXICO (yawn) I'm wishing | hadn't bothered. With the exception of one Mexican Gary Glitter, there is precious little goalmouth action and, with a monumental hangover, I'm feeling more than a wee bit sorry for myself. True to form, knowing that I'm sticking to the Tizer today, my brother arrives during the half-time interval with a case of Bud and a bottle of voddy. If he thinks he can use my Tizer as a mixer he is on to plums!
Back to the fitba and Robert Prosinecki has been so anonymous in the first half he stays in the dressing-room at the break. By the way, check out Mexican keeper Oscar Perez. Isn't he a dead ringer for that Swedish bloke, his names escapes me, the one who was posted missing on Cup Final day and was well nigh invisible against England yesterday? Early in the second half he makes a great save from a Soldo header as Croatia appear to have given themselves a shake, then Prosinecki's replacement, Rapaic, fires a free-kick inches wide.
But just when Croatia appear to be getting on top, Zivkovic brings down Blanco - a clear penalty and the tournament's first red card - and Blanco picks himself up to hammer the spot kick into the net. Maybe the red card was a shade harsh but some refs insist on sticking to the letter of the law, rather than applying some not-so-common common sense, and Croatia might feel they have been punished twice for one offence.
The Mexicans cleverly utilise their numerical advantage, knocking the ball about confidently, but as I share Croatia's sense of grievance I'd love to see them grab an equalizer. But it doesn't happen and the last 25 minutes is only sufferable because I know the boys from Brazil are the next item on the agenda.
Meanwhile, on the refreshment front, having been physically discouraged from venturing towards my Tizer (I threatened to break his neck!), my brother nipped out to the shops for a couple of bottles of lemonade. Now he is suggesting I try a Budweiser shandy. Maybe I'll yield to temptation when the Tizer bottle is empty.
Now we can get down to the real business and, with the exception of a freak training ground injury to Emerson, BRAZIL are at full strength. Frightening! Within three minutes they force a free-kick on the right, TURKEY manage to get it clear, then Ronaldo blasts a 20-yarder over the top. Ronaldinho catches the keeper off his line with a speculative chip which is just too high and Rivaldo also clears the crossbar with a long range effort. Not a bad start at all.
Wait a cotton-picking minute. After 19 minutes, the Turks make a Rudolf Hess of a free-kick but it breaks kindly for them and an angled drive is deflected inches over the bar. And who fired in the shot? Our wee buddy Tugay. Hard luck sunshine. Methinks you'll need every break possible to get any joy today. Two minutes later a Turkish defender is booked and BBC commentator Steve Wilson announces 'a yellow card for Fatih'. Did I hear him right? I thought he said 'a yellow card for farting'. Another one of FIFA's silly rule changes perhaps.
Amazingly, it looks like being 0-0 at half-time. Rivaldo comes close with a six yard header (not unlike Pele's v Italy in the 1970 Final) and Roberto Carlos makes the goalkeeper look lively with a trademark 35 yard free-kick. And even more amazingly, Turkey have a wee sting in the tail at the end of the first half when Basturk sets Hasan Sas free and, dear of dear, Brazil are 1-0 down.
But all the Turks have done is get my 'outsiders' angry. After a couple of near misses, Ronaldo levels the scores five minutes after the restart and I sit back expecting them to turn on the style. Yet Turkey are not content to be mere spectators and a 30-yarder from Hakan Unsal gives Brazil another wee fright. Late in the game, however, goalkeeper Rustu marrs an otherwise excellent performance when he miskicks a clearance, Luizao is in, only to be hauled down by Alpay. Controversially, the ref rules the offence took place in the box, he sends Alpay packing and Rivaldo sends the ball into the corner of the net.
Rivaldo blotted his copybook right at the end when he fell clutching his coupon after Hakan Unsal had knocked the ball against his thigh. The ref falls for it, the Turk is red-carded and it is a sad end to what has been the best game of the tournament by a Maryhill metric mile.
A few weeks ago I reinvested a tenner from my Cup Final winnings on Brazil to regain the World Cup at 6/1 so I can't help feeling pleased with myself. Watch those odds shortening considerably over the next few days. They certainly deserved their narrow victory but Turkey have also emerged with a lot of credit and I expect them to join Brazil in qualifying from this group.
The Brazilians were always going to be a hard act to follow but ITALY do their best. They are many people's favourites to win the thing but the LBB view is that they have a few players who have to contend with an iffy temperament, especially when they don't get things their own way,although with Vieri scoring after only 7 minutes then adding another midway through the first half, they are unlikely to have too much trouble today.
Having excelled to finish runners-up in the South American qualifying group, just getting this far has been ECUADOR's major achievement, one they show no sign of bettering. Amidst all this excitement, my resolve weakens and the offer of a bottle of Bud (unspoilt by any addition of lemonade) is gratefully accepted. Well, what else are brothers for?
The Italians take their foot off the pedal in a second half made interesting only by Vieri's quest for his hat-trick and the appearance of Rino Gattuso. As Des Lynam points out 'Why score a hatful of goals when one or two will do?' Why indeed...unless they have a surprise mishap against Croatia next weekend and Mexico take Ecuador to the cleaners. Mmmm. Could be interesting.
LITTLE BOY BLUE