Right...that’s all from today’s blog but now the real fun is about to begin with some actual football rather than Saturday Kitchen and all that jazz.
Start your Saturday feast of football with Scott Murray who is on for Belgium v Tunisia...
England trained today, as they do most days currently. But the session did see Dele Alli take part for a little bit with the rest of the squad before wandering off to work alone. Will he play tomorrow? Nope.
Team bonding in the Egypt camp
The Tunisia team is in: Ben, Bronn, Ben Youssef S, Meriah, Maaloul, Skhiri, Sassi, Khaoui, Badri, Ben Youssef F, Khazri
The Belgium team is in: Courtois, Alderweireld, Boyata, Vertonghen, Meunier, De Bruyne, Witsel, Carrasco, Mertens, Lukaku, Hazard
The Russia PR machine is in overdrive, even the England band are saying how nice it is over there.
Band member Steve Holmes, 47, from Stannington, said: “It’s brilliant - it’s so different to what we thought.
“It’s definitely friendlier than when we’ve been to Russia before.”
Don’t injure yourself, lads.
The lads at ITV have spoken to Roy Keane about himself rather than just letting him snipe at others.
During a discussion on their 21st century podcast, which on this occasion has not been hosted by Alan Davies and two blokes from Yorkshire, Keano told Mark Pougatch about the 2002 World Cup, claiming he let Big Mick off lightly.
Asked if he could have rebuilt his relationship with the Republic of Ireland manager and gone to the tournament after falling out over claims the midfielder faked an injury, Keane said:
I think if there was an apology possibly, yeah. Possibly. Listen, as I said it’s alright me sitting here, listen if you spoke to Mick or somebody or the staff, they might have a different side to it. I know it takes two to tango, but that’s what happened.
And once I’d left the hotel, the team left early the next morning, the damage was done. And listen, if there was an apology [that] came my way, there was a mishap or whatever, yeah I think things could have been different.
But once I landed back in Ireland, the damage was done. I couldn’t go back in to work with a manager who probably felt that about me. So as I said the damage was done yet strangely enough no-one ever made these accusations against me when I was playing and we were winning matches and we were qualifying, so I found the timing really strange, particularly in front of the staff and the group of players.
So as I mentioned earlier, the bibs and the balls and the cones that weren’t there, that was all taken care of, that had settled down and by the end of the week we were kind of laughing and joking about that anyway, as you do, you have to move on, I get that.
But to be accused of missing a game because of an injury that I was accused of having, believe it or not I actually let people off lightly, there could have been a lot more trouble, shall we say.
Some people have inexplicably questioned why Russia are so good at the World Cup. Their doc has quashed rumours that they might be doping.
Andrew Benton has a different scoreline in mind, which is controversial...
His repost: “Belgium 2:2 Tunisia more like! “
As we all watch Saturday Kitchen, it is only right that a bit of food preparation is discussed. Here’s what the Mexicans are and, more important, are not eating to avoid doping.
I am here! I really am. Scott is off for his much-needed rest ahead of the excitement of Belgium 4-0 Tunisia.
And with that, I’m going to pass this blog - and indeed your good self, dear reader - into the loving arms of Will Unwin. Hopefully we’ll see each other again in a couple of hours on the MBM of the big Belgium-Tunisia clash, as another exciting day of hot World Cup action begins. Remember, it only happens once every four years, so savour every last drop!
When the fun stops, etc. But if you do fancy lumping on, here’s how the bookies see the World Cup right now. How about that Croatian midfield, huh.
9-2: Brazil, Spain
7-1: France
8-1: Germany, Belgium
10-1: England
12-1: Croatia
16-1: Portugal
20-1: Argentina
25-1: Uruguay
40-1: Russia
50-1: Bar
Three Lions Pride: Against Panama tomorrow, an England LGBT supporters association will unfurl a banner that has already made a positive impact in Russia. Shaun Walker in Moscow tells the story.
Australia winger Robbie Kruse has been taking flak for his performances from clowns on social media, to the extent that his team-mates are now appealing for the abuse to stop. Kruse and his family have also received threats of violence, which have led to his parents shutting down their Facebook account. “For his own people, for Australians, to be slagging off - it’s not okay,” says Mathew Leckie. “He is, I guess, shocked. It’s just disappointing - not just for him, but for all players. We’re representing Australia. And the people back home that are saying bad things, it’s understandable that they might like some players more than other players. But it doesn’t give anyone the right to abuse a player.”
Defender Aziz Behich added: “It’s people that just sit behind a computer that probably have never kicked a ball before. The people that criticise, I don’t think they actually watch the game and how hard he works. What he has been through in his career with injuries and setbacks, a lot of players would have crumbled a long time ago. So it shows just the character he has got. He is a champion and we will be behind him.”
Mo Salah has been named as an honorary citizen of Chechnya. Egypt have been based in the republic, and leader Ramzan Kadyrov presented the winger with a badge and a decree at a farewell banquet last night, saying: “Mohamed Salah is an honorary citizen of the Chechen Republic. Yes, that’s right! Tonight I signed a decree conferring this high award on the great footballer and member of the Egypt and Liverpool teams.”
More Guardian excellence! Sid Lowe has been talking to Hernán Darío Gómez, the Panama coach. Make another cup of tea, and sit down again, because this is quite a story. Gómez is a man who’s been through the mill all right. “Gómez was Colombia’s assistant when Andrés Escobar was shot dead after his own goal at the 1994 World Cup. During qualification for this tournament the Panama midfielder Amílcar Henríquez was gunned down outside his home. And when he was Ecuador coach, Gómez himself was shot after he did not name a politician’s son in the under‑20s.”
Egypt goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary could become the oldest player to compete at a World Cup finals if he plays against Saudi Arabia on Monday. El-Hadary didn’t feature in Egypt’s first two games, but there’s a chance of a sentimental recall, given both teams have already been knocked out and the game in Volgograd will be a dead rubber. El-Hadary will be 45 years, five months and 12 days old on Monday. If he plays, he’ll beat the record of Colombia’s Faryd Mondragon, who came on as a substitute for the last five minutes of a group game against Japan in 2014, aged 43 years and three days.
Whether coach Hector Cuper takes that opportunity is another matter, and there have been reports of a row, but it’s all been denied by the Egyptian FA: “El-Hadary supported and praised his teammates. He may be angry for not participating but nothing out of line happened.” (For the record, Roger Milla - you were thinking about Roger Milla, weren’t you - was a sprightly 42 years and 39 days old when he scored for Cameroon in the Oleg Salenko match against Russia at USA 94.)
This is also marvellous: Barney Ronay has been watching RT’s coverage of the World Cup, so you don’t have to. The jewel in their coverage being “the great José, trying hard to seem welcoming and nice but still looking like he would beat you into submission with an ivory shoehorn if he could only be bothered – now please leave his penthouse shark aquarium.”
Anyone remember
Spangles
Roy Hodgson? The former England boss has been talking to the Daily Mail, and singing the praises of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who he reckons has “more strings to his bow” than - a touch random, this - 2002 and 2006 World Cup nearly man Michael Ballack. “I’d say he goes by people more than Ballack did. I think he’s got Ballack’s power and his pace and his strength. But he’s maybe got more strings to his bow than even Ballack had. That’s a bold thing to say, I know, but he’s so good at going past people. He’s got that deceptive turn of pace. In that way he’s a bit like Jack Wilshere really.”
A magnificent piece here from our man Simon Burnton. It’s look back at how England prepared for World Cups in the past. Make a cup of tea, sit down, and enjoy every word. This tale, from 1958, particularly caught the eye:
The Tottenham manager, Bill Nicholson, had scouted England’s next opponents, Brazil, and under his instruction the second string imitated the Brazilians in a practice match, with Peter Broadbent taking his impersonation of Didi so far he spoke in broken English and cried “caramba!” in particularly heated moments.
Spain scraped their way past Iran last Wednesday. It would have been interesting to hear 2010 winner Carles Puyol’s take on La Furia Roja’s performance. But sadly his punditry gig degenerated into farce, according to the BBC. Booked to appear on Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, he wasn’t allowed into their Tehran studio on account of his long hair, which was deemed inappropriate. The spring-curled Puyol played 100 times for Spain, winning two international tournaments, while turning out for one of the biggest clubs in the world for the best part of 15 years; should his look have surprised IRIB this much? The talent booker has questions to answer here.
As World Cup controversies go, England’s scrapofpapergate isn’t exactly Bobby Moore and the bracelet in Bogota, is it. Jamie Vardy is also of the opinion that it’s a transient confection, like confetti on the wind. “All that is saying is telling our next opponents we’ve got 23 players in the squad and letting them know their names again,” he reasons. “We find out the team on the morning of the game or the night before and until the gaffer names the team that’s the way it is.”
Good news for England ahead of their big game against Panama in Nizhny Novgorod tomorrow lunchtime. Dele Alli is back in training. He’d suffered a minor thigh strain against Tunisia. Whether the 22-year-old Spurs midfielder will be risked this weekend is another matter, not least because Ruben Loftus-Cheek impressed during his brief cameo upon replacing Alli on Monday night, so he might have been benched anyway. But it’s always nice to have options, isn’t it.
Some of you might not fancy whistling showtunes all day. If you need to kill an earworm, Max Rushden and Barry Glendenning should be able to help you out, for the latest World Cup Football Daily is pure audio bliss. Contains Brazil, Nigeria and Switzerland, double-headed eagle celebrations, a fine for Mexico, Swedish iPhone notifications and the best club name in the world.
Still over seven hours until South Korea take on Mexico. “You quoted the greatest musical (I say with no apologies) ever and now I’ve an earworm and El Tri plays today and where are my tap shoes,” begins Sam ‘Gene Kelly is my #10’ Lopez, before breaking into song. “Neymar supposes his toeses are roses/ but Neymar supposes erroneously! / For Neymar he knowses Coutinho’s are roses like Neymar supposes his toeses to be!” Sports satire, if it had been produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. This is what the kids want.
Last night’s stramash between Switzerland and Serbia had a fairly entertaining climax. A fine breakaway goal by Xherdan Shaqiri settled it in the last knockings. Shaqiri was more than happy to cop a booking for his celebration, whipping his shirt off in glee. He’s not exactly fat, as folk keep insisting, is he? He also did this:
Aleksandar Mitrovic had earlier asked: “If he loves Kosovo so much and decides to flaunt the flag, why did he refuse a chance to play for their team?” But it is possible to feel an affinity to more than one nation state. (On that subject, a confused but happy man once wrote this.)
♬♫ Good morning, good morning / Jonathan’s blogged the whole night through / Good morning, good morning to you! / Good morning, good morning / It’s great to get up early and report on flag-carrying ants and Balkan politics / Good morning, good morning to you! When the band began to play the stars were shining bright! Now the milkman’s on his way and it’s too late to say good night! SO!!! Good morning, good morning / Sun beams will soon smile through / Good morning, good morning to you! ♪
♬♫ Altogether now: Nothing could be grander than to be in Nizhny Novgorod in the morning, in the morning ... ♪
Thank you for your company today. It’s now time for me to pass this blog over to Scott Murray, make a brew, and enjoy Dave Penney (not that one) handle a TV interview in a nuclear fallout shelter. See you tomorrow.
BREAKING NEWS: the David Penney who reckons Mexico are gonna do Brazil (see earlier) is not the David Penney. Oxford United and Swansea City fans, stand down.
Barney Ronay has watched the World Cup on RT, so you don’t have to. The verdict? “Mourinho’s punditry on RT in Russia is brilliant. And it’s not that it’s ‘good TV’ (Whatever that is) but it’s interesting, not so different, and tells you a bit about being in Russia. Plus it has both The Schmeichel Show and The Collymore Show.”
“Morning Jonathan,” hi Ning-Ning Li, “I’m an Englander in China at the moment (not that Alastair Chivers’ girlfriend) and to my luck fell upon these live feeds which I’ve read alongside watching the games. They’ve been really entertaining (as well as a narration I understand). Your mini World-Cup website has turned into my morning check-in, catching up with the results and drama from the games that are aired at 2am over here, like a mini-world-cup-Christmas. And loving the player-by-player guide, as someone who loves football but is no expert it’s very interesting to learn more about the teams, and so easily! As I’m not well versed in all football technicalities, I feel like ‘STOP BEING EFFING DRAMATIC’ to some players is all I can contribute confidently. This tournament has been filled with surprises, here’s to many more. Thanks to you and your team.”
Kind words, Ning-Ning, thank you. And if you don’t know about the player guide referenced above, here it is. I’m responsible for the Australian entries, so hopefully nobody picks up any errors.
Pjotr van Rooijen is bypassing the professional punditry he earlier decried for his say on the shemozzle that is Argentina. “Against Iceland, Messi had 11 shots on goal, whereas against Croatia he barely touched the ball,” he emails. “I’m fairly certain it was Sampaoli’s idea to relieve Messi of pressure and to let the others play, and his pre-match statements seem to back that up. It failed miserably of course, and led to a complete humiliation against Croatia.
What’s disconcerting is that a manager would do a complete 180 like that during a crucial World Cup game, and that’s why I have a feeling there’s more to it. Messi didn’t look right, even during the anthems, and he seemed almost paralysed throughout the game, like Ronaldo in the ‘98 final. Whether it’s the pressure or something else, something is very wrong in the Argentina camp.”
