Netherlands thumping Spain 5-1 seems like a season ago. We’ve had 24 different World Cup-match days since then, during which time most of us have watched close to a season’s worth of football. The dethroning of Spain, in such dramatic fashion, was an early portent of what we were in store for. Brazil’s humiliation at the hands of Germany provided one of the most memorable football events of our times.
While everyone seems to have nominated the competition as the best ever, the football has been of variable quality. Lots of strong football countries failed to show, including Spain, Italy and England. Africa promised early on, then fell. Russia gave no indication they were on-schedule to give the performance of a lifetime when they host the tournament in four years.
Brazil reached the semi-finals but this will surely be known as one of the worst Brazilian teams ever. Argentina have reached their first final in 24 years ago, but I can’t figure out how they made it. Performances against Bosnia, Iran, Nigeria, Switzerland, Belgium and then Netherlands never convinced we were watching eventual winners. The best they have achieved, so far, is a single goal victory.
Belgium’s golden generation were a mere shadow of their less-fancied Dutch neighbours, who under-promised and over-delivered, again. Germany are the team who deserve to take the trophy, and although Lionel Messi finds himself in a World Cup Final this evening, on the basis of what we’ve seen over the last four weeks, he’s no Diego Maradona.
Enjoy the final, the real stuff starts in two days.
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From my eldest-
Wow, T in the Park staff removing Saltires from people after complaints from the BBC, unbelievable
Weefrathetim, please accept my condolnces on the loss of your mum.
Stay strong.
Hail Hail bruv
Here we go for the Popes final. I prefer Frankie to Benny so it’s Argentina for me….with messi to score 4 just to annoy anyone whose ever had a world cup final hat trick
Yogiy
They may take oor flag.
They will never take oor freedom.
Vote Aye!
Argentina to win.
And Charlie Mulgrew to be a stand up comedian when he retires. His Micky take of John Collins was superb. “passing and moving and eliminate” LMAO.
The bould diego played in a different time. Messi is as gifted with the ball, perhaps less so with his team mates and his physical and personal presence. Diego had an aura that had everyone believe he could win tournaments single handed. He didnt though. He played a major part in winning one. Messi will have matched him if argentina win.
But a brilliant team is always likely to beat a brilliant individual in a good team.
My head says germany. My heart says i cant wait for rekjavik……
Messi sporting his superquiff.
Mon the argies.
Las Islas Malvinas Argentina!
Mon Papa Francis X1!
Germany for me
Khedira out. . .injured in warm-up.
Germany deserve to win tonight, and it will be a travesty if they don’t. Takes more than one man to win the World Cup, and even that man has been little better than average in the tournament.
Delaneys
Funny
Weefra
She will have left you a thousand memories which you can enjoy from here on in.
A wee candle going up in St. Boniface, Toronto for her.
God bless mate.
Malc
Ehh?
I am looking forward to this.
I am backing Germany after spending the last week there with great people, aye you too!
But would be happy to see Messi shine and win.
I think the English think if they continue to say Argentina are a one man team that somebody will believe there shocking lack of football insight..
So is it BBC or RTV ? :-)
BSR – Germany deserve it, Argentina don’t
So andy townsend or lawrenson ?
Malcolm, no one, yet deserves it, we will find out tonight who deserves it.
The BBC HD is a second or two ahead of ITV HD
Malc, sorry, predictive.
the_huddle
20:03 on
13 July, 2014
The BBC HD is a second or two ahead of ITV HD
————————————————————–
You goat 2 tellies ?
Got lots of TVs :o)
Turned on the telly BBC HD as the German anthem started, then flicked over to ITV HD and the German anthem hadnt started
Who started this myth that Argentina are a one man team? I see six world class players in blue here.
the_huddle
that’s nothing the oo are 300years behind
Messi in the mood…
Remember the ole days when you had one telly two channels and had to move the aerial
a dozen times an hour to watch the fekn thing…….wonder how it caught on.
delaneys dunky
20:07 on 13 July, 2014
Wrong shade of Blue though :-)
This has the makings of a classic. Both teams look up for it, and it’s open.
Forgoat aboot hitting the fekn side every noo an again :O(
the question on everyone’s lips is why howard webb isn’t the ref – did such a good job last time
VP, in my house I was considered the remote control, whenever my Dad wanted to change the channel he told me to.
Cowie
Looks a nice Virgin Mary blue to me. ;)
voguepunter
we asked the neighbours across the street to leave their curtains open
Doc
20:12 on
13 July, 2014
VP, in my house I was considered the remote control, whenever my Dad wanted to change the channel he told me to.
—————————————–
Doc,you would qualify for a social worker for that noo a days :O)
Gene’s a Bhoy’s name
Curtains???? Yiv loast me mhate :O)
Listening to game on the wireless while en route to the Celtic club in TO.
Looking forward to a Guinness in the second half.