Spain were cut low by Chile, England by Uruguay, Italy by Costa Rica. Argentina were pushed to the last gasp by Iran, Germany had to come from behind to match Ghana. Add to this the merit badges earned by Croatia against Brazil, Bosnia against Argentina and the Aussies against the Dutch, and we have a remarkable list of performances by underdogs against countries who to some extent fancied their chances for the trophy.
The most striking feature of all these performances is the way the results were achieved. Apart from their own dead rubber in the Nou Camp last season, Celtic beat or narrowly lost to Barcelona in a series of games over the last decade by defending their 18 yard box as though their lives depended on it. Ventures forward were never supported by many players. We’ve not been alone, this is the way lower-resource clubs have taken on the super-rich in the Champions League.
World Cup 2014 has seen this change. Australia, Iran and Bosnia will head home proud of their performances, something which takes balls. When we’re inevitably drawn against Barca next time in the Champions League, should we press them high up the field? My feeling is, we would be slaughtered, but at one point in this tournament, we need to mature.
Visit the CQN Bookstore to get Tommy Gemmell to sign your personal copy of his book, All the Best.
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3-0
Comedy defending from SK
Algeria now 3 up after 37 minutes, having not scored at the finals for 28 years!
Corkcelt did you go to the salt mines? Capellos team could be going there soon
Ki and co getting humped.
3 nil Algeria, can’t say they don’t deserve it
3-0 sparkleghirl must be delighted. Cracking game.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Awful defending by South Korea – mrs gene not happy as she has them in the sweep.
Korea playing like Celtic in the CL
3-0. Can’t see it ending like this.
Corkcelt, Auschwitz and Birkenau very chilling places, Krakow is very nice
At least Algeria have green numbers on their backs
tenuouslinksCSC
Goalkeepers Dick Madden poor goalie – great guy
Naw Ginger, I skipped them as I was knackered. Other guys in our party did go and thought they were brilliant. I just sat in the bar and had a few beers and waited for them to come back.
The Algerian no 11 is a great wee player.
Brahimi.
Plays in Spain for Granada I think.
HH!!
Jobo
Here it is Fhriend.
HH jamesgang
http://m.virginmoneygiving.com/mt/uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=coast2coastscotland&isTeam=true
Agreed Kentucky Bhoy, I had read the books and watched the newsreel but I wasn’t prepared for the impact it had on me. Must say the mountain of human hair and all the kiddies shoes had me in tears.
On the subject of Celtic goalies I can remember Evan Williams lived close to me, and a pal and I went up and chapped his door to ask for his autograph.
We were about 10, he just laughed at our brassnecks and signed two sheets of paper we had.
jamesgang –
several guineas sent! Well done to all.
margaret mcgill
20:39 on 22 June, 2014
You’re good at the comic cuts
Corkcelt, see on the bus journey from Krakow they showed a video about Auschwitz I never want to see again.
It wouldn’t be allowed in the UK, but I think the tour folks just wanted to prepare you and let people know exactly what went on
Evan Williams was at both my parents funeral, close friend of my brother (RIP) his father-in-law taught art at St Pats and also painted the stations of the cross in St Michaels where I was married 47 year ago on Tuesday. Top guy as was Evan.
Suarez to Gerrard
https://m.facebook.com/LiverpoolFC/photos/pb.67920382572.-2207520000.1403338144./10152630456027573/?type=1
Is this a wok in the park or what?
Tontine tim,
Agreed, and even though I never knew him personally, I reckon he was one of the few players to get pass marks in Milan, as although I was just a boy I can remember him making a few good saves to keep Feyenoord from giving us a right doing
Like most of us, I couldn’t stand Bougherra – that stud raking against Hooper was awful.
He does do well in World Cups.
Algeria are a bit like big Jack’s RoI team – only a few actually born there.
And yes, I know, Ireland didn’t have anybody born in Algeria.
margaret
they’re not playing with much seoul
Tallybhoy
Agree bud, Brahimi has caught my eye.
Corkcelt did the same myself just ran out of time only in krakow for 3 days maybe next time or Europa league excursion
Many thanks Jobo.
HH jamesgang
Tontine Tim
20:54
Did he not run a pub just over the bridge at Bonhill?
corkcelt
Glad you liked it, Sir. I’m in Warsaw everyday. You could contact me. Meeting you would be my pleasure.Maybe next time when you are around.
Were you the poster who two or three months ago was preparing for the trip to Berlin, Warsaw, Cracow and Budapest? Or I’m just mixing things up?
3-1
C’mon the Koreans!
40 minutes to get another 3 ;-)
Booger was picked there
Is this going to be the game of 2 halves. 3-1. Now, all Korea.
Nae shortage of goals in this World Cup
Big sleekit Boughera done! Nice. :)
Angela is fiery, intelligent and not afraid to stand up for herself. She is a professional journalist who put on the record that she would rather pull her teeth out than work for Murdoch’s papers.
She never took the heavily compromised Anderson Quay shilling either. Try making a living in journalism in Glasgow with those restrictions.
Many or most on here are happy to comment behind their blog name – which is fair enough. There are judges, advocates, doctors, members of parliament and all sorts on here.
Angela put her name to our take on the Rangers story and took the wrath of the demented.
Who on here has had to endure what Angela has had to? I know of three or four stories – I wonder or have wondered why these guys continue. RTC was anonymous for a very good reason.
Angela put her name fair and squarely on every story she wrote.
She got it wrong about Dundee and later apologied – she also admitted her mistake.
She also had a dig about those Swedish girls. As Celtic need more women and children to fill our stadium she was probably right.
Very few Celtic fans have had to take the abuse – real horrible nasty sectarian abuse – that this woman has had to take. Eventually she had taken enough and like Neil Lennon sought sanctuary in the anonymity of england. When CQN came to London she was there as one of us.
Perfect? No. A real Celtic girl? yes. I am proud to know her – despite her off day re Dundee.