So its the end of the road for England, who were ripped apart beautifully by Germany, especially on the counter attack. Makes me feel not quite so bad about Australia losing to them 4-0. Of course watch out for these key words/phrases over the next few days in any English based media; Lampard, Crossbar, disallowed goal, 2-2, video/goal line technology, extra referees, robbed,, Sepp Blatter, would have changed everything, fire the coach anyway.

England ....... ...and todays lesson comes from the book of Klose.....I feel so much better now.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/videos/3877234

can't think of anywhere else to put this

What the difference between England's football team and AIDS?

AIDS is still in Africa.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... rmany.html
http://www.sport24.co.za/Soccer/WorldCu ... s-20100629

Some good ones between those two.

And Brazil are outa here. Nice work by the Dutch, who deserved the win in the end. Brazil well, they should go home disgraced, bad performance tempered by shocking on field behaviour by a certain few. Netherlands should easily make the final by accounting for whoever wins the Uruguay v Ghana battle.

Hmmm...Brazil out is a shock (my tip for the winner of the WC)...they were all over the Dutch in the first half but crumbled in the 2nd half after that own goal....successive exits at the Quarter final stages for the Brazilians and it looks as though it has taken the scalp of Dunga.

Kinda opened up the race for the WC now, Huge match tonight/tomorrow morning, Argentina look in the best form out of the remaining teams, but who knows...i couldn't see the NL coming within 3 goals of Brazil.....Netherlands didn't look that great but they have Uruguay next up and could be in their first final since 1978.

Uruguay very lucky in the end, what a ripper of a finish, only saw the end of it....poor Ghana, a handball to deny a certain goal and then missing the penalty ... must've sapped all their confidence in the PS.

I'm tipping a Uruguay vs. Argentina final

I'll stop predicting now...

Germany puts 4 past Argentina, whoever put money on that scoreline well done.

The thing about Argentina was that they hadn't played anyone particularly great. Mexico and Korea Republic were the two best teams they had played and really didn't have a plan B when things went wrong. Then again Germany look very very good, it's great to watch them play, and it is going to be a great semi final between them and Spain. Such a tough path to the Final for the Germans, will have certainly deserved to be there if they make it.

The interesting thing to me is to see the 4-2-3-1 formation being played and being the most attractive football at the Cup. The fluid way that the Germans play it is fantastic with the 3 attacking midfielders free to rotate and when they are on top of their opponent seeing the advanced DM free to step into the attack. Beautiful to watch. They have made the Australian, English and Argentinian midfield look as if they were not on the pitch at times with their short passing game. It is by this wonderful play in midfield that they have made the defences look old and slow. I remember my League coach when I was playing five eight as a kid saying "let the ball do the work". They have been doing that on the football field and when you then add the high individual skill levels on the ball it becomes almost unstoppable. The price they play is a shaky middle of their defence. It will be interesting to see if Spain, Holland or Uraguay can exploit it.

It's a true 4-2-3-1 that looks closer in attack to a 4-2-4 than a 4-5-1. But the defence is sound as well. Great team.

I'm sort of hoping we end up with a reverse result from 1974. Dutch played beautiful, critically-acclaimed football through the tournament but lost to less awesome German side in the Final. So far the Dutch have been dour and the Germans amazing...

so we should ditch looking for a Dutch coach...and get a German one? (preferably one that dosnt pick his nose and eat it on international TV that is)

Can we get one that wears the same matching outfit as his assistant please?

Brilliant game yesterday. The Chileans were all going for Uruguay in the pub I was at...