Clockwork Oranje

In just under half an hour, the Netherlands will kick off their second round game against Mexico. Having already spectacularly written them off once this tournament, I'm very curious to see just how far they can go.

On the one hand, Van Gaal looks to have done enough to have Manchester United fans salivating at the prospect of resurrecting their fortunes and his team have been very impressive in winning all three games so far. Arjen Robben has been one of the stars of the world cup if not the outright best player and alongside him, Robin Van Persie can be relied upon to score when his team needs it most, as the Spain game will attest. So why then, do I have this feeling that they're about to go crashing out?

For one, Mexico are easily the most defensively sound team that they've come up against. The Spanish were a shambles at the back and having already held Brazil to a goalless draw, there will be confidence among the Mexican back four. Secondly, the Dutch haven't yet quite played in conditions like that which will meet them in Fortaleza with Van Gaal having pressed the need for drinks breaks during the game. The weather may not itself warrant a Dutch defeat, but it could level the playing field in terms of ability.

I also can't help but feel that it would be very typical for the Netherlands to lose, in keeping with this world cup for surprises and with their own proclivity for falling apart after a promising start. In Euro 2008, Holland breezed through a group also containing France and Italy and looked incredible in the process, only to lose to Russia in the first knockout round.

With Mexico, there is always a sense of unpredictability and in spite of the disparity between the quality of the two teams, this will be a very hard fought game. Giovanni Dos Santos could be key with his ability to unlock a defence because even Ochoa will have to be at his very best again to keep the score close.

Sweet Sixteen

With the group stages now over with, things are going to get a lot more intense. One poor ninety minutes and it could be all over for a nation, as Uruguay found our. For some, the margins are even finer. Chile had matched Brazil for one hundred and twenty minutes, only to be denied by the woodwork in extra time and the cruel fate that is the penalty shoot out. Pinilla's chance right at the end is something that will likely pass into Chilean folklore. Choosing to go for power over placement meant that his wild effort smacked against the bar rather than nestling into the back of the net. These are the decisions that shape the future and ultimately the destiny of the world cup itself.

Brazil march on - albeit unconvincingly - but there was nothing ambiguous about the other game last night. Without Suarez, Uruguay were poor, a shadow of the tenacious 2010 team. Having had difficulty in simply getting to Brazil, it was unlikely they would simply shake all of the cobwebs away but I did expect more from Cavani. Knowing that the emphasis was going to be on his shoulders, the PSG striker did little to showcase the immense talent that he has.  In the coming months, with the suspension of their best player, Uruguay must regroup and try to rediscover whatever it is that has disappeared over the last four years.

La Celeste will be hoping to follow the lead of their last sixteen conquerors; Colombia have been magnificent in the absence of Falcao and for me the most consistently good team in this tournament. James Rodriguez has emerged onto the world stage and they will go into Friday's quarter final with Brazil full of confidence. If indeed injury robs Neymar of his starting place, the hosts could once again find themselves in a scrap to remain in the tournament that they will have felt was destined to be theirs from the very beginning.

Greece

he following will not be impartial. As a national team, Greece really are the worst. Technically that's not right; for the reason I dislike them so is because of something they do very well. Their ability to turn games of football into unwatchable dirge is unparalleled.

For those needing a reason, I should at least outline my case against them. As many may already suspect, it goes back to Euro 2004. I don't begrudge them the win at all; it's not often a genuine underdog in world football can pull off such a feat. Especially given that the group stages of the Euros tends to be a lot more difficult than the World Cup (at least until they expand it anyway). My problem is the amount of teams that followed their blueprint afterward. Teams borrow other ideas all the time, the reason why Barcelona's model was aped so many times was not because of its aesthetics but rather that they were successful. And so in the aftermath of Euro 2004, international football was rather painful to watch at times as teams would trench themselves in, making the spectacle itself as unspectacular as possible. As elitist as I know this sounds, it broke my heart watching the Copa America in 2011 as virtually every game was reduced to nothing.

Greece did not invent playing defensive, negative football. Their victory did show that there was a path to glory for those not blessed with the best players through hard work and organisation. That then got abused at club level (specifically Chelsea), where football is much more of an organic process than a culmination of a generation.

Though any attempt to liven up a Greece game would be welcomed and the idea of a last minute penalty deciding the fate of two nations should be enough for me; the contentious manner in which they were awarded that late spot kick only underlines the fact that I will be subjected to another ninety minutes of their special brand of football.

Whatever lasting effect they had on foottball has now long gone. The Spanish influence took over and right now we are in the midst of the most dynamic and exciting world cup in my lifetime. I can't help but feel that right now they're guilty by association rather than anything else. Then I realise that in qualifying for the next round, they only scored two goals (and both of those were in their last game). The more things change, the more they stay the same.

A Collection of Ramblings.

Having not been able to closely follow the games in the last couple of days, rather than an overriding theme here are just a few things that have crossed my mind as the group stages have gone on.

1) At first, I was genuinely disappointed and upset by what I'd seen from the African teams. The Ivory Coast in particular have flattered to deceive in both games, until the sixty minute mark where Drogba's introduction has sparked something. Yesterday both Ghana and Nigeria bucked that trend. Whether or not the latter of those results was more down to a disjointed Bosnia side I can't comment having only heard about the game (though Dzeko's disallowed goal which I have seen will have been a massive turning point). Either way its nice to see that after a few early disappointing performances that there is still room for one or two to qualify for the knockout phases. In a tournament that appears as wide open as this is, it's only right that there are as wide a spread of teams as possible.

2) One thing I am truly upset about is that I've not yet actually been able to see a France game properly so that while most are anointing them as genuine contenders I have to refrain as yet. Certainly the result alone that they got against a side like Switzerland - who themselves are much more of a dark horse than Belgium - is a statement of their quality.

3) A word, very briefly on England's exit. Very unsurprising, especially in the wake of Roy Hodgson's comments regarding Suarez not being world class. Costa Rica have shown the group itself to be not quite as difficult as was first made out; neither Italy or Uruguay are quite at their best right now. Progression from the group would only have delayed the inevitable. For me, the worst part of it all was the lack of any real sympathy on my part following Uruguay's win. I'd like to hope that it's maybe just down to the manager and I'm never ever going to be one of those dressed head to toe with my face painted up with the St Georges cross but I thought that maybe I would feel something for this team. Now I have to try not to roll my eyes too hard while the same old process of trying to revolutionise English football while letting everything remain the same begins in earnest.

Viva España

And so it ended, not with a bang but with a whimper. A side that truly transcended the boundaries of what an international football team could be in my lifetime. Defeat to Chile, following on from that hammering by the Dutch saw the holders knocked out of a tournament not even twenty four hours after Russia and South Korea were playing their opening game.

There were shades of the old Spain in there. Not many of them, I'll admit. The game had long gone but world class players don't forget how to play football, regardless of the circumstances. For all that's been levelled at them for being over elaborate and sterile at times, it wasn't as though there were a multitude of chances to waste. A side that just six years ago could cut through anyone had no edge to speak of and in spite of having the winners of the Champions League and Europa League domestically, failed to have any of their top players make a mark when it mattered.

Casilas' performance will be something that forces his hand and makes him a better player (moving away from his beloved Madrid might not be the worst idea) and Chelsea might just have saved themselves some money in purchasing Diego Costa right now. Although no goals and plenty of unsportsmanlike conduct would suggest he's already well suited to Mourinho.

Ultimately, the style of play that took them to the top of the world isn't broken. More that for it to be effective, a team needs to be hungry. Spain have gorged themselves in recent years and as such, fell prey to a Holland team that while deceptively short on quality was devastating on the counter. From there, they were always playing catch up and it was a game they never looked like winning.

I had thought that the Confederations Cup defeat, specifically the manner of it would be enough of a warning. Twelve months to prepare and come back stronger. Given the resources at their disposal, I would still have them down as favourites for Euro 2016 and hope that maybe now they'll go back to the drawing board. It took them a long time as a nation to get it right but when they did, it was a thing of beauty. Here's hoping it doesn't take that long again.

Messi, Ronaldo and Lasting Legacies

Having watched Argentina and Portugal over the last couple of days, it's brought back into focus one of the most tiresome and ludicrous arguments in football. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have nothing to prove to anyone. Sure it would be a dream for them and their country to bring the world cup home but the idea that not doing so tarnishes their legacy in any way is a failure on our part. Here are easily the top two players of their generation, with a chasm between they and the rest of the world and instead of celebrating their achievements and goalscoring records (at a rate nobody ever thought we'd see again) there is this need to pick at the one thing that eludes them.

Football has changed. Though the world cup may still be the apex of the international game, the Champions League has pipped it as far as standards go. Look at the defenders and teams Barcelona and Real Madrid have to navigate as opposed to Portugal and Argentina; continental club football puts forth more challenges for Messi and Ronaldo and they've passed those tests on a weekly basis for the last few years. A tournament held every four years cannot define them when there is already a very clear indication of their talent.

If that weren't enough, I think that as club football has evolved as the game has become much more global and as such, the idea that one player can do it all is now nothing more than a myth. Spain have had success in the past decade through very much a team ethos and identity. Going back even further Greece were able to win Euro 2004 without a superstar because they were so tightly knit. Clichéd though it may be, there are eleven men on a team. That doesn't mean we shouldn't celebrate the extraordinary talents of the individual, but even the best can't do it on their own anymore.

Conformation Bias

Once people make their minds up about something, be it a player, manager or formation, then that opinion rarely ever changes. Sometimes even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. This wouldn't be too bad if there was any serious amount of deliberation about such things but minds tend to be made up within a short space of time. Even worse, some simply regurgitate what's being said by commentators and pundits alike.  If I were to be generous, this could be in the hope that its been well researched, but even so it's still dangerous to take someone else's opinion as fact.  This is how Zlatan Ibrahimovic can win several league titles, but isn't a good player until he scores against England in a friendly.

I'm as guilty as anyone. There are certain matters for which I am more than a little one eyed. Take yesterday's England-Italy game for example. In the immediate aftermath of that game, there was a mild disappointment but overall I felt a little smug. I'd been saying to anyone who would listen for the last two years that this is what Roy Hodgson specialises in. Whatever credit I'd given him for team and selection, all of it gone in the face of a premonition that was right by default. England didn't lose because they were cautious or negative. There were none of the trademarks there that I had warned about and yet the result was still the same. The cynical part of me thinks that he will use this as an excuse to be far more cautious against Uruguay, which given both their defence and the attacking talent at England's disposal at the minute would be insane. Still, that's nothing but negative foresight and I can't hammer him for that. There are plenty of actual reasons to dislike or not rate teams (or facets of them), we don't need to go around trying to invent more.

England

Very shortly, my nation of birth will kick off their World Cup campaign as they take on Italy and rather unusually for an England game, I'm actually rather excited. The national team has long been a source of frustration and angst, not least of all because of my general apathy toward patriotism as a whole. As the years have passed and my enthusiasm waned entirely, forced out of me by a collection of players I'm unable to get behind and a fan base that appears at odds with everything I stand for. "England fans" are my kryptonite. All that without even mentioning the media circus that follows them. And yet, there are shoots of recovery. In spite of perhaps my least favourite manager of all time, there is actually a team there that I can root for.

I could write for hours about the man, the myth that is Roy Hodgson. His method of play and philosophy was outdated some five years ago. I had long but given up on any idea of English success and to be honest, with the rubbish that's written and said up and down the country, the Hodge was a perfect fit for a nation that's still reluctant to embrace new ideas and ways of thinking. But then he managed to do something that was unprecedented. Faced with the choice of going with a majority of the old guard or taking a risk with some youthful exuberance, Hodgson went with the latter.

There's still one obstacle to get around. One area of contention that I would love to be settled the way I have it in my own mind. Raheem Sterling simply has to start the game. There's an aura about him right now having finished the last six months of the season in tantalising form. Right now the sky is the limit for Sterling and if he is unleashed on the Italians from the off it is much more likely to have an effect than bringing him off the bench. Keeping him back would be very safe and boring. Typically English and typically Hodgson. He took a chance I thought he wouldn't take with the squad. Now he needs to take one more.

Being Wrong

Not that anyone could have quite predicted what happened to Spain last night, I'm still willing and able to hold my hands up and admit how horribly inaccurate my prediction of how that game would go down was. I saw a comfortable Spain victory and like many I watched on as the game unfolded, mesmerised by Holland - particularly Robben - on the break.

One of the reasons why footballing analysis in England is so poor is this fear with getting something wrong. It says everything about our attributes and attitude toward the game itself if we are afraid to express an opinion on something for the sake of being made to look foolish. If it's possible to be right about football all the time, the game isn't quite as magical anymore. The element of surprise - as we saw so spectacularly with Holland last night - is why it's so special.

I'm going to be paying close attention to those who are overly enthusiastic with their criticism of Spain. Far too many are quick to base their entire opinion on ninety minutes of football and as such will be lauding what happened with feint praise for the Dutch. For me the result said more about Van Gaal's team and their intent to cast off this image of a poor side that even I was guilty of painting them as. Spain are just as likely to come again as Holland are to fade away. After all, they did lose the first game in 2010 as well. I'm not quite ready to call for the death of tiki-taka just yet.

Rematch

As unpopular as this may be, I really rather enjoyed the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it was my favourite to date. It took a while to get going certainly and the final was disturbingly physical but that it came down to the two biggest sides never to have won it was such a tantalising prospect and they're about to go at it again.  Hopefully this time will be more about the football on display rather than the body count.

It's a strange journey that both Spain and Holland have found themselves on in the four years that have passed since the final in Johannesburg.  Even stranger when you consider that since then Spain have won a tournament in the meantime and yet don't have quite the same aura of invincibility despite that. The feeling -certainly in this country - is that the tiki-taka style of football is somewhat limited and has been found out in recent years for lack of a "plan b". That kind of thinking for me is naïve at best, outright jealousy at worst.  The conditions will play a part no doubt but it could work in their favour. Can't imagine how hard it would be to chase the ball around in the Brazilian heat if Spain keep the ball like they can.

As for their opponents, I've always quite liked the Dutch. Incredibly gifted technically but for one reason or another never quite able to break through when it really mattered.  If it was any kind of surprise for them to get to the final last time, this time I could be an outright miracle. Having only dropped two points in qualifying, I find it strange how pessimistic I am regarding their chances and I'd love to be proven wrong. This might not be the game to judge them on but will no doubt be a spectacle. Winning tonight won't make up for defeat in South Africa, but it would be the dream start to Brazil 2014.

Ready To Go

I'm too old now to feel that same kind of anticipation on Christmas morning.  That expectant joy which would make sleep almost impossible has given way now that innocence has faded and cynicism taken hold.  There's a small flicker of it - a burning ember not yet extinguished - that can be felt on the opening day of each season but even that comes weighed down.  Such are the stakes that come with club football, everything feels a little too important to simply sit back and enjoy.  Which is exactly what the World Cup is all about.

This will be my fifth tournament.  It would be six - just about - had I been bitten by the bug in 1994 by my fascination with football was still embryonic and would take another couple of years to fully develop. All of them are very unique in my mind, even if the details of some of the earlier ones aren't exactly crystal clear.

Due to the duration between World Cups, they arrive at such distinct periods and as such act as the perfect catalyst, allowing a sound or a picture to take me back in time.  The process of creating those personal moments in the next month or so is something that I can't wait to begin. Whatever happens in Brazil and whichever nation rejoices in writing a new chapter in history, I will have my own story running parallel. The wait is all but over.

Brazil

When learning about the beautiful game there are things that are passed on directly and that which does not even need to be said.  As a child of the nineties, Brazil were the full stop at the end of any sentence to do with international football.  Their side was a virtual world eleven, brimming with flair and attacking talent.  As such, I couldn't stand them.

Unlike the more functional Germany and Italy sides, their cavalier approach which warmed them to so many never quite sat right with my younger self.  It felt unfair to be that talented and successful.  Defending was a side of the game that I have always identified with, partly down to lacking the kind of technical ability that came far too naturally for them.  Jealousy aside, I'd always had a thing for flawed genius.  You can have all the talents in the world but it somehow meant more to me if the biggest obstacle to to overcome was within.  Part of that is perhaps why I always preferred Maradona to Pele.  

Ronaldinho was such a fascinating player to watch because he was arguably the first truly great player I had the benefit of seeing on a regular basis.  He is also an incredible enigma given that his medal collection should be enough to substantiate his claims to have been one of the best of his generation and yet there is this sense of wasted potential that seems hard to shake.  

My attitude toward them has improved dramatically as I've gotten older.  France proved that they were mortal and then Spain  took over their mantle on the world stage.  The weight of expectation on a team to regain their crown, not just to win but to accomplish that in a certain style may be too much for them but it will certainly be fascinating to watch as the tournament progresses.   That romantic notion of Brazil which I turned my back on for so long is now something I'm willing to buy into.

It Matters

I've seen that look a thousand times. Each time it's worded a little differently but the gist is always the same. It's not meant to be condescending, or at least nowhere near as patronizing as it appears. Most of the time it is born out of genuine concern for my well being. Friend and stranger alike, staring me up and down like I've just beamed down from a distant planet.

“Why is he getting so worked up?”

Some understand, even if not quite to the same degree. Most don't - can't even – and see it as an overreaction to a meaningless consequence. The people who – when everything goes wrong - will say it is just a game. Words that poison the heart of everyone who has committed any real length of time to the beautiful game. For the devotees, it is mostly a very one sided relationship. An unrequited love which leads to almost annual – if not weekly - disappointment. Remaining forever loyal in the hope that things will be different one day. Those days – however infrequently they do occur – are the ones we cherish forever.

Divisive though it can be, it has the capacity to unite in a way that so few other things can. It's a language that can be shared between cultures that seem to have very little else in common. Humanity bonds together closest through shared experience and though I might not know how to express myself in a variety of different tongues, I can still enjoy the thrill of a last minute goal with anyone around the world. No matter whatever else separates us, football remains the same.