Nice goal. 2-0
A surprisingly conservative Oranje puts away Slovakia, with who else? Robben and Sneijder, players we’ve should have never let go at Madrid. :mad:
Kudos to the little fellows from Slovakia for making it out out the group round in their first WC – as well as for sparing us the dreadful Azzurri.
Bit of a scare there at the end w/the PK. Too late though.
Dutch through 2-1.
Capello going nuts during the Germany match – speaks in three languages, Italian, Spanish and English. 
(background commentary in Spanish)
So how good is Miroslav Klose? He’s now passed Klinnsmann on the all-time WC goalscoring list. Now, obviously, part of his World Cup success is fortuitous timing - his top-flight career happened to be timed to cover three World Cups - but you can’t argue with his numbers.
Klinnsmann’s name would be instantly recognizable to any football fan, even if he’d never gone into managing. He was one of the top European strikers of his generation (I’d count Baggio, Van Basten, Gullit*, and Lineker as the others).
Klose could end up with more goals than Pele and Muller if Germany can get past Argentina.
RNATB, you forgot one:
26 international goals, never European or World Player of the Year. Not forgotten, just not included. Fernando Hierro has more international goals and didn’t even play up front.
Granted, Van Basten had even fewer, but without his injury problems that would be a different story.
Different story with his club side though; he was the heart and soul of La Quinta Del Buitre, likely the best homegrown Spanish side till the recent crop from La Masia.
And though you’re likely too young to remember, who can forget his memorable 4 goal performance VS Denmark at Mexico '86. Anyway, we might not agree but I certainly rate him up there with the best of his generation.
La Quinta del Buitre never won a European Championship. Barca and Real have won about a half-dozen Champions’ League titles between them since then- and Real had already won 6 before them.
I’m not saying he isn’t, just that I’d put him in the top 25, not in the top 5. You’re correct that I’m too young to remember 1986, since I was not quite yet four. I do distinctly remember the Hand of God goal and my dad’s reaction. 
Yeah that was a sore point in his career – the CL I mean. But they also had an incredible run of 5 consecutive Ligas and 2 UEFA Cups.
And fair, enough, I agree, not top five – makes my top ten though.
As for The Fuckin’ Hand of God, I still dislike la Abiceleste & obviously El Pelusa for that.
Isn’t that a bit exaggerated? It was 24 years ago…
Still dislike England for the that 66’ goal against Germany?, Germany for Codesal’s gift of a penalty kick in the 90’s final game?
I wonder how much Beckham meant to the English team. Not his skill (which of course he did provide) but more his dedication and clear passion for playing for England. For all the complaints about Beckham (hes slow, he can’t do anything but provide pinpoint passes and crosses) i have never heard how he wasn’t providing everything for his country. That kind of attitude can bleed into the rest of the team. The thing is that it isn’t that Beckham is needed,but that someone needs to replace that passion and I don’t see it.
Lovely headed goal by Juan. 1-0 Brazil.
2-0. It’s just like watching Brazil, innit?
2-0
Nice goal. Good no-call by the assistant referee, because he was level. I thought, initially, that he might have been offside, but he wasn’t.
I love the flickering sound of camera shutters anytime there’s action in the penalty area.
And so it goes, you can play well, you can play badly, you can go and press their defenders, you can wait for them in your field, at 40 minutes. 75 percent of the times you’ll be losing the match against Brazil by at least 1 goal, 90 percent if you are not Argentina,Uruguay,Germany,England, Italy or France.
Ahem, the football juggernaut of Norway has never lost to Brazil - Whee for us
Very nice goal. 3-0. Brazil looking extremely comfortable.
Brazil is killing them now.