Point of order: I think it was only 0-1.
This is why I’m cautious about Germany, even though they looked very good on Saturday. We have seen this movie before, and in recent times it habitually comes to a crashing halt at some point in the knockout stages due to tactical bungling.
You’re right, I was venting so much in hindsight that I subconsciously exaggerated. That damned header by Puyol.
Edit: maybe the empty bottle of wine on my table may also have something to do with it. 
Here’s a BBC News article about the inter-team squabbling between Assou-Ekotto and Benjamin Moukandjo. Short summary: the source of the conflict is not in the open at this time, but is being investigated.
“The incident almost continued in the tunnel, but injured striker Samuel Eto’o, who watched the match from the sidelines, stepped in the way of Assou-Ekotto.”
Horrible thing for a team to have such internal fractiousness. No wonder they underperformed so spectacularly.
I don’t want to play any team down, but there are three sides we are really afraid of: Spain (recently, but they’re out), Brazil and Italy. Oh yes, Italy are our nemesis. Let’s see if we’ll make it to the finals and get to play one of them.
Oh, Cameroon. I’ve had hung up my jersey. Well, not hung up, but rather balled it up and thrown it on the floor.
The players don’t seem to care, because they don’t. Every aspect of football in Cameroon is corrupt, from the stadiums to the balls. And it finally got so bad it’s killed the goose that laid the golden egg. For the players, playing on the national team is at best a distraction, and at worst embarrassing or even politically dangerous. So, you know, why bother?
I dunno if I’d call a close loss to the best national side in decades a crashing halt.
Isn’t Brazil now guaranteed to move on to the knockout stages? I haven’t heard any outlet mention it, but I can’t seem to figure out a scenario in which they don’t finish at least 2nd in Group A.
They could easily miss out on GD if they dont get a point.
How on earth did they qualify?
Isn’t the first tie-breaker head-to-head? Since Brazil beat Croatia already, I can’t figure out how Croatia could finish ahead of them with a draw against Mexico. I guess I have the tie-breaker wrong.
You can get a card for fighting with your own teammate? I had no idea. Could both teammates get red cards? Has that happened?
Head-to-head isn’t a tie-breaker at all. It’s goal-differential, then total goals scored, then drawing lots, according to this.
I give you Newcastle’s Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer fighting with each other in a 2005 EPL match: YouTube link
Newcastle and Aston Villa players pulled them off each other and both were sent off.
Also, if Mexico and Brazil both lose, then they’re tied for second in the group, so Brazil could be out if they lose badly. Not too likely though :).
I think the author of that article is making too much of the supposed ambiguity. It is clear to me that if several teams are tied on points, those teams are then ranked on the points/GD/GS between each of them, as if they were in a mini-table of their own. I’ve never heard anyone suggest that the tie-breaking criteria be applied one by one in such situations.
The author may be right that the wording needs tightening up.
And this. Graeme Le Saux versus David Batty in the Champions League. I dont think either Le Saux or Batty were sent off. You could get away with such actions against opponents or team mates back then.
I don’t really care which team wins the competition but there are three teams that I don’t want to win:
1 - France. I always side against France in sports. Their supporters and, worse, journalists give new meaning to the word arrogant. I know that’s it’s more or less the case in every country but with the French, it reaches truly cringeworthy levels.
2 - Brazil. They’ve won the title, what, six times? That’s more than enough.
3 - Spain. Nothing against them in particular but same reason as Brazil: they’ve won everything in the past 6 years (two European Cups and one World Cup). Time for change otherwise it gets boring.
Now, that #3 has been taken care of, let’s hope that France and Brazil will also be eliminated. Especially France :D.
Nailed it.
That must have taken some work. I doff my geek hat to you.
Spain did the same thing as the Frenchies in 2002…old legs, not giving young lads a chance. Niether Xavi, Alonso or Torres seemed to belong in the team at all.