Euro 2012: Taking stock

A tense 24 hours without any live football on terrestial TV is almost over as Czech Republic and Portugal get the Euro 2012 quarter finals underway.

But the televisual desert was a good chance on the tournament so far, which in my case meant lumbering Tweetsport.co.uk with my thoughts:

That set the tone: a Dad's Army theme ran through ITV's coverage of England's clash with the Ukraine.

Summariser Andy Townsend threw in a "don't panic" as an ever more hysterical Clive Tyldesley commentary urged England to fall back and "dig the trenches."

Adrian Chiles, his extravagant Warsaw studio as removed from the action as Walmington-on-Sea was from El Alamein, flitted charmlessly from "we're doomed" to the naive optimism of a young Private Pike. Thankfully, or perhaps not, Gareth Southgate manfully resisted temptation and didn't ask to be excused.

We even had a brave, last line of plucky defence moment as John Terry hooked a shot off the line. Or behind the line. As the BBC's Mark Lawrenson, football's busybody ARP warden, exclaimed: "It's a great clearance from Terry but it's in."

Often just moronic, this was the night Terry became oxymoronic.

In the end though it took just a glance from the work-in-progress Rooney bouffant to secure England's passage to the quarter finals.

Read the whole blog at Tweetsport.co.uk - I'll be back there next to week round up the quarter final action and take a look ahead to the semi finals.

(Which will be Portugal v Spain and Germany v Italy. Almost certainly. Probably.)
Like this? Like the Scottish Football Blog on Facebook.

2010 World Cup: England v USA

Hate these Saturday nights. There you are sat watching Doctor Who wondering why you'll never get the chance to go time travelling with Amy Pond when suddenly you realise the neighbours are having a party.

What do you do? Ignore it, gatecrash it, call the police? Or just sit silently fuming, hoping they have a really bad night?

Or reflect on your inability to have had a party of your own for about 12 years while acquainting yourself with a bottle of Scotch?

I suppose you could always just raise your glass and wish them all the best before getting on with your life.

Just one of those decisions that we all sometimes have to make. A ramble which, strangely enough, brings me all the way around to this evening's game in the World Cup.

England v USA. USA v England. Do you think folk in Canada wear ABUS t-shirts?

I've got a little preview of the game below written by Annette Lyndon. This is a World Cup fixture with a sixty year history. There's already US politicians involved. There might even be a certain frisson of excitement added by the stushie over BP.

As Annette explains the game might also provide a boost for the campaign to get the World Cup back to the States in 2018 or 2022. Given their rabid media the stakes are probably even higher for England.

I asked on Twitter for a preview from England but none were forthcoming so Annette's got a free run.

Me? I just want to see a good game. I'll still be thinking about Amy Pond anyway.

Tonight the United States of America face off against England in the Group C FIFA World Cup opening round. The game against England will initiate a 3 game round robin qualifier with in a group with Algeria and Slovenia. Each team will be competing for a spot in the Round of 16. While the USA has never played Slovenia or Algeria, they do have a history with England – having beaten them 60 years ago in a 1-0 upset victory in 1950 Brazil. You can bet England will be looking to settle the score this year in South Africa.

However, the United States is led by Coach Bob Bradley, who is determined to focus all of his energy and attention on the team in order to give them the best possible chance at winning. A former athlete himself, he focuses and trains just as hard, if not harder, than a lot of active athletes. He leads by example. He believes he has the USA team prepared for battle against England and whatever else the games might bring their way. If they win, it will be because of the hard work he’s put into coaching his team. If they lose, he’ll blame nobody but himself.

2002 proved to be the best U.S. finish in a World Cup since the tournament's inception in 1930. In 2006 they were eliminated in the first round. This year they are confident in their ability to perform against the competition in their group. They have high expectations to reach the Round of 16. While England is ranked 8th in the world, the U.S. is ranked 14th while Slovenia ranks 25th and Algeria ranks 30th.

The World Cup win against England in 1950 may arguably have been the greatest American soccer victory ever. With no other win capturing such a place in history in 60 years, the argument reinforces the notion that soccer has never really been America's sport and popularity amongst Americans never really picked up speed. However, in recent years soccer has earned a much larger following in the States with the growing popularity of U.S. Major League Soccer.

Additionally, U.S. fans have a lot to look forward to this year in light of recent revelations.

Americans recently found out that the United States is being considered as the host country for the 2018 World Cup. The last time the World Cup was hosted on American soil (1994), the event was attended by a total of 3.6 million people – a record despite the game's expansion since then. It was the highest attended single-sporting event in U.S. history.

Further excitement comes to USA fans as President Clinton and his top counselor, Doug Band, have accepted invitations to join the Board of Directors of the USA Bid Committee in an attempt to bring the World Cup to the US in 2018 or 2022. Adding them to the committee should increase the chance that the U.S. has at winning the bid since Bill Clinton and Doug Band are known worldwide for their international philanthropic initiatives, through the Clinton Global Initiative, thus improving the relationship the U.S. has with over 170 foreign countries.

With this news, a new fire has been lit amongst soccer enthusiasts throughout the American nation. The sense of pride that Americans are showing towards their team has experienced a boost that will surely be exemplified on Saturday when millions of Americans raise their red, white and blue flags, put on their war paint, and tune in to watch the USA battle England hoping to repeat history, 60 years later.

Thanks once again to Annette. If pushed I've got to say I fancy England but, given slow starts are now an English tradition to rival warm beer, cricket on the green and fawning over the Top Gear trio, the USA will fancy their chances of shutting up shop at the back and nicking something up front. I'll be ensconced in the pub but will try to Tweet during the game @ScotFootBlog

De-press-ing

We often hear that Alex Salmond is the supreme political mind in the Scottish Parliament. As compliments go this is much like telling me that I'm a world class footballer after watching me play five-and-in with Stephen Hawking.

Still, if Salmond had the guile he's credited with surely we'd preparing for a vote on independence during the World Cup. Before the tournament is out there will be more than a few Scots wondering if we couldn't rebuild Hadrian's Wall to keep the English media out.

I've already stated that this blog will be neither a cheerleader for the England team nor a supporter of the "Anyone But England" squad.

That's not going to stop me joining the "Anyone But England's Media" campaign.

It's almost tempting to think that yesterday was a nadir for English football hackery. But you know it's going to get much, much worse.

England don't play until the 12th of June. The hysteria they generated yesterday suggests some of the press won't last the distance.

The reason for them screeching like recalcitrant toddlers was the announcement of the England squad.

As I see it Fabio Capello and the FA stayed silent until the loose ends - including the satisfactory completion of Gareth Barry's fitness test and informing the unlucky seven that they were staying at home - were tied up.

Amazingly enough they were under no obligation to tell the media anything until they were completely satisfied that everything else had been taken care of.

Not good enough apparently. In a increasingly unhinged series of updates that gave Twitter the high pitched wail of the front row of a Take That concert circa 1994, the FA were accused of presiding over yet another messy PR disaster and Capello's own judgement was being called into question.

Suddenly journalists were bemoaning that there was too much speculation flying around. This complaint was sandwiched between the very same journalists tweeting, well, speculation. It seemed at about 2pm yesterday that the English football press corps was about to eat itself before a ball had even been kicked.

That, of course, is not the only hypocrisy. Had, say, Tom Huddlestone found out from Sky Sports that he had not been included then Sky would have led the pack in crucifying Capello for not having the decency to tell him himself.

What other option did Theo Walcott have but to wish his erstwhile colleagues well? Had he said nothing or shown a hint of anger the very journalists lauding his class would have been haranguing his lack of patriotism.

And they wonder why football clubs and footballers are guarded and distant with the press?

This hysteria will only grow. Wrapping themselves in the flag of St George the English press will slip ever further into this illusion of their own creation, this idea that they are somehow helping the team tapping away at their laptops as part of the great national effort to bring the trophy home.

In reality they are a hindrance, cranking up such pressure that any result but victory will be the ultimate failure. Such pressure that their very presence in South Africa will only be a distraction to the players and manager.

Time for them to calm down and grow up. There's more chance of New Zealand winning the World Cup than that happening.

If, whatever happens in South Africa, Capello walks after the tournament the English press will have the scatter guns out looking for people to blame. Might I suggest they start by looking in the mirror.

In the meantime the English media, far more than the players or manager, offer that increasingly tiresome Anyone But England nonsense its most powerful recruitment advert.