FOOTBALL: ENGLAND 1-0 PARAGUAY

Ha! For once my prediction comes through. I thought there will be a goal galore too for this one but I forgot England have no strikers. One just came back from a long injury while the other is a funny built. Both squads were toothless in attack, so many fouls, such a rough play from both sides, bad tacklings, no rhythm, it is a total contrast to the Germany-Costa Rica match last night. Most of the match was spent with high balls kicked here and there, headers meeting the ball here and there and the ball was going aimlessly everywhere. Could the heat affect the performance?

The first half saw a very nervous Paraguay start where they were contained in their own half. They were pretty unlucky to lose their keeper very early just after the own goal being scored. Jol Cole is my opinion the best English player while Ashley Cole is the worst. Ashley Cole gave away some possessions and bad tacklings. Crouch was spending more time given fouls for the headers because of his tall built. I guess he was just at a disadvantage for his height which proned the referee to blow against him almost all the time.

Who is this Downing that they put in? He spent time running aimlessly down the left flank for no reasons. I will bring Crouch out instead of Owen but then again, both were not dangerous in front. Why substitute Jol Cole? I don't get some of the decisions made. Cole, Beckham, Gerrard and Lampard were playing well for the first half but the second half only seen Cole doing some occassionally good runs and Lampard as the most probable person to be able to score for two good tries. Gerrard shot some wild shots in the first and spent most of the second half as a defender instead.

England should definitely improve from now on. This kind of showing and they are in the media everyday claiming they already won the World Cup? Please, we are not kids. They should think of how to push their goal scoring midfielders abit more forward because I don't think Crouch will score much and Owen is still not fully ready and sharp yet. Rooney? I don't know but I think he is rushed into the squad and history tells us that rushing normally will turn out to be a disaster.

Well, this match will be remembered for the 3 funny moments. One is when Paul Robinson took a goal kick and the ball hit the tv at the top of the centre of the stadium! I was like, wtf! Haha! It feels like the NBA stadiums. Then, Beckham was about to take the corner kick when the referee blown the whistle and he was halfway and tried to avoid kicking the ball! Finally, a ball challenge where Gerrard tried to get while I think it was Valdez who headbutted at the side of his thigh close to the knee! Gerrard ended up in pain on the floor while Valdez head was painless!

By the way, I almost miss this match as my friend who has cable was not back yet from his church activities. I rushed over to the university staff club as they do offer coverage there with a projector. When I arrived, the match just started and there were about 100 people over there. The atmosphere was great then. I really miss my home satellite tv. I wish I am at home right now. Really didn't expect Singapore to be so stingy to show only 4 matches on public tv. I will have the comfort to watch all the matches back home. I really regret not going home this time around.

I am missing the Trinidad & Tobago VS. Sweden match but I will try to watch Argentina VS. Ivory Coast later. Messi, Riquelme and Drogba, Toure. Who wants to miss this match?

Donny Ginola has joined the fantasy league. Here is his team: