mindless ramblings

3 games into the 2006 World Cup and its shaping up to be an excellent tournament. Just some observations from the matches I have watched so far.

• Germany came out fighting and they stand a very good chance of going far with their current form.
• Poor Poles, they could have equalized if not for the frame of the goal. Looks like another unhappy encounter with the Germans.
• A decent start from England. If they beat Trinidad & Tobago in their next fixture (which they should), they should qualify for the Second Round with ease. Paraguay on the other hand have a lot of work to do. Sweden is not an easy opponent by any means.
• Paul Robinson can kick the ball pretty damn high! How high? High enough to fly OVER the Commerzbank-Arena’s Jumbotron!
• Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard look like they will be the key players for England. Lampard showed good form today with some good long range shots while Gerrard consistently made excellent decisions and passes which led to several good chances.
• The Mexican referee had a serious grudge against Peter Crouch. He must have given more than 6 fouls against him for nothing. Poor Crouch got a yellow card for complaining too! Maybe the referee watched V for Vendetta on the flight to Germany and decided to make his own sequel C for Crouchdetta.
• Speaking of referees, a Singaporean referee is in charge of the T&T vs Sweden game. Let’s hope he doesn’t embarass our little island nation, unlike Goal 2010.

If you’re looking for a place in Vancouver to watch the World Cup with other football fans, Commercial Drive is the place to be. Soccerio is a month long celebration for local football fans to gather and soak up the atmosphere and excitement of the World Cup. In addition to the Rio on Broadway theatre showing games in HD for just $5, a whole host of bars and cafes are also showing the games live. Be sure to make your way down there at least once, just to experience how the World Cup brings people together!