Beware The World Cup Curse
By Mark Daniell
28/06/2018
The warning signs were there I suppose, but I didn’t see them. What I saw was a slow start from the only team to have won 10 out of 10 qualifiers, scoring over 40 goals in the process. What I saw was a team create 52 efforts on goal in three group games, but score only 2. So what I expected frankly, was for one of those strikers to remember that heading the ball involves the head rather than the shoulder, and a classic German escape. The trouble is, when margins are that thin, all it takes is for keeps to have a good game, or for strikers to hit the wrong side of the bar, and that’s that.
But let’s not feel too sorry for these guys, they do, after all, have a big gold badge emblazoned across their chests, which is all anyone really wants. Also, they scarred Brazilian players and fans for a generation, which I know isn’t all that relevant, but might explain why Neymar was smirking during his national anthem an hour later. And lastly, Germany have seemed to dedicate their more recent World Cups to knocking out my home nations (6 defeats in the last 7 World Cups guys, take it easy!), so you know, my sympathies are what they are.
The question is, how come this Curse of the Champions has happened in four out of the last five World Cups? How come France, Spain, Italy and Germany have all gone from kings of the world, to out in round 1? Well, there are theories, and of course, where there are theories, the Mouse investigates:
1. Are the champions always complacent? 10 wins out of 10 in preparation doesn’t suggest German complacency, but, perhaps some of the senior players did seem to be taking things a bit for granted.
2. Extra motivated opposition. This played a part. Strictly speaking, South Korea had nothing to play for once Sweden were 3-0 up against Mexico, and yet they played harder in injury time than at any other stage. Why? Because everyone wants to beat the World Champions.
3. Come on, we’re all thinking it: it's the FIFA ninja programme, deployed in every Champions' first round game. How else can you explain Hummels’s shoulder? Or an unmarked Gomez missing the target? Or Mueller shooting to the corner flag? You can’t see them, because they’re ninjas, but they’re there. (I’m aware that by writing this I’m red flagging myself, and you for reading it, but the truth must be spoken people!)
Anyway, let’s see how the kids did:
Who’s going to win between Sweden and Mexico?
3 year old: Sweden
never doubt the lady. The lady knows.
Who’s going to win between Serbia and Brazil?
7 year old: Brazil
he knows the stats. He plays the stats. The stats earn him no money.
In many ways we’re basically watching a coin toss and getting excited when there are a few heads in a row, but then again, how many heads in a row would it take before you got excited?
Celebrity spot:
Guillermo Ochoa = Gustavo Dudamel
Hair wars of the day:
Guillermo Ochoa’s Mexican broadband v Yann Sommer’s Costa Rican fibre optic is a tough call, so instead let’s give it to Cho Hyun Woo’s South Korean crème brûlée. Who doesn’t love crème brûlée?
Kit of the day:
Brazil. Everyone loves this kit: yellow, blue, green, it’s a great combo. But actually it’s quite subtle: most of the green is just in the numbers on the back, which makes use of something that other countries just daub black or white. By contrast, the Brazil away kit looks drab.
Name of the day
Aleksandar Kolarov
As in: My dog has no nose.
How does it smell?
Terrible.
How come?
Somebody took its Kolarov.
So?
So it fled to a gypsy community as was sprayed with Britney Spears Curious.
Moment of the day:
2-0 down, deep into injury time, you need three goals. What else are you going to do but kick off with the little known, but always awesome, 7 man attack. When Football goes American style. In fairness, they immediately had a chance on goal, but in keeping with the theme, headed over the bar. (and yes, that is a photo of my tv).
Goal of the day:
Manuel Neuer, goalie by day, midfield maniac by injury time. I’m not sure what he was expecting to do trotting about in the middle of the park, except lose the ball and invite the longest effort on goal in World Cup history. It was rolling wide, so Son tapped it in.
Kidictions
Who’s going to win between England and Belgium?
3 year old: Belgium
7 year old: and Belgium will top the group.
Er, are we all ok with that? I think we want England to win, right?
7: Of course.
So who’s going to win?
3: Belgium
7: Belgium
Who’s going to win Senegal or Colombia?
7 year old: Tie