Bored Now does the Russian World Cup - Day 4

Bored Now's Russian World Cup - Day 4



Its fair to say that the World Cup has never truly started until we get the first real upset.  Both the Aussies and Iceland gave France and Argentina issues (the Iceland draw a warning shot to the South Amercan's egos).  But we finally got the first true hammer blow mid-way through day four and there was something quite beautiful about it too.  For some the German's UN-doing was not that surprising.  The political unrest back home had added to a tense atmosphere.  Not that friendlies mean anything, but their pre-tournament form had been patchy in the extremes also.  I think the most important thing to remember is that retaining the World Cup is probably harder than winning it in the first place.  Four years ago Germany were the huge favourites to the point that it seemed a bit of an anti-climax when they finally put Argentina out of their misery in Brazil.  Still, there was not massive pressure on them to win that tournament, or at least no more than normal.  Much on the focus was on the hosts and if Neymar could fulfil his potential.  Now everyone's gunning for Loachim Low's side and the questions will persist on if they've peaked.  For those who love a statistic, this being Germany's first defeat in their opening world cup fixture since 1982 is a sweet one.  As sloppy as Germany were on the day (that defence really struggles against pace), let's give prise to Mexico for a near perfect display.  The shape was rigged, the defending both organised and gutsy - including some die hard blocks in the second half.  But the feature of the game were the timing of the Mexican's break away runs.  Javier Hernandez on his 102nd appearance for his country worked beautifully in sync with the promising youngster Hirving Lozano.  Both made clever runs during the game, though it was Hernandez's role to drop off the front line, hold the ball up and slide his partner into play.  On the day he was the perfect foil.  For the goal Lozano showed great maturity.  At first it appeared as if the chance had gone, but his composure to keep the ball under control and calmly slide it into the bottom corner gave Mexico a well deserved lead.  As a slasher fan I couldn't help but get a kick out of a player with the nickname "Chucky" scoring the crucial goal!  If he's anything like the killer doll from those movies we'll be seeing many sequels from him during this World Cup.  Carlos Vela once of Arsenal also had an industrious game, looking night and day from his time in England.  Germany improved in the second half, but no where near enough to suggest they were worth something.  Most of their neat play were in areas that didn't put much pressure on Mexico's defence.  The World Champions efforts to go more direct when bringing on Mario Gomez were only mildly successful.  When it came to the crunch the Germans were a little too predictable, and Mexico again looked dangerous on those breakaways.  The only fault to be picked with their display was that they wasted a few good chances to put the game beyond Germany.  Perhaps they don't yet have the cutting edge to be a threat further into this tournament.  However, on this day they got the balance between defence and attack just about right, and the questions mount for Germany.  Sweden won't be any pushovers for them either. 

 

The only down note of this exciting match was the painful sound of Phil Neville's attempts at commentary.  In fact, he sounded in pain every time he tried to form a sentence!  Old Phil also suffers from the Mark Bright habit of play-by-play, as in true motor mouth fashion he tries to cram in as many words as possibly in the shortest amount of time.  Jonathan Pearce sitting next to Neville must have wondered at times just who the lead commentator was for the evening?  One of the stranger moments came back in the studio during the half-time when Gary Lineker  highlighted how much he was enjoying Mexico's success only to pause and add, "Not just because its against Germany".  An awkward laugh followed... Without the Germany remark, people would fairly assume that Lineker was just referring to the less fancied of the two sides beating the World Champions.  As it was Linker gave off a very strange vibe.  Way to kill those anti-German BBC conspiracy theories Gary. 



Over on ITV it was to see the return of a tanned Roy Keane adding nice balance to the analysis of Brazil's draw against the Swiss.  It was a little odd to see him so relaxed, but then I guess since BBC took Adrian Chiles, there is one less reason for Keane to be so pissed off with life.  On the pitch we were treated to another engrossing match, with Brazil pulling off the nice trick of fooling us into thinking they meant business and could truly put the Swiss to the sword only to retreat into the night during for most of the second half.  The marking for the Swish equaliser was sloppy.  Switzerland, not for the first time looked pretty decent and were deserving of a draw.  Shaqiri for them is a true enigma.  A playmaker who on his day can out do even the best of defences with a piece of magic, other times he looks a right grump and just drifts.  With a lack of punch upfront his creative work combined with a solid back line could be enough to get Switzerland out of a tight looking group.  Serbia's early win against Costa Rica was important for them. Kolarov's free kick was pretty special and they grew into the game after a slow start.  Serbia will have a claim for dark horses of the group.  Kolarov and Coutinho's strike for Brazil will rank up there for goal of the tournament come the end I'm sure.  So its over to Gareth's boys today. Don't screw up! Show those Germans and Brazilians how a cock-up is done! 



   

Star of the Day: Hirving Lozano (aka "Chucky") (Mexico)
Dork of the day: Neymar (Brazil) (came close to picking a German, but I still find Neymar overrated and he is more instantly slappable too!).

Bored Now does the Russian World Cup 2018 - Day 3

Bored Now's Russian World Cup - Day 3 



Let's say it all at once, "VAR, FUCKING VAR"! The annoying new footballing trend that no body can quite figure out became the theme of day 3.  That a host of penalties spread across the four matches, some missed, some scored.  One of the misses may go down as one of the big moments of the World Cup.  Oh and the ball busting in the French-Aussies match, that was kinda cool too!

A mixed day begin with some hope for the underdogs and neutrals.  The Australians who thrive at succeeding at most other sports, yet love being the plucky outsiders at football gave a brilliantly gutsy performance which was almost enough to snatch a draw from the "hot and cold" French (as the woman on the BBC's video described them).  France followed Uruguay's suit from the previous day by paying well in patches, but ultimately struggling to get into their groove.  Even more so than Uruguay, the French here bumbled their way to a narrow victory.  It was almost like a farcical comic routine.  I have to say well played boys.  After all, no one wins a World Cup by looking like world beaters in the first game.  The way to do it is to make avenge opposition look amazing, to sneak a win without playing well, thus taking the pressure off yourselves and then playing to your best when people least expect it.  The main problem for the French I think will be getting the best out of promising youngster Kylian Mbappe, whilst fitting him around a system that also needs to accommodate their top striker Antoine Griezmann.  Following Spain's suit from the previous night with a more direct approach could help at times.  Olivier Giroud may look out of place in the modern game, and his goal scoring record is a bit "hot and cold", but psychical presence and hold up play gives France another option and he can be one hell of a threat from set pieces.  It was their predictability at times that almost lost them all three points here.  Australian were well drilled, with standout performances from the likes of Trent Sainsbury, keeper Mathew Ryan, and the passion of Aaron Mooy and Mile Jedinak at the heart of the midfield as a driving force.  Jedinak noteworthy for making history as the first player to captain Australian at two world cups.  It was certainly an uplifting moment when he converted the spot-kick to level the scores (justice since the spot-kick that put the French ahead was very suspect).  To Aston Villa fans Jedinak is a bit of an enigma.  Having signed two summers ago from Crystal Palace, he seemed the perfect fit for the dog fight that is the Championship.  Since then he has struggled to make much of a mark on the team, and up till recently has been in and out of the side.  More baffling, is that for the Aussies Jedinak has added goals to his other traits (scoring a hat trick in qualifying). Little goal threat has come from him at Villa Park.  An interesting subplot for Australia might be how much of an impact Tim Cahill can have when he plays.  They probably lack much in the way of creativity or bite up front.  In tight games he only needs one moment to snatch the crucial goal.  Their bad luck at the end of this one was a really shame.  A draw would have given them a fighting chance.  Denmark up next is another tough match, Peru is more winnable.  Four points from those two games has to their aim. This being the early game (11.00am for us Brits), gave it a relaxed breakfast slot kind of feel.  The witty and charming Mark Chapman (he's coming for your job Lineker!!), proved the perfect anchor for such a slot.  Alex Scott was lively as a studio pundit keeping the female end up.  Didier Drogba made a solid, if unremarkable debut.  Mark Lawrenson on communtary duties tends to fit the flavour of an early start.  His sarcasm of recent years can grate a bit, but he remains a likeable enough presence, direct, with a good sense of humour.

 

  The most entertaining moment of the day might have come when the BBC's broadcast crashed during Phil Neville's mutterings.  The real boob here came when they briefly cut to pictures of the Argentinian fans ahead of their game.  Since the BBC weren't showing their match you have to wonder if they were nicking second hand shots from their rivals?  Speaking of who, ITV hit an all-time low when serving up the deadly one-two-punch of Glenn Hoddle and Sam Twatterface for the game in question.  Twatterface is a journeyman hack who has bounced around between Sky news to Talksport and now ITV in no time at all.  He has all the flow of someone nicking stats off wiki, whilst commenting from a middle class pub.  What is most annoying is his lame attempts at comedy. At one point he came up with this winning line, "Iceland are sitting so deep, some of their players are wearing scuba masks." Bravo Sam, bravo! His back slapping interaction with Hoddle was toe curling.  At least in the studio Patrice Evra (looking like a Jackson 5 cast-off), and Henrik Larsson added some diversity to proceedings.  The match itself was an intriguing clash of styles with some good drama and most importantly for a football match kept you guessing.  Iceland the stars of Euro 2016 (sorry Wales!), not only matched Australian's energy levels and tactics, but were able to carefully pick their moments.  The likes of Gudmundsson and Gunnarsson made some excellently timed runs from midfield making life difficult for the Argentinian defence which looked very leggy.  Unlike France in the first match, Argentina didn't actually play badly on the day.  They just lacked a plan B, lacked a little bit of edge and luck.  Its telling that Aguero's goal was a brilliantly worked individual effort, contrasted with the more direct, but smartly worked Iceland equaliser.   Most impressive about the goal was the commitment to keep the ball alive in the penalty area.  It seemed Argentina were only going to score with a moment of magic or luck.  With the shape and passion of Iceland neither looked likely as the day went on.  Messi having a penalty saved was a sweet moment too.  His subplot is intriguing.  Iceland were more than worth their point, a result that opens group D up nicely. 

Two potential dark horses for the tournament are Denmark and Croatia.  The Dens are always functional and never fail to course headaches.  Christian Eriksen is one of the best creative players at this World Cup.  They had a tough time against Peru (who themselves might be quite underrated), more so in the first half, but got the job done following an improved second half.  The Dens should fancy their chances of at least snatching second spot.  More impressive all be it in a forgettable match were Croatia who opened up with decent 2-0 win over Nigeria, in a battle of Experience VS. Youth.  The Nigerians will surely be cursing their luck at once again being drawn in the same group as Argentina.  If history is anything to go by Messi will take his frustrations out the Africans with two or three goals in their final group game.  Still Iceland's surprise draw will give others hope. 

 

Match day 4 should bring some thrilling stories.  Both Brazil and Germany open their World Cup, both facing nations that could handout upsets if there are not on their games.  Switzerland and Mexico are not sides to be overlooked.  Meanwhile, the opening game should be a close contest between Costa Rica and Serbia who will both feel they can do something at this tournament.       

Star of the Day: Mile Jedinak (Australia's record setting captain). 
Dork of the Day: Sam Twatterface

Bored Now does the World Cup Russia 2018

Bored Now's Russian World Cup - Day 2



Alright, let's get it out the way! Cristiano you are the greatest! You are the most perfect thing not only to grace a football pitch, but to grace this earth! It was such a smart tactic getting injured (wink, wink!) during the Euro 2016 final which turned out to be the key factor in your country upsetting the French.  And, those who question your ego need only see your selfless display on the touch throughout the second half and during extra time in which you were just giving your experienced manager (who naturally had nothing to do with Portugal's success...), pointers on how to lead a team, right?  Right, with the ass kissing out the way and my future BBC job secured, he are my thoughts on day 2!

The first surprise of the day came when the BEEB's three man pundit team of Jermaine Jenas, Phil Neville and Matthew Upson for the opening match of the day proved actually quite solid.  The great mystery to Neville is how such a decent pundit is so dreary when on commentary?  Let's hope the broadcasting resist the urge of placing the great bore behind the mic for our opening on Monday.  Special bonus points go to Neville and Jenas for having a spat about the central midfield battle being lost during the first half.  Admittedly, this was hardly biting stuff, but by the normal lifeless standards of these guys it was a nice distraction. Jenas is one of those guys who is just too nice put down too much, but like a friend of mine once pointed out is too nice to be a good pundit also.  Upson mirrors his playing days as a broadcaster, nothing special, but a nice steady presence, with decent knowledge.  As fun as it is to knock Lineker as host, he remains one of the best at keeping the show ticking, with fun quips, and sharp engagement with his panel.

The opening match of the day felt like a familiar World Cup group stage game.  Uruguay fancied to go far in the tournament struggled to get going, with their big talent having off days.  Luis Suarez especially having a stinker.  Edinson Cavani even on an off day made a difference to the game.  The other reason Uruguay struggled to perform on the day was because their street fighting skills went missing.  It was Egypt more up for the fight in a patchy first half.  The underdogs showed good work rate and their impressive high pressing game led to sloppy mistakes from Uruguay.  Egypt's call to rest top striker Mohamed Salah was probably wise with more winnable games against the hosts and Saudi Arabia to come.  The manager Hector Cuper came close to pulling off a masterstroke with the unlikely draw just moments away before the late winner.  The Uruguay fans did bring colour and passion to day two - their national anthem (the longest of any), a great moment.  The moment of tournament up to that point came in the 23rd minute, with the Suarez, goal-disallowed goal-terrible miss summing up football's appeal as a game about random, surreal moments that happen in such a flash that it leads the viewer question just what has happened?...  What turned out to be a poor miss was a start of a theme for Suarez and his country on the day.  The contrast between the two afternoon games and the main event in the evening, was that the unsung heroes were the highlights in the earlier games.  Captain Diego Godin and his centre back partner Jose Maria Gimenez (scorer of the 89th minute winning header), were probably Uruguay's outstanding performers (the nerdy half-time debate over if Godin or Spain's Ramos is the best centre back in world football was a gem from the pundits).  Meanwhile, Egypt's in-experienced keeper Mohamed El-Shennawy, a surprise selection ahead of 45-year old Essam El-Hadary almost stole the day on his International debut, with impressive saves, first point break from Suarez, then at the striker's feet (for which Suarez overplayed the ball).  The man nicked named Trezeguet showed little flashes for Egypt, but without Salah there was almost no goal threat from them.    Still, I thought they were unlucky not to nick a point.  The game finally bust into life in the final ten minutes, with Cavani's late free kick thundering off the post, with the resulting rebound not favouring Uruguay suggesting that this would not be their day, before Gimenez showed the attackers how its done. 



Iran's last grasp winner over Morocco in the late afternoon slot provided a bit more goal mouth action, but as a match was not much better.  Before Spain and Portugal bucked the early tournament trend in a back and forth six goal thriller will probably end up being one of the top five matches of the whole tournament.  The early Ronaldo penalty set the pace (unlike his later free kick award, I felt the ref got this one right). If not for that early goal the game may have drifted into the expected mediocre fare that meetings between two of the big guns normally do this early on.  Spain on the night were especially impressive, with their topsy turvy week proving to be a non-factor in their performance.  Questions again will be asked about whether they have peaked as a great nation?  On this night they played with great spirit, coming back twice from going behind and then to be leading late into the game should give them great heart.  For a good majority of the game they played with the style of peak-era Spain (Portugal stuck in the game with an impressive counter attack game).  Most impressive was how they mixed up their style on the night, with two nicely worked route one goals getting the best of Costa (I'm claiming two assists from Busquets for my dream team!), who still doesn't quite feel at home playing for Spain.  In midfielder Isco there is proof that the rich depth of the Spanish and their future of being half decent may not be such danger.  The main issue maybe the defence which at times looked all at sea.  Not withstanding how brilliant Ronaldo's late free kick was, i'm pretty sure that if Spain had defended better on the night they would have seen the match out.  de Gea's unexpected blunder for Portugal's second shared with Suarez for WTF moment of the day.  A mind blowing match that exceeded expectations, but the question is whereas Uruguay are working their way into the tournament have Portugal and Spain peaked too soon? 




Star of the Day: Mohamed El-Shennawy (the debuting Egyptian keeper could do with a bit of spotlight)

Dork of the Day: Luis Suarez (when he's not playing his best the striker can be a bit of a bore).  

Bored Now Does the Russian World Cup 2018: Day 1

Russia World Cup 2018  - Day 1


Robbie Williams looked just as bemused during his ITV interview before performing at the World Cup as no doubt millions of people were watching the performance.  As pretty as some of the staging next surrounding the singer was, this was not the strangeness on a grand scale you expect from a opening ceremony.  Instead, we got a very pretty concert with Williams running through a selection of his best known songs (Let Me Entertain you striking a predictable opening note).  I can't say much bad about this ten minute spectacle.  It was just something that happened. It wasn't really an opening ceremony just something to distract the viewer for a few minutes.  For bad or for worse an opening ceremony should be inched in the memory for days to come.  As it turned out Williams by mistake has provided this most bizarre of World Cups with its second big headline (the first being the Spanish coach's departure).  His two fingered salute it has be suggested is against the law in Russia, leading to rumours that he may face criminal action.  Start the conspiracy theories now folks!

Meanwhile, viewers in the UK were treated to a painful hour of build-up before the brief opening ceremony, with ITV's normal waffle.  To be fair, the pundits were on solid form, with even Ian Wright not coming off as a total shambles for a change.  Slaven Bilic seemed mad at the world.  His style of repeating mostly the same thing over again, just with a different phase, with a some ranting and proper insights thrown in will either sink or swim over the tournament.  He will be the most lovable pundit in four weeks time or the most despised. Normally a solid host here Mark Pougatch has to struck down by the ITV curse turning him into the dullest man in the room.  On the positive front former Women's International made Eniola Aluko made a confident start to ITV broadcasting career.  As is normally the case with the ITV converge it settled down to no distinct rhythm.  There was no great depth or insight, no flow, and patchy attempts at humour.  I got the impression that the channel plan on tackling this World Cup with the same cliches it uses for other tournaments, and that there would be little journalistic engagement with the politics surrounding it.  The low point of the afternoon was their lengthy discussion on VAR.  Personally I'm already bored of the subject and listening to this lot (including extra insight from Mark Clattenberg) try to explain the system and pick apart its merits was truly painful.  A thoughtful profile on Reheem Starling's painful up bringing and rise to fame once again suggested the channel would spend a large amount of the tournament banging on about England, even on days when the national side are not playing.  At the end of its first hour it felt like ITV had barely scratched the surface of what could be ahead at this World Cup. 



So to the opening match which for me was quite forgettable, if lively in places.  Strange to describe a 5-0 win for the hosts as such.  The quality of she five goals cannot be questioned with the fourth standing out as a world class effort.  But following a fast paced opening, an early Russian goal actually proved a death nail for match quality.  Having gotten the break the hosts settled down into an effective counter attacking game with limp resistance from the Saudi Arabia.  This pattern could have led to a more thrilling match if it wasn't for the fact that the visitor's standard of passing was almost of a Sunday league level.  They offered pretty much zero going forward, and there wasn't a great deal of passion on or off the pitch. Anyway, there have been worse opening games, and to get five goals is always a rare treat.  For the hosts this could be as good as their world cup gets, and possible a key result if there are to make it to the first knockout round.  I expect both Uruguay and Egypt to offer far greater resistance.  Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia competing at their first tournament in two decades announced themselves as the team to beat, and beat and beat again... If there are a worst team this year I will be very surprised. 

  

Star of the Day: Denis Cheryshev (Russian midfielder who scored twice from the bench of second of which was a wonderful volley). 

Dork of the Day: Glenn Hoddle (he may know a thing or two about football, but his lifeless and repetitive commentary style is likely to have fans crying for Andy Townsend to return to the booth...

Leave your comments on day one should you have any below.   

Bored Now does the Fifa World Cup 2018 aka The War Games!

Bored Now does the 2018 Russian World Cup



So we arrive at the World Cup end game for me at least (well maybe for the next eight years?), with the nervous looking 2018 field for which even the media on having mustered a great deal excitement.  The overall feeling I have is that this is a tournament busting with impressive players and potential big stories, but with a lack of outstanding or standout teams.  As in a team that from 1 to 11 are amazing in their individual roles, yet are able to gel into a dominating team unit.  Lets look at some of the key issues/questions.

Will the absences of Holland and Italy harm the World Cup?
The standout story from the European Championships two years ago were the feel good stories of Wales and Iceland surprising everyone (the former doing what England couldn't, the later making their mark on popular culture and earning brownie points for putting Roy Hodgson out of his misery as England manager..).  Otherwise I thought it was a very unremarkable tournament.  The question is does having two of the big hitters not qualifier cheapen what is meant to be the greatest football tournament in the world?  I don't think it does.  This tournament is filled with big names from throughout the world and once the games kick off there are any number of teams looking fill those giant sized Dutch and Italian egos.  No doubt, the World Cup has lost a bit of colour without out them.  In its place we've gained a massive headline, and some people have gained the right to shake the heads at the nerve of the countries playing in those nations place! The bigger talking point is whether the absence of Holland and Italy makes the tournament more or less competitive?  There are the likes of Colombia, Croatia or even Serbia who feel they have the talent and passion to step up and make the most this situation (no I refuse to say the E word! Although I'm sure Egypt can do something...).  The worry for me is that the already fancied nations (and they know who they are) will be able to cement their dominance on the field and had a easier time of things.  Its telling that the World Champions Germany are having a rough time of things going into the tournament (and I'm not even talking about the friendlies as they mean nothing), despite the depth of talent, un-Brazil like grit the Brazilians still need to prove they can handle the big occasion (there are plenty of big match winners at club level in their ranks at least), meanwhile, France are the most likely to fill the Dutch void as a team of individuals who explode in an ugly mess of egos, politics and scandals.  Does anyone else remember the Raymond Domenech fiasco from eight years ago?  Now that's as Paul Weller would say "Entertainment"! The French on paper have one of the best balanced squads, with youth and experience nicely matched.  On their day they play some of the best football in the world, its just it normally takes them a very long time to get into their groove.  Not to mention I'm convinced all the players hate the manager and secretly believe he more resembles the kit man of the France 98 success than the die hard, tough tackling midfield predator he's been telling describing.  Besides many of this squad were barely out of nappies by them, so it could be a case of "What have you done for us lately?". 

The other issue is that without Holland or Italy, and with Egypt likely to under perform there could be a lack of mouth watering crunch games as the tournament progresses.  Spain against Portugal could be a nice appetizer for the group stages (if not the three course meal it once was, 0-0 anyone?), but realistically if there was ever a time for the enigmas of Morocco VS. Iran, Panama VS. Tunisia or Costa Rica VS. Serbia it is at the group stages.  On balance I'd rather have the Italians and Dutch at my party, however, I'm still open to the unexpected. 

Can England actually do something this time?
By even posing the question it feels like I've already hyped them up too much!  I can only think of the stick Harry Kane got after being press manipulated into saying the dreaded words "I think we can win it!" Lets start with King Harry (no royal jokes please).  He is the most unlikely England captain this side of Phil Neville.  His name sounds like that of a  film noir character, his personality as inspiring as Orlando Bloom's.  Truth is he's as impressive as any English centre forward of the last ten years.  The last few seasons at Spurs have suggested that he could be the real deal and given time will be a world class all rounder.  I just don't see naturally leadership coming from him.  Trouble is I don't see it coming from very many around him either.  If this does prove the World Cup of youth (France's Kylian Mbappe is tipped by many to be the tournament's breakout star) that could play into England's hands with the likes of Rashford, Maguire and Loftus-Cheek (anyone else feel a song coming on?) ready to turn a few heads.  Southgate is the sort of dependable, softly spoken character who has respect and will not let emotions get out of hand.  My feeling is that his challenge is more to avoid any big disasters at this World Cup, so that he and many of the squad will be in around and in healthy nick to face the music at future tournaments.  Most entertaining of all perhaps are the English fans trying to talk up Panama and Tunisia as a way to not talk up England, and likewise to cram in the normal England will find a way to bugger it up gags!  I've settled on, "Hey guys we're actually in a good group.  Nothing wrong with saying that. But of course it would be foolish to underestimate anyone and this is England we're talking about here, so you know..."  The nerves will doubt kick in if we go into the final group game against Belgium needing a result, but then we'll deal with Belgium when we get to Belgium.  If we get passed the group and look half decent then for today's England that has to be progress. 


Can Belgium fulfil their promise?  



Sorry, but I doubt it.  It was a wise choice to make Lukaku their vocal point (this could be his tournament to dominate) while leaving Benteke at home.  But ever since his high flying days at Swansea and Wigan (as high flying as a spell at Wigan can be), plus that one good season at Everton, manager Roberto Martinez looks one of the least likely to succeed as a top level coach.  His grasp of big match tactics or tactical flexibility has been found wanting.  More telling is that Martinez lacks the coolness to bring this fantastic group together.  In Hazard and De Bruyne they have two of the World's best players who still have a point to prove on the International stage.  Oddly, enough I feel this could be a big tournament for Marouane Fellaini.  He brings important balance to a over wise free flowing midfield, is nasty enough to crack a few skulls and is able to make a difference in both penalty areas.  Fellaini truly is the ghost of football, exempt for those crucial few moments when he does something important.  His presence in the dressing room could be a big one at least.  Martinez VS. The Belgian dressing room could be the story of this World Cup.


Will the Host have a good tournament or will all the talking be done off the pitch?
Expectations around the Russian camp seem to be at a all-time low.  They have a tricky looking group which includes one of the tournament dark horses in Uruguay.  The so called golden generation which looked half decent under the steeling control of Fabio Capello has long since faded.  The main problem for the host is that there is so much negative politics flying around the country right now than no one else wants to talk about anything else.  Russia as first time hosts is of course a novelty and that could be the thing for them to build on.  Outside of the politics the country is one of the most diverse, and the early signs are that they will be welcoming if modest hosts.  For them to stand a good chance of escaping the group through the right side I think they probably need to beat Saudi Arabia in today's opener.  The one thing I will say is that outside of Uruguay Group A is reasonably open group.  On the field I doubt the Russian's will be pulling up any trees, off it there is a chance to create a few positive headlines. 
 


Tournament Predictions:

Winners Brazil 
Surprise Package: Croatia 
Leading Scorer: Antoine Griezmann  

I will be updating this blog throughout the World Cup and will return later for my thoughts on the opening ceremony.   

WCW on Pay Per View in the 1990's

For those old School Wrestling fans who pine for the 90's this should be right up your street.  I will be reviewing in full every WCW/NWA Pay Per View from the decade.  Giving my thoughts on the best and worst of each event, and discussing the happenings within the promotion around the time.  Its fair to say no other company the ups and downs of WCW during these ten years.  Please leave your feedback and suggest anyway I can improve? Let's get this thing started!

WCW/NWA Wrestle War 1990: Wild Thing





Date: 25th February 1990

Setting: Greensboro, North Carolina

Attendance: 9,894

Commentary Team: Jim Ross and Terry Funk

Comments: "We've Herd Enough" read a sign at ringside directed at WCW head Jim Herd, signaling the growing unrest of the NWA/WCW fan base at the cartoonish direction the promotion was starting to take. Luckily on this night the fans got a steller night of action, with the companies top names delivering the goods.



In the headliner NWA Champion Ric Flair (still at the peak of his powers) delivered an fantastic performance producing a lively and super heated match against the limited Lex Luger. The count out finish featured top baby face hopeful Sting, which nicely kept his riverly with Flair building.  Sting was originally supposed to get his shot at the Nature Boy on this night, but a knee injury at the previous Clash of the Champions card put paid to that plan.  

Elsewhere there was an enjoyable US Tag Title bout with Champs The Z-Man and Flyin' Brian retaining against the Freebirds (Michael Hayes and Jimmy Garvin), a decent World Tag Team Title scrap between The Steiner Brothers and Ole and Arn Anderson (not real brothers), as well as another cracking match in the famous series involving The Rock'N'Roll and Midnight Express, during which manager Jim Cornette was on fine form at Ringside, his attics included a brilliant shadow boxing spot with the referee, which whipped the crowd into a frenzy!






The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal) with manager Paul Ellering defeated The Sky Scrappers (Mark Callous and Masked Skyscrapper) with Teddy Long in a poor street fight. The opening two matches felt very much like filler bouts and offered little in the way of excitement.  The Kevin Sullivan & Buzz Sawyer VS. The Dynamic Dudes (Shane Douglas and Johnny Ace) match never really clicked for me.  The unorthodox madmen against the cheesy 90's pretty boys didn't make for an interesting match.  Sawyer past his prime at this point didn't look great.  Buzz who had greater success in World Class and Mid-South during the 1980's sadly lost his life as a result of a drug overdose two years later.  This was his final appearance on major stage.  Johnny Ace's most notable run in-ring would come in Japan later in the decade.  More recently he played a role behind the scenes in the WWF/E as Head of Talent Relations.  Shane Douglas's most famous run was in ECW in the late 90's. There will be more from him in future reviews.  The faces looked very green here.  Sawyer picked up the win with an awkward splash from the top on Ace.  And Cactus Jack Manson (see what they did there!) put over Norman "the Lunatic" in a dated 1980's style brawl.  The highlights came from Jack's effective bumps over the guard rail and his drop kick off the apron.  Norman announced as being from "the State Hospital" was another example of Jim Herd's cartoonish vision for WCW.  Worst of all the man behind the naff gimmick Michael Paul Shaw was clueless both personality wise and in ring.  Shaw would play an even worse character in Bastion Booger during his brief WWF run (1993-94).  I do recommend tracking down his match with Rick Martel during that spell though.  Its a hoot!

 


Wrestle War 1990 Rundown (including match ratings)
1. Kevin Sullivan and Buzz Sawyer defeated The Dynamic Dudes at 10:15. **
2. Norman the "Lunatic" pinned Cactus Jack Manson at 09:33.  *1/2
3. The Rock 'N' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) overcame the Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane (W/Jim Cornette) at 19:31.  ****
4. The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal) (W/Paul Ellering) downed The Skyscrapers (Mark Callous & Mask Skyscraper) (W/Teddy Long) in a Chicago Street Fight at 04:59. **
5. Brian Pillman and Tom Zenk retained The U.S. Tag Titles against The Fabulous Freebirds (Jimmy Garvin and Michael Hayes) at 24:32. ***1/2
6. The Steiner Brothers retained the NWA World Tag Team Championship against Ole and Arn Anderson in 16:05. ***
7. Ric Flair (W/Woman) beat Lex Luger (W/Sting) via countout to retain the NWA World Title at 38:08. **** 

Event Rating: 7.5/10 

Coming up Next Time.... things get a little bit Hollywood as Robocop gets in on the action at Capital Combat 90! 

Bored Now Does the Complete Buffy 1997-2003

Episode 201: When She was Bad 













  Year two of Buffy starts with Willow and Xander wrestling with their feelings for each other. Meanwhile Buffy is away for the summer in LA with her father Hank (aka Jerkface!).  We open in the graveyard with Willow and Xander playing a movie quote game.  Before said game can get too intimate a vampire shows up.  The Slayer makes a timely return to save her pals and makes one hell of a cool entrance (with killer hair to boot!).  At first everything seems back to normal, however, there are signs in Buffy's actions towards her friends that not is all what it seems, and that she may not have come to terms her traumatic experiences before the summer break. 

 

When She was Bad is a very solid season opener.  I'd go so far as to say its actually underrated.  There's lots of good character interaction and growth.  The opening exchange between Willow and Xander is one of their most adorable together.  The scene has a very naturalistic flow to it and feels very true to how close friends would interact, not least when bored and trying to pass the time.  Its also interesting that Xander flirts with Willow during the scene.  For the first time he appears to show a romantic interest in her, though of course things change once Buffy makes her return.  There is further fun involving Snyder and Giles.  With the Principal snipping about School children giving in to their animistic, only for the G-Man to do the same when Jenny shows up! Not just is this sharp comedy once again, but I like the contrast between Snyder and Giles as authority figures within the school set up. 

The central plot involving Buffy is a nice slow burning one.  Its refreshing that the odd changes in Buffy's behavior are as a result of humanistic, not supernatural causes.  That is a big part of the appeal of Buffy as a show that the fantasy stuff is a metaphor for the human lives.  The episode does a good job in fact in making it appear as so Buffy is acting out because of other worldly reasons.  I like the small little touches that when you look back could point to something being wrong, but could just as easily be something else.  For example, when she casually refers to Willow and as losers.  Something that is passed off as banter but given her later attitude change could be a little more mean spirited.  Another smart moment is Willow picking up on Buffy's change because of her being a little too mean towards Cordelia. 

Speaking of which the scene of the episode is surely the Bronze sequence in which Cordy and Buffy have a memorable exchange outside the club.  But before that Cibo Matto make their mark as the most notable musical guest stars on the show to date.  Buffy's sexy dance teasing Xander and at the expense of the watching Willow and Angel, is one of the most dreamy and surreal sequences of Buffy.  It was both seductive, and yet strange and eerie.  Matto's music is the perfect back drop.  This scene is so iconic that it even got added to the opening credits. 







The later exchange between Buffy and Cordelia is a nice add on to their scenes together at the end of season one.  Its an interesting scene because in her roundabout way Cordelia is looking out for Buffy by warning her not to push her existing friends away, but also I think it is a gesture made on behalf of Xander and Willow too.  Of course Cordy's humanity is carefully hidden beneath her sparky acid insults slickly exchanged with a game Buffy.  Cordelia does drop the line about flirting with Angel as Buffy leaves, but again I think that was just a front. 

Mirroring her charismatic villainous turn in Cruel Intentions a couple of years later, Sarah Michelle Gellar is convincing as the bad girl, while supplying the subtle hints of a confused teenage girl going through a crisis.  The twist in her performance, and Buffy as a character during the episode sets a marker down for the show as a more unpredictable and experimental show moving forward.  The payoff with Buffy releasing her emotions when violently smashing up The Master's bones is another powerful moment, beautifully portrayed by Gellar.  The episode tells a nice little story of friendships, the complications of them, but just how important they are.  The final scene with Xander and Willow welcoming Buffy back into the fold is a nice little cap off to this, all be it a over sold moment because of the cheesy 'TV Movie of the Week' style music that plays over the top of it. 

It is moments like this that are the rough edges of this season opener and are a example of the flaws of Buffy at this still early stage.  The music throughout WSWB suggests that the show was still transitioning from the soapy style music of the debut run and the more cinematic and powerful music that would distinguish Buffy from other teen shows of the era.  Cibo Matto was the first of a number of alternative bands to appear in the Buffy Universe that play their part in giving the show a fresh identity.  At this point its fair to say that the look and atmosphere of the show is still finding its feet. The brilliant sequence in the Bronze feels out of step with much of the rest of the episodes.  Another issue I have is that the Vampires doing the Master's bidding for him are a little bland.  They feel like they were thrown together as monsters of the week.  However, this is a very consistent season opener, that promises even better to follow. 



Episode 202: Some Assembly Required 



One of the big speed bumps of the second season.  Like just about every episode of this show Some Assembly has a number of sharp lines, moments of brilliance and is all the more likable because of the interactions between the Scoobies.  It is the A-plot that proves a forgettable MOTW.

One note is that the dire "In every generation" speech returns pre-opening scene.  Thankfully, its more bearable because of Anthony Stewart Head lending his rich vocals talents to the part. 

Starting with the good, the opening graveyard scene with Buffy and Angel is a lovely little gem.  Angel reassuring Buffy that the vampire will rise eventually whist drawing on his own experiences is an interesting touch and is a subtle way to link the living and dead.  Whedon's show has a unique way of humanising the mundane and strange.  That they return to Buffy's flirty dance in front of Xander in the previous episode is a nice piece of continuity that was rare for Television of this era.  Its also the first time that the age gap between Buffy and Angel is touch upon with Angel dismissing Xander as "just a kid."  Buffy ending up in the open grave is a nice intro to the main plot of the episode.  Its a tight little scene. 



Much more interesting than the core plot is the Scoobies teasing/encouraging Giles to ask Jenny out on a date.  As a love interest for Giles, Jenny is a great foil, and their contrasts make for fun and sweet odd couple banter.  The scene with them at the School Football match and Gile's dismissing of American's favourite pass time is a pure joy.  Their differences on this call back to their Books VS. Computers debate from I robot, you jane... 




The exchange of the episode comes between Buffy and Giles:

Giles: "Grave robbing? That's new, interesting." 
Buffy: "I know you meant to say gross and disturbing?"
Giles: "Yes, yes of course, terrible thing.  We must put a stop to it."

 Xander freaking Cordelia out is a lot of fun. Willow steals the episode with her line "Love makes you do the wacky."  Xander's speech to Buffy about people wanting the unattainable (a reference to her picking Angel and not him) is a totally dickish remark on his behalf and very on the nose.  Later we see Xander's heroic side when helping to save Cordy near the end of the episode.  But then he un-does that by dismissing Cordy when she tries to thank him later.  Fair to say this episode sees the best and worse of him. 

The Frankenstein style plot is full of holes that just make it a none starter and took me out of the episode.  The bigger problems are that the writing of the nerd, sleaze and jock/monster are thin and not very engaging.  The actors playing them are one note, and there is no reason for me to care or be interested in them.  There are one or two effective moments like Jock's mother being entranced by the footage of his old football.  The visual of her glazed over eyes and cigarette smoke is quite powerful.  The idea about her as a neglectful parent as far as her other son is interesting, but sadly its only a brief detour. 



The finale of the episode descends into cheap action thrills. It resolves itself as a bit of mess.  Seeing Cordelia used as a Damsel in Distress once again was another thing that bothered me.  Despite the fun Scooby scenes this is one episode you could skip and it would make little difference. 






Buffy Episode Rankings Updated:
14. Teacher's Pet
13. i robot... you jane
12. Some Assembly Required (NEW Entry)
11. Nightmares
10. Never Kill a Boy on the First
9. Witch
8. The Harvest
7. Out of Mind, Out of Sight
6. The Pack
5. Angel
4. Welcome to the Hellmouth
3. When She Was Bad (NEW Entry)
2. Prophecy Girl
1. The Puppet Show