Too tired to offer much this evening…but a few thoughts.

Germany cruised to victory (this afternoon) against an Ecuadorian team who rested a few key players and played as if they were fairly indifferent as to who they faced in the …

After waxing lyrical for 10 days about a World Cup that has, thus far, been one of the most entertaining (and high-quality) I can remember…it's time to get a bit nasty.

While Esteban Cambiasso's sublime goal for Argentina …

The vultures were hovering o’erhead, and pundits’ knives were being sharpened, as France '98's two finalists took to the field against (on paper) relatively modest opposition.

The morbid interest in Munich’s Allianz …

Well, well, well…an enthralling (and wholly unexpected) day in Group DHas there been a better first week in a World Cup for years?, with Ghana sensationally beating the Czech Republic 2-0 (it could have been 6-0 if not for the …

Lord God Almighty! I’m just basking in the euphoric afterglow of one of the most incredible world cup performances I have ever witnessed. No really, I mean it. I’ve seen almost every game of note from 1986 to now and …

In times past the degree to which I ‘supported’ English teams in the World Cup depended on a) How many Liverpool players were involved, and, b) How many of England’s …

While I keep half an eye on a most impressive Ecuadorian performance against Costa Rica (currently 2-0) I might as well serve up a small slice of World Cup trivia for you hungry readers.

Amid the usual flurry of statistics bouncing …

While The Irish Times’ ever-entertaining Mary Hannigan may have been right to shout "Halt! Bitte!" (today) after this latest bit of "Don't mention the war…Oops! I just did it again!" from the bould Gary Lineker…

"There’s been a mass invasion of …

So we’ve finally had our first penalty of the tournament (despatched confidently by the impressive David Villa) following a ludicrous decision by Mr. Busacca, the Swiss referee. The red card …

Well, Brazil may have the dream attacking quartet of Ronaldo, Adriano, Ronaldinho & Kaka…but only the latter two really sparkled tonight.

Ronaldo does not appear to be remotely match fit, and …

So the big day has arrived, as a certain team in canary yellow shirts enter the World Cup…

Yes folks, Togo have rolled into town and now the competition can begin in earnest.

Hmm…apologies for that mega-lame (bluffing) humour…must be all …

The last time the Czech Republic (or ‘Czechoslovakia’ as most aging pundits continue to call them) reached a major football final, I was (with commendable foresight) lucky enough to have been …

Lagging behind today….so apologies, dear readers.

Did manage to catch all of the first 2 games, while knocking back a couple of cans of ale in the company of friends, but other commitments prevented posting. Dick O'Brien, over on Back …

Thanks to the rather eccentric nature of the FIFA rankings, the uninitiated would be forgiven for assuming that Mexico (ranked No. 4 in the world) are to be counted among …

Hadn’t seen much punditry from the Bill O’Herlihy/Dunphy combo on RTÉ until today, but the Dunph-meister showed a few early flashes of his old controversial form. Responding to a Gary Lineker piece in the Telegraph in …