That's what I LOVE about the World Cup June 14, 2006

That’s what I LOVE about the World Cup : mutual respect. Every team it seems brings something to the party. It might be the best team in the case of Brazil… who as it happens also deliver great colour, imagination, music, fans. Perhaps because of all of these things they deserve to win it. Other countries have much to offer, if sometimes only opposition : a test.

I so much want England to do well on the world stage because we invented the organised game (and for that matter a very amazing disorganised version that preceded it) and because we imposed rules and standards (for others to play along with, test and surpass) and finally because , as of 2006, or as of 1990 to 2006, the span of my doing The Homes of Football, we have had a brilliant turn about – a quite brilliant , admirable and courageous climb away from destruction : the English game was on the brink back in the 1980’s. We have a wonderful game now, attracting interest and players and money and respect from all over the globe. I think for these emotional reasons, England should at the very least get to play in the 2006 Final and that Final should be against Brazil.

I would rather not have to go into that small matter of the ‘draw’, ‘the route to the Final’, whereby England can’t very likely meet Brazil in the Final. One can make it – but not both. Shame really.

Each few weeks leading up to this point, before a single ball is kicked in the final stage of the Finals in Germany (the entire competition did actually begin over two years ago) I get out yet another wallchart World Cup group and match planner dropped out of a newspaper, and predict every score of every match right unto the Final, not copying what I wrote last time but eventually comparing to see how my view has changed over the weeks and days. If it indeed has.