complixicata1

Jeez, he just lost the World Cup final. Cut the man some slack. Nothing wrong with showing human emotion.

Neuer...Golden Glove winner...okay, fair enough. Messi...Golden Ball winner...Umm, WHAT?!?!?!?! And I stand by what I said earlier. Agree to disagree.

I disagree. Both teams were going for it in the first half, and if one of the many chances created had gone in, nobody would be claiming that it was boring and/or uneventful. Great finish to win it though. And given that they were the best team throughout the tournament, you have to say the Germans deserved it. They could easily dominate World and European football the way Spain did for a few years.

Any excuse. I'm sure you could have drunk less if you wanted to :-p Now watching an hour of build-up to the final, on both the UK's BBC and ITV. Looks as if the BBC presenting team are making an effort by dressing smartly. The ITV lot look like scruffy tourists. And, by the way, I want the Argies to win. Obviously Germany will be the favourites, but Argentina can certainly rouse themselves for a one-off game.

May I remind you all that David Luiz is a £50 million rated defender. I wonder if the Qatari brokered PSG are wondering about asking for a refund...

3-0. And the Brazilians get dismantled. Again. Perhaps the players, manager and coaching staff should just go into hiding at full time.

So then, is anyone going to bother with Brazil-Netherlands tonight? Or - as it's known by it's official title - "The Most Pointless Football Match In The History Of Mankind".

If you're going to do that, stay in Kent and stay the fuck away from Wales!!!!!!!! What I wrote on Facebook in the immediate aftermath: "For better or worse (mainly worse), it's a good job I'm that pro-England that I couldn't dream of supporting anyone else. But for any other England fans who are going to pick a team to support on the day of the final, the choices of Argentina and Germany probably represent something of a nightmare scenario." Will be very interesting to see how the betting goes for that one in this country. Quick word about the game: it was definitely one of those "needed-a-goal" games. And it was a shame that both teams played not to lose as it went on. Obviously a place in the final is a big deal, but a lack of killer instinct really did neither team any good. I would have felt more comfortable about the Netherlands chances against Germany had they got through. But as it stands, Argentina really need to up their game. Again.

If Holland win tonight, I honestly don't think they'll be daunted by the Germans. For me, Louis van Gaal has been the coach of the tournament so far. Hasn't been afraid to make changes when the situation has demanded it, and he'll relish taking on the Germans. And the historical animosity between the two nations would give that matchup some extra spice. Not counting out Argentina though. They've been improving as the tournament progresses. Everyone talks about Messi, but for me, Mascherano has just been as essential, being the 'glue' holding down the midfield to enable the forwards to run riot. The passing of Alfredo di Stefano could also inspire them. Oh, and it's Argentina's Independence Day today as well. So no pressure to entertain a nation in celebratory mood. I just want a good match tonight, Messi to sparkle, and Robben to do the same while behaving himself and staying on his feet.

And look at how angry Neuer looked after conceding it. 7-1, bloody hell. Never thought I'd live to see the day a Brazilian team got thumped. I would say that the players might need a police escort to get out of Belo Horizonte tonight, but the police might be the first ones to beat them. They are SO not going to want to play that third place match, and for reasons that go beyond the obvious...