Don't Cry For Me Cote D'Ivoire (I'm sorry, I don't know why I did that)

What a cracking game! Despite watching it in a kind of anti-histamine, not much sleep the night before, hayfever induced haze, I still really enjoyed it. Clearly, this was the first game between teams that you could honestly say were in with a shot of seriously progressing in the tournament, and on this evidence Argentina are going to be a force to be reckoned with. They were clinical in front of goal, creative and frighteningly solid in midfield and their back four were pretty domineering until the last 20 minutes when the Ivory Coast really seemed to get the bit between their teeth and looked really dangerous. It will be very interesting to see how good Holland are, having not actually seen them play since Euro 2004 I have no conception of their ability now, except I hear that Van Basten has them very well organised and together, and has left out some big names in favour of youngsters.

Over at Finals Fantasy there's some funny stuff about Peter Drury's unsuccessful attempts not to be patronising, and David Pleat's (or Pli-at as I am going to start calling him) attempts at foreign names...As well as the Le Tissier incident there was also his pronounciation of Ivory Coast's French coach Henri Michel as Honry Mahshell - either someone has told him that the "ee" sound in French is pronounced "ah" or he was so exhausted from his, credit where it's due, respectable crack at "Henri" that his tongue gave up and reverted to type.