What I got wrong part Xii

On the event of England's hopeless capitulation to the Germans, I thought I'd have a look back at the World Cup up to that point, which lets be honest is as good as the end for most Ingerlund fans...

GROUP A

Well, France really did spontaneously combust, which was even more dramatic than I was expecting. It wasn't any secret that Domenech was widely reviled, but the extent of that antipathy in the playing squad and the number of internal conflicts that they managed to crank up in just a couple of weeks in South Africa was truly impressive.

I predicted that a good tournament for Thierry Henry would see them qualify for the last 16, and Domenech virtually refused to play him and promptly went out. So far so good.

South Africa came closer to progressing than I expected, and I completely missed their better players, choosing instead to ridicule Fats McCarthy. I stand by that decision.

Mexico and Uruguay went through, Mexico where good and I was spot on with Forlan being far better than the tabloids where willing to admit before, being obsessed with his 'failure' at Old Trafford, and Lodiero was mustard as well. Which is nice.

GROUP B

It's all about Argentina. Oh yes. And I also called South Korea to qualify for the last 16. I'm pleased enough with that.

GROUP C

On the thirty first of May i said this:
 
"Ferdinand and Terry are both too old, too unfit and too positionally inept to win a world cup as Center backs.

Their Understudies are King and Upson, who are repsectively too unfit and had an absolute stinker of a season.

The first choice Fullbacks are good, Cole and Johnson. Beyond that we are in trouble.

We have far too many wide midfielders that are runners not players.

Lampard and Gerrard can't play together, but we have nobody else good enough to play with them individually. Also, Lampard is shit with a dead ball, but insists that he takes everything.

Rooney looks dead on his feet, so should be rested for the group games and Defoe and Crouch trusted to get the job done so he is fresh for the last 16. Won't happen though." 

Nothing happened that changed my mind.

The Americans where good enough to qualify but not good enough to go any further, and Slovenia and Algeria as limited as the predictions suggested.

GROUP D

Ah, this is where it all goes wrong.

Germany did better than I predicted in the group, and 'one to watch' Tasci didn't get a game as far as I know.

The predicted England v Australia game didn't happen either as both teams stunk the place out, with England finishing second to the USA, who went on to lose to Ghana in the last 16, and Australia getting roundly tonked by everyone.

Serbia, who i blew smoke up the arse of, also sucked.

I was right about Asamoah Gyan though, who is now being linked with West Ham, so will instantly become rubbish.

GROUP E

Again, predictions didn't live up to the billing, with Cameroon inexplicably playing Samuel Eto'o as a withdrawn forward who had no impact at all, and I completely missed Honda, Japan's main man.

Holland and Japan went through, although i do hold on to the caveat i made at the time that without Eto'o being on fire Cameroon would struggle, he wasn't and they did.

GROUP F

Ah. Italy. yes, well I got that very wrong didn't I?

Slovakia who I knew nothing worthwhile about went through, as did Paraguay about whom I was equally in the dark.

And to add insult to injury, New Zealand who I ridiculed turned out to be real World Cup surprises who didn't get battered at all but played their hearts out and where not far off qualifying from the group.

In my defense, I was right about Vittek and Stoch of Solvakia being useful.

GROUP G

As predicted by anyone with much of a clue at all, it was all about Brazil and Portugal once Drogba was injured, and so it came to pass. However what should have been the marquee game of the group stages, Brazil v Portugal, was a terrible game of football.

Pleased ish with having spotted Nilmar as a key player for Brazil, and the fantastic shout of Kim Jong Il as the key man for North Korea after the coach revealed that he was communicating with the Great Leader by invisible mobile.

GROUP H

Another one where the wheels almost came off, with Spain managing to lose their opening game to Switzerland, but in the end the Spanish and Chileans went through, pretty much as I'd suggested.

So, from the group stages I predicted 8 teams correctly, had a further 4 right on progressing, but in the wrong order, and France, Italy, Australia and Nigeria who i tipped but didn't make the grade.

ROUND OF 16

So far Uruguay have beaten South Korea, Ghana beat the USA and Germany beat England......so no shocks yet beyond the USA qualifying ahead of England, and England not being technically proficient enough to beat the Germans.

Sad but true.