THE HOST NATION may have thrown their Neymar-emblazoned caps at the tournament, but we still have prizes to give away and serious semi-final ahead of us tonight.
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Well, well, well. Pick the bones out of that one.
It’s the greatest shock to hit our TV screens since that thing happened that I can’t tell you about because it might be a spoiler to some… *cough* Red Wedding *cough*.
To help us all get over the emotional trauma of having watched one of football’s most iconic teams mercilessly ripped to shreds, we’ve got our man in Brazil to report on just how annoyed the home fans are and a shiny new phone to give away to one lucky reader.
Before we get the hamster running at full speed to bring Mikey in live from São Paulo, let’s condense the nonsense and get to how you can win that Sony Xperia with thanks Budweiser.
Just tell us who, or what, has been your real star of this tournament so far. Not necessarily a player, but somebody who has continually made this jamboree a pleasure for you to watch.
TheScore.ie hereby nominates the BBC’s Tim Vickery and this wonderful Vine of him saying his four favourite things over and over again.
https://vine.co/v/MjUYMeMJVld
Just chatting about World Cup heroes in the office and there is a surprising amount of love for the icky insect that attached itself to James during the quarter-final- closer than any Uruguayan got anyway.
Sarah Doran hits the issue right in the snot, though.
This man ain’t a hero, he just needs a hug.
Speaking of heroes, HEEEERRRRRRREEE’S Mikey with news of his glamourous life from the bowels of Arena Corinthians:
Mikey Stafford:
“The media centre here at Sao Paulo’s rather odd looking Arena Corinthians is full of sleep-deprived, stubbly and increasingly cranky journalists.
“These helpful clocks will remind hundreds of hacks who boarded early morning flights from Belo Horizonte what time it is in Geneva and Cape Town (but not London, Dublin or Mullingar).
“Most will fly back to Rio tomorrow to prepare previewing the final while an unlucky few will be dispatched to Brasilia for the third-fourth play-off. TheScore.ie is doing neither as we will this evening board a night bus back to Rio on which we plat to sleep, perchance to dream.”
Commenter Harvey Kinkel had his eyes peeled during the group stages:
“The real hero of the world cup has to be the man with the Scottish flag celebrating with the Uruguay fans after Suarez second goal against England.”
https://vine.co/v/MTOMQuV06zT
Great shout.
On a similar note, Niall Kelly revived the ghost of this fish even further out of water.
Ya can take them nowhere.
Declan Moran only follows Rihanna for the top notch analysis.
Mikey Stafford:
“Forget the real Neymar, my World Cup hero was the Fortaleza Neymar lookalike who was lucky enough to have his picture taken with my girlfriend. That’s one for his fridge.”
There may have been plenty of brilliant football we could have been watching instead, but Kilbur pays homage to the hard-working cameramen or women who have an innate instinct for finding photogenic women in crowds.
This zoom comes from WAAAYYY back!
We still prefer the man nursing his World Cup trophy like a baby, though.
Does Fred count as a non-playing hero?
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MS: The day after the night before and a 200 million-strong hangover.
In bed too late and up too early meant I had no time to peruse the morning papers on the way to Rio’s Aeroporto Santos Dumont, but as I walked in search of a taxi you could tell by the tone and speed of the chatter what was dominating every conversation I passed at 6am this morning.
“Maybe they hadn’t slept, scared to close their eyes in case their dreams are somehow worse than the living nightmare inflicted by Joachim Low’s Super, Super Deutschland last night.
“On my flight this morning I was definitely the only person watching the replay of Brazil’s 7-1 defeat on Band Sports and I felt almost dirty, as if I was watching something illicit. I only got the opening hour and five goals, but it was more than enough.
“Brazil will be sometime getting over what happened last night in Belo Horizonte. The numbness I sensed in Vasco da Gama last night hasn’t worn off yet, but judging by the filthy looks the Argentina fans on the São Paulo metro this morning were getting, it won’t be long before anger becomes the primary emotion. A win today for their southern neighbours will not help matters.
“Great fun in Vasco da Gama favela last night, despite the result, but it will take its toll at some stage. My match report would be all the better for another 5-0 half-time scoreline.”
From one journalist to another, and it looks like George Hamilton is being forced to take a detour to the stadium.
Aodhan O’Siorain maintains that Luis Suarez is World Cup MVP, while Shane Kearney says it ought to be this bearded gent.
Sean Hanley, however, has been impressed by the witchcraft of the referee’s newest toy – the revolutionary shaving foam that has changes free-kick routines for ever.
This is exactly how I remember this goal flying in.
Do you think there will be room for some Dutch magic tonight or will it be Argentina who get a chance to show Brazil that Germany aren’t all that great.
Here are the thoughts of a hungry, iPad-wielding Irish journalist queuing for grub in Sao Paulo.
MS: ”Tonight’s game at the stadium that looks bizarrely like a white plastic patio table with the top kicked out, will struggle to be anything but an anti-climax after last night’s mind-melter.
“I fancy the Netherlands purely because they are the better team, which allows me to add the caveat that the world’s greatest player can still decide things on his tod. One thing I can confirm, the reports tonight will be filed by well-fed hacks, judging by the length of this queue at the canteen.”
It’s prediction time.
Mikey: Argentina 1 Netherlands 7, I mean 2 (TWO!)
As for the rest of us, slogging away the awful close Irish weather:
Murray: Netherlands 2 – 1 Argentina.
Ben: 2-2. Argentina to take it on penalties.
Pat: 2-1 to Netherlands AET
Steve: 0 – 0, Dutch to take it 3-2 on pens.
Niall: 1 – 0 to Lionel Messi.
Sean: Netherlands 3 Argentina 1
Right, thanks everybody for your entries to today’s competition and thanks to Mikey for his sleep-deprived observations from the Stadium Corinthian canteen queue.
We’re going to leave the competition open for another 90 minutes, but once 20.30 comes around the funny-ometer is accepting no more entries.
We’ll catch you later for the big second semi-final between the brilliant Oranje and the sworn enemies of Brazil (as if they needed anyone other than themselves).
Until then, it’s ”Brazil, Carnivale, Sex, Pele” to you all.
