A-ha, that's Portugal, not exactly cruising past the past participles of Persia. Missed Deco's artful display due to hands-off supervision of the water slide out the back, keeping the kids cool. Khoda hafaz, Iran.

I'd heard that the Czechs were a half-decent outside bet -- they're at number two in the FIFA rankings, fact fans -- and you'd have believed it given their trouncing of the States. News hadn't reached the battling Black Stars who were ahead within two mins, missed a penalty and pounded the goal of compulsory Chelsea chap Cech. Those Czechs failed to bounce back. Go Ghana!

Greatly looking forward to the US of A being taught how to play footy by the elegant Italy. Wasn't to be. Vicious and obvious elbow by De Rossi showed the Azzurri at their worst. Typical Americans always wanting to go one better by having two sent off. When I heard on the radio that someone called Pablo Mastroeni had been dismissed, I assumed he had on a blue shirt: I was wrong. And yet the Italians still couldn't put the ball in the net, unlike Damarcus Beasley who unluckily had his not given. Uncle Sam live on.