Despite the oh-so predictable predictions by the press that WC26 would be a disaster, it turned out to be a pretty good World Cup. Yes, the ticket prices were ridiculous, as was the cost of everything else, and the tournament was bloated, but the football was generally entertaining and the atmosphere in the grounds and […]
Tag: ronaldo
The best (and worst) Portuguese ever to play in the Premier League
Portugal has not only provided one of the great Premier League managers in ‘the special one’, Jose Mourinho, but also spawned multiple title-winners and three footballers of the year (scroll to the bottom in case you can’t name all three). Their all-time best Premier League XI would be a match for any other country. See […]
The best and worst of the World Cup – 1998 France
The wonder goal – Michael Owen, England 2-2 Argentina, Round of 16 It was clear from his earliest days that Michael Owen was a very special talent. A prolific scorer at all levels as a junior, he made his debut for Liverpool’s senior team aged only 17 yrs 143 days, a game in which he […]
The best and worst of the World Cup – 2002 South Korea/Japan
The Saipan incident – Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy It took the Republic of Ireland many, many attempts before they managed to qualify for the World Cup. Indeed, it was 13th time lucky when they finally made it in 1990 under the singular leadership of Jack Charlton. When Charlton led them again to the finals […]
The best and worst of the World Cup – 2006 Germany
The moment of madness – Zinedine Zidane, Final, 9 July 2006 One of the greatest footballers of all-time, Zinedine Zidane was a midfield playmaker who could do everything. Blessed with immense skill, great vision and a unquenchable desire to win, he dominated the midfield, making every team he played for both dangerous and difficult to […]