VIENTI, June 24/10

England 1 USA 1
England 0 Algeria 1
England 1 Slovenia 0
USA 2 Slovenia 2
USA 1 Algeria 0

All from South Africa, all from the World Cup, the Biggest Show on Earth, with an official tally of 10 million English people watching the last game that clinched for us qualification to the last 16, and that does not include ex-pats like me who watched while working. The first game against the United States was the most hyped, with people who never had even heard of "soccer" the day before asking me how long each half was and why Fabio Capello, the England manager's tactics were all wrong. England started very brightly, scoring within 4 minutes, but then we seem to have trouble killing off opposition, preferring, it seems, to give the rival goalkeepers goalkeeping practice, rather than the ignoble task of picking up balls from the back of the net. Talking of goalkeepers, it was West Ham's goalie, Rob Green, normally so sure, who gave the USA a point against us, the "fumble of the century" or the "Hand of Clod" resulting in a tame short somehow spinning into the back of the next. We could blame that error for letting the USA win the group, although the USA's tenacity was impressive in every game, and somehow it felt like justice had been done when they got a goal in extra time against Algeria. This is why this game is the best one on earth, with each goal unleashing emotion worthy of 30 3-point baskets being scored all in the same move.

Now, I can sit back—for a few days—and watch the other teams and supporters sweat it out. There have already been scalps, and it is the first time ever in which the current champions, Italy, and the current runners-up, France have both gone out in the group stage. France is in disgrace, the much publicised rift in the game spilling out so much that its manager was told he would not be manager after this championships regardless of what happened in these championshios, a player being sent home for insubordination and the team refusing to train; it all went pear-shaped, and apparently the team flew back second-class, probably to be treated as third-class citizens, or maybe stripped of their citizenship completely.
And then Italy, old (for footballers) and slow, also failed to get into the last 16 when they lost 3-2 to Slovakia, despite coming back to 2-1 and 3-2. The Italian press, I am sure, is in Alsatian mode as we speak.

So, the next round, the Round of 16, includes USA vs Ghana and England vs The Old Foe (Germany).