Yeah in the group stages absolutely but they were favourites to beat Greece. All the favourites have won their respective second round matches thus far, maybe we'll get one today.

Ah right, in a knockout result kind of way you mean. With you now.

Its good to have the odd upset but on the whole I think the tournament benefits from having the bigger teams going through.

I'm more looking forward to France playing Germany in the QF than I would be if it was Nigeria vs Algeria.

Costa Rica were expected to finish last in their group and the only reason they were favourites to beat Greece is that they too were surprise qualifiers for the second round (they (Greece) had never gotten out of a WC group before).

Yeah, I remember him. Saw him play for Rapid Vienna at Old Trafford in the Champions League.

I wouldn't call Greece 'surprise' qualifiers. I know what you mean but Ivory Coast have never gotten out of their group either and Japan have only made two round of 16's.

last 16 has been poor so far... Germany could not string two passes together, Argentina were crap today, Brazil have been lucky so far, Belgium have been mince even though they have not lost yet

It has been a poor last 16 with a lot of games being affected by the heat they are playing in.

It does make you wonder how they will cope in Qatar if they still go ahead with it.

The Argentina game was only 23C with low humidity. I think only the Dutch-Mexico match so far was properly stifling.

Ask a lot of professionals who've played in WC's and the vast majority will say the hottest WC was USA 94'. Roy Hodgson even said himself the conditions in the US that summer were far worse than in Manaus. His words not mine.

Yet it still had the highest goal average since the 82' WC.

I find your lack of faith in air conditioned stadiums disturbing.

It's been the best for some years. The last few have been poor to average. This has been very good so far.

The best ones I've seen have been in South America and Mexico. 1970, 1978 and 1986 have been the most enjoyable for me, and this one has provided similar entertainment, without having a team as good as the very best of those earlier ones, with Brazil of 1970 being the best team ever. The current Brazil team could win, but they are a pale shadow of that 1970 team.

It's a toss up between 2002 and this one.

This is the most bizarre surely!

Cup holders Spain and one of the best international teams of all time end up as the joint first team out. Costa Rica comfortably win a group which has three former World Cup winners and get to the QFs. England, giving youth a chance for once, go out after two games. Italy, Euro 2012 finalists, out in group. Several big footballing countries get a serious scare from small plucky ones. Suarez bites someone...again!! Brazil humiliated in home semi, 80s El Salvador style!!

2002 was a terrible World Cup! Awful bias refereeing. Turkey and South Korea getting to the semi-finals and a hideously poor Germany team crawling to the most boring one-sided final I have ever watched.

Its probably the best world cup in my lifetime so far, I thought it started off really well, but it kinda dipped a lot in the knock out rounds which was by and large boring and I suppose england not even making it out of the group stages made it a bit worse for me.

Well you got your glut of goals tonight, made up for all dire QF's.

I didn't think tonights match was that great, yes it was historic in its nature, but as spectacle it was over within 25-30 minutes.

If we got a entralling 2-2 tomorrow, I would regard that as better and more memorable match than this one. So here's hoping.

We do see these freak results in football more than we think, Man Utd 1-6 Man City, Bayern Munich (champions) 0-5 Real Madrid. The same Man City side that has done f'all in europe and won the title by GD that year and Real Madrid who couldn't hit a banjo's backside for 90 mins against Atletico Madrid, but people went completely over the top about those matches.

I fear Germany will be built up as unstoppable side that is in truth barely better than any of their opponents in the other SF, taking the pressure of Holland/Argentina. Ghana, USA and Algeria showed they can be quite ordinary and vulnerable.

BIB - this. It will be very dangerous for Germany to underestimate Argentina or Holland. Low will have them perfectly prepared, but this German team is not invincible. Although I would LOVE a Holland win, it would be more difficult for Germany to play Argentina in the final because Argentina have a very strong defence whereas Holland play attacking football which the Germans favour.

Funniest thing is the Beeb & ITV pretending the "other" match is not live, when were all watching it on the "Other" channel.

I thought the 2002 Germany team were quite entertaining.
I enjoyed the 2002 World Cup.

2006 and 2010 were not good (especially 2010).

Last night the commentator said "the highlights of Holland v Argentina are on BBC1 at 11.30, tune in to find out....." and stopped in his tracks as he realised that anybody watching the highlights won't be 'finding out' the score because they'll have watched it on ITV. Then he went on to say it was live on Radio 5 Live

I wonder if the pundits watch local/international broadcasts or the 'other' channel?

Yes, Gary telling us we can watch Highlights of Netherlands v Argentina on BBC1 at 1145 when we all know it is live on ITV at 9pm.

Ugh....

You keep posting as if someone has nicked your wallet.

I don't know what pleasure you take from football. If tomorrow does finish 2-2 you will be complaining that it wasn't 3-3.

I actually take a lot of pleasure from football, otherwise I wouldn't watch it, we have different likes and dislikes, I don't use insane hyperbole and I don't tend to go over the top. If you don't like my postings you can always use the ignore button.

Its not that I don't like them, it is just that they come across as mind numbingly negative. I would rather reply to say just that as opposed to ignoring them altogether.

There is a medium between your approach and the insane hyperbole you reference.