[Thanks to Mike and Patti for inviting me, Vinny, and Stein over for an early Saturday morning World Cup viewing.]
Great start for England as Paraguay hits an own goal on a header! Paraguay’s keeper injured, earliest keeper change in World Cup history. Terrible opening seven minutes for Paraguay. Corner to England in the eighth minute.
Commentators on ABC talking about Beckham’s marriage to Posh Spice. Mike: “I’ll tell you what England wants, what they really, really want. A goal.”
Vinny, hater of donut sprinkles, says that Paraguay barely qualified this time around after advancing to second round in both 1998 and 2002.
Yellow card to Gerrard. Nobody here can figure out why. “Miracle recovery” from injury says Patty. But no free kick. Bizarre call.
Another yellow, this one earned. Cheap foul.
Big debate over who the commentator are. Balboa and Dave O’Brien apparently. “Michael Owen, a jewel in England’s crown,” says O’Brien. Everyone here wants to throw up.
Play has slowed considerable, England with the run of play. Time of possession: 59/41 to England. 42 minute. Beckham unable to bend it like himself, and misses wide. Wonder if he gets that a lot. England 1-0 at half time.
Paraguay comes to play in the second half. England sitting back and making the game boring. About 60 minutes in now, England starting to pick it up, and then not so much.
77th minute: Man of the Match voting now available via cell phone. Our vote: Nobody.
“America, the Beautiful” now being sung by English fans. O’Brien asks if the shadows on the field will have any effect. Leads to much mocking by the assemblage here.
1-0 in the worst game of the tourney so far. England deserved to draw.