Sneaking in there at the last minute like Aguero and Salt Bae - World Cup Vlogs (2022)

As always, I've been quiet here over the last few weeks, despite vowing to be more vocal. But I have some content to give you. 

I did a series of Vlogs during the World Cup with a friend I've made over the last few years.

Carlos aka World Cup Fever is probably one of the few people on this planet who is more obsessed with the World Cup than me; he also knows so much more than I do, makes my "Geekdom" look like I'm just a casual fan who only watches when England are playing.

Carlos and I sat down four times during the tournament and chewed the fat over what we saw.

Watch this space as the plan (if I have anything to do with it) is for us to catch up every few months and discuss major international tournaments. Obviously I'll be better at flagging up the content when  it's fresher.

For now you can find four videos over on Instagram

Discussing England at the World Cup (1990 to 2018)

Discussing the end of the Group Phase in 2022

Discussing the Knock-out Phase in 2022

and last night's video discussing the Final, best XI's, best goals and how the tournament ranks when compared with others.

Also someone needs to explain how anb why "Salt Bae" managed to get onto the pitch and harass all the players?!? Game's gone! 

Less Than A Week To Go

I am a hypocrite.

I really don't want to be. I want to not have anything to do with the World Cup in Qatar, starting next week. It goes against everything I stand against politically.

But I know I'll be watching.

Granted I'm no where near as "hyped" as the kids say (or used to say, I'm not sure they actually say that anymore) as I have been at previous tournaments.

My peak of "hypedness" has to be the run up to the 2006 tournament where from 50 days out I can up with a fact related to the number of days until the World Cup started and emailed it to my Girlfriend at the time. Yes I am that sad/obsessed.

And that's my problem. I'm genuinely addicted to the World Cup.

The lack of enthusiasm from other quarters has definitely had an effect though.

Barring a chat I had re England's previous performances at major tournaments and the Quiz I do with my 8 year old on the walk to school. I don't think I've thought much about this year's tournament.

I keep wondering whether the timing of the tournament in general has played a part in my partial apathy? Slap bang in the middle of a season, a season in which my own team is currently preforming so badly domestically.

Maybe. That's probably played a part too.

For me, I always say this. Generally when people say to me during a tournament, "Why are you staying in to watch that? England aren't even playing..." The World Cup doesn't come around that often, it's every four years.

For context, my kids were a 3 year old/toddler and twins that were a week old, at the beginning of the last tournament. I was doing a different job (in fact I've only ever had one job that has spanned two tournaments) and the World was genuinely a different place.

I had a stroke (actually two) at the beginning of this year. While they actually turned out to be relatively minor in terms of side effects, with hindsight I sometimes think, I genuinely could have died.

And not to trivialise a very serious matter, Russia 2018 could have been my "last tournament", as it was for the likes of Maradona and Paolo Rossi.

In the same way that this could be the one and only tournament for the some players called up to their national teams. I do wonder how they must feel about this all? In your prime and called up to represent your country in the pinnacle of the sport that you love (I'm not having any of that Champions League rubbish), and it's sullied due to the fact that FIFA sold out and decided to host it in a murderous regime, in the desert, in the middle of Winter.

What if you were say, Ricky Lambert or Daniel Sturridge, and this was 2014?

Anyway I'm not making any more excuses. I shall be watching and I perfectly understand, in fact respect those with a genuine love for the World Cup, who are more principled than me, and have come out and said they won't be consuming any of this year's tournament.

I just know I can't.

We Should Have Been Watching A World Cup

I'm a World Cup addict.

I've probably mentioned it on here before.

I can identify most World Cups, barring say 1930-38 when it's all a bit grainy, from either still or video footage.

I've done every quiz going and can identify when the likes of Haiti, Zaire, Israel, Cuba and Iraq made their sole appearances.

I have a social blackout during the World Cup (this is genuinely true, ask my Wife if you know her), where I will almost certainly refuse to attend social event during a tournament, no matter how seemingly important. See the title of my blog...

I've taught my eldest Son, who appears to be pretty interested the story of the World Cup from 1930 up to 1974 at present, on our walk to school in the morning. He can explain the significance of the Maracanazo, to the point that he knows THE GAME WAS NOT A FINAL (it irks me when people call it that), and he knows that Pele watched his dad crying that day and vowed to win him the tournament when he grew up. 

I've even tried to explain the likes of Garrincha and Maradona in the most PG way possible, although his learning hasn't reached the 1980's so we've only briefly touched on Maradona.

I'm f**king obsessed! And as a result will almost certainly be watching this year's tournament, in spite of the glaringly bad human rights abuses happening in Qatar to make it happen. I'm sorry. I fully understand that it makes me an absolute hypocrite, cos if you follow me on Twitter you'll see that I'm all fairness and equality,  but even heroes have flaws... OK I'm not a hero, unless you need someone to explain the Adidas' role in enabling the West German side to win the 1954 final against the much fancied Hungarians in a downpour i.e. "Fritz Walter weather". Then I'm a hero!

In all seriousness though, I genuinely totally get it. But it's my one vice in life. I genuinely think I could give up watching West Ham, and yes it would be a struggle, but I couldn't the World Cup or it's little brother/sister the European Championship. I can't even bring myself to say the phrase "The Euros" *insert vomit emoji*.

Long and short is I will be watching this year, as I've done every summer from 1990 up until 2018. But that's the problem; or another, granted way more trivial, problem. It should be on now!

We should be at the back end of the tournament now. Somewhere around the Semi-Finals or Quarter-Finals depending on the edition. I'm thinking it'd be Semi-Finals, potentially even finished if we're talking Mexico 86 or Korea/Japan 02 which both started around the end of May. But Quarter-Finals if we're looking at something like USA 94, which started deeper into the latter part of June!

That's how much of a f**king geek (loser) I am. And that's how much I'm missing this year's tournament.

We should be watching Brazil abjectly crash out at the hands of a more organised European foe at this point, posing the question as to whether anyone outside of Europe will ever challenge our giants again.

Speaking of outside of Europe, statistically this would be where you see the last remaining African side knocked out of the competition. Full of patronising praise from the commentary teams and with stars destined for big money moves to Bolton, or whoever are mid noughties Bolton now, which invariably won't work out.

We should be watching the Germans steadily making their way towards the Semis, last tournament aside.

And the English, either out early or alongside their European neighbours, surrounded by a lack of self awareness and hubris from within the nation that doesn't see how bad we've been in any case (and I include 1990 and 2018 in that by the way, happy to debate anyone).

We should be watching a World Cup!

But we're not thanks to FIFA's greed so I'm going to watch the Women's Euros 🤮from tomorrow onwards. And you should too!