Eamo’s defence leaking own-goals
Eamon Dunphy has been particularly harsh on the hapless stopper during the tournament, describing him as ‘awful, just awful’ ahead of the clash with Switzerland. Before he comes to a final decision, Sabella may take into account that Nestor Lorenzo is 48 now and last played for Argentina in 1990. But as Eamo told us in the first week of the competition; “There’s an awful lot of idiotic pundits who don’t do their homework and don’t look at the players.”
Blerim Dzemali’s last-ditch header off the Argentina post did bring one of the lines of the tournament from Eamo: “He’ll remember that miss for ever and any day he forgets it, someone will remind him.”
Perhaps word reached Chilean striker Mauricio Pinilla, who also suffered his own last-minute, last-16 woodwork disappointment. Pinilla certainly won’t forget his big moment — he has had a tattoo depicting the incident etched on his back.
Alan Shearer and Ruud Gullit looked happier sitting beside one another in the BBC studio yesterday than they did 15 years ago on the Newcastle United bench.
“I told him to his face he was the most overrated player I have ever seen,” revealed Gullit once, of dropping Shearer back then. With changes on the German side, Gary Lineker saw a chance to open old wounds. “Low not afraid to leave out big players. Did you ever do that in your career, Ruud?” Since Shearer had the last laugh then, with Gullit’s sacking, he could afford to laugh this one off too.
The feeling grows that Kenny ‘I’d counter that’ Cunningham has elected to cement his punditry standing during this competition with an argue-on-sight policy. Sure enough, when Brad Friedel showed up for USA-Belgium, Kenny was soon glaring at the American a bit like Bull McCabe did and telling us Tim Howard was America’s weak link. Not for the first time, Kenny’s argumentative side left him with a tricky case to make. But two hours and a record-breaking 16 saves later, he was sticking to his guns: “One good one.”
There’s a time and a place for Dwight Yorke: “As a player you don’t really want to be bitten on the field of play.”
Ref justice with Stephen Alkin: “You could say Mr Geiger is registering about a 4.6 on the Richter scale here”.
Paul Merson is chipping in with the odd contribution.
“Robin van Persie needs to start playing again, he has barely kicked a ball in the last couple of games.” In his defence, he was suspended for one of them.
Phil Neville had the best term yet for the ref’s vanishing spray: “Imaginary foam.”
Chris Waddle’s quarter-final picks: “I’m going for the four home teams, Gary.”
Things didn’t always add up this week.
Adrian Chiles: “Neuer; 59 touches, 21 of them outside the box.”
Lee Dixon: “He literally had more touches outside.”
Peter Collins “Lahm has scored five international goals, that was nearly a fifth.”
Stephen Alkin: “France haven’t lost at this stage of the competition in 90 years… since Austria beat them in 1934.”
Simon Brotherton: “With me, Kevin Kilbane.” Kevin Kilbane: “Thanks, Jonathan.”
Dunphy: “I tipped Atletico Madrid to win the Champions League at 100/1. I’m good.” Chippy: “They didn’t win it though.”
“He got a smack a da ball in de side a de mush.”
“A birrof a hoosh there in the box. That’s a penalty.”
Thierry Henry reciting Charles Baudelaire’s poem ‘Élévation” ahead of France-Germany.
George Hamilton on Chris Wondolowski.
“The top scorer of all time for San Jose Earthquakes.”
They were founded in 1994.
Glenn Hoddle referring to Algeria as Al Jazeera, while on ITV.
Lawro’s response to a weak shot by Josep Drmic: “He should put a skirt on.”
Bertie Vogts being handed a camera in the stands during USA-Belgium, to take a photo of some random punters.
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