England v Brazil: Peruvian Postmortum

[Guest]

We watched the game at Barra Brava, a famous football themed bar here in Lima, adorned with football shirts hanging above the bar (including Arsenal and Liverpool), signed shirts (including a Newcastle top signed by Solano) in glass cases around the bar, and pictures of top players (including Michael Owen, but his is by the bog door) all over the place. Plus numerous tv's and large screen (bit like the Man of Kent) so one can watch the game from any conceivable angle.

 

Of course, the Scottish egg I was with was wearing Brazil colours, and with 1 or 2 exceptions, the Peruvians were all supporting Brazil. At kick off, the doors closed, the pub was heaving. Most of the bars here, were hyping up the game; the English Pub, the Brazilian Bar and the Irish Pub in the tourist district would be packed too, but mostly with tourists. For real, local atmosphere, in a bar named after the Barra Bravas (vicious gangs who follow South American teams), this was the place to be.

 

I say the place to be; well for the first 45 minutes it was, but once Brazil scored and then again, the place erupted, like Etna occasionally does, and made my little jig when Owen scored, look like a party piece at a toddlers party. The Peruvians were delighted that the 'Ingles' had been beaten; El Comerico, Peru's leading daily ran 6 pages on the game in its sports section, while on the paper´s front page, appeared a photo of Brazilians celebrating in London.

 

I think Pele best sums up England's second half performance. The great man here has been reduced to appearing in an advert (which appears during the half time interval of each game shown) advising men who have erection problems how to get help. And this sums up England's second 45, because they played like limp pricks too (maybe Pele had the advert in mind when he was tipping England before the match).

 

Maybe that's a bit too harsh, maybe it was the heat and the humidity that did cause our midfield to disappear up its own backside, leaving the defence to knock up long balls to the ineffective pairing of a donkey and a teddy. Whatever, we are out again, and the hope which transended all levels with the fantastic victories against Germany and Argentina (which show how we can play) has been vanquished for at least another couple of years, until the Euros.

 

So come on Steve Gerrald and Joe Cole, the cloak for success has been passed to them; to fulfill their potential and spearhead a new dynamic English midfield which will lead our team to glory. We are watching.

 

PS. Just a minor thought. More often than not, when the camera crew, during the game focussed on the supporters, for England, it would focus on a group of generally fat, mainly bald English supporters in white; for Brazil, it would focus on a group of generally hot, mainly sexy looking girls in gold.

 

English stereotyping it seems, but just a thought to throw in.

 

Until next time then, take care all Fleet fans and the best as the pre-season soon gets under way.