Field Theory by Hadyn Green

My pool prediction didn't come to pass

So do I get the blog now?

Personal magnificence aside, I've been amused by the general reaction to our draw. In all the range from over-confidence to doom-mongering, I don't think I've heard anybody mention the name of a single player from Paraguay or Slovakia - which is kind of relevant information when we're rating our chances. In fairness, I'd struggle too. General Stroessner?

So basically, we don't have a clue what we're talking about, but we're having fun. Long may it last!

Oh, and Aussie will lose three out of three. The Prediction Prince has spoken.

My pool prediction didn't come to pass, and I owe Graeme Edgeler a beer, but I still think we did alright.

The odds were just too good to pass up! I've a DVD heading this way from Amazon which includes among its special features the complete 6th game of the 1977 World Series ... beer and baseball seems a good combination :-)

Simon, don’t think the Aussies will lose 3 out of 3, but they won’t make it through.

Poor Australia. For so long victims of cruel twists of fate. Allocated play-offs against the 5th South American team; hoping for Venezuela and getting Argentina etc. And now the draw from hell.

There’s Ryan’s old team-mate Santa Cruz who plays for Paraguay. And he’s pretty handy...

Leg Break, good work by you and the team on the Guardian coverage. I had it on together with the TV coverage (which provided ample time for checking the net, as Monsieur FIFA explained the draw once more, slowly).

You're right, Australia really can feel hard done by. They leave Oceania, set out to see the world, or at least Asia, and get rewarded with a much worse draw than the team who stayed home.

derby derby derby. Just to keep it in there. Oh yes.

Leg Break, good work by you and the team on the Guardian coverage. I had it on together with the TV coverage (which provided ample time for checking the net, as Monsieur FIFA explained the draw once more, slowly

Cheers; it did feel like being in a massive pub with everyone talking at once at times. Not necessarily at my sharpest at 0700 on a Saturday either, but it was good.

Monsieur FIFA was hilarious; almost s hilarious as Beckham's get-up.

I don't think I've heard anybody mention the name of a single player from Paraguay or Slovakia

Skrtle from Liverpool is in the Slovakian team, and he's a pretty mean player.

I think TVNZ or TV3 should start by showing the NZ population where Slovakia and Paraguay are on a map. And then discuss how good they are at rugby and how many olympic gold medals they have won.

What would be really interesting would be for them to send reporters to Slovakia and Paraguay to ask the local football fans what they reckon they'll do to us next year.

Hey, at least England and Argentina have an easy road to the top 16, right?

Hey, at least England and Argentina have an easy road to the top 16, right?

Yup; but not seeded to meet until the final. That was one of the first things the English twitters checked after the draw for some reason.

Here’s a great photo of Slovakia qualifying (in Poland)

Hahahahahahahaha.

But I am reminded of some dialogue from the Jaquie Brown Diaries. Jaquie is on a celebrity reality TV show:

Jaquie: "So why are you on the show?"

Contestant "I'm an All White?"

Jaquie: "Nah...."