Well, I'm just about to leave the MCG, and it's been a rather interesting night all round. I thought Sweden would have been the favourites to beat Brazil, but in the end Brazil far deserved the points.
No screw-ups to report on my end thankfully, but some rather interesting points to bring up:
A) The complete lack of anyone to organise the anthems properly - Australian one was fine, but there were no words to the Italian - and how I laughed when I noticed no Italian "supporters" knew the words either...
B) Blanco's willingness to change the system so close to the end of the game - if it was working so well, why change things?
C) Wherman's subsitution - he was playing well, and I don't know why Blanco decided to bring him off.
D) Viduka - and I know this will be a contentious point - was promising early in the game, but I have got to agree with most - but only on the strength of this game. Never have I seen a player so lazy and unwilling to get the ball back when the team has lost possession - I noticed a couple of occasions when it was no more than three metres away and he stood and watched. When he's got the ball he's fantastic, but when he doesn't...
E) Post-match - Happy to report the game passed almost trouble-free. Certainly better than the World Economic Forum - which was a royal pain in the proverbial..
I did see the players shortly before they left, and it would be an understatement to say they looked disappointed. Foxe looked shattered, and I don't think many words will cheer him up tonight. Problem (although no possible solution) for supporters was the ticketing situation - made it nigh impossible to organise a section where people were singing in unison - but the crowd did get well behind the lads on a few occasions. Wasn't quite the same as that November day though...
So up to Sydney now - and because Bay 23 is more famous and distinct, we should see an increase in the singing support and congregation.
But please - can we not play at the MCG again? An absolute pain - linesmen appear to have off switches down here. Doesn't quite feel as bad as last time though - perhaps because I'm not here in a supporting capacity - so I'll be interested to see what the opinions of others are.
P.S They dive and cheat a lot, don't they?