Japan's Yuichi Komano (Top) vies with Paraguay's Edgar Barreto during the 2010 World Cup round of 16 match on June 29, 2010. Japan lost 3-5 in a penalty shootout. Photo: picture alliance / landov

I like the Asian teams this year; they are real racers in this World Cup, always ready to bring their opponents to task, sometimes just by running for their own lives. Although North Korea’s role in the loosing column looked to possibly end with their promising start and their relatively small defeat by the Brazilians, this was not to remain so in the following group matches.

2010 World Cup, Photo: (c) Rick Bosch

A World Cup experience is unique, regardless of its host nation. South Africa is putting its best foot forward and here are some of my thoughts after being lucky enough to attend two of the group matches in Cape Town. The first game I attended was the very first game to be hosted in the Mother City and it was on a bizarre kind of day. One of those unique ‘never-to-be-repeated’ kind of days. “Why?” I hear you asking, well, let me tell you.

Germany’s Miroslav Klose celebrates his goal in the national team’s match against England in the second round of the 2010 World Cup. Germany went onto win 4:1. Photo: picture-alliance / M.i.S.-Sportpressefoto

So yesterday was “Der Klassiker”, as it’s known. The two European nations whose armed forces locked horns on a monolithic scale twice in one century, who threw entire generations of their youth into the slaughter and who, now that the age of tank battles and D-Day-landings is thankfully past, carry on their mythic struggle on the football pitch: England vs. Germany.

Now, as an Englishman living in Germany by choice, you might expect this to be a difficult moment for me – a kind of civil war of the heart, a question of torn loyalties and a long, heartfelt weighing up of allegiances.

Jean Louis Théodore Géricault, "The raft of the Medusa", (cc) wiki commons.

France finished its World Cup ambitions. This fact, and especially the way it happened, was received – especially by my countrymen – with happiness and derision. But as a Francophile, I couldn’t do this. Indeed, this provoked me to want to restore dignity to the national team of the country which will host me in September, especially since there was criticism and mockery from all sides (Equipe.fr said, “This World cup will be remembered for two things: the championship team and the absurdity of the French.”)

Germany’s Miroslav Klose celebrates his goal in the national team’s match against England in the second round of the 2010 World Cup. Germany went onto win 4:1. Photo: picture-alliance / M.i.S.-Sportpressefoto

Now that the French are out of the way with the unexpected bonus of more Schadenfreude than we could possibly have asked for, Irish World Cup ambitions revert to seeing the English knocked out as soon as possible. For me personally, this takes on added significance as the task falls to Germany, the country I now call home.

Brazil's players pose for a photo before the Group G last round match against Portugal at the 2010 FIFA World Cup on June 25. The match tied 0-0, with both Brazil and Portugal qualifying for the round of 16. Photo: picture alliance / Photoshot

The history of football in Brazil begins when Charles Miller, the son of a Scottish railway engineer and Brazilian mother of English descent, returns from England, bringing in his luggage some whistles, balls and uniforms. To an elite group in São Paulo, he introduces a new kind of sport – football.  The activity spread quickly among ordinary people to become the nation’s most beloved sport, which continues to the present day.

The USA's Landon Donovan celebrates victory after the final whistle in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Group C Match USA v Algeria, Photo: picture alliance / empics

Typically when I write about sports events, I start planning my work near the game’s end. By the 86th minute of Wednesday’s game between the United States and Algeria I had this blog pretty much written.

I was going to speak about missed opportunities, and the fact that the Americans had no one to blame but themselves for their draw against Algeria. I was prepared to talk about all the “almost goals” that occurred during the game. The shot that went off the crossbar, the shot that was just a little too far left and the shot that was a little too strong. I was going to touch on the fact that once again the United States fell victim to a referee’s blown call. Thankfully, the football gods had other plans for the US and thus this recap.