Group of death (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Group of death

2:52pm Tuesday 17th June 2008 in

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And so the Grim Reaper cometh. I’m not sure why everyone insists on calling Group C the Group of Death. I mean it’s a bit extreme.

To take it literally, the only means by which anyone was going to die as a result of the opening game of the group between Romania and France was through sheer boredom.

There was a risk I might just stop breathing or slip into a coma. Between them they managed just one shot on target. Snooze.

Good job I didn’t tip France as winners in this ‘ere blog thing…hmm.

Actually I’m confident of a French revival, they can’t get much worse and they started atrociously in the World Cup two years ago and still got to the final. If any team is a slow starter its France.

Their problems seem to be a lack of confidence from players like Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka.

Maybe the raw flair of Arsenal target Samir Nasri will feature from the start in the next match and former Gunner Thierry Henry will shrug off his injury woes.

Young, Lyon forward Karim Benzema has the potential to light up this tournament, he’s a big reason for me tipping them to go all the way, but he can’t do it by himself.

The Holland-Italy game was of course quite the opposite. Holland proved you can look good in orange with a dazzler of a display. Death was most likely to be induced from a heart attack.

I really didn’t think the Dutch had it in them to play like that with this squad, and who did? No Robben, Babel and a half-fit Van Persie left them devoid of pace but who knew Wesley Sneijder would be so imperious.

I’ve seen him play well for Real Madrid this season and he looked world-class against the struggling Italians.

The first goal was offside but how uncharacteristic for the Italian defence to be destroyed with two breakaways.

It may just be that they are too old to match the high-intensity shown by the Dutch but you can’t help but think they may have been more solid with a fit Fabio Cannavaro.

I couldn’t understand coach Donadoni’s decision to withdraw centre back Marco Materazzi (even more confusing was commentator David Pleat’s three different pronunciations of his name) and push Christian Panucci inside who isn’t even a very good fullback.

Fabio Grosso should have lined up from the beginning instead of Panucci, and not just because he’s in my fantasy football team.

It was the best game yet, long live Total Football.