Sod the cliches, watch the game!

Always one of the worst days of the World Cup this. The day Brazil play their first match is always a cliche infested swamp of hyperbole, and today was no exception. I have been sick of this since USA '94, mainly because most of it just doesn't apply anymore. And if anyone dares to tell me Brazil are my second favourite team just once more...! Brazil teams down the years have always had a fair sprinkling of world-beaters. The difference between the generations is that the Brazils of the 50's, 60's, 70's and 1982 were amazing to watch because of their crop of geniuses; where as Brazil since 1994 have been shite to watch despite theirs. What will it take for the idiots that pass for football experts to realise that Brazil are now a defensive side? Is it too much to ask for them to watch some of their recent games, or to even look at the results? Even the most cursory glance at their World Cup results since 1994 reveals a side that is firmly based on clean sheets. Nothing wrong with that, almost all successful sides are. Just stop telling us that we're going to see an all singing-all ball juggling goalfest every time they play! It's not going to happen.

Take tonight's match. Just an hour before the game, messrs Lineker and Shearer were promising us the night of our lives, and for weeks it has been suggested by preview shows and pull-out guides that Brazil 2006 would be a carefree, 5 up front freakshow that sets out to win every game 10-0, but doesn't really mind if it's 10-9. Personally I think that makes them sound like Spurs under Ossie Ardiles. All of this, we were told, was being masterminded by the same coach who led Brazil to glory at USA 94 playing like Gary Megson's West Brom. Pretty unrealistic wouldn't you say? Brazil's formation tonight was a novel one, I'll give them that. Can't say that I can recall seeing 4-2-2-1-fat bastard before. Personally I hope Ronaldo plays in every match, because it's going to be the best laugh of the World Cup. If Parreira has any sense however, he'll pack him off back to the psychotherapist's couch. Only, make him cycle there, he needs the exercise. Of the famous five, only two really turned up tonight; the one true genius Ronaldinho, and Kaka. Generally though, Brazil's formation was too disjointed to make real use of either of them. As they didn't have to bother looking after Ronaldo, Adriano, and latterly Robinho, it made it easier for Croatia to take care of the real danger by multi-man marking. If only the Croats had combined superb execution of their defensive plans with just a modicum of composure up front, they could easily have won the game. The second half was actually very one sided in the Croats' favour, despite patronising remarks on commentary such as "Croatia are actually causing one or two problems here, Brazil might have to be careful" or "Brazil aren't quite clicking in their opening match, this might give the Croats some hope". Why does everything have to be seen from Brazil's point of view? There are two teams on the pitch after all. I can accept that kind of bias in England games, but not everyone has an unconditional love for Brazil. Argentina play glorious attacking football, but can you imagine being told you should want them to win the World Cup?

Biased commentary is becoming a problem actually. The other game in this group, played yesterday, might have been mistaken for an England B international, such was the partizan nature of the commentary in favour of Australia. Japan were actually the better side for the vast majority of the game and with better finishing would have been out of sight by the time Cahill made his decisive appearance. And am I the only one that thought Japan's goal was ok, and the result of a dreadful misjudgement by Schwarzer? I suppose it was asking too much for his club manager to admit that on commentary.

But I digress.

Brazil are bad enough, but when it comes to unjustified hype and tired cliches, one team are the undisputed kings of recent times. Let's get one thing straight - anyone who thinks France are a good side, or have any chance in this World Cup, is an idiot. Those of you who are about to accuse of me of talking with the benefit of hindsight, having seeing today's dire excuse for a match, please visit this guardian blog and read my own reponse (under the name forest7879), written before a ball was kicked.

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/worldcup06/2006/06/08/five_simple_rules_for_fixing_f.html

People who are paid money for their opinions on football have actually tipped France to get to the World Cup final. Haha! Why? I demand a written explanation for this. How can anyone who has watched any international football in the last 6 years possibly think this French team - still mostly the one that won the trophy 8, count them, 8 years ago - can do any damage? Some of them can hardly move! It's actually quite tragic that we have to see greats like Thuram and the giant that was Zinedine Zidane, performing as shadows of their former selves, but as Martin O'Neill correctly pointed out today (praise for a pundit everyone!) you can only judge a player by how he performs now. Yet continually we read that France are favourites for group G, having so much quality in Zidane, Thuram, Vieira, Trezeguet and of course, everyone's darling, Thierry Henry. Has anyone ever watched Henry in an international? Obviously not if they rate him. Never at any stage has Henry performed for Les Bleus as he does for Arsenal. You could argue that this may be the fault of the French system or various coaches, but wherever the blame lies, it doesn't make him any more likely to suddenly turn up now.

France have rejected the opportunity to play younger players, and players in form; the omission of Ludovic Giuly from the squad is especially baffling. Now, they shall get what they deserve, another disaster. It was a mistake to take this ageing team into the 2002 World Cup, a mistake for which they were punished. They failed to learn from it and catastrophically kept the faith in Euro 2004. Yet here they are once again; it might be funny if it wasn't so embarrassing. If France get out of this group, I will be very surprised. If they do, it will only be due to the weakness of their opponents.

Don't write off South Korea, would be my advice.

Don't believe the hype. Brazil are not going to start banging in goals from the halfway line on their way to 14-0 wins, and France's claims to being world beaters lie only in the record books. Ronaldo and Zidane have had their World Cups. There are tournaments with which their names will forever be synonymous. Neither should play any further part in this one. They should move aside and allow the heroes of 2006 to take the stage they deserve.