WORLD CUP FEVER - June 21

Group F

	Germany		Yugoslavia
	USA		Iran

Group H

Argentina

Jamaica

Oh my word, for about 20 giddy minutes this afternoon it looked like Germany were going to get well and truly beaten by Yugoslavia. But then, as we should have expected, they were far from finished, first scoring from a lucky deflection and then Bierhoff running in for an unchallenged header from a corner to even things up. Still, when Yugoslavia went two-up, it was a great World Cup moment. And my man in Madrid agreed cause he rang me in a state of what can only be described as glee. Don't mention 'schadenfreude'. Now grit your teeth and congratulate the Germans on their brave comeback.

Next up on this day of footballing gluttony, Argentina v Jamaica. The superb Ortega did the hard work by giving Argentina a two-goal lead, but Batistuta's ten-minute hat-trick against the team we have to call the 'Reggae Boyz' makes him top of the goalscorers so far with four in two and surely more to come. Much has been made of the fact that no one has scored more than six goals in a World Cup since Poland's Lato got seven in 1974, and the feeling is someone is bound to get more than six this time. (In 1994, Stoichkov and Salenko both got six.)

Everyone was getting in a right old state about the USA v Iran. The mother of all football matches and all that. I found it all rather heartwarming to see that the hand of friendship was extended and they all posed for pictures together, gave each other flowers and generally carried on like good eggs. The referee was obviously determined not to cause a scene either, as he could have sent off Kasey Keller for a wild lunge at an oncoming attacker. Mahdavikia shone for Iran, America can't score goals, and the best team won. In fact, dare I say it, but football was the winner.

Results:

Germany (0) 2	Yugoslavia (1) 2
Tarnat 73 Bierhoff 80	Stankovic 13 Stojkovic 54

Argentina (1) 5	Jamaica (0) 0
Ortega 32, 55 Batistuta 73, 79, 83 (pen)

USA (0) 1	Iran (1) 2
McBride 87	Estili 40 Mahdavikia 84

Shots off target:

Yellow card: It could have been a card-free day, but Vauxhall and their poxy ads have done enough to warrant a second yellow for persistent foul play. So they join Uri Geller in the World Cup Hall of Shame.

Glenn Hoddle is getting shirty every time someone mentions David Beckham. He's also trying to pretend that England are the underdogs against Romania. I will take no pleasure in showing Mr Hoddle the yellow card for whingeing and being an all-round poor sport, but if I feel his behaviour warrants one, then I shall not hesistate.

(Not necessarily the World Cup but I've got a lot of them) Football Quote of the Day:
'Beckenbauer is like Humpty Dumpty and the team and playing like a bunch of cucumbers.'
German goalkeeper Ulli Stein, either before or after being sent home from the 1986 World Cup