England managed to squeak through Group C, restoring full schadenfreude priveleges when it came to defending champions Italy being eliminated the next day.
Jermain Defoe scored the winner against Slovenia, and he revealed at his press conference that, although he would have preferred to meet Ghana in the second round (you think?), facing Germany for the umpteenth time is what playing at a World Cup is all about. ...
It wasn't the Italian boss declaring the chances of him dropping dissenter John Terry were non-existent.
It wasn't captain
"Nobody speak, nobody speak." - how England manager Fabio Capello began the now infamous team meeting that was supposed to be the forum for John Terry and his supposed band of merry men - which nobody is calling the 'Post-Algeria pint Nine', but should be - to air their grievances, most notably that Terry's mate Joe Cole is not playing.
The England vice-captain came out and denied any talk of a player rebellion, even a lone one from Terry, in such assured, relaxed fashion that he may have even convinced those who reported such an uprising yesterday that it were not true. ...
John Terry's attempt to challenge Fabio Capello's power over the England squad has turned out to be the worst coup since Mark Thatcher's plot to topple the government of Equatorial Guinea.
Well, that's what we're being led to believe anyway. ...
Before England fluffed their lines so spectacularly in Cape Town, fans were so confident of victory they were even claiming Algeria was not a proper country.
That 0-0 draw puts England in a precarious position in Group C, but journalist Paul Hayward reckons things could get a lot worse. ...
After England's woeful draw with Algeria's of the fans who made the 6,000-mile trip could be forgiven for not wanting to party into the night in Cape Town.
But, for any that still felt in the mood for some good old-fashioned hedonism, they were in luck, as Fatboy Slim was playing a set at the Cool Britannia event in the city. ...
Fabio Capello's side were so bad that flicking over to Gardeners World Live, or even the woeful Godfather Part III, would have been a better proposition than watching Our Boys labouring to an
Early Boers finally gets out of Sun City and immediately heads for Cape Town, where comedian and famous football fantasist David Baddiel was found to be doing some good work for charity.
As Baddiel explains, it's a win-win situation for everyone, not least the citizens of the township he visited - and his brother.
Watch EB's latest video blog here:
A goal from Javier Hernandez and a penalty from 37-year-old Cuauhtemoc Blanco mean that a fervently Catholic country in green got one over Les Bleus. ...
"It's Uruguay. It's Forlan. It's South Africa forlorn." For once, the bland host broadcaster's commentator gets it right.
Diego Forlan's penalty, added to his deflected first-half strike and his killer pass that led to Alvaro Pereira's late third, has all but done for South Africa at this World Cup after they (deservedly)
Fortunately the Daily Telegraph's Henry Winter took some time out of his day to help ponder the goalkeeping crisis which has been raging ever since Robert Green lent the United States a helping hand.
As well as considering whether manager Fabio Capello is to blame, Winter reveals who he would anoint as England's latest clown-in-waiting against Algeria on Friday. ...
Just as well that Brazil were on hand to deliver a warm breeze to Early Boers's frozen heart as they
Early Boers caught up with fans of New Zealand and Slovakia rather possibly the least salubrious fixture of the whole World Cup.
But, rather than the Slovaks just being in South Africa for the beers, or the Kiwis only bothered about their boys giving 'a hundred and tin per cint', both sets of fans held hopes of doing well at the tournament. Bless them.
Here is EB's latest video blog from a frankly freezing Rustenburg. ...
Two continents, nay, two hemispheres collide this afternoon in the World Cup's first genuinely big match: New Zealand v Slovakia kicks off at 12:30!
OK, fine, it's Ivory Coast v Portugal you're really excited about, isn't it?
Today Early Boers steered well clear of the infamous window at the England camp which Fabio Capello took exception to being filmed.
However, it did see Ledley Kig make a cameo appearance on the training pitch before hobbling off again, Fabio Capello give Shaun Wright-Phillips an awkward embrace and Jamie Carragher reveal he's popped a couple of vuvuzelas in his bag to take home.
Plus, The Sun's Rob Beasley gave EB his verdict on the threat Germany pose. ...
For all the fuss made over the Jabulani ball (sorry, Bobbity Green, but it won't be the last time you will hear that word), the goals have not been flying in at high altitude in South Africa. ...
The footage of Robert Green's gaffe has now been replayed and dissected to the point where it has been burned deep into the retinas of every England fan.
So, rather than burden you with having to relive the horror yet another time, here's a nice collection of inebriated supporters from both nations singing and goading each other before the match in Rustenburg. ...
