No more messing around… it’s time for the real business.
The group stages of any major tournament are fun. You get surprises (think Germany vs Croatia) you get thrillers (Czech Republic vs Turkey) and you get games so dull you almost give up the will to live (France vs Romania).
But nothing beats the thrill and excitement of the knock-out stages when the teams take to the pitch knowing it’s do or die and there are no second chances.
Of course, being an England fan, the knock-out stages of a major tournament are normally filled with nothing but fear and trepidation. We either have a player sent off and defend valiantly for 90 minutes before losing to a single goal or play like gods without scoring then take our penalties like blind chimps with groin strains.
But, as England’s finest are currently on holiday with their WAGs busily dreaming up new and interesting ways of spending their inflated salaries, I am able to look forward to the quarter finals without an ounce of fear.
And what a cracker we should have to get the ball rolling: Germany vs Portugal, a clash between the pre-tournament favorites and one of the teams many are now tipping to go all the way.
Germany got their campaign off to a pretty decent start, dispatching Poland with ease. But they went on to lose to Croatia and then put in a display against Austria that was so unpleasing on the eye I thought I was watching Sheffield United for much of the second half.
In fact that particular game was so disappointing the highlight came when the two managers were sent off for not abiding by the UEFA rule which says all opposing coaches should express their undying love for each other at all times.
To be fair I don’t think it was a real argument between Low and Hickersberger, more of an attempt by two proud gentlemen to distract the watching millions from the non-event that was unfolding on the pitch.
Still the theatrics have ended up costing Low who is banned from the touchline for this night’s match and that certainly won’t help him motivate his players although I have long been a believer that managers actually get a better overall view of what’s going on from the stands.
In the other corner you have Portugal managed by soon-to-be-Chelsea-boss Luis Felipe Scolari and led on the pitch by the best-player-but-worst-personality-in-the-world Christiano Ronaldo.
They too started their group in impressive fashion brushing aside Turkey and the Czech Republic. However, they came unstuck against Switzerland when they dropped their best players and the weakness of their reserves must be a concern when it comes to their prospects of going all the way.
However, that won’t really matter tonight when both teams will have pretty much their first teams on display for what is, in reality, a mouth watering tie.
My prediction: A narrow win for the Germans. They are the only team I have seen so far with the ability to play badly and still come out on top and that experience and organisational ability might just be the key to making the semis.