World Cup - SAFC Blog

Norwich Guess the Score: to think we’ll be at the World Cup

December 16, 2019April 8, 2018 by Colin Randall

Monsieur Salut writes: a family holiday looms so this is being prepared between Black Monday, perhaps the defining moment of a wretched season when even a half-decent performance was undone by the usual defensive frailties, and whatever happens at Leeds. I leave it to Salut! Sunderland colleagues to update this introduction as they see fit after Elland Road. For now, I shall combine the usual prize Guess the Score competition for the next home game, Norwich City and a rare chance to record a double, with some thoughts from elsewhere on a competition that seems to have little or nothing to do with the preoccupations of a club heading for League One (or not, according to results) …

The Things We Do For Love: Roker Park, spirit of ’66 and all that

December 8, 2016December 8, 2016 by Colin Randall

Ask Jeremy 'Clock Stand Paddock' Robson where Sunderland play and he'll say 'Roker Park' — Ask Jeremy ‘Clock Stand Paddock’ Robson where Sunderland play and he’ll say ‘Roker Park’

Next Tuesday, December 13, is the deadline for stories, anecdotes and random thoughts on the things we do for our love of SAFC (or others do to accommodate that love). The prize is the print of Roker Park you see above, supplied by our generous sponsors http://www.wearedorothy.com. We have already had some excellent entries which can be seen at the earlier posts: https://safc.blog/category/salut-competition/ – and they keep trickling in. Here is Peter Lynn – Wrinkly Pete – with some lovely memories of times gone by …

Brazil 2014: Sixer salutes a magical football experience

July 15, 2014 by Colin Randall

Pete Sixsmith clearly wasn’t paying attention when Jeremy Robson raised his eyebrows at the praise heaped on this years World Cup, nor indeed when a third Salut! Snderland writer, John McCormick, offered his own critical thoughts eaerlier in the tournament. As the entertainment concludes for another four years, Pete looks back with pleasure on Brazil 2014 …

The Robson Report: Brazil 2014 – overblown, over hyped and over on Sunday

July 13, 2014July 11, 2014 by Dean Cruddace

taking a detached view of events overseas

Jeremy Robson is not a man to shy away from a good debate. It could be said that had he studied for the Bar it would have been at the Devil’s School of Advocacy, but his observations are always incisive and well argued. He has been watching the affairs in Brazil with interest and shares his thoughts about a World Cup nearing its conclusion.

Over the course of the last month we’ve seen the best of the world game, for what it is. There may be no Pele, Muller, Beckenbauer, Tostao, Jairzhino, Ronaldo, Charlton, Gascoigne, Cruyff, Neeskens, Baggio, Schillachi, Platini, Garrincha, or Maradona. There is really no stunning team, but we have seen some very good football. It has to be said that there have been some awful games to watch as well.

Charmless penalties victory makes it a Germany-Argentina World Cup final

December 16, 2019July 9, 2014 by Colin Randall

For a reason I may soon work out, this may be a shorter report than my instant account of Brazil versus Germany.

Got it! No one showed quite the same passion as the Brazilians, from hapless David Luiz down to the smallest mascot, in the national anthems. Fat lot of good that did them …

Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Netherlands: support your favourite

July 3, 2014July 3, 2014 by Colin Randall

France vs Germany, Brazil vs Colombia tomorrow night, the Netherlands vs Costa Rica, Argentina vs Belgium on Saturday. That is the line-up for the quarterfinals of what has been a terrific World Cup. You can still vote to decide which team/country Salut! Sunderland supports. For now, it’s Belgium, who deserve it if only for Vincent Kompanys’s great show of magnanimity towards Tim Howard…

Bye Bye America’s Pride: Kompany, Howard and respect

July 2, 2014July 2, 2014 by Colin Randall

Sixteen saves, some of then very classy indeed, made Tim Howard the man of the match in USA vs Belgium whatever the winners could say about their match-winners.

But then the Belgians were actually magnanimous in victory. Vincent Kompany, an outstanding player and very likeable bloke from what we see of him on Twitter, tweeted this:

Two words.. TIM HOWARD #Respect #BelUSA

Respect to you, VK.

Brazil 2014: a piece of magique for Algeria

June 27, 2014June 27, 2014 by Colin Randall

My electronic friend Fahim Officiel, the brains behind the Algerian top you see above or alongside these words, is ecstatic at his country’s progress from the group stage to the last 16 of the World Cup. He asks me to remind Salut! Sunderland readers of his original forecast that they’d reach the quarter finals though I am not sure this was a prediction that made it onto these pages.

Brazil 2014: Belgium are a surmountable obstacle as USA ‘dare to dream’

June 27, 2014 by Colin Randall

It used to be said that football could never be popular in the USA because the country had no interest in a sport it couldn’t win. Has Brazil 2014 finally changed that? The fans in the stadiums and on social media are vocal enough but what about the broader picture? With a last 16 tie with Belgium looming, it would fascinating to hear from our Sunderland-supporting American correspondent Grant Tunkel how the team’s impressive progress is being received back home.

For now, he reflects on Jürgen Klinsmann’s success in leading the USA out of tricky group stage – a much tougher task than faced much-praised France – despite a narrow defeat to Germany. Cue a Jozy Altidore goal or two on return from injury to see off the Belgians? …