Poyet’s Uruguay, Jozy’s USA make the running. Is Jonny’s Toulon too posh?

First things first. The World Cup poll – not to be taken too seriously – currently shows Uruguay ahead of the USA in terms of preference.

Our marks-out-of-ten columnist, young Keir Bradwell, has registered a protest: how can we have people voting for another team in England’s group? The answer is that you can want England to succeed but have, in reserve, affection for Uruguay because of Gus, Italy for Borini, Mannone and Giaccherini and the USA for Jozy, wretched as he was for us most of the time last season. Anyway, scroll down to vote if you have not already … I intend to keep the poll going as teams falls by the wayside, so the collective Salut! Sunderland preference may change more than once.


One slight change. Taking account of Keir’s point, supported by Jeremy and accepted, of reflection, by Monsieur Salut, votes cast for Uruguay, Costa Rica and Italy – part of our group – will become valid only if and when England depart from the tournament. Even though this is just a spot of fun, it does seem inappropriate to adopt a team England face in the group stage.

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Brazil 2014: vote for the second team of your choice

World Cup fever gripping Campo Retro
World Cup fever gripping Campo Retro


Right, this is a semi-serious attempt
to reach a World Cup decision.

We naturally wish England especially well, or most of us do, and it would indeed be marvellous to see Roy Hodgson lead Jordan and Co to as advanced a stage of the tournament as possible up to and including the final.

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Brazil 2014: European nations hope for glory – but conditions apply

From Campo Retro's World Cup selection
From Campo Retro’s World Cup selection***

Salut! Sunderland will be keeping an eye on the World Cup. Our appeal for candidates for secondary (or primary for those hostile to England) support has yielded the following suggestions, here and elsewhere: Greece, Belgium, Chile, Portugal, Australia and Uruguay. Here, in a guest post* from Mike Larsson at superbetting.com, is a scene-setter reflecting on Europe’s prospects of presenting a serious challenge to the South American teams present at Brazil 2014 …

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A Bumper England World Cup Bundle for a football know-all

This could be yours
This could be yours

Another competition, more goodies to win, as the World Cup approaches.

In fact, there is no need to be a know-all. These things are much more fun if we banish creativity, frown on encyclopaedic general knowledge and stick to simplicity. So the question will be cinch: all you need do is send me the answer and I will pick a correct answer at random.

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Brazil 2014: will any Sunderland players grace the dream World Cup venue?

The long road. By Jake
The long road. By Jake

In the buildup to each match, Salut! Sunderland asks a fan of the opposing team for his or her thoughts on that constant theme: club versus country.

Whether we have chanced upon a celebrity supporter or welcomed a common-or-garden follower just like us into the hot seat, the answers are overwhelmingly on the side of “club comes first”.

But does the location of the 2014 World Cup, a country that has produced such sublime football over the past half-century – make a difference? The early signs are that it does.

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Birflatt Boy on Blatter’s gaffes: no mincing words


Monsieur Salut didn’t get as worked up as some about the World Cup venue votes. Cries of foul play? Last-minute manipulation? Prize snatched from under the expectant winner’s nose. Er, no, that was London beating Paris to the 2012 Olympics. But other issues have arisen, so stand by for some straight(ish) talking from Birflatt Boy

A couple of weeks after the ridiculous announcement that the 2022 World Cup would be held in a country that currently has three suitable stadiums, and where the temperatures during the tournament will be so high that you could cook bacon and eggs on the roof of your car, there is now furore surrounding comments from the Fifa president Sepp Blatter.

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England 2 Russia 13: maybe we’re not the greatest after all

As attentive readers will know, Monsieur Salut is in Zurich, reporting on the outcome of the Fifa vote – not for the British media but for a newspaper that is delighted with one of the decisions taken. The National, Abu Dhabi is enjoying a spot of reflected pride at Qatar’s choice for the 2022 World Cup. Meanwhile at home …

When Niall Quinn has a go, the world listens. Sunderland fans have no monopoly on admiration for their club’s chairman; he commands respect and attention throughout the game.

And Niall is deeply unhappy about Fifa’s humiliating rejection of a bid its president called outstanding and remarkable but then joined almost every other member of the committee in ignoring. Two votes, one of them the English one anyway, and summary elimination after Round One: sounds reminiscent of Sunderland’s performances in the last two relegation seasons.

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Soapbox: a most enjoyable game

soapbox

I thoroughly enjoyed yesterday’s game. It was played in an excellent spirit, there was a lot of good football and it ended up with five goals. To top it off, I went home and watched another cracker between Germany and Uruguay on the tattie field aka as Port Elizabeth.

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World Cup Soapbox: withdrawal symptoms or back to a normal life?

soapbox


… in which Pete Sixsmith fills a World Cup gap by going to the circus before offering his closing stage predictions (for the football, not the circus); thus Pete laments the likely end of the road for Paraguay, sees Ghana proceeding to the semis and names the trophy winners …

After coming through two scary days without football. I need my fix today. Like Renton in Trainspotting, I will have my perfect day in front of the screen tonight, taking an interest in Holland v Brazil and roaring out encouragement for Big John and the Black Stars tonight.

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