Head Space Daily Words...

Spain 1, Holland 5. It doesn’t sound real does it? But it happened. A World Cup classic, which people will be talking about in years to come and Robin Van Persie’s equalising goal will go down in football folklore. It was stunning. A perfect, long diagonal ball, played from the left touchline by Daley Blind, arrowed in to the penalty area, with exact precision, to be met by Van Persie with a perfectly timed, exquisite, looping volley – from his head. Like a leaping salmon, Van Persie jumped to meet the ball with such acrobatic athleticism that your breath was taken away and when the ball hit the net your head exploded – and I’m not even Dutch!! A career in the circus could await RVP after retirement from football. The only thing missing was that when he landed, he was in the perfect position to do ‘the caterpillar’ - the old breakdance move - which would have rounded it off in even more spectacular fashion.

RVP leaps to head the ball...

A random man performs the caterpillar

The funniest thing last night - apart from Casillas’s appalling first touch - was the Fernando Torres miss, in the final minute. If a moment ever summed up a once great player’s complete fall from footballing grace - despite all the trophies - that was it. Who knows, it could even epitomise the demise of this great Spanish team, although it is too early to make assumptions. It is a funny old game and they could bounce back.

World Cup 2014 has got off to a fantastic start. Attack and daring is the tone, rather than the focus being on defence and negativity – Cameroon take note!! The aim has been to win rather than to avoid defeat. After last night’s incredible game, we await England’s first match tonight, against Italy. It won’t be easy but with the attacking nature of the tournament so far, hopefully the England team will follow suit and play to our strengths, using pace to break forward quickly. My prediction though, in the heat of the rainforest and taking Italy into account, is for a goalless draw. Sorry to be a party pooper but I would actually not be unhappy with that result. The most important thing I feel is actually to avoid defeat, knowing we have Uruguay and Costa Rica to come. That’s my view but I hope I am wrong and we play with attacking verve, taking the game to Italy and teaching them a footballing lesson in the way Spain have just been taught one by the Dutch.

Until kick off, it is all about the anticipation of the build up. The excitement of my kids reminds me of Christmas. My old Umbro 1982 shirt will make an appearance for the game itself (see Head Space Daily Image) and my eldest son has already donned his World Cup 2010 England shirt. We are also well stocked with supplies, having acquired large bottles of Fanta and Diet coke, along with Peroni, bottles of Guinness and crisps (See Head Space Daily Image.) My youngest son keeps insisting we will also need plenty of cups of tea to stay awake and he may have a point, it will be way past my bedtime when it gets underway. Lets hope the football doesn’t send us to sleep...