A bizarre World Cup

Should have done this earlier, as I'm now in the throes of watching Italy-New Zealand with the score at 1-1.  So in the interest of seeing a bit of the game this is going to be very brief.

What a very strange World Cup this is turning out to be - isn't it?

• A fan wanders into the England dressing room looking for the toilet and is quietly escorted off in the right direction, until the media get hold of it.
• Police praise the behaviour of England fans following the disastrous draw with Algeria.
• France in total disarray:  Anelka sent home; today's training session didn't happen when the players walked off following an argument between their captain and the fitness coach; and the head of the FFF resigns.  I feel sorry for their supporters - what a way to repay their loyalty.  Time to start with a blank sheet of paper perhaps.
• Spain, Italy (current world champions), England, Germany, France have all struggled unexpectedly, with games resulting in suprise results. 
• New Zealand have their best result ever, and they're not even a fully professional team!
• I am providing information about teams etc to the menfolk of my family.  This is the most bizarre.

Last night's game between Cameroon and Denmark was good to watch (I never, ever thought I'd say that about a football game) and I'm sorry Cameroon have gone out, but since half the teams have to and someone has to be the first one, that's the way it goes.  It was one of the few displays of energy and commitment amongst the games I've seen in the competition.

What really is the cause of the strange outcomes - ball, environment, global warming, cosmic activity, prima donna behaviour, too much money in the game?

I'm looking forward to this evening's Brazil - Ivory Coast game this evening.  How surprising is that?

In the meantime, thought I'd give you a couple of links to BBC World Cup Bus clips:

• a trip to Cape Agulhas, the most southerly point of the African continent and the place where Harold MacMillan completed writing his "Wind of Change" speech made to the South African Parliament in 1960.  Beautiful photography and interesting content.
   http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8737098.stm
• visiting an orphanage where the orphans are all HIV Positive - there is such a lot of really valuable work going on in Africa I'm really glad the BBC is using the World Cup as a way of making more of us aware of what's being done (and how much more is needed): http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8749748.stm