Is it me, or has this year’s World Cup started off a little boring? I mean, granted, I haven’t watched as many of the afternoon games as I’d like because I am too busy communicating key strategic messages to the right audiences – ahem.   But the games I have managed to catch have been DULL.

In it to win it; the World Cup 2010 trophy could be held aloft by any one of the 32 teams

In it to win it; the World Cup 2010 trophy could be held aloft by any one of the 32 teams

Even Brazil (from whom I expect great things) failed to thrill and don’t even get me started on Spain, who have apparently decided to adopt Arsenal’s style of passing the ball around like a hot potato, but failing to actually convert. There have been some surprise results though; Mexico managed to beat France, and Germany just got schooled by Serbia (hold on, do my eyes deceive me or did the Germans actually miss a penalty?)

What I have found interesting however, is the media’s coverage of the event, both nationally and internationally. The UK press has continued with its own style of patriotism, insisting that we are going to win the World Cup despite our rather lacklustre performance against the US. Speaking of our cousins from across the pond, The Daily Post’s coverage of the encounter was described as a win for the US. I can almost see where they are coming from. The US dominates every sport that they created: basketball, American football and baseball, so to play us at a game we created and to get a draw must be a source of pride.

Alternatively, you can amuse yourselves with an apparent article from the Pyongyang Democrat, a North Korean publication, which reported that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea thrashed Brazil 29-0.  Kim Jong-il was meant to have scored 28 goals. Ah, to wield power over the press. If I had that kind of control, the FT will be filing stories about my impending marriage to Shakira.

I can’t wait to see the headlines tomorrow – ‘Rooney hat trick hero’, ‘Gerard leads us to victory’ or if we want to mix it up like the Koreans, ‘Prince William converts from the spot.’

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