Ordinary Gweilo

Hilariously over the top nonsense from James Lawton in The Independent:

Auf Wiedersehen, Germany, but, yet again, ciao, Italy. It is hard to believe that any other football nation, while operating from under an avalanche of dirt, could have found their way so sure-footedly to such a superb performance. It was as if they were inspired by the old Simon and Garfunkel lyric. They had diamonds on the soles of their shoes.

The Germans, brilliant hosts and warrior contenders in the 18th World Cup, performed once again with tremendous effort. They had a competitive character set deeply into an astonishing national tradition of consistently high achievement, but there was rarely a moment’s doubt about the team more likely to claim the first available place in Sunday’s final.

The Italian captain, Fabio Cannavaro, not only confirmed the ticket to Berlin but insisted that the journey would be made in the most opulent Pullman riding the tracks of international football.

Oh, and Simon & Garfunkel?  I think not.