20/06/06 Ouch!

Recent picture of me playing football after recovering from injury.

I grimaced watching the slow motion replays of Michael Owen's injury.
I did exactly the same thing 6 years ago.
It's a case of losing balance, then falling with your knee twisted underneath you.
The pain was such that I nearly passed out.
I had ruptured my medial ligaments and was hobbling for 12 months afterwards.
I suspect Owen has suffered the same injury.
I remember that on repeated occasions afterwards, my kneecap was still a bit loose and would occasionally shift to one side, causing a bolt of pain roughly equivalent to someone swinging a sledge hammer and hitting me square on the foot with it.
My injury didn't get quite as much media coverage at the time, but to be honest I preferred it that way.
What a strange game last night.
England looked good and lively in the first half and took a deserved lead.
However, in the second half they turned in a horrible, lifeless performance and were
extremely fortunate overall to come away with a draw and avoid playing Germany on Saturday.
They must surely be the most unconvincing Group Winners in the history of the World Cup.

I'm almost starting to believe that they'll win it because everything seems to be going for them, and they've definitely got the less tough half of the draw in the knockout-section.
I put the bets on Paraguay to beat Trinidad & Tobago, and Poland to beat Costa Rica.
Both came good, and I am now only £41.75 down on week 2.
I was thinking it would be nice if sometimes the World Cup pundits got injured, eg
Ian Wright pulling up with a jaw strain midway through some pre-match analysis, then getting stretchered out of the studio.
The only pundit I find consistently informative (and funny) is Martin O'Neill. Pity he's not on more often.
And why didn't Sven give Theo Walcott a run-out last night for the last few minutes?
Very odd...!
I can't see him getting a game at all now...not unless England are leading 5-0 in the World Cup final with 10 minutes to go.