World Cup 2006: go west
I've had enough of these four-game days. I'm glad the groups are over now. Too much action to miss. A similar day to yesterday: I was at the read-throughs for Not Going Out and was thus Not Going Home. Because the last episode we wrote, Stress, comes in at a swollen 40 minutes, we have much to trim, and I wasn't on the train home until 8pm. Home at 8.30, heard a little of France Togo on the radio in the cab again, then caught up with it while I ate my dinner in the kitchen (steak and salad, with a lemon and oil dressing, my favourite summer meal). Moved to the living room, but I went upstairs to check my emails and was thus away from the screen for the exact six minutes during which France scored both their goals.

Ukraine 1 Tunisia 0
Unless otherwise stated, I missed all these games. Ukraine come second in Group H. Not much of a performance, by all accounts (ie. by the account on the BBC World Cup website). So the ex-Russians meet Switzerland, although it could so easily have been South Korea, had it not been Vieira's birthday (see: below).
Saudi Arabia 0 Spain 1
The Saudis had needed four goals to stand a chance. It was never going to happen. Spain's victory, not spectacular on paper, means that this is the third time they have won all three group matches in a World Cup, and are unbeaten for 25 games now. This was a walkover for them. They win Group H and meet France (see: below).
Switzerland 2 South Korea 0
A fairly decisive victory. One Swiss goal per half. I know why these matches are played at the same time as each other but why are they played at the same time as each other?
Togo 0 France 2
The one I saw, albeit in chunks, and with the added distraction of a family of foxes fighting over the bones of yesterday's chicken in the back garden. (Coincidentally, the BBC's Marcel Desailly described Trezuguet as a fox at half time.) You might have expected France, even minus their other birthday boy Zidane, to have fared a little easier against a side with their bags already packed, but Togo did some good work in the first half, and the French went off with little rainclouds over their heads. Whoever was commentating on Five Live said that, for the French, it must have been like watching Doctor Who from behind the sofa. They needed to win two goals ahead to qualify. And, in a reenergised second half, they got them. Notwithstanding some muffed shots by Trezuguet (whose name always makes me think of that poncy shampoo Tresemme) and Ribery, and one offside goal that might not have been, it was Vieira, 30, who proved essential to both of the French equalisers in the 55th and 61st minutes, curling one into the top pocket himself and heading the set-up for a calm and collected Henry - who has thus far lacked va-va-voom, but has cleared his name, which I've always thought should be spelt Henri. At least Sunday wasn't Zidane's last World Cup match then. He is 70 today.

Alan Shearer, who was revealed in the papers this morning to be joining Steve McClaren on the England coaching team as soon as he takes over, revealed from behind the BBC pundits' coffee table that he won't be joining Steve McClaren on the England coaching team as soon as he takes over. The press never lets you down. Unless he's tactically denying it and holding out for more cash, but he's got honest eyes. I like Shearer as a pundit, he's pretty eloquent for a player, but he really should have it written into his BBC contract that he doesn't appear when the German sun's setting behind him. Backlight isn't kind to his hair.