So after nearly three months of managerial mind games and exciting encounters the group stage is finally complete. Sixteen sides have been eliminated and sixteen sides remain. To confirm, the draw for the second round is as follows:
1. South Africa v[…]

With the winning teams resting and limbering up for the trials ahead, Roger Bozack takes time out from the putting green to share some of his favourite efforts from those nations who found themselves left out in the cold when all the votes were count[…]

Paris is fantastic for the cheese-obsessed. It’s littered with cheese shops vending a huge variety of French cheeses (and a tiny smattering of imported ones).
Bleu d’Causses
This is a cow’s milk cousin of Roquefort, and it looks the[…]

Here’s another chance to catch up on the busiest part of the Pop World Cup, with all the voting for Groups E F G and H in one handy place…
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Sixteen songs in thirty minutes! It’s like lunch in a pill. Roger Bozack and Peter Baran race through this week’s jam-packed schedule to bring you foreshortened highlights of some matches and extended musing on others. This week the Feder[…]

It’s tight down here at the very end of the group stages but nothing’s decided yet. Switzerland, managed by Greg F have just one point but a win here could see them through (assuming other results go their way). Honduras (Carsmile Steve&#[…]

Group H is here, and today’s games mark the end of the popglut which has been this last set of games in the last qualifying round. This game features Alberto’s Spain side, six points out of six and qualification in the bag, against JEL&#8[…]

That is the hidden truth that this Facebook group is trying to dodge. Instead they want you to make a link between Rage Against The Machine and Liberal Democrats. And I cannot help but think this is both the most brilliant piece of Lib Dem campaignin[…]

Portugal and Brazil share a language and a complex colonial and post-colonial history. Today, however, they share a pop-football pitch, and both sides are still hoping to qualify  for the next round. Job de Wit’s Portugal need a win to be sure[…]

We return now to Group G, where nothing is decided. Anyone could go through, anyone could go out. Cote d’Ivoire, managed by Wichita Lineman, have been muscular and impressive so far, while Mark S’s Korea DPR seem to approach us from a differe[…]