How’s it going people?

Tired?

All this extra time wearing you out?

Me too…

I’m getting slightly bored of amazing 0-0 games. Let’s move it up a gear for the quarters, yeah?

So it’s done. Bye, bye USA. They took a battering last night despite managing to push the game to extra time. They floundered in the end. Tim Howard was a total hero the whole way through. What a performance. He really was excellent.

The Switzerland game also went to Extra time. Di Maria to the rescue.

So, that’s it, it’s buinsess time. All the best teams are through, hopefully we see a few more goals in this round.

The main attraction is Colombia vs Brazil. An incredibly tantalising prospect. Two of the best players in the tournament hacking it out to be the main man.

Rodrigues, a frighteningly talented, extrememly left footed traditional number 10 up against the right footed Neymar who is normally more of a wide player. Having engrossed myself in both players over the last week, it’s quite difficult to compare the two… which is what everyone else is trying to do.

Neymar is outrageously ‘football’. He’s your McDonald’s advert when you were a kid. He has the tricks, he has the outrageous turn of pace, but he has the key Brazilian asset all the greats have… Magic. He doesn’t play by the rules when he’s on fire, he makes them up. A lesser version of Ronaldinho.

Rodrigues is outrageously left footed which makes you wonder what would happen if someone forced him more down his right. It doesn’t matter though, he can do absolutely anything with that left foot, which makes him even more spectacular. He picks the ball up deep, sprays visionary passes, but he’s most devastating in and around the box. He has that Cesc like sense when making perfectly times runs and his ability to sniff out space and devastate is quite amazing. Well, at least in this World Cup, I think what’s crazy about both players is they have a fairly uninteresting first season at their new clubs.

Neymar melted into the background with 9 or so goals, Rodrigues managed about 12 and the same amount of assists.

… and this is it. Rodrigues looks like a £100m player right now. He has it all. A club like Madrid is either going to make him a great signing in him, or they’re going to be disappointed. Well, disappointed he can’t be Messi every week. Neymar, again, has already gone for the big bucks, but can he translate his international form, which is crazy good, into domestic form?

Who knows, for I don’t care, they’re both dragging their coutnries through at the moment and this Friday’s game is going to be exceptional. A quite dogged Brazil team that doesn’t match up to the great teams of the past versus a quite spectacular Colomobia side that is blowing all away in front of it!

FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS

There are stories that Arsenal have bid £19m for Sanchez this morning and Barca want £24m. As far as I’m aware, that’s wrong on both counts. They want £30m and that’s what we’re going to pay. I really wouldn’t worry about us screwing this one. New Arsenal spunked out £43m on Ozil at the last minute. Wenger really wants Sanchez, the player is a superstar, I highly doubt we’re going to risk a gazumping like we did last year with Higuain.

Fear not, it’s just paper nonsense.

I also forgot to put the press release for the new kit on here yesterday.

We’re with Puma.

Shocker.

Some angst amongst the fan base because the badge is an iron on style one over the traditional embroidered Nike offering. I must admit, the only concern I have about the shirt is that it doesn’t have a premium feel about it. I haven’t seen it up close, so can’t really judge. However, I like the bright red, I like that it’s skin right and I like the fact it’s a change. Puma can’t afford to not make this work. Hopefully they’ll utilise our sponsorship better than Nike did.

… but once again, if you’re an adult and you’re bitching about the badge or the tightness of the shirt… have a word with yourself. You’re an adult. Football shirts are for kids. You shouldn’t be wearing it. If it’s skin tight, that’s because it’s for athletes. Not people who consider a walked 5k fun run a serious cardio workout.

In other news, I’m doing something for Bloomberg later, they have Sol Campbell in on Friday, if you have any sensible questions for one of the best centre backs we’ve had, ask them on Twitter against the #AskSolCampbell.

Have an excellent Wednesday!