The World Cup is halfway through and we have seen some excellent games, good goals and a load of entertainment. Generally speaking, that is, because there have been a few boring games.

What surprises me each time a World Cup is on is that so many people from all walks of life, including many women, who do not normally follow the game do watch a few games and take an interest.

It is good to see so many people, for once, leaving politics aside and discuss whether the offside signaled should have been given and whether a goal should have been allowed or not.

The problem is that everybody seems to have become an expert overnight, and those who watch a few games every four years expect to have a deep knowledge of how the offside rule works.

Naturally, passion comes into it as well.

There are many supporters of England, for example, who think that the goal scored by the United States in the second half against Italy should have stood when it was a blatant offside, and was rightly ruled as such by the excellent referee.

Then there are Italy supporters who believe that Crouch’s goal against Trinidad and Tobago should have been disallowed because the Liverpool player pulled at his opponent’s hair before heading the ball home. But, again, how many of you noticed this in actual play? The referee cannot be blamed for something that was hidden from him and only picked up by the cameras.

Hopefully, we will continue to see some good football. Argentina and Spain are, in my opinion, the best two teams so far. But the road towards the final on 9 July is too far away for anyone to be able to make predictions.

P. Camilleri

Sliema