The social side of the England games will be fun - I think I'm around for at least two of the first (haha!) three, and people in the church are getting together for a shared footie experience plus food .... Then there's the shouts and groans audible through open windows when the matches are on. But at the end of the day, it's only a game. Of 90 minutes. With one winner and one loser. I don't suppose I'll be that over the moon if England win, nor as sick as a parrot if they don't win.
My predictions. England will go into the first match against Paraguay on Saturday vastly overconfident, and lose it 0-1, with the goal being late in the second half. They will beat Trinidad and Tobago 2-1, having gone one goal down. They will win their third match against Sweden through a disputed penalty. They will qualify for the next stage on goal difference. Neither Beckham nor Rooney will score, and both will be ineligible to play in the first knockout match, because of yellow cards.
They will then go out in the first knockout stage on penalties, having drawn 0-0.
People talk about favourable draws for the competition, and in theory, England ought to qualify from their group. But to get it in perspective, at the time the draw was made for the competition, somebody pointed out that it should, in actual fact, be irrelevant. If a team isn't able to beat any team on any given day, then they shouldn't be the world cup holders.
Bah, humbug.