Germany 2006

The time is upon us again .... yes, the FIFA World Cup is back. Being just a seasonal football fan (the kind who knows the names of about 11 international players & not all the 11 who make up A.C. Milan), most of the Football related memories I have are in relation to the several World Cups I've been witness to ....

Mexico '86 - I remember Gev sporting it's logo on the sneakers he used to wear. Remember nothing of the matches though. Argentina were in their prime then.

Italia '90 - The logo was really cool & I had a lot of doodles at the back of my Maths register. Roger Milla & Cameroon were the surprise package.

USA '94 - Maradona got the drugs-related ban in this one. Followed a few matches which were mostly late at night. Remember preparing for a Bar Charts test while watching one.

France '98 - A dream World Cup for the hosts. They played fantastically & Zidane was the toast of the footballing world. And who'll forget Ronaldo's performance (non-performance, rather) in the finals .... & his buck-teeth. Watched a few matches at the Hostel mess while witnessing first hand the Bengali's fascination for the game.

Japan-South Korea '02 - Asia's first World Cup. Senegal beating France in the opener. France (the holders) bowing out at the group stage itself after scoring a total of 0 goals. The Koreans putting it across the Italians in the quarters .... & Brazilian magic in the final .... it was Ronaldo's redemption.


Well, it's about to happen all over again .... action starts tomorrow 9:30 PM IST.