Things can only get better Since the eve of the South African World Cup I have seen cars in Bermuda flying the flag of South Africa, France, Mexico, USA, Netherlands, Brazil, Spain, Italy, Australia, Ghana, Argentina, Greece, South Korea as well as the more common cross of St George and the Bandeira de Portugal.

There are thousands of Bermudians with strong Portuguese ancestry, mostly from the Azores and yesterday morning Portuguese workers downed tools (there was little gardening or construction work done I can tell you) and crowded into the Front Street pubs and watch their team struggle to a draw with Ivory Coast in one of the more duller games of a World Cup that risks being the dullest of them all.

Let's be honest it's been a bit boring so far hasn't it? I've even preferred to do some work on occasion. Games are lacking goals, and those that are being scored are hardly crackers although Diego Forlorn has I think just scored the first goal from outside of the box. The ball's not helping, nor is the incessant drone of the bloody vuvuzela's. I spoke in favour of them at first but I've taken it all back!

England's result is not looking too shabby now, put into the context of what we have since seen. Spain's World Cup record has never amounted to much, but losing to Switzerland earlier today was a huge turn up.

The opening round of matches were very cagey, with avoiding losing the number one priority. Would it help if we just ditched the 32-team group stages and went straight into a knockout competition with replays if necessary? Will FIFA change it? Unlikely.

It's also been sad to see so many empty seats at many of the matches, this despite 95% of all tickets said to have been sold and 110,000 foreign fans in the country. Maybe Robbie Earle had them or they are Charlton season-ticket holders who couldn't be bothered?

Anyway I'll keep watching in the hope that it get's better.  ¶ 16:02