Christine Folch

(Note, Puma City, where I was, didn't have free wireless, so I used Word and have later uploaded this.

Summary: Paraguay has a great defense. Puma City could be better executed, not where I'll be watching future games.)


2:30
National anthem… pajaro campana shows his true colors. Annoying subtitles on the screen.

2:32
Barrios is playing… the new Pyan is playing instead of Roque Santa Cruz

2:34
game starts

some Italian has fallen for no reason. Boo hoo. Oh, okay. There were cleats involved.

2:44
another Italian falls,

2:46
the Italians are putting a lot of pressure, even on Villar… this is a beautiful game and, yes, I’m scared.

2:50
These Italians are floppy. They’re almost Portuguese. Offsides.

2:56
this looks dangerous. But it’s okay… Maybe?

Best subtitle mistake: "...for the parg wantans."

3:05
At Red in Puma City… the beer is small and the service a little confused by the situation, I think. I.e., we want to watch the game and drink beer. The beer is overpriced for not very much, but they’ve at last turned off the annoying subtitles.

3:10
I miss Cabañas

Number 21 SCORREEESSS!!!!!!! GOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

3:20
Paraguay is ahead 1 point!!! There are, like, 2 or 3 people in this bar complex who are in Py gear. Including me. But lots of non-Italyans cheered at the goal.

“To take nothing away from Paraguay. They’re very lucky to be playing Italy in the first game. Italy always loses the first game,” says my pro-Italy friend. “Check the history. How many times has Italy won their first game in the world cup? And how many times have they won the world cup? They’ve gotten this thing down to a bad science.”

Second Half, Christine is scared.
3:35.

3:43
yikes!!!!.. but the grass is slippery and whew.

3:51
Victor Caceres yellow card.

Alert. Red has a $10 minimum, but it doesn’t say it anywhere in writing.

Italy scores. 1:1.

Final. Sigh

Post-Game
Lots of people ask me about the tereré I'm carrying.