Playing at altitude in South Africa

[Joe Chi Minh]

has been no problem for Holland, and that comes as little surprise, as most of Amsterdam is permanently high. (A McGovern comment in the (UK) Daily Mirror.

With good reason, it is said that Holland and Spain are the best teams never to have reached a final of the World Cup - until now. The altitude seems to have given the Dutch an unfair advantage, doesn't it...

I love the kind of arrogance with which they hold up the ball, confident that they can shield it. But, judging from their performance against Germany, it looks as if two or three Spaniards will immediately tackle them, preventing the Dutch from settling on the ball.

[Condem]

1. The whole altitude deal is overrated, Joe Chi.

The US trained at Princeton, NJ. Well, I think it was on a small knoll. Anyway..I'd take our stamina over anybody. We scored some late shit.

[Joe Chi Minh]

2. You have been producing very effective teams for a number of years. And I

think you were robbed by a wrong decision this World Cup, weren't you? Or was it the Aussies or Kiwis? Anyway, they did you proud.

I agree about the altitude. I only saw two passing references to it in the papers. But actually, it was the joke I was wanting to post.

[Condem]

3. The US has a ways to go, Joe, but yes, they did us proud.

I think in my lifetime (I'm fifty) we will win the thing. Every four years....maybe I see it 10 more times. Ahhhhh. The great unknown.