I like soccer, but I have really been following Ukraine's process just to see what Coach Oleh Blokhin would do or say next. He strikes me as an interesting character.

So the news.... Spain beat Ukraine; 4 to 0. This is not the worst score in World Cup history for the opening round. But it is pretty bad. And this was the first time that Ukraine qualified for World Cup. Spain and Ukraine were the

dark horses of the tournament

From: World Cup Betting: 60/1 Chelsea special

From Ukraine's coach..

'It's painful to lose 4-0,' Ukraine coach Oleh Blokhin said. 'I've never lost 4-0. The players did not respect the advice of their coaches.'

'On some occasions we were playing like the worst team in Europe.'

From: Spain opens World Cup with 4-0 victory over Ukraine

Ukraine was playing a

nation [Spain] whose checkered international soccer history has been one of perpetual disappointment.

From: Spain opens World Cup with 4-0 victory over Ukraine

Here is another view of the game....

Perennial underachiever Spain kickstarted its bid to top Group H with a resounding 4-0 win over World Cup debutant Ukraine.

.......

"It is a shame not only did we lose, we simply did not even put up a fight. We couldn't beat the heat," [Ukraine coach] Blokhin said.

From: World Cup: A24-A27

One more view of the game....

As the temperature climbed as high as 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), Ukraine wilted. Prince Felipe de Borbon y Grecia, heir to the Spanish throne, sipped beer in the stands with his wife Princess Letizia, while players guzzled and drenched themselves in water.

`They didn't show enough guts,' Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin said of his players, at a news conference. `There were times when we looked like the worst team in Europe. I apologize to all the Ukraine fans.'


From: Spain Routs Ukraine at World Cup; Tunisia Ties Saudis (Update6)

So there you have it. Ukraine's playing was awful. Spain used to be awful but they have gotten better. And it is considered hot weather in Germany at 86 Fahrenheit.


I would love an 86 degree day. Right now it is in the high 90s. And in July we will be over 100.